to accede to the request. The
Kentuckian, still mounted on Dandy, was darting across the sandy space
with a dozen or more of his men at his heels. The island was a Godsend.
In less than five minutes the warriors who had ventured across, and were
now seeking for a shot at the safety-roost along under the bank, were
met by a score of well-aimed bullets that drove them to cover, dragging
with them the lifeless body of one of their number.

"Spread out there, men!" shouted Wayne. "Seize every point you can get
on t'other shore. Run up-stream fifty yards or so and scoop holes for
yourselves in the sand." And then he rode out to the front again to
superintend the retirement of his slender lines.

But all this time the firing had been rapid and almost incessant. As the
troopers came slowly in towards the timber and the Cheyennes realized
that it was impossible to drive them into panic or stampede, they seemed
to give far more attention to the accuracy of their aim, and for this
purpose the best shots had thrown themselves from their ponies and were
striving to pick off the officers and prominent sergeants. Still, the
greater number remained in saddle whooping and yelling and darting to
and fro at a comparatively safe distance, banging away at anything or
anybody within the soldier lines, and offering tempting though difficult
marks for the sorely-tried skirmishers. Until he noted the distant
war-parties crossing to the north side of the stream, Ray had been
riding up and down the lines checking the useless waste of ammunition.
Everywhere his voice could be heard, placid, almost laughing at times,
as he rebuked the senseless long-range shooting of the men.

"Hold your fire, men. You can't hit those skipping jack-rabbits half a
mile away. What on earth are you shooting at, Mulligan? You couldn't hit
a whole barn at that distance."

But all the same he was seriously worried. He knew well that at the
utmost there were no more than fifty rounds per man with the troopers,
and that rapid firing would soon reduce this to next to nothing. The
indications were that once hemmed in to the timber they would need every
shot to stand off the Cheyennes until relief could come, and before
galloping off to secure the timbered island in rear of their position
and so form a partially protected "corral" for the horses, he had
cautioned Dana and Hunter to be most sparing in their fire,--to allow no
shot unless the Indians charged.

The foe, o