*CHAPTER XVI*
*Hemmed In*
The Deadly Breach--Yinkelis-fashion--Chang-Wo is Surprised--ShortCommons--Enfiladed--On the Ledge--The Ammunition Question--Chang-WoDisappears--Footsteps
The minutes passed. The air grew colder. Only the dim flickering ofthe stars threw a faint light over the scene. One or two of the men hadfallen asleep; the rest waited, some stolidly, some restlessly, for theexpected encounter. Bob remained at the breastwork, intently watching.
At length one of the men who had been out as scouts whispered hurriedlyto the leader; he had heard a slight sound from the distance. Thesleepers were roused; every man stood to arms; all were on the instantdoubly alert. After the first rustle there was an extraordinarystillness; the watchers seemed scarcely to breathe. Bob heard nothing,but in a moment the scout whispered again. The Russians were coming!Through Ah-Sam the message was passed from the chief to Bob. Tenminutes passed in tense and breathless expectancy, then there came asound which every man behind the barrier heard. It was the clash ofwood against steel; one of the enemy had stumbled and clumsily allowedhis weapon to strike that of a comrade. No other sound followed. Theenemy were evidently advancing with extreme caution, hoping, as Bobconjectured, either to surprise the Chunchuses, or at any rate toapproach sufficiently close unseen to carry the defences with a rush.
In a whisper Bob bade Ah-Sam repeat a caution he had already impressedupon the chief. Not a man should fire until the word was given. Thereserve were to withhold their fire altogether until the enemy hadreached the wall, or until their comrades had reloaded. Another periodof waiting, shorter; then the crisp footfalls of a body of men creepingover the freezing ground were distinctly heard. Suddenly, about thirtyyards away, a dark mass of figures came into view; there was a low wordof command, and the whole body of Russians and Manchus sprang forwardwith a yell in which every dialect was represented from the Danube tothe Yalu.
Would the obedience of the bandits be equal to the strain of waiting forthe word? Bob had hardly time to wonder, for the enemy had swept overthe first twenty yards dividing them from the rocky breastwork; behindit, all was silent. Then as if by magic the mass seemed to melt away;the attacking party had, as Bob expected, failed to see the shallowtrench; the first line stepping into it fell headlong, the secondtripped over them, and next moment the majority of the men werefloundering affrighted on the snow-covered ground. Then Bob gave theword. The muskets roared, and bullets fell thick into the midst of thestruggling heap immediately under the muzzles of the defenders' weapons.An awful cry ascended from the heaving mass. It was impossible todistinguish what was going on, for the men upon the ground were atangled medley, some trying to regain their feet and flee from the spot,others writhing with wounds, too badly hit to rise, a few pressing madlyforward to the breastwork, which they strove to scale. Then the reserveopened fire; the clamour was redoubled, and the survivors turned theirbacks, and, jumping or scrambling over their fallen comrades, fledamazedly away into the darkness.
Yells of exultation and defiance burst from the throats of thedefenders, now at last able to give vent to the feelings pent up duringhours of silent waiting. The leader was eager to spring across thebreastwork and slaughter the wounded wretches, whose groans were heardas the tumult subsided. Bob hauled him back by main force, and orderedhim to send out a few scouts to discover whether the Cossacks werewithin striking distance. Learning soon that the enemy had all retreatedbeyond the hill, he posted five men at intervals about four hundredyards out to keep watch, and proceeded to attend to the wounded. Amongthe defenders only one man had been hurt by the bayonet of a gallantRussian, who had come right up to the wall and fallen dead beneath aChunchuse bullet. But in and around the trench there were twenty-eightprone forms, and of these Bob soon saw that eleven had keen killedoutright. They were partly Russians, partly Manchus. As Bob went alongthe trench, carefully examining the survivors in turn, he came upon onelying on his right side, and groaning. He turned the man over, andstarted--even in the dim light he fancied he recognized his features.Thrilling with expectancy he went to the man's other side and stooped tohim. Yes, the right ear was gone; it was without doubt the Manchu,Chang-Wo! Bob rose, and calling to Ah-Sam, bade him carry the woundedman within the barricade; he himself followed, wondering at the strangefate which had connected him with the Manchu ever since his arrival inJapan. He was perplexed as to what could be done for the rest of theinjured, whose moans gave him many a pang. He was in no position todeal with them--he had no surgical appliances, no food; yet he could notleave them to perish miserably. What could he do? A thought struckhim. Why not deliver them to their own friends? It might be difficult;neither party could trust the other; but he was determined that itshould be attempted, even though the Russians regarded it as a trap.
With Ah-Sam's assistance he explained the matter to the leader of theChunchuses, whose name, he learnt, was Sing-Cheng. The man was whollyat a loss to understand Bob's object. He had acquiesced unwillingly inthe order not to butcher the wounded, partly because he knew they wouldprobably die of themselves if left. But that they should actually begiven up, living, to their comrades, seemed to him a foolish proposal.Why had they been shot if the effects of the bullets were to bedisregarded?
It was no time to explain. Bob, indeed, felt that it might be adifficult task to reconcile such opposites in a Chunchuse mind. Hemerely asked Ah-Sam to say that it was his wish, and that he had a goodreason for it. A colloquy ensued between Ah-Sam and Sing-Cheng. Then theformer turned to Bob and said:
"He say velly well, massa, but no can tinkey so-fashion. He say massaplenty good fightee man. Can makee place velly stlong, shoot allolightee. He tinkey one piecee Yinkelis topside man. He no savvywhat-for massa helpee spoilum Roshians. Ch'hoy! He do what massa saythis-time."
"Very well," said Bob.
It was necessary to send a message to the Cossack commander. He couldnot entrust a verbal message to a Chunchuse; he could not dispense atpresent with Ah-Sam. He must write his proposal, and he had neitherpaper nor pencil.
"No doubt Mrs. Pottle will have both," he said to himself.
Leaving instructions with the Chunchuses to keep a strict look-out, hehurried up the gully. The ladies must have been alarmed by the firing,and he could fulfil his errand and reassure them at the same time. Hespoke to them before he reached the inner barricade, and, when hearrived, found them standing within the line of boulders, ready to meethim. Even Mrs. Pottle was subdued; the terrors of the past half-hourhad shaken her. He noticed that she grasped her umbrella.
"Oh, Mr. Fawcett!" she exclaimed; "what has happened?"
"We have beaten off the Russians--once," Bob replied quietly.
"You are not hurt?" said Ethel, leaning towards him, her face very pale.
"No; only one of our party is injured--very slightly. Don't be alarmed.I don't think we shall be troubled any more to-night. I came to borrowsome writing materials. Some of the enemy are badly wounded, and I wantto send a message to their officer asking him to carry them away."
"Oh, how thoughtful of you! Auntie, a leaf from your block-book. Hereis a pencil."
Mrs. Pottle tore a leaf from the book in which she had noted down herimpressions of travel in the East, and gave it to Bob.
"Come back soon, Mr. Fawcett," she said. "I am very nervous. Thathorrid shooting keeps throbbing in my head."
Promising to return if possible, Bob hastened down to the breastwork,and on a boulder, by the light of matches struck for him by Ah-Sam, hewrote in French to the Russian officer. Explaining that he was unableto tend the wounded, he suggested that six men at a time should be sentunarmed to carry them off; he would guarantee their safety. Meanwhilehe held one of the wounded men as a hostage.
He despatched the note by a scout, who, venturing about half-way to theRussian position, called aloud for someone to come out and meet him.After some delay a Cossack cautiou
sly approached and received the note.Half an hour elapsed, during which his communication, Bob surmised, hadbeen discussed in the Russian camp; then a Manchu came forward and toldthe messenger in his own tongue that the terms were accepted. Iftreachery were practised, the Russians would hang every man caught inthe gully. Bob smiled when Ah-Sam translated the message. He knewthat, treachery or no treachery, hanging or worse would be the fate ofany prisoner; there was no mercy for the Chunchuses.
It took more than an hour to remove the wounded, whom Bob had hadcarefully carried to a distance of a hundred yards from the breastwork,in order that his defences might not be too closely inspected. When thelast had disappeared, Bob went to the spot where his wounded prisonerhad been laid. Chang-Wo had now recovered consciousness. He wassuffering from a severe scalp wound, which had already been roughlydressed. At Bob's orders Ah-Sam struck a match and held it close to theManchu's face. He blinked and scowled, then stared at Bob for a momentwith a very puzzled expression; he was clearly trying to reconcile thefeatures of the man before him with the Korean dress. Then he glared; alook of rage and chagrin darkened his villainous face. Bob saw that hewas recognized. The Manchu attempted to rise, but fell back andgroaned. Bob said never a word to him, but giving orders that he shouldbe made as comfortable as possible, he arranged with the chief to keephalf the men on duty during the night, while the others rested; and thenwith Ah-Sam he returned to the ladies in the lonely refuge above.
Mrs. Pottle in his company soon regained her self-confidence, andinsisted on a full account of the fight below. Bob told her as much ashe thought she should know, and all the time Ethel, like Desdemona, hungupon his words.
"You cannot hoodwink me," exclaimed Mrs. Pottle at the conclusion of thestory. "It was you planned it all; I know it was. I have been sixweeks with the Chunchuses, and they've no brains. If it had not beenfor your quickness, Mr. Fawcett, we should have been bound to theRussian cart-wheels by this time."
"Oh no!" returned Bob. "But I must not conceal from you that we arestill in a difficult position, Mrs. Pottle, and it is not too late foryou still to escape all danger by seeking safety with the Russians."
"I positively refuse; I will not hear of it. I have had enough of theRussians. Besides, what could they do? It appears to me that they'veoverreached themselves in undertaking to conquer Japan. And mercy me!I don't want to be sent back via Siberia! No, Mr. Fawcett, I'm nearermy country here, and here I shall stay--to the bitter end!"
"But Miss Charteris--"
"She has no wish apart from mine, and of course where I am she must be."
"Well, Mrs. Pottle, you know the position. I will do my best. Now Ithink you should try to get some sleep. You have had a most exhaustingday, and will be quite done up."
"Oh, I couldn't sleep a wink. I should dream. No, I must get the Chinaboy to boil some water; tea will keep us awake. Ethel, my love, you arenot sleepy?"
"I think I am, auntie. I think I could sleep now I know that--that--"
"That what? Well, well! Ah-Sam, fetchee cloakees, ruggies, anythingy,from the cartee; missy wantee go sleepy."
But it was Bob who brought all the available wraps from the cart, andmade a comfortable couch on the rock for the ladies. After all, it wasMrs. Pottle that fell asleep first. She slept calmly through the night,though she declared when Bob made his appearance that she had scarcelyshut her eyes.
The night had passed peacefully. Bob himself had not dared to slumber,for fear lest the attack should be renewed. When morning dawned, he sawthe Russians in their old position on the hillock. An occasional shotwhen one of the garrison exposed himself showed that they were still onthe alert, but hour after hour went by and no attack in force was made.Thinking over the situation, Bob could not but conclude that the enemywere either bent on starving him out, or had sent for reinforcements. Asnearly as he could judge, their original strength had been some eightyCossacks and sixty Manchus. At least thirty men must now be subtractedas dead or incapacitated, and as it was likely that many who had escapedafter the night attack were more or less badly hit, it was natural thatthey should hesitate before again approaching the fatal gully.
With either of the two alternatives, Bob recognized that the prospectsof the garrison were anything but good. The food question had confrontedthem the night before; if the Russians persisted in a blockade theywould soon be face to face with starvation. There were so many mouthsto feed--the ladies first of all, for whom the supply of rice and milletin the cart might suffice for a few days. There was almost nothing forthe brigands, who, in fact, had already skinned and cut up Ah-Sam'spony. Ah-Sam had only sufficient fodder in the cart to last his mulestwo days, even at the most economical rate, and there was not a vestigeof herbage in the neighbourhood.
Bob kept as much as possible out of Mrs. Pottle's reach during that day.She had a most uncomfortable habit of asking pressing questions that hefound it impossible to evade. But at nightfall she had an opportunityof making the enquiry on the matter that had troubled her all day--thisvery matter of food.
"We have done very well," she said. "Ah-Sam's rice is excellent, andhis millet cakes passable, though I can't trust him to make the tea.But what have you had, Mr. Fawcett? You have not shared in one of ourmeals to-day."
"No, I shared with Ah-Sam."
"But what did he have? He refused to take any rice or millet."
"He shared with the Chunchuses."
"Yes, but that's what I don't understand. They had nothing leftyesterday: where did they get food to-day?"
Bob hesitated, but knowing that the truth must come out sooner or later,he at last said:
"We had a little beef--horse-beef, in fact; very like the real thing."
Ethel shuddered. Mrs. Pottle gasped, then cried indignantly:
"I am ashamed of you, Mr. Fawcett. I am not thinking of the poor beast.It is a shame to deceive me. You could have had rice: I would haveboiled it for you myself."
"But, my dear Mrs. Pottle, we don't know how long we may be cooped uphere; and if I used your rice you would be reduced to eating the mules."
Mrs. Pottle looked at him. Her plump cheeks turned a little green.Then with a forced laugh she said:
"Well, by all accounts I've eaten worse. I don't say I relish mules,but if it comes to that--"
"Don't worry, auntie," interposed Ethel. "There is still some riceleft. Mr. Fawcett will find a way out of this difficulty, I am sure."
Bob privately wished that he felt anything like the same assurance. Twodays passed, during which his anxiety did but deepen. No movement wasmade by the Russians. This fact only increased his uneasiness, for itwas a proof that the worst of the position had yet to be faced. One ofthe mules had been killed and cut up; Bob found, indeed, that theChunchuses were almost reckless in their consumption of the flesh, andhe had to impress upon Sing-Cheng the necessity of putting them on fixedrations. At best the fare was meagre; the animals were hardy andmuscular, but with no superfluous flesh; and what flesh there was wasnot too wholesome without vegetable food. The men ate their scantyrations without grumbling, but they objected to the feeding of Chang-Wo;in him, indeed, Sing-Cheng had recognized an enemy against whom he borean old-standing private grudge. He was for killing the Manchu out ofhand; he reeled off to Ah-Sam a long and passionate account of the evilshe had done. But Bob insisted that the prisoner must be fed exactly asthemselves, and kept him bound hand and foot to the cart.
On the third day, shortly after dawn, Bob was disconcerted to find thatthe enemy had achieved what Sing-Cheng had declared to be impossible.Shots from a point high up the cliff on his left told him that in someway, probably by making a considerable detour, the Russians had gained aposition whence they could enfilade his encampment behind the boulder.The new danger to which he was exposed was soon brought home to him.The enemy, themselves for the most part under cover, began to pick offthe Chunchuses, while their comrades on the hill in front kept up a hotfire which showed that escape in that dire
ction was impossible. Theunfortunate garrison were placed in a desperate plight. If they shiftedtheir ground to avoid the flank attack they exposed themselves to theenemy on the hill. To neither could they make any effective reply. Inthe first place their arms were ineffective at the range, and secondly,the Russians had all the advantage of cover. Bob himself, with his moreaccurate rifle, managed to put _hors de combat_ one or two of the enemywho exposed themselves; though he dared not shoot as often asopportunity offered, for his stock of ammunition was small, and it wasnecessary to husband it.
As his men dropped one by one he recognized at length that the positionwas untenable. He must withdraw them behind the barricade above, whichwas protected by the contour of the hill from the marksmen on the cliff.But this raised the question, what was he to do with the ladies? Therewere two reasons against their remaining where they were. First,seventy Chunchuses huddled in the small free space behind the barricadewere scarcely fit company for them; secondly, they themselves would bein the way if the Russians pushed home an attack. Both Mrs. Pottle andEthel had up to the present borne the stress of the situation with goodheart, and under Ah-Sam's tuition had become adepts in the cooking ofrice and millet, which, with tea, brewed in diminishing strength daily,was their only sustenance. Bob did his best to disguise from them thefull gravity of the position, but felt all the time that they must seethe hollowness of his assurances.
While he was wondering what to do for the best, his eye lit on thefissure in the rock above which had attracted his attention when hefirst came along the road. Was it deep enough, he wondered, to affordprotection to the two ladies? At the mouth it was exposed to theenfilading fire of the Russians, but if it extended for any considerabledistance into the rock, it might form a place of refuge. He resolved toexplore it. It could only be approached by the shelf of rock thatabutted on the mountain stream, and this for the greater part of itslength was sheltered from the enemy. But there was a strip of sometwenty yards lying in the interval between two shelving rocks, and thiswas quite open. It would be a case of running the gauntlet. He lookedround in final search of another way; there was none; he must himselftake the risk.
But it was necessary first to ensure the safety of his little forceduring his absence. He therefore withdrew the greater part from thewall at the mouth of the gorge, leaving only a dozen men, who wereprotected from the fire of the Russians on the heights by a projectingspur of the hill. These being the best marksmen could probably hold theenemy in check for a time, but Bob ordered them to withdraw behind theupper barricade if the Russians, realizing the weakness of the defendingforce, should at last attempt a rush. Meanwhile the men he hadwithdrawn were set to construct with boulders a small fort high up thegorge just under the waterfall; this would form excellent vantage groundin case the Russians occupied the lower portion of the gully.
These arrangements having been made, Bob left the ladies in charge ofAh-Sam and started on his hazardous expedition. Knowing that thefissure, if of any considerable depth, must be quite dark, he took withhim a torch improvised out of a piece of sacking smeared with mule fat,and a box of matches. He climbed over the intervening rocks, turned acorner, reached the ledge, and walked along until he came to the exposedportion, where he halted for a moment. Then, springing forward like asprinter, he dashed over the narrow shelf at the imminent risk ofstumbling and falling to the rocky bed of the stream fifty feet below.He was seen by the Russians on the hill, and in the few seconds he tookto complete the passage he heard a patter of bullets on the rocks, andone or two even followed him as he gained the opening and plunged in.But he had escaped unhurt, and safe in the fissure he paused to takebreath and to light his torch, reflecting that he would run doubledanger in coming out, for the Russians would doubtless be on the watchfor him.
Making his way into the cleft, he found that it was broader than he hadexpected. After about twenty yards it took a sudden curve to the left,and then widened into a jagged irregular passage some four yards inbreadth, and of varying height. At one moment, torch in hand, he had tostoop to avoid a sharp edge of rock; a little later the passage was atleast twenty feet high. He had penetrated as nearly as he could judgefor about fifty yards, when his steps were arrested by the faint soundsof firing behind him, and he hurried back. As he approached the openingthe sound became so loud and continuous that he felt sure a stiff fightwas in progress. Keeping close to the less-exposed wall of the cleft atits mouth, he saw from his elevated position that the Russians were atlast making the long-expected attack. From the hill a hot fire wasbeing brought to bear upon the mouth of the gully, while a number of theenemy were just emerging from round the hillside to the right, beingprotected from the fire of the dozen Chunchuses by the boulders. Theywere making for the right extremity of the barrier, a point which it wasimpossible to defend because of the direct and rapid firing from thehill.
Clearly the twelve men gallantly holding their own at the mouth of thegully were in danger of being cut off. Bob only took a second or two torecognize the urgency of the case; then, springing on to the ledge atthe mouth of the cleft, he rushed along it at breakneck speed, and owedhis safety to his quick movements, for before the Russians caught sightof him, occupied as they were with keeping down the fire from thebarrier beneath, he had covered several yards, and the snap shots theythen took flew wide of the mark. Arriving at the corner, he shouted toAh-Sam below an order to recall the men from the breastwork. The commandwas instantly given, and the brigands, running like cats from rock torock, scrambled up the gully and flung themselves pell-mell through asmall gap left for them in the barricade above, one or two of them beinghit by Russian bullets. The advancing enemy at once occupied the farside of the abandoned breastwork, and opened fire on the upper defences;but when a few attempted to cross and move up the gully the fire of theChunchuses proved too hot for them, and they hastily retreated.
Except that the defenders were now driven into a more confined space,the general situation had from the Russian point of view improved butlittle. The Russians dared not press forward up the gorge, for it hadbeen so thoroughly cleared of boulders for the construction of thebarricades that it was almost wholly devoid of cover for an attackingforce. The double entrenchments above were even stronger than thebreastwork below, and could only be carried at a terrible cost.
By this time Bob had clambered down among his men. Unpleasant news wasin waiting for him. Through Ah-Sam the brigand leader informed him thatthe men's ammunition was running short; they had only an average of fiverounds a man remaining. This was an irremediable misfortune. Only onecourse was possible. All the available ammunition was collected anddistributed, principally among the twenty best shots in the band. Tenof these men were stationed at the barricade by the carts, and ten inthe fort recently constructed higher up the gully. The remainder of thegarrison were given one round apiece, and this was only to be used on anemergency. They were to make no attempt to reply to the fire of theRussians. Bob stationed himself by the cart where Chang-Wo was stillbound, and fired a shot at intervals whenever an incautious member ofthe attacking force presumed on the general silence of the besieged andemerged from cover. More than once his shots took effect, and as aresult the enemy became more cautious, keeping well behind the shelterof the rocks, and settling themselves to establish a strict blockade.
Thus the day passed. At the approach of night, Bob for the first timeinformed Mrs. Pottle of the place of safety he had found for her and herniece. The strain of the siege was beginning to tell on the elder lady,who quite meekly accepted Bob's proposal, and prepared to climb with himto the cleft. He was as much pleased as surprised to find that Ethelbecame cooler and more self-possessed as her aunt grew more nervous.When she learnt of the new habitation in the heart of the rock she waseager to visit it; clearly the romance of the situation appealed to hermore strongly than the danger.
Bob did not care to risk lighting his torch. It was therefore a task ofno little difficulty for him and Ah-Sam to
conduct the ladies along thenarrow ledge to the mouth of the cleft. But the passage wassuccessfully made, and Mrs. Pottle, panting for breath, heaved a sigh ofrelief when she found herself seated on the sacks placed by Ah-Samwithin the entrance. Then Bob lit his torch, and by its light theladies saw the rugged sides and roof of their new abode.
"You must leave me the torch, Mr. Fawcett," said Mrs. Pottle. "I cannotbe left in this gloomy place in the dark."
"I will give you the materials for one," said Bob, "but it will beunwise to keep a light constantly burning. The Russians would see itfrom their hill, and I don't want them to frighten you by firing shotsinto the cleft."
"But in the morning," said Ethel, "we shall want to communicate withyou. Will it not be dangerous for you to come and see us if the openingis exposed to the Russians' fire?"
"We will guard against that," said Bob. "Ah-Sam and I will pile up someboulders at the opening, and at the edge of that shelf of rock, and thenwe shall be pretty safe. And for your own security here I have broughta pistol; use it on the least provocation. Either I or Ah-Sam will benear at hand; when we are not on guard at the barricade we shall get alittle sleep in a recess round the corner, just before the ledge begins;we shall hear you if you call."
"Well, Mr. Fawcett," said Mrs. Pottle, "I guess you're a real nice boy,and if we get out of this alive I don't know how I shall be able to showmy gratitude. Anyhow, your name shall be known throughout the UnitedStates, from Texas to Oregon. Ethel, will you take the pistol or shallI?"
"You have your umbrella, aunt," replied Ethel with a sly look at Bob.
Leaving the ladies to settle the point between themselves, he returnedto the edge of the gully, and succeeded in obtaining a few hours' sleep.He was awakened by the voice of Ah-Sam addressing him urgently.
"Topside piecee Manchu no belongey no more this-side," said theChinaman. "Hab gone wailo other-side, galaw!"
"Gone?"
"Lun wailo chop-chop, massa; my no can find he."
"How did that happen? What was the sentry doing?"
"One piecee man gone dead."
Bob hurried to the cart, and found that it was indeed as Ah-Sam hadsaid: Chang-Wo had escaped. The cords that had bound him to the cartlay loose; they were uncut. On the ground beside them lay the dead bodyof one of the Chunchuses; he had been stabbed to the heart. No onecould give any information of the escape. The sentry had been changedat intervals according to Bob's instructions; no sound had been heardduring the night; the Manchu had somehow managed to free himself fromhis bonds and stolen away in silence. Bob was vexed, even more at theslackness of the guard than at the disappearance of Chang-Wo, and he didnot fail to point the moral in a serious talk with Sing-Cheng, who forhis part was almost beside himself with rage. Nothing could be done,the Manchu was gone. Bob wondered whether their paths would ever crossagain.
That day also passed, and still the Russians had made no sign. Bobchafed at their inactivity. Apparently they were determined to starvethe garrison out. They might have been waiting for reinforcements, andthe fact that none had arrived seemed a proof that the general advanceof the Japanese army towards the Yalu had given the Russian staff othermatters to think about. How long could the defenders hold out? Thepony and one mule had already been eaten; there was no food for theother two mules, and they must soon be killed to appease the men'shunger. For the ladies there still remained a quantity of grain thatmight be eked out with great economy for two or three days, but thesupply of fuel was failing. Ah-Sam had hitherto found scattered billetsof wood in the shape of branches fallen from the trees high up the cliffand inaccessible from below. There was still the cart, and it wasevident that ere long that must be broken up.
That night Bob took a spell of duty at the lower barricade, leaving justbefore three o'clock in the morning to snatch a rest before dawn. Hehad just dropped off to sleep when he was startled to wakefulness by thesound of a shot. His resting-place, as usual, was the end of the ledgeleading to the ladies' bower, as Ethel had called it, and the soundseemed so close to him that he knew at once it must have proceeded fromMrs. Pottle's pistol. Hurrying along the ledge as quickly as possible inthe darkness, his footsteps were heard by the ladies, and Mrs. Pottlecried out to him to come to their assistance. The mouth of the cleftwas in pitch darkness, the night being cloudy; but Bob struck a match,and saw Mrs. Pottle standing with her face to the interior, holding thepistol in her right hand, and with her left pushing Ethel behind herample form.
"What has happened?" asked Bob anxiously.
"I have shot something. Take care; there may be another, there may behundreds. I will fire again. Listen! do you hear footsteps?"
All three held their breath. There was not a sound. Bob picked up andlit the torch, and advanced in front of the ladies, throwing a faintillumination on the irregular roof and walls. Nothing was to be seen.
"Perhaps it was a bird," said Bob.
"Not at all, Mr. Fawcett. It was a man, I know it was. I was lyingawake, thinking, and listening to dear Ethel's breathing, when I heard afootstep. I jumped up; I heard it distinctly; then a sort of grunt,like a man clearing his throat; then I saw a pair of eyes shining--"
"Oh, Aunt Jane, how could you in the dark?"
"My dear, I did; and to prove it, when I fired the pistol the eyesdisappeared, and you woke up, and you yourself heard footsteps, severalfootsteps, going quickly away into the interior."
"I did seem to hear footsteps," said Ethel, "but I was so scaredthat--Oh, Mr. Fawcett, I don't like this dark place. We don't know whomay be in it."
"But I went a good way through it before I brought you here, and sawnothing."
"Depend upon it, there's another entrance," declared Mrs. Pottle, "andthe Russians were coming to attack us this way. If I had not been awakewe should all have been murdered. I think I frightened them, I know Idid; but they will come back. Mr. Fawcett, you must bring up your menand drive the villains out at the other end."
"It is extraordinary. I cannot think that is the explanation. Russianswould not have run away at one pistol-shot. I must go into the interiorand explore. Ah-Sam, go and bring me another torch."
The Chinaman had followed in Bob's footsteps. He soon returned from theencampment with a torch, which he lit at Bob's order.
"You will stay here with the torch till I return," said Bob.
"No can do," declared Ah-Sam. "My walkee behind-side massa, look-seeiniside. Supposey massa catchee Rosha man; ch'hoy! what for China-boystop wailo? One piecee man catchee you, he killum--sartin."
"Nonsense. You must guard the ladies. Do not follow me unless I callyou. I will be as quick as I can," he added to the ladies.
Then taking one torch in his left hand and a pistol in his right, headvanced cautiously into the cleft, leaving the ladies standing withjoined hands.