them to do this until he had
ascertained whether the enemy had left the neighbourhood. Taking,
therefore, a dozen men with him, he was making his way across the open
to examine the side of the hill, when a hundred dark forms sprang from
behind the brushwood, where they had concealed themselves, and opened a
hot fire on him and his small party.

"Give them a volley in return, lads, and retreat!" cried out Jack.

He was promptly obeyed by all but three, who had been struck down. He
and his men then rapidly retreated, re-loading as they went.

Seeing what had occurred, Tom, with a dozen more men, rushed forward to
succour the captain, and greatly contributed to keep back the Maoris,
who, on seeing the retreat of the first party, had begun to advance.
Jack was on the point of giving the order for the whole of his party to
charge, when a volley fired in his rear by a number of the enemy who had
climbed up the steep sides of the hill, made him order the men to halt
and deal with the fresh party of the foe. Though the latter climbed up
with the greatest courage, they were unable to avoid exposing
themselves. Several being shot, the rest sprang down the steep side of
the hill, seeking such shelter as they could find.

More of the seamen had been wounded, and even now from behind rocks and
trunks of trees the Maoris continued to fire from the foot of the hill
at any of the sailors who exposed themselves. Jack was casting a look
round his diminished band, when to his grief he saw Tom fall. He sent
Jerry Bird to ascertain the nature of his brother's wound. Jerry,
stooping down, bound up Tom's side, and directly afterwards Lieutenant
Norman, who was bravely repelling, with half-a-dozen men, another
assault on that side of the hill, was struck in the head by a bullet.
In a short time Bird rejoined him.

"Lieutenant Rogers is badly hurt, sir; but I don't think he is mortally
wounded, and as I've managed to stop the bleeding, if he can get the
help of the doctor I think he'll do well, but I'm sorry to say, sir,
poor Mr Norman is done for. He never moved after he fell. We've lost
a good officer, sir."

"You speak the truth, Bird, but I wish you would stay by Lieutenant
Rogers while you are able, and defend him to the last, should the enemy
gain the hill. We must keep in check those in front. If it were not
for our wounded, who would be exposed to destruction, I would charge and
drive them down the hill."

A short tim