soon dressed, supper eaten, Juanita made as comfortable as possible for
the night, and then we gathered about the camp-fire to hear Tom Pope,
relate the story of the capture, as follows:--

"Me'n Jerry, started from here, and crawled through the grass and
underbrush, till we got pretty close to the varmints' camp. We seed ten
or a dozen of 'em layin' about, some doin' one thing and some another.
All of a suddent we seed the gal, there, crawl out of the 'wickey-up.'
She looked round as though she wanted to see somebody, for she started
and walked out a little ways. Jest then, a big buck Injun, got up and
follered her, but she walked on, right towards us, till she was within a
dozen feet of where me'n Jerry lay hid.

"The Injun told her in Spanish, to go back, and took her by the shoulder
to make her do it. Quicker'n lightnin', Jerry made a spring, and, afore
the Injun see him, he give him a blow with the butt of his rifle, that
stunned him, and grabbed the gal and run.

"The Injun give a kind of grunt as he fell. One of the others started to
see what was the matter, I s'pose, so I let Mertilda," patting his rifle,
"talk to him, and he laid right down without speakin' a word."

"As soon as the Injuns in camp heard Mertilda speak, eight or ten of 'em
jumped up and started towards us. But yer see, Jerry'd got so fur, they
couldn't stop him. The sojers was right on to 'em, and give 'em 'Hail
Columby,' and no mistake.

"That's my report, Lieutenant. That youngster there," pointing to Ned,
"is real grit. I seed the arrer strike him, and he a-pullin' of it out,
runnin' towards 'em all the time. Jest as sure's yer live, yer can call
Tom Pope a liar, if Jerry Vance didn't save that gal's life; 'cause, if
we'd ever attacked the Injuns in camp, the first thing they'd 'a' done,
would ha' been to killed the prisoners. I know the Apaches some, I
reckon."

[Illustration: The Litter.]

A consultation was now held as to the best manner of getting Juanita to
the fort comfortably, and it was decided to construct a "mountain-litter."
This was done the next morning, by procuring two stout poles,
about twenty feet in length, and lashing them firmly to two short pieces
of wood about three feet long and six feet apart: we then stretched a
blanket between the poles, so as to form a comfortable bed. Two steady
mules were selected and harnessed between the poles, in the front and
rear of the bed, thus making a comfortable carriage.

Bre