to the fort and were safe
for the present.

The first thing Juarez did was to climb into the branches of a big
pine that had been left in the stockade. From this point of vantage he
could see in which direction the enemy were. He did not have to wait
long before he saw one of the crowd move cautiously from behind a tree
and rush for a rock nearer the fort, but Juarez was ready for him, and
fired. The man fell, and, then recovering his feet, rushed down the
hill.

CHAPTER XXVII

THE RETREAT

This was the luckiest shot of the fight, for it was no other than Gus
Gols himself whom Juarez had struck. There was a lull now, and the
boys had time to breathe.

"Jo, you get up into that tree and keep watch," said Jim, "while the
rest of us take account of stock."

"I guess those fellows have had enough to keep them quiet for a
while," said Juarez. "It looked to me as though I had got their big
chief with that shot."

"It's half the battle if you have done that," said Jim. "Wait till
daylight comes and we will make them skedaddle."

"It's remarkable how quiet the horses took all this," said Tom.

"Oh, they have been under fire before," said Jim. "You can trust 'em
not to act up at a time like this."

This was certainly true, though they were packed together close at
the end of the corral-stockade. They made no disturbance and seemed
to realize that their safety was being looked after by their old
comrades, the Frontier Boys.

"I'm kind of hungry," said Jim. "Let's have something to eat."

"It's kind of late for supper," said Jeems, "but it's never too late
to eat."

So the boys made as good a meal in the darkness as they could, and
felt better for it. They also drank sparingly of the water, for they
did not know how long the siege would last. It was now about half-past
one, and the boys were very anxious for the morning to break.

About three o'clock there came a furious firing from behind a hastily
constructed entrenchment at the end of the hill opposite where the
boys had built their stockade.

Most of the bullets buried themselves harmlessly in the soft wood of
the pine logs that made the walls of the stockade. The boys replied
with accuracy, but they were careful not to waste their ammunition. At
last the dawn broke clear, and with the first gleam of light the boys
looked eagerly out to see if the enemy still held the hill.

"They have vamoosed," said Juarez after making a careful
reconnoissance.