answered by a shout and a volley. The Dacoits hurried out from the
chamber, and lay down on the edge, where, sheltered by a parapet, they
commanded the path. They paid no attention to me, and I kept as far away
as possible. The fire began--a quiet, steady fire, a shot at a time, and
in strong contrast to the rattle kept up from the surrounding jungle;
but every shot must have told, as man after man who strove to climb that
steep path, fell. It lasted only ten minutes, and then all was quiet
again.

"The attack had failed, as I knew it must do, for two men could have
held the place against an army; a quarter of an hour later a gun from
the crest above spoke out, and a round shot whistled above our heads.
Beyond annoyance, an artillery fire could do no harm, for the party
could be absolutely safe in the store cave. The instant the shot flew
overhead, however, Sivajee Punt beckoned to me, and motioned me to take
my seat on the wall facing the guns. Hesitation was useless, and I took
my seat with my back to the Dacoits and my face to the hill. One of the
Dacoits, as I did so, pulled off the native cloth which covered my
shoulders, in order that I might be clearly seen.

"Just as I took my place another round shot hummed by; but then there
was a long interval of silence. With a field-glass every feature must
have been distinguishable to the gunners, and I had no doubt that they
were waiting for orders as to what to do next.

"I glanced round and saw that with the exception of one fellow squatted
behind the parapet some half-dozen yards away, clearly as a sentry to
keep me in place, all the others had disappeared. Some, no doubt, were
on sentry down the path, the others were in the store beneath me. After
half an hour's silence the guns spoke out again. Evidently the gunners