dle; and now, circling farther out upon the plain, in
wide sweep, with carbines advanced, they were hastening to the succor
of their comrade. Presently one of their number suddenly drew rein,
halted his startled "broncho," aimed to the left of the horse's head
and fired, then, cramming a cartridge into the chamber, came riding
farther. The others, too, followed suit, shooting at some object
apparently among the rocks in front of the sergeant's position. One of
the men threw himself from his saddle, and kneeling on the sands drove
two or three shots at long range. Eager to add his own fire to
theirs, Wing pulled his hat-brim over his eyes, threw forward the
barrel over the now stilled carcass of poor Dick, and peered eagerly
up the ravine in search of some foe at whom to aim. Blindly he
searched for dusky Apache skulking from rock to rock; there was no
moving thing in sight. But what was this,--this object that suddenly
shot out from behind a little ledge and, turning sharply to the left,
went clattering into the depths of a dark and frowning gorge? Could he
believe his eyes? Did the Chiricahuas, then, have horses and wear
trooper hats? Bending low over his steed and spurring him to the
uttermost exertion, a tall, even soldierly, form had darted one
instant into view and then gone thundering out of sight. Up to this
moment Wing never had lost full control of his faculties. Now his
brain reeled. Before his eyes rose a dense cloud of mist rushing forth
from the mountain-side. Bowlders, near at hand, took to waltzing
solemnly with their neighbors, and when at last the foremost trooper
flung himself from his horse and crept to the sergeant's side, while
his comrades rode on, keeping vigilant watch against the appearance of
other foe, Sergeant Wing was found lying beside his dead horse: he had
swooned utterly away.

By and by, with anxious face and bandaged head and arm, Lieutenant
Drummond came galloping down; Wing was then submitting to the rude
bandaging of his leg and lying limp and weak, his head resting on
Dick's stiffening shoulder. But Wing's eyes were covered by his
gauntleted hand; he never looked up at his young commander, though he
heard his anxious queries.

"Is he much hurt? Were there many of them?"

"Shot through the leg here, sir," answered the sturdy corporal, "and
was in a dead faint when we got to him. I don't know how many there
was of them, lieutenant; they skipped off the moment we opened fire."

"