ed off his pony, cut a slash or two with
ever-ready knife, and then, throwing a bead bedizened left leg over his
eager little mount, had gone lashing away after his fellows, not without
a jeering slap at the baited soldiery. Then, in almost less time than it
takes to tell it, the pursued and pursuers had vanished from sight over
a low ridge a mile to the north. "Only a hunting party!" said one or two
nervous recruits, with a gulp of relief. "Only a hunting party," gasped
Burleigh, as presently he heaved himself up from the floor, "and I
thought I'd never find that damned gun of mine. All this fuss for
nothing!" he continued, his lips still blue and quivering. "That green
youngster up there in front hasn't learned the first principles of
plains-craft yet. Here, Brooks," he added loudly, "it's high time you
were looking after this sub of yours," and Brooks, despite his illness,
was indeed working out of the back door of his yellow trundle bed at the
moment, and looking anxiously about. But the engineer stood pale and
quiet, coolly studying the flustered growler, and when Burleigh's
shifting eyes sought that young scientist's face, what he read
there--and Burleigh was no fool--told him he would be wise to change the
tune. The aid had pushed out in front of the troop and was signaling to
Dean, once more in saddle and scanning through his glass the big band
afar down the valley.

"Take my horse, sir," said the sergeant, dismounting, and the officer
thanked him and rode swiftly out to join the young commander at the
front. Together they gazed and consulted and still no signal came to
resume the advance. Then the troopers saw the staff officer make a broad
sweep with his right arm to the south, and in a moment Dean's hat was
uplifted and waved well out in that direction. "Drop carbine," growled
the sergeant. "By twos again. Incline to the right. Damn the Sioux, I
say! Have we got to circle five miles around their hunting ground for
fear of hurting their feelings. Come on. Jimmy," he added to the driver
of the leading wagon. Jimmy responded with vigorous language at the
expense of his lead mules. The quartermaster and engineer silently
scrambled in; the ambulance started with a jerk and away went the party
off to the right of the trail, the wagons jolting a bit now over the
uneven clumps of bunch grass.

But once well up at the summit of the low divide the command reined in
for a look at the great Indian cavalcade swarming in