But Captain Freeman was burning with curiosity. "May I ask, Cortland," he demanded, "how on earth you guessed our plans so well that you had that trap spread for us?" "I didn't guess your plans," smiled Captain Cortland. "Oh, come now!" "Not a bit of guess about it, my dear Freeman. I knew your whole plan for to-night." "Knew it?" "Yes." "You had scouts out, Cortland, who detected our advance? From your knowledge of our advance you cleverly guessed our plan?" "Oh, no! As I just said, I knew your plan, and did not have to guess it." "But how?" pressed Captain Freeman, still disconsolate and much mystified. "Indirectly, I had the plan from your own lips. In other words, Freeman, scouts of mine were in your camp at early dark to-night. They heard you and your officers discussing the plan. Then, very naturally, my scouts brought the information to me." "Scouts?" cried the bewildered commander of C Company. "By Jove, I remember two men who strolled down through my camp to-night. I called to them to keep close to our lines." "But they didn't," chuckled Captain Cortland gleefully, "for those two men whom you hailed happened to be my scouts." Captain Freeman took two great, gulping breaths in his sheer amazement. "Cortland, now that the sham campaign is over," he begged, "may I know who your scouts were?" "Certainly, my dear Freeman. They were Privates Overton and Terry." "Overton!" gasped Captain Freeman, in deep chagrin. "The clever young rascal who looted my outpost last night?" "The same." Several of C Company's enlisted men were within hearing. Now, from one of these men, came the heart-felt utterance: "Hang that kid Overton!" "Terry's just as bad," growled another C Company soldier. "Cortland," remarked C Company's chop-fallen commander, "I congratulate you on having two fine young soldiers in your company." "I surely have," nodded Captain Cortland. "I have already informed Overton and Terry of my estimate of their abilities." Twenty minutes later the reunited companies of wearied officers and men slept side by side under the stars of the Colorado sky. CHAPTER XI THAT C COMPANY CORPORAL EATS CROW "Company, halt!" Then, just a little later: "C Company, halt!" The long, dusty line of khaki-clad soldiers, at the word, dropped out of ranks, finding seats on the ground near where they had left the ranks. Behind the men, now stopped, the wagon train came up and also halted. Not far from the head of the line that morning stood the log cabin of the old-time hunter. Though the military did not suspect it, a sharp pair of old eyes peered out through a chink in the cabin wall. Then the cabin door opened, the old-time hunter sauntering slowly forth. At sight of him Corporal Raynes, C Company, tried to shrink into smaller space than he had ever succeeded in occupying before.