they let themselves be beaten by half a dozen 'pale faces'."

Nothing could have suited the three comrades better, for their fighting
blood was aroused, and all thought of danger was swallowed up in the
primitive love of battle that is inherent in every man.

"Here they come," shouted Dick, and come they did, but more cautiously
this time. They had learned their lesson, and realized how deadly was
the white mans' aim. They hung low from the saddle, on the side farthest
from the defenders, thus interposing the bodies of their horses as
shields between themselves and the defenders.

In this fashion they galloped and wheeled back and forth in front of the
breastworks, firing over and under their horses, and drawing ever a
little closer, a little closer, until they should close on the devoted
little band of whites and annihilate them.

Bert's unerring rifle never failed of its mark, and whenever an Indian
raised his head ever so little over his horse's back the Winchester spoke
and one more still form was added to the many already strewed over the
ground. The revolvers barked steadily and terrible havoc was wrought
among the ranks of the attacking redmen.

But now their savage blood was up, and death itself had lost its power
to daunt them. Slowly the circle about the besieged constricted, and
suddenly the attackers, at a given signal, abandoned their horses
and, springing to the ground, rushed forward, shooting and emitting
blood-curdling yells as they ran.

"Stand together, boys," yelled Buck, "we'll stand back to back and fight
it out to the bitter end."

Nobody had time to answer, but they did as he suggested. The Indians were
now close upon them, and with wild yells mounted the low embankment that
had hitherto protected the white men. Rifles were useless at this short
range, and Bert and the stage driver clubbed theirs and met the first
savages over the embankment with death-dealing blows from the clubbed
weapons. The savages pressed forward so fiercely and in such numbers that
soon even this became of no avail, and they had recourse to their
revolvers. The six-shooters barked steady streams of fire, doing fearful
execution among the packed ranks of the attacking redmen.

The Indians were now fighting chiefly with knives, and the defenders
began to suffer, too. One of the passengers dropped to the ground under
a wicked thrust from the knife of a giant Indian, who seemed to be the
leader. Then the big redskin,