He only gave a glance, before descending quickly, to continue his marching up and down for a time, when he ended by throwing himself beside his companion and settling down as if for a nap. The lad preserved silence, lying with his eyes closed, while Archie watched him anxiously.
“Did you see anything?” whispered the young subaltern at last.
“Yes; a chap there in a yellow-and-red sarong, and as I was looking out, the ugly, black-looking beggar was squinting in. I wasn’t sure at first, but it’s like this ’ere: when they thought we was too bad they didn’t trouble about us, but somebody must have been watching, and seen you beginning to pick a bit, and that’s made them think that it’s time to look after us, so they have planted a chap outside as a sentry.”
“How horrible!” whispered Archie.
“Well, it’s bad, sir; but it’s good too. He’s got a big spear and one of them crooked daggers stuck in his rolled-up sarong; and them’s just what I want.”
“Yes; but you can’t get them, Pete.”
“I dunno so much about that, sir. If I get out I might be able to drop down upon him from the roof and help myself to his tools before he knew where he was.”
“What! murder the sentry?”
“Not me, sir. It’s only war now. ’Sides, I won’t hurt him if he will give in quietly. It strikes me that if I could manage to drop down upon him sudden he would be so scared that he would be ready to cut. But don’t you bother about that, sir. You leave that to me. You have got nothing to do now but eat and drink and sleep till you are fit to take command.”
As the day wore on the heat of the place grew half-suffocating. They had both been too ill to notice this at first, but now it grew to be insufferable.