THE thrusting of the mortally wounded pony’s nose against the shoulder of the trapper’s horse warned both him and Herbert Watrous of what was coming. The latter slipped his feet from the stirrups, and was in the act of leaping to the ground, to attempt to run the short distance to the entrance of the mission building, when the broad right hand of Eph Bozeman slapped him in the broad of the back, clutched his coat, and with one powerful wrench he swung him out of the saddle sinking beneath him, and lifting him over in front of himself on his own steed.

There was not the slightest slackening of speed on the part of the doubly laden animal, who not only held his own, but headed the procession as it dashed through the door, followed by the other two, amid a storm of[338] bullets, as Rickard and Slidham slammed the door shut and fastened it in place.

The whole party was safe, without a scratch, and with only the loss of a single animal.

They could hardly believe their good fortune, until their panting steeds were brought to a halt and the riders slipped to the ground.

Then followed a general handshaking, and it would have been hard to believe that anything like enmity had existed between the men who showed such genuine pleasure at the escape of the little company from the Apaches. But a common danger draws people together, and Rickard and Slidham forgot that but a short time ago they had agreed to return a youth to these same visitors for a certain ransom.

The first thing done after a general exchange of congratulations was on the part of the new arrivals. They made haste to the spring of cool, refreshing water, where they quaffed their fill, their ponies doing the same.

Rickard had made preparations for their coming. From his storehouse of meal and[339] meat he had prepared a nourishing and abundant meal for all. Since there was no grass within the building, the horses were fed with the grain, of which there was sufficient to last several weeks by the exercise of frugality.

The animals having been attended to and the hunger and thirst of the guests being satisfied, the company gathered in the small room where Eph Bozeman had held his interview of the night before. They crowded the place, but all found seats, and they conversed as freely as if they had been friends for years.

“I made a bad break,” said Rickard, with a laugh; “you’ll admit that I worked that plan pretty well, but I didn’t count on the boy giving me the slip at the last minute.”

“Where do you suppose he has gone?” asked Strubell, who did most of the talking for his side, the others listening attentively to every word that was spoken.

“He must have been on the watch when Eph come in; we were all three in this room, talking the matter over, when he slipped out with his pony and has gone, who can say where?”

[340]

“It doesn’t look as if the Apaches had caught him.”

“No; I thought they might have done so, but there would have been an outcry if that took place. We wouldn’t have heard the sound of his horse as he rode off, but he would have used his rifle and pistol before allowing himself to be taken, and we must have heard them. He was the pluckiest fellow I ever saw.”

“That’s so,” added Herbert; “Nick Ribsam was a brave boy; he gave me the biggest trouncing I ever had when he wasn’t more than half my size, and there’s no Indian that can down him without having the worst fight of his life.”

“What I don’t understand,” continued Strubell, “is why he should wait until everything was in the best shape for him, and then slip off and knock our plan endways.”

“Didn’t he have any chance of gettin’ away when you was on the road here?” inquired Lattin.

“Well, we watched pretty close, for we knew what he was thinking of; Harman and[341] I were never asleep at the same time, and we didn’t let him have his gun or pistol while on the road.”

Herbert’s heart burned with indignation at these words, but he kept silent. He knew now why Nick had remained passive so long. He was too wise to dash away from his captors and ride out on the open prairie, exposed to innumerable dangers, without a weapon at command. Had he been allowed to retain them he would have made things lively for Bell Rickard.

Rickard stated further that they had no field glass at command, like their pursuers, so that they never caught sight of them, though well convinced they were on their trail. Consequently Nick had not the incentive that would have been his had he felt any assurance of meeting his friends if he fled eastward.

“When we arrived here,” continued the horse thief, “and we knew the Apaches were close outside, why, we let him have his weapons, for it looked as if he might be able to help us against the redskins.”

“Of course when he saw Eph come through[342] the door and join you in this room,” said Strubell, “he had no idea that he came from us; if he had he would have acted differently——”

“No, he wouldn’t either; you don’t know what you’re talkin’ ’bout.”

It was the old trapper who uttered this exclamation, after he had held his peace for several minutes. All looked at him wonderingly, for it was not clear what he meant by his abrupt remark. His little eyes shone with a peculiar light, and could his mouth have been seen, a singular smile would have been observed playing around it.

“Boys,” added Eph, straightening up on his seat as he saw every gaze fixed upon him, “shall I tell you something?”

The expression of general interest convinced him that no one could be heard with greater pleasure.

“Last night, after passin’ out the door, a quar idea got into my head. Instead of startin’ on a run to get back to you folks, I stooped down and passed my hands over the ground all round the door. And what do you[343] s’pose I found? Why, thar war the prints of several horses goin’ in, but thar warn’t a single one comin’ out!”

He paused a moment for this astounding announcement to produce its effect. Strubell was the first to catch its full meaning.

“Are you sure of that?” he asked.

“As sure as I’m sittin’ here this minute. What does it mean, tharfore and consequently? Why, that that younker came in with Bell and Harman, but that he haint gone out, which the same means............