my dears," the Doctor said, as he and Farquharson went up on
the terrace with Isobel and Mary Hunter; "you must do exactly as you are
told, or you will be doing more harm than good, for Farquharson and I
would not be able to pay attention to our shooting. You must lie down
and remain perfectly quiet till we begin to fire, then keep behind us
just so far that you can reach the guns as we hand them back to you
after firing; and you must load them either kneeling or sitting down,
so that you don't expose your heads above the thickest part of the
breastwork. When you have loaded, push the guns back well to the right
of us, but so that we can reach them. Then, if one of them goes off,
there won't be any chance of our being hit. The garrison can't afford to
throw away a life at present. You will, of course, only half cock them;
still, it is as well to provide against accidents."

Both the girls were pale, but they were quiet and steady. The Doctor saw
they were not likely to break down.

"That is a rum looking weapon you have got there, Bathurst," Wilson
said, as, after carrying down the spare guns and placing them ready for
firing, they lay down in their positions on the sandbags. The weapon
was a native one, and was a short mace, composed of a bar of iron about
fifteen inches long, with a knob of the same metal, studded with spikes.
The bar was covered with leather to break the jar, and had a loop to put
the hand through at the end.

"Yes," Bathurst said quietly; "I picked it up at one of the native shops
in Cawnpore the last time I was there. I had no idea then that I might
ever have to use it, and bought it rather as a curiosity; but I have
kept it within reach of my bedside since these troubles began, and I
don't think one could want a better weapon at close quarters."

"No, it is a tremendous thing; and after the way I have seen you using
that pick I should not like to be within reach of your arm with that
mace in it. I don't think there is much chance of your wanting that. I
have no fear of the natives getting over here this time."

"I have no fear of the natives at all," Bathurst said.

"I am only afraid of myself. At present I am just as cool as if there
was not a native within a thousand miles, and I am sure that my pulse is
not going a beat faster than usual. I can think of the whole thing and
calculate the chances as calmly as if it were an affair in which I was
in no way concerned. It is not danger that I f