"Some fellow about to make a rush," thought Tyler. "Keep your eye on him, Li, and fire when you see him run. Ah, there he is moving, but only to one side! In a few moments he will make up his mind to risk it, and then there will be a rush, and we shall have to do as well as we can."
Twice or three times was the blazing mass moved to a different part of the jungle, on each occasion causing alarm to Tyler and his companion, and making them think that the moment had arrived when the man who had charge of it would summon all his courage, and, determined to risk the bullets of the defenders, would dash out into the open, with the object of crossing the narrow space which stretched between the jungle and the straggling line of bushes which extended from the base of the rock. With rifles at their shoulders, and eyes glued to the sights, they watched, ready to pull the triggers the instant they sighted the man. Then of a sudden each gave vent to a startled cry, and, swinging round to the left, emptied their weapons at the retreating figure of a man who had run out from an entirely different point, and, safe in the thought that the attention of the defenders was occupied in another direction, had dashed at the bushes and flung a mass of blazing reeds upon them.
"Cleverly done, and the man deserves to escape," cried Tyler, seeing that both he and Li Sung had missed the mark. "It was an artful ruse, and we were taken in. It just shows that they have a fellow down there who has sharp wits, for by attracting our notice to one part of the jungle they made the task of setting the bush on fire possible. But what are we to do? Sit still and be roasted or smothered by the flames and smoke, or descend the rock and make a fight of it?"
"That no savee us, massa," exclaimed Li Sung. "We dead all de same, and de pirate takee de head. Li say stay here a little bittee and see which way de wind blow. P'r'aps it send de fire along de rock and not reach us."
"There is no use in thinking that that will happen," replied Tyler, "for there is hardly any breeze just now, and once well alight the bushes will burn up in this direction. What about the top? Surely by hanging over the other side we might escape the heat and smoke."
As he spoke he turned and stared at the summit of the rock, which cut clear and sharp across the sky, showing a thin ridge on the farther side of which the mass fell away abruptly, forming a slope which was so precipitous that no one could hope to retain a footing.
"If we could get over there we should be safe for a time," he said to himself, "and the enemy could not reach us with the poor muskets which they possess. We will wait and see how the fire goes, and then, if necessary, we will retreat to the top. Now how could we manage to retain a position there for a time? Our strength would soon give way if we had to cling with our hands."
Unconsciously he asked the question aloud, and as if it had been addressed to him the cunning Chinaman turned and answered it without the slightest delay.
"Massa havee saved de China boy more dan once," he said in grateful tones. "Him catchee Li Sung by de coat when him almost smothered wid de water, and now him show how both keep away from de fire. Li say dat we hang on de oder side easy. We take de cloth from de waist and make him into a loop. Den we put de leg into him and sit dere easy till de flames havee gone. He, he, he! We not catched yet by a velly long way."
The prospect of dangling over the steep cliff seemed to afford this son of the East the greatest satisfaction, for again he beamed upon his young leader, while he whipped the cloth from about his waist, and with a deft twist fashioned it into a loop. At the opposite end he formed another, and then twisted the material on itself till it had the appearance of a rope.