ched hats of the miners. The Big Tongue was no longer
parading over the slope in front of the gap. He had even cut short an
uncommonly fine whoop in his retreat to a place as safe as that occupied
by Na-tee-kah or Ha-ha-pah-no.

There were excellent reasons for such a retreat, for several scores of
Apaches were now riding back and forth, just out of good rifle-range, as
if they were a little in doubt as to what they had better do next. Not
an Apache among them had an idea how many might be the rifles among
those rocks, but all were sure that they were there. It was just as
Jonas had said, and Yellow Pine. It required an immense amount of
courage to ride up to hidden sharpshooters, and the Apaches were
disposed to whoop a good deal before they tried the experiment. Their
head chief had commanded that there should be no random firing, and now
he was disposed to try what could be done with a "talk." One solitary
brave rode forward a distance in advance of his comrades, dismounted,
laid down his rifle and lance, took off his pistol-belt ostentatiously,
held up his hands wide open to declare himself unarmed, reached out his
right hand with the palm up to say that he was peaceful, and then walked
slowly forward.

"Wants to get near enough to see what he can see," said Yellow Pine.
"Snake trick. I'll go out and meet him, jedge."

"No, Pine, I don't want you to run any risk."

"Risk? Not a bit of it. I say, Jonas, I'll let him come into good fair
range. Keep him covered. If he tries any bad game I'll just drop flat."

"That's what he'll do next thing," said Jonas, as he rested his rifle
over the log in front of him, and it seemed as if every other miner at
once followed his example.

"Go ahead then, Pine," said the judge; "see what he wants."

"For that matter, jedge," said Pine, "I'd as lief as not try a
hand-to-hand fight with any redskin in that lot."

He left his weapons behind him as ostentatiously as the Apache had done,
handing them back over the barrier after stepping out, and walked
forward rapidly, so that he did not let his conference turn into too
close an "examination."

[Illustration: HIS RIGHT HAND WITH THE PALM UP TO SHOW THAT HE WAS
PEACEFUL]

The keen eyes of the warrior were searching every cranny of the rocks as
well as they could, when Yellow Pine drew near and held out his hand.

"How?" said Pine.

"How? Where Nez Perce?"

Pine answered by a sweep of his hand towards the notch, and added,