"Oh! could none of you see that the men of Hassan had all walked into a trap?
Did none of you know that fire burns thatched houses, and that a strong wind drives it fast and far?
While you sat there upon the hill with your heads together, like sheep waiting to be killed, I crept away among the bushes and went about my business.
I said nothing to any of you, not even to the Baas, lest he should answer me, 'No, Hans, there may be an old woman sick in one of those huts and therefore you must not fire them.' In such matters who does not know that white people are fools, even the best of them, and in fact there were several old women, for I saw them running for the gateway.
Well, I crept up by the green fence which I knew would not burn and I came to the north gate.

There was an Arab sentry left there to watch.
"He fired at me, look! Well for Hans his mother bore him short"; and he pointed to a hole in the filthy hat.

"Then before that Arab could load again, poor coward Hans got his knife into him from behind.

Look!" and he produced a big blade, which was such as butchers use, from his belt and showed it to us.

"After that it was easy, since fire is a wonderful thing.