Both the major's revolver and Hal's spat out jets of flame. Both poured their shots in rapidly at the two men whom they could just make out in the darkness ahead. Then Hal had a sudden, new sensation, not by any means agreeable. The two men, neither hit so far, turned and raised their own weapons. It seemed like two bright cascades of flame just ahead, as the ruffians fired, kneeling. Bullets whistled close to the major and the two recruits on either side. Then, just as suddenly, one of the ruffians toppled over; it was impossible to tell whether Major Davis or Hal Overton had scored the hit. Thereupon, the other man, lowering his weapon, leaped for the steps of the mail car and vanished. Major Davis ran forward, followed by both recruits. Noll was intent on getting a revolver for himself. But Davis, more accustomed to the ways of fighting men, suddenly crouched low, peering under the body of the car just behind the mail coach. Almost immediately the major began to fire again, in answer to shots that came from underneath the car. But Noll waited for nothing. His sole thought was to possess a weapon. He halted over the fallen one, snatched an empty revolver from his side, then saw that the man was wounded in the right breast. "You must have some cartridges," muttered Noll, rummaging in the fellow's clothes. He found the box just in time. "Lie down, you two!" called Major Davis sharply to Hal and Noll. "You'll be fired on from ahead." Hal threw himself flat, and none too soon, for now a gust of bullets swept down from the head of the train. As coolly as he could Hal Overton reloaded. Noll, also lying flat on the ground, was similarly engaged. Hal was ready to fire first. There was need of it, too, for he could dimly make out two men, near the extreme head of the train, who were firing rapidly and firing their weapons in a fashion that drove up spurts of dirt all about the recruits. For a few seconds the fight seemed as serious to those engaged in it as battle on a larger scale could have been. Major Davis now made the first direct move. He crawled swiftly under the car, putting himself on the same side with the man he was after. There was more shooting on the other side of the train; then, suddenly it stopped. The two ahead, who were engaging Hal and Noll, dodged off to the side of the track into the darkness. Now, all firing stopped, for all weapons were empty. "I hope that other scoundrel didn't get the major!" throbbed Hal anxiously. Yet he couldn't go to see. He had his own work on this side of the train. "Where are our pair?" whispered Noll, creeping closer. "I don't know," Hal answered, also in a whisper. "But crawl off a little way. Bunching together gives 'em a better mark to hit." Lying flat on the ground, both recruits played the waiting game. Had the pair ahead stolen off altogether in the darkness?