appearance
of sleep, so as to be ready to jump from their blankets at the very
first note of alarm. So well schooled were they, and so ready to act,
and to act quickly and intelligently in any emergency, that they did not
hesitate an instant. They did not even look to see from which way the
danger that threatened them was coming, but made a simultaneous rush for
their captives, intending, no doubt, to carry them away if they could,
or to kill them if they found themselves surrounded so that they could
not escape. But no Indian's hand touched those boys again that night.
Three of them fell dead before they had fairly left their tracks, and
the other, taking warning by their fate, dived into the bushes in much
the same way that a boy takes a "header" from a log, and got safely off,
in spite of the bullets which whistled about his ears and scattered the
leaves all over him. The troopers knew that he had got off unhurt,
because there was no blood on the trail which George took up the next
morning and followed to the place where the Indians had left their
horses--a little glade about a quarter of a mile from the camp in which
grass was abundant and water easy of access.

George at once made his way to the side of the captives, who were
sitting up on their bed of leaves, rubbing their eyes and looking about
in a bewildered sort of way, and throwing his arm around them spoke
soothing and encouraging words in their ears; while Bob, after ordering
one of his men to mend the fire, seized a brand from it and ran back to
see what had become of Carey and Loring. The fight was over, and Carey
was growling lustily over a wound in his arm which the slippery savage
had inflicted upon him, having managed in some mysterious way to gain
momentary possession of his knife; but Loring was unharmed and the
Indian was insensible. He had been knocked out of time by a vicious
whack from the butt of a carbine held in the hands of the enraged Carey.
The blow was not, however, as effective as the trooper intended it
should be, for it had expended a good deal of its power upon the bushes
which happened to be in the way, and instead of sending the Indian out
of the world altogether, it had only stunned him. He was powerless now.
His hands were securely confined by Loring's carbine-sling, and the
latter, having passed the Indian's blanket under his arms and brought
the ends together behind his back, was ready to drag his captive into
camp.

"I am no