ing mob, which, with loud
shouts and wild gestures, rushed at the gate to make another attempt to
destroy it. But the gate resisted all their efforts.

'Oh, for a Maxim!' Charlie sighed. 'That would disperse them.'

'So would boiling water,' Mr. Wilkins remarked, 'but we can't spare it.
I wonder----'

What Mr. Wilkins intended to say was never known, for at that moment
Number One, who was stationed, revolver in hand, some yards away, hailed
them excitedly: 'Lun, lun!' he shouted; 'Boxer man climbee up ladder
plenty quick.'

Charlie and Mr. Wilkins looked out from among the sandbags, and saw that
the Boxers had placed two ladders a foot or two to the left of where
Number One was posted. As the defenders looked out, some who had
remained under cover fired at them. Charlie drew back instantly, for a
bullet passed within an inch of his head, and, hurrying down from his
platform, ran to the spot where the Boxers hoped to scale the wall. One
of them was already on it. He dropped from the wall into the mission
enclosure, and rushed with wild shouts at Number One, who fired but
failed to hit him. But Charlie was close at hand, and, when the Boxer
was about ten yards from Number One he pressed the trigger of his rifle,
and the daring fanatic fell. But four more Boxers had dropped into the
enclosure, and, not daunted by the fate of their comrade, were rushing
at Charlie and Number One. The latter fired his revolver, and, to his
great surprise, shot the foremost Boxer in the left leg. Almost at the
same moment Charlie put another out of the fight, but, before he could
reload, the third Boxer was close upon him. Dropping the cartridge,
Charlie grasped his rifle in both hands near the muzzle, and, swinging
it over his shoulder, brought the butt down on his assailant's head. The
fourth man, seeing the fate of his comrades, tried to escape, but his
efforts were fruitless.

'Tell him to surrender,' Charlie said to Number One.

Number One did so, and the Boxer at once went down on his knees, and,
bending forward, placed his forehead and the palms of his hands on the
ground.

'Get some rope and bind him securely,' Charlie instructed Number One,
who obeyed at once.

Several other Boxers had been sitting on top of the wall, watching the
fight, and, when they saw that their comrades were getting the worst of
it, instead of going to their help, they retired quickly to join the
mob, which, however, had once more taken to flight. The