e seemed
haunted this Pueblo village did at that hour.

CHAPTER XV

THE STRANGE COUNTRY

There is a chill isolation about a high wind in the desert, even though
the wind be warm. It seemed to me as I sat there I could hear strange
voices in the vacant houses. It was the wind no doubt, but the
loneliness of the situation made them authentic.

As I watched in the darkness of the court yard, I saw a grey patch
against the opposite wall. My eyes seemed drawn to it, then I saw it
move. I scarcely breathed. It stopped for a moment, apparently
listening, then it came forward again at a level of two or three feet
from the ground.

I raised my rifle to fire, but something held me back. I now made out a
dark object, too, behind the grey. It was creeping towards where the
boys were sleeping. I tried to yell but my voice was just a squeak.

Just then a night bird swept low into the court, gave a shrill cry,
then away over the roofs. Jim sat up wide awake and none too soon, for I
saw the object rush forward with one hand upraised to strike.

"Get out of here," Jim's big voice bellowed out.

The old Indian woman, for such it was, shrank down muttering and then
slowly retreated backward to the wall.

"Where's Jo?" cried Jim, in alarm.

This released the spell I was under and I got up and came over to where
Jim and Tom were.

"What are you doing wandering around, this time of night, Jo?" Jim
asked.

"I couldn't sleep and your old horned toad tried to cuddle up to me and
I thought it was a tarantula," I replied.

"Gee! but I bet it scared you. What did you do with him?"

"I let out with my hand and sent him flying," I replied.

"I hope you didn't kill him," Jim said. "Then I suppose you decided to
sit up for the rest of the night."

"It is just as well I did sit up," I said, "or that old hag might have
scalped me. Where is she?"

"Creeping up behind you," replied Jim, "look out."

I turned like a flash, but saw nothing. It was simply Jim's superfluous
sense of humor. However, she had disappeared.

"Well, I'm going to finish my siesta," said Jim, turning into his
blankets again, but I knew that it was no use; so I sat up the balance
of the night.

"Be sure and whistle if you see her old nibs coming again," said Jim.

In a few minutes he was fast asleep. Fortunately it was not so very long
before the faint light of dawn showed in the eastern sky and I woke the
boys up. It gave me a good deal of pleasure