The long trail: A story of African adventure

On the afternoon of a certain day in spring a party of eighteen men was marching through the rocky, bush-covered country near the north-western corner of Lake Chad, in Northern...

Royce knew the Tubus by repute as a fierce and bloodthirsty tribe, living in French territory beyond the River Yo, whose raids across the border were notorious. It was certainly...

Royce, when the negro left him, was breathless from the struggle. But he had the presence of mind to run back to the room where he had passed the night, pick up his rifle and re...

Challis, after Royce had left him, felt somewhat uneasy. Royce had spoken hopefully of getting back on the following day, but Challis, remembering the difficulties of finding th...

Challis opened dazed eyes upon a scene that bewildered him, and for a few moments he could not account for the pains that gripped all his limbs. Remembrance stole back into his...

"You see, John," he said to the headman, "we don't want to meet this Goruba again. No doubt he stumbled on us by accident, and we have no reason to suppose that he has any parti...

Late in the afternoon they came to a spot where the trail forked. It was clear that part of the enemy's force had continued on the direct northward course, while another part, a...

There was no more sleep for any of the three that night. Royce's nerves were on edge; the negroes, though they recovered sooner than he from the shock, remained in a high state...

On returning from the bridge, Royce was too impatient to remain at the river level and wait for news from Gambaru, perched on the heights above. He reflected, too, that when so...

"Well, there are about thirty of them, aren't there? They have probably crossed the river by this time, higher up, and are waiting somewhere ahead. We can't tell how long they w...

John, the headman, was very intelligent. His sense of locality and direction appeared to be good. But Royce felt a little anxious about his ability to act as guide in their marc...

Taking advantage of the flight of the flanking party, Royce pushed on as soon as he was rejoined by Challis, in order to gain a denser portion of the forest, where the pursuers...

Before the Hausa dispatched by John had gone out of sight, he met Kulana hurrying back from the northward post to which he had been sent to watch the progress of the enemy.

Tired out by their long march on insufficient food, the men were in no condition to withstand a determined attack; and Royce felt that all was lost if Goruba pushed on at once a...

When Royce turned to face the enemy, the foremost of them was only twenty yards away, urging his horse up the slope. Behind him two score of his comrades were riding up, in no s...

"We must tackle the problem in bits," said Royce. "Take the ammunition question first; I'll give orders that the men are never to fire except at the word of command--yours or mi...

"Why did I shout? If I had held my tongue, we might have kept this matter from the men. As it is, they are sure to have an attack of nerves."

Challis had already decided not to make for the village at which Royce had obtained supplies. It lay far on the other side of the fort, and Mogra did not know it. Mogra had sugg...

A man who, unaided, could kill two lions was surely a very wonderful person. Not even the dreaded Tubus could stand against him. It would be a blessing to the whole countryside...

When Challis and John crept down the hill that dark night, Royce remained for some time at the wall, listening anxiously for sounds which would indicate whether the Tubus had di...

Challis grudged every day spent in training, lest the fort should be stormed by the Tubus before he had come to the relief. But he saw clearly that only by training his little a...

Twice had Goruba made his way into the fort; twice had he escaped. Yet on neither occasion had anyone seen him on the ramparts, nor had anyone seen him in the interior except Ch...

On the morning after his discovery of Rabeh's hoard, Royce made a second visit to the cave to search for the exit which he felt sure must lead to the outer air.

He was thinking things over, wondering whether, after his first victory, he dared lead his men towards the fort to encounter the main body of the enemy under their redoubtable l...

On the day after the fight by the swamp, while Challis was exercising his men, some of the boys whom he had turned into scouts ran in with the news that a band of fifty or more...

The capture of Goruba cheered the whole garrison of the fort. Curiously enough, it was rather as the evening visitor who disturbed them than as the leader of the besiegers that...

His look-out men shouted, and rushing to the wall he saw that the great attack, which he had so long expected, was being made at last. The Tubus, dismounted, were rushing up the...

Challis, having re-formed his column, disorganised by the rhinoceroses, led it forward at a brisk pace to make up for lost time. Two men who knew the country went in advance as...

Together in the inner room of the fort, the two friends talked long and earnestly. Royce related all that had happened during Challis's absence; the discovery of Rabeh's hoard,...

He seemed unwilling to say more, fearing, perhaps, a reproof for disobedience. But Challis managed to get out of him the explanation that he had been too anxious about his maste...

Challis wished to get as near as possible to the Tubus who were collecting the horses without being discovered. Accordingly he drew out his men in line over a long front, and pa...

"Not more depressed than I was," rejoined Challis with a smile. "I was depressed sixteen feet below ground! But I'll tell you all about that presently. Give your men a good feed...

While Royce was recovering from the shock of his fall, Challis and some of the men, including Gamba, the young Tubu, galloped on in the hope of overtaking Goruba. But when they...

Challis shuddered with horror as he realised how narrow Royce's escape had been. A moment later, and Royce must have been dashed from his footing on the staple by the massive fo...