hen it hit the door the bar broke an' the door flew off its hinges an'
clear across the room.

But gettin' the wagon away for their rush was a different matter, an'
we all shot at one another purty regardless. Once I reached back my
hand for a fresh gun an' failed to get any. I turned around, an' there
was Monody holdin' the sub-cook's right wrist with his left hand an'
grippin' at his throat with his right. The' was a horrid look on the
sub-cook's face, an' just as I turned to interfere, Monody gave a
wrench which tore out the cook's wind-pipe, gave him a sling which
landed him under the table, an' handed me a fresh gun. I was some
bothered about this; but that wa'n't no time to hold an investigation,
so I begun shootin' at flashes again.

"How's your catridges holdin' out?" sez Jabez.

"Ain't many left," sez Monody.

"I'm about cleaned myself," sez Jabez. "Where's Jim?"

"I think he's about once through," sez I, an' we proceeded to shoot
more economical.

Purty soon they quit firin' again an' then the freight wagon started up
the hill. They had put their ropes on the tongue an' were draggin' it
out with ponies. We knew what that meant an' took a brace.

The lull what followed was the hardest part o' the whole business.
Ther' wasn't a blasted thing we could do, an' it seemed hours before
the neat volley came from the corner o' the dug-out. We didn't reply to
it, which was most uncommon lucky for us; 'cause first thing we knew,
they came rompin' around each corner an' poured in on top of us. They
was used to fightin' against odds, an' it irritated 'em consid'able to
take so long at a job with the odds in their favor. Outside, the
starlight give us a purty fair aim, while they couldn't do more than
guess at us--so we beat 'em off once more.

"The's only three shots in this gun," sez Monody, cheerfully, as he
handed my iron back to me.

"What's that?" sez Jabez.

"We're about out o' fuel, Jabez," sez I.

I heard him grit his teeth in the darkness. "Where is she, Happy?" sez
he.

"She's still in her corner back of the stove with the shack door in
front of her. They won't hurt her, Jabez--no matter what happens, an'
the' 's a good fight in us yet. Ol' Monody here don't begin to fight
till the ammunition has give out; so keep your mind easy for the next
rush," sez I.

Next moment they surged down on us, shootin' as fast as they could fan.
We didn't explode a catridge until they was bunched in the door an'
t