“But how will it end?” asked the lady.

The captain shrugged his shoulders.

“Take no thought of the morrow; but what worries me is the question of water—­how about that?”

A hurried examination disclosed that there was not quite two pailfuls in the house.  Even that was more than usual.  The small stream from which the supply was obtained was beyond the stables in which the horses were sheltered.  Water from that source was out of the question while the siege continued.

Several of the men had a small quantity in their canteens, but, inasmuch as no such contingency as this was anticipated, little preparation had been made.

Still Capt.  Asbury expressed himself gratified at the result of his investigation.  The weather was so cool that a moderate amount of the precious fluid would prevent suffering, and he decided that, dispensing with what ordinarily was used for cooking purposes, they could get along quite well for three days, and possibly longer.

The lower part of the flat building consisted of two parts, used respectively for the kitchen and the dining and sitting-room.  There were four apartments above—­one for the parents, one each for the son and daughter, and one for visitors.  These, of course, would be held sacred for the members of the family, while the others found sleep, as opportunity presented, below stairs.

There were windows on all sides of the house; and the structure, while not strong, was, of course, bullet-proof.

Before all this was ascertained the rustlers showed themselves.  But instead of appearing on the ridge, over which the cattlemen had ridden, half of them showed themselves on the other side, having circled around back of the stables.

A moment later the rest were observed on top of the ridge.  Thus, with the exception of the broad level plain stretching in the direction of the Big Horn Mountains, it may be said that the ranch was surrounded by the rustlers, who held the stockmen at bay.

What would be the result?  None could foresee.

Hawkridge drew Sterry aside and said, in a guarded undertone: 

“There is only one thing to be feared.”

“What is that?”

“It is easy for them to burn this building.”

“Do you think they will do that, when they know a couple of women are inside?”

“It doesn’t follow that there is any necessity of their being burned, nor indeed of any of us suffering from fire.  When you touch off a barn the rats get out, and that’s what we shall have to do.”

“But they will give us a chance, first.”

“Yes, a chance to surrender, and we might have done that without putting ourselves to all this trouble.”

“And suppose we do surrender, after making the best fight we can—­what are likely to be the terms offered?”

“They will treat the majority, including myself, as prisoners of war; but Capt.  Asbury, and probably you, will be excepted—­he because of the killing of Perkins last night, and you because you have disregarded the warning to leave the country when ordered to do so.”