s broken utterance, a vague sense of his situation was
gradually forcing itself upon him.

He realized, in a dim but increasingly distinct way, the necessity of
throwing off the spell which muddled his brain. As he repeated and
renewed the effort, he gained more strength.

Holding himself somewhat unsteadily, he looked around in the gloom at
his elder escort, and demanded:

"Where going?"

"We are trying to reach the block-house, but it's a long way off. We are
now close to Rattlesnake Gulch."

"That's all right," repeated Deane, wobbling forward again; "going to
the fort--our fort."

Jim Deane stopped abruptly as before, and blinked and started in the
vain effort to penetrate the gloom in which all were enveloped. His
companions noted that he was now able to maintain the erect position
without any help from them.

"Can't you get a candle?" he asked, his brain still muddled, "too dark
to see; get candle, and I'll show you the fort."

The company was now so near Rattlesnake Gulch that Weber Hastings, the
guide, decided it would not do to approach any closer. They must await
the coming of Kenton before doing anything further.

Gradually, or with less difficulty than would be suspected, the ranger
brought all his men together, or they gathered around the families whom
they had set out to escort to the block-house. Although they could
hardly see each other's forms in the darkness, a few minutes sufficed to
prove none were missing. All were there, but, ah! for how long should
this be said of them? "We are so near Rattlesnake Gulch," explained
Hastings, "that if we go a hundred yards further, we'll walk straight
into the ambush the varmints have set for us."

"What is to be done?" asked Mr. Altman, in a guarded undertone.

"We'll move a little further down the slope to the edge of the river,
and wait for Kenton or Boone; one of them will be here purty soon."

Mr. Ashbridge now made known what Jim Deane had declared in his broken
way. Before he could be questioned, the fellow, who was still nearer
sobriety, said:

"Boys, you think I don't know what I'm saying; I'm not as sober as I
oughter be, but I give it to you straight; you've made a big mistake,
and I'll prove it to you."

CHAPTER XI.

WATCHING AND WAITING.

Deane had rapidly regained control of his senses during the past few
minutes. The open air, the continued action of his body and the growing
consciousness of the imminent peril of the comp