had happened to Helene twenty years
ago at Fort Dearborn.

_Maybe being blown to bits would be a better way to go._

"And here's just the man to take charge of rationing the water," said
Cooper.

Nicole turned to see her father climbing up the stairs, pulling himself
along on the banister and leaning on his walking stick. As he reached
the top of the stairs Frank took his arm and helped him over to sit on a
wooden box near the rifle port.

Elysee said, "One of the women, Mrs. Russell, insisted on taking my
rifle and standing guard in my place. I will be just as happy not to
have to fire at any red men for a while. I keep thinking I might shoot
Auguste."

Nicole gasped. "Auguste! Papa, he would never be out there."

"Perhaps not. Have you spoken to anyone who had news of my
grandchildren?" Elysee asked her.

Nicole was about to say "They're all here" when she realized whom he
meant.

"Raoul and Clarissa's children?" She shook her head sadly. "No, Papa.
Anyone from Victoire who isn't here--we don't know what happened to
them."

Elysee sighed. "Poor little things. In all the years since they were
born, I got to speak to them only once or twice."

The cry of "Here the Injuns come!" broke in on them again.

David Cooper gave Elysee brief instructions on rationing water, and the
old man limped downstairs as the firing began again.

Nicole, loading and reloading Frank's rifles with numb arms and mind,
heard firing from all around her. The Indians were coming from every
direction. Arrows and an occasional bullet whistled in through the
ports, but no one was hit. Smoke drifted through the second story of the
blockhouse, making her eyes water.

The Indians withdrew again. As the firing died down, Nicole was thankful
to see that the powder smoke that had filled the second floor blew up
toward the roof and vanished. Looking up, she saw that there was a space
nearly a foot high between the top of the log wall and the roof. The
roof rested on big vertical timbers, its overhang covering the opening.
Men could climb up there, she supposed, and shoot down; the attackers
would have to be standing directly below them to shoot back.

There was a heap she didn't know about this fort. In the years since
Raoul had built it she'd hardly ever had reason to set foot inside--the
last time was when she and Frank had appealed to him to leave men behind
to protect the town. Now her life depended on how well Raoul had built
it, an