Pattering footsteps sounded on the causeway, and a little crowd of nearly doubled figures came up it at a run.
“Fire!”
The volley took the rebels absolutely by surprise, and no man could miss his mark at that short range. Five of the rebels fell back headlong, and the rest, who followed up the causeway, turned on their heels and ran.
“'Bout turn!” Brown shouted suddenly. “Use the steel, men! Use the steel!”
His own sword was flashing, and lunging as he spoke, and he had already checked a sudden rush by the prisoners.
They had thought the moment favorable for joining in the scrimmage from the rear.
“All right! That'll do them! I'll attend to 'em now!”
A man came running up with the lantern Brown had asked for, and Brown took it and began waving it above his head.
“They must have heard that volley!” he muttered to himself. “Ah! There's the answer!”
A red light began to dance over in the British camp, moving up and down and sidewise in sudden little jerks. Brown read the jerks, as he could never have read writing, and a moment later he answered them.