"Helloa! the mischief is to pay again!" exclaimed Harkins.
At the moment this expression was uttered the three had come back to the edge of the jungle. Avery and Luchman looked around to learn the cause of their friend's excitement.
Fully a dozen Ghoojurs were seen coming across the open field toward the spot where the trio were hunting for traces of their friends. The ragged party were straggling along on foot, without regard to any order, but they were abundantly armed with guns, swords, knives, and in one or two instances with spears.
It was impossible to imagine what brought them in that direction, and the fugitives had no time in which to discuss the question. That they were coming straight for them was evident, and unless the Feringhees retreated at once a fight was inevitable.
It would have been folly to wait, and the three, therefore, started back into the jungle, following the same line as the advance of the Ghoojurs themselves. Had our friends taken a second thought probably they would have turned to the right or left. Harkins was indiscreet enough to try to keep an eye on their pursuers while making the withdrawal.
Seeing his error, Luchman called sharply to him to hasten, but at that moment the sportsman was discovered, several of the Ghoojurs uttering shouts and breaking at once into a run toward the jungle.
There could have been little in the way of a race through the dense undergrowth, but the fugitives were following a faintly marked path, which allowed fair progress to the other side of the spur, as it may be called, of the jungle, beyond which lay the open country.
They had no more than fairly started when Harkins, who was at the rear, caught his foot in a wiry vine which threw him forward on his hands and knees. With an impatient exclamation he was instantly on his feet and running harder than ever.
It will be understood that each of the fugitives was capable of high speed. It is doubtful whether Luchman had his superior in all India, while the other two were athletes scarcely his inferiors in fleetness. In a fair race, they would have soon left the Ghoojurs out of sight, but the latter were more accustomed to making their way through such obstacles than the two Europeans, and they had the strongest of all incentives that such miscreants can have in a contest of the kind.
In a few minutes the woods became more open; they were nearing the other side of the spur of the jungle.