They retired more quickly. It was time, for when they reached the plain, they saw that parties of the enemy, who had at last realized that they were losing opportunities, had crept round to right and left. John instantly sent a shot among the nearer crowd, causing them to scatter. Then, perceiving that another party had slipped by and was hastening in pursuit of the porters, he called some of the bowmen, who were mightily encouraged by his arrival, and set off in chase. Another shot sent this party flying. John saw that the river would form an excellent defence to the left flank of his little force, and running back to Ferrier, he asked him to edge nearer to it. "If we can only manage to keep them off until our men have had time to climb the bluff, we can make a bolt for it," he said. "Up there among the boulders we can hold our own against any number." They retired slowly towards the belt of trees fringing the river. By the time they reached it Bill came up with the party from the fort. This reinforcement, together with the more advantageous position of the retiring force, served to check the pursuit. The enemy were not courageous enough to dash past them within range, though their numbers were so great that they could easily have afforded the loss of a few men. The only means they had of slipping past safely and overtaking the safari was either to make a wide detour across the plain, which would have given John’s party time to reach the bluff before them, or to cross the river and make their way through the trees on the other bank; but the current here was swift enough to make fording dangerous. So they adopted neither course, but followed sullenly in the track of the party, firing at times, but never diminishing the distance between them. Every now and then John crept out from cover to watch the progress of the porters. To his impatience they seemed to move extraordinarily slowly, and indeed their speed was much less than when he had first seen them, for they had reached the beginning of the ascent, and were tired with carrying their heavy loads. He could see them toiling up the bluff, not in a close line, but far apart, the rearmost being nearly half-a-mile behind the leader. At length he saw with relief that the last man was within a few yards of the summit. "Now we’ll give them a volley," said he, "and slip away." All who had rifles accompanied him to the edge of the belt of trees, and at his word fired together at the enemy, who had halted as if undecided what to do. Another volley flashed from the second barrels; then, withdrawing among the trees, the party ran along in the direction of the bluff, reloading as they went. Within a few hundred yards they came without warning upon a band of twenty or thirty natives with two Swahilis among them. They must have found a means of crossing the river, hastened along the opposite bank, and then recrossed ahead of John’s party. There was no time for hesitation.