It was a sickening sight, and one that made me grind my teeth with rage.

Also I could not help reflecting that ere long our heads might be upon those spears.

Well, if the worst came to the worst I was determined that I would not be taken alive to be burned in a slow fire or pinned over an ant-heap, a point upon which the others agreed with me, though poor Brother John had scruples as to suicide, even in despair.
It was just then that I missed Hans and asked where he had gone.
Somebody said that he thought he had seen him running away, whereon Mavovo, who was growing excited, called out: "Ah! Spotted Snake has sought his hole.

Snakes hiss, but they do not charge." "No, but sometimes they bite," I answered, for I could not believe that Hans had showed the white feather.

However, he was gone and clearly we were in no state to send to look for him.
Now our hope was that the slavers, flushed with victory, would advance across the open ground of the market-place, which we could sweep with our fire from our position on the ridge.