en sent away. Some of the more quickwitted of the plainsmen
and traders waved their hats at the debouching village across the river,
and Woodson, with Tom and Franklin at his side, held up his hand and
walked toward the slowing line. An arrow suddenly quivered in the ground
almost under his feet and he stopped, raising both hands. An Indian
dashed back across the river, where he berated a group of non-combatants
and waved them toward the top of the hill. The traveling village
instantly became a confusion of quick movement and climbed the hill and
dipped over its crest much quicker than it had appeared.

Woodson swore under his breath. "Reckon we got ter fight, boys. Look
sharp an' fall back ter th' caravan. Drop th' first brave that lifts bow
an' arrer!" He glanced back to see how far they had to go and glimpsed a
dozen men under Hank and Zeb coming to their aid. He raised his hand to
them and they instantly dropped to their knees, their rifles leaping to
their shoulders. "Now," he grated. "We're bein' covered; turn an' run!"
As the three men reached the covering party they checked themselves,
joined it, faced the savages, and the entire party fell slowly back to
the wagons.

"Funny they didn't send in more'n that one arrer," growled Woodson,
thoroughly puzzled. "These hyar ain't Pawnee hoss-stealers; thar
fightin' men. _Knock down that gun!_" he snapped as a tenderfoot rested
a powerful rifle across a wagon wheel. The man beside the ambitious
Indian fighter struck it aside and the ball went into the ground. "Th'
next man as pulls trigger till I says fer him to is goin' to be d----d
sorry!" cried the captain, drawing his pistol.

The running line, moving back farther under the threat of the two
cannons, gradually stopped, facing the waiting defenders. It seemed like
the calm that precedes a storm. Then down the hill across the river came
a small group of savages more outrageously decked out than any seen so
far.

"Th' chiefs," growled Woodson. "Hope we git out o' this without a fight.
Even th' Comanches ain't usually anxious ter git inter a clawin' match
with Americans, though they air th' best o' th' prairie tribes."

"They do about what they please with th' Mexicans," replied Tom; "but
they've larned that Americans air a different breed, an' have better
guns. But some o' thar raids inter Texas have puffed 'em up. I don't
like thar village climbin' back over that hill."

"If it's ter be peace, I'd a cussed sight