smen held them at
their mercy, and it was only their vast numbers that gave them headway.
Death had no terrors for them. As each man drooped his head upon the earth
another was there to take his place; and so the advance was maintained.

Noon drew near; the ever-narrowing circle was close upon the farm.

There was no sound of voices, only the sharp cracking of rifles, or the
ping of bullets whistling through the air as the Indians returned the
biting fire of their intended victims. It was a life and death struggle
against time, and both besieged and besiegers knew it.

Seth watched with quiet eyes but with mind no less anxious that he did not
show it. He had no fixed station like the others. He moved here, there,
and everywhere watching, watching, and encouraging with a quiet word, or
lending his aid with a shot wherever pressure seemed to be greatest.

Noon passed. The whole plain was now alive with the slowly creeping foe
stealing upon the doomed fort. The head of the advance was within three
hundred yards of the stockade.

Parker was at Seth's side. Both were aiming at a party of young braves,
endeavoring to outstrip their fellows by a series of short rushes. For
some moments they silently picked them off, like men breaking pipes in a
shooting gallery. The last had just fallen.

"It's red-hot this time," observed the Agent, turning his attention in a
fresh direction. "We'll be lucky if we hold out until to-night." He was
blackened with perspiration and dust. He wore three bandoliers bristling
with ammunition over a torn and stained shirt.

"Guess so," Seth replied. "This 'll last another two hours, I'm figgerin',
then we'll--git busy."

A fresh rush had started and the two rifles were kept at work. The Indians
fell like ninepins, but there were always more to come on.

Hargreaves joined them a moment. He, too, was terribly war-worn. He still
wore his clerical stock, but it had lost all semblance to its original
shape.

"They're rushing us everywhere, Seth," he said.

Seth replied while he aimed at another daring warrior.

"I know," he said, and fired.

Hargreaves went back to his post. There must be no waste of time. This
gentle pastor had little of gentleness about him now. A good Christian in
every way, he still had no thought of turning the other cheek when women
were in peril.

By three o'clock in the afternoon the rush became general. The defenders
had no time even to keep their rifles cool. A st