“But you won’t give in?” cried another anxiously. Before Stan could reply another broke out with: “They don’t want to kill us; only to plunder the hong. Why not take advantage of this lull and quietly get out on the other side, so as to get right away from the river? I don’t believe that they would pursue us.”
“Then you have a great deal more faith in the Chinese character than I have,” said the first speaker, “I believe that as soon as they saw our confession of weakness—”
“We should make no confession of weakness,” retorted another. “We should only retire.”
“They would think we were beaten, and come after us for certain,” said another bitterly.
“Yes,” said the first speaker sharply, “and follow us till we were surrounded and overwhelmed out yonder in the marsh, or paddy-fields.”
“But why should they take all that trouble for nothing?”
“For nothing? They wouldn’t call it for nothing when they would get all our rifles and ammunition, in addition to having the profound satisfaction of spearing and hacking to pieces a party, of what they call foreign devils. What do you say, Mr Lynn?”
“Only this,” said Stan quietly, “that if we are to be killed it would be better to fall fighting to the last in our own defence.”
“Then you will fight?” cried Lawrence eagerly.
“Of course,” was the reply. “I am obeying Mr Blunt’s instructions to defend the place to the last.”