rapid succession shot after shot, with good old
English shouts of rage, as a party of mounted men galloped by, tearing
on in full pursuit of the fleeing enemy.

"Quick!" roared the captain. "Guns, boys, quick!"

As he spoke he dashed to the front, tore down bar and board, and banged
the door back.

A burst of flame rushed in, but the brushwood touching the woodwork was
being torn away, and through the flames they saw a fierce black face and
two bare arms tossing the burning wood aside.

"Marmi! Marmi! Rifle--'Temus! Coo-ee, coo-ee!"

"Coo-ee!" yelled Rifle; and he tried to cry again, but the word stuck in
his throat as he forced his way out over the burning twigs, his father
next.

"Sam! Jack!" yelled the captain, "your fork--anything. Boys--water."

He rushed round to the back, closely followed by the black figure, on
which the firelight glistened, and began tearing away the burning
brushwood. This was being tossed aside by Sam the next moment, and then
buckets of water were brought, and none too soon, for the angle of the
house was now blazing furiously.

But the water made little impression, and the captain shouted:

"Quicker, boys! More, more!"

"There ain't no more," growled Sam, sourly.

"What!"

"Stand back, all of you," cried the captain in a stern voice. "Jack!
the women! get them to a distance. The place must go, and you know--"

"Look out!" shouted Norman, and he ran forward and threw something at
the bottom of the blazing wall.

There was one sharp flash, a puff of hot flame, a great cloud of smoke,
and then darkness, with the side of house and kitchen covered with dull
sparks.

"Hurrah!" rose from the boys; and the captain drew a deep breath, full
of thankfulness.

"All the powder from the big flask, father," cried Norman. "There must
have been a pound."

At that moment there were shouts, as a dozen mounted men cantered up,
cheering with all their might, and the task of extinguishing the still
burning wood was soon at an end.

Amidst the congratulations that followed little was said about the
blacks.

"Come back?" cried a familiar voice, fiercely. "I only wish they would,
eh, Henley?"

"My dear Freeston," was the reply, "I never felt such a strong desire to
commit murder before."

"God bless you all, gentlemen," cried the captain in a broken voice.
"You have saved our lives."

There was a low murmur here from the rescuers.

"But how--how was it?" asked the captai