he work; and as he had been at the
capture of the howitzer he felt certain that the savages had no other
shell than the one found in it when the piece was taken. There existed
no reason, therefore, to dread the fire of the assailants, except as
a casual bullet might find a passage through a loophole. One or two
of these accidents did occur, but the balls entered at an angle that
deprived them of all chance of doing any injury so long as the Indians
kept near the block; and if discharged from a distance, there was
scarcely the possibility of one in a hundred's striking the apertures.
But when Pathfinder heard the sound of mocassined feet and the rustling
of brush at the foot of the building, he knew that the attempt to build
a fire against the logs was about to be renewed. He now summoned Cap
from the roof, where, indeed, all the danger had ceased, and directed
him to stand in readiness with his water at a hole immediately over the
spot assailed.

One less trained than our hero would have been in a hurry to repel
this dangerous attempt also, and might have resorted to his means
prematurely; not so with Pathfinder. His aim was not only to extinguish
the fire, about which he felt little apprehension, but to give the enemy
a lesson that would render him wary during the remainder of the night.
In order to effect the latter purpose, it became necessary to wait until
the light of the intended conflagration should direct his aim, when
he well knew that a very slight effort of his skill would suffice. The
Iroquois were permitted to collect their heap of dried brush, to pile
it against the block, to light it, and to return to their covers without
molestation. All that Pathfinder would suffer Cap to do, was to roll
a barrel filled with water to the hole immediately over the spot, in
readiness to be used at the proper instant. That moment, however, did
not arrive, in his judgment, until the blaze illuminated the surrounding
bushes, and there had been time for his quick and practised eye to
detect the forms of three or four lurking savages, who were watching the
progress of the flames, with the cool indifference of men accustomed to
look on human misery with apathy. Then, indeed, he spoke.

"Are you ready, friend Cap?" he asked. "The heat begins to strike
through the crevices; and although these green logs are not of the fiery
natur' of an ill-tempered man, they may be kindled into a blaze if one
provokes them too much. Are you rea