at the instant, but he gathered and drew her in,
the nervous creature almost settling on her haunches.

"Say to Captain Newhall when he gets back-that I'll see him this
evening," called Burleigh over his shoulder. "Now, damn you, _go_--if
you want to!" and the lash fell on the glistening, quivering flank, and
with her head pointed for the hard, open prairie, the pretty creature
sped like mad over the smooth roadway and whirled the light buggy out
past the scattered wooden tenements of the exterior limits of the
frontier town--the tall white staff, tipped by its patch of color
flapping in the mountain breeze, and the dingy wooden buildings on the
distant bluff whirling into view as he spun around the corner where the
village lost itself in the prairie; and there, long reaches ahead of
him, just winding up the ascent to the post was a stylish team and trap.
John Folsom and the girls had taken an early start and got ahead of him.

Old Stevens was up and about as Folsom's carriage drove swiftly through
the garrison and passed straight out by the northeast gate. "I'll be
back to see you in a moment," shouted the old driver smilelessly, as he
shot by the lonely colonel, going, papers in hand to his office, and
Stevens well knew he was in for trouble. Already the story was blazing
about the post that nothing but the timely arrival of Dean and his men
had saved Folsom's ranch, and Folsom's people. Already the men,
wondering and indignant at their young leader's arrest, were shouting
over the sutler's bar their paeans in his praise, and their denunciation
of his treatment. Over the meeting of sister and brother at the latter's
little tent let us draw a veil. He stepped forth in a moment and bade
his other visitors welcome, shook hands eagerly with Loomis and urged
their coming in, but he never passed from under the awning or "fly," and
Folsom well knew the reason.

"Jump out, daughter," he said to Pappoose, and Loomis assisted her to
alight and led her straight up to Dean, and for the first time in those
two years the ex-cadet captain and the whilom little schoolgirl with the
heavy braids of hair looked into each other's eyes, and in Dean's there
was amaze and at least momentary delight. He still wore his field rig,
and the rent in the dark-blue flannel shirt was still apparent. He was
clasping Miss Folsom's hand and looking straight into the big dark eyes
that were so unusually soft and humid, when Jessie's voice was heard as