his head and fix it on the end of his gun barrel; after
which he thrust it forward until it was in plain sight without the exit
of the mine.

A prompt response met this challenge. They heard the sudden spiteful
crack of a gun, but as Ned had cautioned them to seek shelter behind
various outcropping spurs of rock, no damage was done.

"Gee! it knocked Francois' hat off all right, believe me!" exclaimed
Jimmy, after he had raised his head cautiously, much as a turtle would
have done.

The guide made no effort to recover his headgear. He had instantly
looked out after the shot came, as meaning to learn where the marksman
was located, so that he could return the compliment of his fire.

A puff of gray smoke told him this fact, and without even waiting for
orders Francois leveled his own gun and blazed away.

"Oh! listen to that, would you?" cried Jimmy, as they heard a bellow of
mingled pain and rage break forth from the thicket into which the bullet
from the voyageur's rifle had sped like a flash.

"Down again, mebbe more shoot!" the Cree guide was heard to call out;
and _apparently_ he read the signs correctly, for hardly had the scouts
"ducked" once more than there was a crash of two guns, telling that the
entire force of the enemy must be opposed to them.

This time Jimmy could not be restrained. He had been fairly burning to
get in some active work, and without even waiting for orders, he began
to rattle off the shots from his repeating gun, in rapid-fire style.

He had taken pattern from the method adopted by Francois, and sent his
lead in the direction where he saw wreaths of smoke curling forth. Teddy
and Frank also felt savage enough at being fired on without warning to
give back a single shot apiece, but the other two held their
ammunition.

If they meant to rush the exit now was the time to do it, Ned knew. It
would be folly to wait until the enemy had recovered from the confusion
into which they may have been thrown by this volley.

"Now, charge, and scatter all you can; so as to keep from being hit!"
called out Ned, as he sprang for the opening.

They burst out with a cheer, as though under the impression that in this
way it might be possible to send further dismay into the hearts of the
three men who had, of course, been compelled to either fly, or else lie
low while the shooting was going on.

There were a couple of shots, but sent in under such conditions that
they failed to find a billet, and