ment. I said
the Indians would attack in _force_, because they know our numbers. Those
_malo_ men have been spying on us when we little thought it. They know our
strength to a gun, and they will come in a cloud that nothing can
withstand, or that nothing could withstand in the open. But we will
entrench and defend ourselves till your return.'

'My return!'

'Twelve miles from here,' he went on, 'is a fort. It contains two officers
and over a score soldiers. In two hours it will be dusk, in an hour after
that the moon rises. 'Twixt twilight and moonrise you must ride to that
fort and bring assistance. Depend upon it, we can defend ourselves till
you come with your men, and you must attack the savages in the rear. You
understand?'

'Perfectly. But had I not better ride away at once?'

'No, the Indians would waylay you. You never would reach the frontier
fort. Even if you did escape from the chase, the knowledge that the troops
were coming would prevent them from attacking to-night.'

'And you want them to attack to-night?'

'I wish them to attack to-night. We may never be able to give a good
account of them again, but all depends on your success.'

In a short time the first waggons came up. They would have stopped, but
Moncrieff beckoned them onwards. When the last waggon had gone we mounted
our horses and slowly followed. At a stream not far distant we watered,
and once more continued our journey.

The road now rose rapidly, till in half an hour we were on high ground,
and here the halt was made. I could breathe more easily now we had left
that blood-stained hollow, though well I knew the sight I had witnessed
would not leave my thoughts for years to come.

Everything was done as quietly and orderly as if no cloud were hovering
over us, so soon to burst. The big fire was lit as usual, supper cooked,
prayers said, and the fire also lit in the ladies' caravan, for the nights
were cold and raw now.

The night began to fall. Moncrieff and I had kept our secret to ourselves
hitherto, but we could no longer conceal from any one that there was
danger in the air. Yet the news seemed to astonish no one, not even aunt.

'Dear brother,' she said to our leader, 'I read it in your face all the
afternoon.'

It was almost dusk now, and work was commenced in earnest. Spades were got
out, and every man worked like a slave to entrench the whole position. The
strength that I was to leave behind me was seven-and-twenty men all