THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT

And they promise to leave if the Feds don't prosecute the one wanted for a felony.

Four anti-government holdouts remain in the armed occupation of a wildlife refuge in Eastern Oregon, and they will end the standoff if the government agrees not to prosecute one who is wanted on a felony warrant, a member of the group said Thursday.

“There’s four of us here at the refuge. We’re not really inside the refuge, we’re in the driveway,” said David Fry, 27, one of the occupiers, who explained that the group had been in contact with law enforcement officials.

“We’re willing to leave,” he said, as long as no one is arrested, “and if they want to check the guns, if it’s stolen guns or what not, we’re agreeing to that.” One of the remaining activist, he said, faces a felony arrest.

“If they’re not willing to do that, we’re all just kind of willing to stay here and see what happens,” Mr. Fry said. “Are they really going to kill five people for refusing to drop a charge on a man?”

Law enforcement officials could not be reached for comment Thursday, but said earlier that they would “continue to work around the clock to empty the refuge of the armed occupiers in the safest way possible.” Roadblocks remained outside the refuge on Thursday, and law enforcement has vowed to stop and interrogate anyone who tried to enter or leave the refuge, saying that protesters who wanted to leave peacefully would be allowed to do so.

The standoff, which flashed into violent confrontation with law enforcement on Tuesday when eight members of the group were arrested and one was killed, appeared to be unraveling with the the jailed leader of the siege, Ammon Bundy, urging the remaining activists to go home.

Through a statement read by one of his lawyers, Mr. Bundy made another appeal Thursday morning. “My message still remains,” he said, speaking to the activists still at the refuge. “Turn yourselves in and do not use physical force.”

Instead, he urged the activists to “use the national platform we have to continue to defend liberty through our constitutional rights.” He added, “I will not abandon all that we have accomplished in the name of liberty for the sake of my own personal freedom.”

The police announced on Wednesday that they had arrested three more protesters. Over two days, 11 members of the group that has occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge have been arrested.

On his video, Mr. Fry said the arrests had prompted some people to leave the refuge — some in such a hurry that they left their guns behind.

He identified the person for whom there is an arrest warrant as “Sean.” That may be a reference to Sean Anderson, who has been seen in several videos, predicting bloodshed, saying that the government intended to kill the protesters, and even calling on supporters to join them at the refuge and kill anyone who tries to stop them.

This act is over, but some the characters are practicing for the next act where and when it will be.