f in deep thought. Gradually his meditations
brought him nearer the truth.

"He's found out that the shortest path was the safest one--something a
man is pretty apt to think when he is with the gal he loves, and so he
has took the roundabout way home. That's it, sure. But hold on a
minute," said O'Hara, as a new thought struck him; "I'd like to know
the route which it would take them so long to travel over. It's queer,
I'll be hanged if it isn't. That gal will be the death of Lew yet. I'd
like to see the gal that could pull the wool over _my_ eyes."

And, as if alarmed at the thought, he strode rapidly forward, shaking
his head, and muttering more savagely than ever to himself. Gradually
he regained his natural state of semi-composure, and proceeded in his
audible musings:

"Whatever is up, I'm bound to find out afore I go back. Not that I care
a cent for Lew--not a bit of it. If he don't know any better than to
shut his eyes when Injins is about, he oughter suffer. But then I'd
like to know _how things is_. Hello!"

The Rifleman stopped and commenced snuffing the air, like an animal
when it scents danger.

"That's smoke, as sure as I live. Who's been kindling a fire at this
time of day?"

Turning his head in every direction, he, at length, determined the one
from which the vapor came. There being scarcely any wind at all, he
rightly judged it must be close at hand. Stealing carefully along from
tree to tree, he finally detected the faint blue rising through the
wood, scarcely fifty yards away. Approaching still closer, he gained a
full view of the fire, and also of him who had kindled it. The latter
was an Indian warrior, who was seated on the ground with his legs
gathered under him, and his head bowed forward as if sleeping. The
hunter saw, from the nodding of his head, that such was the case.
Occasionally he would incline forward until ready to fall on his face,
when he would start up with a jerk, rub his eyes, look about him, and
then go to nodding again.

"It seems that everybody have lost their senses," muttered O'Hara. "Now
just see that Injin wagging his head at the fire, tryin' to sleep here
in broad daylight. How easy I could send a bullet through him! But
there's no danger of that, as we Riflemen don't fight in that style. Be
careful, my fellow."

Here the Indian fell over on his face and then scrambled to his feet,
looked around, seeking to appear wondrously awake, and then sat down as
before.