"Take a spare gun at once. If there are others there, they will think that you are loading, and may show themselves again."
A moment later, Dick saw a gun thrust out through the window he was watching. Then the head and shoulders of a man appeared behind it. He fired, and the figure disappeared. Almost at the same instant, Surajah fired again.
"I had one that time, Sahib!"
It was now quiet for some little time. Then a horseman dashed suddenly past, and galloped up the valley at full speed.
"The end window, Surajah! Bring him down, if you can."
Surajah ran there and fired.
"I have missed him!" he said, in a tone of deep disappointment.
"It does not make much difference. If you had hit him, they could have sent another off close to the opposite side of the valley. There is no doubt as to what he has gone for. You see, they have lost six killed and one wounded, and they must know that they have not the slightest chance of taking this hut. I have no doubt that he has ridden back to bring down the infantry from the fort. From the number of huts round the gate, and the sound of talking, I should think there were fifty or sixty at least--perhaps a hundred.
"If they send down fifty, we shall have sharp work. Our difficulty will be to prevent them from making a rush at all the windows together. If they were to get there, they could riddle us with balls."
"Could we block them up, Sahib?"