my speed, I grabbed
up a round stone and let fly. That was where my ball-playing stood me
in good stead, for the stone hit Greaser on the shoulder, knocking him
flat. But he got up, and lunged for the rifle just as I reached him.

I kicked the rifle out of his band, grappled with him, and down we went
together. We wrestled and thrashed off the ledge, and when we landed in
the gravel I was on top.

"Slug him, Ken!" yelled Dick, wildly. "Oh, that's fine! Give it to him!
Punch him! Get his wind!"

Either it was a mortal dread of Greaser's knife or some kind of a
new-born fury that lent me such strength. He screeched, he snapped
like a wolf, he clawed me, he struck me, but he could not shake me off.
Several times he had me turning, but a hard rap on his head knocked him
back again. Then I began to bang him in the ribs.

"That's the place!" shouted Dick. "Ken, you're going to do him up! Soak
him! Oh-h, but this is great!"

I kept the advantage over Greaser, but still he punished me cruelly.
Suddenly he got his snaky hands on my throat and began to choke me. With
all my might I swung my fist into his stomach.

His hands dropped, his mouth opened in a gasp, his face turned green.
The blow had made him horribly sick, and he sank back utterly helpless.
I jumped up with a shout of triumph.

"Run! Run for it!" yelled Dick, in piercing tones. "They're coming!
Never mind me! Run, I tell you! Not down the gorge! Climb out!"

For a moment I could not move out of my tracks. Then I saw Bill and
Herky running up the gorge, and, farther down, Bud staggering and
lurching.

This lent me wings. In two jumps I had grabbed my rifle; then, turning,
I ran round the pool, and started up the one place in the steep wall
where climbing was possible. Above the yells of the men I heard Dick's
piercing cry:

"Go-go-go, Ken!"

I sent the loose rocks down in my flight. Here I leaped up; there I ran
along a little ledge; in another place I climbed hand and foot. The last
few yards was a gravelly incline. I seemed to slide back as much as I
gained.

"Come back hyar!" bawled Bill.

Crack! Crack! Crack... The reports rang out in quick succession. A
bullet whistled over me, another struck the gravel and sent a shower of
dust into my face. I pitched my rifle up over the bank and began to dig
my fingers and toes into the loose ground. As I gained the top two more
bullets sang past my head so close that I knew Bill was aiming to more
than scare