ground."

Five more waggons were got across in the same manner. Suddenly Abe
discharged his rifle.

"What's the matter?" Frank exclaimed.

"Injins," Abe said briefly. "Them's the heads of the tarnal cusses just
coming over the line of that rise."

The spot to where he pointed was about half a mile distant, and soon
Frank perceived a number of dark objects rising above it. Almost at the
same instant the sound of a gun was heard on the other side of the
gulch.

"They are going to attack both sides at once," Abe said, as they
galloped back towards the crossing; "that shows they are strong. If they
had any doubts about licking us they would have thrown thar whole
strength on one party or the other."

On reaching the waggons they found the men there working with all their
might to get the six waggons in position, side by side across the top of
the ascent. The oxen had already been taken down into the hollow.

"That's right," Abe shouted, as they leapt from their horses and aided
in the movement. "It couldn't be better. Well and steady. You have
three or four minutes yet."

The waggons were drawn up in two lines with their wheels touching, the
inner line being on the very edge of the descent. The women and children
were placed in the inner waggons, while the eight men who had come
across with them, and the three hunters, took their places in the
outside waggons.

Almost all the men had been across with the teams when the guns were
fired, but the remainder had run back to aid in the defence of the
waggons on the other side. These were already in a position of defence,
having been so arranged before the crossing began. So well had Abe's
orders been carried out, that no confusion whatever had occurred. At the
sound of the guns the women had climbed, and helped the children, into
the waggons allotted to them, and the men, on arriving, quietly took up
their positions.

The Indians were not visible until they reached a spot about three
hundred yards from the waggons. As they dashed up the rise they checked
their horses. Instead of seeing, as they had expected, everything in
confusion and dismay, not a soul was visible, and the clumps of waggons
stood, one on either side, ranged as for defence. However, after waiting
for three days for their prey, they were not to be balked. Their wild
war-cry rose in the air, and the two bodies of horsemen charged down on
the travellers.

In an instant a deadly fire broke out, the me