s and flapping
arms, was tearing back toward the troop at the moment at the top speed
of his gray charger, already so near that he was shouting to the
sergeant in the lead. By this time, too, that veteran trooper, with the
quick sense of duty that seemed to inspire the war-time sergeant, had
jumped his little column "front into line" to meet the unseen danger; so
that now, with carbines advanced, some thirty blue jackets were aligned
in the loose fighting order of the prairies in front of the foremost
wagon. The sight of the distant officer and men tumbling hurriedly back
and to one side, out of the way presumably of some swiftly-coming peril,
acted like magic on the line. Carbines were quickly brought to ready,
the gun locks crackling in chorus as the horses pranced and snorted. But
it had a varying effect on the occupants of the leading wagon. The shout
of "Indians" from Bryan's lips, the sight of scurry on the ridge ahead
brought the engineer and aide-de-camp springing out, rifle in hand, to
take their manly part in the coming fray. It should have brought Major
Burleigh too, but that appropriately named non-combatant never showed
outside. An instant more and to the sound of rising thunder, before the
astonished eyes of the cavalry line there burst into view, full tear for
safety, the uncouth, yet marvelously swift-running leaders of the little
herd. The whole dozen came flying across the sky line and down the
gentle slope, heading well around to the left of the line of troopers,
while sticking to their flanks like red nettles half a dozen young
warriors rode like the wind on their nimble ponies, cracking away with
revolver or rifle in savage joy in the glorious sport. Too much for
Burleigh's nerve was the combination of sounds, thunder of hoofs and
sputter of shots, for when a cheer of sympathetic delight went up from
the soldier line at sight of the chase, and the young engineer sprang to
the door of the ambulance to help the major out, he found him a limp and
ghastly heap, quivering with terror in the bottom of the wagon, looking
for all the world as if he were trying to crawl under the seat.

CHAPTER IV.

Away to the left of the little command tore the quarry and the chase.
Out on the rolling prairie, barely four hundred yards from where the
ambulance and mules were backed into a tangle of traces and whiffletrees
and fear-stricken creatures, another buffalo had dropped in a heap; a
swarthy rider had tumbl