“And how is that?”
“To get the government troops on the inside. We could cut the rebels up a bit wi’ the machine gun and put the fear of the Laird in their hearts, and then charge ’em from inside the stockade.”
“Yes; but how are you going to march your troops through the rebel ranks? You admit yourself that it is impossible.”
“It is impossible to get them inside by marching through the rebel ranks; but,” he paused impressively as if to give his words weight, “there’s another way, d’ye ken?”
“Another way of getting inside the stockade?”
“Aye, that’s what I’m tellin’ you, mon. Long, long ago, d’ye ken, the Spaniards worked that mine. They worked it pretty thoroughly, too, in their primitive way; that cliff is fair honeycombed wi’ passages an’ such.”
“Yes, yes, go on, Jameson; every minute is precious.”
They all leaned forward eagerly as the raw-boned Scot, not in the least perturbed, went leisurely on.