uld
enjoy pulling the rope that was to hang them!"

"I couldn't; but I wish it was daylight and I could get a good aim at
one of them. I say, they'll riddle that door."

"Wait a bit," whispered Dallas, with a curious little laugh, "and we'll
answer their riddle."

The firing went on persistently, but the dog barked no more--only gave
vent from time to time to a low growl, while the listeners could tell
from the sound that he was applying an animal's natural remedy to his
wound by licking it diligently.

And the firing went on as if the enemy were searching every part of the
hut with their bullets.

"Dal," whispered Abel suddenly, "don't be startled."

"You're not going to be such an idiot as to open the door to the fire,
are you?"

"No; but it would not be idiotic," said Abel quietly; "for I feel as if
I could hit one of them by seeing the flash of his piece."

"What are you going to do, then?--let the dog out?"

"No, not now he is wounded. I wish we had set him free, though, at the
first--he'd have startled the wretches!"

"They'd have done for him with their bowies," said Dallas. "What am I
not to be startled at? Ah-h-ah! You brutes! Lie right down, Bel!
They're firing at the wall now."

"Then it's time for it. Look here, I'm going to humbug them."

Two more reports came, and, as the sound died out, Abel uttered so
unearthly a shriek that Dallas felt it go through him in a shudder that
chilled him to the bone.

"Bel!" he panted wildly.

"All right; did it sound natural?" was whispered back.

"Oh, you wretch!" whispered Dallas; and Abel laughed.

"They'll think they've done for the dog and one of us," said Abel
softly. "Let them go on firing now for a bit, and then it will be your
turn; only don't squeak like I did."

"I see," said Dallas.

"You feel for something big, and when they've fired a bit more hurl it
hard at the door, and then give a big groan."

"All right!"

"They'll feel sure then, and come up and begin to force open the door or
the shutters. Then we must let them have it."

"Yes; four barrels at once," said Dallas.

"And some seasoning directly after from our pepper-boxes."

The dog was so quiet now that Abel trembled for his fate; but he and his
companion, as they lay there in the darkness, had something else to
think about, for the firing went on steadily, and they wondered it did
not bring up some of the miners from their claims here and there.

"Surely they're