army ambulance--a hack arrangement with seats along the sides
and a stiff oiled-cloth top.

Lieutenant Hallowell had a canvas or wagon-sheet cover fitted over his
wagon: stretched tightly upon bows and puckered to enclose the rear end
with the exception of a hole in the middle there about the size of
one's head. Now the spring wagon looked like a small prairie-schooner
or emigrant outfit.

Captain Booth obtained from the quarter-master department the best span
of Missouri mules at the fort. He and the lieutenant would do their
own driving, and be independent. Whereupon, provisioned for the trip,
they gaily set out, in the frosty morning, escorted by a mounted
detachment of Kansas United States Volunteers under Lieutenant Van
Antwerp.

This was particularly Kiowa and Cheyenne country, as soon as they left
the Kansas River; and if any Indians were more dreaded than the boldly
riding, hard fighting Cheyennes, those were the never quitting
Kiowas.[1]

They and their allies the Comanches were the guardians of the Santa Fe
Trail. The Kiowas ranged the farthest north and fought the soldiers on
the Leavenworth cut-off or Government road which entered from the
Kansas River.

Going down, on this road, Captain Booth and Lieutenant Hallowell had no
trouble at all. They arrived safely at Camp Zarah, without having
sighted a sign of Indians. The captain inspected the post. The next
morning he directed his escort to ride on; he and Lieutenant Hallowell
would catch them in about half an hour.

But it was nearer three hours later when the wagon rattled over the log
corduroy bridge across Walnut Creek, on the road for the Arkansas River
and Fort Larned, west up-stream.

They had the road all to themselves. The escort were out of sight, but
probably would wait for them; and anyway they felt no fear as they
jounced over the rutty, frozen road. They rather looked forward to
shooting buffalo from the wagon with their revolvers. The mules were
lively; Lieutenant Hallowell drove (he was an expert with the
"ribbons"); the captain helped him with the whip; and they caroled
songs together.

After a time the lieutenant changed his tune, to remark:

"What's the matter with the buffalo? They're grazing wide of the road
to-day. That looks as though Injuns were about."

This was Captain Booth's first season on the plains, so he only laughed
easily.

"Oh, pshaw! They say back at Zarah that there hasn't been an Injun
seen f