llowers to reinforce this point. It was just at
the moment that Moses and Simkin made the dash from their place of
concealment, so that they actually leaped, without having intended it,
into the very midst of the reinforcements!

Two of the Arabs went down before the choppers instantly, and the
others--almost panic-stricken by the suddenness and severity of the
assault--turned to fly, supposing, no doubt, that an ambush had caught
them. But seeing only two men they ran back, and would certainly have
made short work of them if rescuers had not come up.

And at this point in the fight there was exhibited a curious instance of
the power of friendship to render steady men reckless. The incident we
have just described was witnessed by the troops, for, the moment the two
soldiers left their place of concealment they were in full view of the
large zereba.

"That's Moses!" exclaimed Armstrong excitedly.

Without a moment's hesitation he sprang over the defence-works and ran
to the rescue, clubbing his rifle as he went and felling two Arabs
therewith.

"You shan't die alone, Willie!" muttered our hero, as he also leaped the
fence and followed his friend, just in time to save him from three Arabs
who made at him simultaneously. Two of these Miles knocked down; his
comrade felled the other. Then they turned back to back; Moses and
Simkin did the same, and thus formed a little _impromptu_ rallying
square. This delayed the catastrophe, which seemed, however,
inevitable. The brave little quartette, being surrounded by foes, could
do nothing but parry with almost lightning speed the spear-thrusts that
were made at them continually.

Seeing this, the heart of Jack Molloy bounded within him, and friendship
for the moment overcame the sense of duty.

"You can only die once, Jack!" he exclaimed, drew his cutlass, leaped
out of the zereba, and went at the foe with a thunderous roar, which,
for a moment, actually made them quail.

Infected with a similar spirit, Stevenson, the marine, also lost his
head, if we may say so. Resolving to run a-muck for friendship's sake,
he followed the sailor, and increased the rallying square to five, while
Molloy skirmished round it, parrying spear-thrusts, at once with left
arm and cutlass, in quite a miraculous manner, roaring all the time like
an infuriated lion, and causing the enemy to give back in horror
wherever he made a rush.

A root, however, tripped him up at last, and he fell