"good-medicine-talk," and while standing ready I warned her not to be
too sure, as both men might have dropped only for safety.

It will not seem strange that we both felt some disappointment over the
probability of this, if one stops to consider what lurked in the other
side of the scales for us.

Heads soon began to bob up nearer, now accompanied by quickly fired
shots, and I ordered Doloria to the ground. But with relief I noticed
that these shots went wild, many times hitting too far away to be heard
at all, so our position obviously was as yet undiscovered. The morning
sun shone directly in the men's eyes, while the protective coloration of
our fort blended most elusively into the background of somber forest.

At the bobbing heads I continued to fire with what quickness I could,
sometimes sending a second, third and fourth shot purposely low to probe
the grass where it seemed that a man might be crouching. I could not
reasonably have expected to register a hit by this, but it kept them in
check, and that was our chief concern. From the beginning I realized
that if they got near enough to rush us the night would close over a
very silent little fort.

Suddenly Doloria gave a cry that froze my blood, for I thought it meant
an attack from the rear.

"Quick--quick! Your matches! Oh, not to have thought of it before!" But
this last was added while I dug into my pockets for the precious box.

"You can't do it," I exclaimed.

"I can! Keep them down, and I'll crawl! They won't see me!"

There was wisdom here, and I yielded. Nimbly she climbed the wall,
dropped to her hands and knees, and crawled to the prairie. In another
minute a string of smoke appeared; then with a bunch of grass alight
she flew from place to place, stooping as she ran, and leaving in her
wake a trail of fire. Almost as quickly she was back at my side,
breathing fast.

"You glorious genius, we'll win out yet," I yelled.

The grass was dry and tall and thick, and the wind was blowing smartly.
Fire asks for no better playground, and with incredible swiftness a wall
of flame sprang up, crackling and roaring as it spread out fan-wise.

She knew, as did I, that the men would back-fire. But while this would
save them from the flames it would at the same time remove their cover,
and my rifle could then have a whole man to bite at instead of merely
his head and shoulders, or less. They would have no alternative now but
to come forward quickly or ret