sir, and the smoke
got a bit before my eyes, but he dropped back precious sudden. But oh,
dear me, no!" he went on muttering, and grinning the while at his
comrades, "I didn't see no one up there. I'd got gooseb'ries in my head
'stead of eyes. Now then, look out, lads; it's shooting for nuts, and
forty in the bull's-eye."

"Hold yer row; here's the Colonel coming," whispered the man next him.

"Keep well under cover, my lads," said Bracy as the clattering of hoofs
was heard.

"Right, sir," said one of the men.

"Why don't you, then?" muttered Gedge.

"Silence, sir!" snarled Sergeant Gee, who was close behind.

"All right," said Gedge softly; "but I don't want to see my orficer go
down."

For, regardless of danger, while his men were pretty well in shelter,
Bracy was standing right out, using a field-glass.

"Cover, cover, Mr Bracy," cried the Colonel sharply, and as he reined
up he was put quickly in possession of the facts.

"Shall we have to go back, Sergeant?" whispered Gedge.

"You will--under arrest, sir, if you don't keep that tongue between your
teeth."

"All right, Sergeant," muttered Gedge. "I only wanted to know."

He knew directly after, for the Colonel cried sharply:

"That's right, my lads; keep close, and fire the moment you see a
movement. You six men go over the side there, and fire from the edge of
the road."

The section spoken to rose and changed their positions rapidly, and as
they did so a couple more blocks of stone were set in motion from above,
and struck as the others had done, but did not break, glancing off, and
passing over the men's heads with a fierce _whir_.

"Cover the advance with your company, and change places with the
rear-guard when they have passed. Steady, there, my lads," continued
the Colonel to the next company of the halted regiment; "forward!"

He took his place at their head, and advanced at a walk as coolly as if
on parade; and the first movement seemed like a signal for stone after
stone to be sent bounding down, and to be passed on their way by the
long, thin, bolt-like bullets from the covering company's rifles, which
spattered on the rocks above and kept the enemy from showing themselves,
till, finding that every stone touched in the same place and glanced off
the projecting shoulder half-way up, they became more bold, irritated
without doubt by seeing the soldiers continue their course steadily
along the track in spite of their efforts to stop