ce of being cut off by troops from Grant and
Bowie, even if they do succeed in slipping by us."

"That's more than I can tell, sir. The men say the paymaster's coming
along this week; they heard it from the quartermaster's train we
passed at the Cienega three days ago."

Trooper Bland was riding in silence on the left of the detachment
commander as he had been directed. The sergeant had come up on the
other flank.

"What men heard this?" asked Drummond, quickly.

"Why, Patterson told me, sir, and Lucas and Quinn, and I think Bland
here was talking with the train escort and must have heard it."

"Did you, Bland?" asked the lieutenant, as he whirled suddenly in his
saddle and faced the trooper.

"Yes, sir," was the prompt reply; "several of the men spoke of it.
It's about the most welcome piece of news they could give to fellows
who had four months' pay due."

In the isolation of this mountain scouting business, when, as often
happens, one officer is out alone for weeks with no comrades or
associates but his detachment, it naturally results that a greater
freedom of intercourse and speech is developed between the commander
and some, at least, of his party than would ever be the case in years
of garrison life; and so it happened that for the moment Drummond
forgot the commander in the man.

"It is most extraordinary," he said, "that just when a paymaster is
anxious to keep secret the date and route of his coming the whole
thing is heralded ahead. We have no telegraph, and yet three days ago
we knew that Major Plummer was starting on his first trip. He ought to
have been at Ceralvo's last night. By Jupiter! suppose he _was_--and
had but a small escort? What else could that signal-fire mean? Here!
get those men out to the front now at once; we must push ahead for all
we're worth."

And so at midnight, with steeds panting and jaded, with the pass and
the Picacho only four miles ahead, the little detachment was tripping
noiselessly through the darkness, and, all alert and eager, Drummond
was riding midway between his scouts and the main body so that no
sound close at hand might distract his attention from hails or signals
farther out. Suddenly he heard an exclamation ahead, the snort of a
frightened horse, then some muffled objurgations, a rider urging a
reluctant steed to approach some suspicious object, and, spurring his
own spirited charger forward, Mr. Drummond came presently upon the
corporal just dismounting