Also we should have a worse chance marching.
Remember Hans said that they are watching us." "Then you would wait to be attacked ?" "Isn't there a third alternative, Quatermain?
To attack them ?" "That's the idea," I said.

"Let us send for Mavovo." Presently he came and sat down in front of us, while I set out the case to him.
"It is the fashion of my people to attack rather than to be attacked, and yet, my father, in this case my heart is against it.

Hans" (he called him _Inblatu_, a Zulu word which means Spotted Snake, that was the Hottentot's Kaffir name) "says that there are quite sixty of the yellow dogs, all armed with guns, whereas we have not more than fifteen, for we cannot trust the slave men.

Also he says that they are within a strong fence and awake, with spies out, so that it will be difficult to surprise them.

But here, father, we are in a strong fence and cannot be surprised.