"I don’t know. My poor father and I passed through a village where the people hadn’t had any food for a week, and it was wonderful to see how energetic they were when they saw us coming. They were all skin and bone, dreadful-looking objects; but they weren’t anything like so crocked as we should be." "Well, I suppose it all depends on what you are used to. We’ll discuss the pros and cons of vegetarianism when we’re out of this and have got a full choice of either food. At present we are likely to become air-eaters before long." "Aerophags, eh? or chameleons: they’re supposed to live on air, aren’t they?" "You seem very chirpy." "Well, old chap, the fact is I’m so uncommonly glad we’re both alive that I am perhaps inclined to be a little----" "Light-headed," suggested John. "If you must be serious, I don’t think your notion of an immediate dash is a good one. The men have had a lot of hard marching, and we ought to give them a good rest--a full day, at any rate." "I dare say that would be wise, but the worst of it is that it will give time for that crowd outside to grow still bigger, and the chances of our getting through them safely will be slighter than ever." "But remember they’ve got to eat, as well as we, and the more there are of them the worse their position. The country we came through was practically barren, and when they have used up the food they have with them they’ll have to range about for more. That’ll be our chance. I vote we sit tight for a while." "All right. Here’s Said with our supper: what is it to-night, khansaman?" "I suffer pangs, sir, in serving gents with such slops, et cetera, but cupboard is bare, sir, to quote classic of Mother Hubbard; all I can provide for sustenance is cassava bread, beans, and bovril. Incredulity of native mind, sir, is as colossal as credulity. Carved wooden stick is a devil right enough: but when I tell them my little brown bottle contains concentrated essence of stall-fed ox, lo! they grin all over their mug and ask where are its four legs." "That’s rather a good thing, for they won’t envy us our supper. We shall do very well, as long as it lasts." "Ah, sir, I remember the beautiful words of Dr. Johnson, great lexicographer: ’And every moment makes my little less.’ Hunger is the best sauce, sir, but it does not fill the saucepan." This night, like the last, was undisturbed. On the afternoon of the next day, when John had ceased to look for any offensive movement on the part of the enemy, he saw a great crowd of them issue from the wood, and come yelling across the ground towards the causeway.