shorter than the captain had anticipated.

"Well, is it surrender or not?" asked Matt Gilroy.

"We must have more time," answered Captain Moore. "Cannot you wait until
to-morrow morning?"

"Not another minute," was the angry reply. "Is it surrender or not?
Answer yes or no."

"We will not surrender--at least not yet," came from the young captain
firmly.

"Then your time is up, and we shall attack at once," returned the leader
of the desperadoes. "Am I not right, White Ox?"

"You have spoken truly," came from the Indian chief. "Soon the blood of
the white soldiers will flow freely."

Without another word White Ox galloped away, and Matt Gilroy went after
him.

"We are up against a battle now!" exclaimed Lieutenant Bacon.

"I have done my best to delay the contest--I can do no more," said
Captain Moore.

When he returned inside of the stockade he was immediately surrounded.

"Boys, we must fight," he said in a loud, clear voice. "They will wait
no longer. But re-enforcements must be on the way by this time. Can I
depend upon your standing by me?"

"Yes! yes!" was the cry.

"We know how to do our duty to Uncle Sam and the flag!"

"Let the desperadoes and the Indians come on! We'll give them as hot a
reception as they ever got!"

While the soldiers were taking their way to the several defenses of the
fort there was the beating of Indian drums at a distance, followed by
the blowing of a bugle in the camp of the desperadoes.

Soon the beating and blowing came from half a dozen directions.

"They are gathering, sure enough!" exclaimed Joe. "I wonder how long it
will be before they fire the first shot?"

"They'll not be rash--be sure of that," answered Darry. "They must know
that the fort is a strong place."

A little later one of the guards announced that bodies of Indians were
marching from the south of the fort to the westward.

Here there was a fringe of trees at a distance of not over a hundred
yards from the stockade.

Colonel Fairfield had often thought to have the belt of timberland cut
down, but had never put the plan into execution.

"They mean to get as close as possible before they expose themselves,"
said the captain. "Dilberry, have the four-pounder trained on that
spot."

"I will, Captain Moore," said the head gunner, and saluted.

Quarter of an hour went by, and the drumming and bugle calling had
ceased.

Suddenly a shout went up from behind the belt of timberland, and a small
c