Roger.

"I think it was yet a gun what went off," mildly said Iggy.

"A gun? Say, it must have been the grandfather of all the cannon the
Huns ever made," declared Jimmy. "Are any of you alive?"

"Guess we're all alive," answered Bob, as he slowly arose and shook
some of the dust from him. For the dust was thick all over, in clouds
and scattered about. Some of it was flour dust and other was the lime
and mortar that had held together the front wall which had collapsed
and slid outward. The whole front of the mill was open.

There was no doubt about their all being alive, but, for a time, even
this had been in doubt. They were still stunned, but they managed to
gather in a knot about Jimmy. They were hardly able to breathe, partly
because of the shock and partly because of the choking dust.

"There goes our defense," said Bob, gloomily, pointing to where the
machine-gun stood--the one they had decided to use against their
enemies. It had been crushed by the falling wall.

"Lucky we had the rations in the back room," commented Roger, "Else
we'd go hungry."

"We may yet," returned Jimmy, grimly.

"What do you mean!" asked Bob, anxiously.

"Well, I don't believe that was a chance shot," went on the young