“Can afterwards very easily climb out with your aid. What a pity we did not think of this before. What time it might have saved. See yonder, in the sky is already the reflection of the moon.”
I could have said that I was not aware as to the kind of pit-fall it was, but only remarked—
“Never mind, Sir, let us set to work as quickly as we can now.”
Whereupon he, warning Jack of his coming, lowered himself into the pit, and dropped.
I waited impatiently, and so occupied were we all with our work that I did not perceive that the moon, rising higher and higher, was disclosing the outline of many dusky forms which were hovering about me. It was just as Mr Ferguson exclaimed, “Now Galbraith, he is getting on my shoulders, be ready to seize him,” that there echoed in my ears a yell as if arising from the throats of a myriad of fiends. I sprang to my feet, and gazed around.
The moon was up—from it a ray of broad silver light fell over the plain, disclosing to my terrified glance the black forms of some thirty to fifty Kaffirs ranged in a circle about the pit’s mouth, all in defiant attitudes, their spears upraised. My wisest plan would have been, I know, to have thrown myself on the ground, and let them come up quietly, but in my surprise I made a few steps backward, hastily whispering to the others to keep still, as any efforts they could make would be useless against such numbers. The action was a foolish one, and might have proved my death-warrant, for the next instant a cloud of spears whistled around me, one of which, piercing my arm, brought me to the ground. At this, with renewed yells of triumph, the Kaffirs came rushing and capering, jabbering and leaping like fiends incarnate, as if with the intention to tear my wretched body limb from limb; their eyes, their teeth gleamed down upon me, and with the belief that my last hour had indeed come, I fainted.