o the cattle."

"All safely shut in, sir," said Bart, showing his teeth; "the Beaver
felt that there was danger an hour ago, and everything has been done."

"Capital!" cried the Doctor; "but how could he tell?"

"That's the mystery," replied Bart, "but he said there were Indian dogs
away yonder on the plains."

"Indian dog, Apache," said the Beaver, scowling, and pointing towards
the plain.

"Yes, that's where they are," said the Doctor, nodding; "he is quite
right, and this being so, we must get up into our castle and man the
walls. Let me see first if all is safe."

He walked to both entrances, and satisfied himself, saying:

"Yes; they could not be better, but, of course, all depends upon our
covering them from above with our rifles, for the Apaches could pull
those rocks down as easily as we put them there. Now then, let us go
up; the waggons are fortunately empty enough."

The Doctor led the way, pausing, however, to mount a waggon and take a
good look-out into the plain, which he swept with his glass, but only to
close it with a look of surprise.

"I can see nothing from here," he said, "but we may as well be safe;"
and entering the slit in the rock they called the gateway, he drew aside
for the last few "greasers," who had been tending the cattle, to mount
before him; then Joses, Bart, the Beaver, and his followers came in.
The strong stones kept for the purpose were hauled into place, and the
entry thoroughly blocked, after which the various points of defence were
manned, the Doctor, with several of the Englishmen, taking the passage
and the gate, while the Beaver, with Joses, Bart and the Indians, were
sent to man the ramparts, as the Doctor laughingly called them; that is
to say, the ingeniously contrived gallery that overlooked the stable
cavern and the great corral.

"You must not spare your powder if the cattle are in danger," said the
Doctor for his last orders. "I don't want to shed blood, but these
savages must have another severe lesson if they mean to annoy us. All I
ask is to be let alone."

Bart led the way, and soon after was ensconced in his rifle-pit, with
Joses on one side and the Beaver on the other, the rest of the party
being carefully arranged. Then the Doctor spread the alarm up above,
and the men armed and manned the zigzag way, but all out of sight; and
at last, just as it was growing dark, the great plain fortress looked as
silent as if there was not a man anywhere upon