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He edged toward the , careful not to show hi post “Paulie? Hey, Paulie!”

Crouching low, Benteen darted to the other opening that looked onto the clearing and the cabin He felt a wetness along his ribs When he slipped a hand inside his coat, it carazed him He didn’t knohen it had happened

Bull came up beside him to peer out “How’s Barnie doin’?”

“They’ve still got the cabin”

Suddenly a renegadefor the trading post Both Benteen and Giles squared around the opening, squeezing off shots while a hail of bullets spattered froave a little leap, then sprawled facedown in the dirt He twitched once, then didn’t ain

“Barnie’s got the cabin,” Bull stated

There was a noise in the doorway behind theun cocked

“It’s ed a wounded cowboy into the shed, one of the vaqueros “Vince and Bob are at the corner of the shed Diego’s been hit in the hip” He paused to lean against the wall and ease the vaquero down “We gonna rush the post?”

Benteen spied a lantern hanging on a peg by the door It was more than half-full of kerosene He slipped it off its hook “We’re going to burn them out Tell Barnie”

While Benteen scraped a ht it, Woolie darted to theand called to the cabin with the orders He was breathing hard when he cao with your move,” he said

“Give us some cover fire” Benteen waited another second until the as burning strong

The air was filled with the roar of gunfire as he stepped out of the doorway and hurled the lantern at the frontof the trading post When he ducked inside, a bullet whapped the fra slivers of wood into his cheek He heard the crash of the lantern and the whoosh of flames

“Get ready They’ll be comin’ out,” he warned the others

There were three in the trading post It didn’t take theades burst out of the door with guns blazing One’s coat was on fire, but he was rolled to the ground by a shot A second un was shot out of the third man’s hand, the bearded one in the buffalo coat

“That’s Sallie,” Giles said