“Why, there’s no comparison. It is awfully aristocratic. Often a duke is called a reptile; it is set down so, in history.” “Isn’t that grand! Potter wouldn’t ever associate with me, but I reckon he’ll be glad to when he finds out what I am.” “You can depend upon it.” “I will thank Mongrel for this. He is a very good sort, for a Mexican Plug. Don’t you think he is?” “It is my opinion of him; and as for his birth, he cannot help that. We cannot all be reptiles, we cannot all be fossils; we have to take what comes and be thankful it is no worse. It is the true philosophy.” “For those others?” “Stick to the subject, please. Did it turn out that my suspicions were right?” “Yes, perfectly right. Mongrel has heard them planning. They are after BB’s life, for running them out of Medicine Bow and taking their stolen horses away from them.” “Well, they’ll get him yet, for sure.” “Not if he keeps a sharp look-out.” “_He_ keep a sharp lookout! He never does; he despises them, and all their kind. His life is always being threatened, and so it has come to be monotonous.” “Does he know they are here?” “Oh yes, he knows it. He is always the earliest to know who comes and who goes. But he cares nothing for them and their threats; he only laughs when people warn him. They’ll shoot him from behind a tree the first he knows. Did Mongrel tell you their plans?” “Yes. They have found out that he starts for Fort Clayton day after to-morrow, with one of his scouts; so they will leave to-morrow, letting on to go south, but they will fetch around north all in good time.” “Shekels, I don’t like the look of it.” VIII THE SCOUT-START. BB AND LIEUTENANT-GENERAL ALISON BB (_saluting_). “Good! handsomely done! The Seventh couldn’t beat it! You do certainly handle your Rangers like an expert, General. And where are you bound?” “Four miles on the trail to Fort Clayton.” “Glad am I, dear! What’s the idea of it?” “Guard of honor for you and Thorndike.” “Bless—your—_heart_! I’d rather have it from you than from the Commander-in-Chief of the armies of the United States, you incomparable little soldier!—and I don’t need to take any oath to that, for you to believe it.” “I _thought_ you’d like it, BB.” “_Like_ it? Well, I should say so! Now then—all ready—sound the advance, and away we go!” IX SOLDIER BOY AND SHEKELS AGAIN “WELL, this is the way it happened. We did the escort duty; then we came back and struck for the plain and put the Rangers through a rousing drill—oh, for hours! Then we sent them home under Brigadier-General Fanny Marsh; then the Lieutenant-General and I went off on a gallop over the plains for about three hours, and were lazying along home in the middle of the afternoon, when we met Jimmy Slade, the drummer-boy, and he saluted and asked the Lieutenant-General if she had heard the news, and she said no, and he said: