we fix it to get away?"

"I intend to escape if I can manage it," returned the young officer.
"But we must be careful, for they are fully armed, and they watch us
like so many foxes."

Slowly the afternoon wore away, and with the coming of night it grew
darker than usual, as though a storm was brewing.

"A storm ought to help us," said the captain.

Some of the Indians had departed, so that now the guard consisted of but
four warriors. These red men walked around each prisoner, seeing to it
that all the bonds were tight.

As the men passed Peck the old soldier watched his chance, and, unknown
to the red men, caught a hunting-knife from the belt of one of the
number.

This knife was concealed up his sleeve, and then the soldier waited for
his chance to use the blade, which was as sharp as a razor.

The Indians decided that two of their number should sleep, while the
other two remained on guard. Soon those to retire turned in, while the
others sat down to smoke their pipes.

This was Peck's opportunity, and with a slash of the hunting-knife he
released his hands. A moment later the lariat around his ankles was
likewise severed.

Watching his chance, Peck passed the knife to Captain Moore, and then
went back to his position by the tree as if still fastened.

Thus the knife was passed from soldier to soldier until all were
liberated.

All told, the party numbered six, and nobody was armed, excepting Peck,
to whom the hunting-knife had been returned.

Motioning to the others to keep quiet, Captain Moore picked up a stick
of wood lying near and threw it in some bushes a distance away.

This made considerable noise, and instantly the two guards gazed in the
direction.

"A wolf, perhaps," said one of the Indians, in his native tongue, and
walked over to the bushes. His companion started to follow, when Captain
Moore leaped upon him and bore him to the earth.

CHAPTER XXIII.

A PANTHER IN CAMP.

As Captain Moore fell upon one of the Indians, Peck the private stole
after the guard who had walked toward the bushes. The other soldiers
jumped to where the remaining Indians were sleeping, to gain possession
of the firearms.

The Indian the captain had tackled was a young but powerful brave, and
he put up a hard fight to release himself. But he had been taken
unawares, and after he was on the ground the captain saw to it that he
did not get up.

In the meantime the Indian near the bushes turned just