mong them. It moved with inconceivable
rapidity; it became a monster. Terrible was the convulsive conflict.
Dull blows, the click of steel, angry shouts, agonized yells, and
thrashing, wrestling sounds mingled together and half drowned by an
awful roar like that of a mad bull. The strife ceased as suddenly as
it had begun. Warriors lay still on the grass; others writhed in
agony. For an instant a fleeting shadow crossed the open lane
leading out of the glade; then it vanished.

Three savages had sprung toward their rifles. A blinding flash, a
loud report burst from the thicket overhead. The foremost savage
sank lifelessly. The others were intercepted by a giant shadow with
brandished rifle. The watcher on the knoll had entered the glade. He
stood before the stacked rifles and swung his heavy gun. Crash! An
Indian went down before that sweep, but rose again. The savages
backed away from this threatening figure, and circled around it.

The noise of the other conflict ceased. More savages joined the
three who glided to and fro before their desperate foe. They closed
in upon him, only to be beaten back. One savage threw a glittering
knife, another hurled a stone, a third flung his tomahawk, which
struck fire from the swinging rifle.

He held them at bay. While they had no firearms he was master of the
situation. With every sweep of his arms he brought the long rifle
down and knocked a flint from the firelock of an enemy's weapon.
Soon the Indians' guns were useless. Slowly then he began to edge
away from the stone, toward the opening where he had seen the
fleeting form vanish.

His intention was to make a dash for life, for he had heard a noise
behind the rock, and remembered the guard. He saw the savages glance
behind him, and anticipated danger from that direction, but he must
not turn. A second there might be fatal. He backed defiantly along
the rock until he gained its outer edge. But too late! The Indians
glided before him, now behind him; he was surrounded. He turned
around and around, with the ever-circling rifle whirling in the
faces of the baffled foe.

Once opposite the lane leading from the glade he changed his
tactics, and plunged with fierce impetuosity into the midst of the
painted throng. Then began a fearful conflict. The Indians fell
before the sweep of his powerful arms; but grappled with him from
the ground. He literally plowed his way through the struggling mass,
warding off an hundred vicious blo