a scattering rifle-fire that pierced and
shattered the woodwork of the vessel, but fortunately without effect,
for every man had got safely below.

CHAPTER IV.

THE ALARM.

They rushed upon deck again as soon as the steamer was beyond
rifle-shot. A distant roar, like the blended shouts of thousands of
people, floated across the water from the town, and at intervals a shot
was fired.

Smoke no longer hovered over the garrison. The last man had succumbed,
and with the fall of the garrison the massacre seemed to have come to an
end. The uprising had been directed against the British troops alone.

"This is a terrible thing," said Melton, "and there is something back of
it all. I can't understand it. Can it be possible the wretches have
designs on Zaila, I wonder? It's a pity you interfered with that
leopard, Chutney. If Makar Makalo had perished, this revolt might never
have broken out. Makar is at the head of it, I know, and possibly he has
influence behind him. He is an ally of that fanatical despot, Rao Khan,
the Emir of Harar, who hates the English worse than poison, and----"

Guy started at the mention of this name.

"I want to see you a minute, Forbes," he cried excitedly; and, leading
Melton to one side, he pulled out the despatches from his pocket, and
said, "You have come closer to the truth than you imagine. I am going
to confide a secret to you, and you can tell what had best be done.
These papers were intrusted to me for delivery into the hands of Sir
Arthur Ashby, at Zaila, and they contain instructions bearing on the
very matter you have just mentioned. The authorities at the colonial
office in London told me in secret that the Emir of Harar was supposed
to be plotting the capture of Zaila, and these despatches contain Sir
Arthur's orders in case of that emergency."

"By Jove, that explains it!" cried Melton. "The emergency has come. I
see it all. Makar had collected his Arabs and Somalis at Berbera by the
Emir's orders, and they were only waiting the arrival of that villainous
Portuguese with the rifles. They have put the garrison at Berbera out of
the way, and now they will march on to Zaila."

"Then what can be done?" demanded Guy. "Shall we proced to Zaila, or get
the captain to steam direct for Aden and collect all the available
troops?"

"No, no," groaned Forbes. "That would be useless. Zaila is sixty miles
up the coast. We