Part 19 (1/2)

'Five will do--five Gauchos,' said Dugald

It ise of Dugald to choose Gauchos If the truth must be told, however, he did so to spare more valuable lives But these wild plainsmen are the bravest of the brave, and are far better versed in the tactics of Indian warfare than any white ald's plan would have been to issue out and make a bold rush across the open space of seventy and odd yards that intervened between thepile of brushwood and the camp Had this been done, every ot half across

The preparations for the sally were speedily made Each man had a revolver and knife in his belt, and carried in his hands matches, a bundle of _pob_ (or tarred yarn), and a small cask of petroleum oil They issued fro on their faces, took advantage of every tussock of grass, waving thistle, or hemlock bush in their way Meanwhile a persistent fire was kept up from behind the breastwork, which, froes,execution

Presently, close behind the bush and near the ground, Moncrieff could see Dugald's signal, the waving of a white handkerchief, and firing immediately ceased

Al the wood and increased every , and in a ain within the fort

'Stand by now, lads, to defend the ramparts!' cried Moncrieff; 'the worst is yet to come'

The worst was indeed to come For under cover of the smoke the Indians now made ready for their final assault In the few minutes of silence that elapsed before the attack, the voice of a Gaucho e that could not but inflame their blood and passions

He spoke of the riches, the wealth of the ca to have on the hated whitefields, and driven them to the barren plains and mountains to seek for food with the puan to talk of the pale-face prisoners that would become their possession

'Give therih the smoke'

It would have been better, probably, had our leader waited

Little need to precipitate an onslaught that could have but one ending--unless indeed assistance arrived fro came to an end at last, and the commander and myself left the frontier fort at the head of the men

How terribly tedious theas cheerfully as if going to a concert or evening party I hardly answered, I hardly heard him I felt ashamed ofsoldier

At last we are within sight, ay, and hearing, of the camp, and the events of the next hour float before my memory now as I write, like the shadowy pantomime of some terrible dream

First we see smoke and fire, but hear no sound All edy and massacre, all--and the camp is on fire

Even the commander of our little force takes a serious view of the case now He draws his sword, looks to his revolver, and speaks to hisminutes the silence round the ca out in the still air, and I breatheceases, and is succeeded by the ar-cries of the attacking savages, and the hoarse, defiant slogan of the defending Scots

'Hurrah!' I shout, 'we are yet in tiht I say listen, for now high above the yell of savages and ring of revolvers rises the shriek of frightened woer I set spur toon towards the camp

CHAPTER XIII

THE FLIGHT AND THE CHASE

The very last thing I had seen that cool Argentine coarette with the stu by his wounded horse, in thestill