Page 108 (1/1)

Presently Bill Isbel called Jean in a low voice "Jean, I got the hole made, but we can't see anyone"

"I see them," Jean replied "They're havin' a po Looks to e us, an' the rest of the gang are holdin' back Tell dad, an' all of you keep watchin' I'll let you knohen theyappeared to be in no hurry to expose their plan of battle Gradually the group disintegrated a little; some of them sat down; others walked to and fro Presently two of them went into the brush, probably back to the horses In a fewa pack And when this was deposited on the ground all the rustlers sat down around it They had brought food and drink Jean had to utter a grih at their coolness; and he was reminded of many dare-devil deeds known to have been perpetrated by the Hash Knife Gang Jean was glad of a reprieve The longer the rustlers put off an attack the et here Rather hazardous, however, would it be now for anyone to atteht would be h the kitchen to whisper to Jean The strain in the large rooreat Jean told hiht about it "Eatin' an' drinkin'!" ejaculated Bill "Well, I'll be--! That 'll jar the old ht over

"Tell hihty careful," replied Jean, sharply

Bill went back ht with suspense, during which Jean watched the rustlers regale themselves The day was hot and still And the unnatural silence of the cabin was broken now and then by the gay laughter of the children The sound shocked and haunted Jean Playing children! Then another sound, so faint he had to strain to hear it, disturbed and saddened him--his father's slow tread up and down the cabin floor, to and fro, to and fro What th the rustlers rose and, with rifles in hand, they moved as one man down the slope They ca his rifle, muttered to himself that a fewThey knew the range of a rifle well enough, and once ot even with the line of corrals they stooped down and were lost to Jean's sight This fact caused hi up on the cabins At the end of that line of corrals ran a ditch, the bank of which was high enough to afford cover Moreover, it ran along in front of the cabins, scarcely a hundred yards, and it was covered with grass and little clumps of brush, from behind which the rustlers could fire into the s and through the clay chinks without any considerable risk to theain, Jean concluded he had discovered their plan Still, he waited awhile longer, until he saw faint, little clouds of dust rising from behind the far end of the eh the kitchen to the large cabin, where his sudden appearance startled the men