on, so I
did not wait for human targets but fired rapidly into every probable
place of concealment--just hoping.

This must have begun to touch them up, for one now made a dash across
the open space and dived into good cover, from which he started an
instant reply to me. There had been only time for a quick shot at him,
as the opening was scarcely ten feet wide. Another tried and made it,
but the third stumbled. Whether he accidentally fell or was wounded, I
had no way of knowing, yet he was able, at least, to continue the fight
because there seemed to be no let up in their volume of fire. Then, to
my chagrin, a fourth got across, and, following him, the last three
tried together--successfully.

In the best of conditions these men would have been very hard to hit,
yet I offer no excuses. My aim, of course, had greatly suffered.
Disregard for the nicest accuracy in marksmanship may be expected when
an enemy is pouring a hundred shots a minute at a certain point, and you
happen to be that point.

Again their rifles became silent. There seemed, indeed, no reason to
keep them speaking, as the road to the Oasis was clear. When the trees
back of us should be reached more shots would ring out, closer, always
getting closer; eventually would come the hand-to-hand fight, and
then--forgetfulness. Yet I swore with a burning rage in my heart that
whoever of those fiends were left to gloat over their victory would
remember until their dying day the price I had collected for it.

"Where are they?" Doloria asked, in a voice that trembled slightly. The
strain of waiting below was greater than that of seeing what went on
outside.

Grimly I told her how matters stood with us, and we, also, became
silent.

The next move appeared in the direction of our kitchen, when several
shadowy forms began to dart from tree to tree. The same plan was being
adopted as that which they had used at the ditch: one man, his advance
covered by a hot fire from the others, would stoop and run forward to a
previously selected place, then a second, third, and so on, each
beginning to shoot from the new position, as he got to it. These tactics
might successfully be repeated until the last barrier of trees, not more
than twenty yards from us, was gained. But now a fellow showed himself a
moment too long and I thought I dropped him, because a howl of rage went
up from his mates.

I was keeping the two rifles very busy by this time, and Doloria could
scarc