onal _whang_ as a piece
of lead hit the kettle and ricochetted. After the first volley the Indians
refused to waste their ammunition, either realizing it was useless, or
suspecting the kettle was some kind of a trick.

"I 'lowed they'd git tired," muttered Cousin, sticking the top of his head
into the kettle and lifting the edge a crack so he could scrutinize the
forest. After a minute of silence his muffed voice called down to me: "Had
a notion that cow we passed nearest the woods was dead. Try a shot that'll
just graze the rump."

I fired and a Shawnee began rolling toward the bushes. The iron kettle
rattled to the ground, and young Cousin, with head and shoulders thrust
through the roof, discharged both barrels of his rifle. The Indian stopped
rolling. I was amazed that Black Hoof's men had not instantly fired a
volley. I exclaimed as much as he dropped to the floor.

"Here she comes!" he cried as the lead began plunging into the thick logs.
"If they keep it up we can dig quite a lot o' lead out the timbers. It
took 'em by surprise to see me comin' through the roof, an' it surprised
'em more to see two shoots comin' out of a gun that hadn't been reloaded.
Mighty few double barrels out here. Huh! I 'low somethin' cur'ous is goin'
to happen."

I could discern nothing to warrant this prophecy. No Indians were to be
seen. Cousin called my attention to the sound of their tomahawks. I had
heard it before he spoke, but I had been so intent in using my eyes that I
had forgotten to interpret what my ears were trying to tell me. There was
nothing to do but wait.

Cousin discovered the horse had drunk what water there had happened to be
in the bucket, leaving us scarcely a drop. Half an hour of waiting seemed
half a day; then something began emerging from the woods. It resolved
itself into a barrier of green boughs, measuring some fifteen feet in
length and ten feet in height.

Its approach was slow. The noise of the axes was explained. The Indians
had chopped saplings and had made a frame and filled it with boughs.
Behind it was a number of warriors. About half-way across the clearing
were half a dozen long logs scattered about.

"They're thinkin' to make them logs an' while hid by their boughs yank 'em
together to make a breastwork. Then they'll pepper us while 'nother party
rushes in close. New party will pelt us while the first makes a run to git
ag'in' the walls where we can't damage 'em from the loopholes. That Bla