The U. P. Trail, Zane Grey [robert munsch read aloud .txt] 📗

“Wait. Listen to that bunch of Irish shoot. They’re wasting powder.”

“We’ve plenty of ammunition. Let ‘em shoot. They may not hit any redskins, but they’ll scare ‘em.”

“We can hold out here—if the troopers hurry back,” said Neale.

“Sure. But maybe they’re hard at it, too. I’ve no hope this is the same bunch of Sioux that held up the work-train.”

“Neither have I. And if the troops don’t get here before dark—”

Neale halted, and Baxter shook his gray head.

“That would be bad,” he said. “But we’ve squeezed out of narrow places before, buildin’ this U. P. R.”

Neale found the women in the large room, between the corner of the walls and a huge stone fireplace. They were quiet. Allie leaped at sight of Neale. Her hands trembled as she grasped him.

“Neale!” she whispered. “I saw Fresno!”

“Who’s he?” queried Neale, blankly.

“He’s one of Durade’s gang.”

“No!” exclaimed Neale. He drew Allie aside. “You’re scared.”

“I’d never forget Fresno,” she replied, positively. “He was one of the four ruffians who burned Slingerland’s cabin and made off with me.”

Then Neale shook with a violent start. He grasped Allie tight.

“I saw him, too. Just before I came in. I saw one of the men that visited us at Slingerland’s.... Big, hulking fellow—red, ugly face—bad look.”

“That’s Fresno. He and the gang must have been camped with those graders you brought here. Oh, I’m more afraid of Fresno’s gang than of the Indians.”

“But Allie—they don’t know you’re here. You’re safe. The troops will be back soon, and drive these Indians away.”

Allie clung to Neale, and again he felt something of the terror these ruffians had inspired in her. He reassured her, assuming a confidence he was far from feeling, and cautioned her to stay in that protected corner. Then he went in the other room to his station. It angered Neale, and alarmed him, that another peril perhaps menaced Allie. And he prayed for the return of the troops.

The day passed swiftly, in intense watchfulness on the part of the defenders, and in a waiting game on the part of the besiegers. They kept up a desultory firing all afternoon. Now and then a reckless grader running from post to post drew a volley from the Sioux; and likewise something that looked like an Indian would call forth shots from the defenses. But there was no real fighting.

It developed that the Sioux were waiting for night. A fiery arrow, speeding from a bow in the twilight, left a curve of sparks in the air, like a falling rocket. It appeared to be a signal for demoniacal yells on all sides. Rifle-shots ceased to come from the slopes. As darkness fell gleams of little fires shot up from all around. The Sioux were preparing to shoot volleys of burning arrows down into the camp.

Anderson hurried in to consult with Baxter. “We’re surrounded,” he said, tersely. “The redskins are goin’ to try burnin’ us out. We’re in a mighty tight place.”

“What’s to be done?” asked Baxter.

Anderson shook his head.

On the instant there was a dull spat of an object striking the roof over their heads. This sound was followed by a long, shrill yell.

“That was a burnin’ arrow,” declared Anderson.

The men, as of one accord, ran out through the engineers’ quarters to the open. It was now dark. Little fires dotted the hillsides. A dull red speck, like an ember, showed over the roof, darkened, and disappeared. Then a streak of fire shot out from the black slope and sped on clear over the camp.

“Sooner or later they’ll make a go of that,” muttered Anderson.

Neale heard the scout’s horse, that had been left there in the inclosure.

“Anderson, suppose I jump your horse. It’s dark as pitch. I could run through—reach the troops. I’ll take a chance.”

“I had that idee myself,” replied Anderson. “But it seems to me if them troopers wasn’t havin’ hell they’d been here long ago. I’m lookin’ for them every minnit. They’ll come. An’ we’ve got to fight fire now till they get here.”

“But there’s no fire yet,” said Baxter.

“There will be,” replied Anderson. “But mebbe we can put it out as fast as they start it. Plenty of water here. An’ it’s dark. What I’m afraid of is they’ll fire the tents out there, an’ then it ‘ll be light as day. We can’t risk climbin’ over the roofs.”

“Neale, go inside—call the boys out,” said Baxter.

Neale had to feel his way through the rooms. He called to his comrades, and then to the women to keep up their courage—that surely the troops would soon return.

When he went out again the air appeared full of fiery streaks. Shouts of the graders defiantly answered the yells of the savages. Showers of sparks were dropping upon the camp. The Sioux had ceased shooting their rifles for the present, and, judging from their yells, they had crawled down closer under the cover of night.

Presently a bright light flared up outside of the inclosure. One of the tents had caught fire. The Indians yelled triumphantly. Neale and his companions crouched back in the shadow. The burning tent set fire to the tent adjoining. They blazed up like paper, lighting the camp and slopes. But not an Indian was visible. They stopped yelling. Then Neale heard the thudding of arrows. Almost at once the roof of the engineers’ quarters, which was merely strips of canvas over a wooden frame, burst into flames. In a single moment the roof of the cabin was blazing. More tents ignited, flared up, and the scene became almost as light as day. Rifles again began to crack. The crafty Indians poured a hail of bullets into the inclosure and the walls of the buildings. Still not an Indian was visible for the defenders to shoot at.

Anderson, Neale, and Baxter were in grim consultation. They agreed on the scout’s dictum: “Reckon the game’s up. Hustle the women out.”

Neale crawled along the inclosure to the opening. On that side of the buildings there was dark shadow. But it was lifting. He ran along the wall, and he heard the whistle of bullets. Back of the cabin the Indians appeared to have gathered in force. Neale got to the corner and peered round. The blazing tents lighted up this end. He saw the graders break and run, some on his side of the cabin. He clambered in. A door of this room was open, and through it Neale saw the roof of the engineers’ quarters blazing. He heard the women screaming. Evidently they too were running out to the inclosure. Neale hurried into the room where he had left Allie. He called. There was no answer, but a growing roar