d the big balls at the fort, throwing
them high, so that they should drop through the top. A great noise of
spluttering, followed by a fit of mingled coughing and choking, told
them that their fire had taken ample effect, and had even partially
disabled the enemy.

"Let's rush the fort," cried Jim; and breaking into the open, he headed
a wild dash.

Their united attack had quite silenced the fort, and they anticipated
an easy victory. Springing on to a projecting ledge just outside one
of the loopholes, Jim's head was already above the level of the summit,
and his outstretched arm was within a foot of the flagstaff, when
something hurtled through the air, and, to Jim's intense astonishment,
a coil of rope fell heavily over his shoulders, and slipped to his
waist.

"A lasso, a lasso!" Drusie shrieked. "Look out; it is tightening."

The warning came just in the nick of time. Taken utterly by surprise,
Jim yet did not lose his presence of mind.

Grasping the rope with both hands, he kept the knot from growing
tighter; then sliding through the noose with the slipperiness of an
eel, he dropped to the ground. But unluckily he caught his foot in the
noose, and although he immediately twisted it free, he fell sprawling
to the ground. In that position he afforded a splendid mark to the
enemy, who got two good shots at him before he could move.

The others had wisely retreated to the thicket; and there Jim, limping
somewhat from his fall, joined them.

"That lasso is a splendid idea," said Drusie enthusiastically. "I
wonder how Hal ever came to think of it. I don't believe he has been
ill at all, but only just pretending, on purpose to give us this lovely
surprise."

"It was a lovely surprise," said Jim, laughing. "I thought I was done
for that time. I say, Drusie, we shall have to be awfully careful, or
we shall be taken prisoners before we know where we are."

"The only way is to keep at a safe distance and throw high," said
Drusie; "for the balls break as they fall, and if they drop on to his
head they fill his eyes and his mouth so full of sand that he is
obliged to take off his helmet and clear it all out."

"Well, we can't do better than follow the same plan again," said Helen.
"Only, don't you remember what we did last year? Some of us threw
high, while some of us aimed at the loophole and blocked it up."

"I've got a much better idea than that," said Drusie. "I vote that we
scatter, and creep as