But the barracks were empty. As the guns thundered the signal for the pickets to return, the men gathered around Ronald. Instinctively, in times of trouble, they looked to him. "Go to the barracks, boys," he said, in a low tone, "and wait for me there. I'll do what I can." A white figure appeared at a window and the Lieutenant went in to speak to Katherine. Doctor Norton went straight to the Captain. Franklin's eyes were blazing and his body was tense. The martial spirit of the frontier had set his blood aflame. His fingers fairly itched for his sword, and his hands were clenched. "Captain," said the Doctor, calmly, "is there no other way?" "No," cried Franklin; "there is no other way! Are you a coward that you ask me this?" The Doctor laughed unpleasantly, and went out without another word. Hardly had his footsteps died away before Lieutenant Howard came in, white to the lips with wrath. "Is this true?" he shouted. "Do we march to-morrow, with our women and children, when the Indians have declared war?" "Yes," said Franklin, meeting his gaze steadily, "we do." "Captain, this is madness. The men will never go. It is certain death to leave the Fort. Your orders will not be obeyed, if it comes to that." "Lieutenant Howard, my orders will be obeyed. The man who refuses will be shot." "Captain, can't you listen to reason? Our force is small. We never can cope with those fiends that even now are having their war-dance in the hollow. I said it was certain death, but death in itself is nothing to fear. Torture waits for us--for our women and children. Captain, change the order--stay!" "Sir, I have my orders." The Lieutenant turned away. "Stop!" commanded the Captain. "You need not go to the men. I am in command of this Fort and I will have no mutiny. The soldier who attempts to disobey my orders will be shot down like a dog, be he officer or man. We march to-morrow, if I go alone!" The Lieutenant staggered out and almost into the Ensign's arms. "Ronald," he pleaded thickly, "go to the Captain. See if you cannot do something to save us all. Don't ask for ourselves--he is pitiless there--but the women and the children--" His voice broke at the words, but he kept on. "Ronald, for God's sake, go!" The thought of Beatrice's danger stirred the Ensign's blood to fever heat, and he rushed into the house like a madman. "Captain!" he cried. There was an instant of tense silence. A torrent of words was on Ronald's lips, but the Captain raised his hand. "I suppose," he said coolly, "that you are merely following the general tendency. Mackenzie, Norton, and the Lieutenant have all been here to suggest that I disobey my orders. Is that your purpose, also?" "Yes," shouted Ronald, "it is!" "By what right do you presume to offer unasked advice to your superior officer?" "By the right of one who has kept your men from mutiny!" The Captain cleared his throat. "Well?"