sh some mounds only a few feet above the level of the plain.
On reaching a gate between the mounds, guarded by two stone towers of
little more elevation than the stockades, it was opened, and on entering
we found several soldiers.

One of them took Mr Tidey's horse, and another was about to take the
rein of mine, when he exclaimed--

"What creature have we here? never saw an animal with such a face as
this!"

I was explaining what had happened, when a sergeant appeared from the
guard-room.

"We will get the doctor to have a look at him, and see if anything can
be done for the poor brute," he said in a compassionate tone.

I thanked him. Mr Tidey gave the message from my father, entreating
that assistance might be sent to the relief of our train.

"You had better see the commandant, who will judge what is best to be
done," was the answer; and leaving our sorry steeds in charge of the
soldiers, we accompanied the sergeant. The commanding officer received
us kindly, and told us that if the report of Indians being in the
neighbourhood should prove true, it was too probable that our train
would be attacked.

"I will, however, at dawn to-morrow, send out a party to their
assistance," he added, "and I hope that they may arrive in time to drive
off the redskins, should any have fallen in with your friends."

We both urged that they might be sent off at once, but the commandant
replied that it would be impossible to do so until the party we had met
returned with the cattle, as he could not weaken the garrison, already
scarcely sufficient for the defence of the place.

With this promise we were obliged to be content, he offering also to
supply Dio and me with horses that we might accompany the party, which I
hoped to be able to do after some rest, though just then, overcome by
hunger and fatigue, I was scarcely able to move. I felt much revived by
the supper which the commandant ordered at once to be placed on the
table. He afterwards accompanied us out to see how it fared with my
poor horse. I found that the doctor had been fomenting its wounded lip
with a strong infusion of tobacco, and afterwards poulticing it with the
chopped leaves of the same plant. He had also given the animal half a
pint of whisky slightly diluted, and half an ounce of ammonia.

"If that doesn't cure it, I don't know what will," he remarked.

I regretted that Dio's horse was too far off to receive assistance--
indeed, probably by that t