As soon as it was light enough to distinguish objects clearly, a lively
fire opened from the roof of the Casa. Judging that the attention of the
assailants would be distracted by this, Thurstane cautiously edged his
head forward and peeped through the doorway. The Apaches were still in the
plaza; he discovered something like fifty of them; they were jumping about
and firing arrows at the roof. He inferred that this could not last long;
that they would soon be driven away by the musketry from above; that, in
short, things were going well.

After a time, becoming anxious lest Clara should expose herself to the
missiles, he went to Coronado's room, sent one of the Mexicans to
reinforce Meyer, and then climbed rapidly to the tower, taking along
sabre, rifle, and revolver. He was ascending the last of the stepped
sticks, and had the trap-door of the isolated room just above him, when he
heard a shout, "Come up here, somebody!"

It was the snuffling utterance of Phineas Glover, who slept on the roof as
permanent guard of the ladies. Tumbling into the room, Thurstane found the
skipper and two muleteers defending the doorway against five Apaches, who
had reached the roof, three of them already on their feet and plying their
arrows, while the two others were clambering over the ledge. Clara and
Mrs. Stanley were crouched on their beds behind the shelter of the wall.

The young man's first desperate impulse was to rush out and fight hand to
hand. But remembering the dexterity of Indians in single combat, he halted
just in time to escape a flight of missiles, placed himself behind the
jamb of the doorway, and fired his rifle. At that short distance Sweeny
would hardly have missed; and the nearest Apache, leaning forward with
outspread arms, fell dead. Then the revolver came into play, and another
warrior dropped his bow, his shoulder shattered. Glover and the muleteers,
steadied by this opportune reinforcement, reloaded and resumed their
file-firing. Guns were too much for archery; three Indians were soon
stretched on the roof; the others slung themselves over the eaves and
vanished.

"Darned if they didn't reeve a tackle to git up," exclaimed Glover in
amazement.

It appeared that the savages had twisted lariats into long cords, fastened
rude grapples to the end of them, flung them from the wall below the Casa,
and so made their daring escalade.

"Look out!" called Thurstane to the investigating Yankee. But the warning
came