But Bungle stopped short.
"No good go dat way, sah! Def lie in dat dilection, foh true."
Thinking it was wise to be guided by the boy, Kep followed him, and they made a wide détour. If he had been obstinate the probability is that both would have been killed. They reached the barracoon at last, just in time to enter with the bluejackets.
And these were victorious; but, alas! victory had cost them dear.
For more than three hours the men had fought with clouds of Arabs and spear-armed Somali Indians. They had at last cut their way right through them; and, scaling palisade after palisade, captured the barracoon, driving the defenders into the woods at the point of the bayonet.
All throughout that long, hot day, McTavish laboured hard among his wounded men, of whom no less than twenty had been brought in, and at least fifteen lay dead in the forest. Among these last was poor Fisher. Nor had it been possible to recover his body.
The enemy had drawn off, although we knew it would be but for a time.
The doctor had so much to do that it was within an hour of sunset before he could find time to look about him. But at last he finished making the poor men as comfortable as circumstances would permit, and then went in search of the Captain.
He was busy enough, so were the men under the charge of Guilford, the gunner, and the officer of marines.
But the palisades, both the inner and the outer, had been already repaired, and the whole place put into position to stand a siege of days--so they hoped, at least.