anty, whose frenzy would not permit of his
keeping cover. 'Why don't they come on like min? God sind me wan--jist--'

He fell like a man whose legs had suddenly lost all power, and lay there,
his face pressed to the moist earth, and Jim felt the dying man's fingers
moving upon his leg in a trifling way. Presently a hand clutched his own,
and he was drawn down.

'Are you hit badly, old man?' said Done.

'Mortal! I'm hit mortal bad!' The hand clung desperately, and Jim peered
into Canty's face, and saw a smear of blood about his mouth. He was shot
through the breast. 'Mate,' he said eagerly, 'kill wan fer me! Kill
wan--if it's only a little wan!'

'I'll do my best, old man.'

'But one fer me, an' fer the good man they murthered. Say "Take that for
Barty O'Keif!" when you hit him.'

'So help me God, I will!'

Jim placed Canty well under the cover of the logs, with his head pillowed
on a clod.

'Give me me pike here in the right hand. Good enough!' He lay quite still
now, and muttered no more, but Jim could see his bright eyes stirring in
the semi-darkness.

The firing from without was maintained, but the swaddies were in no hurry
to cover the patch of ground that lay between them and the stockade,
although the insurgents had already almost exhausted their ammunition.
Lalor sprang to the top of the barrier, and stood for a moment, turning
as if to give an order, but the order was never spoken. A ball struck
him, and he fell into the enclosure, severely wounded. The rebels had
fought bravely so far. While their powder lasted they beat off the well
armed, well trained regulars, and for twenty minutes held the swaddies at
bay across their poor palisade; but at the expiration of that time there
were not two dozen charges left in the stockade, and now the riflemen
were ordered to retreat to the shallow shafts and use them as pits; and
presently the noble 40th finding the resistance broken, was tearing at
the logs and pickets, and at last the pikemen were on their feet and face
to face with the foe.

The infantry poured into the stockade with fixed bayonets, and against
their experience and their efficient weapons the insurgents made a poor
show; but they fought stubbornly, if clumsily, and now Jim found himself
fighting in grim earnest. He saw a big Lanky spring at him from the logs,
with bayonet set stock to hip, and with a lucky twist of, his pole he
beat down the other's weapon. But the long hafts of the pikes mad