ther foes. How many more
were coming on behind we could only surmise, as we watched the six
hill-men who headed them get into a line one before the other, and then
advance, keeping about five yards apart as they came on. From the
position in which our tent was pitched it was impossible for an attack
to be made upon us in the rear, and this circumstance fortunately
allowed of undivided attention to the movements of the hill-men whom we
saw creeping silently forward.

"Wait till the first one of them gets to the opening of our tent,"
whispered Denviers to me; "and while I deal with him shoot down the
second. Keep cool and take a steady aim as he rises from the grass, and
whatever you do, don't miss him."

[Illustration: "HE SULLENLY FLUNG HIS PONIARD DOWN."]

I held my pistol ready as we waited for them to come on, and each second
measured with our eyes the distance which still separated us. Twenty
yards from the tent the foremost of the hill-men took the kris or bent
poniard with which he was armed from between his teeth, and held it
aloft in his right hand as he came warily crawling on a foot at a time
followed by the others, each with his weapon raised as though already
about to plunge it into our throats. It was not a very cheering
spectacle, but we held our weapons ready and watched their advance
through thy grass, determined to thrust them back.

I felt my breath come fast as the first hill-man stopped when within
half-a-dozen yards of the tent and listened carefully. I could have
easily shot him down as he half rose to his feet, and his fierce eyes
glittered in his swarthy face. Almost mechanically I noticed the loose
shirt and trousers which he wore, and saw the white turban lighting up
his bronzed features as he crept right up to our tent and thrust his
head in, confident that those within it were asleep. The next instant he
was down, with Denviers' hand on his throat and a pistol thrust into his
astonished face, as my companion exclaimed:--

"Drop your weapon or I'll shoot you!"

The hill-man glared like a tiger for a moment, then he saw the advantage
of following Denviers' suggestion. He sullenly flung his poniard down,
gasping for breath, just as I covered the second of our enemies with my
pistol and fired. The hill-man raised his arms convulsively in the air,
gave a wild cry, and fell forward upon his face, dead!

The third of those attacking us dashed forward, undaunted at the fate of
the one he saw