"What I want to do is to gather all the loyal men safely at the mine," he said. "I do not want to lose one of you. I can do this, I believe, if you obey my orders: otherwise who knows how many of you will be left alive?"
"As the sahib commands," said the Pathan.
"This is what I command. You will remain here with your men while I drive the Kalmucks away. You will not fire upon them unless you are yourselves attacked. Impress that upon the men. When the Kalmucks are out of sight, you may march up towards the mine, but halt if you come in sight of them again."
"I will give the sahib's orders to the men," said the Pathan. "I hope the sahib will drive the dogs away quickly, for we are very hungry."
He salaamed and returned to his companions, who had been keeping one eye on the enemy, the other on the curious scene two hundred yards up-stream. It was indeed a strange position: the two men calmly smoking and discussing their plans, while at no great distance lurked a ferocious band ready to leap to the attack at any moment. They too had been consulting together, but their imagination was not active enough to lead them to any satisfactory conclusion. The dynamite bomb had been intended to check them: that was evident; and they decided that it would be wise to wait patiently for developments. Nurla Bai was very much annoyed. He had undergone great exertions and endured much fatigue to achieve his object--the slaughter or dispersal of the Pathans; and it was exasperating to find himself at a check just when he had them at his mercy, through the ingenuity of an Englishman and the astounding swiftness of his flying machine. He began to wish that, instead of picking up bits of rock in the gallery on that dark night, he had made his way to the platform and done some vital damage to the aeroplane. Perhaps a lucky shot would bring it down when it again passed over the position. But he hoped there would be no more dynamite bombs.
CHAPTER THE FIFTEENTH
NURLA BAI SLIPS THE NOOSE
And now began the strangest game of chevy chase that was ever played. In a few minutes Bob and the Gurkha were flying northward. As they approached the area upon which the Kalmucks were assembled, Bob steered to the right, so as to cross the position obliquely. Some of the men were in the act of covering the aeroplane with their rifles, when the sight of a bright red object descending from the sky struck them with a sort of paralysis. The coffee tin fell almost midway between them and the Pathans. Dust and splinters of rock flew in all directions, and the Kalmucks, with one consent, scampered along the track towards the mine. Bob listened for rifle-shots; he knew that the Pathans' obedience would be put to a severe test when they saw their enemies in flight. Not a shot was fired.
The Kalmucks did not yet perceive the real object which Bob had in view. After running a short distance, they halted again, unable to decide whether it was safer to advance or retreat. When they saw the aeroplane soaring towards them from the northward, they broke apart, each man striving to find some crevice or nook among the rocks where he might shelter himself. All believed that the Englishman's purpose was slaughter. But when another bomb was dropped on their southward side, not near enough to do them harm, some of them, as they ran, began to suspect the meaning of the device. For three or four miles they were thus driven down the track. Wherever the gorge was wide enough, Bob wheeled backwards and forwards across it in their rear, swooping down whenever he saw them lagging, with the result that they did not wait for another bomb, but hurried along like a flock of frightened sheep. Once or twice they took shots at the aeroplane, but gave it up when it was patent that their marksmanship was unequal to the feat of hitting the flying target. And all the time the Pathans marched steadily behind them, much amused at the sahib's method of shepherding, but a little chagrined because they were not allowed to assist.
Meanwhile Bob had been thinking out his further proceedings. He must not let the Kalmucks draw too close to the mine. Lawrence could not arrive yet for several hours; it was important that he should come safely home without a collision with the enemy. When, therefore, they had arrived within about two miles of the mine, he decided that it was time to arrest their course. They could no longer be in doubt about the meaning of his signals hitherto--he would give them another. Flying ahead, then wheeling round, he dropped a tin, this time in front of them. At the explosion they halted, and after a brief consultation began to move on. Another bomb, falling in front again, but now a little closer, conveyed its warning; like fog signals on a railway-line, these explosions plainly indicated that the track was not clear. They halted again, and posted themselves behind rocks, facing up-stream, to guard against attack by the Pathans.