oys looked at each other and laughed. Who should be the lucky one
to take that delightful horseback ride down to the post, as Fort Riley
was called, and get a glimpse of civilization?

"I'll tell you what we'll do," said Sandy, after some good-natured
discussion. "Let's draw cuts to see who shall go. Here they are. You
draw first, Charlie, you being the eldest man. Now, then, Oscar. Why,
hooray! it's my cut! I've drawn the longest, and so I am to go. Oh, it
was a fair and square deal, daddy," he added, seeing his father look
sharply at him.

The matter was settled, and next morning, bright and early, Sandy was
fitted out with his commissions and the money to buy them with.
Younkins had agreed to let him have his horse, saddle, and bridle.
Work on the farm was now practically over until time for harvesting
was come. So the other two boys accompanied Sandy over to the Younkins
side of the river and saw him safely off down the river road leading
to the post. A meal-sack in which to bring back his few purchases was
snugly rolled up and tied to the crupper of his saddle, and feeling in
his pocket for the hundredth time to make sure of the ten-dollar gold
piece therein bestowed, Sandy trotted gayly down the road. The two
other boys gazed enviously after him, and then went home, wondering,
as they strolled along, how long Sandy would be away. He would be back
by dark at the latest, for the days were now at about their longest,
and the long summer day was just begun.

At Younkins's cabin they met Hiram Battles, a neighbor who lived
beyond the divide to the eastward, and who had just ridden over in
search of some of his cattle that had strayed away, during the night
before. Mr. Battles said he was "powerful worrited." Indians had been
seen prowling around on his side of the divide: but he had seen no
signs of a camp, and he had traced the tracks of his cattle, three
head in all, over this way as far as Lone Tree Creek, a small stream
just this side of the divide; but there he had unaccountably lost all
trace of them.

"Well, as for the Indians," said Charlie, modestly, "we have seen them
passing out on the trail. But they were going hunting, and they kept
right on to the southward and westward; and we have not seen them go
back since."

"The lad's right," said Younkins, slowly, "but still I don't like the
stories I hear down the road a piece. They do say that the Shians have
riz."

"The Cheyennes have risen!" exclaimed C