n."

"Very well, try.--Forward."

The march was resumed, but after a few steps the injured lad was glad to
grasp the arm offered him by Gee.

"Thanky, Sergeant," he said. "Just a bit dizzy now, and I don't want to
go over the side. Better soon; but, I say, did you fetch me in?"

"No: it was Mr Bracy," said Gee gruffly.

"Oh, him!" said the lad quietly, and with a curious look in his eyes as
he gazed in the young lieutenant's direction. "Well, thank ye, sir;
much obliged," he said in an undertone. "I'll say so to you some time.
But I say, Sergeant, talk about having a head on; I've got it now."

"Yes; but don't talk. Hullo! they're up above us again yonder."

"What, the Dwat you may call 'ems?"

"I s'pose so," said the Sergeant gruffly, as a stone crashed down close
to the foremost man.

"And me not able to shoot!" muttered Gedge. "Well, of all the hard
luck! But I owe some on 'em something for that shy at my coco-nut; and
oh! I s'y, Sergeant, it's just as if some one was at work at it with a
pick."

CHAPTER FOUR.

WOUNDED MEN.

The Sergeant was right, for, after turning a rib-like mass of stone
forming an angle in the path, it was to find that either a fresh party
of the enemy were waiting for them, or the others had by taking a short
cut reached an eminence commanding the path; and as soon as the company
came in sight they were saluted with an avalanche of stones, on a spot
where they were terribly exposed, there being no shelter that could be
seized upon by a few picked marksmen to hold the stone-throwers in check
while the rest got by.

Matters looked bad, for the whole; of the baggage with the guard had
disappeared, and, to make matters worse, shot after shot came whistling
by from behind, indicating that the hill-men had come down to the track,
and were closely following them in the rear.

"We must make a rush for it, Bracy," said Captain Roberts, as he gazed
up at the heights from which the invisible enemy were bombarding the
path. "We'll hold them back for a few minutes, and then you take half
the company and dash across to yonder rocks. As soon as you are in
shelter open fire and cover, as I fancy you can get a sight of them from
there. It's waste of ammunition to fire from here, and--Who's that
down?"

For there was a sharp cry from one of the men, who staggered forward a
few yards, fell, and sprang up again minus his helmet, which had been
struck by a bullet from behind.

"