Frank saw the dark mouth of the cave behind the bowlders, over which he vaulted.
The cry of the child came out of the darkness of the cave.
The Hermit and little Fay were there.
"Reddy!" hissed Old Rocks, crouching behind the bowlders—"reddy ter repel invaders!"
The Blackfeet were coming on, and their dusky forms suddenly appeared near at hand in the darkness.
On his knees behind a bowlder, Frank had drawn a revolver, and he began firing with Old Rocks.
The flash of the weapons blinded the boy for the moment, and he stopped shooting when he had fired three times.
Old Rocks stopped at the same moment, growling:
"Thet's ther way with ther onery skunks! They'll never come up and be shot down ther way they oughter!"
The Indians had disappeared.