"You can't go out," said he.
"Why, what's the matter?" asked Elam innocently.
"Too many Indians," was the reply.
"Oh, well, I just want to let my horse have some grass. He don't think much of the hay you have here."
"You don't want your rifle if you're just going out to get grass," said the soldier, with a smile.
"No, but I like to have it handy when the pinch comes. If I hadn't had it and been able to use it, you wouldn't have seen me here now."
"That's so," said the sentry. "I don't suppose you care enough about them as to go among them again. But we'll have to see the corporal about that." Then, raising his voice, he called out:
"Corporal of the guard No. 1!"
In process of time the officer of the guard came up, and the sentry made known Elam's request in a few words. He looked at Elam and said:
"Oh, let him go. It aint likely that he will go far away with the Indians all around him. You don't want to get too far away," he added, turning to the young hunter, "because the men on post have orders to fire on people that are going out of range."