Time and again he assaulted the bluff.

Once he even gained the first crevice-entrances before he fell back, but was unable to force his way inside.

With each upward rush he made, waves of fear surged over us.

At first, at such times, most of us dashed inside; but some remained outside to hammer him with stones, and soon all of us remained outside and kept up the fusillade.
Never was so masterly a creature so completely baffled.

It hurt his pride terribly, thus to be outwitted by the small and tender Folk.