onse to a desperate effort to recall his duty those thoughts
grew dull and distant, and straining his eyes to gaze into the darkness
he obeyed a sudden impulse to slip the ponies' bridles into their
mouths, fasten a strap or two, and then tighten the saddle-girths, the
animals submitting patiently enough, and allowing themselves to be
placed in readiness for a start.

"I can't do anything more," he said to himself. "Oh, how terribly
dark!"

_Pst_! from close at hand, so close to him that the boy started as if he
had been stung.

"Father!" he whispered.

"Good lad. Not a word. Are the ponies saddled and bridled?"

"Yes, father."

"Right. Now, Griggs--Wilton; take two each, and lead on. Walk with
them for the present, and as quietly as you can go. We'll follow close
behind."

No further words were spoken, but there was the sound of hoofs passing
over the stony bottom of the gulch, and the next minute Chris and his
father, each leading his pony, were walking together side by side, the
animals stepping instinctively in the footprints of those in front, and,
saving for the faint sound of tramping, the silence seemed to the boy
perfectly awful.

At last Chris could keep back a question no longer.

"The firing, father--I heard two volleys. Were the savages coming on?"

"No, but we treated them as if they were, just to show them that we were
waiting for an attack, and then came on to join you at once. Now, no
more talking; I want to listen till they announce that they are there."

"Will they?" whispered Chris.

"They'll either attack with one of their savage yells, or else give one
in their rage when they find that we are gone. That will be the signal
for us to mount and ride for our lives. Indians are swift of foot,
boy."

It seemed an hour, during which every ear was on the strain, but
probably it was not a fourth of that time, before the fierce yell of the
savages was heard; but it only reached the fugitives as a faint whisper,
followed by another.

Fortunately the retiring party had reached where the gulch had opened
out, and quite a broad band of brilliant stars was spread overhead from
rock-wall to rock-wall, giving sufficient light for the ponies to follow
one another in Indian file at a good round trot, which was kept up hour
after hour, with intervals of walking and the indulgence now in a little
conversation regarding the distance ahead of the mule-train or the
possibility of its being mis