dskin the less," he added, peering out the loophole; "he sprang
three feet in the air when I plugged him. As for your plan, Mr. Carew, I
think the odds are about evenly divided. There's the chance that the
varmints will suspect something of the sort, and watch the stockade on
all sides."

"Likely enough," assented Captain Rudstone; "but it's not to that
quarter I look for the danger. The Indians can take the house by assault
in an hour if they choose to sacrifice a lot of lives."

"It would cost fifty or a hundred," said I. "They won't pay such a
price."

"There is no telling how far they will go," the captain answered
gravely, "with Northwest Company men to egg them on."

As he spoke there was a sudden and noisy alarm from the room on the
right of the hall, which commanded the south side of the house. Half a
dozen muskets cracked in rapid succession, the reports blending with a
din of voices. Then Menzies yelled hoarsely: "This way, men! Come, for
God's sake! Quick, or we are lost!"

The summons was promptly responded to. I was the first to dash into the
room, followed by Rudstone and Carteret. I put my eyes to a vacant
loophole and what I saw fairly froze the blood in my veins.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

THE END OF HOPE.

A body of Indians--nine or ten in number--were advancing at a run
straight for the house, and each painted savage carried wrapped in his
arms a mass of bedding from the abandoned sleeping quarters. I had no
sooner caught a glimpse of the party and divined their alarming purpose,
than a straggling volley was fired from the loopholes right and left of
me. Crack! crack, crack!

Three Indians fell with their burdens, and one of them began to crawl
away, dragging a broken limb after him. A fourth took fright and darted
back, but the rest kept on. They were lost to view for an instant as
they gained the very wall of the house and stacked the bedding against
it. Then back they scurried to the shelter of the outbuildings, a single
one falling by my musket, which I thrust quickly out and fired.
Unfortunately my companions' weapons were empty.

"Load up, men, fast!" cried Menzies. "The devils intend to fire the
house! They will be coming back with timber next!"

"God help us if they get a blaze started with bedding and dry wood!"
said I. "The house will go--we won't be able to save it! I never counted
on anything like this!"

"I was afraid o