Sure! We knew that the Ranger was waiting, so while some of us led up Apache, others bandaged the general's ankle tighter, to make it ride easier and not hurt so much if it dangled. Then we lifted the general, Scout fashion, on our hands, and set him on Apache. Now something else happened. Red Fox Scout Ward stepped forward and took the lead rope. "I'm going," he announced quietly. "I'm feeling fine and you other fellows are tired. Somebody must bring the burro back, and the general may need a hand." "No, I won't," corrected the general. "But the burro must come back." "It's up to us Elk Scouts to do that," protested Major Henry. "Some of us will go. You stay. It's dark." "No, sir. You Elk men have been traveling on short rations and Van Sant and I have been fed up. It's either Van or I, and I'll go." And he did. He was bound to. But it was a long extra tramp. We shook hands with the general, and gave him the Scouts' cheer; and a cheer for the Ranger. "Ain't we ever goin' to move on?" grumbled the beaver man. "I may stay all night and be back early in the morning," called Ward. "Of course." They trailed away, in the dimness--the Ranger ahead leading the beaver man, Red Fox Scout Ward leading Apache. And we were sorry to see them go. We should miss the plucky Ashley, our captain. CHAPTER XVI A BURRO IN BED When I woke in the morning Fitz was already up, building the fire, according to routine, and Red Fox Scout Van Sant was helping him. So I rolled out at once, and here came Red Fox Scout Ward with the burro, across the mesa, for the camp. He brought a little flour and a few potatoes and a big hunk of meat, and a fry-pan. He brought a map of the country, too, that he had sketched from information from the Ranger. That crack beside Pilot Peak, where the sun had set, was a pass through, which we could take for Green Valley. It was a pass used by the Indians and buffalo, once, and an old Indian trail crossed it still. The general sent word that if we took that trail, he would get the goods we had left cached. "Now," reported Major Henry, when we had filled for a long day's march, "I'll put it to vote. We can either find that cache ourselves, and take the trail from there, as first planned, or we can head straight across the mountain. It's a short cut for the other side of the range, but it may be rough traveling. The other way, beyond the cache, looked pretty rough, too. But we'd have our traps and supplies,--as much as we could pack on Apache, anyhow." "I vote we go straight ahead, over the mountain, this way," said Fitz. "We'll get through. We've got to. We've been out seven days, and we aren't over, yet." We counted. That was so. Whew! We must hurry. Kit and Jed and I voted with Fitz. "All right. Break camp," ordered Major Henry. He didn't have to speak twice.