"Same here, but I reckon he knows best," Bob said, stroking Satan's neck in an effort to quiet him.
"I can usually wheedle father into most anything, but when he speaks like that I know better than to disobey. I tried it just once and that was a-plenty."
"Of course, we wouldn't think of not doing as he ordered," Jack told her.
No shots had been heard since the men rode off and they were beginning to wonder if it was all over when two shots rang out close together.
"That's dad's old Betsey and it means for us to beat it," Sue said as she turned her horse. "Come on and come a-running."
She took the lead and the boys followed. If they had come out fast it seemed as though they were flying now, and the lights of the ranch house loomed up almost, it seemed, before they were fairly started. Then, when they were about a hundred yards from the house when Sue stopped so suddenly that Jack had all he could do to keep from running into her.
"Look," she gasped.
One glance was enough. At one corner of the big barn a thin blaze of light gleamed through the darkness.
"They've fired the barn," Bob cried. "Come on, Jack, we must put it out if possible."
"Just a minute," Sue called as he was about to start. "We don't know how many of them there may be and we must be careful."