Me climb all alonga track, drop
down, breakem him neck."
"No, don't break his neck!" growled Holman. "We want him as a guide. Do
you understand? He knows where Leith is hiding, and if we could get hold
of him it would be clear sailing."
Maru borrowed Kaipi's knife, nodded confidently as we adjured him to use
caution, and then slipped back along the track so that he could climb to
the level of the one-eyed person's perch before attempting to creep upon
him. We sat down to await developments. The witless one was evidently a
lookout, and it was advisable to wait and see the success of Maru's
expedition before we attempted to move.
It was a long wait. Maru didn't intend to take any chances by closing in
hurriedly, and it was nearly two hours after his departure before we saw
his head rise above a boulder high up over the spot where One Eye was
keeping his vigil. It was evidently not the first time that the native
had stalked a human being, and his fine tactics, which should have
called forth praise, severely tried the small amount of patience that we
possessed. Holman cursed softly beneath his breath as Maru sat for ten
minutes at a time studying the route before attempting to move from a
sheltering rock, and my own nails burrowed into the palms of my hands as
I watched.
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