begged him to desist, confident as he was that any further
attempt would result in ill to them. Tim held his peace, but leaving his
friend to watch where they went he gave his chief attention to the
Sioux, whose leaders, if they were not gaining ground, seemed to be
holding their own.

Suddenly, to Warren's disgust, his companion again brought his gun to
his shoulder. Before he could aim and fire, however, one of the bucks
discharged his weapon and the bullet nipped the leg of young Starr, who
continued leaning forward, so as to offer as little of his body as
possible for a target.

Tim fired, but more than likely the ball went wide of the mark.

His companion hoped that the act of their pursuers in shooting was
caused by their fear of losing the fugitives through the speed of their
ponies.

But a short distance was necessary before the boys were riding in a line
parallel with the ridge that had loomed up in their path. This gave them
an open country for an unknown distance, over which to continue their
flight, but it was hardly to be supposed that it would continue long.
The section was too broken to warrant such a hope.

It may have been the perception of the fugitives' object that brought
the shot from the Sioux. At any rate, if it should become manifest that
the young ranchers were drawing away, the rifles of the pursuers were
certain to be brought into effective use, and the distance between the
parties was fearfully brief.

CHAPTER XXI.

AWAY WE GO!

One recourse was before the pursuing Sioux from the start: that was to
shoot the horses of the fugitives. The wonder was that they had not
aimed to do so from the first. With the couple dismounted, they would be
at their mercy.

It was the fear of this that caused Warren to ask his friend to draw up
as near to him as he could. It was not likely that both ponies would
fall at once, and the survivor might be able to carry the couple to
safety.

"I tell ye we are gaining," said the Irishman, with far more hope in his
manner than Warren thought was warranted.

"We must gain a good deal before getting out of the woods," was the
reply of the other, who devoted every energy to forcing his animal to
his best pace.

"Look out! they're going to shoot again," said Tim.

Throwing himself forward, Warren hugged his pony closer than ever, his
companion doing the same, instead of trying to use his gun. The volley
came while the words were in course of utte