what should I say to his father? Well, in that
event, it was probable that something would happen to me too. Very
possibly we should both be dead in an hour. Certainly I had no intention
of allowing myself to be taken alive by those slaving devils. Hassan's
remarks about fires and ant-heaps and the sun were too vividly impressed
upon my memory.

In another five minutes everybody was up, though it required kicks to
rouse most of the bearers from their slumbers. They, poor men, were
accustomed to the presence of Death and did not suffer him to disturb
their sleep. Still I noted that they muttered together and seemed
alarmed.

"If they show signs of treachery, you must kill them," I said to Mavovo,
who nodded in his grave, silent fashion.

Only we left the rescued slave-woman and her child plunged in the stupor
of exhaustion in a corner of the camp. What was the use of disturbing
her?

Sammy, who seemed far from comfortable, brought two pannikins of coffee
to Stephen and myself.

"This is a momentous occasion, Messrs. Quatermain and Somers," he said
as he gave us the coffee, and I noted that his hand shook and his teeth
chattered. "The cold is extreme," he went on in his copybook English by
way of explaining these physical symptoms which he saw I had observed.
"Mr. Quatermain, it is all very well for you to paw the ground and smell
the battle from afar, as is written in the Book of Job. But I was not
brought up to the trade and take it otherwise. Indeed I wish I was back
at the Cape, yes, even within the whitewashed walls of the Place of
Detention."

"So do I," I muttered, keeping my right foot on the ground with
difficulty.

But Stephen laughed outright and asked:

"What will you do, Sammy, when the fighting begins?"

"Mr. Somers," he answered, "I have employed some wakeful hours in making
a hole behind that tree-trunk, through which I hope bullets will not
pass. There, being a man of peace, I shall pray for our success."

"And if the Arabs get in, Sammy?"

"Then, sir, under Heaven, I shall trust to the fleetness of my legs."

I could stand it no longer, my right foot flew up and caught Sammy in
the place at which I had aimed. He vanished, casting a reproachful look
behind him.

Just then a terrible clamour arose in the slavers' camp which hitherto
had been very silent, and just then also the first light of dawn glinted
on the barrels of our guns.

"Look out!" I cried, as I gulped down the last of my co