cacho, they came upon recent Indian signs in the
sand--moccasin tracks going down stream bed toward the post. Then they
"chassayed," as they said, out into the open, midway to the foothills,
so as to keep out of rifle range of both, and then Indians came
a-running at them from the foothills, trying to head them off and take
them alive, they supposed, and they had dismounted and fought and
driven them back, and, oh, they must have killed three or four of 'em!
and in fact had had to fight for their lives most of the afternoon.
Archer listened, incredulous, puzzled. Frontiersmen's and fishermen's
tales have much in common. These were men who had been employed three
years, they said, by the agent at the upper reservation and had been
detailed for courier duty with Colonel Pelham, commanding the district
of the Verde. One was American, the other Mexican. Their story might be
straight, but, with all the valor to which they laid claim, it seemed
strange to Archer and his officers that two men could break their way
through an encircling horde of hostiles such as they described, and
hold a hundred fierce Apaches four long hours at bay.

Harris was awake, and in highly nervous condition, and begging that he
might be allowed to see and question these couriers, but both doctors,
regular and contract, said no, not this night. And so, toward midnight,
the couriers were permitted to go to bed. The doubled sentries were
cautioned to observe the utmost vigilance. The lights were extinguished
at the store, by way of telling everybody that neither game nor glass
was to be had before the morrow. The general was urged by his devoted
adherents, Bonner, Bucketts and Strong, to get such sleep as was
possible, and the post was committed to the charge of Lieutenant
Briggs, officer of the day. The lights were still burning low at the
hospital and in the doctor's quarters and Strong's, as, with a look
about the moonlit valley and a word to his sergeant, Bonner rejoined
his comrades at the quartermaster's veranda.

"Odd," said he, with a tilt of his head toward the quarters next
beyond, "of all our little fighting force, so far the only casualties
are with our two casuals."

That was at one o'clock in the morning. At three, by which time all but
the guard were presumably in bed, Mrs. Archer, lying anxious and
wakeful, listening for the sound of sigh or sob from Lilian's little
room and praying that sorrow might be averted from that beloved child,