hey com

nd fire at the fellow on the left

of life or death, and did their best to nerve themselves accordingly. Each picked his man, and both guns rang out at the same time. The reports had no

y appeared not to know what to do next. Then the wounded man staggered back tow

Ralph who hit his man, a slight wound in the leg. Hardly had the pistols belched forth than the Ind

they can," cried Dan. "We mu

orce it open. But their hatchets and the axe they had brought along failed to make much of an impressio

olf Ear's voice. "Open,

u all down!" answered Dan,

in the house belongs to the

, and you shall not have

er windows, and now, leaning out swiftly, he

anced along the shoulder of a second. Then came a quick fire in return,

?" queried the

and bolted it again. Then he came down the ladder, the blood flowing from a wound in

lose at hand. The cow bothered them in their efforts, and one of the red men had t

uite seriously. The other two continued to hammer away

he saw that his brother was still able to continue the stru

d level their firearms, there came a report from the edge of the timber next to the b

as struck, in the arm. This was the savage who had previously been nipped in the ear, and, without waiting for anoth

fire through the door, and Dan mot

d," he said, "and if it is father, and he wan

n might still be lurking at hand, to fire at them through a crack in the cabin walls. While Ralph made his

alph, presently. "He is waving for us to

t fat

t-- It's Poke Stover

o the width of a foot, the figure of a tall, heavily bearded frontiersman

the youth. "I'm mig

on as the man could catch his breath, for he had

atch on the throat. But fathe

o bring help. He says he signal

have a fight with a

llet through Stiger's left calf, and knocked the Injun down with the butt of his

old?" asked Ralph, who had

n, and one of 'em

e of them are wo

drifted into Texas from Missouri several years ago, and who had spent all of his life on the plains

und here," said Ralph. "How long do you su

daybreak," answered Poke Stover. "It

said it would be best to remain silent and keep o

ree o'clock in the morning. Only one alarm

nnounced Dan. "Can

ver. "Comanches on the war-path

l to attack?"

must keep our eye

tillness was the morning breeze, as it began to stir through the

hope it was." But Poke Stover shook his head, for he had

another round at ye," he said. "I

s attention back of the cattle shed. An object was movi

s-and it is," he announced. "

sed his rifle, took careful aim, and blazed away. There was a grunt of dismay, and an Indian, who had been driving

oke Stover, with much self-satisfaction. "He thought he was goin' to

ing to do, if he had gotten cl

nd probably a bit o' fire about him, too, al

rn us out!" ejaculate

was hi

hot at, but to be burned out! He wished daylight would c

with greater clearness under the tall timber, and soon

ike a stone-boat," meaning thereby a sort of flat d

's a shield! One or two of them will co

shield, for such it was, was done, and slowly two Comanches came forward, holding it

at a slight crack in the wooden shield, he fired. But the barrier was t

hen the burning stuff was hurled forward. It was tied into a bundle with some strong vines, and had a stone attached to give