ed.

"Oh, Gil, dear brother," she sobbed; "must we all be killed?"

"No," I cried passionately; "there are too many brave fellows here. And
cheer up; father must be close at hand. There, give me some water. How
is poor Captain Brace?"

"Don't ask me," she said, in a faint whisper. "I never thought to meet
the brave friend you wrote of like this."

I had just drunk the water, and was handing back the cup, when Sergeant
Craig, who was at the other gun, shouted--

"Look out! They're stealing up in the dark."

"Quick! Under cover!" I cried to Grace; and I ran her up to the
shelter, and started back to the guns, which were already sending flash
after flash into the growing darkness, but all in vain. Ny Deen had
been preparing for an assault which he meant to be final and, heading
his men himself, he brought them on in such force that I saw our case
must be hopeless, and that in another minute they would be over the
earthworks, cutting us down.

"Quicker, boys! Quicker!" I cried, as the men fired. "Now rammers and
swords. They're on to us."

I felt a boy no longer, but as fierce a man as any there, for mother and
sister were not twenty yards away, and I used the rajah's sword with all
my strength, saving poor Sergeant Craig from instant death by a sharp
thrust.

Then we were being borne back, and the sepoys and armed rabble were over
the earthworks in several directions.

"All over! Keep together!" yelled Haynes.

"Old England for ever!" shouted Craig, still weak from his wounds, but
fighting like the brave man he was, when _crash_! and then _crash_! and
again _crash_! volley after volley, such as could only be fired by a
well-drilled English regiment, not two hundred yards away; and,
encouraged by the sounds, our little garrison sent up a tremendous
cheer, and, instead of giving way, beat their enemies back, while volley
after volley came again. Then there was the sound of a bugle, a
rattling British cheer, and we knew that our friends were coming on at
the double, with bayonets at the charge.

Taken in the rear, in spite of their numbers, this was too much for the
mutineers, who turned and leaped back over the earthworks, seeking
flight in a wild panic; while, a minute later, there was a glittering
line of bayonets in the darkness, and our brave fellows came clambering
over into the enclosure.

I saw them coming, but I was sick and fainting, held up by Craig and
Denny, as a bronzed face was th