“Open! Open!” cried the voices again. “We are friends, and will do you no harm.”
“Then go away at once!” Miss Sallie commanded.
There was a muffled sound outside the door. Could it be laughter? Then a voice called more roughly. “How long must we wait?”
Ruth and Bab looked at each other blankly. Miss Stuart had gone back into her own room. “What on earth shall we do? Shall we open the door?” Ruth inquired.
Mollie and Grace both shook their heads.
“Ruth,” whispered Barbara resourcefully, “your rifle is behind that door, and Naki’s big shotgun is next to it. Of course, we don’t know how to shoot either one of the guns very well at present, but, if you will hold your rifle pointed toward the door, I shall try to shoulder this heavy shotgun. Oh, I have a splendid idea!”
“Out with it, child!” ordered Ruth. “I believe the knocking on the door will keep up all night, unless we open it.”
“Who’s there?” inquired Grace, timidly, before Bab could answer.
“Friends!” responded the men on the outside.
Barbara motioned silence. “Listen to me,” she said. “We have no way of knowing if those men on the outside are friends, whatever they may say. Here is my scheme! Remember the story of the women in a town near here, who once defended their fort against an attack by the Indians, when the men were all away at work in the cornfields? The women dressed up in their husbands’ clothes and frightened the Indians away. Ruth, let’s disguise ourselves as men and then let Ceally open the door.”