rom the trail in ten days. I fancy our escort scared the
buffalo. Now like as not we won't get a shot."

"Just the same, it's queer the buffalo are all out yonder in the open
instead of grazing on the river bottoms. If any Injuns are at hand,
they'd be hiding along the river."

"Oh, pshaw!" laughed the captain. "We're safe enough. I'll get you
back to Lizzie. Don't you worry yourself."

"Lizzie" was the lieutenant's bride, at Fort Riley. He had left her
for the first time since they were married.

Drawn by its rapidly trotting mules the wagon trundled about three
miles farther--and the captain had a glimpse of something new, moving
over the low brush ahead and toward the river. It seemed to be a flock
of wild turkeys bobbing along, now above the brush, now settling into
it. N-no? What, then? Men on horses.

He clutched the lieutenant's arm.

"Look there, Hallowell. What is it?"

The lieutenant looked only once.

"Injuns, by Jiminy! We're in for it."

He whirled his team around and with voice and shake of lines quickened
them to a gallop on the back trail for Zarah, six miles.

The captain objected.

"Wait! Hold on, Hallowell. They may be part of the escort."

Lieutenant Hallowell was wiser. This was his second year in Indian
country.

"No, no! I know Injuns when I see 'em. Gid-dap! Yip!"

"Well, by thunder, I'll see for myself."

So the captain clambered from the seat to the side step, and hanging
hard to the front wagon-bow, took a good look.

"Indians, aren't they?" asked the lieutenant, braced to the lines.

"Yes; and coming like blazes!"

That they were. The objects that had resembled turkeys were their
feathered heads rising from a ravine. They were fully out now; had
dropped their buffalo-robes, and all exposed in the open were tearing
for the road.

"How many, Cap?"

"About thirty."

"Oh, dear!" sighed young Lieutenant Hallowell, "I'll never see Lizzie
again."

"Never mind Lizzie. Let's get ourselves out of here, first."

"All right, Cap," replied Lieutenant Hallowell, briskly. "You do the
shooting and I'll do the driving."

He snatched the whip, slipped from his seat to the very front end of
the box; and letting the lines lie lax began to lash and yell. The
mules bolted free, twitching the wagon over the ruts.

Captain Booth sprawled inside; grabbed the lieutenant's one navy
revolver, and with his own two tumbled over the seat and dived to the
pucker-hole