Scouting Dervishes had brought in word that the infidels had marched, during the night, and were now halting but a mile and a half away.
The hour had come, at last.

They were confident in themselves, and their trust in their leader was renewed.

The fight, two days before, had shown them that the guns of the white men were terrible on the plain; and that it was, after all, wise to await them in the position which had been made impregnable, and against which the foe would hurl themselves in vain; then they were to pour out, and annihilate them.
The slave came to Gregory's tent, at daybreak.
"Fatma is praying to Allah for your safety," he said.
There was no time for more, for already the tents were being pulled down, and soon the women were hurried away to the rear.

Four men surrounded Gregory, and led him to the edge of the camp, and there fastened him to the stump of a tree that had been cut off six feet from the ground, the upper portion being used in the construction of the zareba.

Ten or twelve men were similarly fastened, in a line with him.
These had been detected in trying to sneak away.
Gregory had not seen anything of the camp before and, as he was taken along, he was astounded at the amount of work that had been done.
Everywhere the ground was pitted with deep holes, capable of sheltering from fifteen to twenty men.