was nothing
exceptional about it, terrible as have been the disasters now and then
resulting. Captain Grover determined to gain whatever might be gained by
promptly following up his first success, and so he had well used all the
minutes the Apache chief was wasting. At about the time when the latter
had decided that there must be an effort made to recover the lost
plunder, unless the cavalry should prove too numerous, Captain Grover
had ridden far enough to make good the military plan of a young Nez
Perce chief. His own spy-glass was at work from every rising ground he
came to, and now it brought an exclamation from him:

"What's up now? One chased by two? Forward! Gallop!"

Two Apache braves, already very sure they could not catch the rider they
were chasing, wheeled quickly and rode in the opposite direction, and
in a few moments more Two Arrows was rapidly explaining the situation to
Captain Grover. It was a very plain one, and not a second was wasted in
considering it. Again the word was "forward," and the remaining distance
to be travelled was not great. The decision of the Apaches to advance
was likely to make it shorter, but that was an unpleasant time for the
chief in command of those unlucky red men. Just as two of his braves
came in to inform him that a messenger from the men among the rocks had
reached the cavalry, another announced that all the pale-faces and Nez
Perces had come out from the rocks to fight and were "heap strong." Nor
was that the whole of it, for one of his scouts from the rear dashed up
with the news that yet another party of Nez Perces was coming, he did
not know how many. These were the fellows sent through the pass for the
"cached" property, but what Apache could say how many more might follow?
or how many more blue-coated veterans might be at hand?

It looked for all the world as if that enterprising band of Apache
"business men" were surrounded and trapped. They had already lost all
the proceeds of their season's hard work, and the rest of their stock in
trade, of all sorts, was pretty sure to follow. More consultation was
absolutely necessary, and before it was over Sile could announce, from
his perch upon the rock,

"Coming! I can see Two Arrows."

Then there was a cheering, and Na-tee-kah felt all but proud of the
noise made by the Big Tongue--there was so very much of it.

"Forward, men!" shouted Judge Parks. "We must be on hand. Come down,
Sile. Keep near _me_."

Sile was