at this, and Buck said: "O' course,
it's only a ragged chance, but it might go through at that. The best
thing will be for him to make the try the first second after dark. The
redskins won't start to surround us until then, and by quick work he
might get out before they'd finished postin' a ring around us."

"But even if you get to the railroad how are you going to telegraph
without an instrument?" inquired Tom.

"Leave that to me," replied Bert; "if I can only get that far I'll manage
to telegraph all right, never fear."

By this time the sun was low in the west, and a short time afterward it
dipped under the rim of the prairie. For a short time the sky was painted
in vivid colors by its reflected rays, and then the sudden prairie
twilight descended swiftly.

"Now's your time, son," said Buck; "are you all ready?"

"I'll start the first second you think it best," replied Bert, and then
turning shook hands all around, ending up with Dick and Tom.

"We'd go with you, old friend, if it would do any good," said Dick,
wringing Bert's hand. "I guess you know that without my saying it."

"I know it, all right," replied Bert; "but don't you worry about me. The
Indian isn't born yet that can get my scalp."

As he finished speaking Buck said: "You'd better start now, my lad. It's
so dark they can't see you, and I don't think they've had time to
surround us yet. If you do get through and send the message make for
town. Don't try to get back here, because you'd never make it, and if you
did it would do no good. There's no use sacrificing your life along with
ours."

"Well, I'll get there first," said Bert, "and then there'll be plenty of
time to think about whether or not to come back." Needless to say, in his
own mind there was little doubt that if it lay in his power he would
return and fight, and if need be die at his comrades' side.

CHAPTER X

In Fearful Extremity

With the stealthy tread of a panther, Bert climbed over the improvised
rampart, and a few seconds later his form merged into the enveloping
darkness and was lost to the view of his anxious friends. They listened
with straining ears for any sound of shot or struggle, but the deep
silence of a prairie night remained unbroken.

Bert pursued his way swiftly, but at the same time he exercised all the
knowledge that a life of adventure had given him to detect with ear or
eye the presence of a lurking enemy. He had traveled several hundred
yards wh