shot being fired on either side.

Now it was my turn, and I went beyond the place where he had dropped
his last stone.

At that instant an alarm was shouted from the distant wood, and an
Indian raised his head above the log and fired. The bullet struck the
falling rock, and sent a shower of stinging splinters into my face. I
turned and fled.

With the discharge of the Indian's rifle Sergeant Cunningham and
Corporal Frank opened a rapid fusillade with the revolvers, which
successfully covered my retreat to the cabin; but we knew that our
last chance at stone-dropping was past.

Several terribly long hours had crept past since we saw Vic turn the
butte on her errand to the valleys. Judging by the time it had taken
the Navajos to bore a tunnel under their log and undermine the first
trigging-stone, we estimated that two more hours must pass before the
four obstructions we had placed in their way could be removed, unless
they took some more speedy method.

It was quite nine miles to camp, and the dog could easily reach it in
about an hour. If she had arrived, help should by this time be fairly
on the way; but if she had been killed by the besiegers before she
reached the north end of the butte, or had been torn in pieces by the
wolves!

Should the log once reach our door, we could not hope to do more than
make the price of our lives dear to the enemy.

While the sergeant and I stood at the door and window, speculating in
no very hopeful vein over these probabilities, there came a scratch at
the eastern door. Frank was at the window on that side, and, startled
by the sound, he called to us, "I'm afraid an Indian has sneaked up on
us, sir."

Again the scratching was heard, this time accompanied by a familiar
whine, which presently swelled into a low bark.

"Oh, Mr. Duncan, it's Vic! It's Vic!" shouted the boy, and, springing
to the door, he flung it wide open.

In trotted Vic, and, coming up to me, she dropped a stick at my feet
bearing the words: "In the collar, as before."

It took some little time for Corporal Frank to secure the messenger.
She capered about the room, licked our hands and faces, jumped up to
the noses of the ponies, and behaved as if she was conscious of
having performed a great feat and was overjoyed to have returned
safely.

But Vic surrendered to the boy at last, and, submitting her neck for
inspection, he found attached to her collar a letter which read as
follows:

"CAMP AT LO