At last he had gone too far.
"We can't see you!" I called.
He retraced his footsteps until he was again visible. Then he seemed to rise in the air.
"I stand on rock by side of path!" he shouted; "path is under my feet—to my right—very narrow—Bedouin must pass one by one—I speak to them—make them throw away rifles—if no give up rifle I strike match—you see match—fire below match—kill Bedouin."
"Come back!" I yelled. "It's too dangerous!"
"No! I stay!" and nothing would induce him to give up his plucky scheme.
Plucky! Why, it was the bravest job any man could have taken on himself.
Quite close beneath us men began shouting. I hoped these were the camel men warning the armed Arabs to throw away their rifles if they wanted to save their lives. I knew that in a few minutes the first of them would reach Jaffa, and that then the crisis would come. Webster was fidgeting with the bolt of his breech-block and breathing hard.
Already Jaffa was beginning to call out: "Khalli bunduk 'ak! Khalli bunduk 'ak! Ma kattle kum! Ist agel! ist agel!"
Our nerves were very much on edge.