with a narrow
mouth, an' then hustled into the house. Old Cast Steel was standin' in
the dining room in his stockin'-feet with a gun in each hand an' a
question in his eyes. "Get ready for a raid, Jabez," sez I. "Who from?"
sez he.

"From the Brophy gang," sez I.

"How do you know?" sez he. "They are due to arrive here at midnight,
Jabez," sez I. "I don't know why; but I think we'd better get ready for
'em now an' argue about it to-morrow."

"I know why," sez lie. "One of 'em stole one o' my ponies an' started
to run off a bunch o' my own cows with it. I strung him up an' he said
'at Bill Brophy'd get even with me for it. That was two months ago, an'
the' hasn't been a minute since 'at I was so bad prepared for 'em. How
many's in the gang?"

"Bill an' seven others. I found out through the meanest lookin' mortal
you ever set eyes on. He's a giant, nearly black, an' the ugliest
critter you ever set eyes on; but he's white inside. He'll be along as
soon as he can get here--don't shoot him."

"I ain't apt to shoot any help this night," grins Jabez.

"If it wasn't for the little girl, Happy, I'd be right satisfied to
have it out with Bill; but I hate to think of what may happen to her.
How'll we fix for 'em?"

"Get in the dug-out cellar," sez I, for I'd been plannin' it all along.

"I reckon they'll burn the house down," sez Jabez; "but I'd rather they
destroyed the whole blame outfit than to have anything happen to the
little lass."

"Where's Melisse?" sez I. "She left," sez Jabez; an' I hadn't time to
learn particulars.

By this time we had everything barricaded, an' gettin' Barbie we made a
run for the dug-out. It was only two hundred yards; but we hadn't left
the shadow of the house before a rifle sings out followed by two
revolver shots. The' was a big pile o' winter wood in the L of the
ranch house, an' without sayin' a word I swung Jabez with little Barbie
in his arms back of the wood pile.

We didn't shoot much, although the gang kept pepperin' at the wood pile
purty frequent from behind the cook house. "They'll fire the house
purty soon," mutters Jabez, after we'd beat'em off on their second
rush. "We'll have to try for the dug-out sooner or later."

Just at this minute the six notes o' the Lion Head signal floated in.
"There's ol' Monody," sez I. "I wish Barbie was safe an' we'd show'em a
merry time of it." I answered the call an' the' was silence for a long
time. Presently we heard a rattlin' volle