"Hard pressed, but still holding out," replied Lawrence.
There were hearty hand-clasps when they met.
"I was afraid we should be too late--had no end of a job to get this scratch column together," said the Major. "How far are we from the mine?"
"About thirty miles, I think."
"I hoped it was less. We've been marching all day, and the horses can't possibly do thirty miles without a rest. Just tell me how matters stand, will you?"
"When I left, about three-quarters of an hour ago, my brother had just been forced back into the mine."
"Did he leave it, then?" interrupted the Major.
"Oh yes! He has till now held the enemy off some distance down the track. But their artillery was too much for us, and we're now in the last ditch, so to speak. Bob has blown up the bridge, so the enemy can't get across immediately; and my little Gurkha has done a good deal of damage among their guns with bombs; but the track is now open to them; they'll bring more guns up, and be able to pound us at point-blank range. We've lost a good many men; we've only a few rounds of ammunition left for the machine gun, and precious little for the rifles."
"Dynamite?"
"I've got the last of it in four bombs in the aeroplane."