While I was speaking, Mr Tidey’s horse made a bolt down the slope, and presently, as the cattle moved aside, I saw a pool of water which, though muddy from the animals having trod in it, afforded a refreshing draught to his poor steed. Mine was too weak even to drink, and I feared that if it once got into the pool it would not have strength to get out again. We now advanced in somewhat better spirits than before. The condition of my horse, however, delayed me; but, in the hopes of obtaining some remedies to save its life, I still led it on. We had not got far when Mr Tidey, who, as usual, was looking about in every direction, exclaimed—
“I see a party of horsemen in the distance. If they are Indians and come near us, we must stop and drive them off. I can count but six; two a-piece, and we each of us must settle one of those as soon as they come within range of our bullets. In the meantime we will keep on as we are going, and if the fort is at hand, it may be that they will think it wise to keep at a distance.”
Looking steadily in the direction the Dominie pointed, I could but just discern some figures appearing against the sky above the horizon, but whether Indians or white men I was unable to determine. I kept watching them anxiously. In a short time Dio cried out—
“Dey come dis way! dey come dis way!”
“Never mind, if they come nearer than we like, we must send them to the right-about,” observed Mr Tidey calmly.
I could, however, see that the strangers were approaching at a rapid rate, and it would soon be necessary for us to get ready to receive them.
Mr Tidey frequently turned his head over his left shoulder, but still rode on.
“Had we not better stop?” I asked, “they will be down upon us presently.”
The Dominie pulled up, and attentively regarded the approaching strangers. “All right!” he exclaimed, “they are friends; I see their uniforms, we shall not have to fight for our lives this time.”
In a few minutes the strangers were up to us. They proved to be a scouting party led by a sergeant, and had come out from the fort on learning that a band of Indians on the war-path had been seen in the neighbourhood, but on discovering us they had ridden up to ascertain who we were. The sergeant gave us the satisfactory intelligence that the fort was not half a mile ahead. “You cannot miss it,” he observed, “if you keep straight on as you are going, but we must ride round and drive in some cattle which have strayed away, or we shall have them carried off by those thieves of redskins.”