"We may not find the boy," he said to Guilford, "but I for one feel brimful of fight, and we will at any rate revenge his death."
They were guided out now on to the open, and after feeding, it could hardly be called dinner, they started away across the moor, for that it was in every respect.
Gobolohlo's mountain soon came in view, and then the front of battle did begin to lower.
The mountain path seemed alive with wildly gesticulating savages brandishing clubs and spears and shouting.
They formed themselves into all sorts of grotesque attitudes too; they crawled or crept like wild beasts, and one lot on a bit of flat ground stood, one above the other, in a spear-armed pyramid.
"Bring down that top fellow, Jones," cried Guilford.
Jones was the crack shot of the ship, and one bullet brought the savage's body right on top of the spears of his comrades.
The pyramid dissolved itself after that, and presently a cloud of these blacks came leaping and yelling down.
Three or four volleys were fired and did good service, but, finding that the rear-guard was pushing on, the marines had recourse to the maxim, and soon scores of cannibals were in a heap, wounded or dead, and the rest were flying for their lives up the mountain side.
There was only one gateway or rent in the mountain top to give admission to the crater, and this was stoutly held.