For a few instants the Tubus strove with fierce courage to stem this tempestuous assault. Then they gave way, turned about, and rushed down the hill towards their horses, grouped at the base. Challis and his men took a heavy toll as they swept along. The men holding the horses were seized with fright, and soon there was a wild stampede back to the shelter of the wood. Challis was careful not to press the pursuit too far. Before the enemy had time to rally, he led his men up the hill and assisted Royce to gain the wall. John carried the pail of water, which was the only one of their vessels they brought safely home. "Thanks, old man," said Royce, when Challis returned to him. "It was a very near thing." "It's better to be born lucky than rich, they say," said Challis; "and certainly it was a great piece of luck that I was able to intervene at the critical moment. I had taken half the men to the other side, to repel what seemed to be an attack there; but the Tubus evidently assumed that their friends had a good thing on this side, for they swerved to the right. Look, they have just joined the others in the wood." "They have more bravery than generalship, that's clear," said Royce. "Yes, there are enough of them to crush us to nothing, if they were properly led." "There are more of them than ever. Other parties must have joined them. The odds are desperate. We are only two score, all told, and less than half have rifles." "We have the walls, at any rate. The most necessary thing is to strengthen those as well as we can." "I must attend to your arm first," said Challis. "You can't any longer say that you haven't a scratch." "It's not much more," said Royce, looking at his sleeve as Challis gently drew his coat off. "More than you think. It's a nasty gash. Thank goodness we've got our medical stores safe." He dressed the wound, and bound it up with lint; gave the same attention to Gambaru; then, placing a man on guard at each end of the fort, they sat down to discuss their position more fully. It seemed likely that by diligent work they could strengthen their defences considerably. But for the difficulty as to water, provisions, and ammunition, they might hope to tire the enemy out, if he remained persistent. The difficulty was a very grave one. The water in the pail gave them only about a cupful each, and a second attempt to fetch more from the stream might be disastrous. Their provisions, on half rations, might last a fortnight; and, with the enemy so near, there was little chance of replenishing the larder. The ammunition amounted to about three hundred rounds per rifle--scarcely more than enough for one day's hard fighting. "I wonder whether they will stick to it," said Challis. "What can their object be?"