in saddle just one undaunted,
unconquered amazon whose black eyes flashed through the woolen hood that
hid the rest of her face, whose lips had uttered as yet no sound, but
from whom two soldiers recoiled at the cry of a third. "Look at the hand
of her, fellers! It's whiter than mine!"

"That's all right, Lanigan," answered the jovial voice of the leader
they loved and laughed with. "Hold that pony steady. Now, by
your-ladyship's leave," and two long, sinewy arms went circling about
the shrinking rider's waist, and a struggling form was lifted
straightway out of saddle and deposited, not too gracefully, on its
moccasined feet. "We will remove this one impediment to your speech,"
continued Blake, whereat the muffling worsted was swiftly unwound, "and
then we will listen to our meed of thanks. Ah, no wonder you did not
need a side-saddle that night at Frayne. You ride admirably _a
califourchon_. My compliments, Mademoiselle La Fleur; or should I
say--Madame Moreau."

For all answer Blake received one quick, stinging slap in the face from
that mittenless little right hand.

CHAPTER XXI

THANKSGIVING AT FRAYNE

Thanksgiving Day at Frayne! Much of the garrison was still afield,
bringing back to their lines and, let us hope, to their senses, the
remnant of Stabber's band, chased far into the Sweetwater Hills before
they would stop, while Henry's column kept Lame Wolf in such active
movement the misnamed chieftain richly won his later sobriquet "The
Skipper." The general had come whirling back from Beecher in his Concord
wagon, to meet Mr. Hay as they bore that invalid homeward from the Big
Horn. Between the fever-weakened trader and the famous frontier soldier
there had been brief conference--all that the doctors felt they could
allow--and then the former had been put to bed under the care of his
devoted wife, while the latter, without so much as sight of a pillow,
had set forth again out Sweetwater way to wind up the campaign. This
time he went in saddle, sending his own team over the range of the
Medicine Bow to carry a convalescent subaltern to the side of a stricken
father; the sender ignorant, possibly, of the post commander's
prohibition; ignoring it, if, as probable, it was known to him. The good
old doctor himself had bundled the grateful lad and sent a special
hospital attendant with him. Mrs. Dade and her devoted allies up the row
had filled with goodies a wonderful luncheon basket, while Mrs. Hay had