stock away, and stood shaking his bleeding fingers.

"Are you hurt, Jem?"

"Hurt! He says, `Am I hurt?' Why, the precious thing bursted all to
shivers; and, oh, crumpets, don't it sting!"

"Let me bind it up."

"You go on and load; never mind me. Pretty sort o' soldier you'd make.
D'yer hear? Load, I say; load!"

"Can't, Jem," said Don sadly; "that was my last charge."

"So it was mine, and I rammed in half-a-dozen stones as well to give 'em
an extra dose. Think that's what made her burst?"

"Of course it was, Jem."

"Bad job; but it's done, and we've got the cutlash and spears. Which
are you going to use?"

"The spear. No; the cutlass, Jem."

"Bravo, my lad! Phew! How my hand bleeds."

"I'm afraid we shall be beaten, Jem."

"I'm sure of it, my lad. My right hand, too; I can't hit with it. Wish
we was all going to run away now."

"Do you, Jem?"

"Ay, that I do; only we couldn't run away and leave the women and
children, even if they are beaten."

A terrible yelling and shrieking arose at that moment from behind where
they stood, and as they turned, it was to see the whole of the
defenders, headed by Tomati, making a rush for one portion of the fence
where some of the stout poles had given way. A breach had been made,
and yelling like furies, the enemy were pouring through in a crowd.

CHAPTER FORTY.

DEFEATED.

Two minutes at the outside must have been the lapse of time before the
last spear held up in defence of the _pah_ was lowered by its brave
owner in weakness, despair, or death.

Tomati's men fought with desperate valour, but they were so reduced that
the enemy were four to one; and as they were driven back step by step,
till they were huddled together in one corner of the _pah_, the
slaughter was frightful.

Stirred to fury at seeing the poor fellows drop, both Don and Jem had
made unskilful use of their weapons, for they were unwillingly mingled
with the crowd of defenders, and driven with them into the corner of the
great enclosure.

One minute they were surrounded by panting, desperate men, using their
spears valorously, as the Greeks might have used theirs in days of old;
then there came a rush, a horrible crowding together, a sensation to Don
as if some mountain had suddenly fallen on his head to crush out the
hideous din of yelling and despairing shrieks, and then all was
darkness.

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