ut the old Billie stood for a moment poised on a rock looking our way.
He was slantways to me. Without dismounting I took aim and fired.

"To my surprise he slid from that rock in a hurry. Tom was jubilant and
I was not displeased, for it was one of the prettiest shots that it has
been my good fortune to make.

"The goat was a very good specimen and as the boys cannot take him along
with them on their trip, I shall have his curly horned head in my cabin
on the wall, facing the elk's head.

"It was too late for us to get back that night to the camp, as we were
about a day's trip distant. So we decided to make camp in the valley. I
was not worried about Jim and Jo, for I felt sure that they could take
care of themselves, and I did not really expect them to make the canyon
camp either.

"The next day, we hunted slowly down. About noon we started a bunch of
goats and they led us a merry chase. At one time I thought we had them
cornered. But they were wiser than the hunters, for just as we were in
range, they disappeared into a cave in the precipitous wall of rock.

"I decided that we had best be satisfied with our luck, and push on to
the camp. It did not take us more than a couple of hours to reach the
canyon, but no sooner did we come to the slight trail leading down it,
than I made a discovery.

"I jumped hastily off from my horse and examined a footprint in a bit of
shelving gravel. A little further on I caught it again.

"'Tom,' I whispered, 'I shall have to scout a little. Here's a live
Apache track only a few minutes old. You stay here and keep watch up the
canyon, and I will see what this beggar is up to.'

"Silently and stealthily I made my way down the canyon. When I came in
sight of the camp the two pack horses were nowhere to be seen. Then I
knew what had happened.

"I lost no time in following the Indian, who was was driving off our
animals. I hoped to catch him before he got out on the plains, and I
caught sight of him after I had gone a half a mile.

"He was a rather short, squat Indian, but powerfully built. I could have
shot him in the back, but I hated to do that even to an Apache thief. So
I followed quickly on his trail. Once he turned suspiciously, but I
dropped instantly to cover.

"With a silent rush I came up behind him and when I was about ten feet
away, he turned, and before he had recovered from his instantaneous
surprise, I had smashed him down with the butt of my rifle.

"My next m