Ferguson, and try the experiment
of how many men will be required to carry a gun; but now I think
of it, I fancy that it will be still easier to lay the guns down
on a sledge shaped piece of timber--these paths are smooth enough
where the natives tread, and the men could haul the guns along with
ropes."
"That would be better and easier, sir. The difficulty with the
carriages will be greatest, but they might be taken to pieces as
far as possible and slung on bamboos."
"I think that we shall be able to manage all that," the captain said
cheerfully. "The first thing is to find the path. There is almost
sure to be one from the village the Malay spoke of as close to
the mouth of the creek, and the pool, and if we send the boats up
as soon as we arrive at the creek, to row with muffled oars until
they get near the pool, and then land and find the path, it would
diminish very much the distance they would have to go and the work
to be done."
"It would be a great thing to find that out beforehand, sir. If you
like, I will drop down the river this afternoon in the gig; that
will attract no attention, for it will be thought that we are merely
going fishing or shooting. As soon as it is dark we will muffle
the oars, and row up the other branch, find the mouth of the creek
and row up it, first find how far it is to the pool, then drop
down a quarter of a mile and land, strike into the jungle, and look
for the path.
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