bout it. No,
we must try it with our eyes open and the sun shinin'."

"But what of it?" asked Ned, who did not see why their position need be
looked upon as so critical. "Your mustangs are as fleet as theirs. How
are they going to catch you?"

The whole difficulty was then made clear to the lad. If the Apaches were
nowhere but in the rear, it would be an easy matter to give them the
slip, but they were on the right and left, and in front, and signs that
had been seen through the day indicated very clearly that the Indians
were carrying out to the letter the plan of which the hunters had
spoken, and which they dreaded so much. They had already surrounded
them, the circle being quite a number of miles in diameter, and were now
simply drawing in their lines.

This, as a matter of course, made a collision inevitable, unless the
hunters could manage to steal between these redskins, and, by striking
the open country beyond, place the entire company in their rear. Such a
plan as this was scarcely possible of accomplishment.

If attempted during the daytime, it would be instantly detected by some
of the redskins, who would notify the proper ones, when an immediate
concentration would take place in front of the fugitives. If tried
during the darkness of night, it would fail. The Apaches would take
every imaginable precaution against it and there was no means of
concealing the noise made by hoofs. By going on foot they could get
through the lines without difficulty; but they could not commit the
imprudence of leaving their horses. The situation, therefore, was
critical. Tom made known two most important facts. The first was that
beyond a doubt Lone Wolf was at the head of the whole enterprise, and
they were likely to meet with this treacherous chief again. The second
was that, in case they were driven to the wall, the hunters had
determined upon taking refuge in a place known as Hurricane Hill.

"It's nothing more than a pile of rocks," added Hardynge. "I've been
there before, and it's just the spot to make a desp'rit stand. Two men
like us, if we can reach the right p'int, can keep a hundred of the
redskins back."

"Won't they get there ahead of us?" asked Ned.

"I think not," replied the hunter, in that hesitating manner which
showed that he had thought of the contingency before; "for the reason
that I b'leve they'd like to have us run there; but, come, let's be
off."

That the mustangs might be relieved, the lad was