"You'll find me energetic enough, sir, I imagine, when the need for swift work comes." "Of course you couldn't foresee the coming of any such outrage as this," Mr.Newnham continued.
"Oh, I rather guessed that this sort of thing was coming," Tom confessed.
"You guessed it---and yet the camp has been left undefended?
You haven't taken any steps to protect the company's rights and property at this point ?" gasped Mr.Newnham.
"You will find, sir, that I am not wholly unprepared," Reade remarked dryly, while the corners of his mouth drew down grimly.
Tom was apparently the only one in camp, after the excitement started, who had noted that Dave Fulsbee, at the first shots, had leaped to his horse and vanished down the trail to the eastward.
At this moment a party of a dozen, headed by Professor Coles, came in on foot, bearing young Reynolds with them.
"Harry, mount one of the saddled horses and rush down yonder for Doc Gitney," Tom ordered.

"Give him your horse to come back on.
He must see to young Reynolds promptly." Some of the field party came in on horseback, followed soon by still others on foot.

Many of the field engineering party, in their haste, had left their instruments, rods and chains behind.
Tom, after diving into and out of the headquarters tent, held up a pair of powerful binocular field glasses.

With these he took sweeping views of the near-by hills to the westward.
"The scoundrels haven't gotten in at close quarters yet, sir," Reade reported to President Newnham.

"At least, I can't make out a sign of them on the high ground that commands this camp." "This whole business of an armed attack on us is most incomprehensible to me," remarked Mr.Newnham.