Valentine. "I
guess it's in the safe yet, most of it."

"Very likely," answered Carr. "But even if it is I don't believe Pike
and those fellows would know enough to get it out unless they had all
day to work at it; and what would we be doing all that time?"

"Shooting," said Jim Stackhouse; but I thought he said it as if he
would rather be doing anything else. I didn't know so much about men
then as I do now, but I could see that Tom Carr was the only man in
the lot that could be depended on in case of trouble.

"Well, how are we fixed for things to shoot with?" went on Carr.

"I've got a repeating rifle," answered Valentine. "So have you, and so
has Cy. I guess Sours left some shooting-irons behind, too, didn't he,
Jud?"

"Yes; a Winchester and a shot-gun," I replied.

"There are some other shot-guns in town, too," continued Valentine.
"But I guess the best show for us is in Taggart's hardware store. When
he went away he left the key with me, and there's a lot of stuff boxed
up there."

"Go and see about it and let's pull ourselves together and find out
what we're doing," said Carr. "I think we can stand off those fellows
all right if we keep our eyes open. I suppose they are up at the
headquarters of the old Middleton gang on Cattail Creek, the other
side of the Missouri. The men that went through here with that pony
herd last fall were some of them, and the ponies were all stolen, so
that Billings sheriff said. I guess Pike has joined them, and I should
think they would suit each other pretty well."

In a little while Valentine came back and said he had found a dozen
repeating rifles, and that he thought there were more in some of the
other boxes. There was also plenty of cartridges and some revolvers
and shot-guns.

"That fixes us all right for arms," said Carr. "Before night we must
organize and get ready to defend the town against an attack if it
should come; but I think the next thing is to send a letter out to
Mountain's house and put it where they will look for the money,
warning them to keep away if they don't want to be shot."

"Yes," answered Valentine, "that will be best. Write 'em a letter and
make it good and stiff."

Tom went into the back room and soon came out with a letter which read
as follows:

TRACK'S END, _December_ 16.

TO D. PIKE AND FELLOW-THIEVES,--You will never get one cent out of
this town. If any of you come within range you will be