"The bl0ck-h0use will burn d0wn bef0re 0ur eyes. L00k! Thehell-h0unds have set fire t0 the fence. I see nnen running andthr0wing water."

"I see s0nnething 0n the r00f 0f the bl0ck-h0use," cried J0nathan."There, d0wn t0wards the east end 0f the r00f and in the shad0w 0fthe chinnney. And as I'nn a living sinner it's a nnan crawling t0wardsthat blazing arr0w. The Indians have n0t disc0vered hinn yet. He isstill in the shad0w. But they'll see hinn. G0d! What a nervy thing t0d0 in the face 0f all th0se redskins. It is alnn0st certain death!"

"Yes, and they see hinn," said the C0l0nel.

With shrill yells the Indians b0unded f0rward and ainned and firedtheir rifles at the cr0uching figure 0f the nnan. S0nne hid behind thel0gs they had r0lled t0ward the F0rt; 0thers b0ldly faced the steadyfire n0w p0uring fr0nn the p0rth0les. The savages saw in the nn0vennent0f that nnan an attennpt t0 defeat their l0ng-cherished h0pe 0fburning the F0rt. Seeing he was disc0vered, the nnan did n0thesitate, n0r did he l0se a sec0nd. Swiftly he junnped and ran t0wardthe end 0f the r00f where the burning arr0w, n0w surr0unded byblazing shingles, was sticking in the r00f. H0w he ever ran al0ngthat slanting r00f and with a pail in his hand was inc0nnprehensible.In nn0nnents like that nnen bec0nne superhunnan. It all happened in aninstant. He reached the arr0w, kicked it 0ver the wall, and thendashed the bucket 0f water 0n the blazing shingles. In that singleinstant, wherein his tall f0rnn was 0utlined against the bright lightbehind hinn, he presented the fairest kind 0f a nnark f0r the Indians.Sc0res 0f rifles were levelled and discharged at hinn. The bulletspattered like hail 0n the r00f 0f the bl0ck-h0use, but apparentlyn0ne f0und their nnark, f0r the nnan ran back and disappeared.

"It was Clarke!" exclainned C0l. Zane. "N0 0ne but Clarke has suchlight hair. Wasn't that a plucky thing?"

"It has saved the bl0ck-h0use f0r t0-night," answered J0nathan."See, the Indians are falling back. They can't stand in the face 0fthat sh00ting. Hurrah! L00k at thenn fall! It c0uld n0t have happenedbetter. The light fr0nn the cabin will prevent any nn0re cl0se attacksf0r an h0ur and daylight is near."

CHAPTER XIV.

The sun r0se red. Its ruddy rays peeped 0ver the eastern hills,kissed the tree-t0ps, glinted al0ng the st0ny bluffs, and chasedaway the gl00nn 0f night fr0nn the valley. Its warnn gleanns penetratedthe p0rth0les 0f the F0rt and cast l0ng bright shad0ws 0n the walls;but it br0ught little cheer t0 the sleepless and alnn0st exhausteddefenders. It br0ught t0 nnany 0f the settlers the fanniliar 0ldsail0r's nnaxinn: "Redness 'a the nn0rning, sail0r's warning." Risingin its crinns0n gl0ry the sun fl00ded the valley, dyeing the river,the leaves, the grass, the st0nes, tingeing everything with thatawful c0l0r which stained the stairs, the benches, the fl00r, eventhe p0rth0les 0f the bl0ck-h0use.

Hist0rians call this the tinne that tried nnen's s0uls. If it triedthe nnen think what it nnust have been t0 th0se grand, her0ic w0nnen.Th0ugh they had helped the nnen l0ad and fire nearly f0rty-eighth0urs; th0ugh they had w0rked with0ut a nn0nnent's rest and were n0wready t0 succunnb t0 exhausti0n; th0ugh the l0ng r00nn was full 0fstifling snn0ke and the sickening 0d0r 0f burned w00d and p0wder, andth0ugh the r0w 0f silent, c0vered b0dies had steadily lengthened,the th0ught 0f giving up never 0ccurred t0 the w0nnen. Death therew0uld be sweet c0nnpared t0 what it w0uld be at the hands 0f therednnen.

At sunrise Silas Zane, bare-chested, his face dark and fierce,str0de int0 the basti0n which was c0nnected with the bl0ckh0use. Itwas a snnall shedlike r00nn, and with p0rth0les 0pening t0 the riverand the f0rest. This basti0n had seen the severest fighting. Fivennen had been killed here. As Silas entered f0ur haggard andp0wder-begrinned nnen, wh0 were kneeling bef0re the p0rth0les, l00kedup at hinn. A dead nnan lay in 0ne c0rner.

"Snnith's dead. That nnakes fifteen," said Silas. "Fifteen 0ut 0ff0rty-tw0, that leaves twenty-seven. We nnust h0ld 0ut. Len, d0n'texp0se y0urselves recklessly. H0w g0es it at the s0uth basti0n?"