“They can all swim,” said Soa; “they were bred on the banks of a river.”
“Good. Then they must swim down the dike where I killed the sentry, four of them. At the end are bars of wood, but in my day they were rotten; at the worst they can be climbed. Then they will find themselves in the morass among thick reeds. But they must not fire these till they have worked round to the place of the sunrise, whence the wind blows strongly. Then they must go from spot to spot and bend down the driest of the reeds, setting fire to them. Afterwards they can get to the back of the fire and wait till all is done one way or the other. If we win they will find us, if we are killed they can try to run away. But will the men go?”
Soa stepped forward and chose four of their number, but Peter she did not choose, for he also knew something of the working of cannon.
“Listen,” she said, “you have heard the words of this Black One. Now, obey. And if you depart from them by one jot, may——” and she poured out so fearful a curse upon them that Leonard stared at her astonished.
“Ay!” added Otter, “and if I live through this I will cut your throats.”
“No need to threaten,” said one of the men; “we will do our best for our own sakes, as well as for yours and that of the Shepherdess. We understand the plan, but to light reeds we must have fire.”
“Here are matches,” said Otter.
“Wet matches will not light, and we must swim,” answered the spokesman.
“Fool, do you then swim with your head under water? Tie them in your hair.”
“Ah! he is clever,” said the spokesman. “Now, if we live to reach them, when shall we fire the reeds?”