The Bells Of San Juan

Description for THE BELLS OF SAN JUAN by Alan LeMay:

Presently Ellen caught sight of it, a high, boarded structure with some kind of huge, wheel-shaped device at the top. She had heard the boys call it the crazy professor's rainmaker.

Mel fired once more as they reached it. Then he was off the horse and dragged her from the saddle. The pursuers were close behind. A bullet fanned Mel's cheek as he hurried Ellen through the open door of the tower. His arm jerked, and he slipped to his knees.

"Flat on the floor," he mumbled, his voice thick. "Bullets'll go through these boards like they were paper."

He blazed away through the cracks with his handgun.

"They've got us surrounded." he hold her presently. "They'll rake the place from every side. It's goin' to be a close shave...if I can keep 'em far enough away. But every one of 'em has a rifle, an' they must have plenty of shells."

The steady crack of the rifles came from all sides...