"Yes, when there ain't anything else to eat, but I prefer buff'ler or Injun," was Billy's response.
"We may have to eat Injun yet," laughed Lew Simpson.
All made a wry face at this supposition and again prepared to meet a charge, for the red-skins were coming down in column.
But again they were checked with loss, and Billy's shot brought down the chief.
Darkness coming on, the Indians formed in line as though to ride away, when Lew Simpson said:
"They must take us for durned fools not to know that they won't leave their dead unburied, and that they think they can draw us out. No, here is where we live until the boys from the train come to look us up."
During the night the Indians, finding their foes would not leave their fort, set the grass on fire to burn them out.
But it was too scanty to burn well and only made a smoke, under cover of which they once more advanced, to be once more driven back.
With the morning they showed that their intention was to starve them out for they went into a regular camp in a circle upon the prairie.
But during the afternoon a party of horsemen appeared in sight, and the three hungry, suffering, half-starved defenders gave a yell of delight, which the red-skins answered with howls of disappointed rage as they hastily mounted their ponies and fled.