ground almost to my feet. As he came I pumped two more

bullets into him, and as he struggled to rise, clawing

viciously at me, I put a bullet in his spine.

That finished him, and I am free to admit that I was mighty

glad of it. There was a great tree close behind me, and,

stepping within its shade, I leaned against it, wiping the

perspiration from my face, for the day was hot, and the

exertion and excitement left me exhausted.

I stood there, resting, for a moment, preparatory to turning

and retracing my steps to the launch, when, without warning,

something whizzed through space straight toward me. There

was a dull thud of impact as it struck the tree, and as I

dodged to one side and turned to look at the thing I saw a

heavy spear imbedded in the wood not three inches from where

my head had been.

The thing had come from a little to one side of me, and,

without waiting to investigate at the instant, I leaped

behind the tree, and, circling it, peered around the other

side to get a sight of my would-be murderer.

This time I was pitted against men--the spear told me that

all too plainly--but so long as they didn't take me unawares

or from behind I had little fear of them.

Cautiously I edged about the far side of the trees until I

could obtain a view of the spot from which the spear must

have come, and when I did I saw the head of a man just

emerging from behind a bush.

The fellow was quite similar in type to those I had seen

upon the Isle of Wight. He was hairy and unkempt, and as he

finally stepped into view I saw that he was garbed in the

same primitive fashion.

He stood for a moment gazing about in search of me, and then

he advanced. As he did so a number of others, precisely

like him, stepped from the concealing verdure of nearby

bushes and followed in his wake. Keeping the trees between

them and me, I ran back a short distance until I found a

clump of underbrush that would effectually conceal me, for I

wished to discover the strength of the party and its