But they found no headman to tell them anything. The forest clearing, where the village had stood, was a scene of destruction. Their eyes fell upon ruined houses and burned huts, with here and there a figure lying about. They paused beside the first which lay in their way. It was the body of a big, heavy man, a Chetti, as they saw at once by his build, scored with the most terrible slashes. "That's the work of a _dah_," said Buck. "This village has been raided by dacoits, and, by thunder, they're not far off." Everyone looked round uneasily. The forest lay calm and silent in the evening sunshine all about the clearing, and no sign of a blue-clothed figure was to be seen on its edge, yet all felt that the dacoits were near, and that great danger hung over them. Jack had heard many times of the Kachin dacoits, the terrible mountain banditti who descend at times from their hills to plunder and slay, and now he was face to face with them. "See how it was," said Jim. "This village was raided at daybreak this morning. Not a body has been torn by a wild animal, and the beasts would have been busy enough to-night. Then some of 'em were left lurking about, and they spied Me Dain coming, didn't see us behind, and thought he was coming to the village alone. Of course they slipped out of the bushes and nabbed him, thinking to whiff off his head and turn the ponies' packs out at their own leisure. But Jack upset their little plan, and Me Dain's head stops in the right spot." "Many thanks, _phaya_ (my lord), many thanks," said Me Dain, bending low before Jack. "Your servant thanks you for his life." Crack! There was a dull roar as of someone firing a very heavy duck-gun from the forest, and a ball whistled by their heads. "A _jingal_!" cried Buck. "We've got to hustle round and find shelter. The dacoits are on us." "The pagoda, sahibs," cried Me Dain. "It is the only place of stone in the village. Let us hasten there." He gathered up the leading-reins of the ponies--which had been easily caught--and hurried towards the spire. The others ran swiftly after him, their steps hastened by the roar of a second shot and the whistle of a second heavy ball. In a couple of minutes they had reached the pagoda and leaped on the platform between the columns which supported the bulb-like roof crowned by its tapering spire. In the centre of the platform was a shrine. Jack glanced quickly round. "This won't do," he said, "not enough cover here, supposing the dacoits attack us. What's that place?" He pointed to a new, strongly-built house of stone a short distance from the pagoda. Me Dain looked at it in surprise. "It has been built since I was here last," he cried. "Looks just the thing for us," said Jack. "Come on," and the whole party hurried across to the building, whose door stood half open.