ATTACKED BY THE VILLAGERS 



Then, holding our guns before us in readiness to fire, 

 and occasionally pointing them at the crowd, we retreated 

 slowly towards the camp. The plan succeeded better than 

 I had expected, and for some time we kept the crowd in 

 check, till, seeing we were likely to escape, they resorted to 

 the very measures I had feared, and soon a shower of 

 stones and earth-clods came whizzing past our heads. 

 Fortunately none hit us, and as our assailants were afraid 

 to come too close, we soon passed out of range. 



On arriving at the camp we informed the Commandant 

 of what had taken place, and had scarcely concluded our 

 report when the whole village, armed with javelins, iron- 

 bound " lathis," and other formidable weapons, came 

 swarming round the tents. Yelling and shouting like 

 maniacs let loose, and using the most abusive language they 

 could think of, they danced round us in their fury, and, 

 brandishing their weapons in our faces, demanded my 

 immediate and unconditional surrender. 



" Give up that sahib ! " they cried, pointing to where 

 I stood. " Give up the man who drowned our brother, or 

 we will set the camp on fire and kill every white man 

 in it ! " 



There was no mistaking the meaning of these cries, for 

 there were some amongst us who understood the language ; 

 and that they were capable of carrying out their threat 

 was unhappily too evident, since they numbered probably 

 three hundred, all armed, as I have said, with various 

 deadly weapons, which they doubtless knew well how to 

 use, whereas we were but thirty Europeans in all, most of 

 these practically ineffective from fever and debility, and 

 one a helpless woman, while as to arms, two muzzle- 

 loading shot-guns, a revolver, and three regulation jim- 

 crack tailors' swords were the only weapons we possessed. 



True, there were our servants and camp-followers- 

 some twenty, perhaps, in all but they, too, were natives 

 of the country, and more or less in sympathy with the 

 crowd, and, judging from their attitude, seemed half- 

 disposed to join it, though, through fear of the consequences, 

 they might at best remain neutral. 



To me, as the individual principally concerned, the 

 position was a terrible one. Yet, desperate as it was, that 



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