"Cal," exclaimed the latter, "has anything happened to father?"
"No, Vic, nothing much has happened—not yet—"
"Cal, something has happened! What is it?" said the old lady, with a quick flush of anxiety.
"I must out with it. The Apaches have scooped the lower drove, every horse. They came for the upper drove, but Sam and I got them into the timber—"
"Was he hurt?" asked Mrs. Evans.
"No, mother, but he isn't safe yet—" and Cal went on to give a rapid account of all he knew.
Sam Herrick himself could hardly have shown better nerve than did Cal's mother. She grew calm and steady-eyed as she listened, but Victoria's pretty face paled and reddened again and again, for she was hardly two years older than her brother.
"Oh, if only father were here!" she said.
"Where's he gone?" asked Cal.
"Out on the range," replied his mother. "He and all of them will come in at the first sign of danger. Everybody knew that the Indians were dissatisfied, but I didn't dream of their coming this way."