“You cannot go now—­you must wait till to-morrow morning,” was the reply.  “It’s no use taking your household goods into the Fort—­there’s no room there.  Your best plan is to leave things just as they are, and trust to the rebels being engaged elsewhere.  I believe your warriors, Child-of-Light, are in the wood in the deep coulee just above where the two creeks meet?”

“That is right, brother,” said the Indian, “but what about Thunderchild, the turncoat?”

And then Pasmore told them how he had gone to Thunderchild’s camp that day to arrest the outlaw, and warn his braves against joining the rebels, and how he had been shot through the arm, and only escaped with his life.  He had come straight on to warn them.  In the meantime he would advise the women to make preparations for an early start on the morrow.  Food and clothing would have to be taken, as they might be away for weeks.

Then, while Dorothy Douglas and her two women-servants were already making preparations for a move, a brief council of war was held.  Child-of-Light, when asked, advised that the Mounted Police and those present should next day escort the women into Fort Battleford, while he and his braves ran off the rancher’s fine herd of horses, so as to prevent its falling into the hands of the enemy.

Pasmore said that this was exactly the right thing to do.  He also intimated that there was a party of half-breeds, the Racettes and the St. Croixs, coming by trail at that very moment from Battleford to plunder and pillage; they would probably arrive before many hours.  He had, however, taken the precaution of stationing men on the look-out on the neighbouring ridges.

“Mon Dieu!” exclaimed Jacques, springing to his feet.  “It is the neck of that St. Croix I will want to wring.  It is two, three years ago now he say he will wring mine; but very good care he will take to keep away.  Ah, well, we shall see, my friend, we shall see!”

Child-of-Light stole out to his men in the coulee, and Jacques and Rory went to the stables and out-houses to make certain preparations so that they might be able to start at any moment.  The windows were boarded up, so that if the half-breeds came no signs of life might be observed in the house.  Douglas saw that certain loopholes in the walls commanding the lines of approach, which he himself had made by way of precaution when danger from the Indians had threatened in the old days, were reopened and plugged in case of emergency.

As for the sergeant, he had not slept for three days, and was too utterly tired out to be of any assistance.  He had done what he could, and had now to await developments.  The fire was good, and he had dropped, at the rancher’s request, into a comfortable high-backed chair in a corner, where he fell asleep.

CHAPTER III

THE STORM BREAKS

Midnight, and the rancher had left the house to assist Rory and Jacques with the sleighs, which had to be packed with certain necessaries such as tea, coffee, sugar, bread and flour, frozen meat, pemmican, culinary articles, snow-shoes, and ammunition.