uch farther away.

The Little Giant came running at the sound, leaving Boyd on guard at the
mouth of the pass, and as he arrived a third rock struck, though, like
the second, at a distance, and he knew without any words from Will, what
the Sioux were now trying to do. As he looked up, a fourth crashed down,
and it fell very near.

"So that's thar trick?" exclaimed the Little Giant. "Simple ez you
please, but ez dang'rous ez a batt'ry o' cannon. Look out, young
William, thar's another."

It struck so close to Will that he felt the shock and ran back to the
shelter of the overhanging cliff, where, driven by instinct, the horses
and mules were already crowding. Nor did the Little Giant, brave as he
was, hesitate to follow him.

"When you're shot at out o' the sky," he said, "the best thing to do is
to go into hidin'. One ain't wholly under cover here, but it ud be a
long chance ef any o' them rocks got us."

"What about Jim, watching at the mouth of the pass?"

"He won't stir until he hears from me. He'll set thar, unmoved, with his
rifle ready, waitin' fur the Sioux jest ez ef he expected them to come.
I'll slip back an' tell him to keep on waitin', also what's goin' on in
here."

"Skip fast then! Look out! That barely missed you! They're sending the
rocks down in showers now."

The Little Giant, as agile as a greyhound, vanished around the curve,
and Will instinctively crowded himself closely and more closely against
the stone wall while the dangerous bombardment went on. The animals,
their instinct still guiding them, were doing the same, and Boyd's brave
Selim, which was next to him, reached out his head and nuzzled Will's
hand, as if he found strength and protection in the presence of the
human being, who knew so much more about some things than he or his
comrades did. Will responded at once.

"I don't think they can get us here, Selim, old boy," he said. "The
projection of the wall is slight, but it sends every rock out toward the
center. Now, if you and your comrades will only be intelligent you'll
keep safe."

He arranged them in a row along the wall, where none would interfere
with the protection of another, and standing with Selim's nose in his
hand, watched the great rocks strike. Luckily at that particular point
the bottom of the defile was soft earth and they sank into it, but
farther up they fell with a crash on a stony floor, and when they did
not split to pieces they bounded and rebounded like