"It's lucky for us," remarked Jim, "that this is a wide valley instead of a canyon, for if they could climb up anywhere and get the drop on us our goose would be cooked."
"Look a here," I said, when a lucky shot just grazed the top of my head, "we can improve on this situation by making some loopholes."
"Sure," replied Jim, "that's the idea. Why didn't we think of it before?"
After this was done we could carry on our observations safely.
"Hello, look a here, Jim," I called some time later. "There's some more Indians coming to the rendezvous."
Jim came over and took a squint through the loophole.
"That is a jolly looking crowd coming up the valley. Must be fifty of them and they have got on their spring paint too. Ain't they beauts?" said Jim.
To me they looked like demons with horrid creases of red and yellow paint on their faces that gave them a haggard ferociousness.
"We haven't had anything to say for a long time," remarked Jim, "it's just about time that we showed them that we are taking a little interest in these proceedings."
He brought his rifle up and laid his clinched cheek against it as he aimed at the foremost of the pack. One Indian whirled suddenly around and dropped, badly wounded. The rest of them disappeared in a flash.