at them from the right flank of the enemy's position. Every bullet
struck yards above their heads, the common failing of musketry at night
being to take too high an aim. But the impact of the missiles on a rock
so highly impregnated with minerals caused sparks to fly, and Jenks saw
that the Dyaks would obtain by this means a most dangerous index of
their faulty practice. Telling Iris to at once occupy her safe corner,
he rapidly adjusted a rifle on the wooden rests already prepared in
anticipation of an attack from that quarter, and fired three shots at
the opposing crest, whence came the majority of gun-flashes.

One, at least, of the three found a human billet. There was a shout of
surprise and pain, and the next volley spurted from the ground level.
This could do no damage owing to the angle, but he endeavored to
disconcert the marksmen by keeping up a steady fire in their direction.
He did not dream of attaining other than a moral effect, as there is a
lot of room to miss when aiming in the dark. Soon he imagined that the
burst of flame from his rifle helped the Dyaks, because several bullets
whizzed close to his head, and about this time firing recommenced from
the crest.

Notwithstanding all his skill and manipulation of the wooden supports,
he failed to dislodge the occupants. Every minute one or more ounces of
lead pitched right into the ledge, damaging the stores and tearing the
tarpaulin, whilst those which struck the wall of rock were dangerous to
Iris by reason of the molten spray.

He could guess what had happened. By lying flat on the sloping plateau,
or squeezing close to the projecting shoulder of the cliff, the Dyaks
were so little exposed that idle chance alone would enable him to hit
one of them. But they must be shifted, or this night bombardment would