a pause, the tall captain, raising his forage-cap, pushed
swiftly on. "But I've found something," muttered he to himself, between
his set teeth, and within five minutes more was again closeted with the
post commander.

"You saw it?" asked Webb.

"Yes. Three or four places--down in the arroyo. More than that--Where's
Hay?" he broke off suddenly, for voices were sounding in the adjoining
room.

"Here, with Dade and the doctor."

"Then--" But Blake got no further. Breathless and eager, little Sandy
Ray came bounding through the hallway into the presence of the officers.
He could hardly gasp his news:

"Major, you told me to keep watch and let you know. There's a courier
coming--hard! Mother saw him--too, through the--spyglass. She says
they--see him, too at Stabber's--and she's afraid----"

"Right!" cried Webb. "Quick, Blake; rush out half a dozen men to meet
him. Those devils may indeed cut him off. Thank you, my little man," he
added, bending down and patting the dark curly head, as Blake went
bounding away. "Thank you, Sandy. I'll come at once to the bluff. We'll
save him. Never you fear."

In less than no time, one might say, all Fort Frayne seemed hurrying to
the northward bluff. The sight of tall Captain Blake bounding like a
greyhound toward his troop barracks, and shouting for his first
sergeant,--of Major Webb almost running across the parade toward the
flagstaff,--of Sandy rushing back to his post at the telescope,--of the
adjutant and officer of the day tearing away toward the stables, where
many of the men were now at work, were signs that told unerringly of
something stirring, probably across the Platte. As luck would have it,
in anticipation of orders to move, the troop horses had not been sent
out to graze, and were still in the sunshiny corrals, and long before
the news was fully voiced through officers' row, Blake and six of his
men were in saddle and darting away for the ford, carbines advanced the
instant they struck the opposite bank.

From the bluff Webb had shouted his instructions. "We could see him a
moment ago," for half a dozen field glasses were already brought to
bear, "six miles out,--far east of the road. Feel well out to your left
to head off any of Stabber's people. Three of them have been seen
galloping out already."

"Aye, aye, sir," came the answering shout, as Blake whirled and tore
away after his men. There had been a time in his distant past when the
navy, not the army, was