me
time before them.

Upon informing Alick, who was in his room, he said at once that the
smaller party were flying from the others, evidently hoping to obtain
refuge within the fort.

"We must give it them, whoever they are, whether Indians or
half-breeds," he added; and immediately calling the few men who remained
in the fort under arms, he and I, with four or five others, went to the
gate to receive the fugitives. They soon got up to us, and we found
that Robin was right--five of them being half-breeds, with one Chippewa
Indian.

They were all panting for breath, having evidently had a long run.

As soon as they could speak, they told us that they had been out hunting
buffalo, and had already collected a large quantity of meat, with which
they intended to load their horses, when they were surprised by a body
of Sioux, far outnumbering them, who had carried off their horses.
Believing that to attempt the recovery of their animals would be
hopeless, they had been compelled to leave their property behind them,
and make their escape from their camp, which they expected would be
attacked the next morning.

It was not till daylight, they supposed, that the Sioux had discovered
their flight. They had already made good a considerable distance
before, from the top of a hill they were crossing, they saw their
enemies in the far distance coming after them. They now discovered,
from the number of those who were following, that if they wished to save
their lives they must increase their speed, and not stop till they had
got safe into the fort.

Alick bade them banish their fears, and promised to protect them.

Though our garrison was greatly reduced by the absence of Sandy and the
men who had accompanied him, we lost no time in making preparations for
the expected attack.

Unless the wily Indians were very numerous, they would scarcely venture,
we concluded, to assault the fort in the daytime, and would probably, on
discovering that those they were chasing had got safe within the walls,
halt at a distance till they could form their plans.

Our first care was to send out Pat with the other men to bring in the
horses and cattle feeding in the neighbourhood, which the Indians to a
certainty would otherwise have taken the liberty of lifting, as would be
said in Scotland.

There was time to do this--at all events to save the greater number.
Those at a distance would have to take care of themselves, and their
sagacity