was removed from the mind of Jethro
Juggens.

"Dat's what I's waiting for," was his thought, as he brought his piece
to a level, took the best aim he could in the darkness, and let fly.

The report within the close room was so thunderous that his ears
tingled, but confident of the accuracy of his shot, he looked through
the smoke at the moonlit opening.

"I didn't hear no yell, but I reckoned dat blowed de top ob his head off
afore he could let out de war-whoop dat Mr. Kenton says an Injin always
gibs when he cotches his last sickness--gracious hebbins! how's dat?"

Could he believe his eyes? The head at which he had fired only a few
feet away had not vanished. There it was, the owner apparently staring
in upon him, with the same interest he had shown from the first.

"Dat beats all creation! I knowed I hit him, 'cause I couldn't miss him
if I tried. He must had a head as hard as mine--"

If Jethro Juggens was astounded by what had just occurred, he was almost
lifted off his feet by what followed before he finished the expression
of the thought that was in his mind. Through the narrow window at which
he was gazing the muzzle of a gun was thrust and the weapon discharged,
the ball passing so close that he felt it nip his ear.

With a howl of dismay the youth leaped a foot in the air and to one
side. No one could have had a narrower escape than he, and he knew it.

"Tings are gettin' mixed most obstrageously," he muttered, stepping
nearer to one side of the room and proceeding to reload his gun as best
he could in the darkness.

Much as Jethro had blundered, and obtuse as he was in many things, he
understood what had taken place. That which he supposed to be the head
of an Indian was some object presented by the crouching warrior with the
purpose of drawing his fire, and it succeeded in doing so. The flash of
the negro's rifle revealed where he stood, and the Shawanoe, who was
watching for that clew, lost no time in firing, missing by a
hair's-breadth a fatal result. Thus it came about that not the least
execution was done on either side.

Jethro waited some minutes in order to discover the next movement of his
enemies. Nothing presenting itself, he had resort to the dangerous
expedient of trying to peer through the different windows. Being
enveloped in impenetrable gloom, he could not have been seen by the
Indians had they been on the watch, though possibly they might have
heard him. As it was, no shot was fi