n advance, could be
seen close to the crest of the divide. He had dismounted to creep
forward and peer over, and now, half-way back to where he had left his
horse, was waving his hat, with right arm extended from directly over
his head down to the horizontal and to the east.

"Mount!" said Geordie, quietly, springing lightly to saddle with a
thrill of excitement in his young heart. "Follow at a walk, sergeant,
off to the northeast. That's where we're needed, Con."

For the advance-guard, mounting quickly, was now loping along parallel
with the divide, yet keeping well down below its backbone, and, putting
spurs to their horses, "Badger" and "Coyote," the chums of old, darted
swiftly away to join them.

Five minutes more, while a trooper held the horses of the young
officers and their guides, while in silence and with eager eyes the
little detachment came jogging over the swale to the support of the
leaders, three forms were crouching forward to the top of the wavelike
ridge, and presently three heads, uncovered, were peering over into the
valley beyond. Then the arm of one of them was outstretched, pointing.
Then the field-glasses of two others were unslung, fixed and focused
on some distant object; and then back, still crouching, came one of the
number, signalling to Sergeant Drum to come on. Whereupon, without a
word of command, simply following the example of their foremost man,
the riders gave the bridle-hand, and with the other whipped the ready
carbines from their sockets, and with the butts resting on the right
thigh, the brown muzzles advanced, came on at a swift trot, those in
rear unconsciously pressing forward on those in front.

Then another signal--this time from their young commander, who had come
running down afoot, leaving "Badger" at the crest. In the eagerness of
the forward rush the riders were opening out, coming right and left
front into line, as the soldiers say, and Graham's gauntleted
hands--the same gauntlets Big Ben had coveted three months
earlier--were extended full to right and left, the length of each arm,
and then brought "palms together" in front. "Close in," it said, as
plain as day, and almost instantly Drum's gruff voice could be heard in
rebuke; almost as quickly the practised riders could be seen closing
the outer leg and rein. Another moment and the little line was trotting
almost boot to boot. Then as they neared the point where the slope
became abrupt, Graham's right hand, pal