happy when the
fighting was over and they were assured that from henceforth they would
be safe to come and go as they pleased.

"It was like a regular campaign," said Darry. "Joe, we have become
soldiers after all!"

"That's so, Darry," replied Joe. "We can call ourselves, after this, the
boys of the fort!"

* * * * *

A few words more, and we will bring this story of fort life in the Great
Northwest to a close.

Two weeks after the events just narrated Joe and Darry returned to their
homes. Here they were received with open arms by their parents, who had
heard all manner of ugly reports and who half expected to see them
coming back wounded and crippled for life. But the lads soon proved that
they were not so bad off as that, and inside of a few months both were
as well as ever.

At the fort an active campaign was started under Captain Moore and the
commander of the cavalry, and this resulted in the rounding up of six
more desperadoes and thirty Indians. Lieutenant Carrol and four regulars
were found as prisoners of the Indians and were released.

The desperadoes were turned over to the civil courts, and were dealt
with severely, two being hung and the others being imprisoned for years.

Drossdell was court-martialed, and after a long trial was sentenced to
imprisonment in a military prison for ten years. He served six years,
after which he was released. To his credit be it said, he turned over a
new leaf, and from the West went to Cuba, where he fought with the
Cubans against Spanish rule. He was with the Cubans at the fall of
Santiago and died a few weeks later of tropical fever.

As soon as the proper medicines could be obtained and administered,
those who had been drugged at the fort began to recover, and inside of
two weeks Colonel Fairfield, Captain Lee, and our other friends were
around once more, although rather weak.

The mining company whose money had been saved was exceedingly thankful
to Captain Moore and the others for what had been done, and when,
several years later, the young captain left the regular army, this
company offered him a lucrative position, which he accepted and which
he fills to this day.

Old Benson and Hank Leeson still continue to roam the Great Northwest,
and are happy. Occasionally they receive a visit from Joe and Darry, and
are never more satisfied than when they have the two young men with them
on a hunting and fishing tour.

"Takes me b