seen that something was wrong and would have rushed us at a
disadvantage. What then? There wasn't a man Jack on that race ground
yesterday with so much as a six-shooter in his hip pocket. Where would
they all have come in--and the women and children? Think it out a
moment. No, my plan was the best."

"Lamont's right," said Driffield. "By Jove, Lamont's right! I've
always said we go about a deuced sight too careless in this country,
with no more means of defence than a toothpick, a pipe, and a bunch of
keys."

"Well, the point is," struck in Orwell, rather testily, "what are we
going to do now? Yes. What the very devil are we going to do now?
Supposing I--or rather Isard and I--get laagering up the township, we
incur the devil's own responsibility, and then, if nothing comes of it,
maybe we shan't get into high hot water at Buluwayo for raising an
all-searching scare."

"I still think we ought to have boned the witch-doctor," said Isard,
"even if we waited until everybody had gone home. How's that, Lamont?"

"It isn't. In the first place, I had pledged myself to let him go away
safe. In the next, you'd have brought matters to a head a lively sight
sooner than was wanted. As it is, we have nearly a fortnight to get
ready in."

"How do you get at that?"

"Well, I've got at it--never mind how. The point is to see that you
profit by the knowledge. I shall. I'm going back to my farm to-night."

"Going back to your farm? The devil you are!" exclaimed Orwell.

"Of course. I'm not going to be the one to start the scare. I've
warned every fellow I could, but they took it as a howling joke--like in
the case of old Noah when he was knocking up the ark."

There was a laugh at this.

"Well, I've done all I could," he went on. "If you see an idiot
sprinting straight for the edge of a precipice and when you warn him off
he persists in swearing there's no precipice there--what can you do?
Nothing. Your responsibility ceases, unless you are physically strong
enough to hold him back. Now, I am not physically strong enough to hold
back the whole Matyantatu district. Give us another fill of your
'bacco, Orwell. Mine has all run to dust."

"The thing is, what's to be done?" went on Orwell, now rather testily.

"You and Isard must settle that," answered Lamont. "I'm not responsible
for the safety of the township. Only remember," and here he became
impressive, "you have women and children in the place,