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diff --git a/old/61767.txt b/old/61767.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 8acb7b9..0000000 --- a/old/61767.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5887 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Winged Arrow's Medicine, by Harry Castlemon - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Winged Arrow's Medicine - The Massacre at Fort Phil Kearney - -Author: Harry Castlemon - -Illustrator: W. H. Fry - -Release Date: April 6, 2020 [EBook #61767] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WINGED ARROW'S MEDICINE *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - WINGED ARROW'S MEDICINE - - _OR_ - - THE MASSACRE AT FORT PHIL KEARNEY - - BY - - HARRY CASTLEMON - - _Author of "The First Capture" "Gun Boat Series," etc., etc._ - - _ILLUSTRATED_ - - BY - - W. H. FRY - - AKRON, OHIO - - _THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY_ - - NEW YORK CHICAGO - - -[Illustration: "STEADY, THERE!" HE SHOUTED. "RIGHT FRONT INTO LINE! -REVOLVERS! GIVE THEM THE BEST YOU'VE GOT!"] - - - COPYRIGHT, 1901 - - BY - - THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING CO. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I. - PAGE - THE SECOND LIEUTENANT 9 - - - CHAPTER II. - - AN INVITATION 21 - - - CHAPTER III. - - WINGED ARROW 34 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - THE MEDICINE 47 - - - CHAPTER V. - - THE REPRIMAND 59 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - THE BUNDLE OF SAGE BRUSH 71 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - "GOOD-BY, CYRUS" 86 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX 101 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - THE MEDICINE WORKS WONDERS 116 - - - CHAPTER X. - - GUY IS ASTONISHED 133 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - IN THE SIGNAL TOWER 150 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - WHAT GUY SAW 167 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - COLONEL CARRINGTON IS DEPRESSED 181 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - IN THE SIOUX CAMP 200 - - - CHAPTER XV. - - WHAT WINGED ARROW SAW 214 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - AFTER THE MASSACRE 228 - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - RE-ENFORCEMENTS ARRIVE 242 - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - A PRISONER AT LAST 259 - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - CONCLUSION 274 - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -THE SECOND LIEUTENANT - - -Guy Preston was a young and beardless boy fresh from "The Point." He -was now attached to the --th cavalry and was one of three hundred men -who had been ordered to that faraway country to assist in building the -fort, which was named after the lamented hero, Phil Kearney. He had -left the fort a short time before, and was out after prairie chickens, -being armed with a double-barreled shotgun. The brace of birds which -was tied to the pommel of his saddle proved that he was something of -an adept at shooting on the wing. He was dressed in the uniform of -the cavalry service, with a pair of straps on his shoulders that were -decidedly the worse for wear, and his horse, a Kentucky thoroughbred, -which, although seemingly impatient to exhibit the mettle that was in -him, was obedient to the rein and stopped or went ahead when his owner -commanded him. - -"There do not seem to be many chickens here, Tom, and so I think we -will go back to the Fort," said Guy, raising himself in his stirrups -and casting impatient glances on all sides of him. "We were told to -stay within sight of the fortifications, but that last prairie chicken -was too much for me. It made me disobey orders. There does not seem to -be any Sioux here either, and I don't see why they cannot let us alone. -We could see plenty of fun in hunting if that miserable Red Cloud was -out of the way." - -Guy Preston was not the only one who wished that same thing of Red -Cloud. His regiment had been stationed, in the first place, at Fort -Robinson in Nebraska, which was the central point from which operations -against the hostiles were organized. And what had caused this Red -Cloud to go on the warpath? It was simply because the United States -government had determined to open a road to Montana by way of Powder -River. The way the road was laid out made it necessary that it should -pass through the favorite hunting ground of the Sioux Indians, and some -of them were fiercely opposed to it. The authorities made treaties with -the hereditary chiefs by whom the right of way was granted, but the -dissatisfaction that arose on account of it was so great that it led to -an open rupture. - -Red Cloud was not an hereditary chief; that is, he was not a chief of -any sort. He belonged to "the rank and file" of the band, but he was -ambitious to become something better. The uneasiness among the Indians -gave him a glorious chance. He denounced the treaties and their makers, -and declared war to the knife against every white man who came over -that road or ventured into that country. - -There are always some discontented ones among the Indians, men who -cannot rest easy unless they are on the warpath, and crowds of these -warriors flocked to his standard. The Sioux nation was the most -powerful of any tribe on this continent. They were rich in everything -that goes to make up an Indian's idea of wealth,--ponies, furs, and -weapons; and, more than all, the countless numbers of buffalo that -roamed through the Powder River country made them independent of the -whites. They numbered 20,000 in all, and could put 3,000 warriors in -the field. The hereditary chiefs very soon found themselves deserted -and powerless when Red Cloud raised his standard, and in some instances -were only too glad to preserve their control over their bands by -acknowledging the new chief as their master. Finding himself at the -head of so strong a force, Red Cloud took to the warpath at once, and -a long, tedious war ensued, during which he made a great reputation. -Avoiding any serious engagement, he so harassed all trains and -expeditions sent against him that the few troops then in his country -could scarcely be said to hold even the ground they actually stood -upon. Several forts were established, but they protected only what -was inside their palisades. A load of wood for fuel could not be cut -outside without a conflict, and it finally culminated in the terrible -tragedy which it is the purpose of this story to reveal,--for this is a -true tale, and we tell it just as it happened. - -At last the commanding officer at Fort Robinson became out of all -patience and determined to bring the Sioux to close quarters; so he -sent Colonel Carrington on a long campaign with a force strong enough -to follow the Sioux wherever they went, destroying their villages and -reducing them to submission. The Colonel was also instructed to build -a strong post upon the Powder or Tongue rivers and operate against -them from there. The Fort was built at last and named after one of the -bravest generals who gave up his life during our Civil War; but it -was only after long months of toil and hardship. Red Cloud's warriors -followed him all the way, stealing such stock as strayed away from -the camp and cutting off small bodies of men that were sent out any -distance from the main body. Guy Preston was there and saw how the -hostiles operated, and we will venture the assertion that more than -once he thought of home, and, if the truth must be told, he did not -blame the Indians for fighting. The lands which they were forced to -give up were their home, and they were about to surrender their only -means of subsistence. The buffalo comprised all they had. It furnished -them with food and raiment, coverings for their beds and the tepees in -which they lived. The whites did not kill what they wanted for use, -but wantonly slaughtered thousands simply to make a "record." All the -scum of civilization fled to the frontier, and Bills and Dicks whose -reputations were not of the best swaggered about the streets of canvas -cities during the winter and roamed the plains during the summer to -shoot buffalo. These people did not know or did not care what the -buffalo meant to the Indian. It meant that when they were gone, the -Indian would starve to death. No matter what treaties our government -made with the Indians, it had no effect upon the reckless whites. They -encouraged the slaughter of the game. Future historians will have to -record that all our Western Indian wars were brought about by the acts -of irresponsible and disreputable characters who usurped all the best -hunting lands and attacked every band of Indians they saw, whether -friendly or hostile, Sioux or Pawnees. - -Red Cloud was a man of great foresight, although born in a humble -position. He saw that the government could not or would not keep -their treaties and forbid these adventurers from trespassing on their -hunting grounds, and forthwith, relying upon his assumed popularity, -which came to him the moment he declared war on the whites, he called -a convention of all the Sioux and allied tribes. When that convention -met he rehearsed their wrongs and it was decided that they would do -what any brave people would do under the same circumstances--fight the -whites as long as possible. As I said, a long war was the result; -so when Colonel Carrington entrenched himself behind the stockade of -Fort Phil Kearney, he shut himself off from the civilized world. He -was there, and the Indians resolved that he should stay there. Even -his most experienced and bravest scouts could not get through to take -dispatches to his superiors. They found Indians all around them, and -they were seen and driven back. The wily chief located his village at -no great distance away, and established a code of signals by which he -could be informed at any time just what the soldiers were doing in the -Fort. Every wood train that went out was attacked, and a strong force -was necessary for their protection. In spite of all the precautions -they could use, between fifteen and twenty soldiers were killed during -the months of November and December. - -But Red Cloud was by no means satisfied with what he had done. He -wanted to get rid of the whites entirely, but he had not taken -measures to do it; so he called another convention to meet in his -village some time in December. Then he broached his program. After -repeating that the buffalo would all be killed, which was the worst -thing that could happen to a plain Indian, he said: "We must take this -Fort. If we once whip these soldiers and burn their palisade, the -government will not send out any more." All the other chiefs believed -that, and they decided upon a stratagem which will appear as our story -progresses. - -Guy Preston, as well as all the younger officers in the Fort, was not -very well pleased to be shut up inside those log walls with no chance -to make themselves famous by fighting the Indians, and, worse than -all, he could look over the stockade at almost any time of the day and -see the prairie chickens flitting about as if there were not a hostile -Sioux within a hundred miles of them. - -"What is the reason the Colonel will not let one of us go out and knock -over a few of them for dinner?" he said to a sentry one day while he -stood by his side watching them. "I don't see a single Sioux in sight." - -"No, sir," replied the sentry. "But they are there, sure enough. Every -little tuft of grass hides one." - -"But why don't they show themselves?" - -"They do when they can make anything by it. Have you forgotten Mike and -Tony?" - -The sentry called the names of two plainsmen,--experienced scouts they -were too,--who had attempted to leave the Fort only a few nights before -with some papers that the Colonel wished particularly to send to his -superior officer. They had been gone about three hours, but when they -returned they looked as though they had been through three or four -wars. They barely escaped and that was all; and Tony carried with him -the mark of an arrow which came near ending his career then and there. - -"But this is daytime," said Guy. "I don't see what harm there can be in -riding around over the prairie in plain sight of the post. I believe I -will ask the Colonel to let me try it on." - -"Very good, sir," replied the sentry. "But he won't let you go." - -The Lieutenant did not catch all this reply, but hurried away to -find the commanding officer. He sent in his name by the Orderly and -presently entered the room to which young officers of his rank seldom -went unless to receive orders or listen to a reprimand. The Colonel -was in his shirt sleeves and pacing back and forth, and now and then -he took one of his hands out of his pockets to run it impatiently -through his hair. He seemed to have forgotten that he was a soldier and -commander of the Fort besides, for he was so impatient at being shut up -without remedy that he could scarcely control himself. He stopped and -turned toward Mr. Preston with something like a frown upon his face. - -"Well, what is it now?" he inquired. "Do you know where the Indians -are?" - -"No, sir, and I don't believe there is one within two miles of the -Fort," answered the Lieutenant. - -The Colonel walked to his table, picked up his eyeglasses and put them -on. He wanted to look at the officer who could give such an opinion as -this. - -"I should like permission to ride out on the prairie a little way and -shoot some of those prairie chickens which are so thick out there," -said Mr. Preston. "I saw some within twenty yards of the post." - -The Colonel stared hard at Mr. Preston and then drew up the nearest -chair and sat down. At first he opened his mouth as if to give a very -emphatic reply to this strange request, but on second thought he -shouted:-- - -"Orderly, tell the Adjutant I want to see him." - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -AN INVITATION - - -Guy Preston was sorely perplexed by this order. He was not aware that -he had done anything to be reported to the Adjutant, and besides that -officer was not a member of his company. He had not been invited to sit -down as was generally the case with officers who came there to see the -Colonel on business, but stood twirling his cap in his hand; and every -time he raised his eyes to the Colonel's face he saw that the officer -was still regarding him behind his eyeglasses as if he meant to look -him through. - -"Are you aware that the Sioux are very hostile, and have you any idea -what they will do if they capture you?" said the Colonel, breaking the -silence at last. - -"But they will not capture me, sir," answered Guy. "I shall go on -horseback, and the Indian pony does not live which can beat Tom." - -"I don't suppose that a bullet or an arrow could stretch your Tom out -dead while you were running away from them?" said the Colonel. - -"Yes, sir, I suppose they can do that, but they would not take me -alive, all the same." - -Guy finished the sentence by putting his hand into his hip pocket and -drawing forth a Derringer which he showed to the Colonel. - -"Humph!" said the officer. "You would shoot yourself before you would -be taken prisoner? Well, I don't know but that is the right thing to -do." - -At this moment the First Lieutenant who acted as Adjutant came into the -room. He listened with surprise when his officer made him acquainted -with the request that Guy Preston had brought in to him, adding:-- - -"You have your report for this quarter all made out?" - -The Adjutant replied that he had. - -"Well, I shall want you to make out an entry in your 'Remarks' in -regard to Lieutenant Preston," said the Colonel. "You will simply -say: 'Requested permission to go out in the face of the Sioux for -the purpose of shooting some sage hens. Granted. He was shot down -and killed by the Sioux in plain view of the Fort.' You may go," he -continued, walking up and taking Preston by the hand. "I never expect -to see you again." - -"Th--thank you, sir," replied the Lieutenant, who was confounded by the -way his request was granted. "I will surely be back in the course of an -hour or two." - -When Guy had left the room, the Colonel's face relaxed, and filling up -his pipe he settled himself for a smoke. - -"I do not think he will go," said the Adjutant with a laugh. "I know I -would not stir a peg after I had received such a permission as that." - -"Keep an eye on him," said the Colonel, "and if you see him mount his -horse, just step up and tell him not to go out of sight of the Fort. I -do not blame these boys for getting impatient, I want to do something -myself, but I don't know what it is." - -"Halloo, Preston, where are you going now?" exclaimed one of his -roommates, as he entered his apartment and began to overhaul his -hunting rig. "A shotgun! You are not going outside!" - -"The Colonel told me to go," answered Preston. "He called them sage -hens, but I believe they are prairie chickens." - -"And you are going outside to shoot them, and the Sioux all around -you?" cried the young officer, throwing down his book and raising -himself to a sitting posture on his bunk. "Guy, you are crazy." - -"I guess that is what the Colonel seemed to think; but he told me to -go, and said he never expected to meet me again. He is going to bluff -me, but he will find that I am not that sort." - -Guy then went on to tell Perkins how the request was received and the -way it was granted, to all of which he listened in amazement. As soon -as he began to get it through his head, he implored his roommate to let -the permission go by default; the Colonel did not expect him to go; he -knew how perilous the undertaking was, and he hoped, by drawing it in -its true colors, to make Preston see it also; but Preston did not see -it in that way. - -"He did not go at it right," said he. "He took the very course to make -me go out there. If he is going to find out how brave I am, he will -certainly find it out." - -"You are a fool," declared Perkins hotly. "I never expect to see you -again either. When I shake you by the hand at the gate it will be the -last time until I see you brought in for good." - -Guy Preston began to see at last that he was about to do something -at which many a better man and braver than he ever dared be would -hesitate. It might be that "every little tuft of grass concealed a -Sioux warrior," and an arrow or a bullet sped when he was not looking -for it would put an end to his redoubtable thoroughbred and leave -him at the mercy of the Indians who had beleaguered the Fort; but he -had his loaded Derringer in his pocket, and he was sure that with it -he could escape the barbarities they would inflict upon him. He took -his double barrel out of its case, and bade Perkins good-by; but that -worthy did not notice him at all. He got up and accompanied Preston -to the stables, saw him saddle his horse and lead him to the gate. He -found the Adjutant there waiting to pass the orders the Colonel had -last given him, and he seemed more surprised than ever to learn that -the young officer was still bent on going outside; but he said, as if -he were giving ordinary instructions to one who had a simple duty to -perform:-- - -"Do you see those hills about a mile and a half off? Well, keep inside -of them. If you go over them, we shall give you up. Look out for an -ambuscade." - -"Now will you bid me good-by, Perkins?" said Guy, extending his hand. -"Oh, you need not be so particular about giving it a brotherly clasp. -I will see you again in two or three hours, and I shall have a lot of -prairie chickens to show you. Good-by everybody." - -"I am really surprised at the Colonel," said Perkins, as he stood by -the Adjutant's side and watched his comrade as he galloped away. "He -should have refused him point-blank." - -"The Colonel is sorry enough for it now when it is too late," said -the officer. "He supposed, of course, when the boy found out how much -danger there was in his undertaking that he would give it up; but I -knew he was taking the wrong course. Good-by Preston. By gracious, he -has one prairie chicken already!" - -Yes; the very first chicken that his horse frightened up was filled -full of No. 8 shot, and Preston had something for his dinner. The -Adjutant could not wait to see any more. He had business to attend to -somewhere inside, so he went off and Perkins sat there on the ground -for an hour and kept watch of his companion as he wandered to and fro -on the prairie in search of another chicken. At last one got up before -him, but the shooter seemed to have lost his skill. The double barrel -spoke twice in quick succession, but the chicken kept on and in a -moment more flew over the ridge out of sight. At least that was what -Perkins thought he had done, the distance being so great that he could -not see the chicken at all; but he judged from Guy's actions that that -was the way he had gone. After waiting long enough to reload his gun, -he put spurs to his horse and presently he too was out of sight. - -"Good-by Guy Preston," said Perkins, with a sigh; "you are the best -fellow that ever lived, and now the Sioux have got you sure. You should -have had better sense than to disobey the Adjutant's orders." - -Perkins was in a very gloomy frame of mind as he took his way through -the gate and finally brought up before the Adjutant's door. A voice -from the inside bade him enter, and the Lieutenant knew as soon as he -looked at him that he had some news to communicate. - -"Guy Preston has gone, sir," said he. - -"Over the ridge?" replied the officer, starting up in his chair. - -"Yes, sir. The second chicken he shot at went that way, or at least I -thought so, and Guy followed after him." - -The Adjutant said no more. Guy was a favorite with all the officers -and men, and the idea of him losing his life through a disobedience of -orders was distressing. He shoved a sheet of paper which he had been -examining to one side, got up and walked to a window and looked out at -the sentry who stood in front of the gate; and Perkins, taking this as -a gentle hint that conversation was no longer desirable, put on his hat -and retreated through the door. - -Guy Preston was a persevering hunter, and when he reached the top of -the swell he saw the chicken just settling in the grass about one -hundred yards away. This time there was no mistake about it. The game -"lay well to cover," and when the horse was almost ready to step upon -him he arose and sought safety in flight; but he laid too long. When -the shotgun spoke again he came down, and Guy had another chicken. For -half an hour longer he rode about behind the swell, and finally he -aroused himself and began to look around him. He was surprised to see -that he had broken orders by at least a mile or more. - -"Come on, Tom, and we will go back in a hurry," said he, pulling the -horse's head around. "There were more chickens out here when I looked -over the palisade at them, and where are they now? Get up, Tom, and -we'll--" - -Something happened just then to call Guy back to earth, and made him -think a little more of the Sioux than he did a few moments previous. -It was the sight of a solitary warrior sitting on his horse about half -a mile away, and what struck Guy as something strange was, he did not -seem at all afraid of being observed by anybody. Guy drew up his horse -and looked at him. He could see that the Indian brave was dressed in -war costume, but the distance was so great, not having a glass with -him, that he could not make out whether he was a chieftain or not. The -warrior seemed to be equally interested in him, for after looking at -Guy for a minute or two, he put his horse in motion and came down the -swell toward him. - -"I don't believe I care for a closer acquaintance," said the young -officer, gathering up the reins and leaning forward in the saddle, -still keeping his eyes fixed upon the approaching savage. "If you want -a race, come on. It is lucky for you that I haven't my Winchester in my -hands. I would take that war bonnet of yours into the Fort with me as a -trophy." - -But somehow Guy did not put his horse into rapid motion as he had -expected to do. The Indian, when he saw that Guy was getting ready -to flee, stopped his own horse, and, as if to assure him that his -intentions were pacific, held his rifle above his head at arm's length. -This done he swung himself to the ground and laid the weapon at full -length in the grass. Then he unbuckled his belt, which he also showed -to Guy, and laid it beside the rifle. The next belt he took off was the -one containing his knife, which he also placed with the others, and -having completely disarmed himself, he placed one hand upon his horse's -withers, gracefully leaped into the saddle, and once more rode toward -Guy. - -"I believe he wants to communicate," thought Guy, not knowing whether -or not to accept his invitation. "Sioux, thy name is treachery; and -that fellow's motions show me that he is as active as a cat. There," he -added, seeing that the savage stopped his horse and sat regarding Guy -intently, "he is waiting to see what I am going to do. I believe I will -try him on." - -Guy Preston's actions must by this time have satisfied the reader that -he was a boy who could not easily be frightened. His coming out on the -prairie to shoot chickens must have convinced one of that fact. Without -hesitating a moment he proceeded to disarm himself the same as the -savage had done, but all he had to do was to lay down his shotgun and -take off the belt containing his cartridges. His loaded Derringer he -kept in his hip pocket. - -"Now come on," said he, as he again mounted his horse. "He may have -some weapons about him, but if he has I have my Derringer." - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -WINGED ARROW - - -Guy often said that he did not see why it was that he and the savage -should advance to meet each other in that cool and collected manner. If -the Indian had friends who were concealed behind the swells and he was -simply trying to get him further away from the Fort so that they could -surround and capture him, he saw no signs to indicate it. He never -looked behind him at all. He came on as though he had no suspicion, -and Guy, not to be outdone by his savage confederate, came on in the -same way. He had a great curiosity to see a real live Indian in his war -paint, but as he drew nearer he discovered that there were no signs of -paint about this Indian. It was a whiter face than people of his tribe -usually boast of, and Guy thought that he was smiling in a good-natured -sort of way. A few steps more and he was aware of it; and furthermore -he discovered that his savage friend, if that was the name to be -applied to him, was a boy but little older than himself. As soon as he -approached within speaking distance he raised his hand to his bonnet -with a military flourish and said, in perfect English:-- - -"How do you do, sir?" - -Guy raised his hand to his cap, but he could not say anything in reply. -The idea of being spoken to in such a manner was enough to upset him -completely. He had been wondering how he would communicate with the -savage and running over in his mind the various signs he had learned -from the guides, signs which he could use whenever he met an Indian -who did not understand his language; but to be addressed in finished -English was rather more than he had bargained for. The Indian evidently -enjoyed his perplexity, for after looking at him a moment or two he -inquired:-- - -"Do you not think you are running a great risk in coming out here to -shoot those little birds, while there are Sioux all around you ready to -take your scalp?" - -"Who are you?" said Guy, getting the better of his astonishment at last. - -"I am Winged Arrow, at your service," replied the Indian. - -"Yes; but I don't know any more about you than I did before," returned -Guy. "You are not an Indian?" - -"A full-blooded one," was the response; and the savage proved that he -had been among the soldiers just long enough to learn their ways, for -he lifted his right leg and placed it across the horn of his saddle. -"Perhaps my English bothers you." - -"Well, yes; I confess that that has something to do with it," said Guy, -growing more at his ease. "Where have you been to learn so much?" - -"I have been at Carlisle. I was a student there for eight years." - -"Oh," said Guy, his astonishment being immensely relieved. "But you did -not stay there long enough to wash the red out of you." - -"It would take more than eight years to do that. I learned the white -man's ways, but I could not forget that I was an Indian. What do you -fellows want out here anyway? The prairie is broad, and why could you -not build a road somewhere else?" - -Having got over his astonishment, Guy turned to make a note of the -savage and his accoutrements. This was the first Indian he had ever -seen close at hand, but as far as he had read or seen at a distance his -trappings were all of the savage order. His moccasins, leggings, and -hunting shirt, as well as the gaudily ornamented bonnet which he wore -upon his head, were all of some squaw's handiwork. There was only one -thing about him that looked any way civilized,--his hair was cut short -in regular school-boy fashion. His face would have been a study if Guy -had had the opportunity to give it a good looking-over. It was a noble -face, and one that could hardly be expected to be found among men or -boys of his tribe. How such a face as that should become distorted by -passion was something Guy could not understand. The Indian certainly -had no weapons about him. If he had, they kept company with Guy's -Derringer--safely out of sight. - -From the Indian,--or Winged Arrow, he called himself,--Guy turned his -attention to his horse; for a horse was something he greatly admired. -It was a small horse of sorrel color, but there was a look about him -which drew his attention and which he greatly delighted in. The animal -stood peaceable enough, but his head was erect, his eyes flashed -continually as he glanced around the horizon, and he snuffed as often -as he turned toward the Fort, as if he felt the presence of an enemy -there. Guy was satisfied at last to turn his attention to Winged Arrow -and hear what else he had to say. - -"This land belongs to Congress," began Guy. - -"I beg your pardon, sir, but Congress never had a right or never will -have a right to own one foot of this ground," said the Indian, speaking -with some animation. "It belongs to us, and we are bound to defend it." - -"Did we not make a treaty with some of your big men to have the right -of way through this country?" said Guy. - -"But why did you not take the sense of the nation on it? Red Cloud is -a 'big man,' and he is decidedly opposed to it. You have taken one -reservation after another from us and the Indian has nothing left. We -propose to do as any brave people would do--fight for this country as -long as there is a man left. This home is all we have, and we will not -give it up until we are whipped. This is the sixth time you have made -us promises, and not one of them has been fulfilled." - -Guy Preston could not say anything in reply, for he knew that Winged -Arrow told him the truth. The Indian then went on to tell of some of -those treaties and the way the white man had broken faith with them; -and he repeated them as though he were reading from a book. He had the -words of Spotted Tail, a chief of the Brule Indians, almost by heart. -He said that word came from the Great Father that the white men wanted -to "borrow" the right of way from the Indians, and that the promises so -made would last fifty years; but it was not true. The next treaty they -made was with General Sherman, and they were told that the promises -would last for twenty-five years; but it also was not true. The General -said that the Indian should have all the land from the White River to -the Missouri, cattle, oxen, and wagons to haul logs with, and that -they should have $15 as an annuity; but it was false. The white man -never came with the goods in his hand to let the Indian see how much -he was going to get for the land he was told to give up, for then -their hearts would be glad; but they got the land and forgot all their -promises. Winged Arrow's heart was in the matter and for an hour he -kept talking, while Guy could only sit still and listen. - -"But it seems to me that you are making a big mistake," said he at -last, when he saw a chance to crowd a word in edgewise. "What do you -want to kill the soldiers for? They are not to blame because somebody -has broken faith with you." - -"I know that very well," said the Indian, straightening himself up on -his horse and raising his hand above his head. "But don't you know that -the soldiers are the bulwarks of civilization? The settlers would not -come here if it were not for the soldiers. The most of us know that we -are going to be whipped in the long run." - -"You do know it? Then what have you those clothes on for?" - -"Because I am bound to go down with the rest. I would not give a cent -to live here on this prairie unless we could live as we were before." - -Guy did not know what reply to make to this. He thought it would be a -long time before Winged Arrow and others like him could live as they -used to do before the whites came in. There was the buffalo. There -was a time when the land all around them was fairly black with the -countless throngs, but they had all been slaughtered by the hands of -the buffalo hunters, either for their hides or just to make a "record," -and no power on earth could bring those throngs back again. Winged -Arrow should have seen that, so Guy reasoned with himself, and he did -not hesitate to tell him so. - -"The buffalo are gone, or rather are going as fast as they can, and -you have to give up hunting them and follow the white man's road -hereafter," said he earnestly. - -"That will never be," said Winged Arrow; and his voice fell almost to a -whisper. "There was a time when we thought we could kill all the white -men and then the buffalo would increase; but those of us who have been -to the nation's capital know that the thing is just impossible. When -the buffalo goes the Indian will go. We are doomed." - -Guy Preston had been pretty well aware of that fact for a long time, -but this was the first intimation he had ever had of it from an Indian. -Winged Arrow seemed to realize it, and his voice grew husky and faint -whenever he spoke of it. - -"Ah! Those were happy days," said he, looking out over the prairie, as -if in the distance he could see the vision he was conjuring up. "Of -course I don't remember it, for I was not born then; but I have heard -my father tell of it, and I can almost see the things as they happened -then. The people obeyed the chief, hunted the buffalo, and were happy." - -"Yes"; said Guy. "You were happy when you were on the warpath. You -Indians were always fighting." - -"Of course. That was fate. The weaker had to give way to the stronger, -and that is just what we are doing now. The Indian believes that there -are two spirits that rule mortal man, the Good spirit and the Bad. The -Good spirit is all the time working for us. He brings us everything -that makes man happy. He brings us good weather, plenty of game, and -success over our enemies. The Bad spirit is just the reverse. He brings -sickness, drives away the game, and makes us miserable in every way he -knows how. He has for a time taken advantage of the Good spirit, and -that is just what he is doing for us now. Some day the Good spirit will -turn around and get the advantage of HIM, but that will be long after -my day." - -"What do you think will happen then?" asked Guy, who was much -interested in what the Indian said to him. - -"When that happens you will see a glorious day for the Sioux Indians," -said Winged Arrow, growing animated. "The whites will be driven away -from this country forever, I don't know just how it will be done, but -it will surely happen; the buffalo will come back, and the Sioux will -be monarch of all he surveys." - -"I will not live to see that day," said Guy. - -"Neither will I; but it is going to take place as sure as the world -stands. But I didn't come out here to teach you my religion. You are -Methodist or Episcopalian, and probably you will die that way. I came -out to warn you." - -"To warn me?" echoed Guy. "What about?" - -"That there is going to be a massacre here in a few days, and I want -you to keep out of it." - -"You just bet that I will keep out of it, if I can; but if I should be -ordered to be in it--then what?" - -"Why, then, there is no help for you. I shall do the same; but you may -rest assured that I shall not shoot close to any palefaces. I saw a -good many whites while I was gone, and I can't bear to think of seeing -them come to their death." - -"Come to their death? Is it going to happen out here on the plains?" - -For the first time Winged Arrow straightened around on his horse and -looked behind him. There was something so stealthy in his movements -that Guy almost involuntarily slipped his right hand to his hip pocket -and laid hold of his Derringer. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -THE MEDICINE - - -Guy Preston turned and looked in the same direction in which the Indian -was gazing, but could not see anything to confirm his suspicions. The -prairie, as far as he could see it, did not appear as though there was -a person on it, but Guy knew better than that. He knew that there was -a Sioux warrior within easy reach of him, perhaps at that very minute -a rifle was aimed at him or his horse, and that nothing saved him but -the presence of Winged Arrow. His face grew a shade paler and his hand -trembled as he clutched his Derringer, but his determination was there -all the same. - -"If I go you will have to go first," said he to himself. "On that I am -resolved." - -"I see you are armed," said the Indian, turning quickly about and -seeing Guy with his right hand behind him. "That shows that I have more -faith in you than you have in me. Well, I don't know that I blame you. -You fellows with your books and your speakers have somehow got hold -of the idea that an Indian has no gratitude, but I have proved the -contrary by coming out here to warn you." - -"You are a queer sort of an Indian anyhow," said Guy, taking his hand -from his hip pocket. "You ought to be a white man." - -"I am white in some respects; but with all the lessons I learned at -Carlisle, they did not make me forget that I was to the manner born. -This country is mine, and those who think as I do will, when we lose -it, see the last of Winged Arrow." - -"Did you know that this massacre was coming before you came here?" said -Guy, who wanted to learn as much as he could about the savages on the -plains and in the school. "If you did, I don't see why your teachers -did not warn the authorities." - -For a reply Winged Arrow took hold of a little bag which he carried in -front of him, lifted the cover and thrust his hand into it. Presently -he brought out a folded paper, and after he was certain that he had -what he wanted, he passed it over to Guy. - -"That was the letter I received inviting me to come home," said he. -"What do you make out of it?" - -Guy took the letter, but he could not see any writing on it. On the -extreme left was an arrow furnished with wings, and a little further -to the right was a hand with the forefinger extended as if beckoning -to the arrow to hasten his coming. On the right, and a little below -this beckoning hand, was an Indian tepee with a buffalo grazing beside -it. Although the drawing was evidently done by an unpracticed hand, it -was so plain that anybody could tell what it was. With the aid of a -few colored pencils, which the drawer had begged or borrowed from the -officers of the Fort, he had made the characters of different tints, so -that they resembled nature in a wonderful degree. Some distance lower -down and plainly a different picture was a bow and a quiver of arrows -which another hand was extending toward Winged Arrow, and further back -of it was a riderless horse with his mane and tail flying in the wind. - -"My father drew all that, and it is just as plain to me as daylight," -said the Indian, who was closely watching the young officer's face. - -"There is something red descending from that hand," said Guy. "What is -it intended to represent?" - -"That tells about the massacre that is coming, and he wants me here to -take part in it," replied Winged Arrow. - -"And are you going to do it?" - -"I shall probably be in it, but the bullet from my rifle will not kill -any paleface," said the savage. "That much Indian has been washed out -of me. I can't do it." - -"Bully for you," said Guy, riding his horse up closer to Winged Arrow -and thrusting out his hand to him. "I bet you--" - -"You must not shake hands with me," exclaimed the Indian, drawing back. -"There are too many on the watch." - -"Do you pretend to say that there are some Indians watching me now?" -exclaimed Guy. - -"Certainly there are. You have been within reach of two ever since you -came over that ridge." - -"Then I must go back," said the young officer, who cast anxious glances -on all sides of him. "What is the reason they didn't shoot me down or -make a prisoner of me? Say! What's your name? You must have had some -cognomen besides your Indian name to designate you by when at school." - -"My name is John Turner, and the boys called me Winged Arrow because I -was so fleet in running foot races. I called myself after the janitor -of the school. He was always good to Indians, believed that we have -been abused, and said if he were President he would not have permitted -things to go on in this way. If he were here now we would do our best -to capture him, and after we got him we would send him out of the -country." - -"But what was your object in selecting ME to warn ME of the massacre? -There are plenty of others who, just like myself, do not believe in -this business." - -"And any one of them would have done just as well. From the day on -which you left Fort Robinson in Nebraska--" - -"Have you followed us all the way from there?" asked Guy, in surprise. - -The Indian nodded his head. - -"Why, I should have thought you would have attacked us before this -time." - -"There were too many of you. An Indian does not like to be killed -any better than a white man. Ever since you left that fort I have -been watching you--you see I could always tell you by the horse you -rode--and I decided that if I could catch you out alone I would tell -you of the massacre that is surely coming." - -"When is it coming off?" - -"It will be when we get some of you where you cannot defend yourselves. -We will kill fifty or a hundred of you soldiers, and then we will do -what we please with the Fort." - -"Well, by George! When you attempt that, I hope you will get whipped -for your pains." - -Guy was angry now, and he said just what he thought. - -"American soldiers are not the men to give way before a handful of -savages," he continued. - -"A handful of savages! How many do you suppose there are watching -you night and day?" asked Winged Arrow; and his eyes flashed and he -clenched his hands nervously together. - -"Well, I suppose you have a great many; but it will take more men than -you can raise to whip us out. I presume you have a thousand." - -"Say three thousand and you will hit it. And there are more coming in -every day. Now I will tell you what is a fact: You have never seen an -Indian war yet." - -"I know that. I have never seen any." - -"After you have seen one you will never want to see another. A -battlefield is something awful to look at." - -"I have seen the soldiers that you Indians killed and mutilated since -we have been here, and I guess I know something about them. When you -have killed a man, why don't you let him alone?" - -"If I tell you, you would not believe it,--because it is a part of our -religious ceremony. The little scrimmages you saw are nothing to the -scene presented by a regular battlefield. Are you going now? Well, I -will trouble you for that letter." - -Guy had unconsciously held fast to the letter which Winged Arrow had -given him, intending to keep it as a souvenir of his meeting with the -young savage; but he was so angry at some things that had been said -that he had forgotten all about it. He accordingly returned the letter -saying as he did so:-- - -"I wish you would let me keep that document to remind me of you. If I -tell what I have seen and heard out here the officers will all laugh -at me and say I dreamed it all. I want it too to bear in mind that the -first Indian I ever talked with warned me to look out for that massacre -which you say is surely coming." - -"Well, take it along," said the Indian, after thinking a moment. "It is -of no use to me, and it may be the means of saving your life." - -"What do you mean by that?" - -"You will excuse me if I do not say any more. Perhaps you will see that -an Indian has some gratitude after all." - -Guy Preston wanted very much to hear more about that letter saving his -life, but Winged Arrow put his horse in motion and rode toward the top -of the swell behind which the Fort lay. Guy wanted to tell him that -he had better go back, but the savage rode on with his eyes fastened -upon the horn of his saddle, apparently very much occupied with his own -thoughts. Finally he stopped and looked inquiringly at Guy. - -"Are you not going to pick up your shotgun?" he asked. - -"Yes; when I come to it," said Guy. - -"You would not make a good hand to live on the plains," replied Winged -Arrow, with a grin; "here it is." - -The young officer looked, and there were his gun and birds just as he -left them. He did not forget to thank Winged Arrow for calling his -attention to them, and said, as he jumped off and secured his gun:-- - -"I am afraid to have you go any further toward the Fort. We have some -guns trained on this ridge. I know they are accurate, for I helped to -train them myself." - -"I will stop when I have gone far enough," said Winged Arrow. "Do you -see that little tuft of grass up there on the hill? There is an Indian -in there." - -"By George! And I rode within twenty feet of that tuft of grass when I -came down," stammered Guy, "What had I better do?" - -"Keep right ahead and say nothing about it. He will not disturb you. -Now I guess I have gone far enough, and I will say good-by. Remember -what I have told you about that massacre. Keep that letter about your -uniform wherever you go. I must not shake hands with you." - -Guy Preston was just as eager now to get over on the other side of -the ridge as his horse was to carry him there. Tom snorted loudly as -the tainted air fell upon his nostrils, and even showed a desire to -go toward the Fort at the top of his speed, but the strong curb held -him. Guy had heard one of the guides say that his horse could smell -an Indian further than he could see him, and that when camping alone -he always felt perfectly easy until his steed began to show signs -of alarm, and at that moment he thought it best to seek safety in -flight; and Guy did not dispute the story. He said good-by with some -uneasiness, gathered his reins firmly in his hands and cast anxious -glances toward the tuft of grass, but nothing in the shape of a -savage could he see. Finally the flag came in sight and a few seconds -afterward the log palisades, and then Guy felt safe. He loosened up -on the curb, and in an instant the horse responded to it. The young -officer told himself that he had never traveled so swiftly on horseback -before. He approached the gate at a rapid run, returned the sentry's -salute of welcome, and presently dismounted in front of the Colonel's -quarters. He drew a long breath of relief, for he was safe for the time -being. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE REPRIMAND - - -"What luck have you had?" said Perkins, who had stood by the sentry -when Guy dashed by and now came up to see how much game he had secured -during his wild ride. "Say! the officer of the guard is just waiting -to give you fits. You know the orders are that you must not gallop -into the Fort unless there is something after you. Why, where have you -been?" he added, now for the first time noticing how white the young -officer's face was. "Did you see any Sioux?" - -"Perk, I never was so glad to get inside of a stockade before," replied -Guy, handing his gun to his friend, removing his cap and wiping the -perspiration from his forehead. "Yes, sir; I have seen a Sioux Indian -and I was closer to him than I cared to be." - -"Did he shoot at you?" - -"No, but he said something to me." - -"What did he say?" - -"He told me to look out for the massacre that is coming in a few days." - -"Aw! Get out!" exclaimed Perkins. "It is very likely that a Sioux would -tell you that, isn't it now? Go and dream something else." - -At this moment an Orderly stepped up and, after saluting, informed Guy -that the officer of the day wanted to see him right away. Guy handed -his reins to Perkins and started to obey. - -"Wait until I receive my reprimand and then I will tell you all about -it," said he. "I am telling you the truth. I met him just on the other -side of that hill." - -Guy followed the Orderly to the quarters of the officer of the day and -found that gentleman there alone. His face wore a fierce frown as he -turned about in his chair and confronted the young officer. - -"I have got back, sir," said Guy, raising his hand to his cap. - -"So I perceive," responded Captain Kendall. "You have disobeyed orders -twice since you have been gone." - -"I know it, sir, and I am willing to take the scolding which I deserve -for the first one, but if you knew all the circumstances you would not -reprimand me for the second. I couldn't help it, sir. My horse got away -from me." - -The young officer's air, taken in connection with his pale face, made -his superior think there was something back of it, so he crossed his -legs, settled down in his chair and requested him to go on, and state -what the horse had seen to frighten him. Guy hardly knew how to begin, -for he was satisfied that he could not make the officer believe it. - -"I followed two of those birds, but the second one got away from me and -flew over the ridge, sir," said Guy. - -"We are well aware of that fact," said the officer of the day. "That -was the time when you should have faced about and returned to the -Fort." - -"I know it, sir, and I confess to my weakness there; but what kept me -so long was an interview I had with a Sioux warrior on the other side -of the ridge." - -The officer of the day began to prick up his ears when he heard this. -He straightened up a little in his chair and simply nodded his head as -if to tell Guy that he could go on. And Guy went on. He related the -whole of his interview with Winged Arrow without interruption from the -officer, and when he got through he showed him the letter which the -young savage had given him. He explained the crimson drops which were -represented as falling from the hand that was beckoning to Winged Arrow -to come home. - -"That tells of the massacre that is to come, sir," said he. "They have -shot twenty of our men since we have been here at the Fort, but Winged -Arrow says this represents more than that." - -"Why, they must be going to kill us all off," said the officer. - -"It certainly looks that way, sir, and he says if I see one battlefield -I will never want to see another." - -"And he gave it to you to save your life?" continued the Captain. - -"That is what he told me, sir. He told me to keep it about my uniform -wherever I went." - -"Perhaps the Colonel had better see this," said the Captain, after a -moment's pause. "But I shall have to come down on you hard to pay you -for going over the other side of the ridge." - -"I know it, sir. I ought to have come back then." - -"Well, the next time the Colonel trusts you, be sure and obey all -orders to the very letter. Now we will go and see what he has to say -about it." - -Guy felt better than he did when he came into that room a little while -ago. Captain Kendall was noted for "coming down hard" on both officers -and men who did not obey the law, and so far Guy was all right; but how -was he going to fare when he saw the Colonel? He followed the officer -as he walked toward the office, and looked all around to see if he -could find Perkins or some of his roommates who would see him on the -way there. He saw Perkins, still holding fast to his horse, and when -the officer of the day was not looking toward him, he pulled off his -hat and took hold of his hair as if to show Guy that he was now about -to get a reprimand for going over the ridge. The officer sent in his -name by the Orderly and found the Colonel pacing back and forth as he -had seen him on a previous occasion. He faced about, took one hand from -behind him, and pointed it at Guy. - -"What do you mean, sir, by coming into the Fort as if all the Sioux -were close at your heels?" said he. - -"Colonel, if you will permit me, I should be glad to explain that -thing," said Captain Kendall; "here is a letter that tells all about -it." - -"Sit down, Captain, and that boy can stand there until I get ready to -talk to him," said the Colonel. "Where did you find this letter, sir?" - -Captain Kendall made answer for him, and it was not long before the -frown on his face vanished and a troubled expression came to take its -place. - -"The next time we send out a party for wood is when the massacre -is going to take place," said he, when the Captain had explained -everything. "We must be on the lookout for that. Have you told this boy -what you think of him for going over the other side of the ridge?" - -"Yes, sir. I have told him all about it." - -"Then you may go." - -Guy Preston was in no hurry to go just then, for there was Winged -Arrow's letter which the Colonel did not show any signs of returning -to him. He sat with his eyes fastened upon it, and then Guy looked at -the officer of the day. The latter gave him a wink as if to say that -it was all right, the Orderly opened the door for him, and Guy went -out. Perkins still kept charge of the horse, and Guy went toward him. -It was against the law for an officer to hire or appoint an enlisted -man to act as his groom, and so every officer had to take charge of -his horse himself. But the thing was done in spite of orders and is -done yet. Most men are not backward in regard to earning a quarter for -rubbing down a horse in time for dress parade, and many a coin which -the officers earn slips into their pockets. They do this when there is -no officer about. The minute the officer of the day or guard appears -upon the scene, they grab the brush and the officer finds them at work -grooming their horses. Perkins would have stayed there until he was -gray headed, for Guy had told him just enough of his adventures to want -to make him hear more, and he knew that he would have to come there -after his horse. He had gathered the rest of his roommates about him, -and they were all impatient for Guy's appearance. - -"Here he comes now," exclaimed Arthur Brigham, one of the four who were -fresh from "The Point." "Now we will make him confess that he is making -that story all up out of his own head." - -"You will not make me go back on a single word that I have said," said -Guy, taking his reins and gun from Perkins's hand. "Come in with me -until I rub down my horse and I will tell you all about it." - -"But, Guy, did you really see an Indian and converse with him?" asked -another. - -"I did, as sure as you're a foot high. He was a splendid-looking -fellow, and talked English better than I did." - -"Oh, get out," said Arthur. "What chance had he to learn English?" - -"He says he has been to school for eight years. He knows all the -treaties by heart." - -"Oh, well, that accounts for it. How was he dressed?" - -While Guy was leading his horse toward the stable, he was plied with -such questions as these, and he hardly knew it when the soldier who -now and then acted as his groom, took the reins from his hand, led the -horse to his place, and removed the saddle and bridle from him. Guy -leaned upon his gun while all the rest of the boys, except Perkins, -crowded about him to hear some more of his story. Perkins remained near -the door to keep an eye on the parade ground. He did not intend to let -the officer of the day catch a soldier grooming Guy's horse. - -"Begin at the beginning and tell us all about it," said Arthur. "You -say he was a smart chap?" - -"The smartest I ever saw wrapped up in the hide of an Indian," said -Guy; "he saluted me as if he had been in the army all his life, and -the language with which he addressed me fairly took my breath away. I -didn't know what to say to him in reply." - -"Look out, boys," said Perkins in a whisper; "here comes Kendall." - -The boys vanished as if by magic. Guy peeled off his coat, took the -brush from the hands of the soldier, and, striking up a whistle, -proceeded to rub down his horse; the others went, some to examine -their bridles and some to give their nags a good looking-over, and -not another word was said. Captain Kendall came in and walked the -whole length of the stable without any remark and then went out; but -the moment he disappeared the soldier took the brush, and the young -officers gathered about Guy again. Not a word was said about the joke -they had played upon Captain Kendall. Such scenes were an every-day -occurrence. - -"What was in that letter he gave you?" asked Perkins. - -"That letter won't do me much good," replied Guy, with a discontented -look; "the Colonel's got it and I guess he means to keep it." - -"Not if it is going to save your life," said one of his roommates. - -"But how is it going to do that? I must first fall into the hands of -the Sioux, and I don't want to do that, I bet you. I have not forgotten -those men that they killed." - -"I will tell you what let's do," said Perkins. "Let's go and see Cyrus. -He will know whether or not there is anything to it." - -This the boys decided to do; and when the soldier had finished grooming -the horse, they came out and turned their steps toward the guide's -headquarters. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -THE BUNDLE OF SAGE BRUSH - - -"By the way," said Lieutenant Perkins, before they had gone many steps -on their road, "who is this young fellow, Winged Arrow, or whatever you -call him, anyway? Was he richly dressed?" - -"I don't see what his clothes had to do with that," said Arthur. "Of -course he was richly dressed, if it took the last cent he had. An -Indian will put all he has on his back, even if his stomach goes empty." - -"This fellow didn't, I tell you," said Guy. "The most I could see of -his uniform was buckskin; and it was fixed up in a way that must have -taken some squaw a year or more to turn it out so neatly. I saw his -pants, or a portion of them that was not covered up by his leggings, -and they were the costliest kind of broadcloth; much better than those -we wear,--we mounted Lieutenants who draw $1500 a year." - -"I wonder if his father is rich," said Perkins. - -"There!" exclaimed Guy. "I knew there was something I had forgotten. I -never thought to ask him who his father was." - -"You made a mistake there," said Arthur. "He must be a man of some note -in the tribe, or his son would not be allowed to meet an enemy on the -lines. You say that there were Sioux watching you all the time?" - -"Yes, and he showed me the hiding place of one of them; but you might -as well look for a needle in a haystack as to try to make him out. My -horse smelled him, however, and that was the reason he ran away with -me." - -The boys had by this time reached the guide's headquarters, and there -they found the man of whom they were in search sitting on an empty -cracker box, smoking his pipe. We ought rather to have said "the -boy," for Cyrus was about their own age. No one knew what his other -name was, whether Cyrus was his given or surname, and, as he did not -volunteer the information, no one cared to ask him. He had been born on -the plains, for no one could have learned so much unless he had been; -and the boys had told one another confidentially that there was a story -back of it. He was talkative enough whenever he was approached on any -other subject, but the moment they tried to pry into his parentage -Cyrus closed his mouth and would say nothing more. He was very friendly -with all the young officers, accepted the cigars and tobacco which they -offered him, and gave them "points" when they went out on a scout after -Indians; but who his father was was a question he would not answer. He -was taller than any boy in the party, and the muscles on his arms were -something to wonder at. - -"Halloo!" said he, knocking the ashes from his pipe and filling up for -a fresh smoke, "Guy got a reprimand. I can see it plainly enough. Why -didn't you obey the Adjutant's orders, and come in when your game flew -off over the ridge?" - -"Well, there is once that you are mistaken," said Guy. "I told the -officer of the day just why I did not come back, and he said that the -next time the Colonel trusted me I was to do just as I was told." - -"Kendall is the officer of the day, is he not?" replied Cyrus. "That -is the first time I ever knew of him letting a young officer off so -easily. You must have seen something over there." - -"Yes, I did; and I want to know if you ever heard of, or have seen -something, I don't care what it was, which was given to a white man -that would save his life if he were to fall into the hands of the -Sioux?" - -"I certainly have," replied Cyrus. - -"What was it?" asked all the boys at once. - -"Have you found such a thing?" - -"No; but I had something given to me. It was a letter which Winged -Arrow's father had written to him to come home." - -"Where is the letter?" - -"The Colonel's got it and I don't know whether he means to give it up -or not. I tell you it put him on nettles too. It tells of a massacre -that is to come off very shortly. The Colonel says that the next time -we go out after a load of wood we have got to look out." - -"I know pretty nearly all the Sioux that there are in that camp, but -I never heard of Winged Arrow before," said Cyrus. "What sort of a -looking chap was he? Tell me all about the history of that letter, and -then I will tell you some more." - -Once more Guy began and told his story, and Cyrus seemed to take it all -as a matter of course, for he never expressed surprise at anything the -young officer told him. When Guy had finished his tale, Cyrus lighted -his pipe and sat with his elbows on his knees, looking thoughtfully at -the floor. - -"So it seems that we young officers have got some friends in the camp -of the Sioux all unbeknown to us," said Guy, after waiting for Cyrus -to say something. "They don't want us all killed off." - -"Well, that stands to reason," said Cyrus. "This Winged Arrow has been -under instruction of white people all the time for eight years, as you -say, and he doesn't want to see any of your kind hurt. That letter will -save the life of anybody who falls into the hands of the Sioux." - -"Do you know that to be a fact?" asked Arthur, who, like all the rest -of the party, was greatly astonished. - -"Yes, sir; I know it is so," said Cyrus, emphatically. "Mine was saved -once by a simple bunch of sage brush which I had in one of my pockets." - -"Oh, go on and tell us all about it," chorused the boys, looking around -for some place to sit down. "I don't see what there could have been in -a lot of sage brush to save your life." - -"It is not a long story, so you need not get ready for an all night's -entertainment," returned Cyrus. "You know I have always been kind of -friendly toward the Indians; whether Sioux or Pawnee, it made no sort -of difference to me, for I live a good deal like them myself. About -two years ago we had some war on with the Sioux, about some land, of -course, and I was off scouting by myself to see what I could find. I -was not attached to any post then. One day I was within hearing of a -tremendous fight that came off between our fellows and the Sioux, but -I did not go near the battlefield until it was all over. The next day -I went up and found that our men had been victorious. The dead and -wounded Indians were buried where they had fallen, and our own people -had disappeared. They had been carried away by our fellows so that the -reds could not dig them up and mutilate them. - -"I was just about mounting my horse to go on again, when I heard a -groan coming from a thicket close at my side, mingled with the cries -in the Sioux tongue of 'Water! Water!' I tell you I did not feel safe -in going up to find out what the matter was, for the Indians, even -though they are wounded unto death, have a way of keeping a weapon in -their hands ready to be the death of any one who comes near them; but -finally I made out to see the man, and there was not anything in the -shape of a revolver or knife near him. He was shot through both hips, -but had managed to drag himself out of sight there in the thicket where -he had lain undisturbed by our forces when they were burying the dead. -When I came up to him he held out his hands piteously and begged for -water. He saw that I was supplied, for he had his eyes on my canteen, -and although somebody might call me a fool for doing it, I took it -off and gave it to him. He was a human being and somehow I could not -bear to knock him in the head. He seemed greatly surprised at that, -and grateful too; and after a little while I began a conversation with -him. He told me that he had been shot out there on the plains, but -had dragged himself to those bushes without a weapon of any kind, and -that nothing remained for him but to lie there and die. Of course I -could not do anything for him, for he was shot in such a way that he -could not sit upright on a horse. I left him the little grub I had and -promised that if I could find any one to send after him, I would do it; -but that was all in my one eye. I supposed when I left him it would be -the last of him. - -"Just as I was about to get on my horse and ride away from him, he -thrust his hand into his medicine sack and drew out something wrapped -up in buckskin, which he held toward me. I said nothing, but took it, -and when I was a little way off I unrolled the thing, and found that -I had a handful of sage grass. My first impulse was to drop it, for -I did not believe that it would be of any use to me; but in time I -happened to remember that such things HAD served prisoners in some way -or another and saved their lives." - -"Why, how would it do that?" said Arthur. - -"I do not know," replied Cyrus, "whether it is a sign from one Indian -to another, or some medicine which they think will protect anybody who -has it,--it is beyond me quite. It did not protect this Indian; for if -it had, the white man's bullet that shot him through the hips would -have been turned away and never hit him at all. Well, I took it, put it -in one of my pockets, and started on the trail of our forces, intending -to overtake them as soon as I could, when the first thing I knew I ran -plump into a squad of about twenty warriors; or, rather, they ran into -me, for they came over a hill and surrounded me before I could think -twice. 'Well' said I, 'You are gone up this time. It is no use trying -to get away, but some of these savages will go before you do.' So I cut -loose with my rifle--" - -"Do you mean to say that you shot while the Indians were all around -you?" exclaimed Guy in astonishment. - -"Certainly," replied Cyrus. "I supposed that if I was caught alive, -there could be only one case for me, and that was to be tortured, so I -determined to do what damage I could before I went. I got two of the -warriors, and I did not make any mistake about it either, and then -somebody shot my horse through the head and I came to the ground. -Before I could say 'General Jackson' I was disarmed and my hands tied -behind my back. I was done for at last." - -The boys waited impatiently for Cyrus to go on with his story, but he -leaned his elbows on his knees and took a few long pulls at his pipe. -At length Guy began to grow indignant. - -"Well, it seems as though the Indians left a great deal of you, if they -did burn you to death," said he. "Didn't they leave enough of you to -finish your tale?" - -Cyrus laughed heartily. - -"I was just going over in my mind the way things happened there during -the next few minutes," said he, when he had sobered down. "They all -began shouting at once, and I knew by the noise they made that we were -safe from our boys, and that I had nobody to rescue me. Some began -shouting out one thing and some another, but I knew from what they -said that they were in favor of disposing of me at once, because they -did not think it safe to take me to their village. They put a lariat -around my neck, jumped on their horses and started for a little grove -of willows about five miles off; and although I was a pretty fair -runner, I was completely whipped by the time we got there. I tried my -level best to make them listen to me, but I might as well have shouted -against the roar of Niagara. When we got to the willows I could not -say a word. They untied my hands and while some proceeded to cut the -fuel with which they were about to torture me, the others peeled off -my clothes; and they went into every pocket to see what I had that was -worth stealing. Presently one of them took up my pants which had my -pipe, tobacco, and money in them, and the first thing he drew out was -that roll of buckskin which contained the sage brush that the wounded -Indian had given me. The grunt he gave when he unrolled it was enough -to bring all the Indians about him. The shouting instantly ceased. They -examined the sage brush, turned it on all sides to see if there was -anything more with it, and at last looked at me. - -"'Have you fellows got so that you can listen to a white man at last?' -said I, 'I know where I got that, and who gave it to me. If you will go -with me I will show him to you.' - -"They could understand me well enough when they were not shouting so -as to drown my words. One of them, who spoke a little better English -than the rest, ordered me to tell my story; but I told him that I could -speak his own language better than he could, and so spoke to him in his -own dialect. When I got through they wanted to hold a consultation and -they drew off several feet, this time leaving me untied. When they came -back they allowed me to put on my clothes and told me to lead them to -their wounded comrade. If I had been a tenderfoot then I should have -been in a fix, for the prairie on all sides looked the same; but there -were certain little landmarks which I remembered, and in process of -time I brought them to the bush which concealed the man of whom I was -in search. One would have thought from the anxiety they showed to meet -the man, that there would have been a big jubilee over finding him; but -they did not act so at all. They simply exchanged a few words with him -and then came back to me. My horse, weapons, and every thing I had lost -by them was restored, all except my sage brush, which I wanted more -than I did anything else. Then they told me I could go; and I lost no -time in getting out of there. That letter of yours, Lieutenant, might -do the same thing for any one who happened to have it about him; and -for that reason I would like to see it. Don't you think the Colonel -would give it up if you asked him?" - -Cyrus, who had allowed his pipe to go out while he was talking, struck -a match on the floor and turned toward Guy for an answer. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -"GOOD-BY CYRUS" - - -"And do you really believe that that bit of sage brush, which anyone -could have picked up on the prairie, was the means of saving your -life?" inquired Guy, when Cyrus ceased speaking. - -"Or it may have been the water and food you gave him," said Arthur. -"Almost anybody would have been grateful for that." - -"No, it was the sage brush," said Cyrus earnestly. "The Indians carried -it with them when they went to the wounded man and showed it to him -before they told me that I could go. He exchanged a few words with them -in tones so low that I could not overhear them, and after that they -came to their decision regarding me. I say it was the sage brush and -nothing else." - -"Guy," said one of his roommates, "you must get that letter. Cyrus -wants to see it." - -"It is not that so much as I want it to help me in something I am going -to do to-night," said Cyrus. "I don't want you boys to say anything -about it, but I am going to try to get those dispatches to Fort -Robinson as soon as it becomes dark." - -The young officers were really surprised now. Here was a boy who was -about to take the same chances that two of their most trusted scouts -had attempted only a short time before, and he knew that he was going -to fall into the hands of the Sioux before he got through. For a minute -or two no one spoke. They looked at Cyrus and then at one another, and -finally shook their heads as if the matter was too deep for them to -understand. - -"I am going to try it to-night," said Cyrus, and for the first time in -their lives the boys saw him put on a determined look, which revealed -more of the boy's character than they had ever dreamed of. Cyrus had -pluck in him; there were no two ways about that. "If I fail, as a good -many better men than I have, who have tried it, it will be the last you -will ever see of me." - -"But, Cyrus, how do you know that the letter will prove an advantage to -you?" asked Guy. "You seem to be depending upon something that none of -us ever supposed that a Sioux had; I mean gratitude." - -"Oh, I know the way your speakers and writers of books have ventilated -their opinions on that subject, but I will tell you that gratitude is -a thing that Indians have as well as white men," said Cyrus, getting -upon his feet and pacing the floor. "You call an Indian a savage, and -say that everybody who falls into his hands is booked for Davy's locker -sure enough; but some of them have hearts. If the Colonel would let me, -I would not be afraid to take Guy's letter and go into the Sioux camp -this very minute." - -"Well, you have more faith in them than I have," said Guy, astonished -by the proposition, "You go into the Sioux camp to-night and we will -never hear any more stories from YOU; you can bet on that." - -"Somebody has to take the risk, and since the Colonel has been to me, -I can't well refuse. We shall all be massacred if we stay here, and if -some one has got to die in order to save the rest, it might as well be -myself as anybody. Guy, will you get the letter for me?" - -"Certainly," said the officer, who had never heard Cyrus speak in such -a tone of voice before. "It is my letter and I must have it." - -"Don't say anything to him about what I have told you," said Cyrus. "I -am disobeying orders by telling you, and you must keep my secret." - -After the boys had all promised to be careful, Guy Preston came out and -turned toward the Colonel's quarters. He heard the invitation in the -commandant's voice, "Tell him to come in," and Guy entered and found -the officer pacing up and down his narrow room as he had seen him -twice before. Indeed he did not appear to have anything else to do. He -wanted to find some way of getting out of the predicament he was in, -and he hoped by walking the floor that something would occur to him. - -"Sit down, Mr. Preston," said he. - -"Thank you, sir, but I don't want to stop long," was the reply. "I gave -you a letter which Winged Arrow gave to me, and you have not returned -it. The young savage wanted me to keep that letter in my uniform -wherever I went, thinking it might be of service to me if I were -captured." - -"Why, you don't expect to fall into the power of the Sioux, do you?" -said the Colonel with a smile. - -"No, sir, I don't expect to, but there is no telling what may happen." - -"I thought I would send that in making out my report," said the -officer. "If you don't mind, that is what I will do with it." - -Guy was astonished and greatly alarmed when he heard this. Aside from -the protection which the letter might afford him, there was Cyrus -who was particularly anxious to have it, in view of the perilous -undertaking which the passing of the hours was rapidly bringing toward -him. Cyrus was a favorite with all the officers and men, and he must -have the letter if there were any way to bring it about. He did not -believe in such things, but Cyrus did, and he thought that the mention -of his name would help matters a little. - -"I have been talking to Cyrus about it, and he wants to see it," said -he, at a venture. - -"Oh, Cyrus," exclaimed the Colonel, rising to his feet and going to his -desk, "That puts a different look on the affair. I suppose that when he -is done with the letter that you will bring it back." - -"Yes, sir; when he IS DONE with it," replied Guy, extending his hand -for the document. - -The Colonel evidently did not notice the emphasis he placed upon the -verb, for if he had he would have asked him to explain. He handed out -the letter, and, after thanking him for it, Guy put on his cap and left -the room. - -"I said when he was DONE with it I would return it," said he to -himself, as he ran across the parade ground, "that will be after the -letter has served his purpose. I hope it will assist him in getting out -of the hands of those rascally Sioux, if he is unfortunate enough to -fall into them; but I don't know. I would rather see our regiment drawn -up with sabers in their hands than to believe in this thing." - -Cyrus was in the quarters alone. The young officers having thought -of various duties they had yet to perform, had gone away to attend -to them. He received the letter with a smile and gave it a good -looking-over. "It WAS drawn by an Indian," he remarked, as he folded up -the letter and placed it in his pocket. - -"Now when you are all through with that, you must give it back to the -Colonel," said Guy, "I have promised him that. But it seems to me that -you are relying on a poor prop." - -"You probably get your notions of Indians from some books that you have -read," replied Cyrus. "I never have heard of a war yet in which some -prisoner, either white man or savage, did not owe his life to some -such thing as this. You never see anything about it in print, because -the majority of people they capture are not high enough up to believe -in such foolish ideas. They don't believe that because a thing is -senseless and can't speak, that it will be of any benefit to them; but -you ask some men, who have been out here on the prairie all their lives -and have associated with Indians more than they have with the whites, -what they think of these things. They will tell you that there is more -faith to be put in them than in a regiment of soldiers." - -Guy was amazed to hear Cyrus talk in this way. He grew animated and -talked like some one who had been through all the books at school, -and, furthermore, his words carried weight with them. Guy was -encouraged. He hoped that Cyrus would get through in safety with his -dispatches, or, failing that, the letter would take him through the -hostile ranks of the Sioux and bring him unharmed back to them. - -"You talk as though you were not going through," said he, not knowing -what else to say. - -"Well, those two men who tried it the other night were well up in all -that relates to the Indians and the prairie on which they live, and if -they did not get through there is a small chance for me. Now I want to -lie down and take a little sleep, and when the Orderly comes he will -know where to find me." - -"I may not see you again and so I will bid you good-by," said Guy, who -felt that he was parting from an older brother. He thrust out his hand, -and Cyrus took it and clasped it warmly. Not another word was said. The -officer put on his hat and left the quarters. - -"Don't I wish that I had half the pluck that that man has?" said he -to himself. "If that were all, he would hoodwink the savages in some -way; but they are too many for him. Good-by Cyrus. I will never see you -again." - -It was a long night to Guy Preston and his two companions who were with -him--two of them were on duty and they did not see much of them--and -when the next day came it was harder than ever, for they were obliged -to pretend ignorance of Cyrus's whereabouts. When he got up Guy passed -the time until breakfast in attending to such duties as were before -him, and then he drew a bee line for the guide's headquarters. He -wanted to see if anybody there knew anything of Cyrus. - -"You tell where Cyrus is," said Tony, who was taking his -after-breakfast smoke. "When I went to bed he lay right there; but when -I got up this morning his bunk was empty." - -"It is my opinion that he has gone off with the dispatches that we -failed to get through with the night we tried it," said Mike, who was -Tony's partner on that unsuccessful expedition. - -"Good land! He can't get through," exclaimed Tony. "I tell you, -Lieutenant, the Sioux are thicker than blackberries in a New England -pasture out there. Whichever way we turned we saw something to drive us -back. The Kurn knows mighty well that we would have gone on if we had -seen the ghost of a chance to get through, because all the men here are -in the same fix that we are; but what are you going to do when every -tuft of grass you look at turns out to be an enemy?" - -"Could you see the Sioux?" asked Guy. - -"No; but our horses smelled them, and that was enough for us. Whenever -they stopped and looked before them with cocked ears and snorted, we -went back and tried some other way; but it was the same all around the -camp. But I am mighty sorry to lose Cyrus. He was the best fellow in -camp." - -"Certain. If he isn't captured, the Sioux will drive him back. There's -one thing that I have got against him," said the other scout. "He has -left his horse behind him. If I had had anything to do with his going -away, I should have told him to be sure and take that pony." - -Until very recently Guy did not believe that a white man's horse could -scent an Indian further than he could see him, but he did believe it -now. His experience with his excited horse the morning before had -confirmed the story. - -"A white man's horse won't go up to an Indian that is lying in the -grass," continued the scout. "He will turn out and go some other way; -and an Indian's pony acts just the same way with a white man. The -horses enter into the spirit of the matter and hate a foe as heartily -as their riders do." - -Guy had heard all he wanted to hear about Cyrus's disappearance, and -returned to his room to get ready for guard mount, for he was to go -on duty then. Not one of his roommates could tell him a single thing -he had not learned already. No one knew when Cyrus went away, and the -only thing for them to do was to wait patiently for two or three days, -or until they could hear from Cyrus direct. Guy was glad to have some -duties to perform, because they kept him on the move and he did not -have as much time to think as he did when left to himself. - -At twelve o'clock his relief came on and, after eating his dinner, Guy -went into his room and laid down to get a wink of sleep to prepare him -for the mid-watch which came on at six o'clock; but it seemed to him -that he had scarcely closed his eyes when he was aroused by the long -roll and the hurrying of feet outside his quarters. To get up, pull on -his boots, seize his coat with one hand and his sword with the other -was done in less time than we take to write it, and Guy rushed out to -find his company rapidly falling in on the parade ground. Perkins came -up at the same instant, and met Guy with some encouraging words. - -"The massacre has come and in much less time than Winged Arrow thought -it would," said he. "Now where is your letter?" - -Guy did not have time to answer, for the sharp voice of the Colonel was -heard ordering them to their stations. When Guy got up on the palisade -and took his position in readiness to defend the gun which was pointed -toward a distant swell, he had opportunity to look about him. - -"All ready with that gun?" asked the officer in command. - -"All ready, sir," replied the Captain of the piece, squinting along the -gun to make sure that it covered the hill. "I can knock the last one of -that group if I can get orders to fire now, sir." - -Guy looked toward the swell and saw a party of half a dozen warriors -there, all of whom were mounted save one. He had just time to note this -fact when he saw the dismounted man start down the swell toward the -Fort, while the others of the group disappeared behind the hill. The -man was plainly a prisoner and had been liberated. Guy's heart seemed -to beat loudly as he drew nearer to the officer who commanded the gun -and said, in a scarcely audible whisper:-- - -"Is that Cyrus, sir?" - -The man who had a glass removed it from his eyes long enough to stare -blankly at Guy, and then, as if getting something through his head, -he leveled the glass once more and said, while he caught a momentary -glimpse of the figure:-- - -"By George! I believe you are right." - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -IN THE HANDS OF THE SIOUX - - -The excuse that Cyrus made, that he wanted to lie down and get a wink -of sleep before the Colonel's Orderly came to find him, was merely a -pretense to get rid of the officer, and nothing else. When Guy went -out he lay down on his bunk, but he did not stay there more than five -minutes. No one came in to bother him, and Cyrus, thinking that as -good a time to reach the Colonel's quarters without attracting the -attention of anybody, got up and, by keeping close to the palisades and -behind the out-buildings, drew up at last before one of the windows -of the commanding officer's room. It really was not a window at all, -but an opening left in the logs and covered with a piece of muslin so -as to admit the light. He listened, but could hear nothing but the -steady tramp of the Colonel as he paced back and forth in his room. -Then he raised his hand and with his knuckles gave a peculiar rap on -the casement. A moment afterward the corner of the piece of muslin was -drawn aside and the Colonel's face appeared. - -"I am here," said Cyrus. "I want those dispatches that you have ready -for me." - -"Come in," said the commanding officer, and with a few moves he drew -the tacks which confined the window and made a hole large enough for -Cyrus to squeeze his broad shoulders through. - -"Have you a needle and thread?" asked Cyrus. - -"Yes, everything is all handy. You sit down here in my bedroom, and if -any of the officers come in to see me they will be none the wiser for -it." - -Cyrus seated himself in one of the spots which the Colonel pointed -out to him--it was not a chair, however, but an empty box which had -once contained canned beef--and pulled off his buckskin jacket, while -the Colonel went into the next room and presently returned with the -dispatches for which the boy was about to run so much risk. It was -a very small package, but there was a great deal written on it. It -conveyed to the Commanding General the information that the Colonel -had succeeded in building Fort Phil Kearney, but instead of using it -as a basis for movements against the hostile Indians, the Sioux had -shut him up in it, hoping that when their ammunition and provisions -gave out, they could make a raid and destroy every man there was in -the Fort. His condition was perilous in the extreme. Every wagon train -that he sent out for fuel was protected by a large force, and if the -Sioux were smart enough to cut off one of those forces, or get between -them and the Fort, thus dividing his men, the annihilation of all of -them would be a matter of hours and not of days. He begged earnestly -for re-enforcements of five hundred men, and he could do nothing until -such force arrived. - -"I wish the General could be here for about five minutes and see just -how we are situated," said the Colonel, as he placed the dispatch on -the table by the side of Cyrus. "He would learn better than to send -out such a small body of troops as mine to confront the whole tribe of -Sioux Indians. Cyrus, I hope you will get through with that dispatch." - -"Kurn, if any living man can accomplish it, I can," said the scout. -"Now, have you got the other dispatch ready?" - -"Yes, but I don't place any faith in that. If you are caught the -savages will strip you--" - -"And this dispatch will be the only one they will find. Our fellows -fooled the rebels more than once by carrying concealed papers--" - -"But rebels and Indians are two different things. To be honest, I do -not think that you will be able to get through; but if you do, talk to -that General as you would to a father. You can tell him more in regard -to our situation here than I could write in a week." - -"I will do my best, Kurn, but you must not place any dependence on me. -Tony and his partner have tried it and failed, and that leaves but a -small chance for me." - -Cyrus, having pulled a knife from his pocket, was busy with his -buckskin shirt which he had drawn off, cutting away the inside lining -to make a receptacle for the dispatches about which the Colonel was -so anxious. It was close up under his arm, so that when the shirt was -on and Cyrus stood at his ease, no one would have supposed that there -was anything hidden away there. The opening for them being made, Cyrus -folded the dispatches into a smaller compass than they were before, and -having placed them therein proceeded with his needle and thread to sew -up the opening again, just as it was before. - -This being done, he was ready for the second dispatch, which was really -a "bogus dispatch" and was intended solely for the Indians to read. -The Colonel knew that there were some savages in that party who could -read English, and he knew, too, that this bogus dispatch, if the other -could be concealed, would have an alarming effect upon them. It was the -idea of Cyrus, and the Colonel had reluctantly agreed to it. It was -very different from the dispatch that had been concealed in the scout's -hunting shirt, and said that the General's letter had been received, -that the re-enforcement of one thousand men would be amply sufficient -to break up the Sioux camp, and that when they arrived he would be -ready to assume the offensive. - -"I don't suppose Red Cloud will believe that, even if it is read to -him," said the Colonel. "The General's letter has been received. Pshaw! -There is not a man living who can get through those lines and reach me -with a dispatch from him." - -"So long as they don't know that, we don't care what they believe," -said Cyrus, pulling off his moccasin and stowing the dispatch away -inside of it. "If it will only throw his camp into confusion that is -all we ask for. Well, Kurn, good-by. Remember, I will do my best." - -"Good-by, Cyrus," replied the Colonel, extending his hand. "You have -been faithful and just to me while you were here, and I shall depend -upon you." - -"Don't do that, Kurn; don't do that," said Cyrus, earnestly. "I will do -my best, and that is all anybody can do." - -Cyrus pressed the Colonel's hand for a moment, then turned toward -the window and in another instant was gone. He made his way to his -quarters without seeing anybody, threw himself upon his bunk, and in -a little while was fast asleep. His comrades came in and aroused him -when it was time to go to supper, but Cyrus did not want any. He kept -his bunk until his roommates were all in bed and fast asleep, and the -sentries on duty had proclaimed "Twelve o'clock and all's well!" when -he began to bestir himself. His first duty was to satisfy himself that -all the scouts were in dreamland, and when this had been done he took -his rifle, put on his hat, and noiselessly left his quarters. The next -thing was to pass the sentries; but a man who could pass within five -feet of a slumbering Sioux was not to be deterred by passing a white -sentry on his post. To climb the logs and drop down on the other side -was an event that was easy enough for Cyrus to accomplish, and in a few -minutes the tramp of the sentries was left out of hearing. - -Why was it that the Colonel was so anxious to have him leave the -Fort without being seen by anybody? To tell the truth, everybody in -the Fort was becoming discouraged. Three weeks had now elapsed since -the erection of the palisades, and during that time the Sioux had -completely surrounded them and shut them in as tight as though they had -"been bottled up." A person was at liberty to go anywhere within a mile -of the Fort, because certain guns which had been accurately trained -covered every foot of the space; but over the hills it was as much as -a man's life was worth to venture. Guy Preston was the only one, when -searching for his birds, who had disobeyed that order; but it was a -miracle that he had been allowed to come back. The signal tower, which -stood at the distance of half a mile from the Fort, was manned every -morning by four men who went out there to keep watch of the Indians; -but every time that group was ready to go out, it took a Company of -men to protect them. That was before Red Cloud had made his new order, -that the only way to get rid of the whites was to kill all the men -and burn the palisades, and this order was in force at the time Cyrus -left the post. By drawing his warriors off in the daytime, Red Cloud -was tempting the Colonel to send out a train for fuel, and when that -was done the massacre was to begin. The Colonel was determined to get -dispatches through by some means, but he did not want to let the men -know that another person had tried it and failed. It would not be long, -he thought, before the men would think that it was utterly impossible -to get through the Sioux lines, and so would give it up, stay there, -and be massacred. He knew better than any other man did the danger that -they were in, and it was no wonder that he felt downhearted. - -The Fort being left out of sight and hearing, Cyrus threw himself on -all fours and made his way toward Piney Creek, a little stream on the -banks of which the post was located. He intended to get as far as -possible below the encircling bands of Sioux before daylight, then -arise to his feet and go toward his destination as fast as he could. -This was a new way of leaving the lines behind him, the other scouts -preferring to strike out over the prairie and try their chances in that -way; but it seems that the Sioux were alive to this movement also. The -stream was not large or deep enough for him to descend its current, -otherwise he would have sought a log somewhere and attempted to swim by -them; but as it was he was compelled to wade sometimes in the water and -at other times to flounder through bushes so thick that the darkness -could almost be felt, and he did not cover more than a mile an hour. -Every few feet he would stop and listen until his acute senses told him -that the way was clear, and then he would struggle on again. - -But Red Cloud, the head chief of the Ogallala Sioux who were making -war because they were determined that the road should not pass through -their country, was an old campaigner and not to be beaten by any such -trick as this. He withdrew his warriors in the daytime so as to tempt -the Colonel to send out a train to get fuel, but knowing that the train -could not come out at night, he sent his men in closer, being equally -determined that no scout should get out to carry the news of their -condition to other quarters. Consequently Cyrus had not progressed more -than a mile or two when he heard a smothered exclamation in front of -him, and before he could sink down where he was and get his weapon -into a condition for use, he found himself in the clutches of a Sioux -warrior, upon whom he had almost stepped. Of course Cyrus resisted, -but it was all in vain. Another Sioux joined in the fracas, another -and another came up to assist, and in less time than it takes to tell -it, the scout was thrown prostrate on the ground, his weapon twisted -out of his grasp, and his hands bound behind his back. It was all done -quietly, and one standing at a distance of twenty feet away would not -have known that there was anything going on. Why did Cyrus not take out -his letter when the Sioux caught him? Because his hands were bound, and -he knew that those who had him prisoner were not the ones who had any -authority in the band. - -In spite of what he had said to the contrary, Cyrus was not a little -alarmed when he found himself powerless in the hands of the Sioux; but -it was useless to resist the savages, lest he should feel the prod -of a knife in his flesh, and when they put a rope around his neck and -started off with him, Cyrus went along with them as quietly as if he -had formed one of the party. - -It was four miles to Red Cloud's village, and Cyrus could not see -anything on the way to remind him where he was. The Indians knew the -course, and when they brought him into their town he was surprised -at what he saw there. He had never seen so large a multitude of -savages as was gathered there under Red Cloud. There were several camp -fires scattered about among the lodges, none of which were wholly -extinguished, and, aided by the light that they threw out, Cyrus could -see nothing but tepees on all sides of him. He was conducted at once -to a lodge a little apart from the others; one brave threw up a flap -of it which served as a door and Cyrus was thrust in. It was all dark -in there, and Cyrus hesitated about stepping around for fear that he -should tread upon some of the inmates, when one of his captors came in -and seized him by the shoulder. - -"Sit down," said he fiercely. - -Here was one Indian who could talk English, and the hope arose in the -captive's breast that perhaps he could learn something from him. - -"Where shall I sit down?" said he. "Are there any persons here asleep?" - -The answer was not given in words, although Cyrus wished it had been. -The Indian seized him by the neck and in a moment more he was laid out -prostrate on the ground. - -"Sit down where you are," said the savage, more fiercely than before. - -Cyrus did not say anything more just then, but straightened up as soon -as he could and looked around to see what the Indian was going to do. -By the aid of a camp fire whose light streamed in through the flap of -the door that was now open, he could observe the movements of his enemy -quite distinctly. He saw him pull his blankets about his shoulders and -take a seat beside the door with his rifle across his knees. Cyrus drew -a short breath of relief for he had nothing more to fear from him until -daylight. That tepee was to be his prison, and the savage was to be his -watcher as long as the darkness continued. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE MEDICINE WORKS WONDERS - - -Cyrus was a captive now. There was no mistake about that. The only -thing he could do was to lie down and wait as patiently as he could -until daylight came. The rope with which he was bound was very painful -to him, but Cyrus knew it would be worse than useless to ask his sentry -to loosen it. The savages knew too much for that. They had had some -bitter experience with the trappers of the mountains in granting them -the free use of their hands, and they did not mean to be caught that -way any more. - -It must have been about two o'clock when Cyrus was captured, and he -thought he had never known the time to pass so slowly as did the hours -that intervened before the first gray streaks of dawn were seen in -the east; for they told him that something was to be done with him -very speedily. During those hours he was often compelled to change his -position on account of his bonds, but the savage never once changed -his. If he had been a marble man he could not have sat more motionless; -but all the time his eyes were fastened upon his captive as if he meant -that not a sign from him should escape his notice. Finally the flap of -the door was drawn further aside, and an Indian's face appeared. He -wanted to see whom they had captured, but he said not a word to Cyrus -or his watcher. Presently other faces appeared, until Cyrus thought -that the whole camp of the Sioux was astir. - -Daylight came on apace, and then Cyrus began to take some note of the -things in the lodge in which he was confined, and found to his surprise -that he was in no danger of stepping on slumbering inmates. With the -exception of himself and the sentinel who was keeping watch over him, -the tepee was as empty as it was when it was put up. It was probably -intended as a sort of prison for anybody who might be captured by the -Sioux, but up to this time Cyrus had the satisfaction of knowing that -he was the only one who had seen the inside of it. - -"And if I could have my way I am the last one who will see how it -looks," said Cyrus to himself. "No doubt they expected to capture a -good many more. Somehow I don't feel as safe by having Guy Preston's -letter about me as I did by having that scrap of sage brush that the -Indian gave me. Well, if it doesn't effect my release it surely would -not effect Guy's, if he were here in my place." - -It must have been nine o'clock before anyone came near him again, -and all the while he was in agony through his bonds which seemed to -hurt him more the longer he was tied up with them. But they could not -make him forget his stomach, which was clamoring loudly for something -nourishing. He had not eaten anything since dinner the day before, and -even a hard-tack he thought would prove very acceptable. While he was -thinking about it, two Indians came to the door of the tepee, and they -came in a hurry as though they were after something. They exchanged a -few words with his sentry--they were spoken so low that Cyrus did not -fully comprehend them--and then one of them seized Cyrus by the collar -and dragged him to his feet. The first thing he did was to untie the -prisoner's bonds; and when Cyrus felt his arms at liberty he stretched -them out with an exclamation which testified to the delight he felt. - -"If I just had you two here alone, how quick I would end you up," said -he, to himself. "I will bet you could not catch me in a fair race. They -are going to take my clothes also," he added, when one of the Indians -proceeded to take off his hunting shirt. "Does that mean that I am to -get ready for the stake?" - -It certainly looked that way, but Cyrus never uttered a word out -loud. He submitted to the disrobing as quietly as he could, and even -assisted them when something about his clothes bothered them; and in -two minutes more he was stripped clean. But he noticed two things, -filled as he was with other matters, and standing in fear of the -torture which seemed to be not far distant: the savages, when they came -into possession of his various articles of wardrobe, were careful to -look into all the pockets. Not one escaped their vigilance. His pipe, -his knife, and tobacco, and various other trinkets, which men have -about them, were quickly taken by his captors, until finally a grunt -from one of them announced the finding of Winged Arrow's letter,--the -one he had received from his father. The grunt speedily brought his -sentry to his feet, and he leaned over the shoulders of the others and -stared hard at the drawings. Not a word was said to Cyrus as to how he -came by the papers, but they exchanged several incoherent expressions, -which no doubt were perfectly understood among themselves, but which -were Greek to the captive. At last they seemed to have come to an -agreement regarding something, for one of them started off at a keen -run, while the other went on examining his clothes. When he pulled off -one of the moccasins the bogus dispatch dropped out. - -"Now you have something that will do your heart good," muttered Cyrus. -"Why don't you run off with that? They have left my clothes here on the -ground--" - -But Cyrus was a little too hasty in coming to this conclusion. The -finding of the bogus dispatch, of course, created another series -of grunts, which ended a good deal as the first one did. The other -captor seized the paper and disappeared with it, but before he went he -gathered up the clothes and carried them away also. That was too much -for Cyrus, and he sat down on the ground and thought about it, while -the sentry returned to his seat by the door. - -Half an hour passed, during which Cyrus's mind was in a state of -confusion. This treatment was very different from any he had received -while a prisoner in the hands of the Indians, and he had been one four -times when nothing but the stake seemed to be waiting for him. Twice -was he rescued by soldiers; a third time he was saved by an old squaw -who somehow got it into her head that Cyrus resembled her son who had -been killed by the whites; and the fourth time that bunch of sage brush -brought about his release. Now it was that letter of Winged Arrow; and -he confessed that his chances were slim indeed. It is true that he -was very young in years to be the hero of all these adventures, but -those among the mountain men with whom he was best acquainted declared -that he had been in skirmishes enough to fill out three or four books. -Like the Medicine Man among the different tribes, who runs all sorts -of risks to make his followers believe that he has found the proper -"thing" at last which will turn all the white man's bullets away from -him, Cyrus took every risk in time of war that anybody could take and -live. He was foremost in all the Indian fights and was one of Colonel -Carrington's favorite scouts. When everyone else failed he called upon -Cyrus, and Cyrus had never been found wanting. All men who live among -the Indians soon fall into their ways, and every one of them believed -that Cyrus had discovered some "medicine" that brought him safely out -of any danger he might get into. - -At the end of half an hour, another faint step was heard outside the -tepee, the flap was thrown further open and this time Winged Arrow -appeared. Cyrus recognized him on the instant from the description that -Guy Preston had given him, and the first thought that passed through -his mind was that he had never seen a finer-looking Indian. His face -wore a scowl which did not in any way add to his appearance, and he did -not pay any attention to his keeper at all. In his hands he carried -all of Cyrus's clothing which he threw toward the prisoner with the -muttered exclamation:-- - -"I suppose these things belong to you. Put them on." - -Cyrus was fully as surprised as Guy Preston to hear himself addressed -in perfect English by an Indian in his war clothing, but he lost no -time in obeying instructions. When he came to his hunting shirt he -carelessly grasped it under the right arm, and a thrill shot through -him when he felt the dispatch there as he had left it. The bogus -dispatch, the one that was intended for the Indians to read, was gone. - -"Now you look more like yourself," said Winged Arrow, as he turned -about and beckoned to some one behind him, "I guess something to eat -would not do you any harm, would it?" - -An Indian girl came into the tepee and laid Cyrus's breakfast before -him on the ground, and quickly went out again. Winged Arrow calmly -seated himself on the ground. Cyrus did the same, and while he was busy -with the viands which Winged Arrow had provided for him, he kept one -eye fixed upon the young Indian as if he hoped to see something in his -face which would give him a faint glimpse of what the future had in -store for him; but Winged Arrow's features were as unmoved as if he -had no secret to communicate. The provisions did not trouble him much, -for it was not as hearty a breakfast as some he had eaten at the Fort, -although the grub there was getting scarce since the Sioux had shut -them in from all the world--a joint of beef which had once been warmed, -but was now cold, a chunk of Indian bread which had doubtless been cut -out of some "parfleche" repository and a cup of cold water formed the -substance of his breakfast. But it was better than nothing, and finally -it had all disappeared except the bones. - -"Now I am ready for anything you have to propose," said Cyrus. "What do -you fellows intend to do with me?" - -"You belong to me and so I am going to set you free," said Winged -Arrow, as if he were talking of something that did not interest Cyrus -in the least. "It was the worst thing I ever heard of, getting you -free, for our people have all something against you." - -"I don't see how they make that out," replied Cyrus, feeling in his -pockets for his pipe. "You can't point to a single thing that ever I -did that injured you in the least. I have let more than one chance go -by that I have had of sending your people to the Happy Hunting Grounds, -and have let them get off scot-free when I might have had a scalp to -take with me as well as not." - -"But something is always happening to take you away from us," said -Winged Arrow, "and what do you suppose it was that saved your life this -time?" - -"Was it that letter that you gave to Guy Preston?" - -The young savage took the letter out of his bosom and gave it to Cyrus, -who took it and stowed it away in one of his pockets. - -"Now that letter can answer one more purpose," said Winged Arrow. "Any -man who is captured after that will lose his life." - -"How do you make that out?" - -"I promised my father," began Winged Arrow. - -"By the way, who is your father?" said Cyrus. "He must be a man of -considerable standing in the tribe or else you would not be permitted -to meet a man between the lines, or to hold a chat with me now." - -"He is a Medicine Man," replied the young Indian. "If there is a fight -here you will see him in the foremost ranks. He has a medicine which he -believes will render him impervious to the white man's bullets. You do -not believe in such things, do you?" - -"Yes, I do," said Cyrus, earnestly. "One of your people gave me such -medicine, which afterward saved my life." - -"What was it?" asked Winged Arrow, becoming interested. - -"A handful of sage brush wrapped up in a piece of buckskin. I don't see -why you fellows can't have some medicine of that kind as well as some -others. What did you promise your father?" - -"That I would join him and help fight for the lands which the whites -are trying to cheat us out of, provided he would give me the choice of -saving two white men who might chance to fall into our hands. I had an -eye on that black horse which that Lieutenant rides--What did you say -his name was?" - -"Guy Preston; and he is just the best white fellow that ever lived." - -"I am not saying anything about that. I had an eye on him ever since -you left Fort Robinson, and yesterday I chanced to meet him outside the -lines. I told him that the letter would save his life, but now he has -gone and given it up to you. I kept my promise, although I had a hard -time of it. If that letter comes into our camp on another man, it will -save his life too; but that is all." - -"Don't you think you are in big business to help the Indians to clean -out the whites?" said Cyrus, who did not know what else to say. - -"You must have seen Guy Preston down there at the Fort, and he told you -all I had to say on that point," replied Winged Arrow with a scowl. -"Of course I shall help the Indians clean out the whites. This is our -country; no one else has any claim upon it, and we are bound to wipe -them out or die with weapons in our hands. Say," said the Indian, -almost in a whisper, "I read your bogus dispatch, but the other is safe -where it belongs." - -"What other?" asked Cyrus, startled in spite of himself. - -"The one you have got in your hunting shirt. I put my hand on it, but -did not dare take it out. If I had, and had read it to Red Cloud, that -letter would not have saved you." - -"What did that bogus dispatch do?" inquired Cyrus, drawing a long -breath of relief. The savages had had the genuine dispatch in their -hands and it had been saved to him through Winged Arrow, who had so -much at stake. He had never heard anything like it before, and his -admiration for the young Indian was almost unbounded. He believed now -more firmly than he had before that there were some traits in the -savage character with which the white men were entirely unacquainted. - -"It did not do much," replied Winged Arrow. "Red Cloud sent off a band -of scouts to see if the dispatch told the truth, but he did not believe -that any living man could have gotten through our cloud of warriors -with news to the Fort. I repeat that I did not dare take out that other -dispatch, for that told the truth; and you would have been tied out to -the stake now." - -"Well, I am glad it is no worse," said Cyrus. "You may fall into the -hands of some of our people some day----" - -"Well, when I do it will be when I am dead," returned Winged Arrow -emphatically. "You can't help me then. But here come the braves to -take you back to the Fort. Give Guy my kindest regards and tell him to -keep that letter about his own person. It will save one more and that -is all." - -A party of warriors rode up at this moment, one of them carrying -Cyrus's Winchester which he gave into his hands. He stopped for a -moment to shake hands with Winged Arrow, but the latter stood with -his hands behind him, which Cyrus took as a sign that no hand shaking -was to be allowed; so he touched his hat to the young savage, and, -following the motions of one of the Indians, started off toward -the Fort. Not a thing was said to him during their long walk until -they arrived at the top of the swell, from which they could see the -palisades. One glance was enough to show him that the vigilant soldiers -were on the watch. He saw a commotion in the Fort, occasioned by the -men hurrying to their quarters, which was a gentle hint to the savages -that they had come close enough. - -"There are your friends," said one who had evidently talked English to -him the night before, "Go home." - -Cyrus renewed his efforts at hand shaking, but the Indians turned their -horses and retreated behind the hill. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -GUY IS ASTONISHED - - -"Yes, sir," said the officer who had the glass, taking one look at -the Sioux who speedily retreated out of sight behind the swell, and a -longer look at the liberated captive who came toward the Fort at rapid -strides, swinging his cap around his head as he came; "that is Cyrus, -if I ever saw him. He fell into the hands of the savages, and for some -reason best known to themselves they have turned him loose." - -If it were certain that it is possible for a boy to become amazed and -delighted at the same instant, Guy Preston experienced both those -emotions. While Guy was wondering how this state of affairs could be -brought about, the officer of the guard suddenly appeared upon the -platform and was saluted by the officer in command of the gun. - -"The Colonel says you have a better view of that man, whoever he is, -than he has, and he begs to know what you make of him," said Captain -Kendall. "Is it Cyrus?" - -"Yes, sir, it is Cyrus," replied the Second Lieutenant. "Take the glass -and look for yourself." - -Captain Kendall's observation was not a long one. He leveled the glass -for a minute, and then handed it back. - -"Guy," said he, forgetting that he was an officer and speaking to his -subordinate, "your letter has worked wonders." - -"Do you really think my letter had anything to do with that?" inquired -Guy, so excited that he could hardly stand still. - -"Know it? Of course it did. It was the only thing he had in his -possession that kept him clear of being staked out." - -The officer of the guard went back to the Colonel who had sent him to -make inquiries, and Guy leaned upon the palisades and watched Cyrus as -he came toward the Fort. As soon as he found out that he had attracted -the attention of the soldiers, Cyrus put on his cap, took one look -behind him to see what had become of the Sioux, and broke into a run. -He had strange things to communicate and he was in haste to unbosom -himself. The officer of the day admitted him at the gate, shook hands -with him, and then, in obedience to some request that Cyrus made of -him, conducted him to the Colonel. A few moments afterward the order -came for the soldiers to march down to the parade ground and break -ranks, and this left Guy at liberty to finish his nap from which he had -been so violently aroused; but Guy had no intention of doing anything -of the kind. When he broke ranks he hurried away to hunt his roommates, -and found that they were on the same mission as he was. - -"I say," whispered Perkins, "I believe your letter had something to do -with Cyrus being among us safe and sound." - -"So do I," said Guy. "Now how was it brought about? Has anybody seen -Cyrus to speak to him since he came back?" - -Nobody had, and we will take the liberty of going with him when he was -led to where the Colonel stood. To say that Colonel Carrington was -delighted to see him once more would be putting it very mildly. The -commanding officer had almost as much affection for him as he would -have had if Cyrus had been a younger brother, and it showed itself in -the heartiness with which he grasped the scout's hand. - -"Well, Cyrus, you ran plump into their hands, did you not?" said he. - -"Just as fair as a man could," returned Cyrus. "If they had been -waiting for me down by the creek in the bushes, they could not have -bounced me quicker. It is impossible for a man to get through those -lines without being caught." Then in a lower tone he added: "I have got -your dispatch all right." - -"Did they read the bogus one?" asked the Colonel. - -"They did, but it did not disturb Red Cloud any. You said in that -dispatch, 'Your letter of a certain date has been received.' That gave -you away, for the savages knew that no man could go through their lines -with news for you from the other side of the world. They simply sent -out scouts to see if your expedition was coming, and that was all they -did do." - -"Do you think they are going to attack us to-day?" - -"No, sir. They are going to wait for that train that is to bring you -fuel, and then you are going to catch it." - -"And that will come to-morrow," said the Colonel, walking up and down. -"Our wood is nearly out and we must have some. Captain Brown, break -ranks and let the men go to their quarters. Cyrus, come with me." - -The Colonel went off toward his room followed by his scout, and when -they were once inside of it, the commanding officer threw off his -hat and paced back and forth as if he did not know what to do with -himself, while Cyrus took a seat on the nearest cracker box pulled -out his knife, and proceeded to bring the real dispatch to light,--for -be it known that the frontiersmen who were employed by the government -as scouts did not hold themselves subject to military law the same as -soldiers did. A captain or even the Major would have thought twice -before taking off his coat in the Colonel's quarters without being -asked, but Cyrus did not wait for any invitation. - -"There is your dispatch, Kurn," said Cyrus, as he brought out the -document. "And I will tell you what is a fact: The time for you to send -it will be after the massacre occurs." - -"But my goodness! I cannot think of that thing without shuddering," -exclaimed the Colonel. "Must I send men, who have been with me so long -through thick and thin, out to be massacred by those thievish Sioux? I -won't do it, and that's all there is about it." - -"Then we will starve and freeze to death for the want of a little pluck -on your part," said Cyrus. "We've got to have wood." - -"How did that Winged Arrow manage to get you off on this letter?" said -the Colonel, who wanted time to think the matter over. - -"I don't know. He was probably around when my clothes were examined, -and Red Cloud told him that he could do as he pleased. That letter will -save just one more person; and after that it is of no account." - -After a little time the Colonel cooled down so that Cyrus could begin -and tell him his story from beginning to end. He never once interrupted -him until he got through, and then he dismissed Cyrus with the remark -that he would send for him after a while. There were a good many points -to think over and he wanted a little time to himself. But there was -one thing about it, he said: If anybody was going out there to fall a -victim to those Sioux, he would be one of the party. - -"Of course we shall all be sorry for that," said Cyrus. "The massacre -has not taken place yet. They may make the attack in such a way that -they will be nicely whipped." - -When Cyrus went out on the parade ground, he was besieged by officers -who had been awaiting his appearance and who wanted to know all about -the matter. Of course Guy Preston and his chums were there, but they -were obliged to keep in the background until their superior officers -had heard all there was to tell. When Cyrus had finished with them he -started toward his quarters and the boys followed him; but all they -learned in addition to what he had already told was in regard to what -he thought of Winged Arrow. - -"It is just as Guy said yesterday," said he, kicking off his moccasins -and throwing himself down upon his bunk, "Winged Arrow has no business -to be a Sioux. He knows too much to be associated with that race of -people; but the more he learns about the way those folks of his are -being swindled by the government, the more he determines to stick to -them." - -"Did you see Red Cloud while you were a prisoner among them?" asked -Perkins. - -"I did not see anybody," replied Cyrus. "They kept themselves to -themselves, and all they had to do was to bring me out and release me. -I tell you, boys, we are going to see some fun right here, and the -Colonel says it will begin to-morrow." - -"The massacre?" asked all the boys at once. - -"Yes, sir. We must have some wood, and about the time that the train -and its escort get ready to march out, you will hear the war whoop." - -"Well, let it come," said Perkins. "They will find that American -soldiers are not the men to run just because they hear a whoop. We -enlisted to fight, and now we are going to see what sort of a beginning -we can make at it." - -The other boys did not say anything, but the expression on their faces -said that they were ready for anything the Sioux had to spring upon -them. Cyrus's move toward his bunk was a hint that he had not got all -the sleep he should have had, and after asking a few more unimportant -questions, they left the quarters, Guy going toward his room to finish -his nap and the others to attend to various duties about the Fort. But -slumber was a thing that Guy could not court just then. He was too -busily thinking. He heard everything that passed outside his room, and -when the Orderly softly entered and told him that "supper was on," he -got up without having closed his eyes. - -The watch from six o'clock until midnight was a long and tedious one -to Guy, though he, of course, had the officer of the day to talk to. -Guy was thinking of what Winged Arrow told him--that if he ever saw one -Indian battlefield he never would want to see another--and every chance -he got he asked Mr. Kendall about it. - -"You could not have been in the war of the Rebellion, for that happened -when you were a child," said Mr. Kendall; "but I saw seven of them, and -I tell you they were all I wanted to see. The men were not mutilated, -of course, but there was no need of that. I don't want to talk about -it." - -"But did they never make an attack on our folks on a dark night like -this, sir?" asked Guy. - -"Oh, yes; the darker the better. But you need not fear an Indian's -coming near us on a night like this. It is so dark that I can not even -see a star; and if you were in their camp now you would find them all -in their tepees fast asleep. When the moon rises or the day is just -breaking, you will want to keep a bright lookout for them. That is the -time they make the assault." - -"Why is that, sir? When it is dark you can't see how many of them there -are." - -"I know that; but every one you kill will go to the Happy Hunting -Grounds in a way that he won't like. He goes there in just the -condition that he leaves this life. If it is dark, he will have to -grope around through all Eternity in darkness, no hunting for him and -no scalping forays to show how much of a man he was in the days gone -by. But if he is killed in broad daylight in the full possession of all -his faculties, he will be just that way in the Happy Hunting Grounds. -He will be full of strength and vigor, and that is the kind of life -he can live forever. He never grows old. Go out that way and see what -is the matter with those horses. They act as though they were alarmed -about something." - -"The Indian carries his religion with him even to death," said Guy to -himself, as he went out to the horses with his heart in his mouth to -find out what had disturbed them. "And I suppose that every man he -scalps is there to be his slave. I would look pretty being the slave of -a sneaking Sioux warrior, would I not?" - -Although Guy did not like the idea of being so far from camp to find -out what was the matter with the horses, he did his duty faithfully, -and by questioning some of the sentries who were there to watch them, -found out that there was nothing the trouble, only some of the -horses were uneasy, and by continually lying down and getting up had -communicated their restlessness to others. With this report he returned -to Captain Kendall, who was perfectly satisfied with it. - -The hours flew away and at last his relief came on; and Guy, feeling -the need of sleep, went to his room and tumbled into his bunk without -removing his clothes. He went to breakfast, and when he entered the -room he saw in an instant that something had happened to throw a gloom -over the officers, some of whom were pale and all devoted themselves to -the beans and hard-tack without paying attention to anybody else. There -was not any of that joking and laughing, not any of the "sells" which -some of the young officers were so prone to give out during the meal -hour, but each one seemed to be occupied with his own thoughts. There -was something about them that affected Guy more than he liked, and he -too became somewhat gloomy. - -"What's up?" said he in a whisper, nudging Perkins, as he took a seat -beside him. "Anybody killed?" - -"No, but there will be some that way before the day is over," said -Perkins, in the same cautious whisper. There were ranking captains -there at the table and the youngsters had to be careful what they said -in their hearing. "Where's your letter?" - -"By George! Do you have to go out?" said Guy, in dismay. - -"There is a train about to go out for fuel and our Company is ordered -to be in readiness to aid them if they get into trouble," said Perkins. -"Forty men are to go with the train, and if they get more than they can -attend to, we have to go out." - -"I may want that letter myself," answered Guy, drawing a long breath -when he thought of the number of Sioux that could be brought against -them. "Cyrus has it, and I did not think to ask him for it yesterday." - -"Oh, you are all right. You won't have to go." - -"Why, how is that? Did you not say the whole Company--" - -"Yes, but that does not include you. You are to command the signal -tower and keep watch of us." - -Guy's first impulse was to settle back in his chair and give vent to -his satisfaction by drawing another long breath of relief; and his -next was a fit of anger that he should be selected to command the -signal tower out of reach of danger, while his whole Company, Perkins -included, should be ordered to hold themselves ready to march to their -aid if the Sioux proved too strong for them. - -"It is the meanest thing I ever heard of," exclaimed Guy, speaking in -his ordinary tone of voice before he thought, "I will see the Colonel -and have him put somebody else in the signal tower." - -"No, I guess I would not bother the Colonel if I were in your place" -said Captain Kendall, with a smile. "The Colonel does not want to be -troubled by anybody. You will get the sharp edge of the old man's -tongue, if you speak to him." - -"But just see here, Captain," began Guy. - -"I heard all about it when you were asleep," continued the Captain. -"You can thank your lucky stars that you are not going out there to be -killed by the Sioux Indians." - -The tone in which the Captain uttered these words made it clear to the -young officer's comprehension that he did not want any more such talk -around that table, and none of the other officers liked it either. -The Colonel was supreme there, and an order once issued by him was to -be taken as final. He devoted himself to his food, but he kept up a -terrific thinking all the while. Of course, there was an even chance -that the Sioux would be whipped if they made their attack upon the -soldiers, and that was another thing that worried Guy. If they were -whipped he wanted a hand in it; but he could not assist them any, if he -were confined in that tower to pass signals. - -"Do you think you can get that letter?" asked Perkins, when he had -given the officers a little time to forget Guy's interruption. "If it -is to save one more prisoner, it may stand me well in hand." - -"I will try it as soon as I get through breakfast," said Guy. "I don't -know why he should want to keep it now. I wish Captain Kendall had not -said what he had. I would have had the Colonel change that order sure." - -"Well, you had better take his advice and thank your lucky stars that -you are well out of the scrape." - -"Will you change places with me?" asked Guy, a bright idea striking -him, "you go to that signal tower--" - -"Not by a great sight, I won't," said Perkins hastily. "If the other -boys are going to fight, I am going to fight too. You will see me -coming back covered with glory and three or four scalps in my hand." - -Guy did not want much breakfast. He got through with what he had on his -plate, asked to be excused, and left the table. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -IN THE SIGNAL TOWER - - -"Yes, I heard all about it while you were asleep, as Captain Kendall -told you. The men have not yet been informed of the part they have to -perform, but I know that they are all ready." - -Thus spoke Cyrus the scout when Guy Preston came rushing into his -quarters to tell him what Colonel Carrington was going to do with -the troops under his command. As he uttered the words, he leaned his -cracker box against the jamb of a window and looked at Guy as if to ask -him what he thought about it. - -"If he is my Colonel I say that he was guilty of doing a mean thing," -said Guy, spitefully. "There I was fast asleep, and he never told me a -thing about it." - -"Of course he didn't. A Colonel, whose right it is to command a -thousand men, does not generally look to a Second Lieutenant for -advice. We must have wood, and that is the only way to get it." - -"I don't expect him to look to me for advice; but when he is going to -send my whole regiment away from me, it is high time he was telling me -of it." - -Cyrus laughed, but made no reply. - -"He knew all the time that I wanted a hand in the first fight the -regiment got into, because he has often heard me say so; and then to -go and send them off into the presence of the Sioux--I think he should -have said something to me about it." - -"You do your duty faithfully as Second Lieutenant, and when the time -comes for you to get in a fight, you'll go. The Colonel will not keep -you back. You will be safe up there in the signal tower--" - -"And suppose the Sioux get whipped?" - -"It is your regiment and you will share in the glory; but if the Sioux -are too many for them, and the last one of them gets wiped out, why -you will be safe." - -"I see that I can't get any sympathy from you," said Guy in a doleful -tone; whereat Cyrus laughed louder than ever. "I thought when I came -here and told you of it, you would feel for me; but you are as bad as -the rest. What have you done with that letter I gave you?" - -"Do you mean Winged Arrow's letter? The Colonel's got it." - -"Honor bright?" said Guy, who wondered if Cyrus were not fooling him. -"He does not want that letter now." - -"He has got it anyway. Look here, Guy, I will tell you something else, -if you will not speak about it. I am going to try it again." - -"Are you going out in the face of the Sioux after the narrow escape you -had?" exclaimed Guy, almost paralyzed by the information. "That letter -is going to save one more prisoner, but it may not save you a second -time." - -"I am going to try it; or, rather, I am going to see if I can't get -through their numbers without being caught. Such things have been done, -and I don't see why they cannot be done again." - -"But what are you going to do this time? If the Sioux were on the watch -before, they will be doubly so now." - -"Not much after that fight comes off. That will throw the Sioux crazy, -and that will be the time to try it, if at all." - -"No matter whether we whip them or not?" - -"That won't make any difference. If they fail, they will have their -mourning to go through with, and by the time they get through with that -I shall have passed through and be well on my way to Fort Robinson." - -"Well, Cyrus, I bade you good-by once before when I never thought to -see you again, but I guess you are gone now," said Guy, advancing and -extending his hand, "and you had better bid me good-by too." - -"Oh, you will be safe in that signal tower," said Cyrus, who did not -see the use of so much feeling on Guy's part. "If the Sioux wanted to -capture that tower, they could have taken it long ago. Good-by, but -remember that I will see you again." - -"Then Perkins cannot have the letter if you want it," said Guy. - -"I think he had better not. The Colonel thinks I ought to have it, and -he will give it to me before I start." - -Guy went to his room and there he found his roommates sitting around -doing nothing. They had their weapons close at hand, but made no move -to put them on until they got orders. - -"Well, boys, there will not be so many of us here to-night," said Guy, -breaking in upon the silence. "Some of us will leave this room for the -last time." - -"You will be all right and tight," said Arthur, "and if we whip the -Sioux you will wish you had been along." - -"Do any of you want to change places with me?" asked Guy, for he was -not at all pleased with the arrangement. "I will ask the Colonel----" - -"You need not ask him anything on my account," said Arthur quickly. "I -would not go up in that signal tower for all the money there is in the -world. Our boys are going to fight, and I am going to fight too. There. -That lets you out. Good-by." - -"The Colonel desires to see you, sir," said an Orderly, stepping up and -saluting. - -Guy jumped up, put on his weapons, and turned to take leave of his -roommates, all of whom came forward to shake him by the hand, but he -did not see a sign of wavering on the part of any of them. Their faces -were white, but there was a determined look about their features which -showed that they fully comprehended the danger of their situation and -were ready to take the consequences. - -"Good morning, Mr. Preston," said the Colonel, when he entered the -quarters and found him alone there with Colonel Fetterman. "I have put -you in command of the signal tower to-day." - -"So I have understood, sir," said Guy. "But don't you think----" - -"I have thought the matter all over and I have resolved upon my -course," replied the commanding officer, turning almost fiercely upon -Guy. "I want to see if you understand the signals." - -"Yes, sir; I know them by heart," returned Guy, who saw that it would -be of no use to ask the Colonel to change that order. - -"Very well. You are to keep a close watch on the party that goes out to -protect the wagons, and you will be careful to make the same signals to -them that I shall make to you." - -"Very good, sir. I understand." - -"Then my business with you is done. I see that the squad is getting -ready," said the Colonel, as the blast of a bugle echoed through the -Fort. "You will find three men out there, with rations, and you will -stand watch while you are there. That's all." - -Guy made all haste to get out of the room, for he did not want to be -within reach of the Colonel's frown any longer than he could help, -and furthermore he was anxious to see what preparations had been made -for the party that was to go after the wood. The whole Fort was in -commotion, but everything was done in regular order. Those of the -soldiers who had nothing to do were standing in little groups and -watching their comrades whom they never expected to see again; forty -men were filing through the gate, mounted on their horses and forming -on the parade ground under command of Captain Kendall; three men, who -were evidently waiting for somebody, were there on foot with their -haversacks slung over their shoulders; and the yells outside the -stockade announced that the teamsters were busily hitching up their -mules. Guy saw all this at a glance, and then bent his steps toward the -three men who were standing there waiting for orders. - -"Here's your party, Mr. Preston," said the Adjutant. "You will go out -and relieve the men in the signal tower. I suppose the Colonel gave you -orders before you left?" - -"Yes, sir, what little he had to give," answered Guy. "I have never -been in the tower before, but I think I know what is required of me." - -The Adjutant bowed and went away, and Guy, whose men were standing at -parade rest, had nothing to do but to wait until the escort was ready -to march. It was quickly done, and when he saw the Captain mount his -horse and turn to salute the Colonel, Guy ordered his men through the -gate to catch one of the wagons on which he intended to get a ride out -to the signal tower. When the Captain went by with his Company, he -returned Guy's salute and responded, "Thank you," to his expressions of -good luck and a safe return to the Fort with the wagon train. - -"I am afraid, sir, that it won't be such good luck with him after all," -said one of his men as the Captain rode on. "It does not seem as -though there were any Sioux around here, does it, sir?" - -"No," replied Guy. "If that Red Cloud were only out of the way, what a -fine country this would be to live in. Such splendid hunting as there -is to be had here I never saw before. You can see prairie chickens -every day from the Fort." - -There was no danger to be feared until they got to the signal tower, -but none of the men seemed to enjoy the trip, because they knew that -the Sioux were watching them from every hilltop within range of their -vision. The Captain again saluted when they reached the tower, and -Guy and his men jumped off the wagon to be admitted by the Second -Lieutenant who was in command there. - -"Halloo, Guy," said he, and he was glad to see that his relief had -come. "Now you can have the fun of sitting here for twenty-four hours, -with nothing but the swells to look at. Say," he added in a lower tone, -"Who was that officer who went out hunting day before yesterday? I see -he had a Sioux to show him the way back. If I didn't see you here safe -and sound I should think it was you. His horse resembled yours." - -"Well, sir, it was I, and no mistake," said Guy. "That Sioux came to -warn me to keep out of the way of an approaching massacre which I think -is going to happen now in less than two hours." - -"Aw! Get out," exclaimed the Second Lieutenant, throwing back his head -and laughing immoderately. "That Sioux was a friend of yours, was he -not?" - -"I have not time to explain matters to you now, for you had better go -inside the Fort as soon as you can. He gave me a letter--" - -"Aw! Get out," said the Lieutenant again. "You have been listening to -some of Cyrus's stories, and he has made you believe that you have some -sort of medicine that will protect you from their bullets. Come on, all -my men, and we will go to the Fort while you are thinking about it. It -may be that we will find some Sioux who will give us a letter--" - -Guy and his men were all inside the tower by this time, and they closed -the heavy door and bolted it, thus shutting off what else the officer -was going to say in regard to that letter. They heard his laugh ringing -on the outside, and through the loopholes saw him march away toward the -Fort. - -"Did that Sioux really give you a letter, sir?" asked one of his men, -as they climbed the rude stairway to reach the top. "Who was that -letter directed to?" - -"I have not time to go into all the particulars now," said Guy, as he -leaned on the walls on the top of the tower and looked after the wagon -train and its escort. "You will hear all about it when you get back to -the Fort. Is that flag all ready? Lay aside your guns, but have them -handy, and keep a close watch on that train." - -As Guy had never been in the tower before, he looked around him with no -little curiosity. The ridge leading from the Fort to where good timber -was to be found was in plain sight, and every move the wagon train made -could be distinctly seen. The Fort stood considerably lower than this -tower, but there were several mountain howitzers in the Fort which had -been trained on this ridge. The gunners, however, could not shell the -ravines on each side of it with any accuracy, and Guy saw at once, with -a soldier's eye, that about a mile beyond them was a splendid place -for an ambush. His heart fell when he noticed it, but he did not say -anything to his men about it. - -"The Sioux have got the better of us or I shall miss my guess," said -Guy, hauling his binoculars from its case and settling himself on a log -which had been cut off sufficient to serve for a seat. "If they make -their attack from one of those ravines, we cannot see it until we are -right on to it, and they will clean us out as sure as shooting." - -Having observed the train and seen that it was all right so far, Guy -began an examination of the tower to see what chances he had for -making a successful resistance in case he were assaulted. He was more -than satisfied with it. The tower was built of green logs which could -not be set on fire by the hostiles at any reasonable distance, and was -well supplied with loopholes, so that a company of determined men could -hold their own until assistance could reach them from the Fort. While -he was thus engaged one of his men called his attention to a faint -sound which he heard coming from the further end of the ridge. - -"It sounded to me like a war whoop, sir," said he. "It could not be -that. Yes, sir, that is what it is." - -In an instant Guy Preston was on his feet with his glass pointed toward -the wagon train, and saw something that he hoped he never would see -again--a hundred Indians, all well mounted and armed, were making a -charge on the wagon train's escort. Where they came from was a mystery, -but they were there, and the faint yells which struck his ears now and -then showed that they were out there for no good purpose. - -"Where's that flag," he exclaimed, "give it to me, quick!" - -In less time than it takes to tell it, Guy had grasped the emblem and -was waving to the watching sentries on the palisades what was going on -a mile from them, but which was shut out from their view by the ridge:-- - -"About one hundred Indians going to attack the train." - -Then he threw the flag down and waited with all the fortitude he could -command for some response to the signal. A moment afterward it came. -One of the mountain howitzers belched forth its contents, the shell -whizzed by so close to them that it seemed as if they could touch it, -and exploded in the air right in line for the Sioux, but a good way -above them. Another and another followed, but their firing was entirely -too wild to do any damage. Guy was on nettles. - -"They will never hit the Indians at that rate," he exclaimed. "Why -don't they shoot lower?" - -All the shells which came from the howitzers followed the same course, -and then Guy, forgetting that he was an inferior and in no condition to -offer advice, seized the flag again and signaled once more to the Fort. - -"You are firing entirely too high. Shoot closer to the ground." - -Whatever the commanding officer thought of his advice Guy never knew, -but he thought it a good plan to follow these instructions. The next -shell came lower and the next one lower yet, and then Guy raised the -flag once more. - -"That is all right. You stand a chance of hitting them now." - -"Oh, don't I wish that I was down there with my Winchester!" said Guy, -so excited that he could scarcely stand still. "By the way, do any of -you see Winged Arrow?" - -"Don't know him, sir," said all the men at once. - -"That is so; you did not see him, did you? This fellow wears a buckskin -shirt and rides a small sorrel horse----" - -"Every fellow down there is stripped to the waist," said one. - -"And they all ride small sorrel horses," said another. - -"Well, I guess he is there," said Guy under his breath. "I hope he -will come off scot-free. But he said that the Sioux could raise three -thousand men. This doesn't look like it." - -"There is something going on in the Fort, sir," said one of the men -after a little pause. "It looks to me as if they were going to send out -re-enforcements." - -These words brought Guy back to earth again. If the Colonel was about -to send men to help the escort, he must send his own Company. The young -officer went off into a state of excitement again. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -WHAT GUY SAW - - -Guy Preston turned with his glass to his eyes again. There was -something going on in the Fort--it was so far away that he could not -hear the words of command, but he knew that horses were going in and -that the men were running about as if they were getting ready for -something. Presently the column appeared--a hundred men, who seemed to -be intent on going to the rescue, for they had hardly time to clear the -gate before they broke into a trot and then into a gallop. A little -nearer and Guy recognized the faces of his old Company, Perkins, Arthur -Brigham, all his roommates, as well as several of the rank and file. -Colonel Fetterman was in command, and though Guy thought he looked -rather white, he heard the order "gallop" which rang in his ears the -same as of old. Did they know that they were going to their death? If -they did there was not one of the hundred men who seemed to realize it. - -"Oh, Oh!" shouted Guy, prancing about in his excitement until he came -near missing his steps and going back through the trapdoor with more -haste than he had come up a few minutes before. "All my Company are -there, every one of them, and I am to stay here cooped up like a rat -in a trap! Why did not the Colonel remember this? They will come back -flushed with victory and I will have had no hand in it!" - -"Do you see any men in company D there, sir?" asked the Sergeant, who -stood close at Guy's elbow. - -"Look for yourself," replied the young officer, handing his glass over -to the man. "I don't know all the men in Company D." - -The Sergeant took the glass, and one look was enough to satisfy him. He -gave it back without saying a word. - -"I guess you are in the same boat with me," said Guy, once more -leveling the glass to take a nearer view of the approaching -re-enforcements. "They will get all the glory of this fight. I see -Captain Brown and three or four 'old timers' who are going out with -them, and we are bound to whip; but it seems hard to me to stay here -and do nothing!" - -As the horsemen tore by, Guy Preston raised his cap and swung it -lustily around his head, and there were a dozen men, among whom were -Perkins and Arthur, who returned the salute. A moment afterward the -support was gone, and Guy, with a long breath which seemed to say -that there was no help for it, settled down to watch them and keep a -close view of their movements. Nor were they obliged to wait long. The -Indians seemed surprised at the approach of so large a re-enforcement -to support the train, and at once became confused and started to -retreat; and that was enough for the supporting column. Guy saw Colonel -Fetterman turn in his saddle and swing his sword above his head, and -in an instant more a yell came to his ears and his men turned down the -ridge. - -"Bully for our side of the house!" yelled Guy Preston, once more -swinging his cap around his head. "It shows what you can do, Mr. Sioux, -when you get some men to oppose you." - -"They are retreating, sir?" asked the Sergeant. - -"Of course they are. They cannot stand against anything like their own -number." - -While Guy stood with the flag in his hand, and wondering whether or not -he ought to signal Colonel Fetterman's movement to the Fort, something -surprising happened down there at the foot of the ridge. Where there -were a dozen Indians before, there were two dozen now and more still -coming. They were coming from one of those ravines that ran back from -the left of the Fort. These two dozen Indians were promptly joined by -two dozen more, and before Guy could think twice, the plain was fairly -covered with them. - -"My goodness! What is the meaning of that?" said he. - -"They have run into an ambuscade, sir," said the Sergeant. - -The young officer was so astonished at what he saw, that he never once -thought of the flag he held in his hand. It was done so quickly that it -appeared like a dream. While he looked more Indians came out. They made -their appearance in a large body too, and, dividing right and left as -they approached the column, soon surrounded it entirely, and nothing -but frantic and yelling Sioux could be seen from the tower. - -"My goodness!" he repeated, his face turning as white as the flag he -held in his hand. "I must signal that, but I don't know what to say." - -His men, one and all, offered some advice, but the signal Guy sent was -something like this:-- - -"Large bodies of Indians in the ravine at the foot of the hill. They -have attacked the re-enforcements." - -Almost immediately there came an answer from the Fort:-- - -"Signal for them not to leave the ridge." - -"What good will it do to signal to them now?" cried Guy, stamping about -on the tower and making no effort at all to brush the tears from his -eyes. "I can't see the column at all,--nothing but Indians!" - -But Guy was a good soldier, and he made all haste to signal the post -commander's orders to Colonel Fetterman: "Don't leave the ridge," -"Don't leave the ridge," but that was all the good it did. None of -Colonel Fetterman's men saw the signal, or if they did, they were too -busy to reply to it. Guy watched them for a minute or two through eyes -which were blinded with tears, but could not see that the Indians -were retreating in any way. On the contrary, he seemed to grow almost -frantic when he saw the white men falling back. The Indians were -gaining ground at every step. - -"This beats me," said he, leaning one hand on the Sergeant's shoulder -and burying his face on the top of it, "We are whipped! The massacre's -come!" - -"They might send some re-enforcements from the Fort, sir," suggested -the Sergeant, who was also crying like a schoolboy. "They have another -hundred men that they can spare for Colonel Fetterman." - -"That's so," said Guy, as he caught up the flag again; and he lost no -time in sending the state of affairs to the commanding officer. - -"The troops are retreating. Fetterman needs re-enforcements. They -cannot come too soon." - -"There, now, I have done my duty," moaned Guy, seating himself on -the block of wood again, "I must stay right here now and see our men -whipped." - -But Guy did not sit there long. The noise of the fight came plainly -to his ears, and every exultant yell of a Sioux, that now and then -rose loud and clear above the tumult, was almost as bad as torture to -himself. Again and again he signaled to the Fort, "Our men are being -overpowered. Fetterman needs re-enforcements," but no response came. -They could see the men standing idly by leaning on their guns, but no -attempt was made to send support to them. - -"I almost wish that Colonel Carrington were out there," said Guy, -for the sense of responsibility that rested upon him was almost too -great for him to bear. "Have I done what I could, Sergeant? I would go -myself, if he would let me!" - -The men all joined in with the Sergeant in assuring him that no -officer, situated as he was up there in the picket tower, could have -done more than Guy did to stop the massacre, and he was forced to be -satisfied with this. He sat there and watched, but was powerless to do -anything. Now and then signals came from the Fort, "How goes the battle -now?" and Guy's answer was always the same: "The Indians are whipping -our men completely out. Fetterman needs re-enforcements"; but that was -the last of it. In much less than half an hour it was all over. Then he -sprang up and caught the flag again: - -"All killed. Field covered by more than one thousand Sioux." - -Guy felt while sending this signal, as if he had signed his own death -warrant. He tossed the flag upon the floor, seated himself on his block -of wood again and covered his face with his hands. Perkins, Arthur -Brigham--O Lord, they were all gone! He thought of the many acts of -kindness which the boys had lavished upon him, and his feelings were -too great for utterance. Sobs which he could not repress shook his -frame all over. - -"There is something else that wants signaling too," said the Sergeant. -"The wood train is coming." - -Guy jumped to his feet, and looked out over the field again. There was -nothing but Sioux in sight, and they were running as if anxious to get -away from the leaden hail that was rained upon them. Guy seized the -flag and this went to the Fort:-- - -"Wood train coming, having beaten off assailants." - -As Guy turned to look at the wagon train, he saw to his immense relief -the long line of ladened wagons at the foot of the ridge. As it passed -the battlefield Guy, repeating the signal made from the Fort, warned -it not to attack, and it did not. A frightened lot of teamsters and -soldiers went by him after a while, but where was Guy's salute this -time? He did not make any, but stood leaning on the top of the tower -and silently regarded them as they went by. - -"It is all over," he said, mournfully. "I said this morning that there -would not be so many of us left in our room to-night, and this proves -it. I am alone and have not even a squad of men to command." - -Leaving one of his men to watch the Fort so as to be ready to answer -any signals that might come, Guy turned his attention to the -battlefield; and now that the smoke had cleared away they saw the Sioux -in pursuit of plunder--clothes, arms, and valuables, anything that -could add to their wealth. Occasionally a faint yell would come up to -their ears, faint and far off, but still plainly audible:-- - -"Come down here, you pickets. We have whipped some of you, and are able -to whip the rest." - -Having now a respectable force at his command, Colonel Carrington sent -one hundred and ten men to the battlefield with orders not to leave the -ridge unless they felt strong enough to attack. The howitzers went with -them, and the wagons by this time being emptied of their fuel, went -along also to bring in the dead; for it was rightly supposed that the -Sioux did not leave any wounded behind them. Guy saw them pass by, and -set himself to observe their movements. There were but few Indians left -upon the field and these fled upon the approach of the troops, and so -opportunity was had to find out the cause of the defeat. It was just as -Winged Arrow had told Guy: If he saw one battlefield, he never would -want to see another. The dead were all stripped, and the positions of -most of them led to the belief that they were killed while trying to -escape. The horses' heads pointed toward the Fort. The soldiers lying -near the base of the ridge appeared to have met their death as they -were fleeing from the field, having seen that their re-enforcements -would amount to just nothing at all. There were some few, but not very -many, mutilations among the bodies, and so the soldiers recognized -every one of the slain. Guy did not learn this until late that evening, -when all the bodies were brought in by wagons, and then he saw his -roommates cold in death. Every one of them wore a happy smile upon his -face, as if he knew his fate and was ready to give up his life in the -service of his country. - -"There is somebody coming out from the Fort, sir," said the Sergeant, -breaking in upon Guy's reverie. - -Two horsemen were coming at a rapid lope, and Guy's glass showed him -that they were the Lieutenant whom he had relieved in command of the -tower and an after rider, who was probably a cavalryman, to hold his -horse. Guy went down to the door to receive them, and when he opened it -Amos Billings, that was the Lieutenant's name, must have been surprised -at his greeting, although he himself was not far from shedding tears -over the thing he could not prevent. - -"The commanding officer said I had better come and let you hear -something of that massacre," said Amos. "I tell you, Guy, it is awful!" - -"Oh, my dear fellow!" exclaimed Guy, throwing his arms around Amos's -neck and burying his tear-stained face on his shoulder. "What are they -going to do to me?" - -"To you?" repeated the Lieutenant. "Why, nothing. Guy, don't take on -this way. You were ordered up here in the tower and you stayed here. -Did you not answer all the signals?" - -"Yes; and I made some I ought not to have made. Fetterman never asked -for help. I saw that the Sioux were too many for him, and so I asked -for re-enforcements." - -"Well, what of that? I guess he needed them bad enough. Now let us sit -down here on the steps and I will tell you as much as I know about it." - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -COLONEL CARRINGTON IS DEPRESSED - - -"I would like a chance to kick that Winged Arrow, or whatever else -he calls himself," said Colonel Carrington, as he returned Captain -Kendall's salute and saw him mount his horse and lead his forty men -through the gate to escort the teamsters to their post of duty. "He had -no business to give Guy Preston that letter. He has thrown the whole -garrison into a panic. Every man believes that a massacre is coming, -and, to tell the honest truth, I really begin to believe it myself." - -"Well," said Colonel Fetterman, as he walked with the commanding -officer to a prominent place on the palisades from which they could -keep watch of the train and its escort, "I don't see but that the -latter has done some good after all. It has returned your best scout -to you when everybody thought he was a doomed man." - -"That's so," replied the Colonel, after thinking the matter over. -"Perhaps in that respect it has been of some use after all; and I am -going to try it again." - -Colonel Fetterman was somewhat surprised, but said nothing in answer -to this proposition. The commanding officer had things his own way out -there on the prairie, and it was not for him to offer any amendments -until he was asked to give them. - -"If the Sioux pitch into us, as I really believe they will, they will -hold a big jubilee in their camp to-night, no matter whether they whip -us or not. That will be the time for me to get a letter through; don't -you think so?" - -"Yes, sir, that will be the time, if any," said Colonel Fetterman, -thinking of what Cyrus would have to go through with before he could -get the letter safe into the hands of their superior officer who could -grant the re-enforcements for which they asked. "Are you going to try -the letter on again?" - -"I am, and Cyrus is waiting to see how the fight comes out before he -makes the start. Now we must keep that train in sight as long as we -can," said the Colonel, pulling his binoculars from its case. "The -trouble is that we cannot see them after they get into a fight." - -"We shall have to depend upon the picket tower after they have -disappeared from our view," said Colonel Fetterman. "My command has -been informed and is all ready to start." - -"I hope I shall not have to send you out," said the Colonel honestly. -"They are all good men in that escort, and I think they ought to come -through." - -The commanding officer seated himself and awaited the issue of events -with his feelings worked up to the highest point at which they could -go and not drive him wholly frantic. He knew that some of his men were -going to their death, but he had expected that. Not one wagon train -had ever gone out from that Fort after fuel but it had always come -back and reported that the Sioux had fired into them, and that so many -were dead and so many wounded. But there was one thing that he always -thought of with satisfaction: the train always brought their dead and -wounded back with them. They left none of them for the Indians to -maltreat after they had gone. The two officers saw the train when it -reached the signal tower, and the men who had been on watch there for -twenty-four hours were relieved by Lieutenant Preston and his squad. -Five minutes more and the wagons were out of sight. - -"There now," said the Colonel. "Half an hour more will tell the story." - -"Yes, and I might as well get ready to move when I get your orders," -said Colonel Fetterman. "You are bound to give them and I know it." - -"Let us hope not, Colonel; let us hope not. It seems as though I ought -to have more men than I can muster to send out there. It is like -sending a boy to mill." - -The officers relapsed into silence and sat with their glasses to their -eyes watching the signal tower. It came in a good deal less than half -an hour. It seemed to them that the wagon train had scarcely got out of -sight before the white flag, with a star in the middle of it, began to -wave frantically from the top of the picket tower: "About one hundred -Indians going to attack the train." - -"All ready with that gun down there?" shouted the Colonel, jumping to -his feet. - -"All ready, sir," was the response. - -"Fire!" was the next order; and a five-second shell flew over the tower -and away to the further end of the ridge. - -"All ready with that other gun? Fire!" - -The guns on that side of the Fort were fired in quick succession, and -when the smoke cleared away the flag was seen flying again from the top -of the tower: "You are firing entirely too high. Shoot closer to the -ground." - -"Depress those guns a couple of points and fire away," said the -Colonel. "That boy is keeping a close watch of the way the shells are -going. I wish he had a gun up there so that he could try his own hand -at it." - -The guns spoke again, and this time the answer that came back was -encouraging. "That is all right. You stand a chance of hitting them -now." - -"One would think that boy was a commanding officer," said the Colonel. -"I hope we have the right range of them now." - -This is all that was said in regard to Guy Preston's orders which came -all unasked. He saw that the shells were flying all too wild, and did -not hesitate to say so. Guy would have felt a great deal better if he -had known just what was thought of it. - -"Shall I go now sir?" asked Colonel Fetterman. - -"Yes, I guess you had better," said Colonel Carrington sadly. "A -hundred Indians is most too many for those forty men to handle. -Remember, George, I depend entirely upon you. I will bid you good-by -now. I will see you start from here." - -The two officers shook one another by the hand, and that was the last -time they ever met. Colonel Carrington did not want to go down to see -him off. Fetterman was a brave man and an Indian fighter, but somehow -the Colonel did not feel right about letting him go. Fetterman became -all activity at once. He sprang down from the platform upon which he -was standing, shouting: "Fall in, my men!" and disappeared in his room. -When he came out he had his sword and revolver, and mounting his horse, -which was ready for him by this time, he rode up and down in front of -his men, who were rapidly forming in line, and urged them all to make -haste. - -"There are a hundred Indians out there and we are going for them," he -shouted, swinging his sword around his head. "They will stand just long -enough to see us getting ready for a charge, and then they will run. -You are not afraid of a hundred Indians, are you?" - -"Not by a great sight, sir," said the Sergeant, who was riding down -the other side of the line pushing the men into their places. "Get in -there, men, and be lively about it. Lead on, sir. We are ready to face -five hundred, if you say so." - -"All ready, sir," said Colonel Fetterman, riding up to the palisades -where he had left his commanding officer. - -"Go on," was the response. He raised his hand and waved it in the -air, but could say no more. Colonel Fetterman wheeled his horse, gave -the commands, "Fours right. Forward march!" and rode through the gate -and turned toward the picket tower; and Colonel Carrington could only -settle back in his camp chair and wait to see what events were going to -bring forth. - -"Something tells me that I will never see those men again," said he, -turning to Major Powell, who at that moment stepped upon the platform -and took a stand beside his Colonel. "I have shaken hands with Colonel -Fetterman for the last time." - -"Oh, Colonel, I would not talk in that way," said the Major. "Fetterman -is an old Indian fighter, and it will take more than one hundred Sioux -to clean him out." - -"But a hundred warriors are not all they can bring into a fight," said -the Colonel. "If Cyrus tells the truth, there must be a larger village -than we are aware of situated behind those swells." - -"Well, suppose there are a thousand of them; Fetterman can easily beat -them off until he can come within range of the Fort. He has taken -Captain Brown, Tony, and Mike, and three or four old Indian fighters -with him, and they are bound to come out with flying colors." - -The Colonel said no more, but watched the re-enforcements. He saw -them break into a trot and then into a gallop, and very shortly they -disappeared over the swells. - -"I am a little afraid of an ambush down where they are," said the -Colonel, after a few moments pause. "If Fetterman runs into it, we are -gone." - -"But Fetterman will not run into it. He has too much at stake for that." - -Major Powell's words were intended to be encouraging, and in almost any -other case they would have been so; but this time they did not have any -effect upon the Colonel. He was disheartened before he sent him off to -face that unknown danger, and now that he was out of sight and almost -within sight of it, he felt more distress than ever he did before. - -"Why don't they signal to me?" he exclaimed, when he had watched the -top of the tower in vain for a sign of the white flag. "I want to know -what is going on there." - -"Probably there has nothing happened yet," said the Major. "If the -Indians are retreating----" - -The Major suddenly paused, for at that moment the flag came into view -from the top of the tower. He paused to read the signal it conveyed -and as he spelled it slowly out that there were large bodies of Indians -who were assaulting the re-enforcements, the Colonel jumped to his feet -and seized the flag that lay near him. - -"I think you said that Fetterman would not run into an ambush, if there -was one formed for him," said he angrily. "He is in it now." - -Then went up the signal from the Fort: "Tell them not to leave the -ridge," but it was a signal that came too late to be of any use. -Colonel Fetterman and all his men were so busy at that time charging -down upon the enemy, that no one thought of looking for signals in -their rear. But Guy saw and understood and did his best to turn the -column to a place of safety, but the waving of his flag was time and -strength wasted. With a yell, which Guy had often helped raise when -the troops were drilling on the parade ground, and which the men now -gave in order to let the Sioux know they were coming to save the wagon -train, they charged down the ridge and into the ambush. It was too -late to do anything then, and Colonel Carrington leaned back in his -camp chair and looked at Powell. Not another word was said by either -of them, and pretty soon there came another signal from the tower: -"Fetterman needs re-enforcements." - -"It will take the last hundred men I have, and the Fort with every one -in it will be at their mercy," said the Colonel. "You will have to go -with them. Go down and call the men together----" - -"Colonel, with your permission I will protest against sending them -any help," said the Major. "The Colonel may be retreating, but he is -retreating toward the ridge where he knows he will be comparatively -safe. I tell you that man can't be whipped." - -"Well, we will wait and see," said the Colonel. "I hope he has men -enough with him to resist them, but I am afraid. I think I should have -sent more." - -"And if you had, you would certainly have left the Fort at the mercy of -the thievish Sioux. You have done the best you could. Leave Fetterman -alone. He is going to come out all right." - -If Major Powell believed this, he was certainly doomed to be -disappointed. Colonel Fetterman was whipped almost at the start, and -there was no one to lend him a helping hand. In response to the signals -"How goes the battle?" the reply was the same as it had always been, -"He needs re-enforcements," and then Colonel Carrington got up and -paced the platform in agony. The help was repeatedly called for and -several times the Colonel was on the point of exerting his authority as -post commander and sending the re-enforcements that Colonel Fetterman -so much needed; but each time the calm voice of Major Powell was raised -in protest, and the commander thought it best to wait a little longer -and see how the fight was coming out. - -"It seems to me that Fetterman has been allowed all the time he wanted -to get back to the ridge and hold the Sioux at bay," he often said. -"Do you not think so, Major?" - -It was almost half an hour since the signal had been made that the -Sioux were attacking the re-enforcements, and something should have -been done in that time; but the next signal that was made fairly took -his breath away: "All killed. Field covered with more than a thousand -Sioux." - -"Oh, heavens and earth!" groaned Colonel Carrington. "I wish I had died -before I had seen that signal." - -Major Powell turned away to hide the tears that streamed from his eyes, -and could not say a word in reply. He had protested against the sending -out of help, and he would do it again under the same circumstances; but -at what cost? Fully a third of the men that composed the garrison had -been sacrificed, and surely that was better than to send out another -hundred to share the same fate. Colonel Carrington buried his face -in his hands, and it did not seem to him that he could ever look up -again; while Major Powell, after subduing the first violence of his -grief, raised his eyes to watch the tower again and saw another signal -waving to them. - -"The wagon train is coming, having beaten off its assailants," said he. -"If we can save that much, we will do well." - -This aroused the Colonel, who caught up the flag and signaled to them -not to attack, but to make all haste into the Fort. - -"If they get back safe it will give me a hundred and ten men to send -out to that battlefield," said he, after thinking a moment. "You will -have to go with them. Don't leave the ridge until you see that you are -sufficiently strong to hold them at bay." - -"But you want me to go to the battlefield," said the Major. - -"But don't go into that ambush whatever you do. Steer clear of that. -Bring the bodies of all the men you can find with you." - -Then the Colonel relapsed into his melancholy mood again, and Major -Powell knew that he had to do everything that was necessary for -getting the relief party under way, and he lost no time in doing it -either. While he was thus engaged, the gate flew open and the wagon -train, well loaded with fuel, came in with a rush. A more frightened -set than the teamsters were it would have been hard to find, and even -the old soldiers, who had passed through more than one Indian fight, -were heard to draw a long breath of relief as they came into line. - -"Oh, Major, it was just awful!" said the Lieutenant, who was the first -to salute him. - -"Fetterman has gone up," said Captain Kendall; and there were traces -of tears on his face that he was not ashamed of. "I never saw so many -Sioux before. Where's the Colonel?" - -"Up there on the platform," said the Major. "Go up and report to him. -And, mind you, don't say anything to him that will make him feel worse -than he does now, for he is completely prostrated." - -"But I shall have to tell him the truth, or I might as well stay away -from him," protested the Captain. "It was nothing that he could help, -but we are just a hundred men short." - -The Major, who did not want to hear any more about the fight until he -saw the battlefield, waved his hand toward the Colonel, and the Captain -dismounted and went to report the disaster of which the post commander -knew almost as much as he did. - -"It is not necessary for you to say anything, Captain," said he. "The -signals from the tower have kept me posted. Are they all gone? Is there -not one left?" - -"Not one, Colonel," said Captain Kendall. "From where I stood on the -ridge, I could not see anything but Sioux." - -"They were retreating?" said the Colonel. - -"Toward the ridge where they would be safe; but they didn't any of them -live to get there. They were wiped out completely." - -"You lost some men, I suppose." - -"We lost seven, and were glad to get off with that. Shall I break -ranks, sir?" - -"Yes; and then come up and talk to me. I feel as though I were going -crazy. I have sent out some men to go to that battlefield. Do you think -they can go there without another fight?" - -"Perhaps so, sir. We killed any number of them, and perhaps they have -got all they want of fighting." - -The Captain went down and said something to his men before he broke -ranks, and it made them feel a great deal better for what they had -done; but there was one thing that they never could blot from their -minds. There was that battlefield, a mile long and half a mile wide, of -which they had a plain view as they passed along the ridge, covered by -the bodies of men whom they would never shake by the hand again, and -the memory of it would disturb their sleep for many a night afterward. -While this was going on and the Colonel sat listening to his speech, -Amos Billings, the officer who Guy Preston had relieved in command of -the tower, came up to the commander and saluted him. - -"What is it, Billings?" said he. "I can't ask you to sit down, for -there is no place." - -"I don't want to stop, sir," he replied. "There are our boys alone in -that tower--" - -"And you want to go out and inform them that they are not forgotten -by the garrison, do you? Well, go on. Take a cavalryman with you to -hold your horse. Tell Guy that I would have answered his signal for -re-enforcements, but Major Powell told me that I ought not to. Guy did -his duty up to the handle." - -This was what Billings wanted to tell Guy, while they were sitting -there on the steps that led to the top of the tower. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -IN THE SIOUX CAMP - - -At a late hour in the evening, or rather at an early hour in the -morning of the day that preceded the battle of Fort Phil Kearney, all -was silent and still in Red Cloud's camp, which was located a few -miles from the stockade. The Indians had kept up their dancing and -shouting until almost ready to drop with fatigue, pluming themselves on -victories won in bygone days, and panting for new scalps to be added to -those already gained, by the utter annihilation of the soldiers of the -Fort. At last they went into their tepees to dream of the triumph which -Red Cloud promised them should be theirs before many suns had passed -away. The wiping away of the Fort and the utter cleaning out of all the -power of the whites, was looked upon as a certain thing by the Sioux, -and all they waited for was an opportunity to use the power which they -were thought to possess. And why should not the whites be cleaned out? -They had come into that country without an invitation, were spreading -themselves all through it, and now they proposed to build a road -through their best hunting ground, which meant the thinning out of the -buffalo--their only means of subsistence. All they asked of the whites -was to go away and let them alone; but it seemed that the more land the -whites had, the more they wanted. No place was safe for the Indian. His -limits were growing smaller and smaller every day, and very soon he -would find that he had no land he could call his own. Something must be -done if they thought to lay their bones among their fathers', and the -only way to do it was to declare battle and go upon the warpath. This -was what the Sioux tribe and some of the Cheyennes had proposed to do. - -When Indians are settled in their winter camp, and so far away from -enemies of every description that there is no danger of being -assaulted by them, it is the noisiest place that can be found on -earth. Their days are passed in loitering around the fire, but the -evenings are given over to pleasure. It is then that the dancers and -story-tellers are in their element, and the noise of the tom-tom drowns -all other sounds, except the whooping and yelling. It had been so in -this camp until the day that the renegade chiefs, as Red Cloud called -them, had signed a lease for that road; but the moment that happened, -the winter camp had been changed into a war camp, and all the men in it -were bent upon obtaining scalps and plunder. Then the social dancers -and story-tellers were out of place, and no performance of any kind -was indulged in except the scalp dance. The scalps were old, they had -done duty over and over again, but that did not hinder them from being -brought out whenever a warrior deemed it necessary. It happened so on -this night, and the braves, having grown weary of telling what they -meant to do when the soldiers came out to fight them, had passed into -their lodges and gone to sleep. - -The only two who did not care for slumber were a couple of youthful -braves who sat on the ground outside of a tepee, talking over events -which might occur at any moment; and what seemed strange, these -Indians talked in whispers and in the ENGLISH language and seemed to -understand one another very readily. They had been so long unused to -the Sioux language that they conversed in a foreign tongue as eagerly -as white boys. It will be enough to say that one of them was Winged -Arrow, and the other was a classmate of his, who had been to Carlisle -with him. It was plain that, although they were Indians born and bred, -they did not at all like the way that things were going. Obeying their -fathers, they promptly left school and came home to join in the Indian -outbreak, which they were assured was to be the final struggle to -retain their lands and game as their fathers bequeathed it to them; -and now that they were here to help "clean out" the whites and restore -everything to the Indians as it was years ago, the only thing they saw -toward accomplishing that object was the destruction of a little Fort, -garrisoned by three hundred men, which alone stood in their way. Of -course it was easy enough to capture the Fort, but what should be the -next move on their part? Indians don't like to be killed any better -than white men, and that something would happen before that Fort was -taken was easy enough to be seen. - -It will be observed too, that in their brief conversation which took -place before they went to their tepees, the Indians did not address -each other by the names that the tribes had given them. One was John -Turner and the other was Reuben Robinson--the names by which they had -been known at Carlisle. One was named after the janitor, as we have -said, and the other was called after the gardener, a white man who -thought the Indians were just about perfect. The boys called each -other Jack and Rube, and to have heard them talk, any one who could not -see them would have thought they were white boys sure enough. - -"Say, Rube, you know that this thing don't look right to me," said John -Turner (Winged Arrow), who sat with his elbows resting on his knees and -his eyes fastened on the ground, "Here we have come all these miles to -help the Indians in a hopeless war. I don't care a cent whether I come -out of it or not." - -"That is just the way I think, Jack," replied Rube. "We have lived -among the white people for almost eight years, and yet we must turn -around and kill them. I tell you I shall think of the old gardener -every time I pull on them. That Lieutenant of yours is all right, -because you gave him that letter. I wish I could find somebody to -assist in the same way." - -"I had to take my chances. I was roaming around just to see what the -soldiers were doing, and I ran onto this fellow when I least expected -it. He is a brave boy too, and I hope he will stay in the Fort." - -So it seemed that Reuben had some "medicine" which he wanted to give -to a soldier, under the impression that it would save the soldier's -life should he chance to be wounded and fall into the hands of the -Sioux. The boys had made this up between them while they were on the -cars coming to their home. Each one had the letter their fathers -had sent them, and they resolved that those letters should be their -"medicine"--that if either of them were found upon a dead soldier he -would be safe from mutilation; and if upon a wounded man, he should -be taken and treated in their rude way until he was well, and then be -released and free to return to his friends. It was as little as they -could do to pay the white men for all the kindness they had received at -their hands while attending school. This was proposed to John Turner's -father, then a prominent Medicine Man in the tribe, and after some -hesitation he agreed to it. - -"You are bound to whip the whites anyway," said John, in arguing the -case with him. - -"Oh, yes, we are bound to whip them," said the Medicine Man. - -"Well, then, what difference will it make by saving one or two lives? -Let the letters save two lives, one a civilian and the other a soldier, -and when that is done we will turn upon the whites and stay by you as -long as one of them is left alive." - -The Medicine Man finally agreed to this and it was so published in the -village; and although some of the warriors looked daggers at them and -said that any white man who fell into their hands should be punished to -the full extent of Indian law, we have seen that Winged Arrow's letter -once served its purpose. - -"Those people must have wood pretty soon or they will freeze and starve -to death," said Reuben. "Are you going out when the time comes?" - -"I must. I must make the Indians believe that I am with them heart and -soul. But there is one thing about it, Rube: I shall think that every -soldier has some medicine about him, and not any of them will fall by -my bullets." - -"That is the way I shall do also. I really wish that this matter could -be settled without a war. But every time we get a reservation fixed -out to suit us, you will see some white man that wants some of it. Why -can't they go away and let us alone?" - -"That is not the white man's way of doing business. He wants to raise -cattle, or he wants to dig for gold, or he wants some place to put his -family, and the first thing we know he has the whole country. If Red -Cloud should fail in his movement, and it looks to me now as though he -were going to, it will be all up with us. You and I belong to a doomed -race. The Indian will not survive the buffalo, and when he goes it is -good-by to us." - -"I am afraid that is so," said Reuben, getting upon his feet, "and I -cannot find it in my heart to fight those white people either. All -we have we owe to them. I remember what hard work I had to write a -composition in English. Do you remember it?" - -"I believe I do, and with what labor I tried to put my words in -English, so that some one would not laugh at me. I shall always -remember John Turner for that. He stood by me and helped me whenever I -failed, and that is one thing that makes me as good an English scholar -as I am to-day." - -Reuben had evidently no more to say on the subject. Following an -Indian's way, he turned and left John without uttering another word -and went into his tepee, while John sat there on the ground occupied -with his own thoughts. The hours flew by and yet he sat there without -moving, and when at last the streaks of dawn appeared in the East he -saw three Indians silently leave their lodges and take their way out -over the prairie. These were the lookouts who had been appointed the -night before to go and watch the soldiers and see that none of them -left the Fort. On the summit of the nearest swell one of them sat down, -drew his blanket over his head and the other two kept on out of sight. - -"Those poor fellows do not know that every move they make is known here -in camp," said Winged Arrow, slowly rising to an upright position. "As -long as they stay there inside their stockade, they are all right; but -the moment they organize a train to come out and get wood, that will be -the last of some of them." - -Winged Arrow, as we shall continue to call him, did not forget one -practice he had learned among the whites, and that was to wash his -hands and face. He always felt better for that, and he could not -imagine why the Indians neglected it. This done, a pocket comb which he -drew from some receptacle about him was brought into play, and before -the Medicine Man appeared at his door, Winged Arrow was ready for -anything that was to be done. - -One who had seen the Medicine Man as he appeared before Winged Arrow -at that moment would have wondered at his claiming that man for his -father. Winged Arrow was an ideal Indian. His frank and open face, -always destitute of paint, was one which could not be seen without a -desire to take two looks at it, and he was tall and as athletic as if -he had been to a training school all his life; but the man who opened -the door of his tepee and stepped out was exactly his reverse in these -respects. He was tall, as the majority of Indians were, but he was bent -almost half over, as if he were suffering from that Indian complaint, -rheumatism, and his face, that had been daubed with paint the night -before, was fearful to look upon. But for all that, he seemed to think -a good deal of Winged Arrow, and his commands went far and were -studiously obeyed by all the members of the tribe. Giving Winged Arrow -his letter as medicine was proof of his popularity with the tribe. A -grunt by way of greeting was all that passed between them. The Medicine -Man kept on his way, and Winged Arrow went into the tepee to get his -breakfast. - -The Indians are very different from white men in regard to their -meals, each one breaking his fast whenever he feels the craving of his -appetite. A pot, generally filled with meat and water, is placed on one -side of the tepee, accompanied, if the man of the house be tolerably -well off in the world, by a package of parfleche, which contains the -Indian bread. If the bread is not there, the meat will do as well. -A pile of ashes in the middle of the lodge tells where the meat is -put to boil, and whenever an Indian is hungry he rakes together the -buffalo chips, starts a blaze and puts on the pot; and when he gets too -hungry to stand it any longer, he attacks the meat and eats until he -is satisfied. Winged Arrow had all this to do himself, for it was too -early for the women to be astir. As he sat waiting for his breakfast to -be cooked, his thoughts wandered away to the school at Carlisle, and he -wondered how many teachers there would have been willing to join him in -his repast. - -"There is not one," soliloquized the young savage. "Every one of them -would turn up his nose at such a breakfast as this. And yet I am here -to fight just for keeping my people in this position. Oh, why did not -the whites stay in their own country?" - -The smoke of the fire began to penetrate the tepee, until it was so -thick as to be unbearable to any but an Indian. Winged Arrow waited -until the meat was done and then, drawing his knife, proceeded to make -as good a breakfast as he could out of boiled beef. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -WHAT WINGED ARROW SAW - - -Winged Arrow had not been at his breakfast long before he was startled -by a noise and confusion in the camp outside. Any little bustle is -enough to excite a feeling of alarm in an Indian, and coming as it -did upon the quiet that reigned among the lodges, Winged Arrow was -on his feet and out of his tepee in an instant. He turned toward the -man on the highest point of the swell who had sat there with his -blanket around him, and saw that he was on his feet and waving that -blanket furiously aloft to attract the attention of the people in the -village. He was repeating the signals that the other Indians had made -to him--that there was something going on in the Fort. There could be -but one explanation of his signals: The soldiers were starting a wagon -train and were coming out to get wood. As he was about to turn into his -tepee again, he met Reuben hurrying up. - -"Do you see that?" said he. - -"Yes, I see it," replied Winged Arrow. "Now remember that every soldier -in that squad has some medicine with him that our bullets cannot -penetrate. When you come back, you don't want to say to yourself: -'There is one fellow that I have wiped out.'" - -The boys went into their tepee only to re-appear again almost -immediately. A spectator would have had to look more than once before -recognizing them. They were stripped from the waist up, had bonnets on -their heads, and nothing in their hands but their rifles. Neither of -them carried a knife, for they did not believe in mutilating bodies -that fell into their hands. Each carried a belt of cartridges which was -slung around his waist. While they were going to get their horses, they -heard a whoop at the lower end of the village, and the next moment Red -Cloud dashed by, mounted on a snow-white pony, stripped to the waist, -as all his men were, and hideously painted, "making the picture the -very incarnation of exultant war." - -"Come, come," he cried in his native tongue, "Come to the ambush and -then to victory." - -Red Cloud was right in his element now. He was war all over. He slung -his rifle, his only weapon, around his head with frantic gestures and -yelled so loudly that he drowned every other shout that was sent up by -his triumphant warriors; for the Sioux looked upon their victory as -certain. He was a man who would have been picked out of all that throng -as a leader. He was not an hereditary chieftain, as we have explained, -but his chance had come for raising the war cry over those chiefs -who had signed the lease for that road. It just suited the turbulent -element of his tribe, and those who did not believe in his way could -just step aside and leave them the glory. But that did not suit the -old chiefs who were anxious to retain their authority, and they soon -found that they must acknowledge Red Cloud as their master, or be left -alone with nobody to obey their orders. And thus it happened that some -chiefs, some even who were friendly to the whites, joined his standard -and were as fierce for battle as Red Cloud. - -It did not take Red Cloud's yells long to raise the fighting men of his -tribe, and when he saw so many men at his disposal, he turned and led -the way across the open prairie toward the Fort. There were a thousand -of them all armed to the teeth. All were silent and not a shout was -uttered, however much they might have felt inclined to let the soldiers -know that they were coming. Some were engaged in tying feathers and -ribbons in their horses' manes and tails; others put on their bonnets; -and still others were busy in anointing themselves with oil and grease -to make them more agile in their movements. The women gathered upon the -outskirts of the village and sent up wails over the prospective death -of husbands and lovers, who were going forth to battle. - -On reaching the ravine out of sight of the Fort, the very place where -Colonel Carrington was afraid that an ambush might be formed for his -troops, the most of the warriors rushed into it, while the others were -sent off to annoy the cutters who were by this time at work upon the -wood pile. The rest stayed in the ravine, out of sight, to be ready -to assault the re-enforcements when they came up. This was the time -when Guy Preston sent his first signal to the Fort and it resulted -in Colonel Fetterman and his hundred men coming out to help the wood -cutters. We may say before we go further, that Colonel Carrington -did not believe that there was so large a village as his scouts had -reported to him. Red Cloud had been so sly about his movements, making -his attacks with smaller bodies of men on purpose to draw the soldiers -out, and the Colonel thought that with a hundred men, all experienced -Indian fighters, he would be able to hold his own with them; and that -was just where he made his mistake. - -When the braves drew up in the ravine, Winged Arrow and Reuben were -with them. They clutched their rifles with a firm hold, as if they were -impatient to be in action, and all the while Winged Arrow was wondering -if that fellow to whom he gave his letter were there as an escort -to the wood cutters, or had he taken the young savage's advice and -remained in the Fort. - -Red Cloud's orders to the warriors who went to attack the wood cutters -were not to make a good fight, but to hang around and worry the cutters -so that they could not do their work. Winged Arrow heard them yelling -as they galloped up and down in obedience to these orders, and he knew, -too, when the troops charged them, and when they were retreating. It -kept on in this way for half an hour; then the Indian who had been -sent to maintain a close watch on the Fort and tell them when to look -for the re-enforcements, came down the hill in great haste, swinging -his blanket around his head as he came. The re-enforcements had come, -a whole cloud of them were flocking out of the Fort, and soon they -would be close onto them. Now all was excitement in the ravine, and -the braves leaned forward and grasped their weapons, but not a yell -was uttered. Colonel Fetterman and his troops came on; the savages -heard their charging shout, and the body of warriors who for the last -half hour had kept up a bogus attack on the wood cutters, evidently -surprised at so large a force coming out, retreated into the ambuscade. -That was what the Sioux were waiting for. - -"Come to victory!" shouted Red Cloud. - -What happened next Winged Arrow could not have told; it was the first -fight he had ever been in, and it was his resolve that he would never -be in another. The Sioux divided right and left as they went out; he -heard the rattle of firearms and saw the smoke fill the air, and all -the while he was circling around close at the heels of a big warrior -who was shouting as if he were going wild, and his rifle spoke as often -as he could push in the cartridges. He did not know where the bullets -went and he did not care. He aimed high, and was certain that he did -not hit anybody. - -At the end of half an hour it was all over. A succession of whoops and -yells from one section of the battlefield told him that the fighting -was done, and he drew rein upon his wearied horse and waited until the -smoke had cleared away, so he could see what the warriors had done. -Of the men who came out with Colonel Fetterman, not one remained. The -field, as far as he could see it from the smoke that settled over it, -was covered with men in blue uniforms and horses which were killed -while doing their utmost to take their riders to a place of safety. -Winged Arrow took no part in searching for plunder which commenced -immediately. He rode over the field, taking care that his horse did not -step upon any of the dead men, looking in vain for Guy Preston, for -of course he did not know that Guy, securely sheltered by the picket -tower, had seen almost as much of the fight as he had himself. - -At last the wood cutters train came up the hill bound for the Fort. Red -Cloud was entirely satisfied with what he had done, or the braves did -not want to face the leaden bullets in the soldiers' rifles, for they -did not make any serious attempt to capture the wagons. He lost a few -men in charges he made upon it, and then allowed it to go on in peace. -Winged Arrow saw before he had surveyed the whole battlefield that the -Sioux had not escaped unharmed. Although the braves moved at a headlong -gallop, trusting to their speed to escape any balls that might be sent -after them, some of them went into that fight for the last time. Here -and there, scattered about among the blue coats, was a Sioux warrior, -with all his war paint yet upon him, whose medicine had not been strong -enough to keep off some soldier's bullets, and he was taken up and -carried to the village, in order to save the scalp upon his head. If -that were removed, his relatives would not go to the trouble of burying -him. - -"Do you find that fellow here?" asked Reuben, riding up at this moment. - -"No; he is in the Fort," said Winged Arrow. "I think that letter did -him some good." - -The two friends stayed by each other while the plundering was going on, -and their hearts grew sick when they saw the mutilations which some of -the warriors practiced upon the dead bodies of the soldiers. At length -the lookout (for the Indians always have them when they are engaged in -a massacre), told them that still another squad of re-enforcements was -leaving the Fort, a large squad it was too, fully equal to the one they -had whipped, and in an instant all was confusion again. The Indians -were getting ready to retreat, and as soon as Major Powell's troops -appeared above the summit of the swell upon which stood the picket -tower, they took a few shots at him by way of farewell, and speedily -went out of sight. Not a single prisoner had been taken by the Indians. -To quote from one of the chiefs, who afterward told the story to one of -our soldiers, "the Sioux were too mad." They killed every one they came -to, hoping that the whites would get weary of trying to open the road -and that they would abandon the Fort in disgust. - -And this was the way that John Turner and Reuben Robinson behaved in -every fight in which they were engaged. They always made two of the -attacking party, and whooped and yelled as loud as anybody, and always -took their chances of death with the others; but every bullet they -fired went wild, and they never had to say when they returned to camp, -"There was one fellow that I wiped out." They could not forget the -kindness and favors they had experienced at the hands of the whites. - -While the troops under Major Powell had passed the picket tower and -were hesitating whether or not to go down to the battlefield and run -the risk of bringing off the dead, Guy and Amos were seated on the -steps, while the latter's arm was thrown around him protectingly, and -Amos was relating the story of the massacre. - -"You have seen more of it than I did, for you were up here where you -had a good view," said Amos. "But the Colonel thought I had better come -and tell you that the Fort was keeping watch over you." - -"I am grateful to know that," said Guy between his sobs. "I did the -best I could." - -"Of course you did, and the Colonel appreciates it; but the only thing -you are sorry for is that you asked for help when nobody told you to. -Don't let that worry you. The Colonel will not say a word to you about -it." - -"If you please, sir," said the soldier, who had been left on the top of -the tower to watch Major Powell's movements, "The Major has left the -ridge." - -Guy and Amos jumped to their feet and went up to the top, and a -signal to that effect was at once sent to the Fort. No answer came -in response to it, and the young officers became aware that it was -all right. For two hours they turned their glasses first toward the -swells to see that the Sioux did not come back to assault them, and -then toward the soldiers who were tenderly gathering up the dead, but -nothing occurred that was worthy of note. All the soldiers obtained -were a hundred dead bodies, but not a single thing in the way of arms -or ammunition. Everything had gone with the retreating Sioux. They -came along on their way to the Fort after a while, and seeing that -Guy was watching them with interest, Major Powell sent an officer to -communicate with him. - -"All are gone," said he, returning Guy's salute. "Did you see it?" - -"I saw some of it," said Guy with a shudder. "I don't want to speak of -it. I suppose I am the only officer left in our Company." - -"It looks that way to me. You don't want to go to sleep at all -to-night, for the Sioux may be down on you." - -When the officer moved away, Amos decided that he would go back to the -Fort also, and thus Guy was left alone with his three soldiers for -company. He sat down on his block with his head resting on his hands, -and in that way he remained almost all night. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -AFTER THE MASSACRE - - -The night that followed the massacre was passed by those who took part -in it in a very different manner. The dead had all been brought in and -were laid out in three several rooms until the time of their burial, -covered by all the flags that the Fort could raise, and sentries were -keeping guard over them. Colonel Carrington had been in once to see -them, but the sight was almost too much for him. He left hastily bathed -in tears, and everybody who had business with him that night took note -of the fact that he was a very different man from what he had seemed to -be before he ordered out the re-enforcements. He continually said to -Major Powell, who stayed with him almost all night:-- - -"I don't care one cent what the authorities say to me. If some of them -had been here, they would have done just the same as I did. But sending -out all these men who have obeyed my every order for so long a time is -what grieves me. I wish I had been out there with them." - -In the Sioux camp there was a big pow-wow held by those who had been -in the massacre, if we except Winged Arrow and his friend. They sat a -little apart from the others and watched the scalp dance, but took no -part in it. Their feelings went out to the mourners who were gathered -in their lodges and were sending up loud wails of grief over the sons -and brothers whose medicine had not been strong enough to protect them -from the bullets of the doomed soldiers. Winged Arrow and Reuben said -not a word to each other, and when they grew tired of watching the -scalp dance, they went to bed; but slumber was something that would not -come at call. All night long the yells and whoops of the triumphant -Indians rang in their ears, but they were not thinking of them. - -"All this amounts to nothing," was what Winged Arrow kept saying to -himself. "They are making a big noise over the death of one hundred -soldiers, but they do not take into consideration the thirty-six -millions that are to come after them. Where they kill one now, ten will -spring up to take their place. As soon as this gets to Washington, the -enemy will send re-enforcements here that the Sioux never dreamed of. -We are doomed; I can see that plainly enough." - -To go back to the Fort again--there was Cyrus, the scout, lying on -his bunk, sadly shaken up by this day's work. He glanced at the empty -cracker boxes on which Tony and Mike had sat the evening before. They -were laid out with the others, and to-morrow would see them covered by -the earth over which they had often trod full of health and strength. -How long would it be before such would be his fate? But Cyrus did not -stop to think of that. His companions had fallen by the Sioux, and -there was nothing for him to do but to avenge them. From that day Cyrus -resolved that no Sioux should cross his trail and live to tell of it. -No matter what treaties the government entered into with them, there -would be always one who did not sign it. - -"Cyrus, the Colonel wants to see you," said an Orderly, breaking in on -his meditations. - -"That's me," said Cyrus, getting up and putting on his moccasins, -which he had thrown off on lying down. "If anybody asks you to-morrow -where Cyrus is, tell him that you don't know. I will either get those -dispatches through, or I will be in the same boat with Tony and Mike." - -"Are you going to try them again?" asked the Orderly. - -"Yes, sir. And I am going through with them. Do you understand?" - -Cyrus followed the Orderly, who led the way to the Colonel's quarters -and found him in his shirt sleeves pacing up and down his narrow room. -He could not be easy unless he was in motion, and even then he would -stop occasionally, take his hands from his pockets and rumple up his -hair as though he did not know what he was doing with himself. Major -Powell was there, seated on a camp chair, with his head resting on -his hands. The Major could not get over the massacre. Every time he -tried to talk about it, he was obliged to stop, for his sobs broke his -utterance. - -"Sit down, Cyrus," said the Colonel in a husky voice. "Are you all -ready to start now?" - -"As ready as I ever shall be, Kurn," replied Cyrus. "But I don't want -to sit down." - -"Then there are your dispatches. I don't need to tell you----" - -"You don't need to tell me anything, Kurn. I know just what you want -to say. Those dispatches shall go through, or you will never see Cyrus -again. Tony and Mike are killed, and I don't see that there is anything -left for me." - -"Be careful that you don't get yourself into trouble, while you are -avenging them," said the Major, lifting his head for a moment from his -hands. "We cannot afford to spare you." - -"I shall take good care of myself, Major. Whenever you hear that I am -gone, you may know that two Indians have gone with me." - -Cyrus took the papers that the Colonel handed him and proceeded to look -them over. The first one he came to was Winged Arrow's letter. This -one he laid on the table. The next one was the "bogus dispatch," and -this one he placed by the side of the first. The third was the dispatch -which the Colonel was so anxious to have go through, and that he put -into his pocket. - -"Cyrus, you mean to see the commanding officer of Fort Robinson before -you see us again, don't you?" said the Colonel, who had watched the -scout's movements. "You don't mean to fall into the hands of the Sioux -again." - -"No, sir, I don't. I will leave that first paper here and I will -trouble you to place it in the hands of the owner when he comes. This -war is not yet over." - -The post commander seated himself in the nearest chair, while the Major -raised his head and looked hard at Cyrus. - -"Do you think we are going to have another massacre?" was the question -that arose to the lips of both of them. - -"I don't know about that; but you know that the Sioux won't be -satisfied with one killing. If Guy happens to fall into their hands, he -will need something to bring him out. Good-by, I may not see you again, -but you may bet your bottom dollar that I will get through, if I am -alive." - -The scout seized the Colonel's hand, and the length of time he held -fast to it was all the evidence that anybody needed to show him the -consideration in which he held him. The Colonel told him that he was -his only hope, but Cyrus shook his head and did not say anything in -reply. The Major could not say anything. He arose and shook him hastily -by the hand, and then seated himself on his chair as before, and rested -his head on his extended palms. Another moment and the scout was gone. - -"This will kill me and I know it," said the Colonel, resuming his walk -about the room. "I don't wish any harm to befall those superior in -power to myself, but I wish that General could be down here for about -five minutes and feel the responsibility that rests upon me. He would -send some help without any asking." - -That was a long night to the two officers commanding the Fort, for -neither of them thought of going to bed. The Colonel paced the room, -and the Major sat with his head resting on his hands. It was longer -still to the lonely watcher on the picket tower, who kept close view of -the prairie surrounding him, lest the Sioux should slip up and try to -add to the number of victims by taking a sly shot at him or his men -when they did not think there was any one around. He had appealed to -his men time and time again to know if he did his full duty when posted -there to pass the signals, but their assurance that his conduct could -not be blamed and that any other officer placed in the same position -would do the same, did not fully satisfy him. He had been up there -while a hundred men were massacred almost within reach of him, and had -not done a thing to prevent it. The two young officers, for whom he -cherished an affection of which some brothers might have been proud -were gone and why should he be left? - -"Why did not one of them change places with me?" he kept constantly -repeating to himself. "I would have gone readily, and now I would have -been beyond the reach of the Colonel's reprimand or his frown. But -there are the folks at home. What would they have said about it?" - -Daylight came at last, and once more Guy leveled his binoculars on the -prairie, but no signs of the Sioux could be seen. Then he looked at the -Fort, and saw preparations for guard mount going on, and that a Company -was ready to keep guard over them while his relief was coming out to -the tower. It came at last and a sorry-looking lot of men they were. -They had seen the bodies laid out in the store rooms, and they could -not get over it. In reply to Guy's hurried questioning, the Lieutenant -said:-- - -"You would have thought, if you could have seen the smiles that were on -Perkins's and Brigham's faces, that they had furloughs to go home and -see the friends from whom they have been so long separated. They didn't -act scared a bit. But I tell you, it is just awful. Captain Brown and a -few old timers must have killed themselves, for they were not mutilated -in the least. The other officers were all scalped." - -"Did the Colonel have anything to say about my signaling?" asked Guy. -It was all he could do to ask this question, but he managed to get it -out at last. - -"Not a word. You did the best you could, and that is all anybody can -do. You have nothing to do but to look out for the Sioux, I suppose?" - -"And keep a watch on the Fort for signals," added Guy. "I hope your -stay up here will be more pleasant than mine has been. Fall in, men, -and we will go down to the Fort." - -The Adjutant and the officer of the day met him when he came in and -reported, and after saying "Very good, sir," continued in a solemn -tone:-- - -"You saw more of that fight than we did. It is awful, is it not? The -Colonel wants to see you." - -"He wants to know why I made some signals, I suppose," said Guy. - -"What signals?" - -"Why, I told him that Fetterman needed help, when that signal was not -made to me at all." - -"Oh, that is all right. The Colonel will not say anything about that. -You saw what a fix he was in." - -Guy found the Colonel as we have seen him before, and the Major still -sitting in his camp chair. They had been out to breakfast to drink a -cup of coffee, and that was all. - -"Sit down, Preston," said the Colonel, waving his hand toward a chair. -"You saw it all, did you not?" - -"The smoke would not let me see a great deal of it, sir," said Guy. "I -want to say that I have got back and that I repeated every one of your -signals that I saw." - -"And some you did not see," put in the Colonel. "However, that was all -right. I am not going to find any fault with you for that. Sit down. -Now begin at the beginning and tell me all that you saw." - -It did not take Guy long to do that, for, as he dwelt upon it, the -scenes of the massacre came so vividly to his mind that he did not want -to speak of them at all. The officers listened, the Colonel now and -then making some marks on a piece of paper which he drew toward him. He -took Guy's recital down as a part of the report he was going to make -out for his superior officer. When Guy was through they asked him some -questions in regard to the massacre which he did not see on account -of the smoke, and then told him that he could go. Guy went, feeling a -great deal better than he did while he was making those signals from -the tower. He went in alone to view the officers and men who had fallen -in the massacre of the day before, and what he saw there is beyond our -power to describe. Perkins and Brigham were not scalped, and the smiles -he saw on their faces reminded him of the one Arthur wore when he told -Guy that he was not to ask the Colonel for anything on his part,--he -was bound to go with his Company and take part in the fight, and the -first fight he got into was the last. Guy did not look any further. -Tears blinded his eyes and he came out and went into the mess room. -But he could not stay there long either. The vacant chairs called to -mind those who were gone, and he finally turned into his own room, -where he tumbled into bed with his face toward the wall. - -"They are all gone, and there's no telling how soon I may be in their -place," he moaned. - -Filled with such thoughts as these he soon fell asleep. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -RE-ENFORCEMENTS ARRIVE - - -For a week after the massacre, Guy Preston and all the other officers -and men of the Fort acted as if they were in a dream. The orders were -given in a low tone of voice, the men responded to them with a silent -touch of their caps, for every one seemed to think that it would not -be long before they would be laid out awaiting burial, or be doomed -to a worse fate in the Sioux camp. Guy was there during the burial of -the men--he was one of twenty soldiers who fired the shots over their -graves--and then he braced up, dashed the tears from his eyes, and -tried to do his duty as he did before. He had ten men who had been -detailed for various other duties when the Company was ordered out, and -he was the sole officer in command of them. - -Guy was not long in missing his old friend Cyrus, whose fate no one -knew. Did he get through in safety with his dispatches, or was he -captured by the Sioux who had taken revenge upon him for the braves -they had lost during the massacre? One morning, just after Guy had come -off duty during the night, the Colonel sent for him, but it was not to -reprimand him. He saw that as soon as he got into his room. The Colonel -had a paper in his hand which he handed to Guy. - -"There is your medicine," said he. "Cyrus wanted me to give it to you -under the impression that you might some day fall into the power of -those thievish rascals outside." - -"Why--why did not Cyrus take it with him, sir?" stammered Guy. - -"No; he said the war was not yet over, and you might some day need it. -You do not intend to be a prisoner in the hands of those fellows, do -you?" - -"No, sir," said Guy hastily. "They kill everybody who falls a captive -to them. And what is the reason Cyrus would not take it with him, sir? -I am afraid he----" - -"Well, go on," said the Colonel, after waiting a moment or two for Guy -to say what he was afraid of, "Do you think he has been captured?" - -"I think he would have been safer, if he had taken this letter with -him, sir," replied the young officer. - -"Yes; but you know it has saved one civilian and the next must be a -soldier." - -"That is so, sir. I will put it right there among the little money I -have left, and I hope it may do me some good, if I chance to fall into -their power. Don't you think it is about time to hear from Cyrus, sir?" - -"I do; but if he has met with the usual luck that some of our scouts -do, it may be another week before we get news of him." - -The Colonel picked up some papers which were lying near him on the -desk, thus intimating that their interview was at an end; but there was -one more question that Guy wanted to have answered before he left. - -"Do you think he has got through in safety, sir?" said he. - -"That is hard to tell," replied the Colonel slowly. "Cyrus is a brave -man, and if he fails I don't know what we shall do. That's all, Guy." - -"Cyrus has failed," said Guy to himself, as he put on his cap and left -the room, "I could see that by the way the Colonel looked. By George! I -wonder what will be the next move the Sioux will make? Well, if worse -comes to worst I will have to go. I wish I could see my mother once -before my time comes." - -Guy stopped after he passed the Orderly and dashed some tears from his -eyes. He was the commander of a Company now, and it would look very -unseemly for him to be found that way by any of his men. He took his -way to his room, that room which he occupied all by himself now, and -then the tears came forth afresh, until Guy began to be ashamed of -his conduct. He rolled over and tried to catch the slumber he so much -needed, but when the Orderly came to call him to dinner he was wide -awake. - -But the Colonel was wrong in his predictions. Three days passed and -then a horseman was seen rapidly approaching the Fort. The sentry -called the corporal of the guard, and that officer did not stay beside -him for more than a moment when he shouted:-- - -"There comes Cyrus!" - -Guy was off duty then, and he lost no time in climbing up beside the -sentry. The horseman was still so far away that they could not see -his face, but the way he waved his hat around his head and used it to -urge his horse to greater speed proclaimed who the newcomer was. The -Colonel was out by that time, and Guy turned to him with a face that -was beaming over with pleasure. - -"It is Cyrus, sure enough, sir!" he exclaimed, "Re-enforcements are not -far off." - -In a quarter of an hour the horseman, mounted on a nag that was almost -tired out, dashed through all the men assembled at the gate, and -presently was shaking hands with everybody that could get around him. -It was the scout sure enough, and judging by the grin that was on his -face he was glad to get back. - -"Halloo, Guy," he shouted. "I haven't time to speak to you all now, -only to grasp your hands and say that I am overjoyed to see you all -above ground. Help is coming. Where's the Colonel?" - -So Cyrus got through, after all. The story he told after he had -reported to the Colonel did not amount to much in passing through his -hands. He had not seen a hostile Indian from the time he left Fort -Phil Kearney until his journey was safely accomplished. The pow-wow -the Sioux held on the night of the massacre "threw them all crazy," as -Cyrus had predicted, and there was not one to dispute his attempt to -reach Fort Robinson. - -"The General was awful uneasy about us, because he did not hear -anything," said the scout, in conclusion, "and he was on the point of -sending three hundred men to see about it; and I tell you he packed -them off in a hurry as soon as I got there." - -"Bully for the three hundred men," said Guy. "Are they coming now -behind you?" - -"Yes, sir. They are coming as fast as they can. We have got men enough -now to get that village out of there and make them take to the hills -where they belong. Well, Guy, the Sioux have not scalped you yet. Have -you been out after any more sage hens?" - -"No, sir, and I don't think I shall go any more until we get the Sioux -out of there. Cyrus, you must have had a terrible time of it." - -"Oh, nothing to speak of. I went out on purpose to get to Fort -Robinson, and I went. I wonder if you have anything to eat in the -house? We have been in such haste to get here that we did not stop to -cook any breakfast." - -Guy took Cyrus under his charge and conducted him into the mess room, -intending to hear more of his story when he got him by himself; but -before he could ask him to go on with it, a cheering arose out by the -gate and Cyrus was left to finish his breakfast alone. There they were, -three hundred infantrymen, who were moving with weary steps as if it -was all they could do to drag one foot after the other--for they had -made a forced march since they left Fort Robinson--but the way the -garrison greeted them showed them that their trouble was over. Colonel -Smith was there, vigorously shaking hands with Colonel Carrington, and -when the two were through welcoming each other, they went into the -commander's headquarters. The troops assembled on the parade ground, -and when they had broken ranks, Guy speedily hunted up the Second -Lieutenants, one of whom he found to his astonishment to be an old -schoolmate of his. They had been at West Point together, had graduated -at the same time, one being ordered to the Cavalry and the other to the -Infantry. It took some little time for Guy to recognize Fred Bolton in -this muddy, travel-stained boy, but when he saw the smile that beamed -upon his face, and his extended hand, the old schoolboy came back to -him, and catching Fred around the waist he fairly raised him from the -ground. - -"Fred, old boy, how are you?" he exclaimed, as he swung him around once -or twice before he put him on the ground again. - -"Say," replied Fred, gently untangling himself from Guy's detaining -hands. "Have you an apple about you?" - -"An apple?" echoed Guy, not understanding the question. - -"Or peanuts; anything that will do to eat. I am so hungry that I can -smell the bacon in the storehouse clear out here." - -"Why, come in," said Guy. "The Sioux have kept us on pretty short -rations, but I guess I can give you bacon enough to satisfy you." - -Guy was introduced to the other Second Lieutenants as they were going -to the mess room, and the first thing the boys asked him about was the -massacre. - -"Did they whoop and yell as the storybooks tell about?" said one of the -newcomers. "Tell us all about it, please. We have never seen an Indian -fight and we want to know what is in store for us." - -"Don't ask me about it," said Guy. - -"But you must have seen some of it, and we should like to know how it -looked," insisted Fred. "What is the reason you were not in it? Was not -your Company ordered out?" - -Guy saw that there was no chance for him to plead ignorance, and while -the boys were waiting for their bacon and hard-tack he went into the -particulars of the fight, getting through with them as soon as he -possibly could. The Second Lieutenants must have seen how badly he felt -about it, and did not ask him any more questions; but when he came to -tell of Winged Arrow's medicine, they looked incredulous. They were too -polite to interrupt him, but exchanged significant glances with one -another as if to ask what their companions thought about it. - -"I don't ask you to believe my word, but here is the evidence," said -Guy, producing his pocketbook. "That letter has saved the life of one -scout, and if I fall into their hands while I have that letter about -me, I shall expect that it will save my own." - -Of course there was much to talk about and a good deal of time taken -to tell it, for the supports were not expected to go on duty that -day. They were given time to rest after their long, fatiguing march, -and they made the most of it. At dress parade the men appeared in -fine order, and then they received notice of what they were to do on -the following day. Their force was strong enough now to assume the -offensive, and to-morrow morning a battalion of three hundred men would -start out to break up that Sioux village and, as Cyrus had said, "drive -them into the hills where they belonged." Colonel Smith was to be in -charge of the troops, with Major Powell second in command. There was -one thing that made Guy grow an inch taller when the order was read: -his small company of men were not to be left out after all. There were -a hundred cavalry to go with the troops, to serve as eyes for them, and -Guy and his company were to make part of them. - -"I hope the Colonel will lead us across that battlefield," said Fred, -as they returned to their quarters. - -"Oh, he will," said Guy. "But we will not see anything--nothing but the -spot where brave men offered up their lives to try and 'pacify' those -Sioux. We will see the signal tower too. I hope that when you go there -to take charge of it, you will see a better time than I did." - -"Well, wait until a history of this thing gets to Washington, and we -will see help coming out here enough to annihilate those Sioux. The -General was sorely put out about it, and he sent a dispatch that will -make those fellows open their eyes." - -Morning came at length, and with it came the men who were to compose -the expedition, forming on the parade ground in view of all the -officers. There was one thing about it that Guy always disliked to -see, and that was their ammunition and provision train. Before the -troops could go into a fight with the Indians, they would be obliged -to take care of that train, because when that was lost, everything -they had was lost. The hostiles would make an attack upon that train -first, paying no attention to the other men, and if they could stampede -that, their-success was assured. The Indians did not believe in taking -any train with them. All the ammunition and food they needed during -their raids were carried on their horses, and if they were worsted in -the fight they got out of the way with wonderful celerity and their -ammunition and food went with them. - -Fred and the other newcomers who had arrived with the re-enforcements -the day before gazed with interest at the picket tower, saw that the -soldiers who had come to relieve them took the place of the men who -had stayed there all night, and then went on to the battlefield. As -Guy had said they found nothing there, not even a bayonet with which -the soldiers had endeavored to defend themselves, for the Sioux had -searched the field thoroughly and everything had disappeared. - -"Here's where Captain Brown and three others defended themselves," said -Major Powell, drawing Colonel Smith's attention to a place in the rocks -where the grass was all trampled down and empty cartridge shells were -scattered all about. "They must have made sure play for some of those -fiends who came at them. Captain Brown killed himself right here." - -It was a gloomy place, the battlefield that but a short time before -had resounded with the war cry of the fierce Sioux and the rattle of -carbines from the soldiers, and Guy was glad when they left it behind. -Something kept telling him that he was going to see trouble before -he came back, but he banished all such thoughts and had no place for -them. His work lay in the expedition before him, and to that he gave -the whole of his attention. In a short time the memory of the scene -through which he had passed left him, and he was ready to join in with -what the others had to propose, so long as it did not attract the -attention of their commanding officer, Major Powell. So it is with -soldiers the world over. A disastrous battle, during which so many of -their old friends, perhaps their own tentmates, have gone to their long -home, will depress their spirits for a time, and they welcome anything, -no matter how trivial it is, that will draw their thoughts away to -other matters and make them soldiers as they were before. - -In due time they reached the site whereon the Sioux village had stood -while they were engaged in the massacre, and where everything denoted -that they had abandoned it with the utmost haste. Plunder of every sort -which goes to make up the wealth of the Indian was scattered about, and -beside the lodge poles, for the tents were gone, were the remains of -half a dozen Indian ponies that had been sacrificed to go with their -owners to the Happy Hunting Grounds. - -"I don't understand the meaning of that," said Fred Bolton. "Did they -kill their ponies on purpose?" - -"Certainly," said Guy. "The Indian ponies have spirits as well as their -masters; and when one is killed and his scalp not removed----" - -"Do their scalps have anything to do with it?" - -"Of course they do. If you scalp an Indian, his body becomes so much -carrion which is not worthy of a burial; but if his friends can save -the Indian without letting him fall into our hands, he is given all the -rites that an Indian can think of. These ponies will go with him to the -spirit land, and if we had time to hunt up the places where the owners -are buried, we would find there their rifles, matches, scalping knives, -and every other thing they need to go right to work." - -Guy had many things to tell the newcomers, and during the two weeks -that the expedition was out he had plenty of time around his camp fire -at night to tell them all he knew about the hostile Indians. What he -did not know the guides took up, and if the new men did not learn -something about the Sioux before they got through, it was their own -fault. They generally told some funny stories, but a wink from Guy told -how much of them they had better believe. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -A PRISONER AT LAST - - -"So this is scouting for Indians, is it?" exclaimed Fred, when the -bugle blew one morning and Guy began buckling on his sword. "We have -been out two weeks, and during that time we have not seen one single -Indian, nor the sign of one. I thought they would be all around us. -That is the way they act in storybooks." - -"We are not dealing with storybooks now, but with solid flesh-and-blood -Sioux," said Guy, who was making all haste to answer the bugle call. -"We have seen signs enough, even if we have not seen Indians. We have -followed their trail for a week, and that is as much as I want to see." - -"But why don't we follow them up and whip them? All we have to do is to -go back there in the 'bad lands,' and there we would find them." - -Before we go any further we should like to inquire if you have any idea -of how these "bad lands" look. We have often heard that hostile Indians -find refuge there when badly pressed by the troops, but how do they -appear and in what shape are they? You have often seen a clay field -after a long and hot drought in summer, how it is seamed over with -innumerable cracks, perfectly perpendicular, leaving miniature chasms -between. This, magnified by a thousand, are the "bad lands" of the -Northwest. They are immense patches of clay soil, baked by the long and -intense drought of that climate into chasms four or five feet wide and -perhaps twenty feet deep, absolutely impassable for wagons, quagmires -in the early spring, and a labyrinth of deep gullies in summer. The -hostiles know every one of these ravines, where it leads to and the -springs of water that are to be found on the banks of it, and the -troops that are sent after them do not. Once fairly inside the "bad -lands," the Indians disappear and leave no trace behind. - -"We do not want to be whipped badly enough to go into those 'bad -lands,'" said Guy, with a laugh. "The moment Colonel Smith saw where -the trail led to, he said that we were not strong enough to go in there -after them, and when he said that, he hit me right on top of the head. -I don't want to go in there either. I am perfectly willing to go back -to the Fort, without seeing any of them. You don't know how an ambush -looks. I have seen one of them from a distance, and I don't want to see -another." - -"Well, good-by, if you call that going," said Fred, as Guy swung -himself upon his horse. "Keep your eyes open, and don't let any Sioux -come down on us." - -Guy fell in beside his Company, waved his hand as a farewell signal to -Fred, and rode out with the cavalrymen to act as eyes for the infantry, -who were guarding the train. These marched along pretty nearly as they -pleased, giving no thought to danger, for they knew that the cavalry, -who skirted their flanks at a distance of three or four miles, would -see the Sioux long before they could and easily warn them, so that they -could get into line of battle. Presently the bugle sounded again, and -that was a call for Fred. In a few minutes the entire expedition was -under way, bound for the Fort, without having seen a warrior since they -had been out. - -"They are all in the 'bad lands,'" said Colonel Smith, who felt -somewhat crestfallen over his bad luck. "I really wish that I had about -four times as many men as I have with me. I would follow them into -their retreats and drive them out." - -That was the way that more than one man felt in regard to the -disappearing Sioux, and many a soldier clutched his piece with a firmer -grip and cast his eyes toward the hills on which he had last seen the -cavalry, in the hope that they would come over the swells in haste -with the report that the Sioux were not far behind them. That would -give him a chance to knock over one or two to pay them for the number -they had killed during the massacre at the Fort. That was something the -soldiers could not get out of their minds. They had already made it up -among them that "Remember Fort Phil Kearney" should be their battle cry -the next time they went into action. And the opportunity came for them -much sooner than they had expected. They had marched until pretty near -twelve o'clock and the commanders were holding a consultation about -what they had better do for dinner, whether to halt the column at the -top of the nearest swell and have dinner there, or go on until four -o'clock and then have dinner and supper together, when suddenly, and -without the least warning, they heard the rattle of carbines behind the -nearest hill on the right. A squad of cavalry, numbering perhaps twenty -men or more, had discovered the Sioux. They had seen the squad more -than half an hour before, and they were going along as if everything -were all right. - -"Indians! Indians!" burst from a score of throats. - -"Remember Fort Phil Kearney!" chimed in some others. - -"That is Guy's squad, as sure as you live," exclaimed Fred, and his -face turned a little pale as he drew his sword from its scabbard. "I -guess Guy knows how it is to see an ambush close by." - -"Major Powell, take two hundred men and hurry to help that cavalry," -shouted Colonel Smith. "The others are to guard the wagons. Lieutenant -Bowen, we will keep right ahead at the rate we were going. Close up, -everybody." - -These orders were obeyed almost as soon as they were issued. By the -time the one hundred men had closed up about the wagons, Major Powell -had brought his men together, and moving at double quick they ran -toward the hill which separated them from the view of the hostiles. -Fred's company was with Major Powell, and although the color had not -come back to his face, he did his duty as though they were going out -for drill. "Close up, men. Don't lag behind," was the way in which he -urged them to keep up their formation, although before he was half way -to the swell he was "winded," and would have been glad to sit down for -a rest. - -There were other things besides the rattle of carbines to which the men -had to listen. Before they had gone many steps a whole chorus of loud -and fiendish yells came plainly to their ears, and caused the hearts -of some of the soldiers to beat a trifle faster. A moment afterward -the remnant of the squad of cavalry they had come out to help suddenly -appeared at the top of the hill. Fred took one look at it and the fears -which he had before experienced came back to him with redoubled force. - -"Only six men left," said he to himself. "They numbered twenty at -first. What has become of the balance?" - -A few steps more and the whole matter was revealed to him. Of course -there were orders to be obeyed, such as "Aim! Right oblique, fire!" and -their bullets whistled over fifteen or more Sioux who, lying flat upon -their horses' backs, were rapidly leaving the field; but in spite of -them all, Fred had time to look about him and to see, if he could, what -had become of his friend, Guy Preston. - -"By gracious!" exclaimed one man. "They have some prisoners with them." - -"Where, where?" stammered Fred. - -"Don't you see those feet hanging out over the side of that horse that -is just going over the hill?" replied the soldier. "There's another and -another. My fingers are all thumbs, and I don't see why I cannot load -my gun. Shoot those men. They are taking some captives away with them." - -The soldiers were keenly alive to the fate of their prisoners, and -more than one bullet was aimed for the warriors who had them on their -horses; but they all flew wild, and before the men could load their -guns again the last of the Sioux had disappeared. It was merely a bold -dash. The Sioux had intended to wipe out a squad of cavalry and had -succeeded. The other squads of cavalry were sent off as fast as they -came, until there were nearly a hundred in pursuit of the Sioux; but -all to no avail. They got a few shots at them, and that was all. - -Meanwhile the infantry had broken ranks and spread themselves over this -new battlefield of the Sioux--to succor the wounded, if there were any, -and to bury the dead. The first proved unnecessary because there was -not a wounded man on the field; the Indians had made sure work of them. -Fred was hunting for Guy. He was not among those who retreated to the -top of the swell, so he must be among the dead or else-- - -"It is awful to think of," murmured Fred, who was almost afraid to -go any further, for fear that his prediction might come out true. "I -declare, there is his horse. Shot through the head. But where is Guy?" - -Tom, the horse which Guy had told the Colonel could beat any Indian -pony that ever lived, had met his end at last, but his rider was -gone. His saddlebags were there, but everything in the way of weapons -had disappeared. Guy had been carried away by the Sioux, when they -retreated. While Fred stood wondering what was to be his fate, one -of the soldiers who had been at the Fort at the time of the massacre -stepped up and touched his cap to him. - -"Did you know Cyrus, sir?" said he. - -"Cyrus?" repeated Fred. "What was his other name?" - -"He hasn't any that I know of, sir," replied the soldier. "I just -wanted to tell you that he is among the dead." - -Fred accompanied the soldier to the spot where Cyrus lay, but he took -one look at him before he turned away. He did not want to see any more -of a battlefield, and he would have been glad, if he had never seen it -at all. Cyrus lay as he had fallen from his horse, with a scowl of -hatred upon his features, and the mark upon his shirt just above his -heart told how he had given up his life. - -"Why don't we fall in and go away from here?" said Fred impatiently. "I -wish I were back at the Fort." - -"This isn't anything to what the old battlefield was, sir. With Mr. -Preston gone and Cyrus done up for good, it seems as though we have -lost everything worth living for." - -And where was Guy Preston during all this time? He fell in with his men -in response to the call and rode away on the right to keep watch for -the Sioux. Their squad of twenty men was led by a First Lieutenant, a -bold fighter, but rather inexperienced, so far as Indian tactics were -concerned. But Cyrus was with him, and if the Lieutenant followed his -advice, it was likely that he would keep out of trouble. Until twelve -o'clock they saw nothing but the prairie on each side of them; they -thought that they were alone, but Cyrus thought he knew a little better -than that. - -"You can't always tell about these thievish rascals that we are after," -said he, as he rode forward with the officer. "Now there is a place -that is the best kind for an ambush. When you come to a deep gully like -that, you want to do one of two things: either keep out of the way of -it entirely, or go a mile or two above the opening and cross there." - -"Why, if there were any Sioux in there, they would get out," said the -Lieutenant. - -"Of course, and that is what you want. If the Indians were in there, -they would be right in the mouth of the gully; and they are too sharp -to let you get behind them. They would dig out." - -This advice was all right, if the Lieutenant had seen fit to follow it; -but he chose to do as he pleased about keeping away from the ravines. -Three or four of them were passed in this way and still he saw no -Sioux; and finally he began to think that Cyrus was talking merely -because he had nothing else to do. Of course this made Cyrus very -angry, and he fell back until he could speak to Guy. - -"That Lieutenant knows more than anybody else on the job," said he, -"but you will see some fun before long." - -"I suppose that he thinks the hostiles are all in the 'bad lands,'" -replied Guy. "They would not come out just to follow us up, would they?" - -"The only safe Indian is a dead Indian. Of course they would come out -even for the sake of shooting at us. There! What did I tell you? We are -gone up." - -While Cyrus was talking in this way the squad happened to cross one -of those ravines that opened into the prairie along which they were -traveling, and seemed to be deserted like the rest; but in an instant -it became alive with Sioux. They did not yell when they made their -charge as they almost always did, for they did not want the men who -were behind the swells to know anything about their attack until they -were through with it, but came out silently and swiftly and opened -fire upon the soldiers before they knew it. It seemed as if half the -men and horses went down at the first volley. The Lieutenant was -greatly surprised, but he was still untouched, and prepared to do his -duty as any soldier should. - -"Steady, there!" he shouted. "Right front into line! Revolvers! Give -them the best you've got!" - -The next moment the officer raised his hands above his head and -fell from his horse, but the rest of the soldiers heard his command -and obeyed it. When Guy was fairly turned toward the Indians he was -thunderstruck, for there seemed to be no end to them. He had just time -to draw his revolver and fire twice, when he felt himself pitched -headlong on the prairie. Tom would never get frightened and run away -with him again. Guy was stunned, so forcibly had he struck the ground, -and before he could get his wits about him or make a move to draw -that loaded Derringer he carried in his hip pocket, he felt himself -seized by the collar and lifted bodily from the ground. To be sure -he struggled and made an effort to get hold of his saber which hung -from his wrist, but of what use was it while he was taken at every -disadvantage? Ere he was aware of it, he had been thrown across a -mustang in front of a stalwart rider, his feet swaying from one side -of the horse and his head bobbing up and down on the other, and was -being carried rapidly away. He was helpless. The warrior held him by -the throat with one hand and with the other hand he lifted his rifle -and shook it at the soldiers, while he raised a shout of defiance at -them. The soldiers saw Guy as he was carried away in this manner, and -more than one bullet sped toward the brave that had captured him; but -in their excitement the soldiers all shot wild. Guy was a prisoner now, -and his medicine that had been given to him by Winged Arrow was the -only thing that could avail him. Was that medicine strong enough to -help him? - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -CONCLUSION - - -It seemed to Guy Preston that the rider who held him in position on his -mustang would break his body in two before his horse had taken many -more of his frantic leaps. You will remember that the only place he -touched the horse was on the small of his back, with his head dangling -on one side of it and his feet on the other; but it seemed to be all -one to the warrior, who shook his rifle and shouted at the soldiers as -if he were in high glee. He struggled to the best of his ability, and -when at last it seemed to him that he would grow wild over the agony -he was in, everything grew blank to him, and from that time he was as -helpless as a dead boy. He knew nothing of the efforts the cavalry had -made to rescue him; and when his captor wanted to stop to breathe his -horse, he threw the boy to the ground as if he had been a bag of corn. -The motion seemed to revive Guy. He struck on his feet, made three or -four efforts to recover himself, and then sank down, regardless of his -fate. - -The warriors had all stopped to rest their horses, for they believed -that the pursuit was over. The spot where they paused was in one of -the ravines that led to the "bad lands," and while one or two of their -number remained on the hills to note the movements of their pursuers, -the others gathered around their prisoners and went into ecstasies over -them. - -"Hoopla!" said one who seemed to have a little smattering of English. -"Nice time the squaws have to-night. Take um scalp and burn um." - -These words aroused Guy and he sat up on the ground. He thought of -Winged Arrow's medicine, and put his hand into his pocket to see if he -could find it; but the Indians, believing that he was looking for a -weapon, rushed upon him and stretched him again upon the earth, while -one drew his scalping knife and yelled as if he were going to use it. -He seized Guy by the hair and passed his knife around it, and when he -arose to his feet he had a handful of it, which he shook in the boy's -face. Guy's heart seemed to stop beating. Were his captors going to -scalp him alive? He put his hand to his head and found, greatly to his -relief, that although his hair was gone, his skin was there as usual. -A roar of laughter was the result, and when it was ended one of the -braves said:-- - -"Brave boy. To-night stake him out on ground. Then take scalp sure -enough." - -It was something to know that they were going to take him to the -village before they began torturing him, and Guy at once became more at -his ease and began to look around among his captors to see if Winged -Arrow was there. He did not see him, and he concluded that he would let -his letter go until he could see him or find some means to send it to -him. What was the reason he had not asked him his name in Indian when -he met him there on the plains? That would have reached him sure, and -he resolved to try it in English. Perhaps the Indians knew enough of -that tongue to recognize it. The Sioux were sitting down in a circle -and some of them were getting out their pipes to indulge in a smoke. - -"Do any of you know English?" he asked at a venture. - -"Oh, yes, me know it," said one of the Indians, tapping his breast with -his hand. "Me know English a heap." - -"Then perhaps you know Winged Arrow," said Guy. "He is my friend." - -Guy did not see what there was in this to excite the laughter of the -Indians, but it raised it sure enough, and his captors began passing -some remarks about him in their native tongue which made them laugh -louder than ever. Guy gave it up in despair, and settled back on the -ground again. The Indians either could not or would not understand what -he was trying to get at, and it was useless to try them further. His -mind was so busy with his own affairs that he had not thought to see if -there were other prisoners in the party, but now he found that there -were two--one a member of his own company, who had evidently been worse -treated than Guy was, for he lay upon the ground as motionless as if he -were dead. Guy got up and went to him. He could not bear to see one of -his own kind used as bad as he was without saying something to him. - -"Oh, sir, we are gone up now," said the soldier, in a faint voice. "My -back is broken." - -"I guess I know about how you feel, for my back is feeling the same -way," replied Guy. "Brace up, and never say die. When we get to their -village, I will see what I can do toward effecting our release." - -"Oh, if you could do that, you would win my everlasting gratitude. I -can't bear to be tied up and burned, just because I happen to wear the -blue. Have you a drink of water about you, sir?" - -Water was something that Guy did not have, and he began to feel as -though he would like a drink himself. He approached the Indians, who -were now sitting on the ground engaged in the formality of smoking, and -holding his right hand as if he were grasping a cup, carried it to his -mouth and turned it up as if drinking from it. He knew this much of -the signs that Cyrus had taught him. One of the Sioux immediately said -something in his own tongue and pointed down the gully, and then went -on with his smoking. - -"There is not any water here," said Guy, returning to the soldier. "We -must wait until we reach the village. Now brace up, and don't let these -people see that you are afraid of them. If you do they will torment you -in every way that they can think of." - -When Guy went to speak a word of encouragement to the other prisoner, -he cast his eyes around among the horses that were standing a little -distance away, and saw that there were five of them that belonged -to the government. There were thirty of the Indian ponies, and -twenty-eight savages sitting in that circle on that ground; and by -counting the two who had been sent out as look-outs, it proved to his -satisfaction that the Sioux made that attack upon the cavalry and came -off without losing a man. No wonder that they felt jolly over it. - -Guy spoke such words to the other captive as he thought would serve -to encourage him in the ordeal which he knew was coming, and by that -time the lookouts came in from the hills and the Indians all got up in -readiness to resume their march to the village. But before they went -they determined to examine the pockets of their captives and see what -they could find that was worth stealing. In obedience to a sign from -one of his captors, Guy got up and the Indian thrust his brawny arm -into his pants. His pocketbook was the first thing he pulled out. The -small amount of money that Guy had was looked at and thrown aside, -the Indian not knowing what the bills were. The next thing was Winged -Arrow's medicine; and when the savage unfolded that and looked at it, -he uttered a grunt which brought all his companions to his side. Guy's -heart beat against his ribs with a sound like a trip hammer, for he -knew that something was going to happen now. First one Indian examined -it and then another, all uttered grunts indicative of surprise or -indignation, he couldn't tell which, and another savage, the same one -who had gone through the motions of scalping him before and was ready -to do it again, for he held his knife in his hand, quietly put it in -his belt and made no move toward Guy. The Indians now became excited -and wanted to get to their village as soon as possible. The talking and -laughing suddenly ceased. The horses were brought up and at a sign Guy -and one prisoner mounted; and when it came to the captive who was too -weak to help himself, he was not jerked and hauled around as he was -before, but an Indian lifted him in his arms and put him on the horse -as tenderly as if he had been an infant. There was something in Winged -Arrow's medicine after all, and when he saw how prompt the savages were -to obey it, it made the chills creep all over him. - -"No one need ever tell me again that the Sioux are nothing but savages, -and have no hearts at all in them," muttered Guy, as he fell in with -the others and rode down the ravine. "But that paper is not through -yet. If it pass Red Cloud and the other big chiefs at the village, I -shall really begin to believe there is SOMETHING in Indian medicine." - -The ride now was a very intricate one, and Guy marveled greatly when -he saw the Indian who was leading turn first into one gully and then -into another, and never seem to be at a loss which way to go. If a -body of troops ever got in there with Indians all around them, their -destruction was certain. The next thing was the village which came into -view. A sudden turning of one of the gullies, when everything seemed -to be deserted, and there were the tepees scattered along both banks -of a little stream which came murmuring down from the hills. That was -too much for one of Guy's companions in trouble. He dismounted from -his horse, stretched himself out at full length beside that stream and -drank as if he had not seen any water for a month. - -Guy's fear and anxiety increased now, for he longed to see Winged -Arrow, to tell him what had been done with his medicine and to ask -him if there were the least grounds for hope for any prisoner besides -himself. Somehow he could not get it out of his mind that his men had -seen the prairie for the last time, but that was too dreadful to think -of. The Indians along the stream took but little notice of the party as -they rode through the village, with the exception of one who gazed at -them as if there were something on his mind. This one fell in behind -and walked along with them until they came to a lodge which he entered -without ceremony. It was Reuben who was hunting for Winged Arrow. -There was something about Guy's shoulder straps which attracted his -attention, and he wanted to see his friend before it was too late. The -lodge he entered was the one Winged Arrow occupied, and he found that -person just getting ready to go out. - -"He has come," said Reuben. - -"So I have heard, and I am going to see about it," said Winged Arrow. -"I wonder if he has that letter with him." - -Reuben shook his head. He did not know what had passed between the -Indians and their captives on the way up. - -"It will be hard enough for me to help him, even if he has it with -him," continued Winged Arrow. "But if he has forgotten it, it is all up -with him." - -The young braves hastily left the lodge and followed along after the -party until they came up with them standing in front of the chief's -tepee. One glance at the boy who wore the shoulder straps and Winged -Arrow saw that he was the same one he had once met on the prairie. Guy -saw and recognized him at the same moment, and something like a smile -of confidence lit up his face. - -"I am sorry to see you here," said Winged Arrow; and his face assumed a -gloomy expression. - -"And I am sorry to be here," said Guy. "Now we will see if your -medicine amounts to anything. There are three prisoners here----" - -Winged Arrow turned his head away and raised his hand, as if motioning -for Guy to stop. - -"If I can get you out safe, you must be satisfied," said he. "I had -hard work to get that other man free, and I don't know whether I shall -make it with you or not." - -Guy lost all his confidence from hearing Winged Arrow talk this way, -and he began to think that his own escape, which had seemed so bright -when Winged Arrow first came there, was not so sure after all. He -watched his friend go into the chief's tepee, and from what he had read -he knew that no one had a right to do that, and in about five minutes -he came out again; but his face was still gloomy. - -"Get off that horse and come with me," was what he said to Guy. - -The boy lost no time in obeying him. He saw that his first object must -be to get out of sight of the Sioux, and he soon saw the necessity for -that, for savage glances were cast upon him as he passed along, and he -remained close at Winged Arrow's heels, while he led the way toward -his father's lodge. Once inside, he breathed more freely, although he -was ushered right into the midst of the Medicine Man's family. He did -not have time to see who was there, but followed his guide to a remote -corner of the tepee and seated himself on a pile of blankets pointed -out to him. - -"Now whatever happens, don't open your head," said Winged Arrow. "Don't -say one word to me. If you go out of here without me, you are gone." - -The Death Angel never came so close to Guy Preston as he did then. He -felt in his hip pocket for the loaded Derringer he had taken pains to -keep about him, but remembered that it had fallen out during that wild -ride after he was captured, and now nothing remained for him but that -letter. He noticed that Winged Arrow did not go any further than the -entrance of the lodge. He took his rifle with the air of one who would -use it if he found it necessary, and seated himself just inside the -flap door and watched everybody that came in or went out. It looked as -though Winged Arrow was going to fight to retain possession of him. -He listened, but could hear no signs of what had been done with the -captives outside. They had been taken away, and Guy told himself that -he had seen them for the last time. - -It was pretty nearly night when these events happened, and if the hours -were long to Guy they must have been doubly so to Winged Arrow, who -never changed his position after he seated himself. The Sioux came in -and cooked their meals as they wanted them, but nobody offered Guy a -morsel. In fact he did not want anything, for he was so completely -wrapped up in thoughts of escape. At length the door was raised and a -bundle of something was thrust into Winged Arrow's hands. He took it -immediately and came over to Guy. - -"Put these on," said he, in a hurried whisper. "Be quick." - -Just then someone outside set up a rapid beating on the tom-tom, and -Guy thought that it was the signal for something of which he did not -like to think; but it was a notice that the social dances, which were -now in vogue, were about to commence. The fate of the captives had not -yet been decided upon. - -With nervous haste Guy unfolded the bundle and found an Indian blanket, -a pair of leggings, and moccasins. He looked at Winged Arrow and -saw that he was standing erect and had enveloped himself in another -blanket, so that nothing but his face could be seen. Guy was quick to -follow his motions, and when the change had been effected no one could -have told which of the two was the Indian and which the white boy. The -other Sioux sitting around in the tepee made no remark regarding the -change, and, feeling greatly encouraged, Guy walked over to his friend -and followed him outside into the darkness. - -"Keep still," was what Winged Arrow whispered to him. "Do just as I do." - -The tepees were all deserted by the Indians, their owners having gone -to the further end of the village to engage in the dance, and no one -saw them as they passed. A little further on and somebody with a horse -loomed through the darkness. He kept on ahead of them, not a word was -exchanged between the two, and it was evident that he was in the plot, -if that was what Winged Arrow's movement proved to be. For two hours -they walked, and then the prairie came into view. Then the horseman -stopped and Winged Arrow and Guy went up beside him. - -"There, sir, you are free," said the young Indian. "Don't stop to talk, -but get on and do your best. Don't you be caught again." - -It did not seem to Guy Preston that he could leave his friend without -making some acknowledgment. He did not "stop to talk," but he thrust -out his hand which Winged Arrow took and shook warmly. - -"Which way?" said he. - -"That way," replied the Indian, pointing straight over the prairie. - -It occurred to Guy to ask Winged Arrow what he and his friend were -going to do when it became known among the Sioux that one of their -captives had slipped through their hands, but before he could form the -question he was standing there alone. The Indians had vanished in the -darkness. - -To jump upon his horse and start him in the direction he had been told -to go was done in less time than we have taken to tell it. Have you -ever seen the prairie? If so you can have some idea of what Guy had to -go through. It was the same thing over and over again. Every little -hill he mounted when daylight came revealed nothing but a lonely waste -with not a living thing in sight. And so it was during the whole of -that day until the light faded away and darkness began to settle down -on the plain. Then Guy thought he saw a horseman on a distant swell. He -stopped and looked at him, but the horseman, if such it were, did not -move. - -"Is it a Sioux or a white man?" said Guy to himself. "I can't be worse -off than I am now, and so I will go and see who it is." - -For the first time he put his horse in a lope, keeping his eye on the -object and waiting to see what he was going to do. At length another -object appeared by the side of the first, and something that hung down -by his horse attracted the attention of Guy, and led him to swing his -blanket around his head. It was a cavalry saber, and showed Guy that he -was among friends. - -We cannot stop to tell how Guy Preston was received by the men who had -long ago made up their minds that they had seen the last of him. The -expedition had stopped to bury their dead and had just gone into camp. -Guy said that the two prisoners who were captured at the same time he -was were in the hands of the Sioux yet, and he could not tell what was -to become of them, and neither did he know what would be done with -Winged Arrow and his friend for assisting one captive to escape. When -he reached the Fort, Colonel Carrington listened in surprise to the -story of his release, and declared his belief that there was something -in Winged Arrow's medicine after all. He moved back to Nebraska in -the early spring, after Fort Phil Kearney had been demolished. His -superiors blamed him for Colonel Fetterman's defeat. They did him an -injustice, for it was Red Cloud's ability and strength that won the day. - - -THE END - - - - -RALPH MARLOWE - -A Tale of the Buckeye State - -By - -DR. JAMES BALL NAYLOR - -Author of "THE SIGN OF THE PROPHET" - - - "There is an atmosphere about the story of RALPH MARLOWE--the - picturesque atmosphere of quiet, rustic southeastern Ohio, and there - is an equal measure of delicious humor and delicate pathos about it - also. - - _Get this novel and read it--The time will be well spent._" - - --_North American, Philadelphia._ - - - "Dr. Naylor has constructed a very readable story. He has been - remarkably successful in transferring to the canvas of fiction Ohio - farmers and village folk, and the story is worthy to take its place - beside the best of those written in recent years which take as their - particular task the picturing of life in rural districts." - - _American Monthly Reviews of Reviews._ - - - Handsomely bound in bright red cloth, gold lettered, emblematic cover - design in white and gold, 12 mo. $1.50 - - THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING - COMPANY Akron, Ohio - - - - -_THE BRADEN BOOKS_ - - -FAR PAST THE FRONTIER - -_By_ JAMES A. BRADEN - -The sub-title "Two Boy Pioneers" indicates the nature of this -story--that it has to do with the days when the Ohio Valley and the -Northwest country were sparsely settled. Such a topic is an unfailing -fund of interest to boys, especially when involving a couple of -stalwart young men who leave the East to make their fortunes and to -incur untold dangers. - -"Strong, vigorous, healthy, manly."--_Seattle Times._ - - -CONNECTICUT BOYS IN THE WESTERN RESERVE - -_By_ JAMES A. BRADEN - -The author once more sends his heroes toward the setting sun. "In all -the glowing enthusiasm of youth, the youngsters seek their fortunes in -the great, fertile wilderness of northern Ohio, and eventually achieve -fair success, though their progress is hindered and sometimes halted -by adventures innumerable. It is a lively, wholesome tale, never dull, -and absorbing in interest for boys who love the fabled life of the -frontier."--_Chicago Tribune._ - - -THE TRAIL _of_ THE SENECA - -_By_ JAMES A. BRADEN - -In which we follow the romantic careers of John Jerome and Return -Kingdom a little farther. - -These two self-reliant boys are living peaceably in their cabin on the -Cuyahoga when an Indian warrior is found dead in the woods nearby. The -Seneca accuses John of witchcraft. This means death at the stake if he -is captured. They decide that the Seneca's charge is made to shield -himself, and set out to prove it. Mad Anthony, then on the Ohio, comes -to their aid, but all their efforts prove futile and the lone cabin is -found in ashes on their return. - - -CAPTIVES THREE - -_By_ JAMES A. BRADEN - -A tale of frontier life, and how three children--two boys and a -girl--attempt to reach the settlements in a canoe, but are captured -by the Indians. A common enough occurrence in the days of our -great-grandfathers has been woven into a thrilling story. - - - BOUND IN CLOTH, each handsomely - illustrated, cloth, postpaid +$1.00+ - - - _The Saalfield Publishing Co._ - AKRON, OHIO - - - - -_FICTION FOR GIRLS_ - - -BETTY, The SCRIBE - -_By_ LILIAN TURNER - -_Drawings by_ KATHARINE HAYWARD GREENLAND - -Betty is a brilliant, talented, impulsive seventeen-year-old girl, -who is suddenly required to fill her mother's place at the head of a -household, with a literary, impractical father to manage. - -Betty writes, too, and every time she mounts her Pegasus disaster -follows for home duties are neglected. Learning of one of these lapses, -her elder sister comes home. Betty storms and refuses to share the -honors until she remembers that this means long hours free to devote to -her beloved pen. She finally moves to the city to begin her career in -earnest, and then--well, then comes the story. - -"Miss Turner is Miss Alcott's true successor. The same healthy, -spirited tone is visible which boys and girls recognized in LITTLE MEN -and LITTLE WOMEN."--_The Bookman._ - - CLOTH, 12mo, illustrated, 50 cts. - - -Elizabeth Hobart at Exeter Hall - -_By_ JEAN K. BAIRD - -_Illustrated by_ R. G. VOSBURGH - -+A spirited story of every-day boarding-school life that girls like -to read. Full of good times and girlish fun.+ - -Elizabeth enters the school and loses no time in becoming one of -the leading spirits. She entertains at a midnight spread, which is -recklessly conducted under the very nose of the preceptress, who is -"scalped" in order to be harmless, for every one knows she would never -venture out minus her front hair; she champions an ostracized student; -and leads in a daring plan to put to rout the Seniors' program for -class day. - - CLOTH, 12mo, illustrated, 50 cts. - Books sent postpaid on receipt of price. - - - _The Saalfield Publishing Co._, - AKRON, OHIO - - - - -_The_ - -BILLY WHISKERS SERIES - -BY - -FRANCES TREGO MONTGOMERY - - -Billy Whiskers--frolicsome, mischief-making, adventure-loving Billy -Whiskers--is the friend of every boy and girl the country over, and -the things that happen to this wonderful goat and his numerous animal -friends make the best sort of reading for them. - -As one reviewer aptly puts it, these stories are "just full of fun and -good times," for Mrs. Montgomery, the author of them, has the happy -faculty of knowing what the small boy and his sister like in the way of -fiction. - - -TITLES - - BILLY WHISKERS - BILLY WHISKERS' KIDS - BILLY WHISKERS, JR. - BILLY WHISKERS' TRAVELS - BILLY WHISKERS AT THE CIRCUS - BILLY WHISKERS AT THE FAIR - BILLY WHISKERS' FRIENDS - BILLY WHISKERS, JR. AND HIS CHUMS - BILLY WHISKERS' GRANDCHILDREN - BILLY WHISKERS' VACATION - BILLY WHISKERS KIDNAPPED - BILLY WHISKERS' TWINS - BILLY WHISKERS IN AN AEROPLANE - BILLY WHISKERS IN TOWN - BILLY WHISKERS IN PANAMA - - -Each Volume a Quarto, Bound in Boards, Cover and Six Full Page Drawings -in Colors, Postpaid Price +$1.00+ - - -+The Saalfield Publishing Co.+, Akron, Ohio - - - - -_MARY A. BYRNE'S BOOKS_ - - -THE FAIRY CHASER - -"Telling of two boys who go into the vegetable and flower-raising -business instead of humdrum commercial pursuits. The characters and -situations are realistic." - - --_PHILADELPHIA TELEGRAPH_ - - -LITTLE DAME TROT - -One of the most pleasing of juveniles, made pathetic by the strength -with which the author pictures the central figure, a little girl -made miserable by her mother's strict adherence to a pet "method" of -training. - - -THE LITTLE WOMAN IN THE SPOUT - -"This pleasing story may have been developed from real life, from real -children, so true a picture does it portray of girlish life and sports." - - --_GRAND RAPIDS HERALD_ - - -ROY AND ROSYROCKS - -A glowing Christmas tale, fresh and natural in situations, that will -interest both boys and girls. - -It tells how two poor children anticipate the joys of the holiday, and -how heartily they enter into doing their part, to make the day merry -for themselves and others. - - +Each of the above bound in Cloth illustrated, 12mo,+ +$.60+ - - -PEGGY-ALONE - -The chronicles of the Happy-Go-Luckys, a crowd of girls who did not -depend upon riches for good times. 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