the sunrise through hollow, exhausted eyes as they huddled behind their dead mounts or shallow rifle pit. They did not see the Cheyenne throughout the night. Bohanin's troops played a waiting game, each afraid that this would be the last sunrise. No matter what advantage they had in firepower, their numbers were too small to face many more determined assaults. Nell rested beside Collier as they watched for movement. Bohanin wrote in his duty book, determined to leave a record of the engagement.
   Shortly after sun rise Elk Heart dressed in a war bonnet and with a coup stick in hand appeared just out of rifle range on his stallion. The stocky, powerfully built Cheyenne raised the coup stick effortlessly into the air and repeated a phrase in his native language.
   "What's he saying?" Bohanin asked Collier.
   Collier didn't answer as he tried to make out the phrases.
   Nell looked into Collier's face. "Lane, what is he saying?"
   Elk Heart spun his stallion majestically and rode away.
   Collier cleared his throat. "He said . . . 'another day."
   "What was that?" Bohanin asked.
   "Another day." Collier answered.
   "Another day? What the deuces does that mean?"
   Collier swallowed hard. "I'm not positive, sir. I think they're giving it up." He gave Nell a grin of relief.
   Bohanin shook his head. "They're giving up! Just like that? Hell! Why would they do that?"
   "I don't think they have that much more to gain. I think that fellow was their war chief and they're calling it quits."
   A cheer broke out among the troop.
   "Quiet! Quiet, damn it! No one move! Don't do anything stupid! Collier, that doesn't make sense. They've got us. Surely they know it's just a matter of time."
   "They're Cheyenne. They do not fight like we expect them to. I think that they feel they've made their point and they're moving out."
   "Oh, God. Can it really be over?" Nell asked.
   "Yes, I think it's over."
    They stayed in place throughout the morning. At noon, Sergeant Crossly and two troopers went forward on foot to look for sign. An hour later they returned and reported that the Cheyenne were gone.
   Bohanin was unsure. He suspected a trap. He sent two riders on the only surviving mounts to Fort Larned bring relief in case Shoop had failed. By mid-afternoon he changed his mind and allowed cooking fires.
   They ate roasted horse meat that night. Spirits were high but they never dropped the guard. A relief troop of cavalry rode into the camp at midnight. Private Shoop was at the head of the column looking tired and proud.
   Captain Joe Davis stepped down from his horse. Bohanin tried to salute but Davis took Bohanin's good hand, shaking it vigorously. "Damn! It's good to see you people alive, L. J.! They've kicked hell out of us all over this section and I feared the worst!"
  Davis cut his eyes to Collier and Nell. "And you two . . . You've been through some kind of experience! God! It's good to see you all!"
   The troop rounded up its belongings and left as quickly as possible. Davis wanted to get back to the fort without delay. The fort was badly undermanned and he was afraid that the Cheyenne would hit it before he could return.
   By midday, the column returned to Fort Larned. Nell and Annie were escorted to Captain Davis' quarters and greeted by Mrs. Davis. She was a stout, attractive woman and expressed sympathy for Nell.
   Nell didn't know how to react. It had seemed so long since Nathan Baker had been a part of her life. Collier and Annie were her life now. Nathan had been dead less that a week but that part of her life was gone and she did not wish it back. She realized that in spite of the horror, the pain, and the fear that she had more to look forward to than ever
   Shortly after sun rise Elk Heart dressed in a war bonnet and with a coup stick in hand appeared just out of rifle range on his stallion. The stocky, powerfully built Cheyenne raised the coup stick effortlessly into the air and repeated a phrase in his native language.
   "What's he saying?" Bohanin asked Collier.
   Collier didn't answer as he tried to make out the phrases.
   Nell looked into Collier's face. "Lane, what is he saying?"
   Elk Heart spun his stallion majestically and rode away.
   Collier cleared his throat. "He said . . . 'another day."
   "What was that?" Bohanin asked.
   "Another day." Collier answered.
   "Another day? What the deuces does that mean?"
   Collier swallowed hard. "I'm not positive, sir. I think they're giving it up." He gave Nell a grin of relief.
   Bohanin shook his head. "They're giving up! Just like that? Hell! Why would they do that?"
   "I don't think they have that much more to gain. I think that fellow was their war chief and they're calling it quits."
   A cheer broke out among the troop.
   "Quiet! Quiet, damn it! No one move! Don't do anything stupid! Collier, that doesn't make sense. They've got us. Surely they know it's just a matter of time."
   "They're Cheyenne. They do not fight like we expect them to. I think that they feel they've made their point and they're moving out."
   "Oh, God. Can it really be over?" Nell asked.
   "Yes, I think it's over."
    They stayed in place throughout the morning. At noon, Sergeant Crossly and two troopers went forward on foot to look for sign. An hour later they returned and reported that the Cheyenne were gone.
   Bohanin was unsure. He suspected a trap. He sent two riders on the only surviving mounts to Fort Larned bring relief in case Shoop had failed. By mid-afternoon he changed his mind and allowed cooking fires.
   They ate roasted horse meat that night. Spirits were high but they never dropped the guard. A relief troop of cavalry rode into the camp at midnight. Private Shoop was at the head of the column looking tired and proud.
   Captain Joe Davis stepped down from his horse. Bohanin tried to salute but Davis took Bohanin's good hand, shaking it vigorously. "Damn! It's good to see you people alive, L. J.! They've kicked hell out of us all over this section and I feared the worst!"
  Davis cut his eyes to Collier and Nell. "And you two . . . You've been through some kind of experience! God! It's good to see you all!"
   The troop rounded up its belongings and left as quickly as possible. Davis wanted to get back to the fort without delay. The fort was badly undermanned and he was afraid that the Cheyenne would hit it before he could return.
   By midday, the column returned to Fort Larned. Nell and Annie were escorted to Captain Davis' quarters and greeted by Mrs. Davis. She was a stout, attractive woman and expressed sympathy for Nell.
   Nell didn't know how to react. It had seemed so long since Nathan Baker had been a part of her life. Collier and Annie were her life now. Nathan had been dead less that a week but that part of her life was gone and she did not wish it back. She realized that in spite of the horror, the pain, and the fear that she had more to look forward to than ever
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