ied to
be cotched dere."

"Then, that will just do," cried Jack, with animation. "The very thing.
And now I'll tell you what my plan is. To-morrow morning early we will
tell the king that we wish to be off at once--that we have put off too
much time already, and wish to make no further delay. Then we'll pack
up and start. At night we will encamp in a quiet, out-of-the-way part
of the woods, and slip back to the village in the dark a short time
before midnight. The whole village will at that time be assembled,
probably, at the spot where the execution is to take place; so we can
rush in, overpower the guard, free Okandaga, and make our escape to the
cave, where they will never think of looking for us."

Peterkin shook his head. "There are two difficulties in your plan,
Jack. First, what if the natives are _not_ assembled on the place of
execution, and we find it impossible to make our entrance into or exit
from the village quietly?"

"I propose," replied Jack, "that we shall undress ourselves, rub
ourselves entirely over with charcoal and grease, so that they shall not
recognise us, and dash in and carry the girl off by a _coup de main_.
In which case it will, of course, be neck or nothing, and a tremendous
race to the cave, where, if they follow us, we will keep them at bay
with our rifles."

"Umph! dashing, no doubt, but risky," said Peterkin--"extremely risky.
Yet it's worth trying. Well, my second difficulty is--what if they
don't stick to their promise after we quit, and kill the poor thing
before midnight?"

"We must take our chance of that. But I shall put the king on his
honour before leaving, and say that I will make particular inquiry into
the way in which the trial has been conducted on my return."

"Put the king on his honour!" observed Peterkin. "I'm afraid that
you'll put his majesty on an extremely unstable foundation. However, I
see nothing better that can be done."

"Have you any more difficulties?"

"Yes," said I. "There is one other. What do you propose to do with the
men who are to be supplied us by the king during these extremely
delicate and difficult manoeuvres?"

The countenances of my comrades fell at this question.

"I never thought of them," said Jack.

"Nor I," said Peterkin.

Makarooroo groaned.

"Well," said I, "if you will allow me to suggest, I would recommend that
we should, towards the close of the day, send them on ahead of us, and
bid them encamp at a cer