UNITED
The cañon showed no sign of widening until they had proceeded a quarter
of a mile from the entrance, then it broadened suddenly for a distance
of a hundred yards.
"There has been a big slip here both sides," the miner said, looking
round. "It must have taken place a great many years ago, for the winter
floods have swept away all signs of it, and there are grass and trees on
the slopes. The horses can find enough to keep them alive here for a day
or two, and that is all we shall want, I hope."
"It would be a nasty place to get out of, Jerry, for the cliffs are
perpendicular from half-way up."
"It ain't likely as there is any place we could get out without
following it to the upper end, which may be some fifty miles away. I
don't know the country it runs through, but the red-skins are pretty
certain to know all about it. If they were to track us here they would
never try to fight their way in, but would just set a guard at the mouth
and at the upper end and starve us out. It is a good place to hide in,
but a dog-goned bad one to be caught in. However, I hope it ain't coming
to that. It is we who are going to attack them, and not them us, and
that makes all the difference. The red-skins can't have a notion that
there are any other white men in this neighbourhood, and when we open
fire on them it will raise such a scare for a bit that it will give us a
chance of joining the others if we choose. That of course must depend on
their position."
They walked back to the mouth of the cañon, and had not to wait long for
the return of the Indians.
"Come," Leaping Horse said briefly, at once turning and going off at a
swift pace.
Jerry asked no questions, but with Tom followed close on the Indians'
heels. There were bushes growing among the fallen rocks and débris from
the face of the cliff, and they were, therefore, able to go forward as
quickly as they could leap from boulder to boulder, without fear of
being seen. A quarter of an hour's run, and the chief climbed up to a
ledge on the face of the cliff where a stratum harder than those above
it had resisted the effects of the weather and formed a shelf some
twelve feet wide. He went down on his hands and knees, and keeping close
to the wall crawled along to a spot where some stunted bushes had made
good their hold. The others followed him, and lying down behind the
bushes peered through them.
The valley was four or five hundred yards wide, and down its centre ran
the stream. Close to the water's edge rose abruptly a steep rock. It was
some fifty feet in height and but four or five yards across at the top.
On the north and west the rocks were too perpendicular to be climbed,
but the other sides had crumbled down, the stones being covered with
brushwood. From the point where they were looking they could see the six
horses lying among the bushes. They were evidently tightly roped, and
had probably been led up there when the attack began and thrown at the
highest point to which they could be taken, a spot being chosen where
the bushes concealed their exact position from those below. The rock was
about two hundred and fifty yards from the spot where the party was
lying, and their position was about level with its top. Some twenty
Indians were gathered a few hundred yards higher up the valley, and
about as many some distance down it.
"Why didn't the varmint take their places here?" Jerry whispered to the
chief.
"They came here. See," and he pointed to a patch of blood a few feet
beyond him. "Indian guns not shoot far," he said, "powder weak; white
man's rifles carry here, red-skin not able to shoot so far. When they
found that, went away again."
"What are they going to do now, do you think?"
"Soon attack again."
Half an hour passed, and then a loud yell gave the signal and the two
troops galloped towards the rock. They had evidently had experience of
the accuracy of the white men's fire; not an Indian showed himself, each
dropping over one side of his pony, with an arm resting in a rope round
the animals' necks and one leg thrown over the back. So they dashed
forward until close to the foot of the rocks. Another instant and they
would have thrown themselves from their horses and taken to the bushes,
but although hidden from the sight of the defenders of the position,
they were exposed to the full view of the party on the ledge, from whom
they were distant not more than two hundred yards. The chief fired
first, and almost together the other three rifles flashed out. Three of
the Indians fell from their horses, another almost slipped off, but with
an effort recovered his hold with his leg. A yell of astonishment and
fear broke from the Indians. As the two bands mingled together, some of
the riders were exposed to those on the top of the rock, and three shots
were fired. Two more of the 'Rappahoes fell, and the whole band in
obedience to a shout from one of their chiefs galloped at full speed
down the valley. The three men sprang to their feet, waving their hats,
while the party on the ledge also leapt up with a shout.
"It's you, chief, I see!" one of those on the rocks shouted. "I have
been hoping ever since morning to hear the crack of your rifle, and I
never heard a more welcome sound. We should have been rubbed out sure.
Who have you got with you?"
"It's Jerry Curtis, Harry. I come up along with Leaping Horse, though I
did not expect to find you in such a bad fix. This young Indian is
Hunting Dog, and this young chap next to me is your nephew, Tom Wade.
You did not expect to meet him like this, I reckon?"
While he had been speaking, all had reloaded their rifles.
"You had best go across and talk it over with Harry, chief, and consart
measures with him for getting out of this fix. Those red-skins have got
a bad scare, but you may bet they ain't gone far; and they have lost six
of their bucks now beside what the others shot before, and it ain't in
Indian natur for them to put up with such a loss as that." He had been
looking at the rock as he spoke, and turning round uttered an
exclamation of surprise, for the chief was no longer there. Looking down
they saw that he had managed to make his way down the face of the cliff,
and in another two minutes was ascending the rock. There he stood for
some time in earnest conversation with the whites, and then returned to
the ledge.
"Trouble over horses," he said.
"Ay, ay, I reckoned that was what you was talking over. There ain't no
going back for them now."
The chief shook his head. "'Rappahoes keep watch," he said, "cannot go
till night to fetch horses. All lie here to-day, go across to rock when
darkness comes, then white men go up valley till get to trees an hour's
march away; can see them from rock. Get in among trees and work up into
hills. Leaping Horse and Hunting Dog cross river, go down other side
past 'Rappahoes, then cross back and get into cañon, drive horses up.
White men meet them up in mountains."
"That seems a good plan enough, chief. That is, if you can get out at
the other end of the cañon."
"Cañon little up high," the chief replied. "Find some place to climb."
"But they may find the horses to-day."
The Indian nodded. "May find, perhaps not."
"Why should we not go across to the rock at once, chief?"
"Indian count on fingers how many. They do not know we only four; much
troubled in their mind where men come from, who can be. Red-skins not
like white men. Have many fancies. Fire come out of bush where 'Rappahoe
had been killed; think that bad medicine, keep together and talk. Think
if men here, why not go across to rock."
"I should not be surprised if you are right, chief. They are more likely
to fancy we have come down from above than from below, for they must
have reckoned for sure there were no other white men in the Big Wind
valley, and our not showing ourselves will give them an all-fired
scare."
"What does the chief mean by bad medicine, Jerry?" Tom asked.
"A red-skin is full of all sorts of ideas. Anything he can't make head
nor tail of, is bad medicine; they think there is some magic in it, and
that old Nick has had his finger in the pie. When they get an idea like
that in their minds, even the bravest of them loses his pluck, and is
like a child who thinks he has seen a ghost. It is a mighty good notion
for us to lie low all day. The red-skins will reason it all out, and
will say, if these are white men who killed our brothers why the 'tarnal
don't they go and join the others, there ain't nothing to prevent them.
If they ain't white men, who are they? Maybe they can move without our
being able to see them and will shoot from some other place. No, I
reckon it is likely they will keep pretty close together and won't
venture to scatter to look for tracks, and in that case the chief's plan
will work out all right. In course, a good deal depends on their chief;
one of them is among those we shot, you can make out his feathers from
here. If he is the boss chief, it may be that they will give it up
altogether; the next chief will throw the blame on to him, and may like
enough persuade them to draw off altogether. If it ain't the boss chief,
then they are bound to try again. He would not like to take them back to
their villages with the news that a grist of them had been killed and
narry a scalp taken. I expect you will see this afternoon some of them
come down to palaver with Harry."
The morning passed quietly and not unpleasantly, for they were lying in
the shade, but before noon the sun had climbed up over the cliff behind
them and shone down with great force, and they had to lie with their
heads well under the bushes to screen them from its rays. Presently,
Leaping Horse said:
"Indian chief come, no lift heads."
All shifted their position so as to look down the valley. An Indian
chief, holding up his hands to show that he was unarmed, was advancing
on foot, accompanied by another Indian also without arms.
"There is Harry going down to meet them," Jerry said.
Tom looked eagerly at the figure that came down from the rock and
advanced to meet the Indians. It seemed strange to him that after having
come so far to join his uncle they should remain for hours in sight of
each other without meeting. It was too far to distinguish his features,
but he saw by the light walk and easy swing of the figure that his uncle
was a much more active man than he had expected to see. He had known
indeed that he was but forty years old, but he had somehow expected that
the life of hardship he had led would have aged him, and he was
surprised to see that his walk and figure were those of a young man.
"Is it not rather dangerous, his coming down alone to meet two of them?
They may have arms hidden."
"They have got arms, you maybe sure," Jerry replied. "They have knives
for certain, and most likely tomahawks, but I expect Harry has got his
six-shooter. But it don't matter whether he has or not, there are his
two mates up on that rock with their rifles, and we are across here. The
'Rappahoes would know well enough their lives wouldn't be worth a red
cent if they were to try any of their games. They don't mean business;
they will make out they have come to persuade Harry and his mates to
give up, which they know quite well they ain't fools enough to do. But
what is really in their minds is to try and find out who we are, and
where we have come from."
The conversation lasted a few minutes. Tom could see that questions were
being asked about the concealed party, for the chief pointed to the
ledge two or three times. When the talk was over the Indians went down
the valley again at a slow pace, never once looking back, and the
Englishman returned to the rocks.
"I don't suppose they have got much from Harry."
"I suppose uncle talks their language?"
"No, I don't reckon he knows the 'Rappahoe dialect. But the tribes on
the western side of the plains can mostly understand each other's talk;
and as I know he can get on well with the Utes, he is sure to be able to
understand the 'Rappahoes' talk."
"Leaping Horse will go along the ledge," the chief said a few minutes
later, after a short conversation with Hunting Dog. "The 'Rappahoes will
try to find out who are here; not like to attack the rock till find
out."
The two Indians lay down flat on the ledge, and crawled along without
raising themselves in the slightest until they reached a point where the
cliffs projected somewhat. From here they could see down the valley, and
they lay immovable, with their rifles in front of them.
"They are not more than fifty yards or so from those bushes where we got
up on to the ledge. That is where the red-skins are likely to try
crawling up, for there they would be out of sight of the rock."
"Surely they would never venture to come along the ledge in daylight,
Jerry. They would have to pass along under the fire of uncle and his
mates, and would have our rifles to meet in front."
"No, it would only be one, or at most, two scouts. They would reckon
that from that point where the chief is lying they would get a view
right along the ledge to here, and be able to make out what we are. It
is the strangeness of the thing that has kept them quiet all these
hours, and I expect their chief will want to prove that there are only a
few of us, and that we are men for certain. I reckon they have sent off
to the villages already, and there will be more of the varmint here
to-night. The Indians are never fond of attacking in the dark; still, if
they were sure about us, they might try it. They would know they could
get up to the foot of that rock before being seen, and once among the
bushes they would reckon they could make easy work of it."
A quarter of an hour later there was the crack of a rifle, followed
instantly by an Indian yell.
"That is the chief's piece, Tom, and I reckon the lead has gone
straight."
The silence remained unbroken for the next two hours, and then Leaping
Horse crawled back as quietly as he had gone.
"What was it, chief?"
"It was a 'Rappahoe, who will scout no more," the chief said quietly.
"He came up the bushes, but before he could step on to the ledge Leaping
Horse fired, and he will take no tales back to his tribe."
"They won't try again, chief?"
Leaping Horse shook his head. "First take rock," he said, "then when
they have the scalps of the white men they will watch us here. Will know
we cannot stay here long without water."
"You are right there, chief, and no m'stake; my tongue is like a piece
of leather now, and as soon as it gets dark I shall make a bee-line down
to the river. I want to have a talk with Harry, but just at present I
want a drink a blamed sight worse. If I had thought we were going to be
stuck up here all day I would have brought my water-bottle with me."
The time passed very slowly, although the air became cooler as soon as
the sun had gone down behind the opposite range. As soon as the light
faded a little, the Indian crawled farther along the ledge, and returned
in a short time saying that he had found a spot where the whites could
descend. Two or three times Jerry urged that it was dark enough, before
the chief consented to move. At last, however, he stood up and gave the
cry of an owl, and they were in a minute or two joined by Hunting Dog,
who had until now remained at his post. The chief at once led the way
along the ledge until he reached the spot where the rock had crumbled
away somewhat.
"We had better go down one at a time," Jerry said. "For if there was a
slip or a tumble it might let down a gun-hammer, and we want our lead
for the 'Rappahoes, and not for each other."
When it came to Tom's turn, he found it a very difficult place to get
down in the semi-darkness, and two or three times he almost lost his
footing. As soon as all were down they fell into Indian file, and
crossed the valley to the rock, the chief giving the hoot of an owl
twice as he approached it. Three men at once stepped out from the bushes
at its foot.
"I began to wonder when you were coming, and was just going to get the
ponies down before it was too dark to do it without running the risk of
breaking their legs. Well, I am right glad to see you, Jerry; and you
too, Tom, though it is too dark to see much of you. The chief has been
telling me how he brought you along. There is no time to talk now, but I
am right glad to see you, lad" and he shook Tom heartily by the hand.
"Now, mates, let us get the horses down."
"I must make tracks for the water first, Harry, the young un and I are
pretty near choking; and I expect the Indians are as bad, though it
ain't their natur to talk about it."
"Get down horses first," the chief said. "Too dark soon."
"Waal, I suppose five minutes won't make much difference," Jerry
grumbled, "so here goes."
"I have tied some hide over their hoofs," Harry said, "so as to make as
little noise as possible about it."
"Must make no noise," the chief said urgently. "Redskin scouts soon be
crawling up."
One by one the horses were brought down, Harry leading them, and the
others pushing aside the bushes as noiselessly as possible. Then their
loads were carried down and packed upon them.
"You get on my horse, Jerry," Harry Wade whispered, "I will walk with
Tom. I have had no time to say a word to him yet, or to ask about the
people at home. Where is the chief?"
Leaping Horse and his companion had stolen away as soon as the loads had
been adjusted. The others led the horses to the river, and allowed them
to drink, while Jerry and Tom lay down and took a long draught of the
water. The miners' bottles were filled, and they then started.
"It is lucky the river makes such a roar among these rocks here," Harry
said, "it will drown the sound of the horses' hoofs."
For half an hour they proceeded at a fast walk, then the skins were
taken off the horses' feet and they went on at a trot, the two Wades
taking hold of Jerry's stirrup-leathers and running alongside. In half
an hour they entered the belt of trees, and dismounting, at once began
to ascend the hill. They were some distance up when they heard a distant
yell.
"You may yell as much as you like," Jerry panted, "you won't catch us
now. They have been a mighty long time finding out we were gone."
"They could not make out about you," Harry said. "I could see by the
chief's manner, and the glances the Indian with him kept giving to the
place where you were lying, that they were puzzled and alarmed. They
offered if we would surrender that they would allow us to return down
the valley without hurt. I said, of course, that I preferred staying
where I was; we had come up the valley and intended going farther; we
didn't want to interfere with them, and if they had left us alone we
should have left them alone; and they had only themselves to thank for
the loss of some of their braves. 'We have,' I said, 'many friends, who
will protect us, and much harm will fall on the Indians who venture to
meddle with us.'
"'Are your friends white men?' the chief asked. 'Have they wings that
they have flown down here from the hills?'
"'They have come, that is enough,' I said. 'You see, when they were
wanted they were here, and if they are wanted again you will hear of
them, and your braves will die, and you will gain nothing. You had best
go back to your lodges and leave us to go away in peace. Whoever they
are, they can shoot, as you have found out to your cost. They have no
ill-will to the red-skins, providing the redskins let us alone. They
only fired four shots; if they had wished to, they could have killed
many more.' When the chief saw that he could get nothing further from me
he went away. As usual he spoke boastfully at last, and said that he had
offered peace to us, and if war came, it would be our faults. I laughed,
and said that we could take care of ourselves, and preferred doing so to
trusting ourselves in the hands of the 'Rappahoes, when we had made some
of their squaws widows."
"Would they have kept their word, uncle, do you think?" Tom asked.
"Not they. There are a few of the Indian tribes whose word can be taken,
but as a rule words mean nothing with them, and if we had put ourselves
in their power they would have tomahawked us instantly, or else taken us
down and tortured us at their villages, which would have been a deal
worse. I have no doubt they had a long talk after the chief returned to
them, and that it was some time after it became dark before they could
pluck up courage enough to climb the rock, though I expect they must
have got close to it very soon after we left. I reckon they have been
crawling up inch by inch. Of course, directly they got to where the
horses had been tied they knew we had gone, and I expect that yell was a
signal for a rush forward to the top. But we need not bother any more
about them. They may ride as far as the foot of the forest, but when
they find we have gained that safely they will give it up until morning;
they will know well enough it is no good starting to search the woods in
the dark. We may as well rest where we are until the moon is up, for we
make so much noise crashing through this undergrowth that they could
hear us down there."
"Now tell me, lad, about your mother and sisters, and how you came out
after all."
Tom told his uncle of his mother's death, and the reason why he had left
his sisters to come out to join him.
"It is a very bad business, lad, and I take a lot of blame to myself.
When I got your mother's letter, telling me of poor John's death, and
that she would not hear of your coming out, I said some very hard things
to myself. Here had I been knocking about for twenty years, and having
had a fair share of luck, and yet I could not put my hand on five
hundred dollars, and there was my brother's widow and children, and I,
their nearest relative, could not help them. It made me feel a pretty
mean man, I can tell you. Your mother did not say much about her
circumstances, but it did not need that. I knew that John had retired
from the navy with little besides his half-pay, and that her pension as
his widow must be a mighty slim one. Altogether I had a pretty bad time
of it. However, I took a tall oath that the next rich strike I made the
dollars should not be thrown away. I reckoned that you would be out
before long; for it was certain that if you were a lad of spirit you
would not be staying there doing nothing. Your mother said that the
girls all intended to take up teaching, and it was not likely that you
would let them work for the family while you were loafing about at home.
I know in my time it was hard enough to get anything to do there, and
young fellows who have come out here to ranche tell me that it is harder
than ever now. I thought you would fancy this life, and that in time you
would talk your mother over into letting you come."
"I should never have got her to agree to it, uncle. I wanted to go to
sea, but after father's death she would not hear of it. She said I was
her only boy and that she could not spare me, and I had to promise to
give up the thought. She was still more against your plan, but when I
wrote to you I thought that possibly in time she might agree to it. But
it was not long afterwards that her health began to fail, and I saw then
that I must give up all thought of leaving her, and must, when I left
school, take anything that offered; and it was only after her death that
I talked it over with the girls, and they agreed that to come here was
the best thing for me."
"And you left before my last letter arrived?"
"Yes; we had no letter after the one you wrote asking me to come out."
"No, I suppose you could not have had it. I wrote before I started out
three months ago from Salt Lake City. I had struck a ledge of pretty
good stuff, I and another. We sold out for a thousand dollars, and I
sent my share off to your mother, telling her that I had been having bad
luck since I got her letter, but that I hoped to do better in future,
and I thought, anyhow, I could promise to send her as much once a year,
and if I had a real stroke of luck she and her girls would have the
benefit of it."
"That was good of you, uncle."
"Not good at all," Harry Wade grumbled. "I have behaved like a fool all
along; it is true that when I did get letters from your father, which
was not very often, he always wrote cheerfully, and said very little
about how he was situated as to money. But I ought to have known--I did
know, if I thought of it--that with a wife and six children it must be
mighty hard to make ends meet on a lieutenant's half-pay, and there was
I, often throwing away twice as much as his year's pension on a week's
spree. When I heard he was gone you may pretty well guess how I felt.
However, lad, if things turn out well I will make it up as far as I can.
Now, let us join the others."
The others, however, were all sound asleep, having wrapped themselves in
their blankets, and lain down as soon as the halt was decided upon.
Jerry, having had no sleep the previous night, and but little for four
or five days, had not even thought of asking the others for food, which
they doubtless had on their saddles, although he had tasted nothing for
twenty-four hours. Tom, however, less accustomed to enforced fasts, felt
ravenous.
"We have had nothing to eat to-day, uncle, except a crust left over from
yesterday's baking, and I don't think I could get to sleep if I did not
eat something."
"Bless me, I never thought of that, Tom. If I had I would have sent food
across by the chief this morning. There is no bread, but there is plenty
of cold meat. We cooked a lot yesterday evening, for we thought we might
not get a chance of cooking to-day."
"Then you knew, uncle, the Indians were near?" Tom went on, when he had
appeased his appetite and taken a drink of water, with a little whisky
in it from his uncle's flask.
"Ay, lad; we guessed somehow we had been followed all along. We had done
everything we could to throw them off the trail--travelling as much as
we could in the course of streams, muffling the feet of our ponies, and
picking out the hardest ground to travel on; but every morning before
daybreak one of us went up the hillside, and twice we made out mounted
Indians moving about down the valley. Yesterday morning ten of them came
galloping up within easy shot. I don't think they thought that we were
so near. They drew up their horses suddenly, had a talk, and then came
riding after us. It didn't need their yells to tell us what their
intention was. We knocked three of them out of their saddles, then threw
our horses down and lay behind them.
"They galloped round and round us shooting, but we picked two more off,
and then they rode away. We knew enough of them to be sure that they
were not going to give it up, but would follow us till joined by enough
of their tribe to attack us again. We made a long march, hoping to get
to the timber before they could come up, but just as the sun was setting
we saw them coming along, about fifteen of them; and we had just time to
get up to that rock. As they rode past we opened a smart fire and
dropped four of them; the others rode up the valley, so as to cut us off
from going farther. We filled our water-skins and got the horses
half-way up as you saw, and then lighted a fire and cooked. We kept
watch all night, two down below and one at the top; but everything was
quiet, and we guessed they were waiting for others to come up.
"About an hour before daylight we heard another gang arrive below us.
They halted there, and it was not long before they began crawling up
from above and below, and for a bit we shot pretty brisk. The odds were
too much against them, with us on the height, and they drew off. Then
for an hour they were pretty quiet while they were holding council,
except that we did some shooting with a party who had climbed up to that
ledge opposite; then we saw both bands mount, and reckoned they were
going to make a dash for us. We knew if they did it in earnest we must
go down, for once among the rocks and bushes there would be no keeping
them from mounting up. We made up our minds that the end was not far
off, though I fancy we should have accounted for a good many of them
before they rubbed us out. When your four rifles spoke from the ledge we
thought it was a party who had gone back there, for we felt sure that we
had driven them all away, but it wasn't more than a moment before we saw
it wasn't that. There was no mistaking the yell of astonishment from the
Indians, and as the horses swerved round we saw that three of them had
fallen. You may guess we didn't stop to argue who it was, but set to
work to do our share; but it seemed to us something like a miracle when
the red-skins rode off.
"We had been talking of Leaping Horse during the night, for he had
promised to come back to join us, and I knew him well enough to be able
to bet all creation that he would come. He had only left us to keep an
appointment with his nephew, who was to join him at Fort Bridger. If
there had only been two guns fired we should have put it down to him,
but being four I don't think either of us thought of him till he stood
up and shouted. Now, lad, you had better take a sleep. We shall be
moving on as soon as the moon is fairly up, and it won't be over that
hill behind us till two or three. I will watch till then, but I don't
think there is the least chance of their following us to-night; they
have been pretty roughly handled, and I don't think they will follow
until they have solved the mystery of that ledge. They searched it, no
doubt, as soon as they found the rock was empty, and at daybreak they
will set about tracing the trail up. That will be easy enough for them
when they have once got rid of the idea that there was something uncanny
about it, and then we shall have them on our heels again and on the
chief's too. The first thing for us to do will be to make along the hill
till we get to the edge of the cañon, where Leaping Horse has gone for
your ponies, and to follow it to its upper end."
"I will watch, uncle, if you will wake me in an hour. I shall be all
right after a nap, but I can scarcely keep my eyes open now."
It seemed, however, to Tom that he had not been asleep five minutes when
his uncle shook him. The others were already on their feet. The moon was
shining down through the trees, and with cautious steps, and taking the
utmost trouble to avoid the branches, they started on their upward
climb. Not a word was spoken, for all knew how far sound travels on a
still night. There was, however, a slight breeze moving among the tree
tops when they started, and in an hour this had so far increased that
the boughs were swaying and the leaves rustling.
"I reckon there ain't no occasion to keep our mouths shut no longer,"
one of the men said. "Now that the trees are on the move they would not
hear us if they were only a hundred yards away."
All were glad when daylight began to appear, Tom because the climbing
would be much easier when the ground could be seen, the others because
they were all longing for a pipe, but had hitherto not dared to light
one, for the flash of a match could be seen far away. They had been
bearing steadily to the right as they mounted, and shortly after
daybreak they suddenly found themselves on the edge of a cañon.
"Do you think this is the one, Jerry?" one of the men asked.
"That is more than I can tell, Ben. I did not see an opening in the
valley as we came up it, but we might very well have missed one in the
dark. I should think from the distance we have gone towards the right it
must be the one where we left our horses. Anyhow, whether it is or not,
we must follow it up to the top and wait there for a bit to see if the
chief comes."
"I reckon he will be there before us," Harry said; "that is if he got
round the red-skins all right and found the horses. There would be no
reason for him to wait, and I expect he would go straight on, and is
like enough to be waiting for us by this time."