d horse, and little
Jessie, with one low cry of terror, tried to release her arms from the
circling blanket and throw them about his neck; but he held her tight.
He grasped the reins more firmly, gave one quick glance to his left and
rear, and, to his dismay, discovered that he, too, was well-nigh hemmed
in; that, swift and ruthless as the flight of hawks, a dozen warriors
were bounding over the prairie towards him, to cut off his escape.

He had not an instant to lose. He whirled his practised troop horse to
the right about, and sent him leaping madly through the night back for
Farron's ranch.

Even as he sped along, he bent low over his charger's neck, and, holding
the terror-stricken child to his breast, managed to speak a word to keep
up her courage.

"We'll beat them yet, my bonny bird!" he muttered, though at that
instant he heard the triumphant whoops that told him a scalp was taken
on the trail behind him, though at that very instant he saw that
warriors, dashing from that teeming ridge, had headed him; that he must
veer from the trail as he neared the ranch, and trust to Farron and his
men to drive off his pursuers.

Already the yells of his pursuers thrilled upon the ear. They had opened
fire, and their wide-aimed bullets went whizzing harmlessly into space.
His wary eye could see that the Indians on his right front were making a
wide circle, so as to meet him when close to the goal, and he was
burdened with that helpless child, and could not make fight even for his
own life.

Drop her and save himself? He would not entertain the thought. No,
though it be his only chance to escape!

His horse panted heavily, and still there lay a mile of open prairie
between him and shelter; still those bounding ponies, with their
yelping, screeching riders, were fast closing upon him, when suddenly
through the dim and ghostly light there loomed another shadow, wild and
daring,--a rider who came towards him at full speed.

Because of the daring of the feat to ride thus alone into the teeth of a
dozen foemen, the sergeant was sure, before he could see the man, that
the approaching horseman was Farron, rushing to the rescue of his child.

Wells shouted a trooper's loud hurrah, and then, "Rein up, Farron! Halt
where you are, and open fire! That'll keep 'em off!"

Though racing towards him at thundering speed, Farron heard and
understood his words, for in another moment his "Henry" was barking its
challenge at the foe,