The sudden appearance of the besieged force disconcerted the Kurabus, who slowly at first fell back, but as the whites now rushed on, despite the overwhelming force in their front, they finally broke and fled, before the party had time to fire a single shot.
“Not too far, boys. The wagon is unprotected.”
This called them to a halt, and as they ran back to the wagon Sutoto pointed to the south at the Illyas and Brabos maneuvering for an attack. Sutoto took his place on the wagon top and observed the Kurabus. When they saw the pursuit had ended they stopped, and began a movement to the north.
At four in the afternoon of that day the Professor and his party were moving along to the north as fast as the warriors could travel, and he himself was on foot, and urging them to make haste.
A sudden boom came from the north, and the Professor stopped in startled surprise. The boys ran to him, and the warriors, who had recognized the sound before, gathered around him.
Uraso was the first to recover from the shock. “They have met and are fighting. I know what that means.”
“Forward, forward,” cried the Professor. “Wait for nothing. Uraso, go; go quickly, and stop them.”
Uraso started like a shot, followed by Ralsea and several of the fleetest warriors. As the sub-chief sprang forward he called out to his men: “Remain here with the White Chief, and follow as fast as you are able to.”
They fairly flew to the front. The firing continued; the second and the third volleys rang out. Would they never stop? The Professor knew what execution they were capable of, and that John would not permit them to fire recklessly. The sub-chief had not gone an hour before the scouts to the west came in hurriedly and reported that a tribe had appeared to their left.
“Who can they be?” asked the Professor. “Have we been discovered?” The scouts could not inform him. “Keep on, and move to the right,” were his orders, and they hurried forward with greater celerity, in the effort to avoid the band.