ire!" shouted he.

I stood up in the barge to note the effect of the shot. A yell of
dismay rose from the Indians, and I saw that the dugout was splintered
in pieces. One side of it was broken in, and the savages, leaping into
the water, swam for the shore.

"I have made one good shot to-day, any how," said Morgan.

"Didn't I fire that gun?" cried Plunkett.

"Yes, sir! You are the organ-blower that played the tune," replied
Morgan, taking no pains to conceal his disgust.

"Mind the raft," I interposed, finding that it was swinging off from
the shore.

I used the oars vigorously to counteract this tendency; but the
soldiers could not reach bottom with their poles, and were unable to
help me much. The raft was heavy and the current very strong. We were
within a few rods of the Fish River.

"We shall be carried down the river, if we don't look out!" I called,
anxiously.

"What shall we do? We can't reach bottom with the poles," replied
Morgan.

"Clear away a long rope," I added. "When the current of Fish River
strikes us, we shall be carried down in spite of all we can do, if we
don't get a check on her."

"Here's your rope."

"Cast off the drag-line, and make fast to it."

Morgan did as I directed, and taking the line into the boat, I carried
it to the point on the Fish opposite the landing. I succeeded in
catching a turn around a tree. The rope strained, and I was obliged to
ease it off to prevent it from snapping; but the raft was checked.

"We are all right now," said Morgan.

"Not quite," I replied. "If we let her go again, the current will carry
it down the river."

I jumped into the barge, and pulled across the river, where I had
plenty of rope in the shanty. I carried a line to the raft, and having
made it fast, I conveyed the two soldiers to the shore. Crossing the
river, I eased off the line which was secured to the tree, while the
men on the other side pulled the raft up to the landing.

"That's very well done, Phil," said Morgan, after my return.

"Any fool could have done it," added Plunkett.

"Of course they could--you could have done it," retorted Morgan.

"It is just the plan I was going to propose----"

"But didn't."

I backed the wagon into the two trenches I had dug to load the flour,
and rolling the gun upon the platform, where we also placed the
ammunition, we started for the line of defence.

CHAPTER XX.

IN WHICH PHIL WITNESSES THE OPENING OF THE BATTLE WITH THE I