magazine rifles
spoke, and between them and Moseley's buckshot the result was that a
little more than half the treacherous assailants were running for dear
life and for the nearest bush; while Jekyll, who had not stirred
throughout, stood re-lighting his pipe as if nothing had happened.

"Sharp work, chaps," he said, as they all came out to see the result.
"We've taught them how to fight the devil with fire--eh?"

The transformation was marvellous in its rapidity. The place which,
five minutes before, had been the scene of a peaceful gathering, was now
one of slaughter. More than one there present, who had never witnessed
death by violence, gazing upon the stark, bleeding corpses, looked
uncomfortable.

"Here's one who isn't dead," said Jekyll. "Let's see if he'll give away
anything." And, bending down, Jekyll began to talk fluently in
Sindabele. But the wounded man, a big, evil-looking savage, answered
never a word. He had a bullet through him, and a couple of grains of
heavy buckshot, and was bleeding profusely. The wonder was he was still
alive. To all of Jekyll's questions he answered nothing.

"I sy. 'E's a bloomin' impident black beggar, I _don't_ think," said
the Cockney, giving the prostrate native a push with his foot that was
more than half a kick. "Wish I 'ad my bloomin' pick-'andle 'ere."

"Oh, shut up, Higgins, and leave the nigger alone," said the man who had
first taken exception to the swaggering cad's bounce. "We don't do
things that way here."

"'Ere, I sy, I'd like to know what I've done. Cawn't a chep mike a
bloomin' blanked nigger awnswer a question when a gentleman arsts 'im
one--hy?"

But whether this feat was practicable or not was destined to remain
unrecorded, for at that moment came the crash of a volley poured from
the line of bush wherein the discomfited barbarians had disappeared, and
the vicious hum of missiles overhead and around, knocking chips of
plaster from the walls of the house. Two men staggered, only wounded
though, among them the police trooper, who was shot in the leg.

"Get inside, sharp," sang out Jekyll, himself hauling in one of the
wounded. "Stand ready. They'll charge directly."

Hurriedly, yet without panic, the men regained the shelter of the house.
At the same time a cloud of savages, who had wormed their way up
through the long grass, rose on the edge of the bush, and again poured
in their fire. Again the bullets whizzed overhead, some penetra