"Come out, you rats, and fight fair," roared Dan Rugg; and there was a derisive shout of laughter, which echoed through the chamber, followed by the hoa.r.s.e voice of Captain Purlrose.

"Go home, b.u.mpkins!" he shouted, "or we'll spit you all together like larks."

"Beast!" shouted back Mark; and stepping forward he hurled his link right in over the pike-heads, amongst their holders, eliciting a series of thrusts and furious yells, as he took one step back, and fell back the next. A savage roar rose from his men, answered by another from within.

"Hurt, Mark Eden?" cried Ralph excitedly, catching at his brother leader, and saving him from going down.

"No: feel stupid," panted Mark, who looked confused and dizzy; "point struck this stupid steel cap;" and he tore it off, and threw it down, though it had in all probability saved his life; the step back he had taken, however, had lessened the force of the thrust. "Better now.-- Here, stop them. They are doing no good."

For enraged by what had taken place, the attacking party had rushed in again, to go on stabbing and thrusting away with their pikes, keeping up a series of rattlings and clashings, till Ralph made his voice heard, and they drew back, growling angrily, and the weird light shed by the torches showed that blood had begun to flow from hands and arms.

"We must do something different to this," cried Ralph, as soon as the yells of derision which greeted their repulse were over.

"Yes, young idiot! Go home to bed," shouted the captain hoa.r.s.ely. Then he burst into a savage tirade of curses, for Dummy, in his rage at being right at the back, had thrown another blazing torch straight in over the bristling pike-heads, lighting up the interior, and showing the savage faces of the defenders close together. Ralph judged that the link had struck the captain.

"Stand fast, men," he whispered. "We may make them charge out that way.

Go on, Dummy, and half-a-dozen more of you throw in your links all together."

The order was obeyed, after the torches had been waved into a fierce blaze, and they flew in, scattering drops of burning pitch, bringing forth an outburst of yells of rage and pain, and a quick movement showed that the marauders were about to rush out. But the voice of Captain Purlrose was heard thundering out the words:

"Stand fast! Only a few drops of pitch, and a singe or two. Here, two of you, throw them back." An exchange of burning missiles now took place for a few minutes, which soon ended on the part of the defenders, who, roaring with rage and pain, kept on trampling out the torches now thrown.

"Stop!" cried Mark. "It's of no good. The cowards will not come out.

Here, Ralph Darley."

There was a few moments' whispering, resulting in orders being given to the men, two of the Edens, and two of the Darleys standing aside, ready for some action.

"Now for another charge," whispered Mark. "Take as long a hold of your pikes as you can, and when I give the order, let your points be all together like one. Ready? Forward!"

As the little party advanced, with their pike-heads almost touching, while those of their enemies were advanced to defend the opening, the two men on either side darted close up, shielded by the wall, pa.s.sed their arms over with a quick motion, and each grasped and held fast one or two pike-shafts, in spite of the efforts of their holders to get them free.

But there were enough left to defend the hole, and one by one, in spite of the desperate efforts made to hold them, the imprisoned weapons were at last dragged away, to reappear, stabbing furiously, till, breathless with their exertions, the men once more drew back, several of the Edens in their rage s.n.a.t.c.hing their small mining-picks from their belts, one hurling his into the hole, a wild yell telling that it had done its work.

"Well," said Mark despondently, "what can we do?"

"Wait and see if they will come out and attack us. We are wasting strength."

"Yes. It's no good. We ought to have brought a lot of blasting-powder, Dan, and blown them out."

"Yes, Master Mark; but we didn't know. My advice is that we go back now, and come again."

"Why, you're hurt," said Ralph excitedly, as he saw the blood streaming down the man's arm.

"Ah, so's a lot of us, young master," growled the man. "Look at your own lads."

Ralph took and raised a torch, and saw that half his own party, including Nick Garth and Ram Jennings, were suffering from cuts and stabs in their arms.

"Oh, they're nowt," growled Nick. "They've got it worse inside. Now then, let's go at 'em again, or we shall never do it."

Another yell of defiance came from the pa.s.sage, followed by mocking invitations to them to come on again.

"Yah! You aren't men," roared Ram Jennings. "Rats, that's what you are--rats. Only good to go and fight wi' women."

"It's of no good," said Mark bitterly. "I feel done. I haven't had a single cut or thrust at one of the brutes; neither have you. We can't do it."

"I don't like to say so," said Ralph, "but my father was a soldier, and he said a good officer never wasted his men."

"Well, we're wasting ours," said Mark bitterly, "We must give up, and come again."

"Stop," whispered Ralph. "I know. Give orders to your men quietly, and I'll do so to mine. Then we'll throw the torches in at them with all our might, and give a shout, and retreat as if we were beaten."

"And stop on each side of the mouth to catch them as they pursue us,"

said Mark excitedly, catching at the idea. "That's it."

The next moment they were hurrying from man to man, who heard them sulkily, growling and panting in their rage. But they obeyed their leaders' orders, getting their remaining links well ablaze, the holders forming in front, and the rest quietly and quickly filing out by the other end of the chamber.

"Now!" shouted Ralph suddenly. "In with them."

There was a rush of light, and the fiery missiles flew in through the opening, falling amongst the defenders, and leaving the chamber in comparative darkness, amidst which was heard the quick tramping of feet, mingled with the yells of rage from the defenders.

The next minute, with Mark and Ralph coming last, all were outside the mouth of the cavern, grouped in two parties, with presented weapons, breathing the soft, cool night air, and waiting for the attack of their foes.

Sound after sound came from the opening, but not such as they longed with bated breath to hear. Once there was a loud order which came rolling out, and a little later a gleam of lights was seen, but no rush of footsteps, no sign of pursuit; and suddenly a voice broke the silence of the peaceful night air, as Nick Garth roared out:

"'Taren't likely. Rats won't show for hours after the dogs have hunted 'em in their holes."

"Ah! might wait for a week," growled Dan Rugg. "It's all over for to-night."

"They're right, Eden," whispered Ralph.

"Yes: they're right," said Mark, with a groan. "We're beaten--beaten, like a pack of cowards. Let's go home."

"I did not see much cowardice," said Ralph bitterly. "But it's all over, and we must retreat. Give the word."

"What! to retreat?" cried Mark pa.s.sionately. "I'll die first."

"It is not fair to the men to keep them longer."

"Well, you're a soldier's son, and know best, I suppose. Give the word yourself."

Ralph hesitated, for his companion's words seemed to be tinged by a sneer, but he knew that it was madness to stay, and hesitating no longer, he gave the word to retire.

"We're not going back for your orders," said one of Mark's followers surlily.

"Yes, you are," cried his young master fiercely. "Back home now.

March!"

There was a low growling on both sides, but the orders were obeyed, and slowly and painfully the two parties, stiff with exertion, and smarting with wounds, filed over the steep stone-besprinkled slope.