Hal, on the contrary, declared that he was “tougher than a knot,” and “dirtier than any greaser,” a statement, which we readily believed when he informed us “that he hadn’t washed for ten days.”

I ordered supper prepared at once.  The Lieutenant came in soon after, and reported that three of the Indians had been killed, and two, badly wounded.  Besides this, fifteen animals had been captured, and all the camp equipage of the savages.

Looking around for Ned, he soon discovered him, and said,—­

“You young rascal, you!  I told you to stay in camp, and the first one I saw over there, was you.”  Then, in a kinder tone, he inquired if he was much hurt?

Hurt! it was the first intimation I had that he had been hurt; and for a moment, my heart almost jumped into my throat, notwithstanding the boy insisted it was nothing.

An examination showed that an arrow had penetrated the fleshy part of his arm above the elbow, but without inflicting serious injury.  The wound was soon dressed, supper eaten, Juanita made as comfortable as possible for the night, and then we gathered about the camp-fire to hear Tom Pope, relate the story of the capture, as follows:—­

“Me’n Jerry, started from here, and crawled through the grass and underbrush, till we got pretty close to the varmints’ camp.  We seed ten or a dozen of ’em layin’ about, some doin’ one thing and some another.  All of a suddent we seed the gal, there, crawl out of the ‘wickey-up.’  She looked round as though she wanted to see somebody, for she started and walked out a little ways.  Jest then, a big buck Injun, got up and follered her, but she walked on, right towards us, till she was within a dozen feet of where me’n Jerry lay hid.

“The Injun told her in Spanish, to go back, and took her by the shoulder to make her do it.  Quicker’n lightnin’, Jerry made a spring, and, afore the Injun see him, he give him a blow with the butt of his rifle, that stunned him, and grabbed the gal and run.

“The Injun give a kind of grunt as he fell.  One of the others started to see what was the matter, I s’pose, so I let Mertilda,” patting his rifle, “talk to him, and he laid right down without speakin’ a word.”

“As soon as the Injuns in camp heard Mertilda speak, eight or ten of ’em jumped up and started towards us.  But yer see, Jerry’d got so fur, they couldn’t stop him.  The sojers was right on to ’em, and give ’em ’Hail Columby,’ and no mistake.

“That’s my report, Lieutenant.  That youngster there,” pointing to Ned, “is real grit.  I seed the arrer strike him, and he a-pullin’ of it out, runnin’ towards ’em all the time.  Jest as sure’s yer live, yer can call Tom Pope a liar, if Jerry Vance didn’t save that gal’s life; ’cause, if we’d ever attacked the Injuns in camp, the first thing they’d ‘a’ done, would ha’ been to killed the prisoners.  I know the Apaches some, I reckon.”

[Illustration:  The Litter.]