“Yes, they would kill you.”
“Try to, you mean.”
“No,” said the man gravely. “Kill you. You are few, they are many.”
“Stop a moment,” said Cyril, as the man turned his head aside wearily. “Will they try to kill us if we stay?”
“No.”
Cyril tried to get more information from the man, but he shook his head, and made a pretence of being so lazy and unable to comprehend the boy’s words, that Cyril gave up in disgust, and turned impatiently away.
“It’s of no good to-night,” he said. “We heard all that he is likely to know. Let’s walk round again.”
“But they may strike at us in the dark.”
“No, they will not do that. I’m not afraid. Let’s go through with our watching, till we think it’s midnight, and then wake up the colonel.”
“We’d better call him now.”