ow tones, the scout frequently leaning over to point to something
on the ground, the captain gazing intently where his trooper indicated.
Finally the commander waved his hand to invite his fellow officers and
troopers, as well as the members of Diamond X, to approach.

"Kelly has found it," said the captain. "Plenty of Indian sign, which
shows the Yaquis, or some of them at least, passed this way. Here's
the trail, and we'll follow it. Do you want to come with us?" he asked
of Snake Purdee.

"Well, we'd like to, if it isn't asking too much. Our main object is
to get within shooting distance of these Yaquis, and save this Rosemary
girl and her brother."

"Precisely our object," the captain said. "And as long as we have the
same business I think we can do better together than if we separate.
Your men will undoubtedly be of service to us if the trail gets
fainter, and there's no telling how many are in this band, so the more
guns we have the better."

"My idea," agreed the leader from Diamond X. "And now let's have a
look at this Indian sign. Rolling Stone here claims to know a lot
about the Yaquis, and he may be able to put us wise to some of their
wrinkles. Come here, Stone!" he invited.

In order not to obliterate the faint marks in the soil which indicated
the passage of a body of horsemen, the troopers, with Bud and his
friends, had halted some distance away from the lone scout. The latter
had remained a little way off the trail, so his own horse's feet would
not mingle with those of the enemy.

For some time the older cowboys, Rolling Stone, Captain Marshall and a
few of his men who had fought Indians years back, gazed at the Indian
"sign" as it is called. In this sense the word means the evidences
left by a passing body of Indians, the casual and accidental record of
passage. The word is also used to indicate arbitrary marks and symbols
made by one body of Indians to leave a message for some body of
following savages. This sign language is very difficult for a person
not accustomed to it to read, though it can not be said that the
degenerate Yaquis had the art down as fine as had our own American
Indians of two or three generations ago.

"Well, they've been along here, and they're headed that way," said
Rolling Stone, thus confirming the opinion of the older troopers.

"Then the thing to do is to follow them," said the Captain. "Give the
signal, bugler!" he called.

Once more the clear notes