"Does Pat Kinney know we're coming?" asked Dick.

"Yes; and he's going to bring Dom Pedro to back us up," answered
"Fatty," straining away on the rope.

"Lucky for us," said Billy, his spirits rising.

Just as they reached the end of the field where the cannon always stood,
a shout from the fence made them grasp their arms and fall quickly in
line with bayonets fixed.

"Steady!" cried the Sergeant, his knees beginning to shake--"steady,
fellows; don't run."

On the big boys came. Six or seven of them, headed by Davis, bearing
down on the trembling squad with yells like wild Indians.

"Steady," said the Sergeant again, and immovable as the Inchcape Rock
the line received the charge.

"Get out of here or we'll break your necks!" cried White, as the squad
closed in round the cannon.

"Throw a pack of big crackers at them," said a rough-looking boy; "that
will break their ranks," and a shower of fire-crackers followed these
words.

Still the squad stood firm.

"All right, then," said Harvey, solemnly; "if you don't surrender we'll
have to wade in and do you up. Won't we, Davis?"

"Yield!" shouted Davis, flourishing a big stick; "the cannon or your
life!"

"Come on," cried the undaunted little Sergeant, as a twenty-five-cent
cracker went off under his nose. "We'll never surrender!"

"We'll never surrender!" echoed the rest of the squad, spurred on to
resistance by their leader. "Come on!"

And the next moment the bayonets were shattered by the charge, the guns
wrenched from the boys' hands, and down they went on the ground a
wriggling mass of arms and legs.

It began to look very bad for the Raleigh Reds, when, to their great
relief, the reserve force came up on a full gallop, urged on by the
command of, "At 'em, Pedro, at 'em!"

This time Dom Pedro discriminated between his allies and the foe, for he
dashed at Davis with a growl that struck terror to the stoutest heart.

"Here comes Mr. Scott, boys!" cried White, scrambling up from Dick's
prostrate form; "we'd better skip;" and leaving the still unconquered
squad fighting manfully on their backs, the big boys made for the fence,
with Dom Pedro in hot pursuit.

The Reds picked themselves up, and looked ruefully for their scattered
arms. They were pretty well battered and broken, but the cannon was
safe.

"Fall in," commanded the Sergeant, as Mr. Scott walked up, holding Pedro
by the collar.

"Good for you, boys," he said, smiling; "you held your ow