--I think they've used up all the cartridges I took
them. And there are no more."

"But they're firing still."

"With their revolvers."

"God help us, then! It can't last long," the older woman whispered, and
covered her face with her hands.

Victoria did not stop for words of comfort. She jumped up from the couch
of blankets and ran to the door, which Stephen had shut. It must be kept
wide open, now, in case the defenders were obliged to rush in for the
last stand. She pressed close to it, convulsively grasping the handle
with her cold fingers.

Then the end came soon, for the enemy had not been slow to detect the
difference between rifle and revolver shots. They knew, even before
Victoria guessed, exactly what had happened. It was the event they had
been awaiting. With a rush, the dozen men dashed over the mound of
carcasses and charged the burning barricade.

"Quick, Wings," shouted Stephen, defending the way his friend must take.
The distance was short from the door of the watch-tower to the door of
the dining-room, but it was just too long for safety. As Nevill ran
across, an Arab close to the barricade shot him in the side, and he
would have fallen if Stephen had not caught him round the waist, and
flung him to Hamish, who carried him to shelter.

A second more, and they were all in the dining-room. Stephen and Angus
had barred the heavy door, and already Hamish and Rostafel were firing
through the two round ventilating holes in the window shutters. There
were two more such holes in the door, and Stephen took one, Angus the
other. But the enemy had already sheltered on the other side of the
barricade, which would now serve them as well as it had served the
Europeans. The water dashed on to the flames had not extinguished all,
but the wet mattresses and furniture burned slowly, and the Arabs began
beating out the fire with their gandourahs.

Again there was a deadlock. For the moment neither side could harm the
other: but there was little doubt in the minds of the besieged as to the
next move of the besiegers. The Arabs were at last free to climb the
wall, beyond reach of the loopholes in door or window, and could make a
hole in the roof of the dining-room. It would take them some time, but
they could do it, and meanwhile the seven prisoners were almost as
helpless as trapped rats.

Of the five men, not one was unwounded, and Stephen began to fear that
Nevill was badly hurt. He could not breathe without