"Mr. Appleton wants to get back to the mine, of course," said the captain.
"Yes: there's enough paraffin for that. How are matters round the fort, Fenton?"
"The tribes are pretty quiet at present. They've held several jirgahs to discuss what line they shall take. That depends on who scores the first point. If we can only convince them that we're not going to knuckle under, I daresay they'll stick to us. But it wouldn't take much to turn the scale on the other side. The crowd that fired at you are marching this way, you said?"
"They'll be hereabouts some time to-morrow, and probably a lot more, for we caught sight of other parties, not so large, threading the valleys to the west. The whole country north-west of us is rising."
"That's bad. I can't hope to keep the tribes about the fort quiet after these thousands come on the scene."
"I must see what I can do."
"You ought to be in hospital. If you had let me know you'd been hit I'd have brought the medico with me."
"Good thing you didn't. He'd have been so disappointed!"
"No operation required, you mean," said Captain Fenton laughing. "He does love his knife."
"And fork!" added the major drily. "He shall have a look at my arm to-morrow. I propose to return with you to the fort. We must blow this place up. You can hold your own there for some time against a good number, and reinforcements will be hurried up as rapidly as possible. Then I must try the velvet glove with the tribesmen. There won't be much time to do anything with them before those men we saw get south; but if you discourage them with hot lead at the fort it will help.... This is all very hard on you, Appleton."