r way through the walls of the upper story, but beyond this
no damage was done. The mining was kept up with great vigor, and the
gallery advanced rapidly, the servants finding it very hard work to
remove the earth as fast as the miners brought it down.

Captain Forster offered to go out with three others at night to try
and get into the battery and spike the guns, but Major Hannay would not
permit the attempt to be made.

"We know they have several other guns," he said, "and the risk would be
altogether too great, for there would be practically no chance of your
getting back and being drawn up over the wall before you were overtaken,
even if you succeeded in spiking the guns. There are probably a hundred
men sleeping in the battery, and it is likely they would have sentries
out in front of it. The loss of four men would seriously weaken the
garrison."

The next morning another battery to the left was unmasked, and on
the following day three guns were planted, under cover, so as to play
against the gate. The first battery now concentrated its fire upon the
outer wall, the new battery played upon the upper part of the house, and
the three guns kept up a steady fire at the gate.

There was little rest for the besieged now. It was a constant duel
between their rifles and the guns, varied by their occasionally turning
their attention to men who climbed trees, or who, from the roofs of some
buildings still standing, endeavored to keep down their fire.

Wilson had been released from his labors in the gallery, Bathurst
undertaking to get down the earth single handed as fast as the servants
could remove it.

"I never saw such a fellow to work, Miss Hannay," Wilson said one day,
when he was off duty, and happened to find her working alone at some
bandages. "I know you don't like him, but he is a first rate fellow if
there ever was one. It is unlucky for him being so nervous at the guns;
but that is no fault of his, after all, and I am sure in other things he
is as cool as possible. Yesterday I was standing close to him, shoving
the earth back to the men as he got it down. Suddenly he shouted, 'Run,
Wilson, the roof is coming down!' I could not help bolting a few yards,
for the earth came pattering down as he spoke; then I looked round and
saw him standing there, by the light of the lamp, like those figures
you see holding up pillars; I forget what they call them--catydigs, or
something of that sort."

"Caryatides," Isobel