dren huddled in shrill, chattering groups, too distant to
hear or to be heard, but readily seen to be wild with excitement. Out in
front of the grimly closed and silent agency, with only the half-breed
interpreter at his side, but in humorous recognition of the solemn state
of the Indian embassy, with two sergeants in close attendance, Ray stood
listening, and turned for explanation to the official go-between,
impatiently heard him half through, then flung out his hand, palm
foremost, in half circular sweep to the front and right--the old signal.
"Be off," it said as plain as did the later words of the assistant.
"Tell him to go where I told him before," said Ray. "If he wants the
agent, or my soldiers, or my guns, or me, let him come and take them,"
winding up as he faced his antagonist, with the swift, significant
gesture that the Sioux know so well: "Brave, that ends it!" and turned
abruptly away.

"What did you answer?" whispered the agent, as the young soldier
returned to his post. It was the Bureau man's first real clash with his
red children, and thoughts of Meeker, a much-massacred predecessor in
the business, had dashed his nerve.

"He wanted you and this poor fellow who fought for you," said Ray
bluntly, as he went on and bent over the blanket on which lay Skelton,
bandaged, weak, but clear-headed, "and I told him where to go--where, by
gad, we'll send him if he comes again."

The eyes of the wounded soldier, fixed full upon his young commander,
began slowly to melt and then to well over. A silent fellow was this odd
fish of a trooper, a man little known among the others and even less
trusted. He looked up through a shimmer of moisture into the pale young
face with its dark, kindly eyes and sensitive mouth. He put forth a
feverish and unsteady hand, while his lips, compressed and twitching
from pain, began to frame words to which Sandy listened,
uncomprehending.

"Lieutenant, I wish I'd known you, 'stead of classing you the way I--was
taught. If I ever get out of this all right, there'll be a story
comin'." And Ray wondered was Skelton wandering already.

CHAPTER XXV

BLACK WOLF'S BATTLE

And then from the northwest, with vast clamor and shoutings and much
wild horsemanship, came the reinforcements from the foothills of the
Sagamore, where yesterday had stood the guarded wood camp; and then,
five to six hundred yards away, in broad circle, their swift ponies at
full gallop, scores of young war