meeting with the
party, for on no other supposition can his acts be explained. He must
have reasoned that on the narrow ledge his enemies would have to meet
him one by one and engage him single handed. He was like a chamois
that had lived all its life in these wild solitudes and was
surer-footed than any white man. What a triumph it would be (and was
it unreasonable to expect it?) for him to slay the insignificant pale
face immediately in his front, shove his mule over the precipice, and
then serve the remaining three in same fashion!

"Get out of this!" were the words which Vose Adams addressed to the
Indian, directly after the question of Captain Dawson to himself, and
when the enemies were within six feet of each other; "there isn't room
for both of us; you knew that before you started; one of us has got to
give way and I'll be hanged if I do!"

Inasmuch as the red man did not understand a word of English, it is
not to be supposed that he grasped the whole meaning of this command,
but the situation must have made it evident that he had been ordered
to back his horse and to open a way for the white men, and inasmuch as
he had come upon the trail for the express purpose of bringing about
this encounter, it seems hardly necessary to say that he failed to
obey the order. Instead, he repeated some words in his own language,
which it is not unlikely were of the same import as those addressed
to him, for he resolutely maintained his place.

"I tell you," added Vose, raising his voice, as if that could help
make his meaning clear; "if you don't do as I say, somebody is going
to get hurt!"

The warrior, who was carrying a rifle, stooped and gently let it fall
beside him. At the same moment he let go of the thong which served as
a bridle. Thus both hands were free and he crouched down with his
hideous face thrust forward and took a slow, half-step toward Adams.

The coarse black hair dangling loosely about his shoulders, the broad
frightful countenance, which, however, was devoid of paint, the
glittering, basilisk-like eyes, the sinewy half-bent finger, with the
right fingers closed like a vise around the handle of the knife at his
waist, while gently drawing it forth, the catlike advance,--all these
made him so terrible an enemy that the bravest man might well doubt
the result of a meeting with him.

And yet the closest scrutiny of Vose Adams would not have discovered
any tremor in his frame, or so much as a blanching