of thunder. The terrible sound
shook the cabin, but Tara still made no movement, except now to swing
his head with open, drooling jaws. In response to that cry of animal
rage and pain a snarl had come from Baree. He had slunk close to Tara.

"Didn't hurt him much," said David, with the fingers of his free hand
crumpling the Girl's hair. "They'll stop shooting in a minute or two,
and then...."

Straight into his eyes from that farther wall a splinter hurled itself
at him with a hissing sound like the plunge of hot iron into water. He
had a lightning impression of seeing the bullet as it tore through the
clay between two of the logs; he knew that he was struck, and yet he
felt no pain. His mind was acutely alive, yet he could not speak. His
words had been cut off, his tongue was powerless--it was like a shock
that had paralyzed him. Even the Girl did not know for a moment or two
that he was hit. The thud of his revolver on the floor filled her eyes
with the first horror of understanding, and she sprang to his side as he
swayed like a drunken man toward Tara. He sank down on the floor a few
feet from the grizzly, and he heard the Girl moaning over him and
calling him by name. The numbness left him, slowly he raised a hand to
his chin, filled with a terrible fear. It was there--his jaw, hard,
unsmashed, but wet with blood. He thought the bullet had struck him
there.

"A knockout," were the first words, spoken slowly and thickly, but with
a great gasp of relief. "A splinter hit me on the jaw.... I'm all
right...."

He sat up dizzily, with the Girl's arm about him. In the three or four
minutes of forgetfulness neither had noticed that the firing had ceased.
Now there came a tremendous blow at the door. It shook the cabin. A
second blow, a third--and the decaying saplings were crashing inward!
David struggled to rise, fell back, and pointed to the revolver.

"Quick--the revolver!"

Marge sprang to it. The door crashed inward as she picked it up, and
scarcely had she faced about when their enemies were rushing in, with
Henry and Hauck in their lead, and Brokaw just behind them. With a last
effort David fought to gain his feet. He heard a single shot from the
revolver, and then, as he rose staggeringly, he saw Marge fighting in
Brokaw's arms. Hauck came for him, the demon of murder in his face, and
as they went down he heard scream after scream come from the Girl's
lips, and in that scream the agonizing call of "_Tara! Ta