“Where?” enquired the black, simply.
I looked at him in surprise, and then realizing the meaning of the question, grew thoughtful again.
“You’re right, Nux,” said I. “It’s going to be a harder task than I thought. We can’t pass by the forest with it, that’s certain; for Daggett and his followers would be sure to see us. On the other side, the cliff rises straight out of the sea, and there’s no way to escape around it. All we can do, then, is to carry the gold to the top of this rock.”
“Hm!” granted the Sulu. “Dat no good, Mars Sam.”
“Why not?”
“No way to get off top of rock.”
“True; but we can hide there, ’till the thieves go away to the ship. It isn’t likely they’ll climb up there again, for this cave is a better place to sleep in.”
Nux seemed unconvinced, and I had none too much confidence in my own assertion.
“Tonight,” said the black, in a dismal tone, “dey hunt for de gold. All gone. Robber very mad. Dey look ev’rywhere; den dey find us on rock. Den dey kill us.”
“That’s a pretty tough prophecy, Nux,” I returned, as cheerfully as I could. “And it sounds likely enough, I confess. We’ve got the gold again, to be sure; but the robbers have got us; so we’re worse off than we were before.”