ns, though evidently white men, were neither his
own men nor those of the US troops.

He had just made the discovery, when a band of about fifty warriors
burst from the woods and rushed upon him.

"Back to back, boys! girls, keep close!" shouted Jackson, as he fired
two shots and dropped two Indians. He pulled at a third, but there was
no answering report, for the magazine of his repeater was empty.

Crux and Darvall turned their backs towards him and thus formed a sort
of triangle, in the midst of which were the two girls. But this
arrangement, which might have enabled them to hold out for some time,
was rendered almost abortive by the ammunition having been exhausted.

"So much for bein' in too great a hurry!" growled Jackson between his
clenched teeth, as he clubbed his rifle and made a savage blow at the
Indian who first came close to him. It was evident that the Indians
were afraid to fire lest they should wound or kill the women; or,
perhaps, understanding how matters stood, they wished to capture the
white men alive, for, instead of firing at them, they circled swiftly
round, endeavouring to distract their attention so as to rash in on
them.

Bigfoot, who had recovered from his blow and escaped from the ranch,
made a sudden dash at Dick when he thought him off his guard, but Dick
was not easily caught off his guard in a fight. While in the act of
making a furious demonstration at an Indian in front, which kept that
savage off, he gave Bigfoot a "back-handed wipe," as he called it, which
tumbled the chief completely off his horse.

Just then a turn of affairs in favour of the whites was taking place on
the battle-field beyond. The party there had attacked the savages with
such fury as to scatter them right and left and they were now riding
down at racing speed on the combatants, whose fortunes we have followed
thus far.

Two men rode well in advance of the party with a revolver in each hand.

"Why, it's Charlie Brooke! Hurrah!" yelled Darvall with delight.

"An' Buck Tom!" roared Jackson in amazement.

So sudden was the onset that the Indians were for a moment paralysed,
and the two horsemen, firing right and left as they rode up, dashed
straight into the very midst of the savages. In a moment they were
alongside of their friends, while the rest of the outlaw band were
already engaged on the outskirts of the crowd.

The very danger of the white men constituted to some extent their
safety; for t