It was lucky, for their guns and pistols were of immense use
to us. We could not have held out with only our own weapons.
"About twenty of their cavalry came up a few minutes afterwards. We
beat them off, and then they sent up to the fort for infantry, and
about fifty men came down and attacked us, just at sunrise. They kept
it up to within half an hour ago. Then the infantry marched back,
knowing, of course, that your troop generally got here about seven.
"The horsemen stayed here till within a few minutes of your arrival.
No doubt they thought that we should suppose they had all gone, and
might venture out, and let them get a shot at us."
"Why, it must have been a veritable battle, Dick."
"There was a good deal of noise, Uncle, though not much danger. So
long as we kept below the level of the loopholes and windows, and out
of the line of the door, there was no chance of our being hit."
"They must have made a strong attack on the door," the Rajah said. "I
see that the two lying next to it were both killed by sword thrusts."
"Yes, that was the most critical moment, Uncle. We had emptied nearly
all our barrels, and if they could have broken down the bars, which I
have no doubt they could have done, if they had stuck to it, they
would have made very short work of us.
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