e Lieutenant was ordered on a peculiarly long and daring raid into
hostile territory, and twice barely escaped a massacre. Their errand
accomplished, and leisurely returning to the Fort, they suddenly met a
large party of Indians.

The Lieutenant shot a swift glance at their leader and saluted him with
friendly uplifted hand:

"Can you tell us the way to the Fort, Chief?"

The tall brave placed himself squarely in the path and pointed in the
wrong direction.

Instantly the Lieutenant spurred his horse squarely on the savage,
grasped him by the hair, dragged him a hundred yards and flung him into
the bushes. The assault was so sudden, so unexpected, so daring, the
whole band was completely cowed, and the soldiers rode by without
attack.

Nor was the Indian the only enemy to test the youngster's mettle. The
pioneer soldiers of the rank and file in these turbulent days had minds
of their own which they sometimes dared to use.

The Lieutenant had no beard. His smooth, handsome face, clear blue eyes,
fresh color and gay laughter, gave the impression of a boy of nineteen,
when by the calendar he could boast of twenty-one.

A big strapping, bearded soldier, employed in building the Fort, had
proven himself the terror of his fellow workmen. He was a man of
enormous strength and gave full rein to an ugly, quarrelsome
disposition.

His eyes rested with decided disapproval on the graceful young master of
horses.

"I'll whip that baby-faced Lieutenant," he coolly announced to his
satellites, "if ever he opens his jaw to me--watch me if I don't. What
does he know about work?"

The men reported the threat to the Lieutenant. The next day without a
moment's hesitation, in quiet tones, he gave his first order to the
giant:

"Put that piece of dressed scantling beside the window--"

The man deliberately lifted a rough board and placed it.

"The rough board won't do," said the even voice. "It must he a dressed
scantling."

The soldier threw him an insolent laugh, and stooped to take up a board
exactly like the one he had laid down.

The baby-faced Lieutenant suddenly seized a club, knocked him down, and
beat him until he yelled for quarter.

The soldiers had watched the clash at first with grins and winks and
nudges, betting on their giant. His strength was invincible. When the
unexpected happened, and they saw the slender, plucky youngster standing
over the form of the fallen brave, they raised a lusty shout for him