do my best for him."

Upon examination it was found that out of all the officers at the fort
only four were fit for duty, all the others being sick, either through
being drugged or otherwise. Of the privates not more than sixty-five
were in a condition to fight should an attack come.

"And the worst of it is, the men won't know what to eat or drink after
this," said Captain Lee to Benson. "Who can tell what has been drugged?
Perhaps it's in the very bread we eat and the water we drink."

Strict orders were given to the men to touch nothing until the surgeon
had passed upon it. Then the doctor got out his medicines to counteract
the drugs, and set to work to bring the colonel and the other sufferers
out of their stupor.

Hour after hour went slowly by, and still Captain Moore did not return.
What had become of his brother, Joe could not imagine. He feared the
worst, and when morning came it was all he could do to keep back the
tears.

"Don't take it so to heart, Joe," said Darry sympathetically. "It may be
all right."

"But he said he was going to ride straight here--you heard him, Darry."

"So I did, but he may have seen the Indians or met Lieutenant Carrol,
and that might have changed his plans. Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much
just yet."

With the coming of daylight Captain Lee brought out his long-distance
glass and swept the surroundings of the fort with extreme care.

"Some camp-fires are burning to the northward," he announced.

"Any Injuns?" questioned old Benson laconically. He had been told to
come along to the top of the fort for consultation.

"Nobody in sight, Benson."

"Humph! Well, I don't calculate they are far off."

"Nor I, from what you and the boys told me. How long will it take those
desperadoes to reach here?"

"They ought to arrive this morning, if they are not with the Injuns
already."

"All told, we have about seventy officers and men available for duty,"
went on the captain thoughtfully. "What is worse, they must know how
greatly our garrison is reduced, since they have had that skunk of a
Mose do the drugging for them."

"The Injuns number over sixty, and if there are thirty desperadoes, that
will give them a force of almost a hundred, or twice as many as we have,
captain. But then, we hold the fort. They can't come anywhere near us
without being cut down--if we set out to do it."

"Of course. But White Ox may send off for more Indians--when he hears
how small the availab