not throw away your lives in a
vain attempt to save mine. I will do all that I can; but if they come
close to us, and I can go no further, I charge you to leave me, and to
make your way to the river. You have already done too much for me, by
throwing away eight months of your lives in this wretched place. Few
indeed would have done so much, and it is my most earnest wish that you
should not sacrifice your lives for my sake in a hopeless struggle against
overpowering odds."

Hurka laughed. "That is not our way, senor. We are comrades, and comrades
stick to each other to the last. You are our employer, and we have
undertaken to carry you through all dangers. You have been kind and good
to us, and our lives are yours. We shall either all get together to the
mission, or none of us will reach it. In all other matters we are ready to
obey your orders, but our lives are our own to dispose of as we choose."

They had by this time re-entered their hut, and Pita at once began to
examine the wall, and to decide where it had best be cut through. After
some conversation with Hurka they determined to make the hole in the side
wall, near the rear corner of the hut.

"They are more likely to be watching at the back," Hurka explained to
Stephen, "as it is there they will consider it most likely we should make
the attempt to escape. We can begin the hole as soon as night comes on,
but we must not complete it until the village is quiet. The knives will
make no noise in cutting through this soft stuff, and the moment the hole
is large enough, and the part remaining is so thin that we can push it
down, one of us will stand, bow in hand, ready to shoot any of the
watchers who may stop before it. Once out, senor, do not make straight for
the tree, or the men at the back of the house will attack you. Turn sharp
off, and run along close to the backs of the next huts until you are fifty
or sixty yards away, then strike out for the tree."

Accordingly, as soon as it was dark the two Indians began to cut through
the wall. When they considered that they were nearly through, they thrust
the blades of the knives in. As long as they found the wall still firm
they continued to remove further portions of the earth, until, on pushing
the knife through, they found that it moved freely, and knew that they
were within half an inch or so of the outside; then they continued their
work until the hole was large enough for them to be able to issue out one
at