in Carson Lee, tapping his long
rifle affectionately. "Just let me get one peep at Denny or Wolfall,
thet's all." Lee was a crack shot, and on more than one occasion had
taken the first prize at target-shooting.

It took the best part of a quarter of an hour to reach the meadow Deck
had mentioned. Here there was a slight rise of ground, beyond which
stood the barn. From their position only the top of the structure could
be seen. Crawling Indian fashion to the top of the rise, the major
inspected the situation again. As before, not a soul was in sight.

Before moving forward he had stationed one of the slaves some distance
closer to the mansion. The man was armed with a double-barrelled gun,
and as Deck waved his handkerchief two reports rang out, the signal
agreed upon. Hardly had the echo of the gun died away than Levi, Artie,
and the others emerged from the fort, and began moving around the meadow
toward the front of the house.

The demonstration did just what was expected. Several men appeared at
the mansion windows, to fire in vain at the detachment from the fort,
they keeping pretty well out of range. From the barn poured the five
guerillas counted by Levi, anxious to learn if their services were
needed elsewhere.

By this time Deck's command was at the top of the rise, and the major
called on his men to take careful aim and fire, discharging his pistol
at the same moment. Carson Lee picked out Wolfall and the ruffian
dropped like a log, shot through the head. Two of the others went down,
one hit in the arm and the other in the side. The two remaining stopped
in perplexity, not knowing whether to return to their original shelter
or run for the mansion.

"Charge!" cried Major Deck, rushing for the barn with all the swiftness
of his youthful legs. "Come on, boys; don't let one of them get away!"
And he continued to fire as he advanced, finally succeeding in hitting
one of the remaining pair of guerillas in the calf of the leg, a painful
though not a serious wound. Seeing the turn of affairs, the last
ruffian, also wounded, sped for the mansion as though a legion of demons
were after him. Those who had reloaded gave the fellow half a dozen
shots, but he was not hit again, and tumbled pell-mell up the veranda
steps and through a doorway opened hastily to afford him entrance.

"A first victory and without a single loss," said Deck, as sheltered by
the big barn he began to reload his pistol, while the others also l