the enemy was
holding, and the Ghoorkhas cheered wildly as the bugle rang out; and
then as volley after volley followed from beyond the trees they
literally flew over the broken ground, not a man stopping to fire, but
raced into the wood, hewing with their terrible knives, and driving the
enemy out like a flock of sheep right on to the fire, and soon after
upon the bayonets of Colonel Graves's men. It was only a matter of ten
minutes, and then, fleeing to right and left, the enemy was springing up
among the rocks or plunging into the river to escape the tierce little
regiment they had sought to destroy.

Ill news flies swiftly, and the sight of their fellows streaming
scattered up among the hills disheartened those who were making a savage
attack upon the rear. A couple of volleys from the two companies who
formed the rear-guard turned their hesitation into flight, and amidst
tremendous cheering the advance was continued, with Colonel Graves's men
clearing the way; and, merely harassed by a few distant shots, the
column readied the fort whose walls were lined by non-combatants, women,
and the weak garrison left behind. The men marched in cheering and
counter-cheering, intoxicated as they were with success, while even the
wounded carried on litters and mules, and the brave fellows who
persisted in tramping on in spite of injuries terrible to bear, added
their feeble cries to swell the jubilation of the scene.

But the wildest, most exciting moments were when, in the bright evening
glow, the rear-guard of the little Ghoorkhas marched in, proud of two
burdens they carried shoulder-high in litters, singing and cheering and
waving their caps, as if they bore the greatest triumph of the relief.

One of those they carried lay prone and helpless, his sallow face
quivering slightly from time to time with the emotion which attacked him
as he was borne into the court--most painfully perhaps when his face was
recognised by those at the windows of the buildings and on the walls.
It was then that his name was shouted, first by shrill women's voices,
and then thundered out and half-drowned by the cheers.

The other burden carried by the brave little Ghoorkhas would not lie,
but insisted upon sitting; and somehow, in the midst of the wild
excitement of their reception as the heroes who had brought back the
help, Gedge seemed to go quite mad with boy-like joy. For as soon as he
appeared, bandaged and damaged as he was, Mrs Gee c