Even such a violent effort as this failed of its purpose until after three or four precious moments had elapsed, and then he stared up into my face inquiringly:—
Softly as possible I whispered in his ear:—
"Benson is asleep; by leaping upon him suddenly we should be able to get the upper hands, bound though we are."
Now he understood what I would have him do, and motioned that he was ready for any venture.
Together we worked our way toward the sleeping Britisher. It is not to be supposed that we two, fettered as we were, could move without making some noise; but yet we advanced with reasonable stillness until arriving within two feet of Benson.
It was my idea that we throw ourselves upon him, pinning the villain where he lay, with the chance that during the struggle one or the other of us lads might gain possession of the musket.
There was no time to decide upon any combined course of action, for it would have been in the highest degree dangerous had we attempted to carry on a whispered conversation just then.
We rose to our feet softly; but were hardly more than standing erect when Benson leaped up as if he had been watching from under his eyelids, and in a twinkling struck me down with the butt of his musket.
Phil would most likely have been treated to the same kind of a dose; but, as a matter of course, he fell when I did, or, rather, was dragged down by me, and the Britisher stood over us with a grin of satisfaction.