ery streaks. Shouts
of the graders defiantly answered the yells of the savages. Showers of
sparks were dropping upon the camp. The Sioux had ceased shooting their
rifles for the present, and, judging from their yells, they had crawled
down closer under the cover of night.

Presently a bright light flared up outside of the inclosure. One of the
tents had caught fire. The Indians yelled triumphantly. Neale and his
companions crouched back in the shadow. The burning tent set fire to the
tent adjoining. They blazed up like paper, lighting the camp and slopes.
But not an Indian was visible. They stopped yelling. Then Neale heard
the thudding of arrows. Almost at once the roof of the engineers'
quarters, which was merely strips of canvas over a wooden frame, burst
into flames. In a single moment the roof of the cabin was blazing. More
tents ignited, flared up, and the scene became almost as light as day.
Rifles again began to crack. The crafty Indians poured a hail of bullets
into the inclosure and the walls of the buildings. Still not an Indian
was visible for the defenders to shoot at.

Anderson, Neale, and Baxter were in grim consultation. They agreed on
the scout's dictum: "Reckon the game's up. Hustle the women out."

Neale crawled along the inclosure to the opening. On that side of the
buildings there was dark shadow. But it was lifting. He ran along the
wall, and he heard the whistle of bullets. Back of the cabin the Indians
appeared to have gathered in force. Neale got to the corner and peered
round. The blazing tents lighted up this end. He saw the graders break
and run, some on his side of the cabin. He clambered in. A door of
this room was open, and through it Neale saw the roof of the engineers'
quarters blazing. He heard the women screaming. Evidently they too were
running out to the in-closure. Neale hurried into the room where he had
left Allie. He called. There was no answer, but a growing roar outside
apparently drowned his voice. It was dark in this room. He felt along
the wall, the fireplace, the corner. Allie was not there. The room was
empty. His hands groping low along the floor came in contact with the
bag he had left in Allie's charge. It contained the papers he had
taken the precaution to save. Probably in her flight to escape from the
burning cabin she had dropped it. But that was not like Allie: she would
have clung to the bag while strength and sense were hers. Perhaps she
had not gotten out of t