fed
when in comes another officer, who told him that a beef issue to the
Indians was due to-morrow, and that there wasn't an animal in the post
pasture."

"Wow!" exclaimed Bud. "That means trouble for some one, unless they can
dig up something to take its place, for an Indian who has his mouth made
up fer fresh meat is lierble ter become rantankerous if he don't get
it."

"I guess that's why they were so anxious to get the beef up to the
pasture to-night," said Kit.

"Of course. When I heard that all my nerve came back to me, and I
decided that I would give those officers a lesson."

"What are you going to do?" asked Ben.

"Drive the herd off the reservation."

"Gee, that will put us in the hole bad."

"Oh, I don't know. We'll trail them a little farther north, keep them a
few months on free range, then drive them to the railroad and slide them
into Chicago on a rising market. I had the whole thing figured out in
case we got here too late, which I expected to do on account of our
being held back by dry weather and too much water, coming in streaks."

"I'd like to have been there when you were throwing your bluff into the
colonel. I suppose he had the surprise of his life."

"He looked like it. By Jove, he has a mighty pretty daughter, if he is a
grouch himself."

"Seem to have an eye for beauty yourself."

"Not as keen as yours." Ben blushed when Ted said this, for Ben was
always having a new girl and talking about her.

"I noticed her because she was so pleasant, and so different from her
father, and that fellow Barrows, who seems to be very soft on her."

"Well, we have no fight with the ladies of the post," said Ben.

"How did it end?" asked Kit, who always wanted results.

"I simply told them that they couldn't have the cattle now, and walked
away."

"That must have been a facer."

"Seemed to be, for the colonel called after me to know if I was aware
that if the beef issue didn't come off there would probably be an Indian
uprising, and I told him it was up to him."

"Well, I suppose it's hike," said Bud, pulling on his boots.

"Yes, get the dogies up, and we'll trail them back until we are out of
the reservation. It's not far."

The boys mounted, and rode among the cattle, getting them to their feet.

Soon the herd was moving slowly along the back trail, with Ted and Bud
pointing them out.

Suddenly, from the woods to the right rode a band of horsemen in the
dark, for the sun had long si