have been shot down;
but Captain Smithers gave orders that the fire should be reserved till
they attacked.

Just as they had finished the barricading of the entrance, a cloud of
smoke was seen rising from the side of the residency, and this was
followed by flames, leaving no doubt that the pleasant little house had
been fired by the Malays; and Captain Smithers frowned as he determined
to administer severe punishment to the enemy, if for this act alone.

Every opportunity was given him for the administration of the
chastisement, the Malays exposing themselves freely, running out of
shelter to fire, and then retreating again. Sometimes a fierce
demonstration was made by spear-armed men, who came boldly up as if to
attack, but soon fell back unmolested, for Captain Smithers felt that no
end was to be obtained by simply shooting down a few of the enemy, and
his orders were to reserve fire till a fiercer attack was made.

This was not long in coming, and it was made quite unexpectedly, just
as, wearied out by his efforts, Captain Smithers had left Tom Long in
command, and, yielding to the prayers of the major's wife, had gone in
to the mess-room to partake of some refreshment that had been prepared.

He had hardly eaten a mouthful--after visiting first the wounded men, to
find them being tended by Rachel Linton and her cousin--before the
rattle of musketry and the yelling of the Malays told him that something
serious had occurred.

Catching up his sword, he rushed to where he had left Tom Long, and in a
few words he learned that from two points the Malays had suddenly
commenced their attack, which was now being carried on in so fierce a
manner that unless they received a sufficiently severe check to quell
their courage, they would force the defences, and overpower the little
garrison by sheer weight of numbers.

Fortunate it was that the defences had been so well strengthened, the
men firing from behind barricades roughly constructed of tables, the
mess forms, and bedding; but in spite of the heavy fire kept up and the
number that fell, the Malays dashed up, striving to clamber over, and
thrusting their spears through the openings in a way that kept the men
back, and nearly crushed the fire that had sputtered from the various
loopholes that had been left.

Affairs were growing very serious, for Captain Smithers, who had been
going from place to place, advising, cheering, and helping the men,
suddenly had his attent