“I see nothing of any soldiers——” he began, and then gave a start. “Yes! There are some troops, just coming from yonder forest!”
He handed the glasses back to Gilbert, and the young captain gazed in the direction pointed out. The sharpshooter was right, a body of Cossacks numbering at least three hundred had put in an appearance, all riding rapidly, and in the direction where the command under Major Okopa had been left!
“They mean to fight—if they have discovered our force!” thought Gilbert. “I must warn the major of this without delay!”
He took another look and now saw another body of Cossacks approaching but a quarter of a mile behind the second.
“Our force can never fight that body of cavalry!” he muttered. “If we were surrounded, they’d cut us down to a man! We have discovered the enemy with a vengeance!”
He felt that there had been a blunder somewhere, but now was no time to speculate upon this. Major Okopa must be warned, and also Ben, and then the whole of the Japanese detachment must retreat to some point of safety.
But scarcely had this entered his head when he remembered something which caused him fresh alarm. The road the Cossacks were on was the very one Ben and his detachment had traveled. Was it possible the detachment had been surprised and either killed or made prisoners?
CHAPTER XVIII
FACE TO FACE WITH A LEOPARD
Gilbert spoke to the men under him, and in a moment more the detachment was on its way down the mountain side. All realized the peril of the situation and knew that every minute was precious. They moved onward as rapidly as the rough trail allowed, those ahead keeping their eyes on the alert for the possible appearance of additional danger.
From a great distance came two shots, followed by a third. No soldiers were to be seen in that direction, and the young officer concluded that the shots were meant as a signal.