The Russians with their carbines fired a few volleys at the door, the bullets coming through it. Then one fellow advanced with the key of the barn in his hand, his comrades, having drawn their swords, coming close behind him as though they intended rushing in as soon as the door was opened and slaying all within. ‘When I give the word fire,’ said Sergeant Linham, ‘let each cover a man.’ The trumpeters placed the muzzles of their pistols through chinks in the walls. Pearson aimed through the hole in the door. Sergeant Linham allowed the Russians to get quite close; then he said calmly, ‘Fire!’ Four reports rang out, and when the smoke had cleared off the Lancers saw the Russians dragging away three wounded comrades. In another minute they made a second attempt. Four more reports, and then a second retreat took place. ‘They will unlock the door in a few minutes,’ said the sergeant. ‘I observed that there were two staples and a cross-bar inside. Let us put that up; it will keep them out a bit longer.’ This was done, and then returning to their positions the four saw that the men outside had been reinforced till they numbered quite fifty. These, pushed on from behind by an officer, rushed up to the door, which they unlocked and tried to throw open. The beam prevented them, when with their sword-hilts and carbines they hammered on the wood. ‘Fire as quickly as you can!’ cried Linham; and the pistols rang out. Then Pearson, seized with an idea, took up his lance, and, rolling the flag round the shaft, placed the point through the hole in the door and lunged out twice with terrible effect. The screams of the two men he wounded, in ordinary times, would have made the blood of the defenders run cold; but their fighting spirit was now aroused, and they gave a wild hurrah. ‘Well done, boys,’ cried the sergeant; ‘they’ve got a bit more than they can stomach I think. I never heard of a foreigner yet who liked British steel.’ The Russians, in fact, fell back, having so far got much the worst of the encounter. The four in the barn were wondering what would be the next move, when the Russians again opened a sharp carbine-fire on the barn. Many of the bullets penetrated and _pinged_ uncomfortably close to the Lancers. ‘Throw yourselves on the ground,’ said Sergeant Linham; and there they remained until the firing was over. They then returned to their posts, as another attack on the door was made; but their four shots proving they had not been killed or disabled, the Russians drew off out of sight. It grew dark, and for a long time the Lancers were silent. Then Sergeant Linham burst into a grim chuckle. ‘What are you laughing at, sergeant?’ asked Pearson. ‘The toads! we’ve got them in a corner,’ he said; ‘they have no field-piece, or they could blow the place to bits in ten minutes. Then they might burn us out; but the wind is blowing towards the house, which would most likely catch fire and burn their precious wounded captain. They’re in a fix.’