“We must protect ourselves, of course, but just how, we shall have to consider carefully. Is the creek fordable along here?”
“I reckon so. No difficulty ’bout anyone gettin’ over thet wants to. Why, Miss?”
“I was wondering if the man who shot at us could easily cross to this side of the stream,” murmured Grace reflectively.
“He could.”
“Then we shall have to take turns at guarding the camp to-night. I will watch it until midnight; Lieutenant Wingate will relieve me then and remain on watch until four in the morning, which is the hour you turn out, Mr. Fairweather,” suggested Grace.
Ike insisted that he could keep watch all night, but Grace shook her head, declaring that such an arrangement would not be fair to him.
“I really believe, Mr. Fairweather, that you would be willing to go without sleep during the entire journey, just for the sake of getting sight of the man who shot at us,” averred Grace.
“I would thet,” rumbled Ike.
“Please don’t let the incident worry you. We girls have been under fire too often to be greatly disturbed by a few rifle shots. Of course, it isn’t comfortable to be shot at by a man who knows how to use a rifle as well as that fellow apparently does, but so long as he doesn’t hit one of us why worry?” laughed Grace.
Ike stroked his whiskers and shook his head. At this juncture, Elfreda, who had taken upon herself the task of dressing Lieutenant Wingate’s wound, announced that it was completed.