slow to perceive this, and they opened a steady fire. But fortunately
they were poor shots, and most of their bullets went wild. Several struck
the mules, however, and the unfortunate animals plunged and kicked so
wildly that the three friends and the driver stood in almost as much
danger from them as from the bullets. Finally the traces were unfastened,
and the mules, released from the harness, raced wildly away.

Bert and the others dodged nimbly back behind the coach, and then all
hands set to the task of overturning it. By dint of exerting all their
strength they finally managed to lift one side of the clumsy vehicle
until it toppled over with a crash.

"There," exclaimed Buck, wiping the perspiration from his face with a big
bandanna handkerchief; "so fur, so good, but we got to do more than that.
Them Injuns will start to surround us as soon as they see they can't pick
us off from the front, and we want to be ready for them."

"What do you think we'd better do?" asked Bert.

"Fust thing is t' get the trunks and mail bags out o' the coach and build
a barricade with them," replied the driver, "an' it looks as though we
stood a good chance o' gettin' shot full o' lead doin' it, too. If them
Injuns hadn't been sech all-fired poor shots we'd a been winged before
this, I reckon."

"Well, as long as it's got to be done, we might as well get it over
with," said Dick; "come on, fellows, one, two----"

"Wait a minute!" exclaimed Bert. "I think it would be a good plan for
those of us who have rifles to be on the lookout and pick off any of the
redskins who show themselves. Even if we don't get any, it will prevent
them from taking good aim."

"We ain't got but one rifle, though," objected Buck. "Sam, here,"
motioning toward the guard, "is the only one in the bunch with a rifle."

"No, I've got one in my blanket roll," replied Bert, and before the
driver could answer was busily engaged in undoing the tightly rolled
blanket.

"I reckon you two had better get anythin' you want off your horses," said
Buck, addressing Tom and Dick, "an' then set the critters loose. They
ain't a mite o' good here, an' they only take up valuable space."

The boys were loath to act on this advice, but they saw the wisdom of it,
and so did as the driver suggested. They knew that the horses, as soon as
released, would make for the ranch, and they had little fear of the
Indians being able to catch them. Accordingly, a few minutes later the