nine in all, not counting de ladies and Merlin, and
dem fellows fight like wild beasts, we hab hard job to drive dem back,"
said Potto Jumbo. "Still we fight while we got drop blood in de veins.
Merlin fight wid teeth dough; you see dat! Hurrah, boys!" and Potto
took aim at another Malay leader who now occupied the position of the
first.

Merlin was fully as eager for the fight as any one, and rushed backwards
and forwards, poking his snout between the palisades wherever there was
an opening, and barking furiously.

"I wish we had another python to let loose on them, uncle," I said to
Mr Sedgwick, near whom I was standing. "It might have a useful
effect."

"Ah, yes; we should not have killed the other fellow, Walter," he
observed. "But, to be sure, it would have been a difficult matter to
capture him, and still more so to make him take the right course when we
let him loose again."

The pirates, fortunately, had but very few fire-arms among them, and
they evidently depended on a hand to hand combat to overcome us. The
larger body had now gained a more exposed part of the hill, and began to
ascend quicker than before. We therefore, taking good aim, had to fire
as rapidly as possible. No time for speaking now. Thanks to the skill
with which the Frau and the young ladies loaded the muskets, we were
able to keep up a constant fusillade, which must have made it appear
that we had far more men within the fort than was really the case. To
keep up the deception, we ran from side to side, thus extending the
length of our line, now firing out through one opening, now through
another.

"Do not throw a shot away," Mr Thudicumb continued saying. "Fix on
your man before you fire."

I had never seen a shot fired in anger; but I own my blood quickly got
up, and I no longer felt the slightest compunction in killing our
enemies. Even Oliver, so gentle and tender-hearted, played his part
well, and I believe every shot he fired took effect. In my eagerness I
missed once or twice; but seeing the importance of following the mate's
advice, I endeavoured to restrain my excitement and take steady aim
before I pulled the trigger. Still our ferocious enemies so far
outnumbered us, that if they once got up to the palisades, even though
many might be killed, a superior force would be able to climb up and
overpower us. They were within a dozen yards when, greatly to my
dismay, I saw another strong body emerging from the wood,