o the
harbour under the walls. They immediately joined the men, and as the
Zulus again appeared on the bank, drove them back, enabling Vermack and
Matyana to get to land with the horses.

The moment they had fired the volley another shot from the fort summoned
Rupert to look down the stream, where he caught sight, though still,
however, at some distance, of another body of the enemy who were coming
up on the western bank.

"There's no time to be lost, sir," he said to his father. "We must get
into the fort and haul up the drawbridge, or we shall have a number of
those fellows upon us."

Captain Broderick, seeing the importance of this advice, called out to
Vermack and the Kaffir, to drive up the horses. The whole party then
hurried on as fast as they could move towards the farm. Percy had
thoughtfully stationed several men at the ropes to haul up the
drawbridge as soon as they were over.

They were not a moment too soon. Scarcely was the drawbridge secured
when the Zulus who had been coming up the west bank and the party who
had pursued Captain Broderick, and who had now crossed, uniting, made a
desperate rush to get in.

No sooner, however, had they got within range of Percy's swivels, than
both were fired in rapid succession, throwing their ranks into
confusion, while he, picking up musket after musket, began to blaze away
at them. This kept them in check and enabled Captain Broderick and the
rest of the men to reach the ramparts, who immediately opened so hot a
fire, that the Zulus, wanting courage to face it, hastily retreated,
believing that the farm was defended by a far larger garrison than they
had supposed.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

THE ATTACK.

As soon as the Zulus appeared, Percy had insisted on his sisters
retiring from the ramparts.

"You have performed your parts, girls, and I cannot allow you to run the
risk of being hit by one of those black fellow's assegais. Down with
you! down, quick!" he shouted.

Heroines as they were, they perhaps not very unwillingly obeyed; but
when Percy told Biddy that she must retire, she exclaimed--

"What! me a gineral, an' goin' to desert me post! Sure, I don't mind
the niggers' long spikes more than if they wor mop-handles." And
levelling a rifle, of which she had possessed herself, she fired down on
the still advancing Zulus. Then picking up one after the other, she
blazed away with deadly effect, bringing down a Zulu at every shot,
until Percy tol