puttering fire of the scouts. Five hundred yards away, bending
double, dodging from bowlder to bowlder, several swarthy Indians could
be seen in full flight, apparently. Then old 'Tonio threw up a hand
from across the stony chasm, signalled to his friends to cease, sprang
over a low barrier of rock, disappeared one moment from view, then a
few yards farther signalled "Come on." And on they went and came
presently upon an excited, jabbering group at a little cleft in the
hillside. A mule lay kicking in death agony down the slope. Another lay
dead among the bowlders. An Apache warrior, face downward in a pool of
blood, was sprawled in front of the cleft, and presently, from the
cavelike entrance, came Lieutenant Harris and 'Tonio, bearing between
them the form of an unconscious woman, and Stannard, as he came panting
to the spot, ordering everybody to fall back and give her air, and
somebody to bring a canteen, slapped Harris a hearty whack on the
shoulder, whereat that silent young officer suddenly wilted and dropped
like a log, and not until then was it seen he was shot--that his sleeve
and shirt were dripping with blood.

And just about that hour, less than thirty miles away, based on
Lieutenant Willett's verbal report, the commanding officer of Camp Almy
was writing a despatch to go by swift courier to department
head-quarters--a report which closed with these words:

"The presence at this juncture of Lieutenant Willett, aide-de-camp
to the department commander, was of great value and importance, and
I trust that his decision to remain may meet approval. On the other
hand, it is with regret that I am constrained to express my
disapproval of the action of Lieutenant Harris, commanding scouts,
who left the post with his men immediately after the alarm and
without conference with me; was only overtaken by Lieutenant
Willett after going several miles, and, when informed of my
instructions, practically refused to be guided by them. Persuading
a few of the scouts to follow him, he left the detachment, in spite
of Lieutenant Willett's remonstrance, and started in pursuit of the
marauders. As these must largely outnumber him, it is not only
impossible that he should rescue the captives, but more than
probable he has paid for his rashness with his life."

CHAPTER VIII.

"The Gray Fox" had but just received his promotion to the star, jumping
every colonel in th