spoonfuls of the improvised broth into his mouth.

"Th' doc'll come," Kirby murmured. "Croff promised to guide him heah.
But this gang business--"

"I don't see how we can move him now...." Drew was feeding the broth
between Boyd's lips, trying to ease the cough, his wits too dulled to
tackle any problem beyond that.

"Which means we gotta keep company from movin' in. If we could raise us
a few of the boys now...." Kirby was speculative.

"If you went back to camp, gave the alarm. Traggart doesn't want a gang
like this runnin' loose around here. They say they're Union; maybe they
do have some connection with the Yankees."

"With a Reb cap'n throwin' in with 'em? Most of these polecats play both
sides of the border when it'll git them anythin' they want. An' they
could try an' pay their way with the Yankees by tellin' 'bout our
movements heah."

"Could you make it to camp, fast?"

Kirby grunted. "Sure, easy as driftin' downriver on one of them theah
steamers. But leavin' you heah with that mess of skunks is somethin'
else."

"Weatherby's out there. Anything or anyone gettin' by him would have to
come in on wings."

"An' wings don't come natural to this breed of critter! All right, I
don't see how theah's much else we can do. We can't go pullin' the kid
'round any more. I'll give Weatherby the high sign an' make it back as
quick as I can. Let's see if these heah ropes is staked out tight."

He made a careful inspection of their three captives' bonds, and Drew
laid the assorted armament to hand. But Kirby hesitated by the door.

"You keep your eyes peeled, amigo. Weatherby--he can pull that
in-and-out game through the loft like he did before. But one man can't
be all over the range at once."

"I know." Drew studied the remnants of battered furniture about the
room. He thought he could pull the bed frame across the outer door, and
shove the table and bench in front of the door to the lean-to. And
there was a section of wall right under the broken window which could
not be seen by anyone outside. "I've some precautions in mind."

"I'm ridin' then. See you." Kirby was gone with a wave of hand.

Boyd was quiet again. The broth must have soothed him. Drew shifted the
other's body to the floor on the spot of safety under the window. As he
returned to gather up the arms he noted that Jas' was watching him.

Some of the first shock of his wound had worn off so that the guerrilla
was not only aware of his present