What a childish trick! Maskee!" he added, wearily "we couldn't waste a shot at 'em now even if they were real." His grimy hearers nodded mechanically.

They knew, without being told, that they should fire no more until at close quarters in some final rush.
"Only a few more rounds apiece," he continued.

"Our friends outside must have run nearly as short, according to the coolie we took prisoner in the tunnel.

But they'll get more supplies, he says, in a day or two.
What's worse, his Generalissimo Fang expects big reinforcement, any day, from up country.

He told me that a moment ago." "Perhaps he's lying," said Captain Kneebone, drowsily.
"Wish he were," snapped Heywood.