ther. One of them brought his back with him, and the third--Hualpai
21, he supposed--had finally reached the post, as only two nights since
an Apache-Mohave boy found his way to the Tonto Creek camp with the
despatch recalling the cavalry. They started at dawn, wounded and all;
had a long range fight with Tontos toward evening, and another next
morning, but forged slowly and steadily ahead with only slight loss,
and came in sight of the flag and the fracas late the second afternoon.
Turner was glad to get back, he said, since it seems he was needed, but
was no sooner back than he was eager to launch out again. Hadn't they
heard? Why, there had been great doings up on the Mogollon. Old Gray
Fox himself had taken the field and was out with all the horsemen from
Whipple and Sandy, and Stannard had joined them, and they were ripping
up the Tonto country in a way that bade fair to wind up the war. How
had he heard? Why, _runners_--Apache-Mohaves--'Tonio's people.
Kwonahelka and some of his ilk had managed to keep going between them,
slipping through or skipping round the Tontos like so many "ghost
goats." It was only here, round about Almy, the hostiles were too many
for them!"

"D'you mean you didn't _know_ the Apache-Mohaves were just as hostile
as the rest?" asked Archer.

"Apache-Mohaves!" exclaimed Turner, looking up in amaze from the hot
supper set for him in the mess room. "Why, general, I couldn't have got
along without 'em!"

"This beats me!" said the chief, looking at the faces about him for
support, and finding it in every one, for Harris had been remanded to
bed. "Up here they have chased our couriers, blocked the runners, and
'Tonio himself shot at Willett and killed his horse!"

For a moment Turner was too much surprised to speak. Suddenly he called
to the orderly at the doorway to send his sergeant, who was then at the
adjutant's office adjoining. "I beg your pardon, general," he said,
"but this seems incredible in view of our experiences. Why, some of
them joined us and stayed with us day and night." Then as a bearded,
sun-blistered face appeared at the doorway, and a sturdy form in
hunting shirt of deerskin and long Apache leggings stood attention
before them: "Sergeant, send 'Tonio here, and you come with him. You
and he seem to understand each other."

"'Tonio didn't come in, sir, nor the few that were with him. They hung
back and quit at the Point."

"Quit! Do you know what's the trouble?"

"No,