ther moment came the crash of rifles muffled
behind log walls. He could hear the whine of bullets, the ZIP, ZIP, ZIP
of them back in the spruce and cedar.

Another hundred yards beyond Jean, he saw John Adare break from his
cover like a great lion, his men spreading out like a pack of wolves.
Swiftly Philip turned and looked to the left. Kaskisoon and his braves
were advancing upon the Nest with the elusiveness of foxes. At first he
could not see them. Then, as Adare's voice boomed over the open, they
rose with the suddenness of a flight of partridges, and ran
swift-footed straight in the face of the windows. Thus far the game of
the attackers had worked without flaw. Thoreau and his men would be
forced to divide their fire.

It had taken perhaps three quarters of a minute for the first forward
rush of the three parties, and during this time the fire from the
windows had concentrated upon Jean and his men. Philip looked toward
them again. They were in the open. He caught his breath, stared--and
counted eight! Two were missing.

He turned to his own men, crouching and waiting. Eight were ready with
the log. Two others were to follow close behind, prepared to take the
place of the first who fell. He looked again out into the open field.
There came a long clear cry from the half-breed, a shout from Adare, a
screaming, animal-like response from Kaskisoon, and at those three
signals the forest people fell behind rocks, bits of shrub, and upon
their faces. In that same breath the crash of rifles in the open
drowned the sound of those beyond the wall of the Nest. From thirty
rifles a hail of bullets swept through the windows. This was Philip's
cue. He rose with a sharp cry, and behind him came the eight with the
battering-ram. It was two hundred yards from their cover to the
building. They passed the last shelter, and struck the open on a trot.
Now rose from the firing men behind rock and bush a wild and savage
cheer. Philip heard John Adare roaring his encouragement. With each
shot of the Crees came a piercing yell.

Yard by yard they ran on, the men panting in their excitement. Then
came the screech of a bullet, and the shout on Philip's lips froze into
silence. At first he thought the bullet had struck. But it had gone a
little high. A second--a third--and the biting dust of a shattered rock
spat into their faces. With a strange thrill Philip saw that the fire
was not coming from the windows. Flashes of smoke came from