The storming party at once charged, making for the gate, which in the dark they missed and ran all round the work looking for it, a pause that gave Captain Ross the chance of getting inside and defending the entrance. He had no sooner got to the gateway--there was no gate--than the storming party rushed him, led by a noted fighting chief named Tautai, who, missing his footing on the narrow planks, tumbled end over end into the ditch, an accident that saved his life, as the bullet, that should have sent him whooping to perdition, killed the man following him. Two more Hau Haus, the gallant captain, disputing the narrow way, despatched to their father Satan, when the remainder, not relishing their reception, jumped into the ditch after their chief, and at the same moment the second party rushed up. Captain Ross was still in the gateway, doing his best to give the new-comers a hearty and warm welcome, when one of the scallywags in the ditch crawled up under the bridge and discharged his gun into the unfortunate officer’s body; at the same moment another of them sank the head of his long-handled tomahawk into his chest, and dragged the desperately wounded man down into the ditch, where he was soon hacked to pieces. His fall caused some confusion in the already scanty garrison, and that in rather a queer manner, as when wounded he shouted: “Take care of yourselves, boys. I am done for.” On hearing which four men, interpreting the order to mean that each man should try and save himself, mounted to the top of the parapet, and, jumping over the Hau Hau’s heads who were in the ditch, sought to save themselves by breaking through the other assailants and hiding in the fern. Three of then succeeded in doing so, the fourth being killed. The defenders were now reduced in numbers to twenty-one, Sergeant M’Fadden taking command, occupying the post of danger left vacant by the death of his gallant officer, where bravely he sustained the fight until he was shot dead, when Corporal Blake stepped into the breach and post of honour, only to fall in the same manner; thus the gallant fellows held out, defending their trust until eight of them lay dead and six of them desperately wounded in the blood-stained gateway, the civilian also being killed. Six men only were now left to continue the fight, but their comrades had not died uselessly having, previous to their departure to that Valhalla designed by Providence for the reception of Lost Legionaries, administered such punishment to their enemies that the latter withdrew from the attack on the gateway to positions from which the whole interior of the work, with the exception of one bastion, could be searched by a plunging fire.