t this morning, and
we didn't have time to move it over here. Now we'll have to make do with
what we've got. Give me a load of rifle bullets."

Someone handed him a basket full of lead balls, and he poured them into
the cannon's throat and pushed them down with the ramrod.

"I don't want to use up all our rifle shot, but seems to me there's room
inside this thing for a lot more." He turned to the onlookers.
"Everybody spread out and bring me anything made of metal that'll fit in
here."

Into the cannon's maw went two chains, a padlock, a handful of knives
and forks. And a dozen lead soldiers, sent to war by the small boys who
owned them.

"Here, Mr. Cooper, use these." Pamela Russell pushed her way through the
crowd holding out a canvas bag. Her eyes were bloodshot, the lids
swollen and red.

Cooper frowned. "What's that?"

"A bag of pieces of eight from Raoul de Marion's safe. When Burke knew
he was going to be in the fighting, he gave me the trading post keys to
hold for him." She stopped, red-faced and choking, then continued.
"Burke didn't know anything about fighting Indians. My husband is dead
because de Marion left us almost defenseless. He doesn't deserve to have
this silver."

Feeling Pamela's agony, Nicole went over to her and put an arm around
her back and hugged her. Pamela's body was stiff, unresponsive.

Cooper's gaze traveled over the people gathered around the cannon. "Any
of you folks see anything wrong with us doing this?"

"We always use Spanish dollars out here on the frontier," said Elysee
with a smile. "The U.S. Government simply didn't mint enough coins. I'm
sure the Indians will accept them."

"Well, that defense will do for now," said Cooper, grinning as he slit
the bag with his hunting knife and poured the glittering silver disks
into the cannon. "Going to make some Indians rich today," he said. "Now,
we need something to touch it off with. I don't see any linstock around
here."

"A candle?" Frank found a long white candle that would burn for about an
hour and lit it from another one mounted on a wall.

"Should work," said Cooper. "Keep a lighted candle by the cannon at all
times. We have no way of knowing when they'll decide to make their big
attack."

Pamela Russell pulled free of Nicole and gripped Cooper's arm.

"Let me touch off the cannon," she said.

There was something frightening, Nicole thought, in the avid light in
her eyes.

_Is that how I'd be if Frank were ki