A stone might possibly penetrate to us once in a while, but it wasn't very likely; we were well protected by boughs and foliage, and were not visible from any good aiming point.

If they would but waste half an hour in stone-throwing, the dark would come to our help.

We were feeling very well satisfied.

We could smile; almost laugh.
But we didn't; which was just as well, for we should have been interrupted.

Before the stones had been raging through the leaves and bouncing from the boughs fifteen minutes, we began to notice a smell.