and,
dividing into two little flocks, tore past north and south of the house
and enclosures, in front of which stood the captain and Uncle Jack, with
Sam German running out to their support.

"Quick, boys!" shouted the captain. "Run on and get under cover."

At that moment Rifle saw Tim at the door of the house waving his hands,
and to the boys' horror there was the reason: another crowd of black
figures were racing up from the trees and bushes down by the river.

But they, like the other party, had a good distance to come, and the
issue was never for a moment doubtful.

One incident, though, made the captain shout angrily.

Just in those exciting moments Mrs Bedford ran out of the house, and
would have gone on in her dread and horror toward where her husband and
sons seemed to her to be in deadly peril; but Tim flung his arms about
her, and held her in spite of her struggles.

It was a matter of very few moments.

As the one part of the sheep ran by the front, and seeing the blacks
advancing, galloped off to avoid them, Norman and Rifle reached the
fences, turned, and stood ready to cover the captain and Uncle Jack,
shouting the while to Tim to get Mrs Bedford in.

At the cry from Norman, Sam German too had turned, run back past the
house door, and stood facing the blacks advancing from the other
direction.

"In with you all: run!" roared the captain, as he and his brother now
fell back rapidly, guarding the front as Mrs Bedford was dragged in
through the narrow opening; the boys followed, and, thanks to their
military training, each as he got through the partly nailed up doorway,
took a place at the side with gun levelled to protect the next comer.

It was close work.

Uncle Jack was the next in; then Sam German; and four guns were
protruding over his head as the captain dashed up with the rapid beat of
the blacks' feet very close on either side.

"Back!" he panted as he forced himself through, and shut to the door,
which resounded with the impact of spears as the bars were thrust into
their places. Then a tall black with wide eyes and gleaming teeth moved
up to thrust his spear through the loophole, but a flash came from the
narrow opening, and he dropped, rose, turned to flee, and dropped again.

Another ran up, and the captain's second barrel flashed out its
contents, with the result that the black turned, ran back a dozen yards
or so, and fell upon his face.

"Load that," said the captain hoarse