ore I
sufficiently gathered my wits to act, to realize that some returning
member of Efaw Kotee's band had stumbled on our little paradise.

I caught Doloria and swung her behind me, at the same time drawing my
automatic and sending two quick shots, aimed high, toward the scoundrel
who was making ready to try his hand again. Almost at once he
disappeared, though I knew he had not been hit for it was extremely
doubtful if, at that range, a revolver bullet could reach him at all.
For the sake of caution he was merely crouching in the grass, and
waiting.

Then I became swept by an inordinate anger; a natural enough feeling in
a man whose life has been sneakingly attempted, but let a life that is a
million times more precious than his own be so fired upon and he will
pass the limit of human rage. With an oath I pushed her down into a
niche of temporary safety, saying:

"Stay there till I come back!"

Immediately I began to scramble over the network of fallen logs; my
intention being to reach the high grass and, dropping to my hands and
knees, crawl out to meet him--as, in all probability, he was now
crawling toward us. But before I got free of the entanglements she had
sprung after me and caught my arm, crying:

"It's insane for you to go out there--with only your automatic against
his rifle! Come back!"

"Go back yourself," I said sternly, shaking off her grasp. "Crouch in
the hole, as I told you! Quick!"

"I won't--unless you do, too! For the love of God--he'll _kill_ you!"
This last she screamed, frantically catching hold of me again as the man
fired a third shot and we felt the breath of his bullet on our faces.

Both of us knew that this was no time for argument, and she began
tugging at my belt like a wild thing, bracing herself to keep me back
and showing no disposition to obey. So without ceremony I picked her up
intending to shove her down between the logs.

"You shan't," she gasped. "He'll kill you if you go--if you don't he'll
leave!"

But I was too terrified for her sake to listen--too determined that the
fellow should not get back and tell his gang.

"Do as I say," I commanded, giving her a shake.

She had stopped speaking and was desperately using her strength. I,
also, had grown desperate. Our position was too unwarrantably exposed to
tolerate this further, and urgently I began to pry open her fingers
when, by some twist of her own or awkwardness on my part, I slipped and
fell out backwards in