h them, hasten to the
rescue.

Far over near Jarvis Pass poor Captain Gwynne had been lying on the
blankets the men eagerly spread for him, while the surgeon with Captain
Turner's troops listened eagerly to the details of the night's work, and
at the same time ministered to his exhausted patient. Turner, the other
officers, and their favorite scout held brief and hurried consultation.
It was decided to push at once for Sunset Pass; to leave Captain Gwynne
here with most of his nearly worn-out escort; to mount the six Hualpai
trailers they had with them on the six freshest horses, so as to get
them to the scene of the tragedy as soon as possible, and then to start
them afoot to follow the Apaches. In ten minutes Captain Turner, with
Lieutenant Wilkins and forty troopers, was trotting off eastward
following the lead of Sieber with his swarthy allies. Ten minutes more
and Captain Gwynne had sufficiently revived to be made fully aware of
what was going on, and was on his feet again in an instant. The surgeon
vainly strove to detain him, but was almost rudely repulsed.

"Do you suppose I can rest one conscious minute until I know what has
become of my babies?" he said. And climbing painfully into the saddle he
clapped spurs to his horse and galloped after Turner's troop.

Finding it useless to argue, the doctor, with his orderly, mounted, too,
and followed the procession. It was an hour before they came up with
Turner's rearmost files and found burly Lieutenant Wilkins giving the
men orders to keep well closed in case they had to increase the gait.
The scouts and Sieber, far to the front, were galloping.

"What is it?" asked the doctor.

"Smoke," panted Wilkins. "The Hualpais saw it up the mountain south of
the Pass."

Gwynne's haggard face was dreadful to see. The jar of the rough gallop
had started afresh the bleeding in his head and the doctor begged him to
wait and let him dress it again, but the only answer was a look of
fierce determination, and renewed spurring of his wretched horse. He was
soon abreast the head of the column, but even then kept on. Turner
hailed him and urged him to stay with them, but entreaty was useless. "I
am going after Sieber," was the answer. "Did you see the smoke?"

"No, Gwynne; but Sieber and the Hualpais are sure a big column went up
and that it means the Apaches can't be far away. We're bound to get
them. Don't wear yourself out, old fellow; stay with us!" but Gwynne
pressed on. F