The observer now shut his glass, clambered down from the rock, and hurried back to his companion. "Well?" said Bob. "You’ve been long enough." "Don’t speak so loud. Every sound carries in these hills." In a whisper he went on to tell what he had seen. "Looks fishy, eh?" said Bob. "We must warn the Major. Can we do it in time?" "Come on," said Lawrence shortly. He remounted, and the two began to make their way back along the path, slowly at first, lest they should be heard, but more rapidly as they increased their distance from the rest-house. They had not ridden far when they caught sight, through a gap in the rocks, of a portion of the caravan. They were still a long way from the spot where the hill-track left the road; the head of the caravan would have drawn much nearer to the rest-house before they could overtake it, if they kept on their present course. To give warning by a shout would but alarm the hill-men. They could save time only by hazarding a direct descent. Turning sharply off the track, they began to scramble down the hillside, trusting themselves to their sure-footed ponies. In their excitement they gave no thought to the risks they ran, and only became partially aware of them when, reaching the road, they were met by Major Endicott, who had for some minutes been watching their venturesome feat with growing wrath and indignation. "You young fools!" he cried. "Of all the idiotic, asinine, torn-fool tricks I ever saw----" "But, sir----" Lawrence interrupted. "I thank my stars I shall soon be rid of you," the Major went on unheeding; "you’ll take no warning, listen to no advice, and will either break your necks or be potted by hill-men before I get quit of you." "Really, sir, it’s no joke," said Bob as soon as he could get a word in. "There’s a nice little crowd ahead waiting to get an easy shot at you." "_What’s_ this?" demanded the Major. "Oh, I just happened to spy a gang of armed hill-men sneaking into a half-ruined rest-house a mile or so ahead," said Lawrence. "We came down to warn you; it’s a pity we didn’t think of our necks." "Just describe them to me, will you?" said Major Endicott, now the cool, alert soldier again. "I couldn’t see them very well, but they seemed all alike, big fellows with black beards, dressed in dark-brown, with skin hats of some sort. I counted fifteen altogether. One is on the look-out, the rest are hiding in the ruins." "You didn’t see a larger body anywhere, nor single scouts in the hills?" "Neither." "And how far ahead?" "Well, about a mile as the crow flies from where I caught sight of them; we’ve come back a mile or more, and what with the windings of the road, I should say they’re something over two miles away."