Molly McDonald / A Tale of the Old Frontier

straightening in his chair, and returning the cavalryma

hest, dressed in rough service uniform, without jacket, just as he had rolled out of the saddle, rough shirt open at the throat, patched, discolored trousers,

, intelligent, sober, heavily browed, with eyes of dark gray rather deeply set; firm lips, a chin somewhat prominent, and a broad forehead, t

t Union, Captain

he speaker had no desire to waste words. "I brought

quire you for other servic

n at conv

do not think he would obje

th Cav

t organized;

Thi

are a non-c

sir, since

d enli

ars-the Seventh was pic

in the regulars. Does that me

years

s it happen you failed to try for a commission afte

rgeant

n performed in the wrong uniform, sir," he

ich Travers smoked, and the Major seeme

our name,

lin,

ravers' mouth, and he

That's it! Now I 've got you place

put one hand to his ha

l me that-yes," he co

feet now, gesticula

. Say, Dan, this is the right man for you; better than any fledgling West P

r shook

they rode slap into a war party, and the fracas was on. Dugan got a ball through the body at the first fire that paralyzed him. He was conscious, but could n't move. The rest was up to Hamlin. You ought to have heard Dugan tell it when he got so he could speak. Hamlin dragged the boy down into a buffalo wallow, shot both horses, and got behind them. It was all done in the jerk of a lamb's tall. They had two Henry rifles, and the 'rookie' kept them both hot. He got some of the bucks, too, but of course, we never knew how many

or on the Sergeant's che

s would have done the same if they had been up against it the way I was. May I ask," h

drew a lo

ant, sit down-yes

until he was done. Travers interrupted once, his voice emerging from a clo

s your dau

twentiet

icture of the

oat hanging on the wall, and extracted

he explained, "and was cons

s, studied the face a moment, an

he 18th," he said slowly. "Then I shall ne

ou realize I have no authority to

er just the same in case my Troop commander should ever object, and

nterjected the cavalry captain, knocking the ashes fr

I require will be two days' rations, and a few more

mall attention. At the stables, aided by a smoky lantern, he picked out a tough-looking buckskin mustan

own," protested Travers, care

," was the reply. "Come on, boy! easy no

you at the gate of the stoc

ugh to fo

rter, and the dim gleam of t

t she is a pretty high-spirited girl, and may take the bit in her teeth-imagine she 'd rather be here with me, and all that. If she does

e Sergeant, gathering up h

ok hesitatingly. The next instant he was in the saddle, and with a wild lea

ng buckskin kept him busy, bucking viciously, rearing, leaping madly from side to side, practising every known equine trick to dislodge the grim rider in the saddle. The man fought out the battle silently, immovable as a rock, and apparently as indifferent. Twice his spurs brought blood, and once he struck the rearing head with clenched fist. The light of the stars revealed the faint lines of t

ting, to be sure, but nothing extraordinary; besides he was not a woman's man, and, through years of isolation, had grown to avoid contact with the sex-and he was under no possible obligation to either McDonald or Travers. Yet here he was, fully committed, drawn into the vortex, by a hasty ill-considered decision. He was tired still from his swift journey across the desert from Fort Union, and now faced

y details scouting into the Northwest. Whether or not these warriors were in any considerable force he could not determine-the reports of their depredations were but rumors at Union when he left-yet, whether in large body or small, they would have a clear run in the Arkansas Valley before any troops could be gathered together to drive them out. Perhaps even now, the stages had been withdrawn, communication with Santa Fé abandoned. This had been spoken of as possibl

ter part of the distance, and Hamlin as yet felt no need of caution-this was a country the Indians would avoid, the only danger being from some raiding party from the south. At early dawn he came trotting down into the Arkansas Valley, and gazed across at the greenness of the opposite bank. There, plainly in view, were the deep ruts of th