hat
tended down into a deep cross valley.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Three o'clock," he replied, "we will soon hear the roosters crowing."

In an hour's time we had reached the depth of the valley. It must have
been beautiful a few hours before, but now it was as black as the Valley
of The Shadow.

"Look here, Jim, there's quite a stream," I cried.

"Good luck," yelled Jim. "Now our horses can have a drink."

They certainly made the most of it. The water throbbed down their long
throats in regular piston strokes. No matter if the water was discolored
and tasted of ashes and charcoal, Santa, too, made the most of it.

After the ponies had satisfied their thirst we crossed to the opposite
side and Jim scanned the barren bulk of the mountain that rose above us.
He was looking for the best line of ascent.

"Jo, did you hear that?" exclaimed Jim in great excitement.

"It sounded like two rifle shots close together," I answered. "Now, we
are in for it. We never will escape the Apaches this time."

"Ho, ho," laughed Jim. "Apaches! That was the captain's rifle as sure as
I stand here. That was no old carbine."

We waited, listening intently. Then we fired two shots apiece
simultaneously. Then in a minute came the answering signal. Two rifles
this time.

"Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah! Whoop la," we yelled. It seemed to me the most
joyful moment of my life. The captain and Tom found again after the
terrible perils we had been through.

We urged our ponies in the direction of the shots and Santa sprang away
in the lead. He would be the first to welcome the captain and Tom. In
five minutes we saw the dark outlines of two mounted men and two horses
following.

We met on the spur of the mountain with only the livid light of a
burning pine nearby to enable us to distinguish each other. The captain
swung from his horse and gripped Jim by the hand, then he took my hand
likewise. "Well met," he exclaimed.

For a moment there was silence, then Jim spoke up.

"That was a deuce of a big fire you started, captain," he said. "You
must have been pretty cold."

The captain smiled grimly.

"I could tell that was you from that remark, but your appearance is
deceiving. You look considerably like a nigger."

"We thought that we wouldn't see you fellows again," said Tom. "You must
have been through it, the way you look."

"Come, boys," said the captain, "the first thing for us to do is to get
above the fire line and camp. We