great to justify exposing his life. For
all it would gain at the best he, in charge of the defence, must not
undertake it. And there was really no extra danger to the shack, since
it could not be taken from the rear.

He wormed his way back more carefully through the kitchen door and
reported what he had seen. Torrance, far from feeling gratitude for
the Indian's defence of the trestle, fumed that it should be left to
the care of any one but himself. In the midst of his grumbling the
first bullets struck the shack. They penetrated door and window and
embedded themselves in the rear walls. But Mahon had disposed of the
defenders with that peril in mind.

Of the eight Constable Williams and Murphy were stationed in the
kitchen, with its one window and door. In Tressa's room, the point of
least exposure, two of the crew were established. Torrance and another
of the crew held the contractor's bedroom at the front. The living
room Mahon himself, assisted by the last member of the crew, took in
charge. Tressa carried messages, under strict orders to avoid exposure
to window or door. One man in each pair was told off to co-operate
with the defenders of any threatened point.

The weakness of the defence was the number of rifles. Torrance had
two, the Policemen two. One rifle was given to each room; each of the
eight had a revolver. Mahon was almost satisfied that the ammunition
would last out any siege the bohunks were likely to undertake.

A few minutes' contemplation of the stable exposure convinced him that
the attackers could gain nothing there. To fire the stable would only
rob them of the sole protection to the rear, and, with what wind there
was against it, fire would not spread to the house.

Standing to the left of the living room window while he reflected, he
imagined a movement far down the grade. Immediately he fired. From
Torrance's room came the thunder of his rifle. Evidently the bohunks
were crossing the grade in numbers.

Thereafter nothing happened for half an hour but pointless and
desultory potting. It promised nothing to the attackers and the
defence was still intact. The windows were shattered, and by the
tinkle of glass every picture and ornament in the room must have been
smashed. From the trestle the silence was broken only twice. The
Indian was saving his cartridges.

Suddenly a burst of five shots in quick succession warned Mahon that
the Indian was alarmed. Recklessly t