Part 18 (1/2)

CHAPTER XIII

ELAM INTERVIEWS THE MAJOR

When Ela, it ith the secret deter in that, he would push on ahead, and by seeing the colonel or the sutler he would render their atte of the furs of no account He had already borne enough from one of these h Ela about it, Aleck had been at the bottom of three desperate attempts upon his life, as well as of four efforts that had been ht he couldn't stand it any longer He rode along just outside of the s that skirted the foot-hills, so that he could not be picked off by a stray rifle shot, and keeping a close watch of the prairie on all sides of hi of the robbers When darkness fell, he allowed his horse to browse around him while he ate some of the lunch that rapped up in his blanket, and then put out again He was satisfied that by this tiet to the fort and put the people there on their guard Was Ela all this? Not a bit of it He went about his work as he would have tried to compass the death of soray streaks of daere seen in the east, he caout, but it was eone into the mountains to escape the blizzards There was a small stack of hay behind the cabin, and to this Elam staked out his horse, and went in and tumbled into an empty bunk He ithin twenty miles of the fort

Elam slept the sleep of the weary, and when he was aroused to consciousness, it was by a note of warning froht up his rifle and hurried to the door of the cabin, and the suht before was croith horseuish anything, but he knew by certain signs they exhibited that they were not the men he wanted to see They were too much scattered

”I believe those are the Cheyennes,” said he, lost in wonder ”I never heard of their breaking loose before”

As if in corroboration of his words, a single long-drawn yell arose on the air, followed by a chorus thatto those that were close at hand That was enough for Elam With muttered ejaculations addressed to the h to the Indians to keep watch of their movements, he rushed to his horse, severed the lariat hich he was confined, mounted without saddle or bridle, and was off like the wind

”I tell you now I a back at his line of foes, and trying to estimate how many warriors there were in the lot

”It's the Cheyennes, and they belong two hundred miles frooing to have revenge for it Keep close, there, or I'll down some of you”

Then followed a chase such as we don't read of in these days It was long and untiring, and all the way Elam looked in vain for assistance

His first care was to make out that there were no Cheyennes in advance of him, and he concluded that their discovery of him was as much of a surprise to them as it was to him; otherwise they would have sent some warriors out to surround hi, and such an one could not be tired out in a twenty-mile race He seemed to hate the Indians as bad as his master did, and put in his best licks from the time he started, but that wouldn't do at all So in their horses, calculating that when the race was nearly finished they would come up and settle the matter Other warriors, carried away by their e, easily outstripped the others, and finally Ela up with hi but a noose around his neck, but by talking to hiood solid work

[Illustration: ELAM'S FIGHT WITH THE CHEYENNES]

For one hour the chase continued, and then the ashed stockade of the fort came into view He could see that there was a co about in obedience to some orders, but nearer than all came the tarriors, who seemed determined to run him down and take his scalp within reach of the fort At last they thought they were near enough to fire One of them drew up his rifle, and Elam threw himself flat upon his horse's neck The rifle cracked, and in an instant afterward his horse bounded into the air and came to his knees

But he didn't carry Ela he bounded to his feet, struck the ground on the opposite side, and when the aniered to his feet, as he did a second later, he stood perfectly still and Elae's head

He dropped, but he was too late The ball from the rifle which never missed sped on its way, and the warrior threw up his hands and round An instant afterward Ela toward the fort as fast as ever At this feat loud yells came from the Indians The death of the warrior and Elae The nearest savage fired, and this time the bullet found a mark in Elam's body It struck him near the wrist and caed his rifle into his other hand and broke out into a loud yell, for he saw a squadron of cavalry co froalloped into the fort, swinging his rifle as he went, and got off just as his horse caain

Of course all was excitement in there The balance of the soldiers, which consisted of a siment of infantry, were drawn up outside the fort ready to help the cavalry in case the Indians dodged the upon the stockade ready to use their rifles, and Elam was left to take his horse out of the way and examine his injuries and his own For himself he decided that it was no h it bled profusely, and that proved that the bullet had not touched a cord; but his horse--that was a different one in, but had cut its way around the neck, leaving a er Hearound for it, he ran against an officer who had been busy stationing the men in their proper places

”Hallo! You're wounded, aint you?” said he, taking Elaot a horse here that's worse off than I am,” said Elam ”I'd like to see hio with you”

”A horse! Well, he belongs to the veterinary surgeon You coo with the officer until his horse had been taken care of, and asked for a bucket of water; and the officer, seeing that he was detere of the stock He presently discovered hi until he was red in the face over a charge that the cavalry had made, but he ceased his demonstrations and jumped dohen he was told that an officer wanted hiainst ten Indians,” said he, saluting the officer ”The savages are gone, sir”

”Did they stand?” asked the officer

”No, sir It was every man for himself, sir A horse, sir? Yes, sir I saw this fellow come down on his knees when those Indians fired at hi seen his horse provided for, resigned himself to the officer's care, and ith hiot out all his tools and seeht in, but Elaeon jumped up briskly, examined Ela touched a bone, said that all the patient would have to do would be to take good care of it for a few days, and by the ti he had it done up The officer had left by this tieon's presence In answer to his enquiries he went on to explain how he had been surprised in a sheep-herder's cabin, when he didn't know that there was a Cheyenne within a hundred miles of him, and had depended entirely on the speed of his horse to save him, and asked, with some show of hesitation, which he had not exhibited before:

”Do you reckon I could have a ith the ? I suppose he is pretty busy now”