aide-de-camp gave it as
distinctly to be understood that he had practically assumed command,
Dean's inexperience being manifest, and his own prompt measures had
extricated the little detachment from a most delicate and dangerous
position. The engineer, let it be said, did not hear this statement, and
the aid was very careful not to make it in his presence. He was a
comparative stranger and as no one presumed to question him, he
volunteered no information.

Planning to bivouac until dawn of the next day at Folsom's, Dean had
then intended to reach Fort Emory in three easy marches. He was anxious
to bring his horses in in best possible condition, despite all their
hard service; yet now, barely two o'clock on this hot June afternoon,
came most unlooked-for, most importunate interruption to his plans.
Springing to the gate at the sergeant's summons, he first directed his
gaze to the distant peak, recognized instantly the nature of the smoke
puffs there rising, then turned for explanation to the swift-riding
courier, whose horse's heels were making the dust fly from the sun-dried
soil. One or two ranch hands, with anxious faces, came hastening over
from the corral. The darkey cook rushed up from the kitchen, rifle in
hand. Plainly these fellows were well used to war's alarms. Mrs. Folsom,
with staring eyes and dreadful anxiety in her face, gazed only at the
hurrying courier, clinging the while to the pillar of the portico, as
though needing support. The smoke puffs on the mountain, the dust-cloud
back of the tearing rider were symptoms enough for Dean.

"Get in your herd, sergeant!" he shouted at the top of his voice; and
over the rushing of the Laramie his words reached the rousing bivouac,
and saddle blankets were sent swinging in air in signal to the distant
guards, and within a few seconds every horse was headed for home; and
then, to the sound of excited voices was added the rising thunder of
scores of bounding hoofs, as, all in a dust-cloud of their own, the
sixty chargers came galloping in, ears erect, eyes ablaze, nostrils
wide, manes and tails streaming in the breeze, guided by their eager
guards full tilt for camp. Out ran their riders, bridles in hand, to
meet and check them, every horse when within a few yards of his master
seeming to settle on his haunches and plow up the turf in the sudden
effort to check his speed, long months of service on the plains and in
the heart of Indian land having taught them in time