Rushing into the dugout, I lit a candle, and, untying from Found's collar a piece of paper, I read Tom's hastily scrawled note:
Peck: The Injuns have got us corralled and got the mules. Both of us wounded but not bad. Laying under the wagon with the bales of wolf skins around us. Send us a few carbine cartridges by Found, and put Bills necklace on him, so we can send him on for Bill. Look out for yourself.
Tom.
"No time to be lost," I said to myself; and, sitting down, I quickly wrote on the reverse side of Tom's note:
Bill: Come quick with soldiers. Tom and Jack are about three miles out on Larned trail. Read other side. I am O. K. at camp, so far.
Peck.
I fed the good dog, and, tying up four packs of Sharp's rifle cartridges—ten in a pack—in an old handkerchief, I made ready to send Found off. I first intended to tie the package around his neck but decided that he could more easily carry it by the mouth.
I tied my note to his collar, gave him a secure hold of the handkerchief of cartridges in his teeth, and taking down Bill's bead necklace from the wall I held it to his nose a moment to give him the scent, repeating as I did so, "Go to Bill! Go to Bill!" according to his master's instructions.
Found wagged his tail and looked at me as though he understood my wishes. I felt sure he would first go to Tom and Jack, who would take the cartridges, read my note to Bill, take off the necklace and give him a fresh scent, and send him on to the fort.
The tired dog had before him a long and dangerous run of about twenty miles, during which he would have to pass twice through the cordon of watchful Indians surrounding my comrades; but it was the only hope of saving the men, and Found seemed able and willing for the undertaking.
I felt confident that if the Kiowas did not kill or cripple him, Found would make the trip quickly. He had already evaded the Indians in returning to camp, and I felt strong hopes that his almost human intelligence would carry him through.
Found's first move on going out of the dugout was to go up on the roof and stand there for a little while sniffing the air. Then he turned and trotted to the ravine, up which he went at a run.