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the edge of the stockade Not a sound caht appeared in the darkness Then the great, wide,

black night suddenly opened its jaws and launched forth an avalanche

of blinding, white light The two hty thunder, as if it wereall the heavens

No eneed had hardly breathed their breath of relief, before

there arose upon the dark air, a din of sound so diabolical that you

ates of hell had suddenly been thrown open From

every point around the fort went up a chorus of ular flash and crack fro his men: "Don't waste your ammunition," he said, "in the dark Part of their

plan is to burn the fort Wait till they fire the torches, and then

blaze at theht"

Every limmered in the dark

Crack! crack! crack! went the rifles of the savages, and now and

again a sound, half like a snarl, and half like a sigh, went trailing

over the fort It was from the Indians' bullets

"Keep close, my men," shouted the Inspector; "down upon your faces"

Drawn off their guard by the silence of the besieged, the ene flaan to wave thelare showed

scores of savages, busy loading and discharging their rifles