as their eyes ranged over the front of the
building. The youth had withdrawn, so as to stand out of range; but, to
end the doubt in his mind, he now stepped out in full view of every one
of the warriors.

[Illustration: "Melville had warning enough to leap back."]

The doubt was removed at once. Previous to this the lad had raised the
lower sash, so as to give him the chance to fire, and as he stood, his
waist and shoulders were in front of the upper part of the glass. It so
happened that Red Feather and one of his warriors were looking at the
very window at which he appeared. Like a flash both guns went to their
shoulders and were discharged.

[Illustration: "He pointed his own weapon outward, and fired."]

But Melville had enough warning to leap back, as the jingle and crash of
glass showed how well the miscreants had aimed. Stirred to the deepest
anger, he pointed his own weapon outward and fired into the party, doing
so with such haste that he really took no aim at all.

It is not likely that his bullet had gone anywhere near the Sioux, but
it had served the purpose of warning them that he was as much in earnest
as themselves.

Melville placed a cartridge in the breech of his rifle with as much
coolness as a veteran, and prepared himself for what he believed was to
be a desperate defence of himself and sister.

It must not be thought that he was in despair; for, when he came to look
over the situation, he found much to encourage him. In the first place,
although besieged by a half-dozen fierce Sioux, he was sure the siege
could not last long. Whatever they did must be done within a few hours.

While it was impossible to tell the hour when his parents started from
Barwell, it must have been quite early in the morning, and there was
every reason to hope they would reach the settlement by noon at the
latest. The moment they did so they would learn that Melville had left
long before for home, and therefore had taken the upper trail, since,
had he not done so, the parties would have met on the road.

True, Mr. Clarendon would feel strong hope that his son, being so well
mounted, would wheel about and follow without delay the counsel in the
letter; but he was too shrewd to rely fully on such hope. What could be
more certain than that he would instantly gather a party of friends and
set out to their relief?

The great dread of the youth was that the Sioux would set fire to the
buildings, and he wondered many ti