'Good night.' And they all fell asleep.
They were awakened by long, loud, terrible sounds that seemed to come from everywhere at once--horrible threatening shouts and shrieks and howls that sounded, as Cyril said later, like the voices of men thirsting for their enemies' blood.
'It is the voice of the strange men,' said the girl, coming to them trembling through the dark.

'They have attacked the walls, and the thorns have driven them back.

My father says they will not try again till daylight.

But they are shouting to frighten us.

As though we were savages! Dwellers in the swamps!' she cried indignantly.
All night the terrible noise went on, but when the sun rose, as abruptly as he had set, the sound suddenly ceased.
The children had hardly time to be glad of this before a shower of javelins came hurtling over the great thorn-hedge, and everyone sheltered behind the huts.