at the rear end, to fight the Indians off.

There were thirty-four of them, racing on up the road at top speed.

"How far now, Cap?" called the lieutenant, while he yelled and lashed.

"Still coming fast, and getting closer."

"Yip! Yip! Gwan with you!" Pretty soon--

"How far now, Cap?" The lieutenant could see nothing, behind, and the
Indians had not uttered a sound.

"Still coming. 'Most within shooting distance."

"Yip! Hi! Yip! Yip!" And--"Whack! Whack!"

The captain, sitting upon a cracker-box and peering out through the
hole, was tossed from side to side. He could see the Indians very
plainly. They were paint-daubed Kiowas, and well mounted--armed with
bows and lances and a couple of guns. Their striped faces grinned
gleefully as their quirts rose and fell and their heels hammered their
ponies' sides. The captain almost believed that he was dreaming a bad
dream. But here they were, and how he and the lieutenant were going to
escape he did not yet know.

"What they doing now, Cap?"

"Getting ready--" and he didn't need to report. The two guns of the
Indians spoke, the whole band screeched horridly, the bullets passed
diagonally through the wagon-cover between the passengers, Lieutenant
Hallowell yelled louder and threshed faster, Captain Booth yelled, the
mules lengthened a little, the wagon bounced higher, the Indians had
reached it, they divided right and left and swooped past on either side
while their arrows whisked and thudded, Captain Booth frantically fired
his pistol and heard the lieutenant call: "I'm hit, Cap!"

He turned quickly. Horrors! Lieutenant Hallowell had an arrow stuck
in his head above his right ear! But he was whipping and yelling,
regardless. The captain tumbled forward, to help him; grasped hold of
the shaft.

"Hurt much?"

"No. Pull ahead. Hi! Yip! Gwan with you!"

Out came the arrow. Its point had lodged only under the skin.

The Indians had charged beyond the mules, in delivering their arrows.
They wheeled, and back they came. The captain fired, but he was being
jounced so, that he could not aim. He started rearward, to receive
them at that end--

"I'm hit again, Cap!" called Lieutenant Hallowell, a second time.

So he was. This time an arrow had stuck over his left ear and was
hanging down his shoulder. Whew! The captain had to pause and pull it
out.

"Hurt, Hallowell?"

"No, not much. Hi! Yip! Gwan with you!" And--"Whack! Whac