roopers
to lie low; and then in the midst of it all Red Dog rode magnificently
away from the north end of the village, across the open prairie, heading
for some point far up the valley of the Wakon, and sixty braves rode
valiantly at his back. He was a good half-mile away from the defence,
but the troopers let drive a few shots, "for old acquaintance' sake," as
one of them expressed it, but without disturbing the pomp and dignity of
the procession. It was soon out of sight, and then the encircling fire
slackened. "Now, what on earth are they up to?" was the question.

And in less than an hour after his disappearance there came new
excitement, and the men set up a cheer. Sharp firing was heard toward
the south. What could it mean but that their comrades of the --th were
fighting their way back to join them? Then four or five horsemen
appeared along the southward slopes, darting and dashing about as only
Indians ride, evidently firing at something between them and the Ska,
and Truman ordered a platoon to mount and drive away the Indians on that
front so as to open a road for the new-comers to enter. This was
accomplished with little loss, for the Indians broke from before the
spirited dash, but rallied, of course, far out on the flanks, and again
poured in their rapid fire from their repeating rifles, and then after a
while the troops could be seen slowly retiring, firing as they fell
back, some afoot now, and some leading and supporting in saddle others
who were evidently wounded, and finally, as these latter came within a
few hundred yards of the rifle-pits, the cry went up that it was
Lieutenant Sanders and some of the --th, and so it proved. Four more
wounded to care for, and Sanders, faint and heart-sick, among them.

"I tried to get old Chrome to drop that herd and come back to you," he
moaned, "but it was useless. He wouldn't have let me come--only to get
him something to eat. Damn this having to fight Indians under office
soldiers anyhow!" And with this pithy protest on his blue lips the
little bantam fainted away.

Then Chrome wasn't coming. Truman looked grave and Cranston angry. "No
matter. We can lick them endwise by staying just where we are," he said.
"Relief is bound to come to-night."

Later that afternoon, under the shadows of the willows, there gathered a
little group, perhaps a score of officers and men, all who could be
spared from their stations in the rifle-pits, listening to the solemn
tones of