"You shall live to repent this," hissed the man through his teeth.
He had thrown overboard all his plausibility now, and assumed his natural self--the dangerous villain.
"Have a care," replied Dick, "or you will not live long enough to repent of anything."
On one side of the camp was the river, down under a cliff of considerable height. It was very quiet and sluggish just here, and its gentle whispering was no louder than a light breeze sighing through forest trees.
There were, therefore, really only three sides of the parapet and hill to defend.
And now Burly Bill's quick ear caught the sound of rustling down below.
"The savages are on us," he said quietly.
"Then give them a volley to begin with," answered Roland.
The white men started down scores of huge stones; but this was more for the purpose of bringing the savages into sight than with a view to wound or kill any.
It had the desired effect, and probably another, for the cannibals must have believed the pale-faces had no other means of defence.