air.

The bombardment ceased for a few minutes.

Then four boat-loads of men put off from the cruiser, and, at the same
time, the six-inch gun began anew, covering their advance.

"Let's get down to the shore an' keep 'em from landin'!" cried Jim.

But the "Wizard" held him back.

"And have our men killed for nothing? No, Jim, we've got a good
trench here and can hold it. It'll cost them dear to attack."

"But they'll get all the gold from our last clean-up!"

"They won't, Uncle Jim," put in Jameine. "I opened the safe and we
carried all the bags here."

"And your own little pile?"

The girl shook a little sewing-bag she was carrying, and laughed.

"I was sewing when you called me, and I only had time to throw it in
here. Gold dust is all mixed up with pins and needles and things."

Jim nodded.

"You're right, 'Wizard'," he said. "This is the place we've got to
hold."

"And we'd better fortify one end of it, solid, if the worst comes to
the worst. Get some of the men to roll bowlders here to make a solid
wall."

The boats drew up to the landing-place.

"Hand me one o' them rifles!" suggested one of the twelve men whom Jim
had first chosen. "I'm good on the shoot. Them claim-jumpers is only
about six hundred yards away. I can hit a runnin' rabbit, at that
distance."

"Good enough," agreed the "Wizard," "if you can pot them off, so much
the better. They began the trouble and they fired first. Are there
any more snipers here?"

Two more of the men professed themselves to be fair shots.

Creeping out of the trench, the three snipers esconsced themselves in
cover, leaving only a loophole for their rifles. Presently one, and
then another rifle cracked.

Two of the invaders fell.

A volley followed. It pattered harmlessly against the bowlders where
the snipers were hidden and passed high over the heads of the rest of
the men, safe in the gravel-pit.

"This," said the first sniper, as he took aim and fired a second time,
"is tame sport. It's too easy."

A third man fell.

The Siberians scattered. It was clear that they had little taste for
this kind of thing. They found cover, and, for half an hour or more,
not one showed himself.

Then a little group dashed across towards the house, evidently with
the intention of pillage. The three snipers fired. One man fell, and
two, evidently wounded, limped after their fellows.

Then, for hours, not a sign!

Evening drew down, a foggy evening, with a mi