ding until both
checked themselves at a safe distance and cautiously peeped forth. Then
the cause of Jack's excitement became apparent.

From the pines on the other side of the stream, and near the middle of
the depressed portion, three Indians stepped into view. The first
anxiety of the youths was to learn whether Motoza was one of them; but
he was not. All were strangers.

They were dressed much the same as the vagrant Sioux, and, like him,
their faces were painted, and their coarse black hair dangled loosely
about their shoulders. They were armed with rifles; but two of the
weapons seemed to be the long, old-fashioned muzzle-loaders, while the
third carried a Winchester. Although they emerged from the pines in
Indian file, they spread apart and walked beside one another to the edge
of the broad stream, where they stopped, as if that were the end of
their journey.

Their gestures showed they were talking energetically, though of course
not the slightest murmur reached the youths, who took care to screen
themselves from view while cautiously peeping forth. Even after the
warning words of their guide they felt no special alarm, for they
believed the red men were from the reservation near by, and would not
harm any one. If they attempted it, Jack and Fred felt they had the
advantage of position, sheltered behind the rocks, far above their
enemies, down upon whom they could fire with their Winchesters, should
the necessity arise.

It was quite certain that the three belonged to one of the hunting
parties whose signal-smoke the boys had seen earlier in the day. Their
action was curious. They did not look up the bank, so that the boys
might have been more careless without being discovered; but it was
apparent that two of them were arguing with the third, who was more
excited than either of his companions. Finally he turned away and made
as if to pass up the canyon, after the manner of Hank Hazletine. He
leaped out upon one of the rocks, then bounded as lightly to another,
and then to a third, which took him within the canyon. The others
watched him without protest or action.

Evidently the Indian who had started off so hurriedly was more impulsive
than his companions, for after his third leap he remained standing on
the rock; and, although it would have been easy for him to spring to the
next leading up the canyon, he refrained from doing do. Instead, he
looked around, and then deliberately rejoined his friends, who s