or a soldier to leave a sight like this, but the real news
will be awaiting me at my desk," he concluded, adding, as he turned
away: "It's fireworks worth seeing, and if you remain here I will return
to tell you the results."

She had no thought of going. That arc of dreadful lightnings held her
with ghastly fascination. Suddenly all the guns ceased. Faintly in the
distance she heard a tumult of human voices in the high notes of a
savage cheer; the rattling din of rifles; the purring of automatics; and
then, except for the firefly flashes of scattered shots around Engadir,
silence and darkness. But she knew that chaos would soon be loosed
again--chaos and murder, which were the product of her own chicanery.
The Grays would find themselves in the trap of Partow's and Lanny's
planning.

Turning her back to the range for the moment, she saw the twinkle of the
lights of the town and the threads of light of the wagon-trains and the
sweep of the lights of the railroad trains on the plain; while in the
foreground every window of the house was ablaze, like some factory on a
busy night shift. She could hear the click of the telegraph instruments
already reporting the details of the action as cheerfully as
Brobdingnagian crickets in their peaceful surroundings. Then out of the
shadows Westerling reappeared.

"The apron of Engadir is ours!" he called. "Thanks to you!" he added
with pointed emphasis. Back in the house he had received congratulations
with a nod, as if success were a matter of course. Before her,
exultation unbent stiffness, and he was hoarsely triumphant and eager.
"It's plain sailing now," he went on. "A break in the main line! We have
only to drive home the wedge, and then--and then!" he concluded.

She felt him close, his breath on her cheek.

"Peace!" she hastened to say, drawing back instinctively.

And then! The irony of the words in the light of her knowledge was
pointed by a terrific renewal of the thunders and the flashes far up on
the range, and she could not resist rejoicing in her heart.

"That's the Browns!" exclaimed Westerling in surprise.

The volume of fire increased. With the rest of the frontier in darkness,
the Engadir section was an isolated blaze. In its light she saw his
features, without alarm but hardening in dogged intensity.

"They've awakened to what they have lost! They have been rushing up
reserves and are making a counter-attack. We must hold what we have
gained, no matter wh