remained in
column seized the opportunity to fill and light their pipes.

"There!" said the captain at length.--"Step up here, corporal, and I
will explain this to you.--Ackerman, tell Lieutenant Smith to pick out
twelve good men to follow this new trail."

By the time the lieutenant had received and obeyed this order, Captain
Clinton, who was a fast talker, had told the corporal just what he
wanted him to do, and explained to him the contents of the paper he had
copied from his note-book; and Bob, who was quick to comprehend, had
caught and weighed all his words as fast as they were uttered. He then
put himself at the head of his men and led them away, George Ackerman
riding by his side.

"Now we are off for another lark," exclaimed Carey as soon as he and his
companions had left the column out of hearing. By some chance, he and
Loring and Phillips had been selected to accompany Bob on every one of
his expeditions, and as they had never failed to accomplish the object
for which they were sent out, they began to think that there was nothing
too hard for them to undertake.

"But this may not be so much of a 'lark' as you think," said Bob; and
Carey afterward recalled the words when he found himself debarred from
accompanying other scouting-parties on account of a painful wound in
his sword-arm. "We are not out after deserters now, but Indians."

"What are you going to do with them if you find them?" asked Loring.

"I shall make things as lively for them as I can," replied Bob. "But I
don't think I shall come up with them; and the captain doesn't expect me
to. He is going to follow every trail and force the Indians to go back
to their agency, whether they want to go or not; that is, unless we can
overhaul them before they get there."

"I _know_ we are not out on a 'lark,'" said George Ackerman. "What would
you say if we had to go into camp to-night without water?"

"Gracious!" exclaimed Phillips, looking around at the sandhills, which
now shut them in on all sides. "The prospect of finding a stream or a
spring is not very flattering, is it? I wish we could find one now, for
the water in my canteen is just ready to boil."

"You had better be careful of it," said George, "for it is much better
than none at all."

"Is there any water to be found in this country?"

"Oh yes; and this trail will take us to it by the shortest route. An
Indian can't live without water any more than we can, and he knows just
where to