Had it been from the south, he would scarcely have made a report.
Before ten o'clock they had arrived. They numbered about fifty warriors
in full war paint. They were singing their war songs, and fastened to
their coup sticks were one or two terribly fresh-looking scalps. At
their head was Red Cloud. A hundred troopers were under arms, so they
did not hesitate to admit the Indians. The warriors passed through the
gate; then spreading out before the Colonel's house, their opening ranks
revealed the noble form of Blazing Star. Bestriding him was the boy
Chaska, his bright eyes and clear white teeth gleaming in a smile.

A mighty shout went up among the white men as the blooded racer was led
to the Colonel's office. One or two formalities, and the two hundred and
fifty dollars was paid over to Red Cloud. Blazing Star was hastily
examined, found in perfect trim, then handed over to the Irish hostler.

"You take him to the stable," was all the Colonel said, but he said it
in large capital letters and it was full of grim threats and reminder,
hostler Mike led the lost darling back to the stable where a crowd of
men were waiting.

Red Cloud crammed the new wealth into his tobacco pouch and rode away at
the head of his men.

Al Rennie felt sick with disgust that he should fail when the trail was
fresh, while the Sioux, on a washed-out trail, made such a showing in so
short a time. He was puzzled, too, by the scalps. The two he managed to
examine were not fresh. But he had to swallow his disgust.

All that day the Indian bands had been going off. Their camps were
breaking up; they were dispersing to their homes. The Plain was nearly
deserted that afternoon when hostler Mike took Blazing Star out into the
heat of the sun to give him the thorough washing and cleaning that he
surely needed. A minute later, Mike came rushing across the square to
the Colonel's office.

"Colonel, Colonel," he gasped, "come here, sir."

"What's the matter with you?" said the Colonel in a voice of wrath which
boded ill for a new blunder.

"Colonel, come at once. Come, it's Blazing Star."

There was a total lack of soldier decorum in the hostler's address. He
was so intensely excited that the Colonel overlooked the informality and
went quickly to where Blazing Star was standing tied to the washing
post.

"There, sir; look there--and there!" ejaculated Mike with growing
excitement, as he pointed to Blazing Star's legs. "And look at that!"
and