the street.

Eagle Eye hung back to whisper in the eldest brother's ear. "It's a good
time for you to get out," he said. "I'll help you saddle the ponies." He
knelt to unfasten his spurs and put them on the other's boots.

The eldest brother felt of his belt, grasped the little girl's hand, and
hurried out of a side door with the half-breed. A soldier had carried
away the lamp to use it as a brand, and no one saw them leave the
darkened room. Once in the stable, the work of getting the horses ready
took but a few moments. Then the eldest brother and the little girl
mounted and rode at a walk toward the barracks, with Eagle Eye on foot
beside them and the dogs trotting after.

When they were so far that their horses' hoof-beats could not be heard
by the crowd, they gave the half-breed a silent, grateful shake of the
hand and galloped rapidly toward home. Not until the post was a mile
behind did they halt at the top of a ridge to look back.

Volleys of shots and shouting were borne to their ears by the early
morning breeze, for the crowd was celebrating the progress of a swiftly
mounting blaze. Soon the eldest brother and the little girl could see
the men running excitedly about, and caught the smell of kindling
lumber. In a few moments the post sprang into sight as the hotel became
a mass of flame.

The mob as it moved about the rim of the burning pile, looked like
wooden men pulled by wires. There were fewer shots now and little
shouting. The conflagration seemed to glut the horde. The eldest brother
and the little girl dared pause no longer, but cantered on. When they
looked around for the last time, the fire had died down, and its thin
smoke was carrying up a myriad sparks, to die out in the dome of the
slowly brightening sky.

XVII

ANOTHER MOUND ON THE BLUFF

COTTONWOOD leaves from the wind-break, splashed with red from the wounds
of the frost, tarried at the window-panes to tap gently, or went
hurrying past the farm-house with the north wind that was whining
dolorously under the wet gables, to find their way through the branches
of the ash-trees in front. The crows strutted across the stubbled wheat,
spouting to one another over their finds. The dead pea-vines in the
vegetable garden screwed about till they loosened their roots, and then
scampered up the furrowed potato-field as the guardian of their gathered
fruit flounced his empty sleeves and ample coat-tails at them. A family
of robins that ha