“A mere waste of powder, I fear,” was my reply, given thoughtlessly. “When the rush finally comes we are likely to be without sufficient ammunition to repel it.”
“When the rush comes?” she echoed in startled tone. “Do you expect an assault?”
“I hardly expect those fellows out there will ever leave without a most determined effort to carry the house by storm. They are here for plunder, and will not be baffled easily, nor will the leaders hesitate to sacrifice any number of lives to gain their end, especially now that a desire for revenge has been added to the original lust for spoils. I have been among them, you know, and learned enough of their power, organization, and leadership to convince me they will never raise the siege until they exhaust every resource. I have no doubt they are simply drawing all this fire in the hope that our ammunition will thus be uselessly expended. It is an old army trick, and one I am surprised to see so experienced an officer as Major Brennan yield to. In my judgment they will make an effort to rush us as soon as there is sufficient light.”
“But why not warn him?”
I smiled to myself at the naive question. Surely it could not be possible she remained ignorant of the feud existing between us. She had twice witnessed our hostile meetings, and certainly could not forget how we had last parted.
“Major Brennan would scarcely welcome any interference on my part.”
“But surely, as a soldier, he must value the advice of another soldier?”
“Possibly you forget,” I explained, striving to speak as lightly of it as might be, “that there is a lack of friendship between Major Brennan and myself.”
“Still?” she asked. “Truly I thought that might all be over. Even if it survived until now, this noble act of yours in coming to our defence should have earned you his gratitude. He—he has never once mentioned your name to me since that night.”
“Not even when I came here with my troop, I believe?”