"You see that 'ere Chinaman?" he said presently, jerking his thumb
towards a motionless blue heap which lay about a hundred yards away
along the crest--one of those who had bolted away from Captain Hunter.
"I shot 'im, sir; knocked 'im all of a 'eap. Caught 'im in the upper
works I did, sir, an' 'e jest toppled over an' over an' never moved a
'air, though there I was all waiting, with another cartridge jammed in,
in case 'e did.
"Never moved a 'air," he kept repeating softly to himself, evidently
vastly contented with his marksmanship, "an' with that 'ere rifle too,"
and he kept patting its breech.
"Eh! look at that, sir!" he said, pointing down to the harbour, just
after the Krupp gun had fired again, and jumped to his feet, waving his
rifle over his head and cheering loudly, as did the others, for the
shell had landed, fair and square, in the cruiser's stern, and seemed to
have practically wrecked her.
Every man on top of the hill roared himself hoarse.
However, they sank down behind the sand-bags again, for they had drawn a
rapid fire from "Bush Hill" and the field-guns.