were not for the women. They
make quite a coward of me. Now, can we do any more?"

"No," said Uncle Jack; "there is no time. We can keep a good many at
bay."

"If you fire steadily," said the captain. "No shot must be fired
without good reason. In war, many go to one enemy the less. In this
case every shot must tell."

"Rather horrible," said Uncle Jack, quietly; "eh, Norman, lad? But
there, they can avoid it. They have only to leave us alone, and we
should never hurt a soul."

By this the little party were crouching about their wagon and box fort
with their guns ready, and plenty of ammunition at hand; the fire only
sent up one tiny curl of smoke, and this was stopped instantly, for
Shanter crawled from where he had been lying flat close to Tim and
Rifle, and scraping up some more earth with his boomerang, he piled it
over the spot where the smoke issued, and returned by rolling himself
over and over till he was back beside a large box. Their position was
in some respects good, being on an elevation, but in other respects bad,
as the captain pointed out to Norman.

"We are not far enough away from the trees in front there. The
scoundrels can creep up through the bushes, and use them for a shelter
from which to throw spears. Listen. The first who sees a black figure
give warning by a low hiss."

Fortunately the cattle had all strayed off grazing in the other
direction, and were invisible from where the little party lay waiting
the expected onslaught; and just as Uncle Munday had made allusion to
the fact that if the enemy were seen in that direction, the cattle would
give warning, the captain said in a low voice, "I wish they'd come."

Norman stared.

"Before it is dark, my boy. In less than an hour we shall not be able
to see them, and our position will be ten times as bad. There, I have
done all I can for our protection. I must go and reconnoitre now."

His words were loud enough to be heard from behind, and Mrs Bedford's
voice rose in supplication.

"No, no, dear. Pray don't run any risks."

"Hush!" said the captain, sternly, "we must know whether the enemy is
near."

The danger, as far as they could make out from Shanter's broken English,
lay across the little river; but instead of being in the visible sloping
plain, it was away beyond the trees to their right, and hidden by the
broken mountainous range, and after glancing at the priming of his
double gun, the captain turned to his ri