They had collected the dead deer at one spot, and were standing in a group; looking round they saw a large number of natives crowning the low hills all round them, and saw that while they had been stalking the deer they themselves had been stalked by the natives. Without a moment's hesitation the hunters disposed the bodies of the deer in a circle; seizing the two horses they threw them beside the deer, fastening their limbs with the lassoes which they carried, so that they could not move; then the six men threw themselves down in the circle. All this had been done in a couple of minutes. The arrows were falling fast among them, but none had been hit, and as soon as the preparations were complete they opened a steady fire at the enemy. With the exception of the man who had come out with the horses all were good shots, and their steady fire at once checked the advance of the natives, whose triumphant yelling ceased, as man after man went down, and they speedily followed the example of their opponents, and, throwing themselves down on the grass, kept up a fire with their arrows in a circle of seventy or eighty yards round the hunters. Gradually, however, their fire ceased, for to use their bows they were obliged to show their heads above the grass, and whenever one did so the sharp crack of a rifle was heard; and so often did the bullets fly true to their aim that the natives soon grew chary of exposing themselves. "What will they do now?" Dick asked, as the firing ceased. "They are cowards," Jumbo said contemptuously. "If they had been Zulus, or Swazis, or Matabele, they would have rushed in upon us, and finished it at once." "Well, I am very glad they are not," Dick said; "but what is to be done?" "They will wait for night," Tony answered; "then, when we cannot see them, they will creep up close and charge." "In that case," Dick said, "the best thing will be for us to keep in a body, and fight our way through them, and make for the camp." Jumbo shook his head. "They quiet now because they think they got us safe; if we try to get away, they rush down upon us; we shoot many, but we all get killed." "Then," Dick said, "the best thing will be for me to jump on my horse and ride straight through them; if I get off alive, I will make for the caravan and bring back Mr Harvey and the rest to your assistance." "No good," Blacking said; "your horse would be stuck full of arrows before you get away; he drop dead; they kill you. I go." "But it would be just as dangerous for you as for me, Blacking." "No," the hunter said; "directly you stand up to get on horse they see you and get ready to shoot; the horse fall dead before he reach them. I will crawl through the grass; they will not see me till I get to them-- perhaps I get through without them seeing at all; if not, I jump up sudden and run; they all surprised, no shoot straight; once through line they never catch me."