d
put everybody to rest. The fires rose high and burned with a steady
flame.

A stick broke under his feet with a crackling noise as he walked to and
fro, and a bullet sang through the darkness past his ear. He fired at
the flash of the rifle, and as he ran back and forth fired five or six
times more, slipping in the bullets as quickly as he could, for he
wished to create an illusion that the patrol consisted of at least a
dozen men. The opposing skirmishers returned his fire with spirit, and
Talbot heard their bullets clipping the twigs and pattering among the
leaves, but he felt no great alarm, since the night covered him and only
a chance ball could strike him.

His opponents were wary, and only two or three times did he see the
shadows which he knew to be their moving figures. He fired at these but
no answering cry came, and Talbot could not tell whether any of his
bullets struck, though it did not matter. His lead served well enough as
a warning, and the skirmishers must know that the nearer they came the
better aim they would have to face. Presently their fire ceased and he
was disappointed, as his blood had risen to fever heat and he was in
fighting humour.

The night went on its slow way, and Talbot, stopping a moment to rest
and listen for the skirmishers, calculated that it was not more than two
hours until day. The long period through which he had watched began to
press upon him. Weights dragged at his feet, and he noticed that his
rifle when he shifted it from one shoulder to the other appeared many
pounds heavier than before. His knees grew stiff and he felt like an old
man; but he allowed himself no rest, continuing his walk back and forth
at a slower pace, for he believed he could feel his joints grate as he
stepped. He looked at the fires with longing and was tempted to go; but
no, he must atone for the neglect of that chief of brigade.

Just when the night seemed to be darkest the skirmishers made another
attack, rushing forward in a body, firing with great vigour and
shouting, though hitherto they had fought chiefly in silence. Talbot
considered it an attempt to demoralize him and was ready for it. He
retreated a little, sheltered himself behind a tree and opened fire,
skipping between shots from one tree to another in order that he might
protect the whole of his battle line and keep his apparent numbers at
their height.

His assailants were so near now that he could see some of them springing
a