e. The rider upon the croup was Frank Wingrove! He upon the
saddle was a red Arapaho. The bodies of the two men appeared to be
lashed together by a raw-hide rope; but, in front of the Indian, I could
perceive the muscular arms of the young backwoodsman tightly embracing
the chest of the savage, while with the reins in his fingers he was
guiding the gallop of the horse! With a shout of joy I hailed the
escape of my comrade, now no longer problematical. In a score of
seconds more, we should meet.

The pursuers--satisfied that his recapture was hopeless without risking
their own scalps--had already turned with a despairing shout, and were
galloping back. Wingrove was near enough to hear the cry of
encouragement that passed from my lips; and, soon recognising me,
despite the disguise of the serape, headed his horse directly towards
us.

"Hooraw, capt'n!" cried he, as he came up. "Hev you e'er a knife to cut
me clar o' this Indjun? Durn the niggur! I've got _him_ in a leetle o'
the tightest fix he's been in for a while, I reck'n. Dog-gone ye! keep
still, ye skunk, or I'll smash every rib in yur body! Quiet now!"

During all this time, the Indian was making the most strenuous efforts
to free himself from the grasp of his powerful adversary--now
endeavouring to throw himself down from the horse, anon trying to turn
the animal in an opposite direction. But the thongs intended to secure
his captive--and which had no doubt been wound around both of them by a
third hand--had become bonds for himself. Wingrove, who had by some
means wrenched his wrists free from their fastenings, had turned the
tables upon his captor, by transforming him into a captive! I chanced
to be without a knife; but the Mexican was supplied with the necessary
implement; and, drawing it from its sheath, shot past me to use it. I
thought he intended to cut the thongs that bound the _two_ men together.
So did he: but not till after he had performed another operation--which
consisted in plunging his blade between the ribs of the Arapaho! At the
stab, the Indian gave utterance to his wild death-shout. In the same
instant his head coggled over upon his shoulder, his body relaxed its
muscular tension, and hung limp over the raw-hide rope. A snig of the
red blade severed the thong; and the Indian's body sliding down from the
withers of the horse, fell with a dull dead sound upon the turf.

"Here _Americano_!" cried the trapper, holding out the e