construction
force next!"

CHAPTER XVI

SHUT OFF FROM THE WORLD

Five horsemen belonging to the field party rode in furiously, Matt
Rice at their head.

"It's a shame," yelled Rice, as he threw himself from his horse.
"I'd have stayed behind---so would the others---if we had had rifles
with us. The scoundrels kept up a fire at a quarter of a mile range.
Then we passed the men who are carrying Reynolds---they're almost
here now---but it wouldn't have done any good for us to stand by them.
We'd have made the other party only a bigger mark. Where are the
revolvers, Reader? We've got to make a stand here. We can't run away
and leave our camp to fall into their hands."

"We're not going to run away," said Reade grimly. "But I'll tell
you what a half dozen of you can do. Hustle for shovels and dig
a deep hole here. This gentleman is Mr. Newnham, president of the
company that employs us. If the camp is attacked we can't afford to
have the president of the road killed."

"Mr. Newnham would do far better to ride down the trail as fast as
he can go, and try to join the construction camp," offered Rutter.

The president of the S.B. & L. had been silent during the last few
exciting moments. But now he opened his mouth long enough to reply
very quickly:

"Mr. Newnham hasn't any thoughts of flight. I am not a fighting
man, and never saw a shot fired in anger in my life, but I'm going
to stand my ground in my own camp."

"Dig the hole, anyway," ordered Tom. "We'll want a safe place to put
young Reynolds. We can't afford to leave him exposed to fire."

"Where are the revolvers?" Rice insisted, as others started to get
shovels and dig in a hurry.

"Oh, never mind the revolvers," replied Tom. "We won't use 'em,
anyway. We can't, for they wouldn't carry far enough to put any of
the enemy in danger."

"Mr. Reade," remarked Mr. Newnham, in a quiet undertone, "does it
occur to you that you are making no preparations to defend the camp!
That, in fact, you seem wholly indolent in the matter?"

"Oh, no; I'm not indolent, sir," smiled Tom. "You'll find me
energetic enough, sir, I imagine, when the need for swift work comes."

"Of course you couldn't foresee the coming of any such outrage
as this," Mr. Newnham continued.

"Oh, I rather guessed that this sort of thing was coming," Tom
confessed.

"You guessed it---and yet the camp has been left undefended? You
haven't taken any steps to protect the c