ey had to be carried off by
their comrades, who at once ran back to the bush, and from its edge
opened a straggling fire against the house. The shutters that had been
thrown open at the two windows were at once closed.

"This is what I call beating them off handsomely," Mr. Atherton said.
"Now you see the advantage, Wilfrid, of the pains you have taken to
learn to shoot straight. There have been only eleven shots fired, and I
fancy there are at least ten casualties among them. I call that a very
pretty average for young hands."

"What will they do next, do you think?" Mr. Renshaw asked.

"They will not try another open attack, I fancy. We may expect them to
try to work round us. Jack, do you go to the other side of the house and
keep a sharp look-out on the bush there. Wilfrid, you take post at the
windows we fired from, and peep out from time to time through the
loopholes in the shutters. Between times keep yourself out of the line
of fire. The betting is a thousand to one against a bullet coming
through, still there is no use in running any risk if it can be avoided.
Jim Allen, you and I will take up our place at the back of the house;
they may try to work up among the crops. In fact, I expect that is the
course they will take unless they have had enough of it already. Bob
Grimstone, you keep watch at one of the front windows. I don't think
there is much chance of attack from that side, but it is as well to keep
a look-out. Some of them may attempt to cross to the opposite bush,
keeping down by the river. The other three guns will be in reserve."

"Don't you think they are likely to go away now that they have suffered
so much loss?" Mrs. Renshaw asked.

"No, I cannot say I think so, Mrs. Renshaw. The Maoris, from what I have
heard, always try to get revenge for the death of a kinsman or
fellow-tribesman. Of course it depends how many of them there are. I
should judge that there were about thirty showed themselves. If that is
all there are of them I should say they would not attack again at
present. They must know by our firing that there are seven or eight of
us here. But I should not rely altogether even upon that, for the
natives regard themselves as fully a match, man for man, with the
whites, and in their fights with our troops we were often greatly
superior in numbers. Still, it is one thing to defend a strong pah and
another to attack resolute men snugly sheltered behind bullet-proof
logs. They may try agai