lively shindy, Leftenant," he said, grinning amiably. "Bedad,
but Oi thought they had us that last toime--Oi did that." He glanced
about curiously. "An' ye must hav' had it hot in here too."

"It was hand to hand, Sergeant, and we lost some men--four dead. How did
you fare along your side of the house?"

"Three kilt, an' maybe a dozen wounded. Oi got chipped up myself, but
only the skin av me. Those lads come up fierce, sorr, an' they'd 'a'
made it too, only fer our ravolvers. We must have shot a dozen of 'em
right in the winders."

"And the rest of the house--do you know how they came out?"

"Oi do, sorr; Oi've made the rounds. There's one man shot in the
kitchen, but nobody got hurted up stairs."

"And our men?" I asked eagerly. "From those upper windows did you see
any sign of troops down in the ravine?"

He shook his head.

"Not a domn thing, sorr."

I looked into the faces clustered around us--blackened, savage faces,
still marked by the fierce animalism of battle--feeling to the full the
desperation of our position.

"Well, lads," I said soberly, "there is no use hiding the truth from
you. I know you'll fight to the end, and that won't be long coming,
unless help gets here. We can never repulse another assault; we've got
eight men killed, and more than that wounded now--the next time we'll
all go. What do you say--shall we hold on, hoping?"

"Oi'm fer doin' it, sorr," broke in Mahoney, "an' Oi'm spakin' fer ivery
Irishmon in H troop."

"And you, Miles?"

"I'm not so bloomin' fond of a fight, Lieutenant," he said, scratching
his head, "but I like to stay fighting after I once get started. Ain't
that about the size of it, boys?"

Several heads nodded, and one fellow growled,

"Hell! we kin giv' 'em the same dose a third time."

"I don't expect that, Sims," I returned. "But those other fellows ought
to be up any minute now. Anyway we'll have a breathing spell, for the
Johnnies must have had enough to last them a few minutes. How is the
ammunition?"

"'Bout twenty rounds apiece left."

"Then get to work, men; load up and strengthen every weak spot. We'll
put up the best show we can. What did you want, Foster?"

The man addressed, a slim, awkward fellow, his spindle legs conspicuous
under the short cavalry jacket, jerked off his cap in embarrassment.

"Why nuthin' much, sir," he stammered. "I ain't no objections to goin'
on with the fightin', only if we're so sartain to catch hell it don't
see