I'd fetched 'em back all right," replied Gleeson, "if it hadn't been
for some other business that turned up."

"What's that?"

"The reds are down at the cabin raising the mischief; a lot of 'em got
after Baby here, and I had to drop one, and then take him on my hoss and
bring him along with me."

"What was he doing out at night on foot?" was the natural query of
another of the cowboys.

"Wal, he was putting in the tallest kind of running, when I set eyes on
him; if he had kept it up, I don't believe I would have been able to
overhaul him myself."

This remark caused several of the grinning ranchmen to turn toward Avon,
who had slipped off the horse and laughed as he made answer:

"I got into the worst scrape of my life," he explained, "and it would
have gone hard with me if Ballyhoo hadn't turned up just as he did. The
reason I was abroad was because Uncle Dohm thought it best I should come
to camp after you fellows."

"What's the matter with _him_?" asked one, who, despite the brief
explanation already given, could not understand how it was their leader
and his family were in special danger, even if their home was surrounded
by Comanches.

"The folks could stand them off for a week, or month, if they had water
and provisions, if it wasn't for one thing; the roof of the cabin is as
dry as tinder, and the captain knows they intend to set fire to it. If
they do, nothing can save the folks, for the building will burn down
before we can get there."

This was putting a new face on matters, and the ranchmen realized that
more serious work was required of them than rounding up the strayed
cattle. Captain Shirril was too brave a man to feel needless alarm, and
the fact that he had sent for help was proof that there was urgent need
of it.

Two of the party were gone and might not be back for several hours.
That, however, was of no account, since, including young Burnet, seven
were left, and not one of them would have hesitated, with his
companions, to attack a party of Comanches two or three times as
numerous as that which had laid siege to the captain's cabin.

These men were fully armed with Winchester, revolvers, and knives, they
had no superiors as horsemen, they were accustomed to the rough out-door
life, and it may be said that all welcomed the chance of a stirring
brush with the red men that had been hovering in their vicinity so long,
but who took care to avoid anything in the nature of a fair stand-up
fig