g
of his gun, and I thought he was about to fire right into the midst of
the powder-kegs, but he turned first to see whether the fight had yet
reached the most desperate stage.

That was my time, and I leaped upon him, and tried to wrench the gun
away, as his wildly desperate face looked into mine.

"No, no, Morgan," I cried. "You must not; you shall not do that."

"Let go!" he cried, roughly; and the eyes that glared at mine seemed
almost those of a madman.

"No," I cried, "I will not."

"Don't you hear, Master George? Hark at them; the wretches have begun
their work."

I still clung to the gun, and turned my head as a wild burst of shrieks
rose from behind--the firing had ceased, but the shouting and yelling
were blood-curdling, as in that horrible moment I felt sure that our men
were beaten, and a massacre had begun.

But my father was there, and it seemed too horrible for such a deed as
this to be done. If we were to die by the Indians' hands, I felt that
we must. But quietly stand by and let Morgan do this thing I would not,
and I clung to the gun.

"Let go before it's too late, boy," panted Morgan, tugging fiercely now
to get the gun from me.

"No," I panted; "you shall not."

"I must, boy. There: hark at them. I shall be too late. Look, boy;
run for your life. I'll wait till I see you over the big fence first."

"No," I panted again; "you shall not."

"Will you run for your life?"

"No!" I cried, as I seemed to see my helpless father stretching out his
hands to me.

"Then I must have it," cried Morgan, fiercely, and as we knelt together,
he twisted the gun in one direction, then in the other; and, boy as I
was in strength, in another moment he would have torn it from my grasp,
when a great black hand darted from just behind me, caught Morgan by the
throat, forced him back, and with a cry of triumph I dragged away the
piece, and fired it right away from the powder.

"Hold him, Han," I panted; "he is mad."

As if my shot had been the signal, a tremendous volley rang out from
beyond the palisade; then another, and another; and the Indians, who the
moment before were battling desperately, and surmounting our defences as
a wild hand-to-hand fight went on, began to give way; then they turned
and fled for the gap they had made, while, led by Colonel Preston, our
men dashed after them.

"Look," I cried. "Morgan, we've won!" We all gazed wonderingly as the
Indians disappeared through the