"Y"s guessed right, ma.s.sa. Me hold de reins. Me shout de orders, and de men brave and behabe demselbes. We fire slow and careful, same as ma.s.sa tell us, and we still plenty cartridge left."
"And practically no water. That is the most serious news, and makes it impossible to remain for long where we are. How long will the moon be up, Johnnie?"
"Soon down," was the answer. "In four hour, I tink."
"Then we will consult with the chief. Fetch him along, Johnnie."
d.i.c.k strolled out into the compound, and having made sure that all was quiet and that the men were alert, he took his seat close to the gate, with Johnnie and the two chief miners beside him. It was a strange place and a stranger hour to have a meeting, and as remarkable, too, was the fact that d.i.c.k could only just make himself understood and gather the meaning of the natives, while Johnnie was useless at the task.
Still, d.i.c.k was able to act as interpreter, for he could speak a little Fanti, and there is only slight difference between that and the Ashanti dialect. Tersely the young leader of the party told his news, how he had overheard the half-caste, and how two hundred Ashanti warriors were expected.
"They will eat us up," said the chief, with an involuntary shudder when he heard what d.i.c.k had to say. "They will pour like a river up to the gates of the stockade, and we shall not stop them. They will swarm over, and we shall be slain."
"While if we are successful during the day they would certainly succeed at night, chief. Then there is the question of the water."
The chief shook his head dolefully.
"We are as good as dead," he said, "and glad I am that one can meet with death only once. As well sally out now and end the matter."
"And be shot down like birds," was d.i.c.k"s answer. "But I agree that the situation is serious. We should be better off were we out in the forest, for there we could divide and scatter. Again, we could make for the launch and steam down the river."
"If it were possible," cried the chief, with a look of hope in his face.
"But how to get away? These foxes close round us. They know that we are secure, for who could leave the stockade now?"
"I got in safely, thanks to your rush. Why can we not get out again?
Can you think of nothing? Come, man, we must make an effort."
But it was useless. The chief of the miners could make no suggestion.
He and his men were ready to follow their leader to the death, and he could rely upon their courage. But they could offer no plan of escape.
They came of a race noted for its ferocity and courage, a race trained to arms, but they were more inclined to the ways of peace.
"Then I will tell you what I think," said d.i.c.k, when many minutes had pa.s.sed, and the four had stared silently at one another as they sat in the rays of the moon. "We agree that death waits for us here, whether by the knives of the enemy or by water famine. Then we must go. The question becomes when and how? I will tell you. We must distract the attention of these men, and this is how I propose that we shall do it.
First of all, however, are there any here who can creep like a snake through the gra.s.s and so escape discovery?"
The chief threw his head up proudly. "That is one of the first lessons we learned as boys," he said. "There is not a man here who cannot do that."
"Then this is my plan. As we sit here, the launch lies straight over the crest of the hill where some of the enemy crouch. I believe that so far our boats are undiscovered, and that being so, the enemy will not expect us to take that direction, seeing that it is the roughest and the steepest. It would be natural for us to strike to right or left of the stockade, for the attack has been in the very centre."
There was a grunt of acquiescence as d.i.c.k paused to look at the chiefs.
"Our chief speaks wisely for one so young," said the leader. "But we know him now, and can expect good advice. Say on."
"We decide, then, to flee by way of the crest. Then we must make a demonstration in the opposite direction. We will choose that to our right, being the farthest from the crest. We will send out four of our best and most active men just after the moon disappears, with orders to get as close as possible to the enemy and then fire on them. These men will retire within five minutes, when they will be joined by more who also will fire. We will move swiftly from right to left and back again, and the men can be so disposed that there will be no danger of hurting one another. That should alarm the enemy, and, in any case, it will attract the attention of those in that quarter."
"They will take alarm and think that we are attempting to break through.
They will call in all the men," said the chief, with a.s.surance. "I begin to follow your meaning."
"While the firing is going on two of our number who are accounted brave"--d.i.c.k noticed that the chief again tossed his head into the air--"will creep to the top of the hill and over it. They will be given a quarter of an hour to see that it is clear. They will not be satisfied till they have killed the sentries or shown that they are absent. Then one will return with the news."
"And the whole party will follow him," burst in the chief, eagerly.
"Hardly that," said d.i.c.k. "They are still out in the open, and they must retire. Even then the ruse might be discovered if the firing were not continued. The enemy would suspect a ruse and would send out to intercept us."
"Then what is your plan, chief?" asked the native, his curiosity aroused to the fullest. "The men retire and keep up the firing, you have a man on the crest and the report that all is clear. Surely there will be no need for delay. Haste, rather, is what is called for."
"Quite so," agreed d.i.c.k, quietly. "The men retire, and as they pa.s.s into the stockade they each take up a bundle of gold dust, for it would never do to leave our profits to these robbers. Then, led by the man who has descended the ridge, the miners will creep over the crest and descend the hill. They will make for the track in the forest, and will gain the boats as soon as possible. Arrived there, they will get the fire going aboard the launch, hook on one of the boats, or two if they are necessary, and wait for their comrades. I said that one of the latter would be the scout who lay on the crest."
"That man will be myself," said the chief, calmly. "A leader should always take the post of danger and protect his men. We are not warriors, but we know how to act."
"You have proved it already. You will be one of those two. I shall be the other. No. Do not let us argue. Your own words prove that I have taken the proper course. As leader, I remain till all are gone, and I shall keep up a fire with my rifle till all are clear. Then I will take steps to prevent these robbers from carrying off even a stick of firewood, and will rejoin you on the hill. Afterwards we will fight our way to the boats."
He could see their eyes gleaming there in the moonlight as only the eyes of a dark-skinned man can gleam. The plan pleased them, that was clear, for when d.i.c.k had explained it to them to the best of his ability, all in turn gave expression to their approval with grunts, the meaning of which was undoubted. All seemed to think that they were in a very dangerous position, and that if this plan would not help them then nothing would.
"Better to die sword in hand than at the stroke of a vile executioner,"
said the chief. "We could sally out and surrender. But would that help us? We should be well received and well fed. The march to k.u.masi would be by easy stages, and then the trouble would commence. Better to die as brave men, than to be slain as cravens, with our arms bound to our backs."
There was undoubted truth in the statement, and the knowledge of it heartened them all. They would behave as brave men, and would meet this danger with daring. If they prospered, well and good; if not, then they would not live long to mourn the misfortune.
"And at any rate, I shall have made sure that that robber, James Langdon, does not reap any advantage," said d.i.c.k. "The men will take every ounce of gold, and if hard pressed will open the sacks and scatter the dust. As for the place itself, the half-caste shall not find a home ready built for him should he elect to take up the work of gold-mining.
He shall find the land as it was, clear of all houses."
There was a look of determination on his face. He rose, gripped each of the chiefs by the hand, and went forward to speak to the men, for time was pressing. In an hour the moon would wane, and in two it would be time to set out. Better make the attempt at the earliest moment, and so have ample time for escape.
CHAPTER NINE.
DECEIVING THE ENEMY.
"You have been the round of the men and have told them our plan?" asked d.i.c.k, some minutes later, as the chiefs came to his side again. "Is there one who does not understand?"
"Not one, white chief. Two are to go to the crest behind when you shall say that the time for that movement has come. Those two will be myself and my brother here. If there are men up there they shall die. Those who pa.s.s to the front of the stockade know their orders well. Each will attempt to find an enemy, and will fire. He will fire into the forest if he can see none, and will retire slowly, firing occasionally all the while. His duty also is to run from side to side, so that it may trouble the enemy to know where we are coming. But gradually the miners are to collect closer to the right, and we hope the enemy will gather there, too. If all is well with us by then, you will know, for one will return. Then you will pa.s.s on to the men in front. They will retire, and we shall make for the forest--that is, all but myself."
d.i.c.k expressed his satisfaction, and was about to turn away when Johnnie came forward to speak to him.
"What Johnnie do?" he asked.
"You will lead the men to the road through the forest," said d.i.c.k.
"Once you reach the launch, get your fire going and steam up. Then lay off, with a boat attached, if you think the launch will not carry all of us. See that the gold is packed on board, and, above all, destroy the other boats. Beat them to pieces and sink them in the stream, where they will not block your path. Wait and be ready for those who follow.
The chief and myself may have to run for it."
"And why me not stay to help ma.s.sa?" demanded the little black fellow, earnestly. "We know de path in de forest. Me quick, and can help. Why me not stay?"
"Because in this matter of our escape every man must carry out the task for which he is best fitted. We rely on you, Johnnie, to get steam up.
If you fail, what will happen to us all?"
"Um! Me see well "nough now," was the answer. "Me go right "nough.
But me rather stay, ma.s.sa. Me always want to help."