hat I sorter like you, Morris. If
things could 'a' been different, an' I could be more like other folks, I
'low we'd been good friends."

"We're the best of friends, Shelby. As long as I can think I shall
remember how you came with me into this trap to help rescue the girl."

"Shucks! Don't be a fool!" he growled. "That ain't nothin'. Once I bu'sted
up a Mingo camp to git my dawg. They'd caught the critter an' was
cal'latin' to sculp him alive. Got him free, too, an' the damn pup was
that stirred up by his feelin's that he couldn't tell who was his friends,
an' he chawed my thumb somethin' cruel."

He stepped to the loophole, and after peering out mumbled:

"Changin' mighty smart."

I glanced out and the ridges were losing their outlines and the valley was
becoming blurred. Cousin mused.

"It'll be comin' right smart now. Don't overlook anything."

We made a last examination of flints and primings, and Cousin softly
arranged the heavy door bar so it might be displaced with a single
movement. He startled me by abruptly standing erect and cocking his head
to one side and remaining motionless.

"The old Englishman!" he exclaimed. "He ain't fired a shot, or tried to
talk with us for a long time."

I went to the front end of the cabin and put my eye to the peephole. The
small window showed black. I called to him several times and received no
answer. There was only one conclusion. A chance ball through a loophole or
a window had killed the old fellow. Cousin agreed to this. A signal at the
mouth of the valley brought us to our toes. It was about to begin. The
signal was answered from the ridge behind us.

"They've put the stopper in the bottle," Cousin whispered. "But here's an
idea. The upper cabin, where the Dales was, is empty. If we could sneak in
there without bein' seen we'd have the slimmest sort of a chance to duck
back to the ridge while they was shootin' their fire-arrers at this cabin.
There would be a few minutes, when the first flames begin showin', when
every eye would be on this place. If we could only reach the flank o' the
ridge we'd be fools if we couldn't dodge 'em."

This appealed to me as being excellent strategy. Knowing the Dales' cabin
was empty, the Indians would not think of paying it much attention at
first. To leave our shelter and make the short distance would require
darkness. Our greatest danger would be from the Indians on the ridge back
of us. By this time they were lined up at the