ff to the flanks. If it can be done, this system
will succeed in at least frightening them off for a while. Everybody
prepare to stand extra hours in the saddle."

A line of outriders was established at once, and the herd pushed on, and
for several days there were no evidences that any more of the cattle had
been poisoned.

They were nearing the river, as they could tell by the gradual sloping
of the land to the east, and the flatness of the country.

One afternoon about four o'clock Brock, one of the hired cow-punchers,
came riding into camp as fast as his horse would run, and fell out of
the saddle. He had been shot through the leg, and was almost insensible
from loss of blood when he succeeded in getting in.

When he was able to speak, he said to Ted:

"I was riding picket about two miles off to the west. As I topped a hill
I saw a body of men about a quarter of a mile away. With my glasses I
saw that they were soldiers, and wondered what they were doing so far
from a post, as there isn't one nearer here than Fort Felton."

"Soldiers, eh?" asked Ted. "Cavalry or infantry?"

"Cavalry."

"How many of them were there?"

"I should say about fifty."

"Did they see you?"

"They must have seen me, for I saw them brought to a halt, and remain
that way for several minutes, while the officer was looking at me
through his binoculars. After they had satisfied themselves as to what I
was, they galloped to the north, and I soon lost sight of them behind
the hills."

"I wonder what troops are doing out here. I haven't heard of any trouble
with the Indians, and there is no gang of outlaws this far north that it
would take troops to subdue."

Stella looked at Ted significantly, and he read her thoughts.

Could it be that Lieutenant Barrows had been able to use his influence,
or his cunning, to bring a detachment of troops so far away from the
post to attend to his own personal affairs, while ostensibly on the
government's business?

He dismissed the thought, however, as soon as it was conceived. It
appeared to be too ridiculous.

However, they were all on their guard now. They realized that there were
others on the range, and they were aware that a powerful and vindictive
enemy was close at hand.

"How did you come to receive the shot in the leg?" asked Ted, breaking
the silence.

"As I turned to ride to camp to report what I had seen, something moved
down in the coulee. At first I thought it might be a wolf o