om is near us?"

"In there."

The German pointed over his shoulder at a door in the rear of the
office.

"Idt is steel walled, undt dere is a combination lock on der door.
Even if dey should kill us all, dey still have a tough nut to crack."

The German spoke calmly, and his blond features were absolutely
unruffled. No emotion appeared either on the weathered countenances of
Coyote Pete or Buck Bradley. The professor's face, though, was ashen,
but he uttered never a word. As for the boys, who shall blame them if
it is said that their hearts were beating wildly, their mouths felt
dry, and their brains throbbed.

It was the last stand, and they all realized it.

Unless help should come from an unforeseen source, they were bound to
perish miserably at the hands of the insurrectos.

Suddenly, there was a great crashing, rending sound from without.
Instantly a chorus of wild yells arose on the air, and shots were fired
as if in exultation.

"They've busted the gate!" exclaimed Buck.

Peering through the apertures in the door and windows, they could see
the hoard come pouring into the yard of the mine. At first they came
cautiously. They evidently recollected the steam, and feared another
ambush. In a few minutes, however, their confidence returned. The
watchers could see a little man dart out from among the crowd and point
toward the specie room and the office structure.

"The gold is within, my brothers!" he shouted in Spanish.

"Bodderation tage dot feller," sputtered Geisler, "a veek ago he vos
der best vorkman ve hadt by der mine, undt now look at him."

With a howl, the insurrectos charged on the hut. The lust of gold was
in their veins, and they minded the volley poured into them by the
defenders no more than if it had been so much rain. Several of them
fell, but it seemed to make no difference to the others. They charged
right up to the very doors of the place. Some of them even tore at the
walls as if they imagined they could demolish them and get at the
gringo gold.

"Dot is vot goldt does for mens," philosophically remarked the German,
as he gazed at the onrush, firing methodically at the same time.

Jack, Ralph, and Walt were at one of the windows, while the professor
and Coyote Pete defended the other. During the mad rush for the
office, they all did considerable execution, without, of course, any
cost to themselves. The Mexicans, to be sure, returned the fire
furiously, but their b