“And what about you, sir?”
“Never mind me. Go at once.”
“But it’ll be dark as pitch in ’alf-a-hour, sir. How am I to see my way?”
“I told you. The descent will be easy. You can almost slide down all the way, for the snow is getting glassy again, and you must guide yourself by leaving the enemy’s fire on the right. Look! it is glowing brightly now.”
“That’s right, sir, till I get to the bottom. But what then?”
“Gedge, are you going to fail me in this terrible emergency?”
“Not me, sir,” cried the lad excitedly. “I’ll stick to you till we both goes under fighting to the last, for they don’t want to make prisoners of us; their knives are too sharp.”
“Then go.”
“But I’m sure I couldn’t find the way, sir. I should be taking the first turning to the left, or else to the right, or tumbling into another hole like this, or doing some stoopid thing. I’m no use, sir, without my orficer to tell me what to do.”
Bracy drew a deep breath and pressed his lips together, as he fought hard to keep down his anger against his follower.