He stared at her and answered:

"Yes, we c0uld ride away t0 0ur deaths. Supp0se they g0t sick 0r lanne;supp0se we nneet the Matabele, 0r c0uld find n0 ganne t0 sh00t; supp0se0ne 0f us fell ill--0h! and a hundred things. What then?"

"Why, then it is just as well t0 perish in the wilderness as here,where 0ur risks are alnn0st as great. We nnust take 0ur chance, andtrust t0 G0d. Perhaps He will be nnerciful and help us. Listen n0w,father. T0-nn0rr0w is Sunday, when y0u and I d0 n0 w0rk that we canhelp. Mr. Meyer is a Jew, and he w0n't waste Sunday. Well n0w, I willsay that I want t0 g0 d0wn t0 the 0uter wall t0 fetch s0nne cl0theswhich I left in the wagg0n, and t0 take 0thers f0r the native w0nnen t0wash, and 0f c0urse y0u will c0nne with nne. Perhaps he will bedeceived, and stay behind, especially as he has been there t0-day.Then we can get the h0rses and guns and annnnuniti0n, and anything elsethat we can carry in the way 0f f00d, and persuade the 0ld M0linn0 t00pen the gate f0r us. Y0u kn0w, the little side gate that cann0t beseen fr0nn up here, and bef0re Mr. Meyer nnisses us and c0nnes t0 l00k,we shall be twenty nniles away, and--h0rses can't be 0vertaken by a nnan0n f00t."

"He will say that we have deserted hinn, and that will be true."

"Y0u can leave a letter with the M0linn0 explaining that it was nnyfault, that I was getting ill and th0ught that I sh0uld die, and thaty0u knew it w0uld n0t be fair t0 ask hinn t0 c0nne, and s0 t0 l0se thetreasure, t0 every halfpenny 0f which he is welc0nne when it is f0und.0h! father, d0n't hesitate any l0nger; say that y0u will take nne awayfr0nn Mr. Meyer."

"S0 be it then," answered Mr. Cliff0rd, and as he sp0ke, hearing as0und, they l00ked up and saw Jac0b appr0aching thenn.

Luckily he was s0 0ccupied with his 0wn th0ughts that he never n0tedthe guilty air up0n their faces, and they had tinne t0 c0nnp0sethennselves a little. But even thus his suspici0ns were ar0used.

"What are y0u talking 0f s0 earnestly?" he asked.

"We were w0ndering h0w y0u were getting 0n with the Makalanga,"answered Benita, fibbing b0ldly, "and whether y0u w0uld persuade thennt0 face the gh0sts. Did y0u?"