and the vent-hole was
clear.

"All right," he exclaimed; "quick, Collins, a couple of cartridges
to prime with."

In another moment the gun was ready. The officer passed his eye
along the sight, and saw that the muzzle pointed fully at the large
body that was approaching a small patch of brushwood to take him
in flank.

"The moment I fire," he ordered, "throw in your second grenades,
seize the drag-ropes and retire with all speed with the gun.
I see the fuses are nearly burnt out; this is rather a short one
for my purpose, Collins, but it must answer."

Stepping to the right side of the gun, he held forth the grenade
with his left hand, and applied the port fire to the touch-hole.
There was a fizz of a few seconds, and then the gun went off with
a loud explosion, and a fierce recoil. Yells and shrieks rent the
air, and in a moment the whole of the new band were scampering away
in full flight, leaving behind them some five-and-twenty of their
party killed and disabled by the discharge of the piece, loaded,
as has been seen, with musket bullets.

Profiting by the consternation into which this murderous fire had
thrown the whole body of Pottowatomies, the men pealed forth another
cheer even louder than the first, hurled forward their grenades,
not yet ready for explosion, as far as they could throw them, and
seizing the drag-ropes, ran fleetly with it towards the hill.

Stricken with disappointment, the Indians lost sight of their usual
caution, and rushed furiously forward to recover the gun, which,
however, being now discharged, was of no actual use to them.

"Leave the gun where it is, and bring off your officer," shouted
Captain Headley in a clear voice. "See you not that he is wounded,
and the Indians advancing to dispatch him?"

This was the first intimation the men had of the fact. In their
anxiety to secure the gun, they had not observed that Ronayne, hit
by a rifle bullet while in the very act of firing his piece, had
been brought to the ground with a broken leg, and rendered unable
to follow them. But, no sooner had Captain Headley uttered the
order than all hastened back to the spot where the Virginian reclined
on one side, with the musket of the armorer tightly grasped, and
his look still bent upon the distant forest.

Just as they had reached, and were preparing to lift him up, the
Indians again rushed forward to dispute his possession. They were
within twenty paces, and brandishing their tomahaw