when we see a little fire away
ahead, and the head-light showed some men runnin' down on to the bank
on the other side o' the crick. We see in a moment what was up. They've
jest got to the road and started a fire on the bridge that's about a
mile ahead. Their game was to burn that bridge, and when this train
stopped, burn this one behind us, ketch us, whip us, and take the train.
We shot at the men we see on the bank, but probably didn't do 'em no
harm. They're all pilin' down now to the other bank to whip us out and
git the train. You'd better deploy the boys along the top o' the bank
here and open on 'em. We can't save that bridge, but we kin this and the
train, by keepin' 'em on the other side o' the crick. I'll take charge
o' the p'int here with two or three boys, and drive off any o' them that
tries to set fire to the bridge, and you kin look out for the rest o'
the line. It's goin' to be longtaw work, for you see the crick's purty
wide, but our guns 'll carry further'n theirs, and if we keep the boys
well in hand I think we kin stand 'em off without much trouble."

"Sure," said Si confidently. "You watch the other side o' the bridge and
I'll look out for the rest."

The eager boys had already begun firing, entering into the spirit of the
thing with the zest of a Fame of town-ball. Shorty took Gid Mackall and
Harry Joslyn down to the cover of some large stones, behind which they
could lie and command the approach to the other end of the bridge with
their rifles. Si took the other boys and placed them behind rocks and
stumps along the crest and instructed them to fire with as good aim as
possible at the flashes from the other side. In a minute or two he had
a fine skirmish-line in operation, with the boys firing as deliberately
and accurately as veterans. The engineer had backed the train under the
cover of the cut, and presently he and the conductor came up with guns
and joined the firing-line.

"I say, Shorty," said Si, coming down to where that worthy was
stationed, "what d' you think o' the boys now? They take to this like a
duck to water. They think it's more fun than squirrel-huntin'. Listen."

They heard Monty Scruggs's baritone call:

"Say, Alf, did you see me salt that feller that's bin yellin' and
cussin' at me over there? He's cussin' now for something else. I think I
got him right where he lived."

"I wasn't paying any attention to you," Alf's fine tenor replied, as
his rammer rang in his barrel. "