“Along o’ that there nigger?”
But Shanter, though he slept so soundly, was ready to start up if any one even whispered, and also ready to lie down and sleep again the moment he found that all was well; and at the first grey dawning of day, when the great trees began to appear in weird fashion from out of the darkness, and the tops of the mountains to show jagged against the sky, he sprang up from where he had slept close to the warm ashes, yawned, gave himself a rub as if he were cold, and then shook out his arms and legs, and picked up his weapons.
“Mine go along, see myall black fellow. Little Marmi come.”
This was to Norman, who turned to the captain.
“Yes; go, and be very careful. Recollect it will be broad daylight directly.”
Norman gave a sharp nod, and caught his brother and cousin’s eyes fixed upon him enviously.
The captain noticed it.
“Wait,” he said; “your turns will come, boys.—Now, Norman, scout carefully, and put us out of our misery at once. If the blacks are coming this way, hold up your gun as high as you can reach. If they are going in another direction, hold it with both hands horizontally above your head.”
Norman nodded and ran after Shanter, who was already on his way, and together they reached the precipice, and climbed the face to creep down at once among the bushes, from which place of vantage they could see right into the blacks’ camp, where a party of nineteen were squatted round the fire eating some kind of root which they were roasting on the embers.
