Lost with Lieutenant Pike / How from the Pawnee Village the boy named Scar Head marched with the young American Chief clear into the Snowy Mountains; how in the dead of winter they searched for the Lost River and thought that they had found it; and how the Spanish Soldiery came upon them and took them down to Santa Fé of New Mexico, where another surprise awaited them

by Edwin L. Sabin

“Cannot tell. The Great Father sent us out. We are men; we hate to go back.”

“Mebbe they there, on Arkansaw. Injuns chase ’em.”

“Maybe. But it is bad. Maybe Injuns chase us, next.”

“We fight,” declared Stub.

And the doctor laughed.

“You’re all right. We’ll do our best, eh?”

Stub had ten arrows; the lieutenant and the medicine-man each had four loads for their guns. That was not much, in a fight.

Early in the morning they again rode, searching up the creek, with their eyes scanning before and behind and right and left. When the sun was halfway to noon, they saw two horsemen, coming from the south. Indians? No! White men—soldiers!

Lieutenant Pike cried gladly, and fired his gun, in signal. His face had been dark and stern; now it lighted up, and they all galloped for the two men. Lieutenant Wilkinson was only three miles south, on the Arkansaw.

“What! The Arkansaw?” Lieutenant Pike repeated.