back to them in time," he prayed; and
then, holding his maimed left arm in his right hand, and with one
backward look up the canon at the now lifeless carcass of poor "Mac," he
staggered wearily on, following the trail of the cavalry.

[Illustration: WITH ONE BACKWARD LOOK HE STAGGERED WEARILY ON.]

Late that evening, just as darkness was settling down over the valley of
the Colorado Chiquito, the soldiers of a little detachment, chatting
gleefully around their bivouac fires and sipping their fragrant coffee,
were startled by the sudden sight of a man with ghastly, blood-stained
features and dress, who reeled blindly into their midst and then fell
forward upon his face, to all appearances dead.

Some of them, believing Indians to be upon them, sprang for their arms;
others bent to the aid of the stricken man. They turned him over on his
back, brought water and bathed the blood from his face, and then a
sergeant cried:

"My God! What can have happened? It's Captain Gwynne! Here, Murphy, call
the lieutenant, quick!"

[Illustration: "MY GOD! WHAT CAN HAVE HAPPENED? IT'S CAPTAIN GWYNNE!"]

In an instant the young officer commanding the party came running to the
scene and bent breathlessly over the senseless form.

"It is Captain Gwynne," he said; "bring more water. Go to my pack, one
of you, and get the sponge you'll find there. Fetch me my flask, too.
Which way did he come? Did none of you see?"

"None, sir. The first we knew he was right over us. He never spoke a
word, but fell like a log."

And then the rough-looking, bearded, anxious faces hovered about the
prostrate man. His heart-beats were so faint that the young officer was
terribly alarmed. No surgeon was with the little party and he hardly
knew what to do. The whiskey forced down Gwynne's throat seemed
powerless to revive him. Full an hour he lay almost motionless, then
little by little the pulse grew firmer and respiration audible. At last
there was a long, deep sigh, but still he did not open his eyes.
Consciousness returned only very slowly, and when Mr. Hunter had called
him by name time and again and begged him to speak, he sighed even more
deeply than before, the lids slowly drew back, and the almost sightless
eyes looked feebly around. Then, with sudden flash of memory, the poor
captain strove to rise. "My babies!" he moaned; "my babies!"

"Where did you leave them, captain? Tell us. I'll send for them
instantly," said Hunter. "Sergeant, saddle