amsters not three miles from the post, and ran off with all
their cattle. We caught up with them just across the Niobrara, and they
dropped the mules and horses they were driving and made a run for it.
We chased and gained on them every inch of the way, but they got to the
lines first, and then they just whirled about and jeered at us and
shook the scalps in our faces, and called us every name you could think
of,--in good English, too," added the trooper seriously; "and the
lieutenant and I rode to the agency and pointed out two of them to the
agent that very day, but he didn't dare arrest them. His life depended
on his standing by them through thick and thin. Look, lieutenant! Look
off there!"

Over to the southwest, dimly visible, three or four shadowy objects are
darting rapidly over the distant ridge that spans the horizon in that
direction. For one moment only they are revealed against the sky, then
can be seen, faint as far-away cloud-shadows, sweeping down into the
shallow valley and making for the river above the position of the
outpost. Indians, beyond question! the advance guard of the main body;
and the time for action has come.

Instead of riding toward them, however,--instead of approaching the
ford by the most direct line,--these scouts are loping northward from
the point where the trail crosses the ridge, and pushing for the
stream. McLean sees their object with the quickness of thought. 'Tis
not that they have made a "dry camp" during the night, and are in haste
to get to water with their ponies. He knows well that in several of the
ravines and "coulies" on their line of march there is abundant water at
this season of the year. He knows well that not until they had crept up
to and cautiously peered over that ridge, without showing so much as a
feather of their war-bonnets, would they venture so boldly down into
the "swale." He knows well that both in front and rear they are
watching for the coming of cavalry, and that now they are dashing over
to the Platte to peer across the skirting bluffs until satisfied no
foeman is near, then to scurry down into the bottom to search for
hoof-prints. If they find the well-known trail of shod horses in column
of twos, it will tell them beyond shadow of doubt that troops are
already guarding the ford. "Confound it!" he exclaims. "Why didn't we
think of it last night, and come down the other side? We could just as
well have crossed the Platte on the engineer bridge, an