or two of flesh behind it.

Still, its effects upon this "invulnerable" god were of a marked order.
He whipped round; he lifted his trunk and screamed with rage and pain.
Then off he lumbered back towards his own people, at such a pace that
the attendants who held the chains on either side of him were thrown
over and forced to leave go of him, while the king and the priest upon
his back could only retain their seats by clinging to the chair and the
rope about his neck.

The result was satisfactory so far as the dispelling of magical
illusions went, but it left me in a worse position than before, since
it now became evident that what had protected Jana from my bullets was
nothing more supernatural than my own lack of skill. Oh! never in my
life did I drink of such a cup of humiliation as it was my lot to drain
to the dregs in this most unhappy hour. Almost did I hope that I might
be killed at once.

And yet, and yet, how was it possible that with all my skill I should
have missed this towering mountain of flesh four times in succession.
The question is one to which I have never discovered any answer,
especially as Hans hit it easily enough, which at the time I wished
heartily he had not done, since his success only served to emphasize
my miserable failure. Fortunately, just then a diversion occurred which
freed my unhappy self from further public attention. With a shout and a
roar the great army of the Black Kendah woke into life.

The advance had begun.

CHAPTER XX

ALLAN WEEPS

On they came, slowly and steadily, preceded by a cloud of skirmishers--a
thousand or more of these--who kept as open an order as the narrow
ground would allow and carried, each of them, a bundle of throwing
spears arranged in loops or sockets at the back of the shield. When
these men were about a hundred yards away we opened fire and killed a
great number of them, also some of the marshalled troops behind. But
this did not stop them in the least, for what could fifty rifles do
against a horde of brave barbarians who, it seemed, had no fear of
death? Presently their spears were falling among us and a few casualties
began to occur, not many, because of the protecting wall, but still
some. Again and again we loaded and fired, sweeping away those in front
of us, but always others came to take their places. Finally at some word
of command these light skirmishers vanished, except whose who were dead
or wounded, taking shelter behind the