d at every shot a foremost savage fell, until the square became
encircled with dead men.

Another moment and a party of Arab riflemen ran to the front and took
aim. Just then a tremendous cheer was heard. The defenders of the
hillock made a wild reply, which was drowned in a furious fusillade.
The entire savage host seemed to rush over the spot, sweeping all before
it, while smoke rolled after them as well as lead and fire. In the
midst of the hideous turmoil, Miles received a blow which shattered his
left wrist. Grasping his rifle with his right hand he laid about him as
best he could. Next moment a blow on the head from behind stretched him
senseless on the ground.

The return of our hero to consciousness revealed to him that he was
still lying on the battle-field, that it was night, and that an
intolerable weight oppressed his chest. This last was caused by a dead
native having fallen across him. On trying to get rid of the corpse he
made the further discovery that nearly all his strength was gone, and
that he could scarcely move his right arm, although it was free, and, as
far as he could make out, unwounded. Making a desperate effort, he
partially relieved himself, and, raising his head, tried to look round.
His ears had already told him that near to him wounded men were groaning
away the little of life that remained to them; he now saw that he was
surrounded by heaps of dead men. Excepting the groans referred to, the
night was silent, and the moon shone down on hundreds of up-turned
faces--the bloodless grey of the black men contrasting strangely with
the deadly pallor of the white, all quiet and passionless enough now--
here and there the head of a warrior resting peacefully on the bosom or
shoulder of the foe who had killed him!

A slight noise on his right caused Miles to turn his head in that
direction, where he saw a wounded comrade make feeble efforts to raise
himself, and then fall back with a deep groan. In other circumstances
our hero would have sprung to his assistance, but at that moment he felt
as if absolutely helpless; indeed, he was nearly so from loss of blood.
He made one or two efforts to rise, but the weight of the dead man held
him down, and after a few brief attempts he fainted.

Recovering again, he looked round, attracted by the sound of a struggle
on his right. One of those fiends in human form, the plunderers of a
battle-field, had, in his ghoulish progress, come across the w