arp reports, and these four shots resulted in checking the
enemy's advance and in raising a wildly exultant, though feeble, cheer
from the defenders along the little line; for, trifling as was the
addition to the failing force, the shots seemed to give as much
encouragement to the enfeebled men as dismay to their enemy.

"Fire, sir--fire, Mister Archie! Don't stop to aim, sir!" panted Peter.
"I've got a lot more ready. Fire till the barrels are too hot to
hold!" And, trembling with excitement the while, Archie fired as fast
as he could drag the cartridges from the pockets where they lay.

And as he fired again and again the Malay attacking party hung back,
dropped a little more to the rear, and began turning their spears into
missiles, which began to whistle past the defenders, who were finding
their voices more and more, and cheered hoarsely.

"Here y'are, sir! Old England for ever!" cried Peter. "I've got about
a couple of dozen handy. Ketch hold."

"Who's that firing?" came in a familiar voice from Archie's right.
"You, Maine! Great heavens! I thought--Here, distribute some of your
cartridges to the men."

"No use, sir. This is a shot-gun," panted Archie hoarsely; and he fired
again twice, snatched at a fresh supply from Peter, and was in the act
of closing the breech again, when the Major exclaimed:

"Stand fast, my lads! It has given you a rest. Bayonets!"

There was another cheer at this, and the men stood fast as ever--a
dwindling party, hard beset, of the defenders of the mess-room veranda,
their breast-work for the most part consisting of the bodies of the
slain.

"Steady, my lads! Close up!" cried the Major.--"That you, Sir Charles?
Good! I didn't know you could use a bayonet like that."

There was a tremendous yell from the front now, and it became plain that
the enemy had recovered from the check given by the recrudescence of the
long-stopped firing, little though it was, and were now coming forward
in greater force.

"Close up, my lads!" he said again. "God save the Queen!"

The cheer that burst forth was only faint, but it was true as the
British steel with which the men stood ready to deliver their final
thrusts.

"The last two, Mister Archie!" panted Peter in a low tone. "Let 'em
have 'em, sir, and then be ready. I've got another rifle and bay'net.
Fire, and chuck the Doctor's gun at them and hooroar! We will die
game!"

"Close up!" roared the Major desperately, as he sto