Some one was waving a white flag of truce.

A couple of shots were fired from the forest above, and there were screams from the frightened women, shouts from the men, who had ceased battering the gates at the signs of rescue from within.
"For God's sake, be quick," shouted Bowles.

"There's a thousand of them coming up the mines' road!" The gates were unlocked by the patrol and the panic-stricken throng tumbled through them and scattered like sheep behind the high, sheltering walls.

Once more the massive gates were closed and the bolts thrown down, just in time to avoid a fusillade of bullets from the outside.

It was all over in a minute.