"I see you did, my boy," said the colonel, smiling grimly. "What then?" "I rode off to Colonel Swearingen and told him you were beleaguered, sir." "Yes, and what did he say?" "He'll raise a force and be with you in the morning. Where are the rest of the men?" he cried, looking around at the little handful of people. "Why are the women using the rifles?" he went on, noticing that the weakness of the garrison had compelled some of the women to take the places of the dead soldiers. "I'm needed here, I see. I am not hurt," he continued; "let me up!" "But you are wounded!" cried Elizabeth. "You cannot." "Nay, 'tis nothing," he exclaimed; "a flesh wound in the arm and a graze along the chest. When the horse fell he threw me so heavily that it stunned me. When my arm is bound up I'll be all right." "Water here," called the colonel, "and some linen!" "We have none in the fort, sir," answered Major Zane. "A woman's petticoat, then." "Take mine," cried Elizabeth, rising and lifting her outside skirt and tearing a strip off her underskirt. "Nay, not your city finery, Mistress Elizabeth," protested McCullough, sitting up as well. "Nothing is too fine for a brave man, sir," she answered, smiling proudly down at him. "Not even Elizabeth Zane?" he questioned, cunningly. "Not even Elizabeth Zane," she replied, bravely, in spite of her blushes. "Thank God!" he whispered, as she bent down and bound up the wound. "Zane," said the colonel, laughing at the oblivious pair, "did you ever know a peril so deadly that it could prevent two young people from making love?" The wound, from which he had lost much blood, would have incapacitated a modern man from further fighting; but that little handful could not afford to lose a single member if they hoped to stand off the three hundred savages around the fort, so McCullough took his place on the walls with the rest. For some little time the interchange of fire was kept up, with further loss on the part of the Indians, but none at all to the Americans; but it was evident that some plan was being matured. The rangers were seen manoeuvring through the trees; the cannon was dragged to a point where it could do greater execution. Meanwhile Colonel Sheppard and Major Zane, with McCullough to second their efforts, were looking carefully to their defences. Every rifle, musket, and ancient pistol was brought out, charged, and laid at hand, ready for use. At this moment, however, a startling discovery was made: the powder had all but given out! Without powder they would be helpless to resist the assault which would apparently be delivered in a short time. III.--THE WOMAN'S HEROISM As the news spread among the men and the women, a panic filled their hearts. Was that crowded enclosure, filled with women and children, to be delivered to the ruthless passions of those ferocious Indians and the half-breed rangers? God forbid! Yet what was to be done?