but still cold, touched with gold all the surrounding
crests and ridges and filled with a yellow but luxurious haze every
gorge and ravine. He was compelled to admire its wintry beauty, a
beauty, though, that he knew to be treacherous, surcharged as it was
with savage wile and stratagem, and a burning desire for their lives.

A time that seemed incredible passed without demonstration from the
enemy. But he realized that it was only about two hours. He did not
expect to see any of the warriors creeping up the slopes toward them,
but too wise to watch for their faces he did expect to notice the
bushes move ever so slightly under their advance. He and Willet
remained crouched in the same positions in the shelter of high rocks.
Tayoga, who had been moving about the far side, came to them and
whispered:

"I am going down the northern face of the cliff!"

"Why, it's sheer insanity, Tayoga!" said the astonished hunter.

"But I'm going."

"What'll you achieve after you've gone? You'll merely walk into
Tandakora's hands!"

"I go, Great Bear, and I will return in a half hour, alive and well."

"Is your mind upset, Tayoga?"

"I am quite sane. Remember, Great Bear, I will be back in a half hour
unhurt."

Then he was gone, gliding away through the low vegetation that covered
the crest, and Robert and the hunter looked at each other.

"There is more in this than the eye sees," said young Lennox. "I never
knew Tayoga to speak with more confidence. I think he will be back
just as he says, in half an hour."

"Maybe, though I don't understand it. But there are lots of things one
doesn't understand. We must keep our eyes on the slope, and let Tayoga
solve his own problem, whatever it is."

There was no wind at all, but once Robert thought he saw the shrubs
halfway down the steep move, though he was not sure and nothing
followed. But, intently watching the place where the motion had
occurred, he caught a gleam of metal which he was quite sure came from
a rifle barrel.

"Did you see it?" he whispered to the hunter.

"Aye, lad," replied Willet. "They're there in that dense clump, hoping
we've relaxed the watch and that they can surprise us. But it may be
two or three hours before they come any farther. Always remember in
your dealings with Indians that they have more time than anything
else, and so they know how to be patient. Now, I wonder what Tayoga is
doing! That boy certainly had something unusual on his mind!"

"Her