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was- completely cowed, and did not utter a word of pro-
test.
“Draw your revolvers,” said the young Englishman,
turning to his companions. «““We will leave “at once.
There are six of us, and if these women attempt. to bar
our way; shoot them down as though they were so many.
savages.”
wee te a
«=~ light from as many hands. <
“Tt was. at this state of affairs that a wild howl went up:
: from a crowd of women about a hundred yards distant.
Glancing in the direction it. came from, our friends
beheld the forms of Doc Clancy and his pal seated astride
| a pair of horses, and galloping swiftly over the level coun-
“| try in the direction of the forest.
|» The two villains, thinking that Van and his friends were
r going to stop a while ini ‘the valley, deemed it advisable
, to get out.
| They watched their opportunity, and, catching a couple
i of horses, mounted them and made off. oo
i The Amazons were-in a great state of excitement over
|
‘
}
yi
4
!
i
4
t
ft
;
this, and the majority of the assembled crowd promptly.
started in: pursuit.
Kanka at once rushed away, leaving our iriends stand
ing alone where they were.
“This is our opportunity !” exclaimed Van. “There
are some horses grazing over there; let’s catch enough for
”
our use and follow Doc.Clancy.
“That is just what we will do,” returned Jack Howard.
“Come on, all of you!”
=<» The next moment they were hurrying toward the
, horses.
\ The animals were very tame, and they managed to
reached them.
' Each horse had a: tough vine about its. neck, and, pla-
rude bridle and bit.
> A minute more and they had mounted, and were ‘riding
_ away with the speed of the wind.”
The Amazons mounted, too, and started in pursuit; but
_ they were poor riders, and our little party of explorers
soon outdistanced them.
.In less than half an hour they reached a heavily fim
bored forest, and the strange horde of women were soon
‘lost to sight. .
The trail made by Doc Clancy and his companion was a
wery plain one; Van led the way, following it in every turn.
| About noon they came to a halt near a stream of run-
‘ning water to give the horses a rest.
-{ Van and Jack shot some game, while the rest of the
‘party busied themselves in constructing better bridles
: for their horses.
: Two hours later they started out again, following” the
ftrailas before. -
i Just before nightfall they arrived at the bank ofa river,
iwhich was fully half a mile in width.
; As they looked about-them the country $ showed signs
of being inhabited, as fastened to the bank were a number
“s
vines,
| - “I wonder if we haven't struck the country the Ama-
y Zons told us about,” remarked Van. / \
The next instant ‘twelve revolvers flashed in the sun-.. =:
‘catch what they wanted before any of the Amazons
cing this between their teeth, they managed to form ae
t of rafts formed by felled trees tied together by tough -
BRAVE AND BOLD. “ De lel arg
“T shouldn’t be surprised, ” returned. the professor. “TJ
shall make a note of this, for it is truly wonderful to-find|
rafts.of timber in the heart of this wild country.”
While the professor. was jotting down his notes the
rest of the party were carefully scrutinizing the river.
Presently they were startled to see one of the timber.
rafts drifting swiftly down the center of the stream.
Upon it were two men and a pair of horses.
A single glance sufficed to show that theamen were
Doc Clancy and his villainous cojnpanion.
At that instant a puff of smoke came ftom’ the raft,
- followed instantly by the report of a rifle; Van clapped his
hand to'the side of his head and tumbled headlong from
the back of his horse.
_. CHAPTER X.
DOWN THE RIVER.
As Van Vincent fell from his horse his companions iim-
mediately dismounted and rushed to his side.
-But before they reached him he was upon his feet, -
though he appeared to be somewhat dazed.
It was Doc Clancy who fired the shot, but, instead’
of killing our hero, the bullet merely grazed the side of
his head, momentarily stunning him.
As soon as he saw that Van was not killed, Lank Ed-
wards leveled his rifle at the raft and pulled the trigger.
But the bullet flew wide of the mark, owing to the fact:
“of his being a poor marksman, and the distance being
rather great. |
The current must have been running pretty strong, for
the raft was fast leaving them, and as the two villains
had sought seclusion hehind a huge log, it was impossible
to get another shot at them. ,
“We must follow them,”
now recovered the full use of his senses.
“How are we a-goin’ ter, I'd like ter know? ?” returned |
the mate.
“There are similar rafts of logs here, are there not 2”
“That's so,
down the river after those fellows.’
The raft he. indicated was about eighty feet long by.
thirty ‘in width, and it was lashed together so firmly “that
they: saw their horses could be taken upon it with the
greatest of safety. :
With our friends it was no sooner said than done.
The next moment they were leading their horses upon
the logs, and Van and Jack got ready to sever the vines
that:held the raft to the shore.
There were several long poles, as well as some’ short
pieces of timber, lying upen it, and seizing a couple of the -
poles, they pushed off toward the center ‘of the stream.
Ten minutes later they were drifting rapidly along with |
the current in the wake of Doc Clancy, who was now over
half a mile ahead of them.
Van and Jack proceeded to steer the. huge craft, while
_ their companions undertook the task of rolling the loose
logs into a pile on either side, to serve as a cover against _.
the possible attack from any petsons on either shore.
They-knew there must be human beings in the vicinity,
or they would never have found the rafts as they were.
“I wonder what river this is?” remarked Jack Howard.
“With the exception of ourselves and the two ahead of
exclaimed our hero, who had
” spoke up Jack Howard. “We'll board this...
big one right here, and then push her off and go shooting