y of the
older men enforced silence in the circle now gathering closely around
the chief. Added to the dignity was a large amount of pride over what
they had already done, and a little anxiety concerning what it would be
best to do next.

Many Bears turned to Murray. "Send Warning gave good council. His
head is white. He is wise. Tell Apaches now where all pale-face gone.
No come."

"Send Warning can guess. The pale-faces don't like to be killed. Find
too many Apaches. Run away and save scalp."

"Ugh! Good. Nobody know where they go. No use follow. Apaches take
Lipan prisoners. What Send Warning say about them?"

"Keep them till to-morrow. No hurry. Something else to think of now.
More fight, maybe."

The chief nodded his head, but a chorus of "Ughs!" expressed the
dissent of his council. They meant to decide the fate of old Two
Knives without delay.

Still, three of the older braves insisted upon arguing the case, one
after the other; and by the time the last of them ceased speaking,
Murray felt pretty safe about To-la-go-to-de. He said to himself, "The
old fox has half an hour the start of them now. He is miles and miles
away."

Just then Many Bears turned to him with, "What say now? Any words?"

"No. Never speak twice. Apaches do what think best."

"Ugh! Good. Young braves bring out Lipans. No wait. Kill them all
right away."

Prisoners of such a sort were likely to be a troublesome burden to a
party on the march like that of Many Bears, and the only real question
before the council was, after all, in what precise manner the killing
should be done.

At that moment, however, a great cry arose from the vicinity of the
lodge where the Lipans had been shut up--a cry of surprise, anger, and
disappointment. And then the word spread over the whole camp like
wildfire,

"The Lipans are gone!"

It was almost beyond belief, and there was a general rush toward that
row of lodges, and beyond them into the bushes and through the corral.
It came within an ace of stampeding every pony there, and every trace
of anything like a "trail" left by the feet of Two Knives and his
warriors was quickly trampled out.

The only bit of a "sign" found by anybody was in the shape of more than
a dozen thongs of buckskin on the ground in the lodge, all clean cut
through with a sharp knife.

That told plainly how the prisoners had released themselves.

The braves who had searched and tied them were pos