CAPTAIN SAUNDERS' FIGHT 



of their horses, after which some of them unhar- 

 nessed the mules for us while others started a fire 

 and began to cook their breakfast. 



As I entered the dugout with Tom, I no- 

 ticed my blankets lying on the floor, where I had 

 dropped them on my hurried entry the night 

 before, and after helping the old man to a seat I 

 gathered up the bedding to make him a pallet. 

 In doing this the bullet that old Broken Nose had 

 fired into the bundle dropped to the floor. 



"There, Tom," I said as I picked it up and 

 handed it to him, "is a last token from your old 

 friend, Broken Nose." 



"What? Has the old rascal been here? Why 

 didn't you kill him?" he asked eagerly. 



"I did. He's lying down the ravine yonder, a 

 little way. He and another had me corralled here 

 all night, but I got Broken Nose and Wild Bill 

 got the other." 



While I cooked breakfast I told them all about 

 my little affair of the past night. 



"While the coffee's a-boiling, lieutenant," said 

 Jack after I had finished, "come on and we'll go 

 and take a look at the dead Injuns. I want to 

 make sure that they're good and dead." 



As they started out I called to them: 



"While you're at it, go over to the brush yon- 

 der, behind the burnt haystack, and bring in the 

 two Indians' ponies. I haven't had time to gather 

 them in yet." 



269 



