Page:Randall Parrish - The Red Mist.djvu/374

 354 "Ay! we win the first round, but it has cost heavily. I doubt if we have such luck again. Yet forgive me; those were careless words, but the Harwood breed are given to intemperate speech." He turned to me. "What loss have you, Wyatt?"

"Two wounded, and one killed," I answered soberly. "We had Cowan's guerrillas to meet out there."

"Yes, I know; the infantrymen stormed the front, and the troopers peppered the side windows. They meant to keep us all busy, and try out our strength—O'Hare got the least of it, and never lost a man; Wharton has three down, while they got five of my lads. The front doors are fairly riddled; a good blow with the butt of a tree will send them crashing in."

"You believe they will attack again!"

"Lord—yes! They know now what they are up against. That man Fox is a soldier; he and a dozen others were at the door. They'll consolidate next time, trust to the weight of numbers, and break through. They respect us now, but we haven't licked the fight out of them by a long chalk. I'm going to take three of your men."

"That leaves only one to a window."

"You will have to get along. If the attack develops at your end I'll reinforce you; but it will