Trave Dauntless, Dell’s father, had been a hard and fast friend of Colonel Grayson’s. When Trave Dauntless died, the colonel had felt himself instinctively drawn toward Mrs. Dauntless and Dell. When the colonel came to Grant, he had expressed a desire for Dell to come and visit him; and, for that reason, the girl had been at the post for a few days. “’Pon my soul, Dell,” said the colonel, “that costume of yours is mighty fetching!” “Colonel!” rebuked Mrs. Colonel; “how can you talk so? You’re giving Dell a lot of wrong ideas. Now, if she would only go to the hop to-night, Mamie would let her take one of her dresses----” “And I’d take Dell’s,” spoke up Mamie mischievously. “It’s perfectly stunning.” “These are my working clothes, Mame,” said Dell demurely. “I wear them all the time at the ranch. When I ride, you see, I ride like a man, and the short skirt----” “Horrors!” gulped Mrs. Colonel. “My dear child, I wish you and your mother would sell that ranch and come to live with the colonel and me.” “I’d smother,” averred Dell. “I’m so full of action, you see, that I’ve got to have room--and plenty of it.” The colonel laughed delightedly. “She’s Trave Dauntless, over and over again,” said he. “It makes my old heart pound just to hear her talk. By the way,” he added, “I found out something about you to-day, Dell. One of our ’Pache scouts was telling me.” “What’s that?” queried the girl. “Why, you’re a friend of my old comrade, Cody--as gallant and true a man as ever followed a trail.” “I’m more than that, colonel,” returned Dell, with a touch of quiet pride, “for I’m Buffalo Bill’s girl pard.” “Better and better!” cried the colonel, and Mrs. Colonel shook her shoulders despairingly and retreated into the house. “I understand that you helped the scout in his fight with renegade Apaches in the vicinity of the Three-ply Mine, and that you were of considerable assistance in capturing Slocum, otherwise Bascomb, the murderous deserter from Fort Apache.” “I was with Buffalo Bill and his pards, old Nomad and Little Cayuse, colonel, but I wasn’t of much real service.” “That’s your word for it. I’d like to hear what Cody has to say. Bascomb, I’m told, was captured on an island in Quicksand Lake, and a girl, the daughter of the owner of the Three-ply Mine, was rescued----” “By the king of scouts, single-handed!” said Dell, her admiration fiery and vehement. “I’m willing to believe that,” went on the colonel. “A braver man than Cody never stepped; and his bravery is of the best and most telling kind, for he always couples head-work with it. I reckon that’s what makes him so successful. The last I heard of Bascomb he had been landed in the Phœnix jail, and a guard of troopers from Fort Apache was going after him. That was several days ago, and I presume the villainous deserter is safely lodged in the strong room at Apache by now. Sit down here, Dell, and tell me about it.”