Warren sheaf., 1903-09-03

here, helping there, alert, even
GUS in manner. I'VE couldn't have
9 better roost, lads,'' he said. We
can stand off double their number
easy. We can hold out a week il
need be, but you bet the 1najor will
be reaching out after us before we're
two days older. Don't waste your
shots. Coax them close in. Don't
fire at q galloping Indian beyond 800
yards. It's waste Of powder and
Ilead.'' 3s.l 3.
Cheerily, joyously they answered I
him, these his comrades, his soldier
children, men who had fought with
him, many Of their number, in q
dozen fields, and men who would
stand BY him, their dark-eyed little
captain, to the last. Even the young
est trooper Of the so seemed in
spired by the easy, laughing conf
I! dence of the lighter hearts among
their number, of the grim, matter
of fact pugnacity Of the older cam
paigners. 1t was significant, too,
!; that the Indians seemed SO divided in
mind as to the next move. =. There
was loud wranghng and much dis
putation going on in that savage
council to the north. Stabber's
braves and Lame VOLTS followers
seemed bitterly at odds, for old
hands in the fast-growing rife pits
pointed out on one side as many as
half a dozen of the formers war
riors whom they recognized and
knew by sight, while Ray, studying
the shifting concourse through his
glasses, could easily see Stabber
himself raging among them in vio-
lent alteration with tall, superb
5ly built and bedizened young brave,
a sub-chief, apparently, who for his
part, seemed giving Stabber as good
as he got. Lame Wolf was not in
sight at all. He might still be far
from the scene, and this tall warrior
be acting as his representative. But
whoever or whatever he was he had
hearty following. More than three
fourths of the wrangling warriors
in the group seemed backing him.
Ray, after few words to Sergt.
Winsor, crawled over beside his 81
lent and absorbed young second in
command, and, bringing his. glasses
to bear, gazed across a low parapet
of sand long and fxedly at the tur-
bulent throng 1000 yards away.
cts easy toA make out Stabber,"
he presently spoke. Zone can almost
hear that foghorn voice of his. But
who the mischief is that red villain
opposing him? I've seen every one
of their chiefs in the last five years.
All are men of 40 or more. This fell
low can't be big chief. He looks
long years younger than most of 'em,
old Lame Wolf, for instance, yet he's
checking Stabber as if he owned the
whole outfit" Another long stare,
then again: "Who the mischief can
he be?''
No answer at his side, and Ray,
with the lenses still at his eyes, took
no note for the moment that Field
remained so silent. Out at the front
the excitement increased. Out
through the veil of surging war
riors, the loud~voiced, impetuous
brave twice burst Il his way, and
seemed at one and the same time, in
his superb poise and gesturings, to
be urging the entire body to join
him in instant assault on the
troops, and hurting taunt and
anathema on the besieged. Whoever
he was, he was in a veritable fury.
AS many as half of the Indians
seemed utterly carried away by his
fiery words, and with much shouting
and gesticulation and brandishing of
gun and lance, were yelling appro-
baton of his views and urging Stab
ber's people to join them. More fu-
rious language followed and much
dashing about of excited ponies.
/ Have you ever seen that fellow be-
/ fore,'' demanded Ray, of brown-eyed
! Sergt. Winsor, who had spent life
| time on the plains, but Winsor was
plainly puzzled.
II can't say for the life of me, sir,'
was the answer. .'1 don't know him
at all-and yet
| whoever he is, by Jove," said Ray,
'she's a bigger man this day than
Stabber, for he's winning the fight.
Now, if he only leads the dash as
he does the debate, we can pick him
off. Who are our best shots on this
front?'' and eagerly he scanned the
few faces near him. 'sWebber's tip
top and good for anything under 500
yards when he isn't excited, and
! Stoltz, he's keen, cool one. No!
not you, Hogan" laughed the com
mander, as a freckled faced veteran
popped his head up over a nearby
parapet Of sand, and grinned his de-
sire to be included. ''Ive never seen
| the time you could. hit what you
| aimed at. Slip out Of that hole and
find Webber and tell him to come here
and you take his burrow'' Where
i upon Hogan, grinning rueful acquies-
! cence in his commanders criticism,
slid backwards into the stream bed
and, followed by the chaf Of the
three or four comrades near enough
L. :. : .