corporal, holding himself very stiffly in his
saddle and looking straight before him, so as not to 'give the sentry
away.' "Have you beaten us any?"

"Not by a great sight."

"What have you done, anyway?"

"We've got the most of the stock back, but nary red. Where's Lieutenant
Earle?"

"Haven't seen him," answered Bob.

"We haven't seen him either, nor have we heard from him since that
courier arrived."

The troopers now found themselves on the border of a wide plain, whose
opposite side was bounded by a long line of willows, which fringed the
banks of a water-course. On the edge of the willows were gathered the
members of the main body, who, having been apprised by their sentinels
of the approach of Bob and his party, had assembled to see them come in.
Bob began to grow excited at once. He and his men had performed no
ordinary exploit, and so impatient was he to have his success known to
his comrades that he could not wait until he reached the camp to tell
his story.

"You fellows who carry double, ride out there and square yourselves
around, so that they can see that we have not returned empty-handed,"
commanded Bob, who forthwith proceeded to execute his own order by
placing the three men who "carried double" one behind the other,
broadside to the camp, so that the officers with their field-glasses
could observe that each horse had two riders on his back. "I declare I
feel like one of those old Roman conquerors--on a small scale; but in
order to carry out the role I ought to make one end of a lariat fast to
that Indian's neck and drag him into the camp, oughtn't I? That's the
way the Romans used to do with their captives, only they chained them to
their chariot-wheels. There you are!--Swing your caps, you kids, and
holler, to let your father know you are here."

The boys obeyed with alacrity, swinging their caps around their heads
and laughing and shouting by turns, while the two soldiers behind whom
they rode raised their own caps on the muzzles of their carbines and
joined in with a wild soldier yell. George Ackerman kept watch of the
camp through his glass to note the movements of its inmates and make
reports of the manner in which this demonstration was received by them.

"There's the captain," said he. "He is coming out in front of the men,
in company with some of the officers. Now they are all looking at us
through their glasses. Now the captain has taken down his glass and is
saying something. Her