d
that unless Captain White had received some intelligence which would, in
his opinion, justify his undertaking an expedition into the Indian
country with so small a force as he could command, he was at once to
evacuate the place and fall back with his force on the settlement, as
the position was quite untenable, and every man was needed for the
defence of the settlers.

"When the Captain got the order he walked up and down by hisself for
four or five minutes. Yer see it war a hard choice for him; as a father
he was longing to go in search of his child, as a soldier he saw that he
should be risking the whole force under his command if he did so, and
that at a time when every man was needed at the settlements. At last the
order was given that the troops should take the back-track to the
settlements on the following evening.

[Illustration: THE ESCAPE OF THE CAPTAIN'S DAUGHTER.]

"The Captain told the officers that he should wait till then to give the
horses of the men who had arrived with us time to rest; but I know in
his heart he wanted to wait in the hope of Dick arriving with news.

"The next day, at four in the afternoon, the men war beginning to saddle
their horses, when the sentry suddenly gave the cry of 'Injins, Injins!'

"In a moment every man seized his carbine and sword, and shoved his
bridle on his horse's head, buckled up, and jumped into the saddle.
There was no occasion for any orders. I climbed up on to the stockade,
for the country was pretty nigh a dead flat, and the lookout had been
burnt with the huts.

"Sure enough, there in the distance war some horsemen coming across the
plain; but they war straggling, and not many of them. I could not make
head nor tail of it. They war Injins, sure enough, for even at that
distance I could tell that by their figures. Then I saw as there was
more of them coming behind them; the idea suddenly struck me: 'Ride,
Captain!' I shouted; 'ride with your men for your life, they are chasing
some one.'

"There warn't any necessity for Captain White to give any orders; there
was a rush to the gate, and as fast as they could get through they
started out at full gallop. Me and Rube dropped over the stockade, for
our critters war picketed outside. We didn't wait to saddle them, you
may guess, but pulled up the ropes, jumped on to their backs, and
galloped on; and we war soon by the side of Captain White, who was
riding as if he was mad. We could see them a little plainer