That the main force could by any means fail them was a possibility over
which for long neither Derrick nor his followers wasted a thought.
Nevertheless half-an-hour of mad turmoil passed, and no help came.
Derrick charitably set down its non-appearance to ignorance of his state
and whereabouts, and he began at length to wonder within himself how the
place was to be defended throughout the night. Retreat he would not
think of, for he was game to the finger-tips. But even he could not fail
to see that, when the moon rose, he and his followers would be in a very
tight fix.
"Confound their caution! What are they thinking of?" he muttered
savagely. "If they only came straight ahead they would be bound to find
us."
And then a yelling crowd of dim figures breasted the rocks and dashed
forward with the force of a hurricane upon the little body of Goorkhas.
In a second Derrick was fighting in the dark with mad enthusiasm for
bare foothold, and shouting at the top of his voice exhortations to his
men to keep together.
It was a desperate struggle, but once more the little party of invaders
held their ground. And Derrick, yelling encouragement to his friends and
defiance to his foes, became vaguely conscious of a new element in the
strife.
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