f it from the first," replied Captain Rudstone, "though I
hoped we should have time enough to dig the tunnel. Our only chance is
to keep the redskins away from the wall."

"And that's a mighty poor one!" muttered Carteret.

"We must do it," groaned Menzies, "or it's all up with us. We can't get
at the bedding; the fiends have put it too far off from the window."

A noisy clamor interrupted our conversation, as the men from other parts
of the house poured into the room, drawn thither by Menzies' summons of
a moment before. They were under the impression that a rush had been
made and repelled; when they learned the truth they quieted down, and a
sort of awed horror was visible on every face.

No time was wasted in words. At any instant the savages might return to
complete their devilish task; the chance of beating them back, slight as
it was must be made the most of. Our last card was staked on that, and
we grimly prepared to play it. Eight men were assigned to the
loopholes--there were four on each side of the shuttered windows--and
five others, including Christopher Burley, brought powder and ball, and
set to work to load spare rifles. The rest were sent back to watch at
their posts, lest a counter attack should be made in those directions.

It had all been so sudden, so overwhelming, that I felt dazed as I
looked from my loophole into the murky, snow-flecked night. Across the
crust, dotted with ghastly forms, the outbuildings loomed vaguely.
Behind them hundreds of bloodthirsty redskins lay sheltered; but there
was scarcely a sound to be heard save the pitiful whining of the husky
dogs who were shut up in the canoe house.

"Fate is against us!" I reflected bitterly. "A few moments ago I
believed we could hold out for days--I was confident that we should all
escape; and now this black cloud of despair, of death, has fallen upon
us! Flora, my darling, I pray Heaven to spare you! God help us to beat
the savages off--to save the house!"

Just then I detected a movement in the distance, and I knew too well
what it meant. My companions saw it also, and they broke out with
warning exclamations:

"Here they come!" "Be ready, boys!" "Give the devils a hot reception!"
"Keep the spare muskets handy!"

"Take sharp aim and make every shot tell!" Menzies cried hoarsely. "Fire
at those nearest your own side. My God, look yonder--"

His voice was drowned by one blood-curdling screech poured from a
hundred throats. Through t