e it as a pretty emphatic proof that I still live. Hence,
more war."

"Well, what do we do? You are the captain."

"Picket the car and keep a sharp lookout for the next move. Brissac, you
take the forward end, and I'll take the rear platform. Adair, post your
Africans in here where they'll do the most good, and see that they don't
go to sleep on their jobs."

The disposition of forces was quickly made, after which suspense set in.
Silence and the solitude of the deserted camp reigned unbroken; yet the
watchers knew that the shadows held determined enemies, alertly
besieging the private car. To prove it, Adair pulled down a portiere,
gave it bulk with a stuffing of berth pillows, and dropped the bundle
from one of the shattered windows. Three jets of fire belched from the
nearest shadow, and the dummy was riddled. Adair fired at one of the
flashes, resting the short-barreled pistol across the window ledge, and
the retaliatory shot brought Ford hurrying in from his post.

"For heaven's sake, don't waste your ammunition!" he whispered. "One of
them has gone up to the powder-house after dynamite. I heard the
creaking of the iron door."

Adair whistled softly. "Dynamite! That will bring things to a focus
beautifully, won't it? When they have blown us up, I wonder how they
will account to Uncle Sidney for the loss of his car?"

Brissac had come running in at the sound of the firing. He missed the
grim humor in Adair's query.

"Car, nothing!" he retorted. "Better say the entire camp and everything
in it! There's a whole box-car load of dynamite and caps out here in the
yard--sub-contractors' supplies waiting for the freighters' teams from
the west end. If they smash us, the chances are ten to one that there'll
be a sympathetic explosion out yonder in the yard somewhere that will
leave nothing but a hole in the ground!"

"No," said Ford. "I gave orders myself to have that car set down below
the junction when the Nadia came in."

"So you did; and so it was," Brissac cut in. "But afterward it got mixed
in the shifting, and it's back in the yard--I don't know just where."

Adair turned to the cowering porter.

"Have you any more cartridges for this cannon of yours, Williams?" he
asked.

"N-n-no, sah."

"Then we have three more chances in the hat. Much obliged for the
dynamite hint, Stuart. I'll herd these three cartridges pretty
carefully. Back to your sentry-boxes, you two, and make a noise if you
need the artill