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“But they ‘d got the notion scared into them so bad they could n’t believe anything else, and they sure thought there must be Injuns around somewheres; and so I left ’em and rode on for Apache Teju. Pretty soon I met a troop of cavalry from Fort Bayard on the trot for Separ. The captain rode up to me and says, ‘Have you been near the scene of the Indian depredations?’

“‘No, sir,’ says I, ‘I hain’t seen no Injun depredations, nor Injuns neither, this summer.’

“‘Humph!’ says he, ‘that’s queer!’

“‘Yes, sir,’ says I, ‘I think likely. I heard there was some trouble with ’em last night down below Separ, but if there ‘s been any Injun depredations I hain’t seen ’em a-tall.’ And then I rode on, for I had n’t time to be bothered with no more of his questions, and, too, I reckoned likely him and his soldiers needed some exercise.

“And they got it, too. They just kep’ on the trot for the Mexican line, and kep’ a-goin’ for three months. They ‘d started out for Injuns, and Injuns they was bound to have. They jest wound around through all that country south of Separ, and over into old Mexico, and back again, and up into the mountains and across the plains, and did n’t even see an Apache the whole three months. And they did n’t find out it was all nothin’ but a blaze on Pard Huff till after they ‘d come back. I reckon about that time they concluded there ain’t no bigger fool on earth than a tenderfoot, a-tall. And there ain’t, neither.

“Well, I tell you, that Pard Huff was sure mad when he found out we-all had been running a blaze on him! I don’t know as I blame him much, for that ten-mile run of his to Separ in his sock feet over cactus and stones was n’t much of a joke, a-tall. But he was an all-fireder fool tenderfoot than we s’posed, or we would n’t have done it.”