r it. In the
first place, George was not a regular scout; he might, with more
propriety, have been called a volunteer aide. It is true that he was
sworn into the service, and that he was bound to do his duty faithfully
"during the pleasure of the commanding officer" of Fort Lamoine, but he
drew no pay from the government. He did not even ask that he should be
fed while he lived at the fort, but stood ready to pay his share of the
mess-bill. He had freely offered his services as guide to the troops
because he, in common with every rancheman and farmer in that country,
wanted the raiding-parties broken up, and he believed that he could do
as much, if not more, toward accomplishing that object than any other
single civilian. He was not obliged to wear a uniform (being sworn in,
he had a _right_ to wear it), but he had purchased it for the same
reason that he had purchased the Mexican costume and the other clothing
he had brought with him--because he believed it might some day be of use
to him. We have already seen how one of his disguises came into play. If
he had not brought with him that Mexican suit, it is hard to tell how
Bryant would have been captured.

In the next place, the colonel was an old acquaintance and friend of
George's father. He had often enjoyed Mr. Ackerman's hospitality, and he
could say, with Zeke, that he had carried George in his arms when the
latter was a "yelling baby not knee-high to a duck," and when he himself
was nothing but a second lieutenant. Since that time a great many things
had happened. Mr. Ackerman and his wife were dead, the second lieutenant
had passed through a terrible war, had worn a major-general's
shoulder-straps in the volunteer army and won a brevet colonelcy in the
regulars, and George had grown almost to manhood. Neither of them knew
of the presence of the other in that country until George, accompanied
by Mr. Gilbert and a few other ranchemen, came to the fort to offer his
services. The colonel knew the boy as soon as he heard his name, and it
was on account of the respect and affection he cherished for the memory
of his father that he extended so cordial a greeting to him; but, like
all the other soldiers who had seen him, the colonel did not think that
George was just the guide he wanted.

"I need somebody with age and experience, George," said he, "and you
have neither. I know you can handle a herd of cattle and manage your
ranche in good style, but I am not so certain