Lieutenant  Decker  was  so  well  convinced  of  the
serious  task  before  him  that  he  adopted  a  radical
change  of  plan.  Even  though  he  should  succeed  in
tracing  the  hostiles  to  their  hiding  place  in  the
mountains,  his  force  was  too  small  to  strike  them  an
effective  blow.  He  decided  to  return  to  camp  and
report  to  the  colonel,  that  no  time  might  be  lost  in
organizing  a  movement  that  would  bring  the  Indians
to  terms,  always  provided  the  opportunity  could  be
secured  for  doing  so.
This  meant  a  long  halt  in  the  pursuit,  which  to  the
father  was  unbearable.  He  could  not  remain  idle
during  the  long,  sultry  hours,  when  his  child  was  in
the  possession  of  the  band,  who  certainly  meant
him  no  good.  He  must  keep  moving  or  he  would
lose  his  self-control.
Declining,  therefore,  the  invitation  of  the  officer
to  accompany  them  on  their  return  to  the  post,  and
thanking  him  for  what  he  had  already  done,  he
turned  the  head  of  his  mustang  toward  home,  and
struck  an  easy,  swinging  gait,  while  they  rode  west-
ward to  Fort  Keno»


172  THE  YOUNG  SCOUT.
But  Freeman  had  no  purpose  of  returning  to  his
desolate  wife  and  child  until  he  could  gather
decisive  tidings  of  his  boy,  whether  good  or  bad.
After  reaching  a  point  where  the  intervening  un-
dulations of  land  were  likely  to  shut  him  from  the
sight  of  any  watchful  Apaches,  he  changed  his
course,  making  it  parallel  with  the  river,  spurred  his
pony  to  greater  speed,  and  finally  returned  to  the
stream  at  a  point  more  than  a  mile  east  of  where  he
had  parted  from  the  lieutenant  and  his  little  com-
pany.
