"If you hadn't caught Bicker and Drossdell what do you suppose would have happened?" questioned Darry.
"More than likely every one of us would have been sick," answered the young captain with a shudder. "Then the Indians and the desperadoes could have walked in here without a struggle."
"Even if help does not come, you'll fight them, won't you, Will?"
"To be sure—to the bitter end."
"By the way, are you certain the ammunition hasn't been tampered with?" came from Joe.
"I was thinking of that and was going to have an examination made when you stopped me," said Captain Moore, and hurried on.
An examination showed that some of the powder on the place had been hidden. Drossdell said this was under the barn flooring, and his words proved true.
Promptly at four o'clock Captain Moore appeared at the southwest corner of the stockade with a red shirt in one hand and a blue shirt in the other.
Fortunately he was built like Bicker, and donning a private's hat and coat made him look a good deal like that individual from a distance.
Slowly he waved the coats to and fro for five minutes.