officers were below cautioning the men, who were now in position all
round the zereba, against firing until ordered.

It was a picked corps, and they were perfectly in hand, so that not one
single shot was fired during this first storm. And a storm it was; the
air seemed perfectly alive with the rush of bullets, all aimed high.
Whether it did not occur to the Arabs that the bushes of the enclosure
were not impervious, or the watch-tower offered a more tempting mark, or
the Remington rifle stocks did not suit their arms and shoulders, and
came up high I don't know, but certainly all the bullets which hit
anything struck the wooden erection and the rock it stood upon.
Splinters of wood and chips of stone were flying in all directions, but
nothing was wounded which minded it, not a man or a camel or Hump, who
thought the whole affair got up for his amusement, and barked with
delight at the noise.

The leaden shower raged for about five minutes, died down to a
sputtering, and ceased. Every man grasped his weapon and peered over
the hedge, expecting a rush. But the enemy seemed to want to know
whether they had annihilated everything with their fusillade, and kept
close in cover. Slowly the smoke lifted, and rolled above their
positions.

"Now there is a chance for you, Macintosh," said the captain; "above
that bush, do you see? About three hundred yards."

Macintosh took a steady aim and pulled.

The man he aimed at staggered, and came down in a sitting position,
seizing his right leg, which was broken, with both hands.

"An outer!" cried Captain Reece, who had his field-glass directed on the
spot.

"A miss," he said presently, as another man fired at an Arab darting
from a distant to a nearer bit of cover.

"Don't shoot at them running."

An Arab was taking careful note of the zereba from the rocks two hundred
yards off, his head and shoulders only being exposed. Cleary rested his
rifle on the top of the balcony, pulled the stock firmly to his
shoulder, got a fine sight on his mark, and pressed the trigger. A
flash! A crack!

"A bull for you, Cleary!" exclaimed the captain. "You have nailed him
through the head."

The enemy were now more cautious, and not more than half a dozen shots
were got in the next hour, but most of them told. During that time the
Arabs indulged in no more continued storms of fire; only Captain Reece
drew occasional volleys, mostly from a considerable distance, as he
stood ful