thought he heard the
door open and close, but there was no doubt about the labored breathing
which wheezed along the dark wall. Stumbling steps faltered and dragged
and then the Delaware bumped into him and held to him for a moment.

"Git th' hosses, Hank!" came a mumbled command.

"Thar with Jim an' Zeb," whispered the hunter in surprise. "How'd ye get
so wet? Is that blood?"

"Spurred me--I'll be all right--soon's I git breath. He--fought like
a--fiend."

"Git his ears?" eagerly demanded the Blackfoot.

"Thar's been ears enough took--already. Come on; _she's_ in th'
_palacio_--with _Armijo_!"

"Jest what we figgered, _damn him_!" growled the Blackfoot, leading the
way.

In the stable at the rear of the courtyard a decrepit dog, white with
age, had barked feebly when its breath permitted, while the fight had
raged in the house. The Blackfoot had considered stopping the wheezy
warnings, but they did not have power enough to lure him from his watch.
He had accepted the lesser of the two evils and remained on guard. As
the two Indians crept from the courtyard the aged animal burst into a
paroxysm of barking, which exhausted it. To those who knew the captain's
dog, its barking long since had lost all meaning, for, as the soldiers
said, it barked over nothing. They did not know that the animal dreamed
day and night of the days of its youth and strength and now, in its
dotage, in imagination was living over again stirring incidents of hunts
and fights long past. Gradually it recovered its strength from sounding
its barked warnings in vain, and pantingly sniffed the air. Its actions
became frantic and the decrepit old dog struggled to its feet, swaying
on its feeble legs, its grizzled muzzle pointing toward its master's
house. The composite body odor it had known for so many years had
changed, and ceased abruptly. Whining and whimpering, the dog searched
the air currents, but in vain; the scent came no more. Then, sinking
back on its haunches, it raised its gray nose to the sky and poured out
its grief in one long, quavering howl of surprising volume.

The sleeping square sprang to life, superstitious terror dominated the
barracks. Lights gleamed suddenly and the barracks door opened slowly,
grudgingly as frightened soldiers hurriedly crossed themselves. Don Jesu
and Robideau pushed hesitatingly to the portal and peered fearsomely
into the night. They suddenly cried out, drew their ancient pistols, and
fired at two