Gimpfire Stories of Indian Qiaracter 521 



to have struck, and not less than eight or ten had inflicted 

 mortal wounds. 



The savages in the cave, with death staring them in the 

 face, did not seem to lose their courage — or shall we say 

 despair? They resumed their chant, and sang with vigor 

 and boldness, until Brown determined that the battle or 

 siege must end. Our two lines were now massed in one, 

 and every of&cer and man told to get ready a package of 

 cartridges; then, as fast as the breech-block of the carbine 

 could be opened and lowered, we were to fire into the 

 mouth of the cave, hoping to inflict the greatest damage by 

 glancing bullets, and then charge in by the entrance on our 

 right flank, back of the rock rampart which had served as 

 the means of exit for the hostiles when they made their 

 attack. 



The Apaches did not relax their fire, but, from the in- 

 creasing groans of the women, we knew that our shots were 

 telling, either upon the women in the cave, or upon their 

 relatives among the men for whom they were sorrowing. 



It was exactly like fighting with wild animals in a trap; 

 the Apaches had made up their minds to die, if relief did 

 not reach them from some of the other "rancherias" sup- 

 posed to be close by. 



Bums and several others went to the crest and leaned 

 over, to see what all the frightful hubub was about. They 

 saw the conflict going on beneath them and in spite of the 

 smoke, could make out that the Apaches were nestling up 

 close to the rock rampart, so as to avoid as much as pos- 

 sible the projectiles which were raining down from the roof 

 of their eyrie home. 



