out
volley after volley from bristling rifles.

The troops quickly found the street absolutely untenable, for each time
they made a rush to storm our position they were compelled to fall back,
and few indeed reached a place of safety amid our deadly fire. When we
had held the barricade for nearly an hour, Kona, Omar and myself being
close together bearing our part in repulsing our opponents, a loud roar
suddenly sounded before us and at the same instant a huge shell,
imbedding itself in our defences, exploded with a bright light and
deafening report.

The havoc caused was appalling. Half our barricade was blown completely
away, and besides killing and maiming dozens of our comrades, it
shattered several houses close by, and its force sent me down flat upon
my back. Instantly I struggled to my feet, and finding myself uninjured
save for a severe laceration of the hand, glanced round seeking my two
friends. But they were not there!

The shell had set part of the barricade on fire, and already the flames
were rising high, lighting up the terrible, lurid scene. Again I bent to
my Maxim and recommenced firing, but as I did so another shell, only too
well directed, struck the opposite end of our defences, and instantly a
disaster resulted similar to the first, while a house at the same moment
fell with a terrible crash, burying several unfortunate fellows beneath
its _debris_.

Instantly I saw that our defences were partially demolished, and as shell
after shell fell in rapid succession in our vicinity and exploded, our
gallant defenders, still determined to prove victors, rushed up the hill
to try conclusions with the Naya's troops. It was a wild, mad dash, and I
found myself carried forward in the onrush of several thousand excited
men. Meeting the remnant of the cavalry we fought with savage ferocity,
alternately being beaten and beating. I had lost Omar, Kona and Goliba,
half fearing that they had been blown to atoms by the shell, nevertheless
the courage of my comrades never failed, although gaining the top of the
hill and defeating the cavalry by sheer force of numbers, they were
driven back again at the point of the bayonet, while from the ruins of
the palace-gate a steady rifle fire was poured upon us at the same time.

Half-way down the hill we made a gallant stand, but again were compelled
to fall back in disorder. Soon we were driven from the main thoroughfare
into the minor streets, refuging in and fighting f