ellows have
come up again, eh? Why not? And may be already above us and all about
us."

"No. It is not so," called one of the garrison whom Henri had posted
at the gun-embrasure, "for I have been watching here since we came to
this chamber. The French troops have been driven back on to the
plateau--not far, my friends, you will understand, not very far, but
still far enough to take them hopelessly beyond us. No. We are cut
off here; and if those Boches have left us alone for a while, and
allowed us to enjoy a meal, it is not because they have forgotten.
Maybe they are preparing a new attack; perhaps they have been engaged
in consolidating their position; in any case, we shall hear from them
again, and sooner rather than later."

The attack, when it did come, was indeed sudden and unexpected. A
shout came from one of the men watching at the loopholes; and, darting
forward, Henri discerned at once numbers of figures, which, dashing
from the background, were rushing across the hall towards them.
Indeed, half a dozen of the Brandenburgers were already at the exit
from the hall, and as he looked through a loophole they leapt on the
first step of the stairway.

"To your places!" he shouted. "Open fire! Supports get ready to come
forward!"

Bang! There was the sharp report of a rifle from down below, a sudden
piercing cry, and one of the defenders fell heavily against our hero.
An instant later the wall of bags shook while a German bayonet
transfixed one of the upper tier, and tore it from its position. Then
the machine-gun opened, deafening all within the chamber, lighting by
its flash the scene of the conflict; while the men at the loopholes
blazed into the lines of Germans who were now swarming on the stairway.

That flimsy wall of bags filled with corn shook and swayed as bodies of
frantic Germans, slaughtered by the defenders, fell heavily against it;
while one huge Brandenburger who had leapt in advance of his friends,
and who had been caught by a bullet fired from one of the loopholes,
fixed a dying clutch on the summit of the wall, and held on
convulsively for a few moments. Then, with a piercing scream, he fell
backwards, carrying with him some two feet of the top of the slender
defence which Henri and his friends had erected.

"Man the gap," shouted Henri at once, flinging himself towards the
opening, and disentangling himself from another of the defenders who
had fallen against him. "Bring bags