human
What happened?
gpt
They came at dawn! Winterson said savagely.
human
The hen started cackling and woke me up! I saw this one looking in the window and threw the first thing I could lay my hands on at him! Happened to be the chamber pot! Time I got my hands on my rifle, he was gone! I took Martha with me, and time we got harnessed there were more of the skunks in the woods! They nicked me in the arm and we were gone!
gpt
Did they have horses?
human
Probably they had some somewhere! I suppose they left them back in the woods when they came to get us! Yes, there must have been horses! These Indians are too blasted lazy to walk anywhere! I got off one shot, but think I missed!
gpt
How many are there?
human
I saw anyhow six, but there are more than that! Blasted mongrels probably wouldn't fight at all unless they were anyhow fifteen to one! Wish I'd had another rifle! I--There's three of us now! Let's go back and tear into them!
gpt
Leave the women and kids here unprotected?
human
You're right! Guess you're right! It's just that I'm so lashing mad I'd do about anything! I'm never going to like an Indian again if I live to be five hundred years old!
gpt
They burned your buildings. I saw the smoke.
human
That's probably why they weren't hot on our trail; they were too busy looting! I suppose they got my cow and pigs too, but I saved the horses and Martha got her hen out. That's some hen! I wouldn't swap her for a farm!
gpt
Better come up and get a dressing on that arm.
human
Just a scratch, Winterson assured him.
gpt
It doesn't amount to anything. What are we going to do now? Send somebody to Camp Axton to bring the soldiers?
human
Too dangerous, Joe decided.
gpt
One man alone could be ambushed and we have four rifles now. We'd better figure on making a stand right here.
human
Who's the fourth rifle?
gpt
Tad, and he'll be a good one. That kid can shoot the whiskers off a cat at a hundred yards. Did you bring plenty of bullets?
human
Just what's in my pouch. We didn't have time to grab as much as we'd have liked.
gpt
Well, we have lead and molds. We can rig a mold to fit your rifle. Let's go in before the womenfolk decide we've all been scalped.