"Whose turn is it?" presently questioned the major, as Mr. Willard started away. The adjutant halted and faced about: "'D' and 'F' troops, sir." "All right. One officer and twenty men from each will be enough." And then came striding forward, with quick, elastic steps, a young soldier in dark-blue campaign shirt and riding-breeches, a three weeks' stubble on his clear-cut, sun-burned face, a field-glass slung over one shoulder, a leather-covered note-book tucked away inside his cartridge-belt. No sign of rank was visible about his dress, yet there could be little doubt of it. The major looked up, smiling. "Fast going for topographical notes yesterday, wasn't it, Mr. Connell?" "I'm afraid so, sir. Indeed, I'm ashamed to submit them, but I wouldn't have missed this scout for a month's pay, all the same." "Well, we don't often see the engineers on this sort of duty. I'm glad the general sent you along. What is it, captain?" he broke off, turning to a gray-mustached, choleric-looking veteran who came suddenly upon them, breathing rather hard. "Major," began the stout man, impetuously, "this makes the third time in ten days 'F' Troop's been ordered on side scout, or some part of it. Now we're ordered back to hunt up what's left of that wagon camp, and--" "One moment, captain," interposed the commander, placidly. "You say 'we.' My orders are only one officer and twenty men." "Well, I have only one officer with me, and _he_ don't belong," was the querulous rejoinder. "He's simply a volunteer with the command, and so utterly inexperienced that I consider it necessary to go myself. I can't trust my men to a mere boy just out of school." "That will do, Captain Garrett," said the major, promptly, yet with absolutely unruffled tone and temper. "If _I_ can, _you_ may. Mr. Graham has had more experience than you are aware of." "Does Mr. Graham go--in command?" asked Connell, eagerly, as Captain Garrett, silenced, but swelling with amaze, stood helplessly by. "May _I_ go with him, sir?" "By all means, Mr. Connell, if you wish." CHAPTER XV FIRST SIGHT OF THE FOE In half an hour the sun was up and two little detachments of cavalry were up and away--one of them, under Lieutenant O'Fallon, filing out of the cotton-woods, at the eastward verge, and heading straight on the trail of the couriers, who were already out of sight down the valley; the other, leaving a few minutes later, was just disappearing from view of the watchers in the bivouac, over the low ridge or divide that spanned the northward sky-line. Once before, five years back, Geordie Graham had led a little cavalry command on a swift and successful chase after a gang of frontier desperadoes who had robbed the bank at Argenta. Now, for the first time in his life, he was both guide and commander. Now, as they had done time and again in cadet days, Connell and Graham, "Badger" and "Coyote," went side by side, almost hand in hand, on the path of stirring and at last perilous duty.