lpably bewildered, stepped out. With hand
shading his eyes he minutely examined the landscape, slowly turning his
head from left to right as he scrutinised the distant horizon and the
ground intervening. Stranleigh, kneeling, rested his rifle on the top of
the wall, and as Jim's left ear, a rather prominent feature, became
fully visible, the young man fired.

Jim's action instantaneously verified the Indian romances of
Stranleigh's youth. He sprang clear up into the air and clapped a hand
upon his wounded ear. He was at that moment the most astonished man on
the western hemisphere. His first instinct being to bolt for cover, he
did so without pausing to close the door, which opened outwards, and
this broad piece of woodwork now offered a much more prominent target
than Jim's ear had done a moment before.

Stranleigh, exercising a care that seemed unnecessary with so big a
target, fired out the cartridges of his magazine, then immediately
restocked it, and shot away the second charge. Putting in a third load,
he sat there with his customary nonchalance, awaiting the turn of
events. In that clear atmosphere, and with his sharp vision, he saw
that he had accomplished his intention, and had punctured the letter "S"
on the panel of the open door.

Meanwhile, there was commotion in the bunk house. The first sharp
report, accompanied by Jim's yell, woke every man within. The subsequent
fusilade engendered a belief that the enemy was in possession of a Maxim
gun, and brought every man to the floor, thankful that he was under
better cover than if he stood behind the door, through the panel of
which all the bullets had penetrated.

"How did he escape?" demanded one, addressing Jim, who was holding his
left hand to his ear.

"I don't know," said the wounded man ruefully. "You can search me."

"Seems from that shooting that we'd better search outside. What in the
fiend's name made him batter the door?"

"Sorry he left us, I suppose," muttered Dean, grimly. "Knocking because
he wanted to come in again."

"How did he get his gun?"

"Hanged if I know," said the questioned man, impatiently.

"But you were on guard. You ought to know something about it."

"Look here," said Jim. "There's no use in talking. He got out some way,
and he's got his gun some way. He's holding us up, and we must make
terms with him."

"But where is he?"

"I tell you I don't know! The bullet came from the direction of the
mine. Now, one of you b