"Then I'll go up and tell father," whispered Billy, and up-stairs he went.
He found his father asleep, and his mother was seated near him and told Billy he had a high fever.
"Then don't wake him, and I'll not let them come up here," said Billy, and he went out of the room and took his place at the stairs.
A moment after the two men, both with pistols in their hands, came out of the kitchen and started to come up-stairs.
"Stop, Luke Craig, for you can't come up here," said the boy.
With a hoarse laugh the man sprung up the steps to fall back as a pistol flashed in his face and roll back to the bottom, knocking his companion down too.
But the latter quickly sprung to his feet and dashed out of the house to where their horses were hitched.
His horse was a white one, and his comrade's was Sable Satan, and to the latter he ran.
But up went the window and in a loud voice Billy cried:
"I've got my rifle on you, and I'll fire if you take my horse."