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Then, as the Americans continued to fire, they picked King Susko up and ran off with him. A few spears were hurled at our friends, but the whole battle, to use Sam's way of summing up afterward, was a regular "two-for-a-cent affair." Soon the Bumwos were out of sight down the mountain side.
Go before it is too late!" "Who is that who speaks?" demanded Randolph Rover. "I am King Susko, chief of the Bumwos." "Will you come and have a talk with us?" "No want to talk. Want the white man to leave," answered the African chief, talking in fairly good English.
Suddenly a blood-curdling yell arose on the sultry air, and the Bumwos were seen to be approaching from two directions, at right angles to each other. "Now then, stand firm!" cried Dick Rover, and began to fire at one of the approaching forces. The fight that followed was, however, short and full of consternation to the Africans.
"We do not wish to quarrel with you, King Susko; but you will find it best for you if you will grant us an interview," went on Randolph Rover. "The white man must go away from this mountain. I will not talk with him," replied the African angrily. "Do you know why we are here?" "To rob the Bumwos of their gold."
He ran to his brother, to find the blood flowing freely over Tom's shoulder. "Is it bad?" he asked. "I I guess not," answered Tom with a gasp of pain. Then, as full of pluck as usual, Tom raised his pistol and fired, hitting one of the Bumwos in the breast and sending him to the rear, seriously wounded.
"I think a concerted volley from our pistols and guns will check their movements." "Dat's de talk!" cried Aleck. "Give it to 'em hot!" It was decided to await the closer approach of the Bumwos, and each of the party improved the next minute in seeing to it that his weapon was ready for use.
"We must turn back!" exclaimed Randolph Rover. "If you go ahead we may be caught in an ambush. The Bumwos have discovered our presence and mean to kill us if they can!" Suddenly a loud, deep voice broke upon them, coming from the rocks over the cave entrance. "White men must leave this mountain!" cried the voice. "This country belongs to the Bumwos. White man has no right here! Go!
"I hit old King Susko, and that was worth a good deal, for it stopped the battle. If the fight had kept on there is no telling how many of us might have been killed." While the party was deliberating about what to do next, Cujo reappeared. "I go deep into de cabe when foah Bumwos come on me from behind," he explained. "Da fight an' fight an' knock me down an' tie me wid vines, an' den run away.
This threat evidently angered the African chief greatly, for suddenly a spear was launched at the boy, which pierced Tom's shoulder. As Tom went down, a shout went up from the rocks, and suddenly a dozen or more Bumwos appeared, shaking their spears and acting as if they meant to rush down on the party below without further warning. "Tom is wounded!" shouted Sam.
No reply came back to this call, which was several times repeated. Then came a crash, as a big stone was hurled down, to split into a score of pieces on the rock which sheltered them. "They mean to dislodge us," said Dick. "If they would only show themselves " He stopped, for he had seen one of the Bumwos peering over a mass of short brush directly over the cave entrance.
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