ode farther to the west, and probably
will pick us up later. I think this trail leads into the hills, and that
we will find the Indians in camp not far away."

This was Ted's belief also, and, taking the leadership, he ordered an
advance.

"Halt!" Ted Strong had stopped his pony, and with his hand shading his
eyes, was looking steadily to the front.

"What is it?" asked Ben, riding to his side.

"Smoke over the top of that hill right in front of us."

Ted did not take his eyes from the spot.

"By Jove!" he exclaimed. "The bunch of Indians who chased me have taken
a short cut and beaten us in. I saw a band of Indians cross in front of
us, and one pony carried double."

"Then we have caught up with them."

"I think so. Hold the boys here, I'm going forward to scout. When I
signal, come forward as fast as you can ride."

CHAPTER IX.

A BATTLE OF QUIRTS.

Ted turned Bingo over to one of the boys to care for, and crept forward
stealthily toward the hill behind which he had seen a thin thread of
blue smoke rising in the still air.

No one but an Indian or a trained scout would build so small a fire. A
tenderfoot would have made one that roared and sent a vast cloud of
smoke toward the sky to attract any enemy that might be in the vicinity.

But an Indian builds his fire in a space not much larger than the hollow
of his two hands, and manages to send up smoke that only a trained eye
could detect, and at the same time have heat enough with which to warm
himself and cook his food, with as little fuel as possible.

As he went forward, Ted was surprised that he came upon no sign of a
camp guard.

The Indians evidently thought that the boys would not have the courage
to follow them into their own country, and had grown careless.

So much the better. It would give him a chance to learn how they were
situated before making an attack.

He crept on his hands and knees to the ridge of the hill, and, removing
his hat, peered over the edge.

Below in a small valley he saw about fifty Indians, who, from their
dress and their manner of painting their faces, he knew to be of various
tribes.

He easily recognized in the band several Blackfeet, six or seven Crows,
some Sioux, who had come far north, and to his astonishment a few
Southern Indians, such as Caddos, Cheyennes, and Comanches.

This alone was enough to convince him that the Indians were outlaws and
renegades, and that they were plunderers and thieve