n came riding slowly towards his men.

"Captain Devers," said he, "I have sent Mr. Davies off to the left to
scout towards the valley. I wish you to follow his trail a mile, and
then to march due south by compass, keeping about midway between him and
us. Hold him in sight, if possible, and be ready to support him if he
should be attacked. We will back you. If all is quiet by the time you
strike the old road in the valley, turn west and follow on to camp."

But Captain Devers was one of those officers who seemed never to grasp
an order at first hand. Even when it came in writing, clear, brief, and
explicit, he often required explanations. "I don't think I understand,
sir," he began, but Warren cut him short.

"I should have been prepared for that," he exclaimed, giving way for the
first time to the generally peppery and irascible spirit of semi-starved
men. "Mount!" he ordered. "Captain Truman, lead the column,--Crounse
will show you the line. I will ride here awhile with Devers and show him
what's wanted."

Now, it is one of the peculiarities of prairie landscape that where
whole counties may appear to be one general level or open slopes when
viewed from the distance, the face of the country is really cut up in
countless directions by ravines, watercourses and _coulees_, so that,
except in the level bottom-lands along a river-bed, it is next to
impossible to keep moving objects continually in view. Davies and his
little party were out of sight when the major reappeared on the ridge
with Devers's ragged troop at his heels. So, too, were the would-be
hunters. "Kid" Murray, the trumpeter, alone remained in view, and he had
just reached the crest of a parallel ridge somewhat lower and about a
quarter of a mile to the left.

Then those at the head of column saw a strange thing. The young
trumpeter, instead of pushing forward on the trail, had suddenly reined
in. Bending forward in his saddle, he was gazing eagerly in the
direction taken by the antelope-stalkers; then, suddenly again, whirled
about and began frantically signalling to the column. They saw him
quickly swing his battered trumpet from behind his back and raise it to
his lips, sounding some call. Floating across the wind, over the bleak
and barren prairie, came almost together the muffled sound of two
rifle-shots, then the stirring trumpet signal,--_gallop_.

"Away with you, Devers!" ordered the major. "Head Truman this way, Mr.
Hastings. Tell him to come on