“Can’t some of us come and help, sir?” said a feeble voice.
“Yes; there’s six of us, sir,” said another; “and we’ve all got rifles.”
“Back to your beds directly,” cried the Doctor. “What’s the use of me trying to save your lives, and— Well, it’s very good of you, my lads,” he said, breaking off suddenly. “Fix bayonets, and stand outside the ward ready to help if we, the first line, are driven in.”
There was a sharp crackety-crack as the metal sockets of the bayonets rattled on the muzzles of the rifles, and the six invalids took their places on either side of the ward-door, where the rest of the sufferers lay in silence listening to the yelling outside and the firing now going vigorously on.
There was another crash against the outer door, but still it did not yield, though it sounded as if it was being dashed from its fastenings, and then a shuffling, scraping sound told that another attempt was being made by one of the mad fanatics to get in by the slit of a window. But again there was the peculiar rattling sound of a thrust being made with a rifle thrown right forward and grazing the sides of the opening. A wild shriek followed, and Gedge withdrew his piece, panting heavily and trembling from weakness.
“Did you get home?” whispered the Doctor.
“Yes, sir, clean,” whispered back Gedge; “and oh, if that only was the chap as shot Mr Bracy that day!”
There was a crash at the door now, as if a mass of stone had been hurled at it; a couple of boards were driven out, and a strange animal odour floated in, with a yell of triumph, heard above the piteous bleating of sheep and the sharp rattle of the rifles.
“Give me room, Doctor; I can do it. My man taught me,” said the nurse, standing with Gedge, friendly for the first time in their lives; and they delivered rapidly thrust after thrust with their full strength, one of the savage Ghazis going down at each.
It was too dark to do much, and Bracy felt his helplessness, after trying to parry a cut or two delivered by one of the enemy; so, drawing his revolver, he fired slowly shot after shot as the enemy reached in to cut at the defenders, their blows mostly falling upon the sides of the broken door.