d
bring forgetfulness and then--who should say what _might_ come to
pass?

"We thought," remarked Ruggles, as they resumed their seats, "that we
should have a weary wait for Vose, but it didn't prove so dull after
all."

The captain looked at his watch.

"He has been gone more than an hour, and there's no saying when he
will be back. He has his own way of managing this business, and,
though I concede his skill and superior knowledge in this part of the
world, it is hard to keep my patience when I see the hours slipping
away without bringing any results."

But the patience of the three men was tried more sorely than ever
before, and to a greater extent than any one of them anticipated. Noon
came and passed and without bringing Vose Adams. The party partook
sparingly of their lunch, leaving enough for their absent friend, but
the lagging hours wore away and they still waited. They said little to
one another, but the captain, unable to restrain his restlessness,
wandered down the canyon. The two left behind watched him until he
passed from view in the direction taken by Colonel Briggs and his
company. A few minutes later, the report of his rifle came back to
them.

"I wonder if _he's_ got into trouble," exclaimed the parson, rising to
his feet and peering to their left, without seeing everything to
explain the sound that had reached them.

"I shouldn't wonder," replied Ruggles; "everything is going wrong;
Vose wouldn't stay away so long, unless he, too, was in difficulty."

"The captain may need us; he can't be far off."

Gun in hand, the couple walked hurriedly down the canyon, on the alert
for Indians, for it seemed more likely that if any danger threatened,
it was from them. To their relief, however, they soon found their
alarm groundless. The captain was seen coming, apparently as well as
ever.

"Nothing is wrong," he explained when they were within speaking
distance; "I saw an antelope among the rocks and took a shot at him."

"How near did you come to hitting him?"

"He made only a single jump after he received my bullet; it's a pity
he didn't make a couple of them."

"Why?"

"It would have brought him over the outer rock and into the ravine;
then we should have had something for supper. Haven't you seen Adams
yet?"

Instead of answering directly the three looked toward the fissure in
the side of the canyon, and there, to their unspeakable relief, they
saw the man who had been absent for so many