The rancher had shaken the hand of Tim Brophy during this little
by-play, and they exchanged a few words before father and son closed
palms.

Then the questions and answers came fast. Tim Brophy drew a little aside
to where mother and child stood, and holding the tiny hand of Dot
explained matters, while Warren did the same with his father.

"Did you see us approaching when you started the fire?" asked Warren,
after hurriedly telling his own story.

"No, but I was quite sure, when your mother and I came to talk it over,
that you would disregard my wishes about hurrying to the fort. We went
astray in the darkness, and after a number of narrow escapes, as I have
just related, found ourselves at the base of this ridge on the other
side."

"Did you recognize where you were?"

"No; the points of the compass were all askew, and to save my life I
couldn't get my bearings. But I was convinced that you were at no great
distance, and decided to try the signal which Plummer and I had used
before. Poor Plummer!"

"Do you know anything about him?"

Mr. Starr related what he had discovered, adding that the body was
shockingly mutilated and stripped of its belongings.

"The ascent of the ridge on the other side was quite easy, and we found
no difficulty in leading the horses to the crest. There the fire was
kindled. Knowing of the long stretch of level ground on this side, we
set out without waiting to learn the result of the signal smoke. I knew
that if you made your way to the spot where it was burning you would
understand the situation, and the snow would show you how to follow us
as fast as you desired."

"Did you hear or see nothing of the Indians?"

"We saw nothing of them, and were confident that the party with whom we
had repeated encounters were thrown so far behind that we had good
reason to believe they need be feared no longer. But all our hopes were
scattered when we heard firing from the direction of the open plain.
While fleeing from one party of hostiles we had almost run into another.
I confess," added the father, "that for a minute I was in despair. Your
mother, however, retained her courage, as she has from the first. She
urged me to make for the level country, aiming for a point so far
removed from the sounds of the guns that we would not be seen, unless
some ill fortune overtook us. My haste in striving to do so caused the
mare to fall and break her leg. I could not bear the sight of her
suffering,