monious leave-taking the laundress backed out of the office and
hurried back to her tubs.

"Mr. Dayton," said the commanding officer, "write Corporal Duffey to
hereafter allow no person not a member of his party to row the mail-boat
across the river, unless he brings authority from this office."

"Yes, sir."

The letter had been written and sealed when Teddy returned, having
changed the full-dress coat and helmet of guard-mounting for a blouse,
forage-cap, and leather leggings. Nearly an hour before his drum had
rattled an exhilarating accompaniment to the fife, as the guard of
twelve privates and three non-commissioned officers marched in review
and turned off to the guard-house. Now he stood at the door with spurred
heels and gauntleted hands, ready to receive the mail-pouch and ride his
little zebra-marked mule to the crossing, two miles from the fort.

The Sergeant-Major handed him the pouch and the letter addressed to the
corporal, with this injunction:

"You are to deliver this letter to Corporal Duffey at the hay-camp, and
he will give you some instructions which you are to carefully obey."

Slinging the pouch over his shoulder, and tucking the letter under his
waist-belt, the boy went to his mule behind the office, mounted, and
rode away. Passing the quarter-master's corral, another boy, similarly
attired, and mounted on a piebald mustang, dashed out with a whoop, and
the two went cantering down the slope to the meadow below.

Arriving side by side at a soapweed which marked the southern limit of
the river-bottom, the boys put their beasts to the height of their
speed, and rode for a dead cottonwood which raised its bleached and
barkless branches beside the road three hundred yards beyond.

This stretch was raced over every mail-day, with varying victory for
horse and mule. To-day the mule reached the tree half a length ahead,
and Teddy was consequently in high glee.

"Ah, Reddy, my boy!" he shouted. "Eight times to your six! Better swap
that pony for a mule, if you want to stand any chance with Puss!"

"Pshaw! You were nearly a length ahead when we reached the soapweed, and
I almost made it up. Bronc can beat Puss any time when they start even."

"I should say so!" with great disdain. "How about that day when you got
off a length and a half ahead, and I led you half a neck at the
Cottonwood?"

"You mean the day Bronc got a stone in his shoe? Of course he couldn't
run then."

The two young soldier