noted that his charge displayed no
desire to follow the mules. "Why, if that old Skeeter isn't actually
sneering at my ponies! He deserves to be kicked for his conceit."

Ned turned to wave his hand just before a bend in the gulch hid the
mule-train from sight, and then Chris mounted and rode towards the
pointed rock close to which the spring gurgled out of the rock. Here he
took the precaution of drinking deeply himself before letting the ponies
have their fill of the refreshing water, after which they began grazing
in their quiet, inoffensive way, leaving their guardian to his thoughts,
which were many and troubled.

In the full expectation of hearing shots, Chris spent plenty of time in
listening; but no reports reached his ears, and he began thinking of the
change from the wild excitement and risk of his position by the barrier
a short time before, to the silence and grandeur of the deeply-cut rift
in which he now stood. For gloomy and forbidding as the place looked by
night, even awful in its black solemnity, it was striking enough now in
its effects of brilliant sunshine and shade to make the boy think it was
one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen in his life.

"What a pity!" he muttered, as he listened to the _crop, crop_ of the
ponies.

He did not say what was a pity, for the sharp crack of a rifle brought
him out of his musings to gaze sharply in the direction of the barrier,
far away from where he was waiting, and wondering now whether there was
any more fighting on the way.

Another sharp crack, and Chris's excitement increased, as he first
looked anxiously at his charges to see if they were startled by the
firing.

But the ponies did not even lift their heads, but went on browsing upon
the green shoots near the spring, while the boy involuntarily dragged
his rifle round, ready to throw the sling over his head if the need
sprang up for its use.

But there was evidently no immediate danger, for quite an hour passed
before there was another shot fired to raise the echoes, and this proved
to be single.

A longer period elapsed before anything more occurred, and twice as long
a time passed before there was another.

"It's just as they said," thought Chris--"a shot or two, just to show
the redskins that we're on the alert."

It was about this time that Chris fancied that the faintness from which
he suffered was due to the want of food, and opening his wallet he took
out a piece of dampe