ng an
unerring sight was again taken, and an enemy fell. Two more were
dropped before the security of the thorns was gained, one dead, the
other badly wounded.

The crisis over, Roden's pulse began to beat with excitement. He had
driven back a score of enemies with the loss of a quarter of their
number, in something less than three minutes; he--single-handed. He had
saved the position, and, in all human probability, the lives of his
companions. No wonder he felt a little excited. And then immediately
he became deadly cool.

Was it instinct--second sight--what? Wheeling round, with lightning
rapidity, he discharged his piece almost without aiming. The
glistening, sinuous frame of a savage heaved itself up from a point of
rock not ten yards behind, and toppled heavily over into the hollow
beneath. Roden had turned only in the very nick of time. The Kaffir
was aiming full at his back, and at that distance could not have missed.
He was settled, anyhow; but what about the rest?

For contrary to expectation the savages had designed to seize this
position from both sides at once. While he had been playing such havoc
with one division the other had crept up to occupy the ridge on the side
he could command least--for it was a little above him--and indeed had
occupied it; for he could see a movement or two among the rocks in the
rear of the spot where he had dropped the last enemy.

And now he began to realise that he was in a hard, tight place. The
newly arrived force of Kaffirs was already beginning to fire down into
the hollow beneath. Those whom he had driven back into cover, on
learning that they had only one enemy to deal with, would soon find a
way of coming up.

And indeed this promised to be the case, for now the savages began to
shout and call to each other; and all the while the fire upon those in
the hollow beneath grew hotter and hotter. Ammunition was probably not
profusely plentiful with those four homeward-bound whites, and might
soon be exhausted.

Just then the enemy's fire suddenly ceased. What did it mean? Away
down the river bank, Roden from his elevated perch could see the
stirring of the bushes; and his quick practised eye, following the
movement, could see it was a _retreating_ one. Then against the now
declining sun something gleamed and shone forth again in many a sparkle
of glittering light. It was the gleam of arms.

Away across the plain, advancing at a hard canter, came a nu