Together they rushed to the door. From the farther end of the stockade a billow of red, pitchy flame was sweeping up into the night, and the roar and crackle of the dried pine logs burning was drowned in the cries of the men as they cheered the results of their handiwork.
Toppy and Campbell ran toward the stockade gate. The gate had been chopped to pieces, but the guards, from the shelter of their building, were shooting at the opening and preventing the men from rushing out. The flames at the far end of the stockade rose higher and fiercer as they began to get their hold on the pitchy wood. The smoke, billowing low, came driving back into the faces of Campbell and Toppy.
“They’ve done it up brown now!” swore Campbell. “The wind’s this way. The whole camp will go unless yon fire’s checked.”
Over the front of the stockade something flew through the darkness, its parabola marked by a string of sparks that spluttered behind it. It fell near one side of the guards’ quarters. A second later it exploded with a noise and shock that shook the whole camp.
“Dynamite,” said Scotty. “The men have been stealing it and saving it for this occasion. Gi’n one of those sticks lands on that building there’ll be dead men inside.”
But the men inside evidently had no mind to wait for such a catastrophe. They came rushing out in the darkness, slipping quickly out of sight, yet firing at the gate as they went. One of them rushed past Toppy in the direction of the office. Toppy scarcely noticed him. On second thought something about the man’s great size, his broad shoulders, the hang of his arms, attracted him. He turned to look; the man had vanished in the dark. A vague uneasiness took possession of Toppy. For a moment he stood puzzled.
“My ——!” he cried suddenly. “That was Reivers, and he was going to her!”
He started in pursuit. Reivers was pounding on the door of the office when Toppy reached him. The door was locked.
“Open up; open up at once!” he ordered. Beyond the door Toppy heard the voice of the girl.
“Oh, please, please, Mr. Reivers! I’m afraid!”