was some time before we learned what was going on."

"I hear they are not much better yet, and it seems to me that it is not
too late to slip our men across and clean 'em out."

But Colonel Butler was too wily to consent to any such project, although
there was reason to believe that it might have succeeded, even though
deferred till that rather late hour.

"It isn't worth our while. There's only one more of the rebels that I
want to lay hands on. Let me get that one and the rest may go."

"I think I know who it is, colonel."

"No doubt you do," was the prompt reply. "Any one who has heard me speak
within the last twenty-four hours has found it out. I tell you, captain,
that you don't often see as pretty a rebel as that young Minturn. She
slipped off last night because she found I admired her so much that I
couldn't keep my eyes from her."

"You're right there, colonel, when you speak of her beauty, for I have
never seen one that could surpass her; I wonder that she don't turn the
heads of all she meets. Perhaps she does, though, and, if you hadn't
foreclosed there, I would be tempted to make a claim myself."

"It will be dangerous for any man to interfere with me."

The individual whom he addressed as a captain was heard to laugh at the
words of his superior officer, and he replied:

"I am sure there is no fear of my trying to intrude myself in that
direction, for I am opposed to the thing on principle."

"I am aware of that," replied the colonel, the party having halted on
the edge of the river, as if awaiting the coming of some one. "Of course
I had no reference to _you_ when I spoke, but I feel especially angry
toward Red Jack, or Lena-Wingo, and I will give a good deal for his
scalp. He has played the mischief with our plans more than once, and
now, when everything is going along just as I want it to, he comes in
and walks off with the prize."

"But don't you suppose he was set up to do it?"

"Certainly; and Colonel Denison was the man who put it into his head. I
can see it all now, though I didn't suspect it at the time."

"Why don't you shoot him?"

"I was mad enough to do that; and I believe that if I had met him last
night, after the Mohawk escaped so narrowly being cut through by my
sword, I would have done it. But I have thought the matter over to-day,
and made up my mind that it won't pay. There have already been some
things about this Wyoming business that will make trouble. The Indians
oug