now taken on the back
of Dick's, and the journey toward the southwest was resumed at the same
sweeping gallop. Tom took the lead, carefully scanning the ground over
which they traveled. For an hour all went well, and then he reined up
his steed with startling suddenness.

"Look yonder!" he said, pointing to the south.

Glancing in the direction indicated, the boy saw a number of moving
specks, apparently on the very horizon.

"Injuns," said Dick, in a low voice, although the boy scarcely needed
the explanation to know they were their old enemies--mounted Apaches.

"Do you see 'em?"

"Yes."

"Now take a peep off there."

This time the hunter pointed exactly opposite, where almost precisely
the same thing was visible.

"Now, I s'pose you understand how it all is? They've been keeping along
with us all day, a little ahead, and all the time closing in a little.
They've got things down to a dot, and mean bus'ness, you can bet."

"But are we anywhere near Hurricane Hill?"

"Yonder it is."

Several miles in advance, a dark, mound-like obstruction appeared
against the sky. It was so far away that it was seen only indistinctly,
but its character was evidently such as described by the hunter.

"Are you going for it?"

"We are."

And, suiting action to his words, they immediately broke into a gallop
which was more rapid than before.

The situation, especially to the boy, became painful in its thrilling
intensity. He required no telling to know that the dreaded programme
described by his friends was being carried out to the letter. The
Apaches were steadily closing in upon them, and it was evident that, if
they chose to do so, they could effectually shut them out from reaching
their vantage ground. Young Chadmund dreaded such a course upon their
part. Somehow or other he had grown to look upon Hurricane Hill as their
haven of safety. The few words of recommendation that Tom Hardynge had
given it caused this belief upon his part. He did not pause to ask
himself what was to be done after reaching it.

Suppose it could be gained in perfect safety, what then? If they should
prove themselves fully able to keep a whole host of Apaches at bay, how
was the siege to end? If the Indians should content themselves with
merely waiting until hunger and thirst could do their work, what more?
These questions naturally occurred to the men themselves, but it came
back to Hobson's choice after all. And so they dashed ahead, gradu