my loophole, when I
saw some dark objects creeping out from amid the brushwood on the
opposite side of the ravine. Under other circumstances I should have
supposed that they were four-footed animals, wolves, or wild hogs, but
as it was, I was very certain that they were men. They advanced but a
few paces, then stopped as if surveying the side of the fort in front of
them. Once more they began to creep on slowly. Hurrying up to Dan, I
despatched him to tell our father what I had seen, and that within a
minute probably we should be attacked.

"I see them," whispered Uncle Denis, "we must hold them in check until
assistance arrives."

We were not long kept in a state of suspense. In a shorter space of
time than I had expected another fearful shriek rent the air, and a host
of dark forms sprang into view; at the same moment a flight of arrows
came whistling above our heads. The brushwood, however, deceived them,
and the missiles flew over us, though we feared that some of the cattle
would be wounded.

"Now give it them!" cried my uncle, and we both fired, bringing down two
of our assailants. For a moment they were checked, but once again
moving on, they began scrambling up the side of the breastwork, and
would in another instant have been over it, when we were joined by my
father, Mr Tidey, and most of the men, who, having poured a volley full
in the faces of the foe, seized their axes and soon cleared the
breastwork. We quickly reloaded again, and fired on our retreating
enemies, who sprang down the sides of the gully, to shelter themselves
in the brushwood from which I had seen them emerge. Scarcely was this
done, than a shout from Martin Prentis, who was in charge of the
opposite side, summoned back the party to defend it. They reloaded as
they went, and were just in time to fire a volley on the savages who had
rallied and charged almost close up to the waggons; but meeting
unexpectedly so determined a resistance, they once more scampered off,
much faster than they had approached.

We still kept, however, a vigilant watch on the cliff side, lest the
cunning savages, fancying that we should be off our guard, might again
attempt to surprise us. As may be supposed none of us turned in. Some
of the men were employed in examining the wounds the cattle had
received. Fortunately two of the people only had been slightly hurt by
the arrows, several of which, however, were found sticking in the
waggons, or had go