“Wait a bit, mate; as long as they don’t do more than that, they will do us no harm.”
As soon as the natives had thrown their darts, they ran off again, expecting a volley from the rifles; then back they came and threw more of their spears. As before, a few came partly through the wall, but did no harm, as Sarah and Sally kept on the other side, and the men stood behind the stout posts which supported the roof. The blacks came nearer and nearer, sending their spears still farther through the walls.
“I would do anything rather than kill those poor savages,” said Rudge.
“But if we don’t, they’ll kill us, mate, and it won’t do to fire over their heads again,” observed Tom, raising his rifle, and covering one of the black leaders. “I could pick that fellow off if I fired.”
“Let’s try what another shout will do, and if that does not put them to flight, we must fire at last,” said Rudge.
Again they all shouted together, Troloo joining in the cry. The blacks, as before, looked about them, and some, who were about to throw their spears, stopped with them poised in their hands. Others, however, seemed to be telling them that they were cowards, and at last the whole party whirling round their spears more fiercely than before, rushed towards the hut. Rudge’s finger was on the trigger, and so was Tom’s, when a faint shout was heard in the distance, like an echo of theirs. It was repeated, and another was heard as if from a different direction.
“Don’t fire, Mat,” cried Rudge; “see, the black fellows are running. Thank God that we have not had to shed man’s blood.”
“And let us thank Him that our lives have mercifully been saved,” said Sarah, as they opened the door of the hut, from which not a black was to be seen.
In another minute Mr Ramsay and Sam and Bob rode up to the door, and Mr Harlow and several men appeared at a little distance. Mr Ramsay was inclined to follow the blacks, and to kill some of them, but Mr Harlow begged that he would not hurt them, as he was sure that they were set on by some one else, and that at all events they were ignorant savages, and knew no better.