Here the final fight began.  As they rushed at us we shot, till they went down in heaps.  Almost at our last charge they gave back, and just then the roof fell upon them.

Oh, what a terrible scene was that!  The dense clouds of smoke, the screams of the trapped and burning men, the turmoil, the agony!

The front door was burst in by a flank onslaught.

Leblanc and a slave who was near him were seized by black, claw-like hands and dragged out.  What became of the Frenchman I do not know, for the natives hauled him away, but I fear his end must have been dreadful, as he was taken alive.  The servant I saw them assegai, so at least he died at once.  I fired my last shot, killing a fellow who was flourishing a battle-axe, then dashed the butt of the gun into the face of the man behind him, felling him, and, seizing Marie by the hand, dragged her back into the northernmost room—­that in which I was accustomed to sleep—­and shut and barred the door.

“Allan,” she gasped, “Allan dear, it is finished.  I cannot fall into the hands of those men.  Kill me, Allan.”

“All right,” I answered, “I will.  I have my pistol.  One barrel for you and one for me.”

“No, no!  Perhaps you might escape after all; but, you see, I am a woman, and dare not risk it.  Come now, I am ready,” and she knelt down, opening her arms to receive the embrace of death, and looked up at me with her lovely, pitiful eyes.

“It doesn’t do to kill one’s love and live on oneself,” I answered hoarsely.  “We have got to go together,” and I cocked both barrels of the pistol.

The Hottentot, Hans, who was in the place with us, saw and understood.

“It is right, it is best!” he said; and turning, he hid his eyes with his hand.

“Wait a little, Allan,” she exclaimed; “it will be time when the door is down, and perhaps God may still help us.”

“He may,” I answered doubtfully; “but I would not count on it.  Nothing can save us now unless the others come to rescue us, and that’s too much to hope for.”

Then a thought struck me, and I added with a dreadful laugh:  “I wonder where we shall be in five minutes.”

“Oh! together, dear; together for always in some new and beautiful world, for you do love me, don’t you, as I love you?  Maybe that’s better than living on here where we should be sure to have troubles and perhaps be separated at last.”

I nodded my head, for though I loved life, I loved Marie more, and I felt that we were making a good end after a brave fight.  They were battering at the door now, but, thank Heaven, Marais had made strong doors, and it held a while.

The wood began to give at last, an assegai appeared through a shattered plank, but Hans stabbed along the line of it with the spear he held, that which I had snatched from the flank of the horse, and it was dropped with a scream.  Black hands were thrust through the hole, and the Hottentot hacked and cut at them with the spear.  But others came, more than he could pierce, and the whole door-frame began to be dragged outwards.