Part 23 (1/2)

When the horses were ”colored” at Fort Lamoine the brindles fell to the lot of Lieutenant Earle, as he was the lowest co captains This was the troop to which Bob Owens belonged, and, in common with its other members, he had suffered from the practical jokes that had been played upon him by the more fortunate troopers But of late these jokes were not as frequent as they had formerly been, for the ”Brindles” had proved themselves to be the best of soldiers When their achievements were taken into consideration they led every troop in the garrison They had gallantly borne their part in every duty they were called on to perform, their non-commissioned officers had invariably been successful when sent out in pursuit of deserters, and now one of theilad to honor hi the rest of Bob's life at Fort Lamoine but little was said about the despised Brindles; but if any trooper _did_ forget hi theed, streaked and striped” horses, so Brindle would promptly interrupt him with--

”Look here, Bub, we didn't enlist to show ourselves off on dress-parade

When you Blacks” (or Grays or Chestnuts, as the case nated by the color of the horses on which his company was mounted) ”have followed an Indian trail across the Staked Plains, and been burned up by an August sun, and had your mouths and throats filled so full of sand that you couldn't tell the truth for a whole month, and have surprised a party of hostiles in their camp, and rescued two prisoners alive and unharmed,--when you have done all that, you can talk; until then hold your yawp That feat has never been accomplished but once in the Department of Texas, and then it was accomplished by _our_ boys, the Brindles of the ----th Cavalry”

Bob and his men were proud of that exploit, and, as more, they did not mean to be robbed of any of the honor they had won That was one reason why they wanted to bring Mr Wentworth and his boys into theirback to the fort with Captain Clinton's coate themselves But, as it happened, the captain had decided upon soiven Bob's lucky squad of Brindles an opportunity to add to their laurels We shall see what use they made of it

CHAPTER XV

MORE BAD LUCK FOR MR WENTWORTH

While Bob and his ed by anxious Brindles anted to know just where they had been and what they had done during their absence No incident connected with the experience of their successful comrades was deemed too trivial for their notice Bob and the rest answered their questions as fast as they were able, and asked a good many in return They learned that Captain Clinton had fallen in with the stolen cattle about one o'clock that , but the Indians they had hoped to find with them were not to be seen The captain had pursued them so closely that they did not have time to drive the stock into the Staked Plains, to die there of thirst, and neither did they harass the colue said they would Their force was too s by it The captain had spent all the forenoon in gathering up the stock, and it was now feeding on the prairie close by, guarded by a large squad of troopers

”I'll tell you what's a fact, boys,” said one of the Brindles ”This raid , for just after you left us we struck the trail of a large drove that joined ours, and a little farther on we found another But they were both older than our own, so the scout said, and the drove we folloas left behind as a sort of bait for us to shile the o on after the main herd?” asked Bob

”It would have been of no use It had too ot just as athering up the cattle we have got, and it is just all we can do to hold fast to them The fellows up there must attend to the rest”

By ”the fellows up there” the troopers meant to indicate the cavalry attached to the several posts north of the Staked Plains

When Bob went back to the captain's head-quarters, George, being a privileged character, ith hiard to theirout his report to the colonel, and by the ti e they had exhibited He rewarded the theer in it, but which, nevertheless, gave them an opportunity to shohether the success that had attended theement

”I am more than satisfied, because you have accomplished more than I expected of you,” said the captain as he put his note-book into his pocket ”As you will probably have so to do to-ht's rest”

”Are we going back to the fort in the h Bob was fully as anxious as his co that he and his squad would probably have so to do the next day, he never would have dared to ask such a question; and if he had, the officer, if he had made any reply at all, would very likely have told him that he would find out all about it in due tie's inquisitiveness

”_I_ a back to fort,” said he, ”but you and the corporal will have to stay and help Mr Wentworth with the cattle You will be of reen hands, for you kno to drive stock and can act as instructor to the rest You knohere Holmes's ranche is, I suppose? Well, I shall want the corporal to stay with Mr Wentworth until he gets there, and then you will have to guide the squad to the fort If you should happen to meet any raiders on the hy take them in,” added the captain with a sood deal, sir, but I think it is er than pain”

”Perhaps you had better take a o to the fort with us, so that the doctor can look at his ar like having friends at court,” said Bob as he and George walked away ”Until you ca us I didn't know that these officers could be so very friendly and good-natured Why, George, if I knew the country as well as you do, and could get scout's pay, I would stay in the ar co with it before we go back to the fort”

Details for such duties as this which had just been assigned to Corporal Owens are about the only recreations that fall to the lot of a private soldier on the Plains, and they are eagerly sought after Being aleant or corporal who has proved to the satisfaction of his superiors that he can be trusted, the men never fail to enjoy thereat relief to theus-eyed officers, who are so prolect of duty

When they reached the place where the Brindles were encamped, they found that Carey had been successful in his ht Mr

Wentworth and his boys back with hi to Sheldon's account of his experience a the Kiowas

”Get all you can out of them, boys,” exclaiht”

”Why won't we?” asked half a dozen troopers at once

”Because they are not going to the fort They are going to Hol to see them safely there with the stock”

”We? who?”