Elsie, at sight of her lover, rose impulsively, and her face, tired and pale, flushed to a beautiful pink. Her lips formed the words "Why, there is Captain Curtis!" but her voice was inaudible.
He hastened forward with eyes only for her, and she met him with both hands outstretched—eager, joyous!
"Oh, how good it is to see you! We were so alarmed—Calvin warned you?"
"Yes. He met me just before I left the reservation."
"But I expected you to bring soldiers; how did you escape? Did you find the cattlemen gone?"
"I flanked them." His face relaxed into humor. "Discretion is a sort of valor sometimes. I took the Willow road."
Lawson now joined them, and in his hand-clasp was a brother's regard for the soldier. His smile was exultant. "Good work! I knew Calvin could be trusted. It looked bad for Cut Finger when we reached the half-way house."
"You must be hungry!" exclaimed Elsie. "Sit here and I will order something for you."
"I was hungry an hour ago," he said, meaningly, "but now I am not. But I am tired," he added. "Where are the Parkers?"
Elsie laughed. "On their way to civilization. They fled on the up-train."