Five Indians and four ponies were the result of this fight, and it gave the holders of the triangular fort confidence in themselves. But the Indians did not give up the attack, but circled around and around the fort, firing upon the defenders with their arrows, and slightly wounding all three of them, while the bodies of the mules and horse were literally filled with shafts. After a few rides around their pale-face foes, the Indians suddenly charged again, coming from every quarter, and forcing the whites to each defend the space in his front. With demoniacal yells they came on once more, and once more the yagers opened, and then were thrown aside for the rapidly firing revolvers which did fearful execution. Glancing toward Billy Lew Simpson saw that he was perfectly cool and had a revolver in each hand, although his shirt was saturated with blood from the arrow wound in his shoulder. Unable to understand, or stand the hot fire of the revolvers, they again broke, when within twenty yards of the fort and rode off rapidly out of range. "You got three that time, Billy," cried Lew Simpson gleefully, as he saw a trio of red-skins scattered along in the front of the boy. Billy smiled grimly and reloaded his weapons, after which Lew Simpson dressed the wounds of his comrades, who returned a like favor for him. But the Indians had by no means gone, for they had gone into camp in a circle around their foes, but well out of range of the fearful Mississippi yagers. The three defenders in the mean time improved their opportunity to strengthen their fort with dirt and dig a deeper space within, while they also lunched upon their scanty supply of food. "They'll starve us out if they can't take us by charging," said Simpson. "They can't starve me as long as your mule holds out, Lew, for I won't eat poor Sable; it would choke me," replied Billy. "Well, mule meat's good," said Woods. "Yes, when there ain't anything else to eat, but I prefer buff'ler or Injun," was Billy's response. "We may have to eat Injun yet," laughed Lew Simpson. All made a wry face at this supposition and again prepared to meet a charge, for the red-skins were coming down in column. But again they were checked with loss, and Billy's shot brought down the chief. Darkness coming on, the Indians formed in line as though to ride away, when Lew Simpson said: "They must take us for durned fools not to know that they won't leave their dead unburied, and that they think they can draw us out. No, here is where we live until the boys from the train come to look us up." During the night the Indians, finding their foes would not leave their fort, set the grass on fire to burn them out. But it was too scanty to burn well and only made a smoke, under cover of which they once more advanced, to be once more driven back. With the morning they showed that their intention was to starve them out for they went into a regular camp in a circle upon the prairie.