I pointed
out that with our small number a charge against the scattered
riflemen, who were gradually surrounding us, would be worse than
useless, while it was almost hopeless to expect to hold the /boma/
till nightfall. Once the Arabs got behind us, they could rake us from
the higher ground. Indeed, for the last half-hour we had directed all
our efforts to preventing them from passing this /boma/, which,
fortunately, the stream on the one side and a stretch of quite open
land on the other made it very difficult for them to do without more
loss than they cared to face.
"I fear there is only one thing for it," I said at length, during a
pause in the attack while the Arabs were either taking counsel or
waiting for more ammunition, "to abandon the camp and everything and
bolt up the hill. As those fellows must be tired and we are all good
runners, we may save our lives in that way."
"How about the wounded," asked Stephen, "and the slave-woman and
child?"
"I don't know," I answered, looking down.
Of course I did know very well, but here, in an acute form, arose the
ancient question: Were we to perish for the sake of certain
individuals in whom we had no great interest and whom we could not
save by remaining with them? If we stayed where we were our end seemed
fairly certain, whereas if we ran for it, we had a good chance of
escape.
Pages:
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200