Would he be able to carry it out? Success depended on many conditions--the arrangements of the raiders, the nerve and quickness of his own men, a hundred and one chances. At any rate, it was worth attempting. "Gambaru," he said to the second Hausa, "climb up to the top there, and watch for the enemy. Lie down behind a bush, so that they will not see you. When you are sure what they are going to do, slide down and tell me. John, come down to the river with me." On reaching the bridge, Royce first ran across it to test its strength, then took out his pocket-knife, and cut as many of the plant ropes as he dared without bringing the whole structure down. John looked on in amazement. The bridge took off from a low cliff on either side of the stream. The banks were overgrown with thick tall bushes and reeds. "You can hide there?" said Royce, pointing to the vegetation beneath the nearer end of the bridge. "Hide plenty all same, sah," replied John, looking puzzled and a little uneasy. "Very well. We'll go back now, and wait for Gambaru's report. Then I'll tell you what to do." CHAPTER IX THE BROKEN BRIDGE On returning from the bridge, Royce was too impatient to remain at the river level and wait for news from Gambaru, perched on the heights above. He reflected, too, that when so much was at stake, it was better to make his own observations than to rely on an unskilled native. "Gambaru's eyesight is no doubt better than mine," he thought, "but his judgment is not likely to be. And I've had some training in scouting." He clambered up the steep acclivity until, somewhat out of breath, he reached Gambaru's side. "Have you seen anything?" he asked. "Nuffin, sah," the man replied. Shading his eyes from the sun, Royce gazed earnestly over the country. He could see the track for nearly a mile, until it disappeared below the shoulder of the hill a few hundred yards from where he stood. There was no human being in sight. Again and again he looked, becoming more and more restless at the non-appearance of the enemy. He began to fear that they had diverged from the track, and instead of directing their march towards the bridge, had made off in a body towards a ford. But suddenly Gambaru touched his arm. "Dat's dem, sah!" he cried, extending his arm. For a few moments Royce's less perfect vision failed to descry anything upon the track except what seemed to be a slight haze. But at length he was able to distinguish figures, and then he felt considerable surprise. The men he saw marching towards him were all on foot. Where were the horsemen whom he had previously seen at the head of the column? "What uncommon luck!" he said to himself. "They seem to have left the track already, and gone to one side or the other to cross by some ford they know. It makes things easier."