n the ground where I knew that nothing of the kind ought to be.
These objects were quite motionless; but the man who had first given
the challenge assured me that his attention had first been attracted to
them by a stealthy movement. Ordering the man to at once rouse the
sleepers, cautioning them individually to take up their proper stations
an noiselessly behind the parapet, I waited until every man had gained
his post, and then taking a steady aim at one of the objects I
discharged my musket. With a shriek of pain the object at which I had
fired half raised itself to an erect position and then fell heavily
forward. At the same moment a loud blood-curdling yell resounded upon
the heavy night air, and the foggy background instantly became alive
with the forms of the savages who sprang to their feet and came bounding
toward the battery, hurling their spears as they came.

"Take steady aim, my men; select your mark, and each bring down your man
if possible; keep cool now. Ah! I am hit!" I exclaimed, as a spear
came whizzing in over the parapet, passing clean through the fleshy part
of my right thigh. In the excitement of the moment it did not take me a
second to relieve myself of my unpleasant encumbrance by drawing the
spear shaft right through the wound; and the next moment I found myself
engaged with the rest in resisting the hottest and most determined
assault to which we had hitherto been subjected. Luckily for us the
battery was only a small affair, and our party was therefore large
enough to take pretty good care of it, otherwise that night attack would
have ended the business. But our men had now had the benefit and
refreshment of three hours' sound sleep, and they fought with such
renewed energy, such dogged determination, that the assault again
failed, and the savages were once more driven off. That satisfied them
for the time being. They had deferred their attack until the early
hours of the morning, doubtless hoping to find us worn out with
ceaseless watching, and perchance at length overcome with sleep; and
instead of that we had been found more alert than ever; in their anxiety
to take us unawares they had rather overdone it, in fact, and the result
was that they left us undisturbed for the short remainder of the night.

There was, however, no more rest for us; after this well-planned attempt
at a surprise I dare not allow any of my small party to again go off
duty, and sunrise found us still anxi