Shouted after him that he "might as well
bring some fresh relays to the Yellow Hole in a day or two," and then
giving his attention to the packing of swags and pack-bags, "reckoned
things were just about fixed up for a surprise party."
CHAPTER XX
At our appointed time we left the homestead, taking the north-west track
for over a mile to continue the dust-throwing; and for the whole length
of that mile Dan reiterated the "advantages of surprise parties," and his
opinion that "things were just about properly fixed up for one"; and when
we left the track abruptly and set off across country at right angles to
it, Sambo's quick questioning, suspicious glance made it very evident
that he, for one, had gleaned no inkling of the patrol, which naturally
filled Dan with delight.
"River to-night, Sambo," he said airily, but after that one swift glance
Sambo rode after us as stolid as ever - Sambo was always difficult to
fathom - while Dan spent the afternoon congratulating himself on the
success of his dust-throwing, proving with many illustrations that "it's
the hardest thing to spring a surprise on niggers. Something seems to
tell 'em you're coming," he explained. "Some chaps put it down to
second-sight or thought-reading."
When we turned in Dan was still chuckling over his cute handling of the
trip.
