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 Smith, on the Arkansaw with the horses, had been brought in.

It was high time that Corporal Jerry and party turned up. They had been gone a long while, and were needed. Five men and a boy were a small garrison. This evening Corporal Jerry, with John Brown, William Gordon and John Mountjoy, did arrive. After he had reported to the lieutenant, he told his story to the rest of them.

"Yes, we found Hugh, but we had to cross in snow middle deep, to do it. He's comin' on with Freegift. They'll be down to-morrow. We went back to Sparks an' Dougherty, too."

"How are they?"

"Bad off. Ah, boys, 'twould melt your hearts to see 'em. They sheer wept when we hailed 'em. They've got food enough yet, even after the near two months; but they can scarce walk a step. Their feet are gone, an' they've hardly a finger between 'em. So we couldn't move 'em; not through the snow of the passes. We did what we could to cheer 'em up, but when we left they acted like they never expected to see us again. Yes; an' they sent over bones from their feet, for the cap'n, an' made me promise to give 'em to him as a token an' to beg him, by all that's sacred, not to let the two of 'em die like beasts, alone in the wilds. When I gave