d ingloriously from their
wearers' shoulders to the ground and the drooping feathers of the
conquered chiefs.

A war-priest, whose string of bears' claws, triple feathers, charms and
bag plainly betokened the medicine-man, headed the tribe. He was seated
upon a gaudily decorated saddle; the nose-band, front and cheek-pieces
of his horse's bridle were thickly studded with brass nails; bright
pom-poms of coloured wool swung from the curb and the throat-latch; and
the nag's tail was stiffly braided with strips of woolen--scarlet and
yellow and blue. Close beside him rode two stately braves of high rank,
their mounts as richly caparisoned, their buckskin shirts gorgeous with
bead and porcupine-quill embroidery, otter-skin head-dresses upon their
hair. Like their leader, the dusky faces of the two Indians and of those
forming the rest of the party were hideously painted, showing that all
had but recently been upon the warpath.

The other half of the redskin company was more squalid. A score of
spotted, sway-backed ponies crept along, bearing and, at the same time,
dragging, heavy loads. Each saddle held a squaw and one or more small
children--the squaw with a cocoon-like papoose strapped to her back. And
at the tail of each horse, surrounded by limping Indian dogs, came a
travee laden with a wounded or aged Indian, or heaped with cooking
utensils, blankets and buffalo-skins.

One woman of all the squaws rode a pony that had not a double burden.
She was dressed in buckskin and bright calico, and sat upon a blanket
that almost covered her horse. Her hair was braided neatly, her dark
cheeks were daubed with carmine. She kept a rigid seat as she passed
Dallas, and her black eyes answered the other's kindly look with one
full of sullen pride. Beside her hobbled an aged hag across whose
wrinkled mouth and chin was a deep and livid scar.

When the Indians were past, more troopers followed. After them trundled
a half-dozen light field-pieces, the wagon-train, and ambulances filled
with sick or wounded soldiers, all under the conduct of a rear-guard.
Soon, the entire cavalcade was gone, and had halted on the river-bank to
wait the ferry. Dallas was alone again, listening to the faint strains
of the band which, from the cut, was gallantly announcing the return
from the long campaign.

At the door of the shack, Lancaster and his younger daughter were
watching the portage, piecemeal, of the troops. But Dallas, starting the
team ag