r opponents, however, told upon
them; when the first of the sentries appeared upon the platform,
followed closely by his comrade; and both, with levelled bayonets,
charged into the fray.

The assailants now thought only of escape, but their position was a
desperate one. Some rushed to the end of the terrace, and tried to
climb the ropes by which they had slid down from the upper roof of the
house. Others endeavoured to rush down the staircase; but Tim, with
one of the sentries, guarded this point, until a rush of feet below
told that the guard were coming to their assistance.

It was well that help was at hand, for the conspirators, desperate at
finding themselves in a trap, gathering themselves together, rushed
with the fury of wild beasts upon Tim and the sentry. One was impaled
upon a bayonet, another cut down by Tim, and then, borne back by the
weight of their opponents, they were hurled backwards down the stairs.
As the assailants followed them with a rush, the guard sprang through
the open window, from the terrace below, into the room.

There was a short and desperate conflict. Then two of the conspirators
bounded up the staircase on to the roof, ran to the parapet and leaped
over into the valley, two hundred feet below. They were the last of
the eighteen men who had lowered themselves, from the roof above, to
attack Charlie.

As soon as Tim picked himself up, he hastened to ascend the stairs
again, and to run to the side of his master. Charlie was insensible.
Leaning against the parapet, too weak to stand, but still holding his
sword, and ready to throw himself once more before him, stood Hossein;
who now, seeing Tim approach, and that all danger was over, dropped
his sword and sank upon the ground.

A minute or two later the rajah himself, sword in hand, hurried up. He
was greatly concerned, and excited, at the sight which met his eyes.
Charlie was at once lifted, and carried down to one of the rajah's own
rooms, where he was instantly attended to.

A hasty examination showed that only two of the attacking party still
breathed. None of those who had fallen above survived, so fiercely and
deadly had been the blows struck by Hossein and Tim. Charlie himself
had cut down one and shot another, before he fell, slashed in many
places, just as Hossein bounded through his assailants.

The bodies of the dead were, by the rajah's orders, laid together for
identification in the morning. The two who still lived were