turned quickly away and
went "loping" down the trail, but his gauntlet was drawn across his eyes
two or three times before he disappeared from view. Two white little
faces gazed wistfully after him and then into each other's eyes. Irish
Kate muttered a blessing on the gallant fellow's head. "Come on, Jim,"
said the captain, with darkening face, and presently the little train
was again in motion, winding over the range that, once passed, brings
them in view of Snow Lake with the gloomy, jagged rocks bounding the
horizon far beyond. There is a deep cleft that one sees in that barrier
just as he emerges from the pine woods along the ridge, and that distant
cleft is Sunset Pass.

Though seldom traveled, the mountain road from Fort Verde over to Fort
Wingate was almost always in fair condition. Rains were very few and did
little damage, and so at a rapid, jingling trot the wagons lunged ahead
while the captain and Pike, the retired trooper, rode easily alongside
or made occasional scouts to the front.

Knowing that his children must have heard his talk with Sieber, the
captain soon dropped back opposite the open window and thrust in his
hand for the little ones to shake.

"You're not afraid to go ahead, Ned, my boy! I knew I could count on
you," said he heartily. "And Nell can hardly be afraid with you and her
old dragoon dad to guard her. Isn't it so, pet?"

And the wan little face smiled back to prove Nellie's confidence in
father, while Ned stoutly answered:

"I'm never afraid to go anywhere you want me to go, father. And then I
haven't had a chance to try my rifle yet."

The boy held up to view a dainty little Ballard target gun--a toy of a
thing--but something of which he was evidently very proud.

"And then we've got good old Pike, papa--and Kate here--I'm sure she
could fight," piped up little Nell, but there was no assent to this
proposition from the lips of poor Kate. All along she had opposed the
journey, and was filled with dread whenever it was spoken of. Vainly had
she implored the officers and ladies at Prescott to prohibit the captain
from making so rash an attempt. Nothing would avail. As ill-luck would
have it the lieutenant colonel recently gazetted to the infantry
regiment stationed in Northern Arizona had just come safely through from
Wingate with exactly such an "outfit," but without such guards, and
Captain Gwynne declared that what man had done man could do. There were
plenty of people who wou