amaze, stood helplessly by. "May
_I_ go with him, sir?"

"By all means, Mr. Connell, if you wish."

CHAPTER XV

FIRST SIGHT OF THE FOE

In half an hour the sun was up and two little detachments of cavalry
were up and away--one of them, under Lieutenant O'Fallon, filing out of
the cotton-woods, at the eastward verge, and heading straight on the
trail of the couriers, who were already out of sight down the valley;
the other, leaving a few minutes later, was just disappearing from view
of the watchers in the bivouac, over the low ridge or divide that
spanned the northward sky-line. Once before, five years back, Geordie
Graham had led a little cavalry command on a swift and successful chase
after a gang of frontier desperadoes who had robbed the bank at
Argenta. Now, for the first time in his life, he was both guide and
commander. Now, as they had done time and again in cadet days, Connell
and Graham, "Badger" and "Coyote," went side by side, almost hand in
hand, on the path of stirring and at last perilous duty.

To Connell the scout had thus far been one of almost unalloyed
enjoyment and profit. Attached to the staff of the commander as
engineer and topographical officer, he had ridden at will on the flanks
of the column, a single orderly his sole attendant, a prismatic compass
his only instrument. Then with the declining hours of the day came the
making up of his notes, and after supper the hours of confab with
Geordie, who, whenever possible, would come over to headquarters
camp-fire. There was no sociability at his own.

"It is too bad," Major Berry had confided to Connell the third day out.
"It just so happened that 'Old Grumbly' was the one captain without a
subaltern when Mr. Graham reported for duty with us, and your fine
young classmate had to take the place of one of the absentees. The
colonel couldn't help himself. Grumbly is a good soldier in his way,
Mr. Connell, and knows his trade, too. I suppose Graham has--sized him
up?" This with a cock of his head and a keen glance.

"Shouldn't wonder, sir; but if he has, he's kept it to himself."

"Well, if Garrett gets to bothering Graham too much, you let me know."

"I will, sir, if Graham lets _me_ know, but--I'm mistaken in Graham if
he opens his head on the subject."

And though the scout was now in its third week, and things had been
said and done by "Grumbly" Garrett that set other men to talking, not a
word had come from "Coyote."

But it