The three boys rode until they reached the post office, and then, dismounting and hitching their horses, went inside.  The post office also served as a telegraph station, and there were various news bulletins posted about the room.

They hastened to one of these, and their faces grew grave as they read.  It appeared from the bulletin that the Indians were on the very eve of an outbreak, although they had made no actual hostile moves as yet.  Troops had been summoned to the reservation, however, and were expected to reach Helena that evening.  They were ordered to stay in the town overnight, and press on for the reservation the following morning.

“It begins to look like business now, all right,” said Bert, after he and his friends had digested this information.

“It sure does,” agreed Dick, “but likely as not it will all blow over before anything really serious happens.”

“Oh, of course, there’s always that chance,” said Bert, “but let’s go outside and find out what the opinion of the townspeople is.  They must understand the situation pretty thoroughly, and we can soon find out whether or not they regard this as a false alarm.  But it looks to me as though real trouble were brewing.”

Bert’s opinion seemed to be shared almost unanimously by the citizens.  Everywhere men were getting out and overhauling their firearms, and there was a run on the ammunition stores.

“I’m glad we brought our revolvers,” remarked Tom; “there seems to be a chance of our having use for them by and by.”

“I’m mighty glad we did,” acquiesced Bert, “and I brought something beside my revolver, too.  Just before we left the ranch I packed my Winchester repeater inside my blankets.  I wasn’t even thinking of the Indians then, but I thought we might have a chance at a little game, and it would be just as well to pack it along.  There’s not a chance in a thousand that we’ll need it, but you can’t always tell.”

“It’s lucky you did,” said Dick; “have you got plenty of ammunition for it?”

“None too much,” replied Bert.  “I think while we’re here I’ll buy a few boxes of cartridges.”

Acting upon this thought, they bought the ammunition, together with some extra cartridges for their revolvers.  This done they made the purchases for Mr. Melton that he had requested of them, and after a satisfying meal at the best hotel set out on their return journey.

It was about two o’clock as they jogged out of town, and as they knew they had ample time in which to reach the ranch before dark they let the horses set their own pace.  They had many things to talk about, although the heat of the sultry afternoon made even conversation a task.  But nothing could subdue their spirits, and with never a care in the world they rode gaily on.

“It’s quite near stage time,” Bert remarked suddenly, “we’re pretty near the trail, and if we meet it we can get the latest developments of the reservation situation from Buck, the driver.  He always has a supply of the latest news.  He knows more than the local newspapers of what’s going on, I believe.”