arvellous
tale that he told.

"The Chug's crammed with Indians. They've killed all down at Phillips's,
and got all around Farron's,--hundreds of 'em. Sergeant Wells tried to
run away with Jessie, but they cut him off, and he'd have been killed
and Jessie captured but for me and Farron. We charged through 'em, and
got 'em back to the ranch. Then the Indians attacked us there, and there
was only four of us, and some one had to cut his way out. Wells said you
fellows were down at Lodge Pole, but he da'sn't try it. I had to." Here
"Pete" looked important, and gave his pistol-belt a hitch.

"I must 'a' killed six of 'em," he continued. "Both my revolvers empty,
and I dropped one of 'em on the trail. My hat was shot clean off my
head, but they missed me, and I got through. They chased me every inch
of the way up to a mile back over yonder. I shot the last one there. But
how many men you got?"

"About fifty," answered the lieutenant. "We'll push ahead at once. You
guide us."

"I ain't going ahead with no fifty. I tell you there's a thousand
Indians there. Where's the rest of the regiment?"

"Back at Lodge Pole. Go on, if you like, and tell them your story.
Here's the captain now."

With new and imposing additions, Pete told the story a second time.
Barely waiting to hear it through, the captain's voice rang along the
eager column,--

"Forward, trot, _march_!"

Away went the troop full tilt for the Chug, while the ranchman rode
rearward until he met the supporting squadron two hours behind. Ten
minutes after parting with their informant, the officers of "K" Troop,
well out in front of their men, caught sight of a daring horseman
sweeping at full gallop down from some high bluffs to their left and
front.

"Rides like an Indian," said the captain; "but no Sioux would come down
at us like that, waving a hat, too. By Jupiter! It's Ralph McCrea! How
are you, boy? What's wrong at the Chug?"

"Farron's surrounded, and I believe Warner's killed!" said Ralph,
breathless. "Thank God, you're here so far ahead of where I expected to
find you! We'll get there in time now;" and he turned his panting horse
and rode eagerly along by the captain's side.

"And you've not been chased? You've seen nobody?" was the lieutenant's
question.

"Nobody but a white man, worse scared than I was, who left his hat
behind when I ran upon him a mile back here."

Even in the excitement and urgent haste of the moment, there went up a
shout of