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The men in reserve, while the first half were re-loading, fired at the approaching foe. Several must have been hit, but the next instant not a man was to be seen, they having evidently sought cover by springing behind the trees. What has now been described occupied scarcely a minute of time.
Outside, the clatter of the ramrods in the guns could be heard; the troops were re-loading their arms. Enjolras went on: "Who is there here with a bold heart? Who will plant the flag on the barricade again?" Not a man responded. To mount on the barricade at the very moment when, without any doubt, it was again the object of their aim, was simply death.
But they came on again, and notwithstanding the appearance of two other natives with guns, which they let off with more or less success, we should have been overwhelmed by the great and ferocious apes had I not by this time succeeded in re-loading the elephant gun.
Donald on this, after re-loading his gun, having stirred up the fire so as to make it burn more brightly, ran towards the tree, up which he began to climb. The short delay of loading his gun might have proved fatal, for part of the pack perceiving him, came yelping on furiously, and he had scarcely got his feet out of the reach of their fangs before the whole pack had collected round him.
Over these same leagues of road which Rowley and I now traversed in the claret-coloured chaise, to the note of the flageolet and the French lesson how many pairs of lovers had gone bowling northwards to the music of sixteen scampering horseshoes; and how many irate persons, parents, uncles, guardians, evicted rivals, had come tearing after, clapping the frequent red face to the chaise-window, lavishly shedding their gold about the post- houses, sedulously loading and re-loading, as they went, their avenging pistols!
The ox, however, which was a black one, was faintly distinguishable; Tom Brown therefore aimed, as near as he could guess, about a foot above him and fired. No result followed. He had evidently missed. While he was re-loading, the major and Wilkins rushed forward and leaped on the hut, exclaiming eagerly, "Where are they? have you hit?"
Before breechloaders were invented, we were obliged to fit out a regular battery of four double rifles for such dangerous game as elephants, buffaloes, etc., as the delay in re-loading was most annoying and might lead to fatal accidents.
Some of them, now rendered furious by the unexpectedly successful opposition made by the dauntless three, as well as by the smarting of their wounds, were hastily re-loading their weapons, when their captain came forward. It was obvious that mercy or forbearance had been driven from their breasts, and that a few seconds more would put a bloody end to the unequal contest.
The men were now, however, re-loading and firing as rapidly as they could, each independently of the other, and Frobisher, not knowing their language, found it impossible to control them sufficiently to make them fire only at the word of command.
For about half of the bamboo remained visible and went sailing up the stream. Just then there was the sharp report of a gun from behind, followed by another, while before there was time for re-loading there was the loud crack, crack of a double fowling-piece. "Hurrah! That's uncle!" cried Rodd. "They are firing at the crocodiles, and it will be with bullets."
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