Itwasonthefourthnightthatthetroublebegan。Asusualtheyhadlitahugefiremadeofthefallenboughsandrottingtreetrunksthatlayaboutinplenty。Therewasnoreasonwhythefireshouldbesolarge，sincetheyhadlittletocookandtheairwashot，buttheymadeitsoforthesamereasonthatJeekieansweredquestions，forthesakeofcheerfulness。Atleastitgavelightinthedarkness，leapingupinredtonguesofflametwentyorthirtyfeethigh，anditsroarandcracklewerewelcomeintheprimevalsilence。
Alanlayuponthecorkmattressintheopen，forheretherewasnoneedtopitchthetent；ifanyrainfellabove，thecanopyofleavesabsorbedit。Hewasamusinghimselfwhilehesmokedhispipewithwatchingthereflectionofthefire-lightagainstapatchofdarknesscausedprobablybysomebushabouttwentyyardsaway，andbypicturinginhisownmindthefaceofBarbara，thatstrong，pleasantEnglishface，asitmightappearonsuchabackground。Suddenlythere，ontheidenticalspothedidseeaface，thoughoneofaverydifferentcharacter。Itwasroundandsmallandhideous，resemblinginitsgeneraloutlinethatofabloatedchild。Atthisdistancehecouldnotdistinguishthefeatures，exceptthelips，whichwerelargeandpendulous，andbetweenthemtheflashofwhiteteeth。
“Lookhere，“hewhisperedtoJeekieinEnglish，andJeekielooked，thenwithoutsayingaword，liftedtheshotgunthatlayathissideandfiredstraightatthebush。Instantlytherearoseasqueakingnoise，suchasmightbemadebyawoundedanimal，andthefourporterssprangupinalarm。
“Sitdown，“saidJeekietothemintheirowntongue，“aleopardwasstalkingusandIfiredtofrightenitaway。Don’tgoneartheplace，asitmaybewoundedandangry，butdragupsomeboughsandmakeafenceroundthefire，forfearofothers。“
Themenwhodreadedleopards，lookingontheseanimals，indeed，withsuperstitiousreverence，obeyedreadilyenough，andastherewasplentyofwoodlyingwithinafewyards，soonconstructeda/boma/
fencethat，roughasitwas，wouldserveforprotection。
“Jeekie，“saidAlanpresentlyastheylabouredatthefence，“thatwasnotaleopard，itwasaman。“
“No，no，Major，notman，littledwarfdevil，himthathavepoisonedarrow。Ishootatoncetomakehimsitup。Thinkhenocomebackto-night，toomuchafraidofshotfetish。Butto-morrow，can’tsay。
Nottellthosefellowsanything，“andhenoddedtowardstheporters，“orperhapstheybolt。“
“Ithinkyouwouldhavedonebettertoleavethedwarfalone，“saidAlan，“andtheymighthaveleftusalone。Nowtheywillhaveabloodfeudagainstus。“
“Notagree，Major，onlychanceforusputhiminbluefunk。IfInotshoot，presentlyheshoot，“andhemadeasoundthatresembledthewhistlingofanarrow，thenadded，“Nowyougosleep。Inottired，I
watch，myeyesseeindarkbetterthanyours。Onlytwomoredaysofthisdamnforest，thenopenlandwithtreehereandthere，wheredwarfnocomebecauseheafraidoflionandcannibalman，wholikeeathim。“
AstherewasnothingelsetobedoneAlantookJeekie’sadviceandintimefellfastasleep，nordidhewakeagaintillthefaintlightwhichforthewantofabetternametheycalleddawn，wasfilteringdowntothemthroughthecanopyofboughs。
“Beentolook，“saidJeekieashehandedhimhiscoffee。“Hitthatdwarfman，seehisblood，butthinkotherscarryhimaway。Jeekieverygoodshot，stone，spear，arrow，orgun，allsametohim。Nowgetoffasquickaswecanbeforeporterssmellarat。Youeatchop，Major，I
pack。“
Presentlytheystartedontheirtrudgethroughthoseendlesstrees，withFearforacompanion。Eventheporters，whohadbeentoldnothing，seemedmoreafraidthanusual，thoughwhetherthiswasbecausethey“smellrat，“asJeekiecalledit，orowingtotheprogressivebreakdownoftheirnervoussystems，Alandidnotknow。
Aboutmiddaytheystoppedtoeatbecausethemenweretootiredtowalkfurtherwithoutrest。Foranhourormoretheyhadbeenlookingforacomparativelyopenplace，butasitchancedcouldfindnone，sowereobligedtohaltindenseforest。Justastheyhadfinishedtheirmealandwerepreparingtoproceed，thatwhichtheyhadfeared，happened，sincefromsomewherebehindthetreebolescameavolleyofreedarrows。Onestruckaporterintheneck，onefixeditselfinAlan’shelmetwithouttouchinghim，andnolessthanthreehitJeekieonthebackandstuckthere，providentiallyenoughinthesubstanceofthecorkmattressthathestillcarriedonhisshoulders，whichthefeebleshaftshadnotthestrengthtopierce。
Everybodysprangupandwithacuriousfascinationinsteadofattemptingtodoanything，watchedtheporterwhohadbeenhitinthenecksomewhereintheregionofthejugularvein。Thepoormanrosetohisfeetwithgreatdeliberation，remindingAlaninsomegrotesquewayofaspeakerwhohassuddenlybeencalledontoaddressameetingandseekstogaintimeforthegatheringofhisthoughts。Thenheturnedtowardsthatvastaudienceofthetrees，stretchedouthishandwithadeclamatorygesture，saidsomethinginacomposedvoice，andfelluponhisfacestonedead！Theswiftpoisonhadreachedhisheartanddoneitswork。
Histhreecompanionslookedathimforamomentandthenextwithayellofterror，rushedoffintotheforest，hurlingdowntheirloadsastheyran。WhatbecameofthemAlanneverlearned，forhesawthemnomore，andthedwarfpeoplekeeptheirsecrets。Atthetimeindeedhescarcelynoticedtheirdeparture，forhewasotherwiseengaged。
Oneoftheirhideouslittleassailants，madeboldbysuccess，venturedtorunacrossanopenspacebetweentwotrees，showinghimselfforamoment。Alanhadaguninhishand，andmadwithrageatwhathadhappened，heraiseditandswungonhimashewoulduponarabbit。Hewasaquickandpractisedshotandhisskilldidnotfailhimnow，forjustasthedwarfwasvanishingbehindatree，thebulletcaughthimandnextinstanthewasseenrollingoverandoveruponitsfurtherside。
“Thatverynice，“saidJeekiereflectively，“veryniceindeed，butI
thinkwebestmoveoutofthis。“
“Aren’tyouhurt？“gaspedAlan。“Yourbackisfullofarrows。“
“Don’tfeelnothing，Major，“heanswered，“bestcorkmattress，25/3atStores，verygoodforpoisonedarrow，butleavehimbehindnow，becauseperhapspointsworkthroughasIrun，onescratchdotrick，“
andashespokeJeekieuntiedastringorseveralstrings，lettingthelittlemattressfalltotheground。
“Greatpityleaveallthosegoods，“saidJeekie，surveyingtheloadsthattheportershadcastaway，“butwhatsaysBook？Lifemorethanraiment。Alsotakenothoughtformorrow。Dwarfpeopledothatforus。
Come，Major，maketracks，“anddashingatabagofcartridgeswhichhecastabouthisneck，atriflingadditiontohisotherimpedimenta，andasmallcaseofpottedmeatsthathehitchedunderhisarm，hepokedhismasterinthebackwiththemuzzleofhisfull-cockedgunasasignalthatitwastimetostart。
“Keepthatcursedthingoffme，“saidAlanfuriously。“HowoftenhaveItoldyounevertocarryfirearmsatfullcock？“
“Aboutonethousandtimes，Major，“answeredJeekieimperturbably，“butonsuchoccasionforgetdiscreetness。Mymajustsame，itruninfamily，butstorytoolongtellyounow。Cut，Major，cutlikehell。
Themdwarfsbebacksoon，but，“hepuffed，“Ithink，IthinkLittleBonsacomesquarewiththemoneday。“
SoAlan“cut“andthehugeJeekieblunderedalongafterhim，theparaphernaliawithwhichhewashungaboutrattlinglikethehoofsofagallopinggiraffe。Norforallhisloaddidheeverturnahair。
Whetheritwerefearwithinoradesiretosavehismaster，orabeliefinthevirtuesofLittleBonsa，orthathisfootwas，asitwere，oncemoreuponhisnativeheath，thefactremainedthatnotwithstandingthefiftyyears，almost，thathadwhitenedhiswool，Jeekiewasabsolutelyinexhaustible。Atleastattheendofthatfearfulchase，whichlastedalltheday，andthroughthenightalso，fortheydarednotcamp，heappearedtobenearlyasfreshaswhenhestartedfromOldCalabar，nordidhisspiritsfailhimforonemoment。
Whenthelightcameonthefollowingmorning，however，theyperceivedbymanysignsandtokensthatthedwarfpeoplewereallaboutthem。
Somearrowswereshoteven，butthesefellshort。
“Pooh！“saidJeekie，“allrightnow，theymuchafraid。Still，notimeforcoffee，webestgeton。“
Sotheygotonastheycould，tilltowardsmiddaytheforestbegantothinout。Nowasthelightgrewstrongertheycouldseethedwarfs，ofwhomthereappearedtobeseveralhundred，keepingaparallelcoursetotheirownoneithersideofthematwhattheythoughttobeasafedistance。
“Tryoneshot，Ithink，“saidJeekie，kneelingdownandlettingflyataclumpofthelittlemen，whichscatteredlikeacoveyofpartridges，leavingoneofitsnumberkickingontheground。“Ah！myboy，“shoutedJeekieinderision，“howyoulikebulletintummy？YounotknowParadoxguaranteedflattrajectory250yard。Yourememberthatnexttime，sonny。“Thenofftheywentagainupalongrise。
“Riverothersideofthatrise，“saidJeekie。“Thinkthosetree-
monkeysnofollowusthere。“
Butthe“monkeys“appearedtobeangryanddetermined。TheywouldnotcomeanymorewithintherangeoftheParadox，buttheystillmarchedoneithersideofthetwofugitives，knowingwellthatatlasttheirstrengthmustfailandtheywouldbeabletocreepupandmurderthem。
SothechasewentontillAlanbegantowonderwhetheritwouldnotbebettertofacetheendatonce。
“No，no，ifsaydie，can’tchangemindto-morrowmorning，“gaspedJeekieinahoarsevoice。“Heretoprise，muchnearerthanIthought。
Oh，myaunt！whothose？“andhepointedtoalargenumberofbigmenarmedwithspearswhoweremarchingupthefurthersideofthehillfromtheriverthatranbelow。
