ed his kitchen, were a
party of the blacks--some fifteen or twenty, at a glance--helping
themselves from a bag of mealies.

"Come along, Dean," shouted the boy, and without a moment's hesitation
he made a rush at the grinning black who was holding up the edge of the
bag for his companions to clutch out its contents as hard as ever they
could.

"Come out of that, you thief!" cried Mark; and he charged right at the
fellow, when to his great surprise the black turned upon him and held
him tightly by the arms. "What!" cried Mark, wrenching himself away.
"Here, Dean--Dunn! Help! We can't stand this. Ah, would you!" he
continued, as the man, with lowering face, dashed at him fiercely with
extended hands to seize him by the throat.

This was too much for the English lad, and without any thought of what
might be the consequences, he met the chief marauder with a
straightforward blow from his left, which took effect upon the black's
nose, staggering him for the moment with surprise, and making his
companions stare.

Dean had felt startled, but the effect of his cousin's blow made him
give vent to a loud "Ha, ha!" for the black, who was quite unarmed,
placed his hands to the prominent organ which had received Mark's blow,
took them down again very much stained, stared at them and uttered a
piteous yell.

It was, to use the term of the old-fashioned singlestick players, "first
blood," and the sight thereof had a disastrous effect. For, recovering
himself, the black turned round and caught his spear from where he had
leaned it against the side of the shed, while the others yelled in
chorus and began to menace the boys with their spears.

"Quick, Dean--guns!" cried Mark; and, then, "Bravo, Brown!" for the
tall, thin, amateur foreloper snatched the spear from the first black,
dashed before the menaced boys, and using the spear quarter-staff
fashion, he made it whistle through the air as he struck to left and
right, striking spear hafts, shoulders, and in two cases heads, as he
drove their assailants back.

Just then Sir James and the doctor came into sight round one of the
ruined walls, rifles over their shoulders, and catching sight of what
was going on, came running forward to render aid.

"Hurrah!" cried Mark. "Give it to them, Dunn!"

Brown needed no urging; but the blacks were recovering from the surprise
of the sudden attack and were coming on again.

"Fire, doctor!" shouted Dean excitedly.

"Yes, fire, fat