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 Dick, when many minutes had
passed, 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 grass 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 Dick 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