The next instant
the door of his hut was burst in, and the room was filled with armed
men, every one of whom seemed to be pointing a rifle or a pistol
straight at his devoted head.

CHAPTER XII.

THE TRAPPERS TRAPPED.

When the leader of the party by whom Winn had been made prisoner (as
related in the last chapter but one) peered cautiously in at the open
window of the log-hut to make certain that it was occupied, he was
disappointed to discover but one man, where he had confidently expected
to find several.

This leader, who had told Winn that his name was Riley, was a Sheriff,
though such a new one that this was his first important undertaking
since assuming office. Consequently he was most anxious for its
success, and also somewhat nervous from anxiety. He had laid his plans
well, the hut was completely surrounded, and he was elated at the
thought of the prize so surely within his grasp, as well as of the
glory that would be his for effecting this important capture. He
expected to find several men in the hut, and counted upon their being
desperate characters who would make a stout resistance before yielding
themselves prisoners. The Sheriff had therefore prepared his followers
for a fight, and made all his arrangements with this in prospect. Now,
to discover but one man, and he peacefully sleeping, caused these
warlike preparations to appear ridiculous, and called for a decided
modification of Mr. Riley's plans.

Having satisfied himself by a careful survey that the man had no
companions, and that the hut contained no rifles nor other fire-arms,
the Sheriff retired noiselessly from the window and rejoined his
followers. He explained the situation in a whisper, and then proposed
that as they could not fight a single unarmed man, they should paralyze
him with terror. As the Sheriff expressed it, they would "scare him
stiff" by a general discharge of guns, a yell, and a rush for the door.
These were to follow a signal that he would give from his post at the
open window, through which he would cover the sleeping man with his
revolver.

The new programme being understood, the Sheriff returned to his
station, pointed his pistol at Billy Brackett's head, and was about to
order him to throw up his hands and surrender, when he made a slight
movement that aroused Bim. This faithful sentinel sprang up with a
loud bark. In the dim light Sheriff Riley had not noticed the dog, and
he was so much upset by th