The horseman had come to a stop and was gazing fixedly at the building, as if waiting for a response to his advance.

Jennie Whitney descended the stairs at this moment.

“I think I see Fred coming,” she said, with some agitation; “will they do him any harm?”

“No,” replied Sterry, “they have nothing against him.”

“But the other day—­” she ventured, doubtfully.

“Was a scrimmage, likely to take place at any time; that is ended, but they will probably hold him prisoner.”

During this brief conversation a brisk search was going on among the three men for a white pocket-handkerchief.  None of them possessed such an article, the hue in each case being different.  Hawkridge appealed to Miss Whitney, and she produced a linen handkerchief of snowy whiteness.

“Just the thing,” he said, drawing back the door sufficiently to allow him to pass out.  “I don’t think I will be detained long.  It is understood,” he added, turning to the captain, “that we don’t consider the question of surrender under any terms.”

“It will be better to report, and then decide what to do.”

Hawkridge bowed and passed out.  He waved the spotless linen in front of his face as he walked toward the horseman, and both smiled when they recognized each other.

“Well, Duke, what is it?” asked the footman, as though he were asking an ordinary question of a friend.

“I reckon you can guess.  Since the two companies came together Ira Inman is at the head of the army.  Some of the boys are wild to begin shooting, and they’ll do it pretty soon.  Before that, Inman decided to offer you folks a chance to give in.  That’s my business.”

“You simply demand our surrender, as I understand it?”

“You’ve guessed it the first time,” replied Vesey, with a nod of his head.

“What terms do you offer?”

“You’ll be treated as prisoners of war; but,” added the rustler, “it is hardly right to say that.  It’s Inman’s idea to hold you as hostages for the right treatment of any of our boys that may fall into the hands of the stockmen.”

“That is quite different.  Let me ask, Duke, whether this treatment is guaranteed to all of our folks?”

“I wish I could say it was, Dick, but I can’t; Inman makes two exceptions—­Capt.  Asbury and Mont Sterry.  That Sterry showed himself so much of a man and was so square toward me when I was caught that I would do anything I could for him.  I appealed to Inman to let up on him, but he won’t; some of the boys are so mad they will shoot him on sight.”

“And Capt.  Asbury?”

Vesey’s face became hard.

“He ought to be hanged because of the way he acted last night.”

“But what is proposed to do with him and Sterry?”

“Give them a fair trial.”

Hawkridge shook his head with a meaning smile.

“It won’t work, Duke; there isn’t a man in our company who would consent to anything of the kind.  There could be but one issue to such a trial, and it would be nothing less than the betrayal of our leader or a comrade by us.”