hundred of the
assailants had perished. The rajah was almost beside himself with
joy, at this crushing defeat of his enemy.

"I do not suppose it is over yet, Rajah," Harry said, through his
interpreter. "There are still some five times our number, and they
will surely not retire without endeavouring to avenge their defeat.
But I hardly think they will attack the stockade again. Possibly
they will try fire, next time; and it will be harder to fight that
than to keep men at bay."

The rajah looked serious.

"Yes," he said, "they cannot return to their homes, and say that
they have left five hundred dead behind them. What do you advise?"

"They will hardly attack again today, Rajah; therefore I shall have
time to think it over. But at present, it seems to me that our only
course is to shoot down as many of those who bring up firebrands as
possible. We have still a number of long bamboos left, and with
these we might thrust away any burning faggots that might be cast
against the palisade."

The rajah nodded.

"That might be done," he said, "and with success, no doubt."

"With success at many points, Rajah; but if they succeed, at only
one point, in establishing a big fire against the stockade; we must
retire within the wall. They cannot burn us out there, except at
the gate; and against that we must pile up earth and stones. But I
should certainly recommend that the roofs of all the buildings
inside should be taken off unless, indeed, you have sufficient
hides to cover them. Still, we need not do that until we are driven
inside the wall. It takes but a short time to take off the broad
leaves with which the roofs are covered."

During the fight, Harry had taken no active part in the conflict.
He had divided the circle into three, and had taken charge of one
division, Abdool taking another, and the rajah a third. They had
each encouraged the men under them, and had gone where the pressure
of the attack was most severe.

On leaving the rajah, Harry joined Abdool.

"They will try again, Abdool; but I don't think they will try to
carry the stockade by assault again."

"They will try fire, sahib."

"That is just what I am afraid of. The archers will shoot down a
good many of them, but in such numbers as they are, this will make
little difference; and we must calculate that, at at least a dozen
spots, they will place blazing faggots against the palisade."

Abdool nodded.

"I have been telling the rajah," Harr