

CHAPTER XXXIV. 



The Lone Oak A Surprise We open the Ball A Panic The Chase A 

 dead Chieftain The Spoils of War A sad Tale A big Fire Al fresco 

 Toilette We excite Attention. 



A BREAKFAST eaten at the first peep of dawn enabled our 

 little party of eight to make a sufficiently early start to have 

 a fair chance of covering the distance to the fort ere nightfall, 

 and our Indians taking up their old dog-trot we pushed along 

 at a good pace. No incident worthy of note befell until the 

 middle of the day, when a very lively interlude, one that had 

 not at all been included in our programme, diversified our 

 proceedings considerably. 



The time was approaching when it was advisable to seek 

 some advantageous camping-ground for the noon-halt to be 

 made at : some place where we could water our horses, 

 let them graze awhile, cook and eat our dinner at, and have 

 shade to repose in, for it was blazing hot. X. fixed upon 

 one not far from the direct course : one we had often used 

 for such a purpose before, and to which we had long ago 

 given the name of the " Lone Oak Camp." It was 

 situated on the left bank of the Escarabajo Grande, an 



