horde.

Mugambi pushed his mistress back into the greater security of the
interior, and with his depleted force prepared to make a last stand
against the foe.

On came the Arabs, shouting and waving their long guns above their
heads. Past the veranda they raced, pouring a deadly fire into the
kneeling Waziri who discharged their volley of arrows from behind
their long, oval shields--shields well adapted, perhaps, to stop
a hostile arrow, or deflect a spear; but futile, quite, before the
leaden missiles of the riflemen.

From beneath the half-raised shutters of the bungalow other bowmen
did effective service in greater security, and after the first
assault, Mugambi withdrew his entire force within the building.

Again and again the Arabs charged, at last forming a stationary
circle about the little fortress, and outside the effective range
of the defenders' arrows. From their new position they fired at
will at the windows. One by one the Waziri fell. Fewer and fewer
were the arrows that replied to the guns of the raiders, and at
last Achmet Zek felt safe in ordering an assault.

Firing as they ran, the bloodthirsty horde raced for the veranda.
A dozen of them fell to the arrows of the defenders; but the majority
reached the door. Heavy gun butts fell upon it. The crash of
splintered wood mingled with the report of a rifle as Jane Clayton
fired through the panels upon the relentless foe.