Nevertheless, the people were always prepared for such visits.

Every cultivator had a pit in which he stored his harvest, except so much as was needed for his immediate wants.

The pit was lined with mats, others were laid over the grain.
Two feet of soil was then placed over the mats and, after the ground had been ploughed, there was no indication of the existence of the hiding place.
The town itself was surrounded by a wall, of sufficient strength to withstand the attacks of any parties of marauders; and the custom of keeping a man on a watch tower was still maintained.

At the foot of the tower stood a heavy gun, whose discharge would at once warn the peasants for miles round of an enemy, calling those near to hasten to the shelter of the town, while the men of the villages at a distance could hurry, with their wives and families, to hiding places among the hills.
Dick and Surajah had no need of a path, for they were well acquainted with the ground, and had often wandered up, nearly to the crest of the hills, in pursuit of game.

An hour before noon, they took their seats under a rock that shaded them from the sun's rays and, sitting down, partook of a hearty meal.