the dark sheltering shadows of the jungle and emerged into the
bright moonlight which flooded the clearing in which the camp stood.

Billy raised his rifle to his shoulder and the next minute would
have been the savage scout's last had not old Sikaso sternly seized
and lowered the weapon, saying in a tense whisper:

"The time is not yet ripe, my brother. To fire now would be
unnecessarily to give the alarm. Wait until they are massed thick
and then fire into the bodies of the Arab dogs."

The scout didn't waste much time in reconnoitering. After a short
time spent in peering about he dived once more into the forest and
Billy whispered to Lathrop:

"Now it's coming, old man."

And come it did.

Five minutes after the scout had dived back into the forest a dozen
dark forms crept from the bush and stealthily advanced toward the
tent.

The leader had reached the door and Billy was frantically imploring
old Sikaso to let him shoot when an appalling shriek rent the air.

The old Krooman's axe flashed once in the moonlight and the leader
of the attacking party lay dead at the tent door, severed almost to
the chest.