“Towards the river,” said Hume impatiently.
“My plan is this. I will creep out on the other side and cry out that you have escaped there. The men will then run up and you may then quickly move for the river.”
“It is a good plan,” growled Sirayo. “I also will go, and when we meet those in the way we will fight and at the sound all will rush up.”
“And you would be killed,” said Hume, after weighing it over, “and they would follow on after us. No, no, if we cannot escape together we will fight here and die together.”
“Let it be so,” said Sirayo, squatting by the fire and proceeding to eat.
The others looked at him for some time, then Miss Anstrade, with a sudden start, laid her hand on Hume’s shoulder.
“I have it,” she said breathlessly. “Those rockets; you remember you bought some at Pretoria in case we wished to signal from the camp to any lagger. Let us fire them off, and perchance these strange fiery stars will terrify the natives.”
“By Jove!” exclaimed Hume, “there’s something in that,” and he dived into the waggon to emerge presently with a bundle of fireworks.
“You’ll get the full effect in this darkness,” remarked Webster dryly, “and the blacks should be greatly pleased.”
“The idea may seem to you childish,” said Hume, fixing a couple of rockets, “but try and imagine your sensations if for the first time you saw a rocket streaming into the night.”