I am the oldest, it is true, by a few months; but you are far more active and quick than I, and you have been the leader, ever since we left the ship.
I certainly will not take the command from you." "Well, we will be joint generals," Ned said, laughing; "and I do not think that our orders will clash." He then explained, to the negroes and natives, the course which he thought that they ought to pursue.

First, every point at which the enemy could be harassed should be provided with missiles.

In the second place, all signs of footsteps and paths leading to their accustomed dwelling places should be obliterated.

Thirdly, they should fight as little as possible; it being their object to fight when pursued and interfered with by small parties of Spaniards, but to avoid conflict with large bodies.
"Our object," he said, "is to live free and unmolested here; and if the Spanish find that, when they come in large numbers, they cannot overtake us; and that, when they come in small ones, they are defeated with loss; they will take to leaving us alone." All agreed to this policy; and it was arranged that the women, children, and most feeble of the natives should retire to almost inaccessible hiding places, far in the mountains; and that the more active spirits, with the negroes, and divided into five or six bands, acting to some extent independently of each other, but yet in accordance with a general plan, should remain to oppose the passage of the enemy.
This, their first success over the Spaniards, caused a wild exultation among the negroes and natives; and Ned and Gerald were viewed as heroes.

The lads took advantage of their popularity to impress upon the negroes the necessity of organizing themselves, and undergoing certain drill and discipline; without it, as they told them, although occasionally they might succeed in driving back the Spaniards, yet in the long run they must be defeated.