hat Lone Wolf had undoubtedly
given up all expectation of finding him, and, by using ordinary caution,
he could still keep clear of him.

The Apaches did not remain long upon the scene of the encampment. The
two of their own number that had been killed were lifted up, and then
Lone Wolf and his few intrepid warriors took their departure. Thus it
happened that within fifteen minutes after the first gun had been fired,
and the first yell uttered, the boy found himself alone upon the scene
of the terrible fight. Dreadful as were the place and the associations,
he could not forget that he was nearly famished, and stealing his way to
the fire, he hunted around until he found enough to satisfy the cravings
within. This done, he made up his mind that it was best for him to do
some traveling during the darkness, without waiting for the rising of
the morrow's sun.

CHAPTER XIX.

A TERRIBLE MEETING.

As he moved along, weary and worn, the memory of the horrid fight he had
seen by the camp fire, and especially the picture of those three stark,
bloody forms that lay stretched upon the earth, seemingly watching every
movement he made, followed and weighed him down like some smothering
incubus. Then he saw, more vividly than ever before, the mountainous
task ahead. With no horse, and the hundreds of miles of mountain and
prairie, with the dangers besetting him on every hand, what possible
hope had he for believing he was ever to reach his destination? The
gloom of the night, the shadow of what he had so recently witnessed, and
his own exhausted condition, no doubt had much to do with the distress;
for his prospects were certainly as good as at morning, when he was so
full of enthusiasm.

"I can't travel any further," he finally exclaimed, "and what's the use?
It won't do any good."

When he paused in his wearisome tramp, he happened to be close to a
tree, quite lofty, with numerous limbs, some of which were quite near
the ground. It struck him at once that it would be a good plan to climb
into this, and ensconce himself among the branches. At any rate, he was
certain to be out of the way of the crawling snakes, and no wild animal
could steal upon him while he was unconscious.

Without pausing more than a moment to consider, he ascended the tree,
and, a short distance from the ground secured the very position he
wanted. Here the limbs crossed and recrossed, and gnarled themselves in
such a way, that the most pleasant