ot.
One fell and lay motionless. Another tumbled over, but rebounded to join
in the dash of his companions down the slope.

The bare ledges of the cliff foot offered no shelter. The nearest cover
was the ruined Farley ranch hut, a hundred yards or more away, in the
direction of the reservoir. But as the Apaches raced for the refuge
first one of their leaders and then another pitched to the ground.

The others swerved and went flying out toward the irrigation canal. A
burst of shots from the canal again forced them to swerve. They fled
toward a patch of rocks and cactus in the direction of Devil's Chute.
Only four reached the cover.

As Lennon had emptied his magazine during the first few seconds, he knew
that he could not have shot more than one of the fugitives. The three
Navahos had spread out along the canal, and Pete had hidden at the
ruined hut. They had the Apaches under fire from flank and rear. Slade
had dodged down to run around the head of the reservoir and leap the
inlet canal.

The thwack and screech of a glanced bullet that flicked a spurt of
gravel into Lennon's face, warned him that the Navahos were not doing
all the firing. Though so many of the Apaches had been killed in the
surprise of the counter attack, the survivors of the band still
outnumbered the rescuers two or three to one.

Lennon knew enough to creep back under the round of the dam. Once safe
below the crest, he sprinted after Slade at top speed. He was under
cover until he leaped the inlet canal and skirted along the natural rock
rim on the far side of the reservoir.

The problem now was to find a sheltered way from the brink of the rim
over and down into the Farleys' kitchen garden. Slade had somehow made
the crossing. He was safe in a position of vantage at the goat pens.

Before Lennon could locate the sheltered line of descent he noticed that
some of the shots sounded from farther down the valley. His first
thought was that more Apaches were coming to join in the fight. Slade's
reinforcements from the pueblo could not be expected before late in the
day.

For a moment the situation appeared truly desperate. The odds were
already heavy enough, without the addition of more Apaches. But a
cautious peep over the rock rim disclosed to Lennon the happy truth.
Out-manoeuvred and cut off from the best cover, the Apaches were
beginning to fall back down the valley.

By close scrutiny, Lennon made out a brown form wriggling away behind a