and come on! We'll meet them
halfway."

"They're all gone mad together," said Bland. "You can't charge down
magazine rifles. It's impossible."

"It seems to me," I said, "that if this battle is ever to be finished
at all they'll have to get at each other with their fists. So far
weapons have been a total failure."

Clithering crawled across the room while we were speaking and clutched
me by the legs. I do not think it was fear of the bullets which made
him crawl. He had been so very sick that he was too weak to walk.

"What's happening?" he said. "For God's sake tell me. Are there many
killed?"

"No one yet on this side," I said. "There may be a few soldiers hit,
but I don't suppose you mind about them. There's just going to be a
charge. Get up and you'll be able to see it."

Clithering caught the edge of the window-sash and dragged himself to
his feet. He was just in time to see Bob's men rush along the street.
They did not charge in any sort of order. They simply spread out and
ran as fast as they could, as fast as I ever saw men run. Some of them
took their rifles with them. Others, evidently agreeing with me that
they would do more destruction with their fists, left their rifles
behind. They covered fifty or sixty yards, and were still going fast
when they discovered that the soldiers were not waiting for them.
Henderson walked alongside the leading men of the column with his
ridiculously long sword in his hand. Two mounted officers brought up
the rear. Two men, with their rifles sloped over their shoulders,
marched briskly across the end of the street. In the middle of the
column were eight stretchers carried along. Bob's men, in spite of
their bad shooting, had wounded that number of their enemies. I found
out afterwards that they had killed three others outright. The
discipline of the British army must be remarkably good. In spite of
this heavy loss the soldiers obeyed orders, and steadily refrained
from trying to kill Bob's men. Their final disappearance was a
crowning proof of their obedience. I watched this body of infantry
march out of sight into the next street. They were not running away.
They were not even retreating. They gave me the impression of having
stopped the battle in a way that was quite customary because it was
time for them to do something else--get some dinner perhaps.

This performance produced, as might be expected, a most disconcerting
effect upon Bob's warriors. They stopped runni