d, as he dashed away, he was
conscious of wondering if they too had fallen victims to an unseen
gopher-hole.

He had not noticed the figure running to meet him, nor heard one of the
shots it was firing so wildly as it ran. If he had he might have
realized that his salvation had not depended on a gopher-hole, but on
one of those random shots from Binney Gibbs's rifle. By the merest
chance, for it was fired without aim and almost without direction, it
had pierced the brain of the Indian pony, and decided that race in favor
of Glen.

When, to Glen's great surprise, the two boys met, he sprang from
Nettle's back and insisted that Binney should take his place, which the
other resolutely refused to do. So Glen simply tossed the bridle rein
into Binney's hand, and started off on a full run. In a moment Nettle,
with Binney on her back, had overtaken him, and the generous dispute
might have been resumed had not a party of mounted men from the
wagon-train just then dashed up and surrounded the boys. They were
headed by "Billy" Brackett, who cried out,

"Well, you're a pretty pair of babes in the woods, aren't you? And
you've been having lots of fun at the expense of our anxiety! But jump
up behind me, Glen, quick, for I believe every wild Injun of the Plains
is coming down that hill after us at this moment."

Just before the first shots were heard, some anxiety had been felt in
the train concerning the boys who had lagged behind, and "Billy"
Brackett had already asked if he had not better look them up. Then, as
the sound of firing came over the ridge, and the boys were known to have
got into some sort of trouble, he rode back at full speed, followed by a
dozen of the men. All were equally ready to go, but the rest were
ordered to remain behind for the protection of the train. Then the
wagons were quickly drawn up in double line, and the spare stock was
driven in between them.

These arrangements were hardly completed before "Billy" Brackett and his
party, with the two rescued boys, came flying back, pursued by the
entire body of Indians. As the former gained the wagons they faced
about, and, with a rattling volley, checked for an instant the further
advance of the dusky pony riders.

But those Cheyennes and Arrapahoes and Kiowas and Comanches were not
going to let so rich a prize as this wagon-train and all those scalps
escape them without at least making a bold try for it. If they could
only force the train to go into co