“Ah,” said Infadoos, “they are going to attack us on three sides at once.”

This seemed rather serious news, for our position on the top of the mountain, which measured a mile and a half in circumference, being an extended one, it was important to us to concentrate our comparatively small defending force as much as possible.  But since it was impossible for us to dictate in what way we should be assailed, we had to make the best of it, and accordingly sent orders to the various regiments to prepare to receive the separate onslaughts.

CHAPTER XIII

THE ATTACK

Slowly, and without the slightest appearance of haste or excitement, the three columns crept on.  When within about five hundred yards of us, the main or centre column halted at the root of a tongue of open plain which ran up into the hill, to give time to the other divisions to circumvent our position, which was shaped more or less in the form of a horse-shoe, with its two points facing towards the town of Loo.  The object of this manoeuvre was that the threefold assault should be delivered simultaneously.

“Oh, for a gatling!” groaned Good, as he contemplated the serried phalanxes beneath us.  “I would clear that plain in twenty minutes.”

“We have not got one, so it is no use yearning for it; but suppose you try a shot, Quatermain,” said Sir Henry.  “See how near you can go to that tall fellow who appears to be in command.  Two to one you miss him, and an even sovereign, to be honestly paid if ever we get out of this, that you don’t drop the bullet within five yards.”

This piqued me, so, loading the express with solid ball, I waited till my friend walked some ten yards out from his force, in order to get a better view of our position, accompanied only by an orderly; then, lying down and resting the express on a rock, I covered him.  The rifle, like all expresses, was only sighted to three hundred and fifty yards, so to allow for the drop in trajectory I took him half-way down the neck, which ought, I calculated, to find him in the chest.  He stood quite still and gave me every opportunity, but whether it was the excitement or the wind, or the fact of the man being a long shot, I don’t know, but this was what happened.  Getting dead on, as I thought, a fine sight, I pressed, and when the puff of smoke had cleared away, to my disgust, I saw my man standing there unharmed, whilst his orderly, who was at least three paces to the left, was stretched upon the ground apparently dead.  Turning swiftly, the officer I had aimed at began to run towards his men in evident alarm.

“Bravo, Quatermain!” sang out Good; “you’ve frightened him.”

This made me very angry, for, if possible to avoid it, I hate to miss in public.  When a man is master of only one art he likes to keep up his reputation in that art.  Moved quite out of myself at my failure, I did a rash thing.  Rapidly covering the general as he ran, I let drive with the second barrel.  Instantly the poor man threw up his arms, and fell forward on to his face.  This time I had made no mistake; and—­I say it as a proof of how little we think of others when our own safety, pride, or reputation is in question—­I was brute enough to feel delighted at the sight.