l6o HORSE, FOOT, AND DRAGOONS. 



looking over the parade — past the man3'-barrelled Catlings, grim- 

 ly pointing towards the village, to the " adobe " houses of " The 

 Row." Swing around ! past the guard-house, white-gloved sen- 

 try rattling his glittering rifle smartly to shoulder in salute, 

 and bring up at the hospitably opened door of our genial 

 host's quarters, where soon nearly all the of^cers of the little 

 garrison are orathered, ea2:er for news of what is sfoinq" on in 

 the outer world, and full of kindly offers of their services. 

 The events that have taken place up the river are already 

 known to them : four men had been killed, and their bodies 

 consumed by the fire, at the fight at the Joneses' ranch, others 

 had been captured and hanged, and some — number unknown — 

 had escaped. Orders have been received from below to look 

 out for the fugitives, as some of them are suspected of being 

 members of the band that " jumped "' the paymaster some 

 weeks ao^o. The scouts are out even now, but have not been 

 heard from as yet, and these horse-thieves are so well acquaint- 

 ed with the country that, provided they don't get starved out 

 somewhere, it will be a difficult matter to catch them. In a 

 low, whitewashed room in a rough log-cabin by the post-trad- 

 er's stores dinner is served for the bachelors' mess, and we 

 fall to heartily, and thoroughly enjoy the bountiful and pala- 

 table fare, after the monotony of the scanty menic of the boat 

 with our sometimes not over-nice table companions. 



Retreat has been sounded ; the flag, opening out its graceful 

 folds, comes waving down the tall staff simultaneously with the 

 thunder of the evening gun ; and we cross the parade for a 

 stroll out along the banks of the creek that flows tranquilly 

 over its sandy bed in the deep ravine in rear of the post. 

 Although the sun has disappeared, the western sky is all 

 aglow with his light, and it is the pleasantcst time of the clay, 

 this longr hour of the Northern twilioht, before the shadows of 



