When he came within a hundred yards he halted, and shouted: "Are you ready to pay the tribute fixed upon ?" "We are not," the chief said.

"If you took all we have it would not be sufficient and, without our animals, we should starve when we got back to the hills; but I will pay twice the amount previously demanded." "Then we will come and take them all," the messenger said.
"Come and take them," the chief shouted, and the messenger retired to the main body; who at once broke up, when they learned the answer, and proceeded to surround the village.
"Do you think," the chief said to Lisle, "that you could hit that man who is directing them ?" "I don't know the exact distance," Lisle said, "but I think that, if I had two or three shots, I could certainly knock him over." "Give me your rifle," the chief said, to one of the tribesmen standing near him.
"Now, sahib, let us see what you can do." Lisle took the rifle, and examined it to see that it was all right; and then, leaning down on a small rise of ground that permitted him to see over the hedge, he took steady aim and fired.

The man he aimed at fell, at once.
"Well done, indeed!" the chief exclaimed, "you are a good shot.

I will lend you my rifle.

It is one of the best; but I only got it a short time since, and am not accustomed to it." "Thank you, chief! I will do my best." Then, waving his arm round, he said, "You will do more good by looking after your men." The chief went up to his house, and returned with an old smooth-bore gun and a bag of slugs.
"I shall do better with this," he said, "when they get close." A heavy fire was opened on both sides; but the defenders, lying behind the hedge, had a considerable advantage; which almost neutralized the great superiority in numbers of the assailants, who were in the open.