presently, far down the black depths, they could see the Box Elder,
under a white wreath of foam, tearing in fury down its narrow bed.

"Beg pardon, lieutenant," shouted the veteran sergeant in the young
commander's ear, even in that moment never forgetting the habitual
salute, "but if I didn't see the reason for that sudden order to saddle
I more than see it now. We would have been drowned like rats down there
in the gulch."

"I'm wondering if anybody _has_ drowned like rats," shouted Dean, in
reply. "Carey says another party was just behind us. Who could they be?"

But for answer came another vivid, dazzling flash that for an instant
blinded all eyes. "By God! but that's a stunner!" gasped a big trooper,
and then followed the deafening bang and crash of the thunder, and its
echoes went booming and reverberating from earth to heaven and rolling
away, peal after peal, down the bluff-bound canon. For a moment no other
sound could be heard; then, as it died away and the rain came swashing
down in fresh deluge, Carey's voice overmastered the storm.

"That's struck something, sir, right around yonder by the Springs. God
help that outfit that came a-gallopin' after me!"

"What was it? Which way were they coming?" Dean managed to ask.

"Right along the bluff, sir, to the east. Seemed like they was ridin'
over from the old camp on the Frayne road. There was twenty-five or
thirty of 'em, I should say, coming at a lope."

"Cavalry?" asked Dean, a queer look in his face.

"No, sir. They rode dispersed like. They was a mile away when I sighted
them, and it was gittin' so black then I don't think they saw me at all.
They were 'bout off yonder, half a mile east of the Springs when I
dipped down into the ravine, and what seemed queer was that two of them
galloped to the edge, dismounted, and were peering down into the gorge
like so many Indians, just as though they didn't want to be seen. I was
goin' to tell the lieutenant 'bout it first thing if I had found our
fellows off their guard, but you were all mounted and just starting."

Instinctively Dean put forth his hand under the dripping poncho and
tugged at the straps of his off saddle-bag. No need for dread on that
score. The bulky package, wrapped, sealed and corded, was bulging out of
the side of his field pouch till it looked as though he had crammed a
cavalry boot into its maw.

"Thirty men--mounted?--no wagons or--anything?" he anxiously asked.

"Full thirty, sir, a