d followed
Tempest's rather reckless pace forward into the darkness. Memory made
the dim road familiar to Gaspar, and soon the garrison lights came
into sight.

But martial law is strict and the gates had been closed for the night,
as the lad had feared. The sentinel on duty did not respond to his
first summons with the promptness which the boy desired, so, springing
to his feet upon the gelding's back, he shouted, over the stockade:

"Entrance for two citizens of the United States! In the name of its
President!"

"Ugh. There is no need for such a noise, pale-face."

These words fell so suddenly upon Gaspar's ears that he nearly tumbled
backward from his perch. He was further amazed to see the Sun Maid
leap from her horse, straight through the gloom into the arms of a
tall Indian who seemed to have risen out of the ground beside them.

In fact, he had merely stepped from a canoe at the foot of the path
and his moccasined feet had made no sound upon the sward as he
approached. He received the girl's eager spring with grave dignity,
and immediately replaced her upon the Snowbird's back.

[Illustration: GASPAR AND KITTY REACH THE FORT. _Page 188._]

"Why, Black Partridge! Don't you know me? Aren't you glad to see me?
Four years since we said good-by, that day at poor Muck-otey-pokee."

"I remember all things. Why is the Sun Maid here, at this hour?"

Gaspar had recovered himself and now broke into a torrent of
explanation, which the chief quietly interrupted as soon as he had
gathered the facts of the case.

"But don't you think, dear Feather-man, that our Wahneenah will soon
come?" demanded Kitty, anxiously.

"The gates are open. Let us enter," he answered evasively; and the
novelty of her surroundings so promptly engrossed the girl's mind that
she forgot to question him further then. Somewhere on the dimly
lighted campus a bugle was sounding; and it awakened sleeping memories
of her earliest childhood. So did the regular "step-step" of soldiers
relieving guard. A new and delightful sense of safety and familiarity
thrilled her heart, and she exclaimed, joyfully:

"Oh, Gaspar! it is home! it is home! More than the cabin, more than
Other Mother's tepee, this is home!"

"I hope it will prove so."

"Do you suppose I will find any of the dear white 'mothers' who were
so good to me? Or Bugler Jim, who used to play me to sleep under the
trees in the corner? I wish it wasn't so dark. I wish----"

"It's all new,