“I don’t think they could capture the fort,” said Perkins, “but likely they’ll lay siege to it and try to make us surrender, arter our grub gives out.” “But you have enough to last quite a while, haven’t you?” “Two or three days, I guess.” “Well, Dick will be back with General Greene and his army in four or five days, I think.” “Maybe we can hold out till then,” said Mr. Perkins. “I think we can,” said Holden. “We can fight them off, I feel certain,” said another of the settlers. “So all we will have to do will be to go easy on the rations till General Greene gets here.” “Yes, that is what we’ll do,” said Perkins. Tom and Ben were greatly interested. This was the first time they had ever had anything to do with fighting Indians, and they were glad that they had come down into this region of the Cherokees, for there was a peculiar glamour to this kind of warfare that did not attach to fighting against the redcoats. “Dick will miss most of the fighting by going on the trip,” said Tom. “Yes, but there will be plenty of Indian fighting after he gets back,” said Ben. “Yes, likely. And it will be a great relief to the people of this part of the country when the patriot soldiers get down here and get after the redskins.” “Yes, so it will.” About the middle of the afternoon there was seen to be considerable stir among the Indians to the northward, near the edge of the forest, and Mr. Holden, who, with Perkins and two or three others of the settlers, and Tom and Ben, were standing on the platform, watching, said: “Look. There’s that renegade-Tory, Gabe Gurley.” Sure enough, a white man was seen standing among the redskins, and it could be seen that he was an exceedingly large man, a giant in size, in fact. He was talking to the Indians, and gesticulating, and they were listening with evident interest. “What a big fellow he is!” exclaimed Tom. “And a big scoundrel,” said Perkins. “Yes, he’s worse’n the redskins,” said another of the settlers. “I don’t like to see him there among the redskins,” said Mr. Holden, a sober look on his face. “He may put them up to some scheme to enable them to capture the fort before General Greene and his army can get here.” “We’ll have to be on our guard, sure enough,” said Perkins. “I hope Dick didn’t meet him,” exclaimed Tom, “It isn’t likely that he did,” said Ben. Presently the renegade, Gabe Gurley, ceased talking to the Indians and came striding toward the fort, holding up his hand, with the palm toward the settlers. “He wants to talk to us,” said Perkins. “Yes,” said Holden. “I s’pose we might as well hear what he has to say.” “Yes.” Gurley advanced till within about fifty feet of the stockade-wall, and then stopped. “How are ye, Holden? How are ye, Perkins?” he called out. “What do you want, Gabe Gurley?” asked Holden, rather gruffly. “I’ve come to ask ye to surrender,” was the reply. “Then you are wasting your time, Gurley.” “Ye mean thet ye won’t surrender?” “Yes.”