The Prince lifted his head, rested on his elbow,
rubbed his eyes as if he had surely slept, and then
slowly and stiffly arose. The fire was low, almost
out. He turned to gather pine-knots, laid them on
the fire, and turned away as if to gather more. The
Doctor seemed to sleep. The officer and his men
were resting too. Perhaps they slept also.
" Click! click!"
I sprang to my feet.
" Don t trouble yourselves to move, gentlemen I Remain just where you are, gentlemen, just where you are! "
It was the Prince who spoke this time. He had approached the three heads from behind, and had the double-barrelled gun with its double handful of buck-shot levelled, as he spoke, against the tops of their heads as they lay there on their backs.
Approach a man lying down as if you meant to tread upon his scalp* and pin him to the earth, and he is the most- helpless of mortals. He cannot see you, he cannot turn around, he can do nothing. Here lay those men; they could see nothing but the black ugly muzzles of the double barrels. Their pistols were in their hands ; they were plucky fellows, but they could not draw; they were as likely to shoot each other as an enemy or any one.
This coming upon a man when he is lying down on his back may not be the manliest way in the world, but it is the safest, certainly ; and when the game is three to one, you have to take all the per-cent. you
