there?"

What chance, indeed? Ralph McCrea little dreamed that at that very
moment General Sheridan--far away in Chicago--was reading despatches
that determined him to go at once, himself, to Red Cloud Agency; that in
four days more the general would be there, at Laramie, and that in two
wonderful days, meantime--but who was there who dreamed what would
happen meantime?

CHAPTER III.

DANGER IN THE AIR.

When the head of the cavalry column reached the bridge over Lodge Pole
Creek a march of about twenty-five miles had been made, which is an
average day's journey for cavalry troops when nothing urgent hastens
their movements.

Filing to the right, the horsemen moved down the north bank of the
rapidly-running stream, and as soon as the rearmost troop was clear of
the road and beyond reach of its dust, the trumpets sounded "halt" and
"dismount," and in five minutes the horses, unsaddled, were rolling on
the springy turf, and then were driven out in herds, each company's by
itself, to graze during the afternoon along the slopes. Each herd was
watched and guarded by half a dozen armed troopers, and such horses as
were notorious "stampeders" were securely "side-lined" or hobbled.

Along the stream little white tents were pitched as the wagons rolled in
and were unloaded; and then the braying mules, rolling and kicking in
their enjoyment of freedom from harness, were driven out and disposed
upon the slopes at a safe distance from the horses. The smokes of little
fires began to float into the air, and the jingle of spoon and
coffee-pot and "spider" and skillet told that the cooks were busy
getting dinner for the hungry campaigners.

Such appetites as those long-day marches give! Such delight in life and
motion one feels as he drinks in that rare, keen mountain air! Some of
the soldiers--old plainsmen--are already prone upon the turf, their
heads pillowed on their saddles, their slouch hats pulled down over
their eyes, snatching half an hour's dreamless sleep before the cooks
shall summon them to dinner.

One officer from each company is still in saddle, riding around the
horses of his own troop to see that the grass is well chosen and that
his guards are properly posted and on the alert. Over at the road there
stands a sort of frontier tavern and stage station, at which is a
telegraph office, and the colonel has been sending despatches to
Department Head-Quarters to announce the safe arrival of his command at