As Paula lifted hers into position, a rat sprang through the gap and knocked her over.
Her frantic screams brought me rushing to her. She was flat on her back, hitting out at the rat with both hands, while it snapped viciously, trying to get past her beating hands to her throat
I smashed the gun butt down on its back, grabbed it and threw it over the wall of boxes in one movement.
There was no time to find out if she was hurt. I slung the box she had dropped into the gap and rushed back for more.
She was on her feet now, and came staggering over to help me. We had completed the second row, making a wall four feet high, but it wasn’t enough. The entrance to the cave would have to be entirely blocked if we were going to be safe. Even then, with their numbers and weight, the rats might push over our improvised wall.
‘Keep going,’ I panted. ‘A double row.’
We toiled on, dragging the boxes across the floor, slamming them into place, rushing back for others.
The noise outside was horrifying, and every so often the boxes swayed as the mass of struggling bodies thudded against them.
‘There’s another in!’ Paula screamed
She dropped her box and backed away, her hands protecting her throat.