don't care for it," replied the parent.

"Thank you," and the parson carefully put it away to keep company with
the letter of Nellie Dawson which broke her father's heart; "I observe
that it is quite dry, which makes me believe it has not been exposed
to the dew, and therefore could not have lain long on the ground."

"You can't tell anything by that," commented Vose; "the air is so dry
up here, even with the snow and water around us, that there's no dew
to amount to anything."

All seemed to prefer not to discuss the little incident that had
produced so sombre an effect upon the party. Wade Ruggles was disposed
to claim the handkerchief, inasmuch as it was he who found it, but he
respected the feelings of the parson too much to make any protest.

The occurrence was of no special interest to the guide. He had said
they were in danger from the Indians and he gave his thoughts to them.
While the others kept their seats on the ground, he stood erect, and,
shading his eyes with one hand, peered long and attentively over the
trail behind them. The clump of cedars from amid which the thin column
of vapor was slowly climbing into the sky and the narrow ledge which
had been the scene of their stirring adventure were in view, though
its winding course shut a portion from sight.

"I expected it!" suddenly exclaimed Vose.

The others followed the direction of his gaze and saw what had caused
his words. The five Indians, whom Vose had discovered in camp, were
picking their way along the ledge, with their faces turned from the
white men, who were watching them. Despite the chilly air, caused by
the elevation, not one of the warriors wore a blanket. Two had bows
and arrows, three rifles, carried in a trailing fashion, and all were
lithe, sinewy fellows, able to give a good account of themselves in
any sort of fight.

A curious fact noted by all of our friends was that while these
warriors were thus moving away, not one of them looked behind him.
Their long black hair hung loosely about their shoulders, and in the
clear air it was observable that three wore stained feathers in the
luxuriant growth on their crowns.

"Is it possible that they have no suspicion of us?" asked the parson;
"their action in not looking around would imply that."

"Don't fool yourself," was the reply of Adams; "they knowed of us
afore we knowed anything of them."

"Why did they allow us to pass their camp undisturbed?"

"Things weren't in the rig