e is only one
way to prevent it that I can see; and that is by telling the colonel all
about it. If I do that, and they should find it out, they would go back
on me, sure."

"Of course they would," said the sergeant.

"Well, what would you do if you were in my place?" asked Bob.

"What would I do? I would go straight to the officer of the day and tell
him the whole thing. The good-will of such men don't amount to anything,
any way, and what do you care if they do go back on you? There's only
thirty of them, and that leaves three hundred and fifty good fellows who
will always be ready to befriend you. Do you know who these deserters
are? I'll report the matter if you are afraid, and then let's see one of
them open his head to me."

Bob repeated the names of the would-be deserters which Bristow had given
as nearly as he could recall them, and the sergeant hurried off to hunt
up the officer of the day, while Bob went back into the quarters. He had
been there but a few minutes when the orderly appeared at the door and
sung out,

"Owens, the colonel wants to see you."

"Aha!" exclaimed Bristow, "our good little boy has been doing something
bad at last.--There are no bunks in the guard-house, Owens."

Bob made no reply. He followed the orderly across the parade and into
the colonel's head-quarters, where he found the officer of the day, the
sergeant-major and all the ranking officers of the garrison. The
colonel questioned him closely in regard to the plot he had discovered,
and finally dismissed him and the sergeant without making any comments.
Half an hour later the entire cavalry force of the garrison was drawn up
in line, the names of forty men who were ordered to the front and centre
were read off, and the rest of the troopers were sent back to their
quarters. Then the bugle sounded "Boots and saddles!" and in a few
minutes more these forty men--one of whom was Bob Owens--rode out of the
gate, led by the scout who had brought the information concerning that
war-party of Kiowas. The squad was commanded by Lieutenant Earle.

"That's all right," whispered Bristow to one of his fellow-conspirators
as they stood in front of their quarters and saw their comrades ride
away. "There will be just so many men less to follow us to-morrow
morning. But I wish we knew which way they are going," he added in a
tone of anxiety; "and we must find out if we can. We don't want to run
into them if we can possibly avoid them, for ther