recklessness, "that was
rather near--wasn't it?"

"Why do you act like that?" I said reproachfully.

"I suppose it was out of bravado," he replied, seeming to return to his
old manner again. "I wanted to show the brutes the contempt I feel for
them."

"You only made them laugh to see how quickly your head disappeared when
they fired."

"How do you know?" he said sharply.

"Because that's exactly what they would do," I replied.

Denham frowned, and turned to Joeboy.

"Here," he said, "put up that big stone on the edge there."

The black obeyed, and then Denham pointed to another.

"Put that one beside it, and leave just room between them for me to peer
out. I want to see whether it's possible to do as you did, Val, and
bring out a wagon of cartridge-boxes."

Joeboy raised first one and then another great stone upon the edge as he
was told, and Denham stepped up directly to look between them, but
bobbed his head and stepped down again directly, for _spat, spat, spat_,
three rifle-bullets struck the stones and fell rattling down.

Denham looked sharply towards me, frowning angrily; but I met his eyes
without shrinking.

"I wish I wasn't so nervous," he said, by way of apology. "It's from
being weak, I suppose."

"It's enough to make a strong man shrink," I said. "Don't look again.
The next bullet may come between the stones and hit you."

"But I must look," he said angrily. "It's quite time you and I did
something to help."

"If you are hit it will do every one else harm instead of good."

He turned upon me fiercely, but calmed down directly.

"Yes," he said; "I suppose you're right. Oh, here's the Sergeant coming
up. He has done drilling, I suppose."

The Sergeant announced that this was so directly after joining us.

"The boys are getting splendid with the sword now," he said, seating
himself upon a block of stone and wiping his moist brow; "but it's
dreary work not being able to get them to work."

"Tell the Colonel to get them all out, then, and make a charge. We
ought to be able to scatter this mob."

"So we could, sir," said the Sergeant gruffly, "but they won't give us a
chance. If they'd make a mob of themselves we'd soon scatter them,
numerous as they are; but it's of no use to talk; we can't charge wagons
and rifle-pits. It wouldn't be fair to the lads. Why, they'd empty
half our saddles before we got up to them, and then it would be horrible
work to get through. No, it can