“Those men mean business, for sure,” Morris asserted, and added this counsel: “We musn’t show ourselves any mor’n we can help, and especially at night by the firelight. And it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make a better breastwork when it gets so dark they can’t see what we’re doing.”
“We might hang blankets on the wall along that side of the cabin, so that no one could see to shoot through the chinks,” Len suggested.
“Yes, that’s a good scheme, and somebody must be on watch night and day lest they play some trick on us. I don’t think they’ll shoot in the daytime, but I’ll bet they’ll take the first chance at night they can get. I tell you, gentlemen, not only your mine, but your lives are at stake in this yere scrimmage, and it’ll stand you in hand to take mighty good care of ’em.”
This was from Morris and was sober talk, but seemed to be no less than the truth, considering the character of the desperadoes.
Acting upon the suggestion, in his prompt, quiet way, Max remarked that he would take the first watch, and going to the door of the cabin which, it will be remembered, looked down the cañon, and hence faced the Aurora, opened it and started to pass out.
Before he could step across the threshold, a faint report rang out, not loud nor sharp, for the air was too thin to let much noise be made, and with an audible ping a bullet splintered the log over the door.
Max dropped so quickly his chums thought for an instant he must have been hurt, but he shouted “Keep back! Keep back!” and at once began to wriggle forward under cover of the wall toward the brink of the dump.
Dropping on hands and knees they followed him, and a few seconds later all four were lying behind the pile of stones, peering out into the gloom.
Nothing could be seen, or even heard, for a time, but presently muttered talking was detected on the other hillock and our friends concluded that the shot did not mean an attack, but had been fired, sharpshooter fashion, when Max exposed himself in the brightly lighted doorway. The enemy’s camp had evidently been made down behind the shelter of the dump, as was shown by the light reflected from the fire, but neither the blaze nor its kindlers were visible, so that the compliment of the shot could not have been returned had our boys felt so disposed.
“I make no doot they’re watching us as shairp as we’re peerin’ at them,” whispered Sandy; “and the sooner we improve our fortifications, the better.”