ce long
walk."

"Yes," said Roberts; "with a swim thrown in."

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

WHICH WAS BRAVER?

"Steady, there; steady, my lads. Not too fast. Seize upon every bit of
shelter, and have a few steady shots at them. They're beaten, and we
shall soon scatter them now."

The lads were as steady as the most exacting officer could desire; and
though the two sides of the narrow, winding defile were lined with the
enemy, who made good use of their clumsy jezails, of whose long range
several of the Fusiliers had had bitter experience, the deadly fire
which searched out every sheltering crag was too much for the Dwats, who
were retiring as fast as the difficult nature of the ground would allow.

Bracy felt that, the enemy was beaten, and knew that the fierce
tribes-men would be only too glad to escape as soon as they could: but
as the tight had gone against them, their supposed to be secure
hiding-places were one by one growing untenable as the Fusiliers
advanced; and consequently, as giving up was about the last thing they
thought of doing, their action was that of rats at bay--fighting to the
bitter end. The men of Roberts's company knew, too, what they must do--
drive the enemy completely out of the defile, or they would return
again; so, partly held back by their officers, they advanced by a series
of rushes, taking possession of every bit of fallen rock for shelter,
and driving their enemies on and on, farther into the mountains, fully
expecting that in a short time they would completely take to flight.

But disappointment followed disappointment. No sooner was one niche
high up on the rocky sides cleared than there was firing from one on the
other, and the work had to be gone through over again. Still they
advanced, and the enemy retired; while the officers knew that sooner or
later, in spite of numbers, this must come to an end, for nothing could
withstand the accurate fire of the young Englishmen whenever they
obtained a chance. Men dropped from time to time; but they had to lie
where they fell till the fight was at an end, some to rise no more;
others, knowing as they did the nature of the enemy, managed to creep to
the shelter of a rock, where they laid their cartridges ready, and sat
back watching the faces of the defile in anticipation of some marksman
opening fire.

The company was in full pursuit, under the belief that they had
completely cleared the defile as far as they had gone, when, in th