In the Heart of the Rockies: A Story of Adventure in Colorado

by G. A. Henty

  CHAPTER VI

  UNITED

  The canyon showed no sign of widening until they had proceeded a quarterof a mile from the entrance, then it broadened suddenly for a distanceof a hundred yards.

  "There has been a big slip here both sides," the miner said, lookinground. "It must have taken place a great many years ago, for the winterfloods have swept away all signs of it, and there are grass and trees onthe slopes. The horses can find enough to keep them alive here for a dayor two, and that is all we shall want, I hope."

  "It would be a nasty place to get out of, Jerry, for the cliffs areperpendicular from half-way up."

  "It ain't likely as there is any place we could get out withoutfollowing it to the upper end, which may be some fifty miles away. Idon't know the country it runs through, but the red-skins are prettycertain to know all about it. If they were to track us here they wouldnever try to fight their way in, but would just set a guard at the mouthand 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 comingto that. It is we who are going to attack them, and not them us, andthat makes all the difference. The red-skins can't have a notion thatthere are any other white men in this neighbourhood, and when we openfire on them it will raise such a scare for a bit that it will give us achance of joining the others if we choose. That of course must depend ontheir position."

  They walked back to the mouth of the canyon, and had not to wait long forthe return of the Indians.

  "Come," Leaping Horse said briefly, at once turning and going off at aswift pace.

  Jerry asked no questions, but with Tom followed close on the Indians'heels. There were bushes growing among the fallen rocks and debris fromthe face of the cliff, and they were, therefore, able to go forward asquickly as they could leap from boulder to boulder, without fear ofbeing seen. A quarter of an hour's run, and the chief climbed up to aledge on the face of the cliff where a stratum harder than those aboveit had resisted the effects of the weather and formed a shelf sometwelve feet wide. He went down on his hands and knees, and keeping closeto the wall crawled along to a spot where some stunted bushes had madegood their hold. The others followed him, and lying down behind thebushes peered through them.

  The valley was four or five hundred yards wide, and down its centre ranthe stream. Close to the water's edge rose abruptly a steep rock. It wassome 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 withbrushwood. From the point where they were looking they could see the sixhorses lying among the bushes. They were evidently tightly roped, andhad probably been led up there when the attack began and thrown at thehighest point to which they could be taken, a spot being chosen wherethe bushes concealed their exact position from those below. The rock wasabout two hundred and fifty yards from the spot where the party waslying, and their position was about level with its top. Some twentyIndians were gathered a few hundred yards higher up the valley, andabout as many some distance down it.

  "Why didn't the varmint take their places here?" Jerry whispered to thechief.

  "They came here. See," and he pointed to a patch of blood a few feetbeyond him. "Indian guns not shoot far," he said, "powder weak; whiteman's rifles carry here, red-skin not able to shoot so far. When theyfound 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 twotroops galloped towards the rock. They had evidently had experience ofthe accuracy of the white men's fire; not an Indian showed himself, eachdropping over one side of his pony, with an arm resting in a rope roundthe animals' necks and one leg thrown over the back. So they dashedforward until close to the foot of the rocks. Another instant and theywould 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 whomthey were distant not more than two hundred yards. The chief firedfirst, and almost together the other three rifles flashed out. Three ofthe Indians fell from their horses, another almost slipped off, but withan effort recovered his hold with his leg. A yell of astonishment andfear broke from the Indians. As the two bands mingled together, some ofthe riders were exposed to those on the top of the rock, and three shotswere fired. Two more of the 'Rappahoes fell, and the whole band inobedience to a shout from one of their chiefs galloped at full speeddown 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 havebeen hoping ever since morning to hear the crack of your rifle, and Inever 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 Idid not expect to find you in such a bad fix. This young Indian isHunting 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 consartmeasures with him for getting out of this fix. Those red-skins have gota bad scare, but you may bet they ain't gone far; and they have lost sixof their bucks now beside what the others shot before, and it ain't inIndian natur for them to put up with such a loss as that." He had beenlooking at the rock as he spoke, and turning round uttered anexclamation of surprise, for the chief was no longer there. Looking downthey 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 forsome time in earnest conversation with the whites, and then returned tothe ledge.

  "Trouble over horses," he said.

  "Ay, ay, I reckoned that was what you was talking over. There ain't nogoing back for them now."

  The chief shook his head. "'Rappahoes keep watch," he said, "cannot gotill night to fetch horses. All lie here to-day, go across to rock whendarkness comes, then white men go up valley till get to trees an hour'smarch away; can see them from rock. Get in among trees and work up intohills. Leaping Horse and Hunting Dog cross river, go down other sidepast 'Rappahoes, then cross back and get into canyon, drive horses up.White men meet them up in mountains."

  "That seems a good plan enough, chief. That is, if you can get out atthe other end of the canyon."

  "Canyon 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; muchtroubled in their mind where men come from, who can be. Red-skins notlike white men. Have many fancies. Fire come out of bush where 'Rappahoehad been killed; think that bad medicine, keep together and talk. Thinkif men here, why not go across to rock."

  "I should not be surprised if you are right, chief. They are more likelyto fancy we have come down from above than from below, for they musthave reckoned for sure there were no other white men in the Big Windvalley, and our not showing ourselves will give them an all-firedscare."

  "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 headnor tail of, is bad medicine; they think there is some magic in it, andthat old Nick has had his finger in the pie. When they get an idea likethat in their minds, even the bravest of them loses his pluck, and islike a child who thinks he has seen a ghost. It is a mighty good notionfor us to lie low all day. The red-skins will reason it all out, andwill say, if these are white men who killed our brothers why the 'tarnaldon't they go and join the others, there ain't nothing to prevent them.If they ain't white me
n, who are they? Maybe they can move without ourbeing able to see them and will shoot from some other place. No, Ireckon it is likely they will keep pretty close together and won'tventure to scatter to look for tracks, and in that case the chief's planwill 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 fromhere. If he is the boss chief, it may be that they will give it upaltogether; the next chief will throw the blame on to him, and may likeenough 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 totheir villages with the news that a grist of them had been killed andnarry a scalp taken. I expect you will see this afternoon some of themcome down to palaver with Harry."

  The morning passed quietly and not unpleasantly, for they were lying inthe shade, but before noon the sun had climbed up over the cliff behindthem and shone down with great force, and they had to lie with theirheads 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 Indianchief, holding up his hands to show that he was unarmed, was advancingon 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 andadvanced to meet the Indians. It seemed strange to him that after havingcome so far to join his uncle they should remain for hours in sight ofeach 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 unclewas a much more active man than he had expected to see. He had knownindeed that he was but forty years old, but he had somehow expected thatthe life of hardship he had led would have aged him, and he wassurprised 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 knivesfor certain, and most likely tomahawks, but I expect Harry has got hissix-shooter. But it don't matter whether he has or not, there are histwo 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 redcent 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 togive up, which they know quite well they ain't fools enough to do. Butwhat is really in their minds is to try and find out who we are, andwhere we have come from."

  The conversation lasted a few minutes. Tom could see that questions werebeing asked about the concealed party, for the chief pointed to theledge two or three times. When the talk was over the Indians went downthe valley again at a slow pace, never once looking back, and theEnglishman 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 onthe 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 tounderstand the 'Rappahoes' talk."

  "Leaping Horse will go along the ledge," the chief said a few minuteslater, after a short conversation with Hunting Dog. "The 'Rappahoes willtry to find out who are here; not like to attack the rock till findout."

  The two Indians lay down flat on the ledge, and crawled along withoutraising themselves in the slightest until they reached a point where thecliffs projected somewhat. From here they could see down the valley, andthey lay immovable, with their rifles in front of them.

  "They are not more than fifty yards or so from those bushes where we gotup on to the ledge. That is where the red-skins are likely to trycrawling 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 hismates, and would have our rifles to meet in front."

  "No, it would only be one, or at most, two scouts. They would reckonthat from that point where the chief is lying they would get a viewright along the ledge to here, and be able to make out what we are. Itis the strangeness of the thing that has kept them quiet all thesehours, and I expect their chief will want to prove that there are only afew of us, and that we are men for certain. I reckon they have sent offto the villages already, and there will be more of the varmint hereto-night. The Indians are never fond of attacking in the dark; still, ifthey were sure about us, they might try it. They would know they couldget up to the foot of that rock before being seen, and once among thebushes they would reckon they could make easy work of it."

  A quarter of an hour later there was the crack of a rifle, followedinstantly by an Indian yell.

  "That is the chief's piece, Tom, and I reckon the lead has gonestraight."

  The silence remained unbroken for the next two hours, and then LeapingHorse 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 LeapingHorse 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 whenthey have the scalps of the white men they will watch us here. Will knowwe cannot stay here long without water."

  "You are right there, chief, and no m'stake; my tongue is like a pieceof leather now, and as soon as it gets dark I shall make a bee-line downto the river. I want to have a talk with Harry, but just at present Iwant a drink a blamed sight worse. If I had thought we were going to bestuck 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 asthe sun had gone down behind the opposite range. As soon as the lightfaded a little, the Indian crawled farther along the ledge, and returnedin a short time saying that he had found a spot where the whites coulddescend. Two or three times Jerry urged that it was dark enough, beforethe chief consented to move. At last, however, he stood up and gave thecry 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 wayalong the ledge until he reached the spot where the rock had crumbledaway somewhat.

  "We had better go down one at a time," Jerry said. "For if there was aslip or a tumble it might let down a gun-hammer, and we want our leadfor the 'Rappahoes, and not for each other."

  When it came to Tom's turn, he found it a very difficult place to getdown in the semi-darkness, and two or three times he almost lost hisfooting. As soon as all were down they fell into Indian file, andcrossed the valley to the rock, the chief giving the hoot of an owltwice as he approached it. Three men at once stepped out from the bushesat its foot.

  "I began to wonder when you were coming, and was just going to get theponies down before it was too dark to do it without running the risk ofbreaking their legs. Well, I am right glad to see you, Jerry; and youtoo, Tom, though it is too dark to see much of you. The chief has beentelling me how he brought you along. There is no time to talk now, but Iam 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 arepretty near choking; and I expect the Indians are as bad, though itain'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," Jerrygrumbled, "so here goes."

  "I have tied some hide over their hoofs," Harry said, "so as to make aslittle noise as possible about it."

  "Must make no noise," the chief said urgently. "Redskin scouts soon becrawling up."

  One by one the horses were brought down, Harry leadin
g them, and theothers pushing aside the bushes as noiselessly as possible. Then theirloads were carried down and packed upon them.

  "You get on my horse, Jerry," Harry Wade whispered, "I will walk withTom. I have had no time to say a word to him yet, or to ask about thepeople at home. Where is the chief?"

  Leaping Horse and his companion had stolen away as soon as the loads hadbeen adjusted. The others led the horses to the river, and allowed themto drink, while Jerry and Tom lay down and took a long draught of thewater. The miners' bottles were filled, and they then started.

  "It is lucky the river makes such a roar among these rocks here," Harrysaid, "it will drown the sound of the horses' hoofs."

  For half an hour they proceeded at a fast walk, then the skins weretaken off the horses' feet and they went on at a trot, the two Wadestaking hold of Jerry's stirrup-leathers and running alongside. In halfan hour they entered the belt of trees, and dismounting, at once beganto ascend the hill. They were some distance up when they heard a distantyell.

  "You may yell as much as you like," Jerry panted, "you won't catch usnow. 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 thechief's manner, and the glances the Indian with him kept giving to theplace where you were lying, that they were puzzled and alarmed. Theyoffered if we would surrender that they would allow us to return downthe valley without hurt. I said, of course, that I preferred stayingwhere I was; we had come up the valley and intended going farther; wedidn't want to interfere with them, and if they had left us alone weshould have left them alone; and they had only themselves to thank forthe loss of some of their braves. 'We have,' I said, 'many friends, whowill protect us, and much harm will fall on the Indians who venture tomeddle with us.'

  "'Are your friends white men?' the chief asked. 'Have they wings thatthey have flown down here from the hills?'

  "'They have come, that is enough,' I said. 'You see, when they werewanted they were here, and if they are wanted again you will hear ofthem, and your braves will die, and you will gain nothing. You had bestgo back to your lodges and leave us to go away in peace. Whoever theyare, they can shoot, as you have found out to your cost. They have noill-will to the red-skins, providing the redskins let us alone. Theyonly fired four shots; if they had wished to, they could have killedmany more.' When the chief saw that he could get nothing further from mehe went away. As usual he spoke boastfully at last, and said that he hadoffered 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 totrusting ourselves in the hands of the 'Rappahoes, when we had made someof 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 ourselvesin their power they would have tomahawked us instantly, or else taken usdown and tortured us at their villages, which would have been a dealworse. I have no doubt they had a long talk after the chief returned tothem, and that it was some time after it became dark before they couldpluck up courage enough to climb the rock, though I expect they musthave got close to it very soon after we left. I reckon they have beencrawling up inch by inch. Of course, directly they got to where thehorses had been tied they knew we had gone, and I expect that yell was asignal for a rush forward to the top. But we need not bother any moreabout them. They may ride as far as the foot of the forest, but whenthey 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 inthe dark. We may as well rest where we are until the moon is up, for wemake so much noise crashing through this undergrowth that they couldhear us down there."

  "Now tell me, lad, about your mother and sisters, and how you came outafter all."

  Tom told his uncle of his mother's death, and the reason why he had lefthis 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, andthat she would not hear of your coming out, I said some very hard thingsto myself. Here had I been knocking about for twenty years, and havinghad a fair share of luck, and yet I could not put my hand on fivehundred dollars, and there was my brother's widow and children, and I,their nearest relative, could not help them. It made me feel a prettymean man, I can tell you. Your mother did not say much about hercircumstances, but it did not need that. I knew that John had retiredfrom the navy with little besides his half-pay, and that her pension ashis widow must be a mighty slim one. Altogether I had a pretty bad timeof it. However, I took a tall oath that the next rich strike I made thedollars should not be thrown away. I reckoned that you would be outbefore long; for it was certain that if you were a lad of spirit youwould not be staying there doing nothing. Your mother said that thegirls all intended to take up teaching, and it was not likely that youwould 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, andyoung fellows who have come out here to ranche tell me that it is harderthan ever now. I thought you would fancy this life, and that in time youwould talk your mother over into letting you come."

  "I should never have got her to agree to it, uncle. I wanted to go tosea, but after father's death she would not hear of it. She said I washer only boy and that she could not spare me, and I had to promise togive up the thought. She was still more against your plan, but when Iwrote to you I thought that possibly in time she might agree to it. Butit was not long afterwards that her health began to fail, and I saw thenthat I must give up all thought of leaving her, and must, when I leftschool, take anything that offered; and it was only after her death thatI talked it over with the girls, and they agreed that to come here wasthe 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 outthree months ago from Salt Lake City. I had struck a ledge of prettygood stuff, I and another. We sold out for a thousand dollars, and Isent my share off to your mother, telling her that I had been having badluck 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 thebenefit of it."

  "That was good of you, uncle."

  "Not good at all," Harry Wade grumbled. "I have behaved like a fool allalong; it is true that when I did get letters from your father, whichwas not very often, he always wrote cheerfully, and said very littleabout how he was situated as to money. But I ought to have known--I didknow, if I thought of it--that with a wife and six children it must bemighty hard to make ends meet on a lieutenant's half-pay, and there wasI, often throwing away twice as much as his year's pension on a week'sspree. 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 intheir blankets, and lain down as soon as the halt was decided upon.Jerry, having had no sleep the previous night, and but little for fouror five days, had not even thought of asking the others for food, whichthey doubtless had on their saddles, although he had tasted nothing fortwenty-four hours. Tom, however, less accustomed to enforced fasts, feltravenous.

  "We have had nothing to eat to-day, uncle, except a crust left over fromyesterday's baking, and I don't think I could get to sleep if I did noteat something."

  "Bless me, I never thought of that, Tom. If I had I would have sent foodacross by the chief this morning. There is no bread, but there is plentyof cold meat. We cooked a lot yesterday evening, for we thought we mightnot get a chance of cooking to-day."

  "Then you knew, uncle, the Indians w
ere near?" Tom went on, when he hadappeased his appetite and taken a drink of water, with a little whiskyin it from his uncle's flask.

  "Ay, lad; we guessed somehow we had been followed all along. We had doneeverything we could to throw them off the trail--travelling as much aswe could in the course of streams, muffling the feet of our ponies, andpicking out the hardest ground to travel on; but every morning beforedaybreak one of us went up the hillside, and twice we made out mountedIndians moving about down the valley. Yesterday morning ten of them camegalloping up within easy shot. I don't think they thought that we wereso near. They drew up their horses suddenly, had a talk, and then cameriding after us. It didn't need their yells to tell us what theirintention was. We knocked three of them out of their saddles, then threwour 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 theywere not going to give it up, but would follow us till joined by enoughof their tribe to attack us again. We made a long march, hoping to getto the timber before they could come up, but just as the sun was settingwe saw them coming along, about fifteen of them; and we had just time toget up to that rock. As they rode past we opened a smart fire anddropped four of them; the others rode up the valley, so as to cut us offfrom going farther. We filled our water-skins and got the horseshalf-way up as you saw, and then lighted a fire and cooked. We keptwatch all night, two down below and one at the top; but everything wasquiet, 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 upfrom above and below, and for a bit we shot pretty brisk. The odds weretoo much against them, with us on the height, and they drew off. Thenfor 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 thatledge opposite; then we saw both bands mount, and reckoned they weregoing to make a dash for us. We knew if they did it in earnest we mustgo down, for once among the rocks and bushes there would be no keepingthem from mounting up. We made up our minds that the end was not faroff, though I fancy we should have accounted for a good many of thembefore they rubbed us out. When your four rifles spoke from the ledge wethought it was a party who had gone back there, for we felt sure that wehad driven them all away, but it wasn't more than a moment before we sawit wasn't that. There was no mistaking the yell of astonishment from theIndians, and as the horses swerved round we saw that three of them hadfallen. You may guess we didn't stop to argue who it was, but set towork to do our share; but it seemed to us something like a miracle whenthe red-skins rode off.

  "We had been talking of Leaping Horse during the night, for he hadpromised to come back to join us, and I knew him well enough to be ableto bet all creation that he would come. He had only left us to keep anappointment with his nephew, who was to join him at Fort Bridger. Ifthere 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 stoodup and shouted. Now, lad, you had better take a sleep. We shall bemoving on as soon as the moon is fairly up, and it won't be over thathill behind us till two or three. I will watch till then, but I don'tthink there is the least chance of their following us to-night; theyhave been pretty roughly handled, and I don't think they will followuntil they have solved the mystery of that ledge. They searched it, nodoubt, as soon as they found the rock was empty, and at daybreak theywill set about tracing the trail up. That will be easy enough for themwhen they have once got rid of the idea that there was something uncannyabout it, and then we shall have them on our heels again and on thechief's too. The first thing for us to do will be to make along the hilltill we get to the edge of the canyon, where Leaping Horse has gone foryour ponies, and to follow it to its upper end."

  "I will watch, uncle, if you will wake me in an hour. I shall be allright 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 whenhis uncle shook him. The others were already on their feet. The moon wasshining down through the trees, and with cautious steps, and taking theutmost trouble to avoid the branches, they started on their upwardclimb. Not a word was spoken, for all knew how far sound travels on astill night. There was, however, a slight breeze moving among the treetops when they started, and in an hour this had so far increased thatthe 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 nothear us if they were only a hundred yards away."

  All were glad when daylight began to appear, Tom because the climbingwould be much easier when the ground could be seen, the others becausethey were all longing for a pipe, but had hitherto not dared to lightone, for the flash of a match could be seen far away. They had beenbearing steadily to the right as they mounted, and shortly afterdaybreak they suddenly found themselves on the edge of a canyon.

  "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 thevalley as we came up it, but we might very well have missed one in thedark. I should think from the distance we have gone towards the right itmust 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 thechief comes."

  "I reckon he will be there before us," Harry said; "that is if he gotround the red-skins all right and found the horses. There would be noreason for him to wait, and I expect he would go straight on, and islike enough to be waiting for us by this time."