, and gave us much trouble, and it was these bands that
necessitated the scouts.

My little son, Harry, four years old, was my constant and only
companion, during that long, cold, and anxious winter.

My mother sent me an appealing invitation to come home for a year. I
accepted gladly, and one afternoon in May, Jack put us aboard the Silver
City stage, which passed daily through the post.

Our excellent Chinese servant promised to stay with the "Captain" and
take care of him, and as I said "Good-bye, Hoo Chack," I noticed an
expression of real regret on his usually stolid features.

Occupied with my thoughts, on entering the stage, I did not notice the
passengers or the man sitting next me on the back seat. Darkness soon
closed around us, and I suppose we fell asleep. Between naps, I heard a
queer clanking sound, but supposed it was the chains of the harness or
the stage-coach gear. The next morning, as we got out at a relay station
for breakfast, I saw the handcuffs on the man next to whom I had sat all
the night long. The sheriff was on the box outside. He very obligingly
changed seats with me for the rest of the way, and evening found us on
the overland train speeding on our journey East. Camp MacDermit with its
dreary associations and surroundings faded gradually from my mind, like
a dream.

*****

The year of 1879 brought us several changes. My little daughter was
born in mid-summer at our old home in Nantucket. As I lay watching the
curtains move gently to and fro in the soft sea-breezes, and saw my
mother and sister moving about the room, and a good old nurse rocking my
baby in her arms, I could but think of those other days at Camp Apache,
when I lay through the long hours, with my new-born baby by my side,
watching, listening for some one to come in. There was no one, no woman
to come, except the poor hard-working laundress of the cavalry, who did
come once a day to care for the baby.

Ah! what a contrast! and I had to shut my eyes for fear I should cry, at
the mere thought of those other days.

*****

Jack took a year's leave of absence and joined me in the autumn at
Nantucket, and the winter was spent in New York, enjoying the theatres
and various amusements we had so long been deprived of. Here we met
again Captain Porter and Carrie Wilkins, who was now Mrs. Porter. They
were stationed at David's Island, one of the harbor posts, and we went
over to see them. "Yes," he said, "as Jacob waite