human
You see, boys, he said,
gpt
Ain't our plan to git away from the Arabs as fast as we can?
human
Yes, Moses, but that's only part of it, returned Molloy.
gpt
We must keep away as well as get away--an' that won't be quite so easy, for the country is swarmin' wi' the dark-skinned rascals, as the many tracks we have already passed shows us. If we was to fall in wi' a band of 'em-- even a small one--we would be took again for sartin', for we've got nothin' to fight wi' but our fists.
human
These would offer but poor resistance to bullet and steel, said Armstrong,
gpt
Not much, admitted Miles, surveying the badge of his late office,
human
What if the Arabs should change their course and fall in with us again?
gpt
No fear o' that, seein' that Mohammed himself gave us our sailin' orders, an' laid our course for us; but it would never do to fall in wi' other bands, so I proposes that we cast anchor where we are, for there's pretty good holdin' ground among them bushes, keep quiet all day, an' travel only at night. I've got the krect bearin's just now, so w'en the stars come out we'll be able to fix on one layin' in the right direction, and clap on all sail, slow and aloft--stu'n s'ls, sky-scrapers, an' all the rest on it.
human
A good plan, Jack, said Armstrong,
gpt
Besides, added Miles,
human
Never mind. Let 'em come, he said, with a sudden look of sagacity,
gpt
But they will trace our footsteps up to the hole or the bush, said Miles,
human
Why, then, my lad, we'll bamboozle 'em. There's nothin' like bamboozlement w'en circumwention fails. Putt the two together an' they're like a hurricane in the tropics, carries all before it! We'll bamboozle 'em by runnin' for an hour or two all over the place, so as no mortal man seein' our footprints will be able to tell where we comed from, or what we've bin a-doin' of.
gpt
You don't know the men of the desert, Jack, rejoined Miles, with a laugh.
human
They'd just walk in a circle round the place where you propose to run about and bamboozle them, till they found where our tracks _entered_ this bit of bush. Then, as they'd see no tracks _leaving_ it, of course they'd know that we were still there. D'you see?
gpt
That's a puzzler for you, Jack,
human
By no manner o' means, retorted Molloy, with sudden gravity.
gpt
I sees my way quite clear out o' that. You remember the broad track, not half a mile off from where we now sit?
human
Yes; made I suppose by a pretty big band o' some sort crossin' the desert,
gpt
Well, lad, arter runnin' about in the bush to bamboozle of 'em, as aforesaid, we'll march back to that track on the sou'-west'ard--as it may be--an' then do the same on the nor'-west'ard--so to speak--an' so lead 'em to suppose we was a small party as broke off, or was sent off, from the main body to reconnoitre the bit o' bush, an' had rejoined the main body further on. That's what I call circumwentin', d'ee see?