Beyond annoyance, an artillery fire could do no
harm, for the party could be absolutely safe in the store cave. The
instant the shot flew overhead, however, Sivajee Punt beckoned to
me, and motioned me to take my seat on the wall facing the guns.
Hesitation was useless, and I took my seat with my back to the
Dacoits and my face to the hill. One of the Dacoits, as I did so,
pulled off the native cloth which covered my shoulders, in order
that I might be clearly seen.
"Just as I took my place another round shot hummed by; but then
there was a long interval of silence. With a field glass every
feature must have been distinguishable to the gunners, and I had
no doubt that they were waiting for orders as to what to do next.
"I glanced round and saw that, with the exception of one fellow
squatted behind the parapet some half dozen yards away, clearly
as a sentry to keep me in place, all the others had disappeared.
Some, no doubt, were on sentry down the path, the others were in
the store beneath me. After half an hour's silence the guns spoke
out again. Evidently the gunners were told to be as careful as
they could, for some of the shots went wide on the left, others on
the right. A few struck the rock below me. The situation was not
pleasant, but I thought that at a thousand yards they ought not to
hit me, and I tried to distract my attention by thinking out what
I should do under every possible contingency.
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