hat's English, my lads. Steady, steady; don't get out
of breath. As we get out of the wood here, form up directly in the
open, and wait till we can see by the firing where the enemy is. Then
we'll give him a volley, and charge at once right for the verandah,
where we'll take our places, and act as is afterwards necessary."

The men followed their leader's commands to the letter, formed up in a
little line outside the path, and stood there waiting in the darkness,
watching the flashing of a revolver fired from one of the residency
windows, and the quick streaks of light from a party of the enemy,
whoever that enemy might be, just in front.

"Ready!" cried the lieutenant; and as he gave his command there was the
quick rattle of the pieces, then a ringing little volley, the cry
_Forward_! and on the party dashed with a hearty hurrah, which had the
effect of stopping the fire from the residency, Mr Linton and his
servant, who had been defending the place, recognising the voices of
friends.

The little line, with fixed bayonets, dashed over and swept down a
cluster of Malays who tried to meet their attack with spears before
taking to flight, and the next moment, it seemed to Gray, he was
standing with his comrades in the verandah, reloading.

"Any one down?" cried the lieutenant, sharply.

"No, sir; no, sir," was repeated on all sides.

"All right then, my boys; make cover of anything--posts, flower vases,
anything you can; and we must hold on. Fire where you have a chance;
but don't waste a shot."

The opening of a door changed the plans, for Mr Linton's voice was
heard saying,--"Come in quickly; and we can fire from the windows."
This little evolution was soon performed, but under fire, for the Malays
sent a desultory series of shots, in company with flying spears, though
without any effect, while, as soon as the rest of the upper windows were
thrown open, the men knelt down behind what was an excellent
breast-work, and maintained a steady fire wherever they saw a flash.

Meanwhile there was some sharp volley firing from the direction of the
fort, in reply to that of the enemy's brass lelahs. This was soon after
followed by the heavy roar of a larger gun on board one of the prahus,
to which the occupants of the little fort could not reply, on account of
the darkness, and the fact that one of the attacking prahus was between
them and the campong, while the other was so sheltered by trees that it
would have bee