ead more hard than ever.--"I'll
go, gen'lemen. She wants to be a widow, but I look to you, Doctor, not
to let her be if I come to quarters with a sack of meal pinned on to my
back with a spear."

That night Joe Smithers managed to crawl right round the outskirts of
the settlement, got into the store from the other side, and returned by
the same circuitous way with a sack of meal and such instructions to his
messmates that two more men started at once and foraged with a like
success. But that was only a temporary alleviation of the troubles of
the beleaguered, and twice over, when off duty, Archie summoned Peter to
accompany him to the lower part of the river, where they succeeded, at
great risk, in wading off to a boat, fishing for three parts of the
night, and returning after very fair success.

Then came a day when the enemy had been more energetic than ever, and
three more of the Major's little force were carried into hospital
suffering badly from spear-wounds, and this just at a time when, in a
whisper, the announcement had gone round that there were very few
cartridges left.

The Doctor had just finished tending his men with the help of Mrs
Morley, for Joe Smithers's wife had broken down from being brought face
to face with her well-scolded husband, who was carried in by two
comrades and laid at her feet.

"Oh Joe," she cried, "how could you?"

"I didn't, missus. It was one of them ugly, flat-nosed chaps, who
managed to put a spear into me; but I give him the bayonet in return.
But ain't you going to tie me up?"

"Oh, yes, yes, Joe dear!" she cried, hurrying to fetch her lotah and
sponge; while the Doctor came up from the other side, frowning severely,
and then making a dash to catch the unhappy woman and save her from
falling, for poor Mrs Smithers, the strong and never-tiring, had
fainted dead away for the first time in her life. The consequence was
that the Doctor's wife stood by his side till the last dressing had been
applied, and then sat in the veranda to discuss with him a glass of his
favourite water and talk in a whisper about the perils of their
position.

"Yes," said the Doctor; "it's a very bad lookout, my dear. I have seen
some bad times, but this is the worst of all, and you have no business
here."

"Why not, dear?" she said softly.

"Because our poor fellows are doing the best they can to protect us, but
at any moment one of these savage beasts might make a dash and send his
lim-bi