as not seriously hurt, and managed to stagger to my feet. The door was
closed and locked, and, although my head reeled, I began to think
clearly.

"The other way, lads!" I cried. "Quick, into the hall!"

We tumbled out through the narrow entrance, and I found myself next to
Eric. But we were too late to head off the fugitives, or prevent their
achieving their purpose. In through the rear door, confused as to what
had occurred, yet shouting fiercely, poured Fagin's wolves, seeking
trouble. They were a wild, rough-looking lot, ill-dressed, and dirty even
in that dim light. For an instant, congested within the limits of the
hallway, both sides paused, staring at each other in mutual surprise and
hesitation. Then I heard Jones's bellow of command, and Grant's nasal
voice profanely ordering them to come on. With us there remained no
choice; we must fight it out where we were, regardless of numbers.

"Fire! you damned fools--fire!" roared Jones, and there was a crashing of
guns, the dense smoke swirling between us. A Dragoon at my right went
sprawling; another behind gave vent to a yell as he plunged head first
down the basement stairs. There was the sound of splintering wood, of
breaking glass. I felt the blood in my veins leap to the fever of it.

We were upon the fellows with a rush, firing in their very faces, and
leaping madly at them. There was little room between the walls, barely
space for a half-dozen to fight in, shoulder to shoulder, but those
behind, eager to strike also, pressed us so recklessly that we hurled
them back. To me it was all confusion, uproar, deadly fighting. I could
think of nothing to right or left, only of the struggling devils in my
front. Faces, forms, came and vanished in the swirl of smoke, brown
gun-barrels whirled before me, flashes of fire burned my eyes, strange
features, bearded, malignant, glared at me. I leaped straight at them,
striking fiercely. Once I saw Grant, and aimed a blow at him. Then he was
gone, swallowed in the ruck. There were oaths, shouts, shrieks of pain,
groans, the heavy breathing of men, the crunch of feet, the dull
reverberation of blows, the continued firing of those behind. It was all
an infuriated babel, the smoke thickening until we gasped for breath,
barely able to see.

Our mad onrush swept them back, helpless, demoralized. I stumbled over
bodies, slipped in pools of blood, yet kept my feet. Every muscle ached;
I was cut and pounded, yet drove into the ma