"Well, there's very little inducement so far as I can see. There's next to no loot bar the rifles and ammunition, and Juma would bag those if he licked us. The others would have a very poor look-in."
"You forget the sort of old curiosity shop collection that the men were so delighted with. The 'bad men' would get those, of course."
"It's very little among so many; you said there were about four hundred of them."
"Yes, but Juma wouldn't be over particular as to what he promised. All he wanted was to get their help. If he were to lick us, he could safely defy the 'bad men,' for with the rifles and practically unlimited ammunition he could do what he liked with 'em. He's sure to attack us, maybe to-day, maybe to-morrow; and the best thing we can do is to strengthen our defences. We shall have all our work cut out to keep 'em off this time: we're three rifles short; I suppose Coja and the others took theirs with them?"
"Yes, unfortunately. But I've already begun to strengthen the defences--started when I got your message."
"Good man! What did you do?"
"First thing, I cut down some of the young trees at the further end of the island. I thought they might give cover to the enemy if they tried an attack in that quarter. Then it occurred to me that if we could raise a sort of bastion to jut over the wall by the gate yonder, we could fire at them without exposing ourselves, and--what do they call it?--enfilade them."
"Capital! I wondered what that rummy erection meant. Didn't like to say so, but it looks like a funeral pyre."
"Well, it's not finished, you know. It took us a good time to cut down the trees and strip off the branches. The enemy didn't see what we were about until we had got a pretty good pile of logs, and then they began shooting at us--with arrows; they didn't want to waste ammunition, I suppose. I had to draw the men off then, and we haven't gone at it again: your arrival has put everything else in the shade."
"We may as well finish that bastion now, at any rate, and put up another on the other side of the gate, if there's wood enough. Sorry I can't help you; I'm too stiff. You'll have to perch me up on one of the bastions when the attack comes, and leave me there."