them! Keep your eyes peeled, Jim! Every time you see a head
or an arm or a body coming from behind a rock or tree, let drive at it!
It will give the idea that there are more of us up here than we really
have, and we've got all the ammunition we can possibly use. Don't be
afraid! I'll tell you when to save your cartridges. There's one now!
Watch him!" Bang! went Pike's rifle. It was a good shot; for they could
see that the bullet barked the tree just where the Apache was standing;
but apparently it did no harm to the Indian himself; for the answering
shot of his rifle was prompt, and the bullet whizzed dangerously near.

"That fellow's a cool hand!" said Pike. "Watch him, Jim, you're a little
further that way. He'll be out again in a minute. What's the reason your
man hasn't fired?--the man behind the rock that I told you to kill?"

"Because I'm certain that I hit him," said Jim, "and I reckon by this
time he isn't doing any more shooting."

"Watch carefully, anyhow," was the reply. "They'll soon try, when they
find there are very few of us, to crawl up the hill upon us. Then's the
time you've got to note every movement! See! there comes one fellow
behind that rock now. He's crawling on all fours. Thinks we can't see
him. Now just hold on until he comes around that little ledge!--I'll
take him! I've got him! Now!"

And again Pike's rifle rang out, and to his intense delight the Indian
sprang to his feet--staggered an instant--and then fell all in a heap,
huddled up around the roots of the tree which he was just striving to
reach. Some one down among the Indians gave a yell of dismay. Evidently
the one who was shot was a man of some prominence among them--possibly a
chief.

[Illustration: EVIDENTLY THE ONE WHO WAS SHOT WAS A MAN OF SOME
PROMINENCE AMONG THEM--POSSIBLY A CHIEF.]

"They'll try and haul his body out of the way, Jim. Watch for at least
one or two of them coming up there! He may be only wounded, and they'll
try to get him into safety. If they do--fire at the first man you see!"

Another minute, and then both the rifles blazed again. Two daring young
Indians had made a rush forward, and had attempted to seize their
wounded comrade; but the shots of the rifles whistling close about their
ears, caused them to desist, to throw themselves on their faces, and
then to roll or crawl away behind the adjacent rocks. Evidently they
didn't care to expose themselves to the chance of further loss. Two
Indians lying