in that position, it was he who would have received the
bullet, instead of the Indian.

To make the gun effective, he must bring it around in front and sight
it. While his own form pressed the planking so close that the savage
apparently failed to identify him, though carefully scanning the
surface, there was a strong probability that he would detect the meaning
of the slight noise involved in the act.

The Texan dared not advance nor retreat, though he would have preferred
to withdraw through the opening; but the moment he made sure of what
confronted him, he began bringing his gun forward, with the resolve to
fire the moment he could draw a bead on the miscreant.

The weapon advanced like the minute-hand over the face of a clock.
Knowing the stake for which he was working, he did not neglect any
precaution that could bring success.

"He can duck his head quickly enough," thought the captain, "but I'll
pick him off the instant there is reason to believe he scents
mischief."

His intention, in such an event, was to bring his Winchester to the
right position and discharge it with the utmost celerity. His experience
in the Civil War and in Texas rendered him an adept at this business,
but, on the other hand, it will be seen that the precautions of the
Comanche himself could be executed in a twinkling.

"Confound the luck!"

Captain Shirril had almost reached the decisive point, when the head of
the redskin vanished!

Whether or not he saw his danger cannot be said, but it is probable that
the slight noise of the arm and gun struck his ear and decided him to
drop out of sight until an investigation should be made.

The Texan was exasperated, for he was eager to bring down this scamp,
and, up to the moment of his disappearance, was confident of doing so,
but the opportunity was gone.

Instead of retreating to cover again, he decided to remain on the roof a
brief while longer; but he stealthily shifted his position a little
nearer the edge of the building. Now that he was at liberty for the
moment, he laid aside his gun and drew his revolver. That was the weapon
for such an emergency, and he kept it in position for instant use,
without the fatal preliminaries that had just defeated his purpose.

The captain clung to the belief that, despite the second repulse of the
Comanches, they would persist in their attempt until it should prove too
costly to them.

But he was not shortsighted enough to believe the repeti