whom they had preyed
and that vengeful punchers lay hidden behind that death-fringe of green
willow and hazel.

Red, assisted by his inseparable companion, Hopalong, laboriously
climbed up among the branches of a black walnut and hooked one leg over
a convenient limb. Then he lowered his rope and drew up the Winchester
which his accommodating friend fastened to it. Settling himself in a
comfortable position and sheltering his body somewhat by the tree, he
shaded his eyes by a hand and peered into the windows of the distant
cabins.

"How is she, Red?" Anxiously inquired the man on the ground.

"Bully: want to come up?"

"Nope. I'm goin' to catch yu when yu lets go," replied Hopalong with a
grin.

"Which same I ain't goin' to," responded the man in the tree.

He swung his rifle out over a forked limb and let it settle in the
crotch. Then he slew his head around until he gained the bead he wished.
Five minutes passed before he caught sight of his man and then he fired.
Jerking out the empty shell he smiled and called out to his friend:
"One."

Hopalong grinned and went off to tell Buck to put all the men in trees.

Night came on and still the firing continued. Then an explosion shook
the woods. The storehouse had blown up and a sky full of burning timber
fell on the cabins and soon three were half consumed, their occupants
dropping as they gained the open air. One hundred paces makes fine
pot-shooting, as Deacon Rankin discovered when evacuation was the choice
necessary to avoid cremation. He never moved after he touched the ground
and Red called out: "Two," not knowing that his companion had departed.

The morning of the next day found a wearied and hopeless garrison, and
shortly before noon a soiled white shirt was flung from a window in the
nearest cabin. Buck ran along the line and ordered the firing to cease
and caused to be raised an answering flag of truce. A full minute
passed and then the door slowly opened and a leg protruded, more slowly
followed by the rest of the man, and Cheyenne Charley strode out to
the bank of the river and sat down. His example was followed by several
others and then an unexpected event occurred. Those in the cabins who
preferred to die fighting, angered at this desertion, opened fire on
their former comrades, who barely escaped by rolling down the slightly
inclined bank into the river. Red fired again and laughed to himself.
Then the fugitives swam down the river and landed un