about me, keenly alert to
draw back at the first swish of a spear, I felt something, which I
presently identified as fine dust, dropping lightly upon my neck and
head. I drew my head back instantly, suspecting a ruse, and waited.

The next thing of which I became aware was a slight crackling sound,
followed by a faint flicker of light that rapidly grew stronger as I
watched. It came from somewhere immediately above the cavern entrance,
and a few seconds later down came an immense bundle of blazing
brushwood, which hung suspended immediately in front of the upper part
of the opening, brilliantly illuminating the place where I lay. The
next instant some thirty or more spears and darts came flying across the
ravine into the entrance, impinging sharply upon the rocky side of the
cavern to my right and then falling to the ground with a rattle that
quickly brought Julius to my side.

He gasped with astonishment as he saw the blazing bundle, and the spears
and darts lying upon the floor of the cavern. But this was no time for
explanations, for I heard the pad of many running feet at no great
distance, drawing rapidly nearer, and recognised that a determined
attack was about to be made upon us. The blazing brushwood served the
double purpose of brilliantly illuminating the mouth of the cavern and
dazzling our eyes, pretty effectually preventing our seeing what was
happening outside; so I drew Julius into the shelter of a projection
behind which I had already ensconsed myself, and whispered:

"Your rifle, quick! Then get back to the inner cave, warn the women not
to come out on any account, and bring out our whole stock of cartridges.
This promises to be serious."

The projecting ledge of rock behind which I had sheltered chanced to be
most conveniently placed and shaped for the defence of the cavern
entrance. It was broad enough to afford me and two or three more
complete shelter, while there was a nick in its outer edge of just the
right height and size to serve as a rest for a rifle barrel. Standing
comfortably behind this, I placed the barrel of my repeater in the nick,
levelled it at the spot where I expected the first of our foes to
appear, and calmly waited.

I had not long to wait. Julius had just rejoined me with his pockets
stuffed full of cartridges, and had murmured, "Momma and the others are
all right; they promised not to come out. You shoot, and I'll reload,"
when the fast-increasing sound of the p