"I must wait until they get pretty close," he said, "for I am panting
so that I can't keep the barrel steady, even with this rest."

"I will kneel down outside," Surajah said.

"Mind, I will fire first, Surajah. Don't you fire until they are
within twenty yards of you. By that time I shall have loaded again."

Dick had more time than he had expected, for as soon as their pursuers
saw them enter the hut, they slackened their pace considerably. They
were within about eighty yards, when Dick held his breath and
standing, for a moment, immovable, took a steady aim and fired.

One of the men stumbled in his run, took a step or two forward, and
then fell on his face. The others paused for a moment, and then, with
a fierce yell, ran forward.

The moment he had fired, Dick dropped the stock of his gun on to the
ground, snatched a cartridge from the bandolier, bit off the end, and
emptied the powder into the barrel, gave the gun a shake, so as to be
sure that it ran into the touch hole, and then rammed down the bullet.
As he was in the act of doing so, Surajah fired, and a loud yell told
that his shot had been successful.

Dick sprang to the door as Surajah entered. Two shots at the same
instant rang out; but, at even so short a distance, the bullets went
wide. Dick stepped out, and in turn fired. One of the two men fell;
the other threw down his musket, and fled up the road.

"Thank goodness that is over," Dick exclaimed. "I thought they had no
chance with us, here. Now the first thing is to get our wind again."

They stood for two or three minutes, breathing heavily; then, as their
breath came again, they prepared to move, when Dick exclaimed
suddenly, "What is that noise?"

There was a dull, confused sound in the air, and then Surajah,
pointing up the road, exclaimed, "Cavalry!"

Far away on the white road, a dark mass could be seen. At first, Dick
instinctively turned to resume their flight, but then he said:

"It is of no use, Surajah. The sides of the valley are too steep to
climb, and they will be up in five or six minutes. We must fight it
out here. Run out to that man I shot, and bring in his gun, bandolier,
pistols if he has any, and sword. I will take them from these two. It
will make all the difference, having spare weapons."

Surajah, without a word, hurried up the road, while Dick ran over to
the house opposite, which seemed to be larger than the one they had
first entered. He looked round. It contain