Major Armes was much pleased, and knowing about the time the scout was expected, he ordered a negro sergeant and twenty men to take the trail as a guard of honor and meet him a day’s ride from the fort.
The sergeant and his picked men were as proud as peacocks at the duty and the envy of all the rest of the regiment, who had to remain behind.
Had the colored troopers had their say, all would have gone to meet the scout and Fort Aspen would have been left without a garrison.
And so the black escort set out upon the trail to meet the noted scout.
CHAPTER XII.
CORRALLED BY INDIANS.
The sergeant in command of the escort was Mobile Buck, and he was so enrolled. He was a fine soldier and a brave one, and had won his rank for his good qualities.
Sergeant Mobile Buck was vary cautious, however, and he wisely decided that it would be better to have an advance guard of one man to take chances of an ambush, than to have his whole force in danger, so he kept a trooper well ahead.
What that solitary trooper thought of his being selected for that post of honor will never be known, as his sacrifice saved the sergeant and his other men.