denly Russ pointed behind the cabin--over to another ridge, or knoll,
of land.

"Look!" Russ gasped. "Those Indians!"

None of the Bunker children had thought of the Indians they had seen as
really wild Indians. But here came riding the Indian men now on active
ponies, and with be-feathered spears in their hands. Their headdresses
nodded, and, as the redmen rode nearer, the children saw that their
faces were broadly striped in red and yellow. The paint made the
Indians' faces look frightful.

"Oh!" cried Rose, clinging to Mun Bun, who clung to her in return.
"Those Indians are coming right at that woman and her baby--and the
man!"

"It's an Indian raid," murmured Russ. "Do you suppose it is _real_, or
just make-believe?"

CHAPTER XV

A PROFOUND MYSTERY

Russ Bunker was a sensible chap, and it did not seem to him that the
Indians could really mean to harm the people living in the old cabin.
Cowboy Jack would not have let the children wander away from the ranch
house unwarned had wild Indians been in the neighborhood.

At least, so Russ tried to believe. But the other little Bunkers were
much frightened, and when the redmen began to hurry their horses down
toward the cabin at the side of the stream, and began to whoop and yell
and wave their be-feathered spears, even Rose turned back and began to
run toward the ranch house.

"Come on, Russ! Come on!" she cried to her older brother. "That poor
little baby!"

"Aw, I don't believe the Indians are really going to hurt those folks,"
objected Russ.

Nevertheless, he soon caught up with his sister and the others. Russ did
not remain to see the outcome of the Indians' attack upon the cabin.

The younger children did not altogether understand what the excitement
was all about. But they caught some fear from Russ and Rose and were
willing to hurry along the wagon track without making objection at the
pace the older children made them travel.

And here came another astonishing thing. Out of a woody place appeared a
cavalcade of horsemen--and they were not cowboys! In fact, for a minute
Russ and Rose were just as frightened as they had been by the charging
Indians. Then Russ exclaimed, with a deal of relief:

"Oh, Rose! I know those men. They are soldiers!"

"All in blue clothes?" questioned Rose in doubt. "Soldiers don't wear
blue clothes. They are dressed in khaki or olive-drab. Like Captain Ben
was when he first came to our house."

"Those are soldier