Harper's Round Table, July 14, 1896

Copyright, 1896, by Harper & Brothers. All Rights Reserved.

Here, Frank, come and help push this gate. I can't start it alone.
Wait a moment, Henry. Don't be in such a rush. I think I hear a horse coming down the Prescott road. I want to see if it's the express from La Paz.
The younger boy ceased his efforts to close the gates, and advancing a few steps before the entrance of the fort, looked up the valley to where the road from Prescott appeared from behind a spur of the foot-hills. The two boys, aged respectively fourteen and sixteen, were dressed in the army uniform, and wore gold-lace sergeant's chevrons upon their sleeves. Their white stripes were piped with red, and their cap cords and regimental badges were of the officers' pattern and quality.
A beautiful white setter, with liver-colored spots and ears, and mottled nose and paws, followed the boys and stood between them, nestling her delicate muzzle against the younger boy's hip, and responding to his caresses with waves of a plumy tail.
Do you think we shall hear from father, Frank?
We ought to. He said, in his last letter, he was getting settled at the Presidio, and would soon send for us.
Takes twelve days to bring a letter from San Francisco. I suppose it would take us longer to go there. Seems to me he might get ready for us while we are on the road, said Henry, lugubriously. I'm getting mighty tired of opening and shutting these gates.
You forget father has to visit all the posts where companies of his regiment are stationed. That will probably take him a month longer.
And we must go on opening and closing gates and running errands in Arizona. Santa Fe was a good place for boys. But this is the pokiest place we've struck yet. But come; let's shut the gates, and watch for the expressman afterwards. We haven't much time before retreat.