"I'll soon throw him out of the way," roared Mackay, dashing forward.
Before he reached the patriarchal chief, however, a stentorian call from behind arrested his attention, and he stood rooted to the spot, dazed and bewildered. Again the cry sounded in his ears—
"Come back, Jim; for God's sake, come back. There's three hundred against you."
He staggered and would have fallen, had not Bob's strong arm supported him; then he turned almost fearfully. Five tall figures were hastening frantically down the hillside, and the foremost was the watcher of the summit. As in a dream Mackay raised his rifle, and he did not seem to notice when Bob pressed the deadly tube down. He was gazing with wild staring eyes at the approaching form.
"Great Centipedes!" howled the Shadow, in amazement. "It's a white man!"
That broke the spell. With a hoarse exclamation, Mackay rushed to meet the new-comer.
"MACKAY RUSHED TO MEET THE NEW-COMER"
"Dick!" he cried.