rriors on the war-path as he stated; but, for some reason or
other, they turned about and are going south. I came upon their trail
after they had broken up their last camp, and I had no difficulty in
getting close enough to them to make out their numbers, and the tribes
they belong to. The appearance of their camp, however, told me clearly
that they are a very large body. We have to thank the chief for his
warning; at the same time, we need not trouble ourselves any more on the
subject."

"Have they done any harm on their march?" I asked.

"As to that, I am afraid that some settlers to the south have suffered;
for I saw, at night, the glare of several fires, with which the rascals
must have had something to do. I only hope that the poor white men had
time to escape with their lives. If I had not been in a hurry to get
back, I would have followed the varmints, and picked off any stragglers
I might have come across."

"As you, my friends, are safe for the present, I must be off to-morrow
morning with my men," said the lieutenant when I got back; "but I will
report the position you are in at Fort Harwood, and should you have
reason to expect an attack you can dispatch a messenger, and relief
will, I am sure, be immediately sent you."

I do not know that Uncle Jeff cared much about this promise,
so confident did he feel in his power to protect his own
property,--believing that his men, though few, would prove staunch. But
he thanked the lieutenant, and hoped he should have the pleasure of
seeing him again before long.

* * * * *

During the night the sergeant was taken ill; and as he was no better in
the morning, Lieutenant Broadstreet, who did not wish to go without him,
was further delayed. The lieutenant hoped, however, that by noon the
poor fellow might have sufficiently recovered to enable them to start.

After breakfast I accompanied him to the hut to visit the other men.
Although he summoned them by name,--shouting out "Karl Klitz," "Barney
Gillooly," "Pat Sperry,"--no one answered; so, shoving open the door, we
entered. At first the hut appeared to be empty, but as we looked into
one of the bunks we beheld the last-named individual, so sound asleep
that, though his officer shouted to him to know what had become of his
comrades, he only replied by grunts.

"The fellow must be drunk," exclaimed the lieutenant, shaking the man.

This was very evident; and as the lieutenant inten