“They must be outside—maybe they are going to trap us after all,” came softly from Sam Barringford. “We had better——” He stopped short and raised his long rifle. The sleeping Frenchman had roused up and was staring at the intruders. He rubbed his eyes in bewilderment. “What want you here?” he stammered, in French. “Silence!” came sternly from the old frontiersman. “Silence, ef ye don’t want to be kilt!” The Frenchman understood little of English, but he understood enough, and he calmly submitted to being bound with a rope that was handy. In the midst of the work the Indian awoke, gave a swift look around, and started for the doorway, uttering a war-cry as he did so. “Stop!” cried Joseph Morris, and fired his rifle at the red warrior. His aim was true, and the Indian went down, wounded in the back. Then came a shout from outside in French, followed by a war-whoop. “We must fight for it now!” cried Henry. “I am ready!” answered Dave. “Come on! The quicker we get at them the better!” CHAPTER XXVII HOLDING THE TRADING POST All ran out of the main building, looking in every direction for the enemy. They expected to be confronted by at least a dozen Frenchmen and Indians, and when these did not appear James Morris and his followers were much perplexed. The Indian at the stockade fired on them, and so did the Frenchman at the gate. Our friends fired in return, and the Frenchman went down with two bullets in his breast. The Indian was slightly wounded, and as he saw the others pouring from the main building, he turned back to the stockade, ran to one of the corners, climbed up and over, and disappeared from view. “He is running away!” cried Dave. “Something is wrong here! Where can Jean Bevoir be?” Nobody attempted to answer that question, just then. The party scattered throughout the grounds and the buildings, looking in all directions for the enemy. But nobody was found outside of those already seen. “They have disappeared,” said Joseph Morris. “Can it be possible that they have gone out to follow us up?” “That’s it!” shouted Henry. “They didn’t want us to go to Fort Pitt for aid.” “Henry must have hit the truth,” said Sam Barringford. “It’s a lucky thing fer us. We have gained the post with no loss at all.” “But it remains to be seen if we can hold it,” answered Joseph Morris, quickly. “Don’t forget that Indian who got away,” added Dave. “He will carry the news to the others as soon as he can, and they will be about our ears in no time.” “We must prepare to defend this place,” said his uncle. “I will call the men together, and we can go over our plans. Dave, you know more of this post than I do. How had we best distribute the men?”