and pretty, too, and she can use her bow and
arrows."

"Full-blooded Indian. As full of fight as a wild-cat, and twice as
dangerous."

"Now, Murray, what do you think we'd better do?"

"Do? I wish I could say. My head's all in a whirl somehow. I want a
chance to do some thinking."

"Time enough for that."

"Not if we keep right on after the Apaches. I'll tell you what, Steve,
my mind won't be easy till I've had another look at the ledge. I want to
know what they've done."

"The Buckhorn Mine? I'd like to see it, too."

"Then we'll let their outfit go by us, and ride straight back to it.
Might as well save time and follow those fellows up the pass. Plenty of
hiding-places."

It was a bold thing to do, but they did it, and they were lying safely in
a deep ravine that led out of the pass, a few hours later, when the
"mining outfit" slowly trundled on its downward way.

Long before that, however, Bill and his two friends had made their report
to Captain Skinner.

They had a well made up story to tell him, but it was not very easy for
him to believe it.

"Met the two mining fellers, did ye? And they're friends with the
'Paches. Wouldn't let 'em do ye any harm. How many redskins was there?"

"Three. We never fired a shot at 'em nor struck a blow, but one of thar
squaws fired an arrer through my arm."

"It's the onlikeliest yarn I ever listened to."

"Thar's the hole in my arm."

"Not that. It isn't queer an Apache wanted to shoot ye. I can believe
that. But that you had sense enough not to fire first at a redskin. You
never had so much before in all your life."

"Here we are, safe--all three."

"That's pretty good proof. If there'd been a fight they'd ha' been too
much for you, with two white men like them to help. Well, we'll go right
on down. It's our only show."

"That isn't all, Cap."

"What more is there?"

"The old fellow told me to warn you that thar was danger comin' behind
us. He seems to know all about us and about what we did to the ledge."

"We're followed, are we? What did he say about the mine?"

"Said he'd take his chances about that. We agreed to be friends if we
met him and his mate again."

"You did? Now, Bill, you've shown good-sense again. What's the matter
with you to-day? I never heard of such a thing? It's like finding that
mine just where I didn't expect to."

Bill's two associates said nothing. They were quite willing he should do
the talkin