et too far away," he added,
turning to the young hunter, "because the men on post have orders to
fire on people that are going out of range."

"Do you see this rifle?" said Elam. "Well, when they come, I will let
you know. You will never see me inside that fort again," said Elam to
himself, as the sentry brought his musket to his shoulder and stepped
out of the way, leaving the road clear for him. "I am going to get my
furs the first thing, and then I am going down to trade them off to
Uncle Ezra for a grub-stake for three months. That's what I'll do, and I
bet you that those two fellows will get hurt."

Elam passed through the gate, and the horse began to crop the grass as
he went out, thus doing what he could to prove that it was grass he
wanted, and not the hay that was served up to him in the stable. Being
continually urged by his master, he kept getting further and further
away from the stockade. The sentries on guard looked at him, but
supposing that, as he had got by post No. 1, he was all right, although
one sentinel did shake his head and warn him that he was going further
off than the law allowed; so Elam turned and went back.

"I don't like the looks of that fellow, for he handles his gun as though
he might shoot tolerable straight," said Elam. "We will go more in this
direction, for here's where the stock was when the Indians came up.
We'll be a little cautious at first, but we are bound to get away in the
end."

By keeping his horse on the opposite side from him, and paying no
attention to the warning gestures of the sentries, he succeeded in
reaching a point beyond which he was certain that the guards could not
hit him, and, with a word and a jump, he landed fairly on his nag's
back.

"Now, old fellow, show them what you can do," he whispered, digging his
heels into his horse's sides.

He looked back and saw that the sentry he feared most was already
levelling his gun, and a moment later the bullet ploughed up the grass a
little beyond him. Had he remained fairly in his seat, it would have
taken him out of it; but he did just as he had seen the Cheyennes do--he
threw himself on the side of his horse opposite the marksman, and so he
had nothing to shoot at save the swiftly running steed. Another musket
popped, and still another, but Elam did not hear the whistle of their
bullets. That was all the guards on that side of the stockade, and Elam
knew he was safe. Before they could load again he would be