“We got to turn the coach over,” exclaimed Buck, “the top an’ floor’s a whole lot thicker than the sides, and besides, as it is there’s nothin’ to prevent the bullets from comin’ in underneath.  Lend a hand, everybody, and we’ll get ’er over.”

He crept in between the mules and commenced unharnessing them.  Bert and his friends leaped to his assistance, although during the process they were much more exposed to the fire of the Indians.  The latter were not slow to perceive this, and they opened a steady fire.  But fortunately they were poor shots, and most of their bullets went wild.  Several struck the mules, however, and the unfortunate animals plunged and kicked so wildly that the three friends and the driver stood in almost as much danger from them as from the bullets.  Finally the traces were unfastened, and the mules, released from the harness, raced wildly away.

Bert and the others dodged nimbly back behind the coach, and then all hands set to the task of overturning it.  By dint of exerting all their strength they finally managed to lift one side of the clumsy vehicle until it toppled over with a crash.

“There,” exclaimed Buck, wiping the perspiration from his face with a big bandanna handkerchief; “so fur, so good, but we got to do more than that.  Them Injuns will start to surround us as soon as they see they can’t pick us off from the front, and we want to be ready for them.”

“What do you think we’d better do?” asked Bert.

“Fust thing is t’ get the trunks and mail bags out o’ the coach and build a barricade with them,” replied the driver, “an’ it looks as though we stood a good chance o’ gettin’ shot full o’ lead doin’ it, too.  If them Injuns hadn’t been sech all-fired poor shots we’d a been winged before this, I reckon.”

“Well, as long as it’s got to be done, we might as well get it over with,” said Dick; “come on, fellows, one, two——­”

“Wait a minute!” exclaimed Bert.  “I think it would be a good plan for those of us who have rifles to be on the lookout and pick off any of the redskins who show themselves.  Even if we don’t get any, it will prevent them from taking good aim.”

“We ain’t got but one rifle, though,” objected Buck.  “Sam, here,” motioning toward the guard, “is the only one in the bunch with a rifle.”

“No, I’ve got one in my blanket roll,” replied Bert, and before the driver could answer was busily engaged in undoing the tightly rolled blanket.

“I reckon you two had better get anythin’ you want off your horses,” said Buck, addressing Tom and Dick, “an’ then set the critters loose.  They ain’t a mite o’ good here, an’ they only take up valuable space.”

The boys were loath to act on this advice, but they saw the wisdom of it, and so did as the driver suggested.  They knew that the horses, as soon as released, would make for the ranch, and they had little fear of the Indians being able to catch them.  Accordingly, a few minutes later the three trusty animals were turned loose, each receiving a smart slap to start it on its way.  They galloped off across the plain, and were soon lost to sight in the distance.