was the very impudence of his courage that saved him from what they
thought righteous vengeance. The Colonel came at once. The guard saluted
and withdrew and the Red men seized their spoils. And, strange to say,
among themselves they had not one dispute; none tried to overreach; each
knew his mark and claimed his own.

The whites were like men under a gallows doom.

"Stung, stung!" was all the Colonel had to say.

The Adjutant, an erratic officer, had lost half a year's pay. The
magnitude of the disaster was almost national, he felt, and sadly,
shyly, he said: "Will you have the flag at half-mast, Colonel?"

"No!" thundered the Colonel. "I'll be darned if the flag shall hang at
half-mast for anything less than the death of an American."

And the Rev. James Hartigan! He stared stonily before him as the race
was won.

Belle was at hand and she watched him closely. He turned deathly pale.

"What is it, Jim?" she said quietly, and laid her hand on his.

"Oh, Belle, this is awful."

"Why, Jim? Why should you care? It isn't as if it were Blazing Star.
We're sorry for all those men, of course; but maybe it's the best thing
for them. I think now they'll realize the curse and folly of racetrack
gambling."

"Oh, Belle, if you only knew," groaned Jim.

"Knew what, Jim dear? It seems to me those men are getting their
deserts. I know you and Dr. Jebb did all you could to hold them back,
and denounced all racing as it properly should be."

Jim turned his head away and pressing his forehead with his great
powerful hand, he groaned.

"Jim, dear boy, why do you take it so hard? Why should you worry? I'm
sorry for the women and children that will suffer for this, but I have
little pity for the men; the fools, _they_ knew what they were doing."

"Let's ride away," he said; and as he turned, he saw Red Cloud, calm and
dignified, on his horse watching wagon after wagon go by filled with
plunder, on its way to the Indian camp.

Jim and Belle rode away from the painful scene. She was leading for the
Fort; but he said, "I must see Higginbotham." She followed as he went to
the tent with the sign, "John & Hannah Higginbotham--Insurance." A
number of Indians were in and about, laughing merrily and talking in
their own tongue. Jim waited till the tent was clear, then dismounted.
Belle was for following, but Jim said, "Would you mind holding the
horses? I won't be a minute." His face was so drawn and sad that she was
deeply touch