t only the stolen animals, but also with his own horse. This had
lost him a neat sum and had forced him to carry a forty-pound saddle, a
bridle and a rifle for two days under a merciless sun before he reached
civilization. He did not thank them for not killing him, which they for
some reason neglected to do. Apache stock was down very low with him, and
he now had an opportunity to even the score. Then he thought of the
sheriff, and swore. Finally he decided that he would just shoot that
worthy as soon as he came within range, and so be free to play his lone
hand against the race that had stolen his horses. His eyes twinkled
at the game he was about to play, and he regarded the silent message and
guide with a smile.

"If it's all the same to you, I'll just polish you up a bit"--and when
he replaced it on the bowlder its former owner would not have known
it to be the same weapon, for its head was not red, but as bright as
the friction of a handful of sand could make it. This destroyed its
message of plentiful slaughter and, he knew, would grieve his enemies.
He touched it gently with his hand and it swung at right angles to its
former position and now pointed northward and in the direction from which
he expected the sheriff.

"It was d----d nice of that Apache leaving me this, but I reckon I'll
switch them reinforcements--the sheriff will be some pleased to meet
them," he said, grinning at the novelty of the situation. "Nobody
will even suspect how a lone puncher"--for he regarded himself as a
cowman--"squaring up a couple of scores went and saved the eastern
valleys from more devilment. If the war-whoops are out along the Cimarron
and Canadian they are shore havin' fun enough to give me a little. But
I would like to see the sheriff's face when he bumps into the little
party I'm sending his way. Wonder how many he will get before he goes
under?"

Then he again took up the arrow and carefully removed the hair and thong
of leather, chuckling at the tale of woe the denuded weapon would tell,
after which he placed it as before, wishing he knew how to indicate that
the Apaches had been wiped out.

He rode to a chaparral which lay three hundred yards to the southeast of
him and thence around it to the far side, where he dismounted and fastened
his horse to the empty air by simply allowing the reins to hang down in
front of the animal's eyes. The pony knew many things about ropes and
straps, and what it knew it knew well; no