"Charlie, where is Captain Miner?"
"Captain Miner?" said Wright. "I don't know. He's somewhere around but we're all scattered out here."
Al could see other soldiers behind trees and rocks off to the right across the ravine, and, dodging from one cover to another, he started in that direction. After going a few yards he nearly fell over a man lying flat on the ground, peering ahead around the corner of a stone with his cocked carbine at his shoulder.
"Hi, Wallace!" exclaimed Al. "What are you doing here? Why don't you go back to the General?"
Wallace shot a resentful glance at him.
"How can I go back?" he asked. "We're cut off. There's redskins all along the rear."
"But I just came through," objected Al.
"Oh, don't bother me!" cried Wallace, impatiently, quite beside himself with the fascination of the struggle. "Can't you let a fellow alone? There!"
At the last word his carbine cracked and an Indian, his arm dangling at his side, darted away from a tree ahead. Wallace sprang up and followed, taking possession of the nearer side of the tree.
"Say, Wallace, where's Captain Miner?" shouted Al after him.