"That's your order, then, is it, sergeant?" inquired Private Johnson.
Dietz and Johnson, therefore, lay down as directed. Some of the scoundrels who were not armed busied themselves with tying the soldiers, and this work the miscreants did with a thoroughness that spoke eloquently of practice.
But the diversion gave Hal a chance to do something that had popped into his head at the instant when he had stepped back for the mirror.
The sun was still sufficiently high for him to catch the rays strongly on his small mirror.
Now, in the Army signaling work, one branch has to do with heliographing; that is, flashing a message by means of reflected rays of the sun's light.
Swiftly enough the young sergeant caught the flash, and found to his delight that he was able to throw a fairly long flash.
[Illustration: The Mirror Was Shot From Hal's Hand.]
Despite his tremendous excitement, Sergeant Overton endeavored to steady his right hand enough to enable him to send the message quite clearly.
Again and again he flashed the message, until one of the invaders, glancing up at the tree top, caught sight of the work that was going on.
"That kid's trying to send word to some one," guessed the leader. "Here, cub, hand me that rifle."
It was a true shot, though how much of it was due to luck Sergeant Hal could not surmise.
But the glass was shot from his hand, the splintered bits falling to the ground.
"Next shot for you, kid!" warned the marksman below.
"Surest thing in the world? Coming down, or shall I bring you down?"
Hal drew his own weapon up, firing as the sight passed the human target.
It was a close shot, the revolver bullet carrying away the fellow's cloth cap.
"I'm firing too high," spoke Hal as composedly as though he did not feel any excitement. "I'll fire for your belt line after this."
That was too much for the ruffian's composure. He turned, running in a zig-zag line.
So Hal held his fire, awaiting results for a moment. As he waited he felt for his revolver ammunition.
Then he made a sickening discovery. He had no revolver ammunition beyond the five cartridges remaining in the cylinder of his weapon.
As for the invaders, they had more than three hundred rounds of rifle ammunition now at their disposal.