It was Harold who suddenly spoke, rising to his feet in his excitement. But Dudley dragged him to the ground at once, and fortunately for him, for Antonio had given recent orders that fire should be opened whenever a sound was heard. It happened, therefore, that hardly had Harold fallen full length again when a storm of bullets swept over the prostrate party, showering leaves on to their heads, and then speeding harmlessly out over the pampas.
"I will go," repeated Dudley quietly. "It may seem to some that my place is here, and I have already said so, and that the danger to this party is greater than that threatening Mr. Blunt. I do not think so now. This little following of mine is certain to be captured as soon as its ammunition gives out, though I think that it can hold its own till then. After that it will be captured. What then will happen to our employer?"
An exclamation came from either side of him, showing clearly that Harold and Pepito knew well what would be the result.
"Now listen to the plan," said Dudley. "Let each man make use of his hunting knife and cut a trench in front of him. Feel here for yourselves. The ground is soft, and I have already made quite a respectable hollow. The earth removed from the hole has been thrown up in front, so that, when my trench is longer I shall be able to lie at full length and shall have splendid protection. Now if, during the three or four hours which still must pass before the dawn comes, we cut our trenches, and connect them up one to another, we shall have quite a little fort to protect us, about which we shall be able to move, with care, so as to reinforce any point which may be attacked. In any case the whole of our trenches will cover very little ground, for we had better keep close together. Do you begin to follow?"
During the last five minutes, as he lay on the ground, he had been diligently using his knife and fingers, and, as he said, had found the soil at the base of the trees light and loamy. Gripping Pepito's arm, and then Harold's in turn, he placed their hands on the mound which he had thrown up in front of him, and in a few moments showed them plainly what he meant.
"It is good," said the former with something approaching a chuckle. "The señor's busy brain is at work, just as it was on the eve of our night attack on the Indians. This fort is as good as made. In an hour the men will have completed it. There will be a bank between us and the enemy, and encircling us, and in the hollow within we shall lie. Our provisions can be placed in one corner under my charge, and also the ammunition. Then an allowance can be given to each man, and the supply made to last all the longer, for there will be no waste. Good, señor, I begin to fear these ruffians less. But the second portion of your plan?"
"Will be carried out as soon as the fort is completed," answered Dudley, determined to keep his own counsel for the moment. "Instruct the men, and let us get to work."
It wanted very little tuition to inform the gauchos what was expected from them, for, though almost devoid of education, these honest fellows of the pampas were nature's pupils. They had roughed it from their earliest days, and often their own safety had depended on their sagacity. They received Pepito's whispered instructions with enthusiasm, waited only till the limits of the narrow fort had been marked out, and then each set to work with frantic energy, chopping the ground with his knife, throwing handfuls of soil before him, and gradually hollowing out the ground in his immediate rear. It is wonderful what active men can do under such circumstances, when life may depend on their exertions. Dudley's party had soon cleared quite a respectable-sized hollow, and had thrown up a mound all round, on the top of which the brambles and grass which they had cut during the operations were deposited. Here and there a tree thrust its trunk up in their hollow, but that only added to their cover and caused no inconvenience, while one of them, one of the forest giants, happening to have a large hollow at its root, provided a storehouse for food and ammunition, over which Pepito at once took charge. As for water, one of the gauchos set to work in the very centre of the hollow, and in a little while had dug some three feet into the ground, scooping the earth out with his hands. Into this shallow well water began to trickle almost immediately, a fact which heartened the garrison and caused them to give vent to another cheer.
"The novelty of the idea strikes them, señor," said Pepito with a chuckle of delight. "A little time ago matters looked desperate and hopeless. Now they are rosy with promise. We are ready, señor. Your orders?"
"They are simple, Pepito. Two of the enemy were killed?"