In a few minutes the strangers were up to us. They proved to be a scouting party led by a sergeant, and had come out from the fort on learning that a band of Indians on the war-path had been seen in the neighbourhood, but on discovering us they had ridden up to ascertain who we were. The sergeant gave us the satisfactory intelligence that the fort was not half a mile ahead. "You cannot miss it," he observed, "if you keep straight on as you are going, but we must ride round and drive in some cattle which have strayed away, or we shall have them carried off by those thieves of redskins." We followed the advice of the sergeant; still, though according to our calculation we had gone the distance he had mentioned, we could not in the gloom distinguish the fort. Presently, however, a shot whistled past Mr Tidey's ears, which made him suddenly bob his head, and a voice was heard crying out in an Irish accent-- "Who goes there?" "Friends, who would be obliged to you to challenge first and shoot if they prove to be enemies," answered the Dominie. The next instant we found ourselves in front of a stockade above which appeared the roofs of some low buildings, while in front we could distinguish some mounds only a few feet above the level of the plain. On reaching a gate between the mounds, guarded by two stone towers of little more elevation than the stockades, it was opened, and on entering we found several soldiers. One of them took Mr Tidey's horse, and another was about to take the rein of mine, when he exclaimed-- "What creature have we here? never saw an animal with such a face as this!" I was explaining what had happened, when a sergeant appeared from the guard-room. "We will get the doctor to have a look at him, and see if anything can be done for the poor brute," he said in a compassionate tone. I thanked him. Mr Tidey gave the message from my father, entreating that assistance might be sent to the relief of our train. "You had better see the commandant, who will judge what is best to be done," was the answer; and leaving our sorry steeds in charge of the soldiers, we accompanied the sergeant. The commanding officer received us kindly, and told us that if the report of Indians being in the neighbourhood should prove true, it was too probable that our train would be attacked. "I will, however, at dawn to-morrow, send out a party to their assistance," he added, "and I hope that they may arrive in time to drive off the redskins, should any have fallen in with your friends." We both urged that they might be sent off at once, but the commandant replied that it would be impossible to do so until the party we had met returned with the cattle, as he could not weaken the garrison, already scarcely sufficient for the defence of the place.