te, it was one
o'clock. Brown carefully watched the house for ten minutes to see that
no light gleamed through a window or a chink. The wife had been sick
with the measles when the survey was made. There was no sign of a light.

Salmon and Owen Brown were sent by the men on a protest to Brown.

Salmon was spokesman.

"We've got something to say to you, Father, before we take out
Wilkinson--"

"Well?" the old man growled.

"You gave every man strict orders to fire no guns or revolver unless
necessary--didn't you?"

"I did."

"You fired the only shot heard to-night."

"I'll not do it again. I didn't intend to. I don't know why I did it.
Stick to my order."

"See that _you_ stick to it," the boy persisted.

"I will. Use only your knives and cutlasses. The cutlass first always."

The men began to move slowly forward.

Brown called softly.

"Just a minute. This dog of Wilkinson's is sure to bark. Don't stop to
try to kill him. Rush the house double quick and pay no attention to his
barking--"

"If he bites?" Owen asked.

"Take a chance, don't try to kill him--Wilkinson might wake. Now, all
together--rush the house!"

They rushed the house at two hundred yards. They had taken but ten
steps when the dog barked so furiously Brown called a halt. They waited.

Then, minutes later the dog raged, approaching the house and retreating.
His wild cry of alarm rang with sinister echo through the woods. The
faithful brute was calling his master and mistress to arms.

Still the man inside slept. The Territory of Kansas to this time had
been as free from crime as any state on its border. The lawmaker had
never felt a moment's uneasiness.

Footsteps approached the door. The sick woman saw the shadow of a man
pass the window. The starlight sharply silhouetted his face against the
black background.

Some one knocked on the door.

The woman asked:

"Who's that?"

No one answered.

"Henry, Henry!" she called tensely.

"Well?" the husband answered.

"There's somebody knocking at the door."

Wilkinson half raised in bed.

"Who is that?"

A voice replied:

"We've lost the road. We want you to tell us the way to Dutch Henry's."

Wilkinson began to call the directions.

"We can't understand--"

"You can't miss the way."

"Come out and show us!"

The request was given in tones so sharp there could be no mistake. It
was a command not a plea.

"I'll have to go and tell them," he said to his wife.

"