the remains of the unfortunate
people were borne, reverently draped, on the guns and tumbrils of our
troop, to the open grave, laid therein carefully, the colonel said a
short prayer, a volley was fired, the last resting-place of the two
civil officials and their families was filled in, and a cross carved
upon the nearest tree.

Long before the little ceremony was over, I saw that the natives, of
whom a great crowd had collected, were beginning to steal away, till
scarcely a soul was left; but I thought very little of this, for
supposing that their curiosity was satisfied, it did not appear strange
to me that they should go back to their homes. Perhaps, I thought, they
may think we shall take vengeance upon them.

But this fact suddenly took Brace's attention, just as the final duties
were being paid to the dead; and, turning sharply to the colonel of the
foot regiment, he said sharply--

"The people are drawing off; there must be some reason."

Hardly had he spoken, when a shot was fired at a distance, followed by
another and another; and in an instant our men sprang to their places,
while half a mile down the road we could see the infantry, which had
lined the sides, running back as hard as they could, men from each flank
joining them, and the road growing full of a retreating detachment,
toward which a couple of officers ran, giving orders as they went, with
the result that the men nearer to us fell in and took position, line
behind line, across the road, while those retreating in the extreme
distance suddenly halted in the same formation.

The next minute the cause was evident, for a strong body of mounted men
dashed into sight far down the road, and tore along as if to ride over
the little line of men, and then sweep the place.

But their shouting and yelling did not scare the men in the least. They
stood firm, waiting in double line, till the sowars were close upon
them, and then delivered a sharp volley, the front rank going down on
one knee directly, with their bayonets sloping upward, while the rear
rank formed a second bristling line of sharp points on a level with
their shoulders.

We had a glimpse of this as the smoke rose, and, to use the familiar
expression, my heart was in my mouth, as I strained my eyes to pierce
the cloud, expecting to see the poor fellows who kept the road ridden
over, and the sowars come tearing on to where the next line was now
drawn up a hundred and fifty yards nearer.