there till I see what's wrong!" Hal commanded.

Colonel Anderson, Chester and Nikol stood with drawn revolvers.

Gently Hal lifted Colonel Edwards' head to his knee. The eyes were
closed. The lad put a hand over the officer's heart. There was a
faint beating.

A moment later Colonel Edwards opened his eyes. He smiled feebly.

"Guess I'm done for," he said quietly.

Hal did not reply, for the little wound just above the heart showed where
the bullet had gone home.

Now Colonel Anderson knelt down beside his old friend.

"What's the matter, old man?" he said. "Did they get you?"

"They got me," replied Colonel Edwards. "You fellows go on. You can do
nothing for me. It's too late."

A sudden shudder shook him and he burst into a fit of coughing. His eyes
closed, but he reached forth a hand and his fingers clasped Colonel
Anderson's hand.

"Tell the folks at home--" he said feebly, then became still.

Quickly Colonel Anderson placed a hand over the other's heart. Then he
looked at Hal.

"Dead!" he said simply.

For long minutes all stood there silently, their hats off. How long they
would have remained, it is hard to tell, but the sound of a shot close at
hand awakened them to their own danger.

"We can do no good here," said Colonel Anderson quietly. "We may
as well go."

"First," said Hal, "we shall move his body to a little hole in the ground
I saw back here. We'll cover him up and then we'll go."

Under the very revolvers of the enemy this was done; and the four
returned to their horses.

"Mount!" ordered Colonel Anderson.

The order was obeyed. Colonel Anderson gazed lingeringly toward the spot
where lay the body of Colonel Edwards, and there were tears in his eyes
as he did so. He drew a hand sharply across his eyes, shook himself a bit
and commanded:

"Forward!"

CHAPTER XIV.

SAFE.

Away they went at a gallop, only four of them now. The horses, once upon
the road again, let themselves out nobly and sped on like the wind.
There was a single volley from the foe as the four came into the open,
but all the bullets went wild, and before a second could be fired they
were out of range.

Then the pursuers hurried for their own horses, mounted and again
gave chase.

But if the ranks of the pursued had been thinned, so had those of the
pursuers. Back in the woods lay four bodies cold in death. Of the
survivors who still pursued there were seven.

The horses ridden by the four friend