A man and a woman--even such a man and such a woman--could not keep at bay an infuriated horde of fifty savages fighting at close quarters and under these grievous conditions.
Jenks knew what would happen.

He would be shot in the head or breast whilst repelling the scaling party.

And Iris! Dear heart! She was thinking of him.
"Keep back! They can never gain the ledge!" she shrieked.
And then, above the din of the fusillade, the yells of the assailants and the bawling of the wounded, there came through the air a screaming, tearing, ripping sound which drowned all others.

It traveled with incredible speed, and before the sailor could believe his ears--for he well knew what it meant--a shrapnel shell burst in front of the ledge and drenched the valley with flying lead.
Jenks was just able to drag Iris flat against the rock ere the time fuse operated and the bullets flew.

He could form no theory, hazard no conjecture.