igh hill that rose in the center of the valley,
and was making my way down a narrow hunting trail through some brush,
when I became aware that there was someone coming down the trail behind
me.

"I pressed close into some bushes and waited perfectly silent, as though
turned to stone. In a minute I saw a dark figure coming down the trail.
It was a gigantic brave and he passed so close to me that he almost
stepped on my feet.

"It was fortunate he did not, for I must acknowledge a corn on one of my
toes. It would have been as much as his life was worth for him to have
trod on it.

"After he had gone I took up the trail again, but more cautiously. In a
short time I had approached within a few hundred yards of the big hill
and found myself in a regular nest of Indians. They seemed to spring up
all around me. All that I could do was to lie still between two rocks.

"At any moment I might be stepped on and discovered. I could see the
hill rising above me in the darkness, with its great crown of white
rock. It was very quiet up there, but once I thought I heard a horse
whinny.

"I was not sure that the boys were the ones that the Apaches had
surrounded, as some soldiers or hunters might be the unfortunate object
of all this attention from the Apaches.

"I was beginning to wonder how I was to get out of my predicament, when
there seemed to be something preparing on the east side of the hill. I
could see dark figures creeping up that side, keeping under the cover of
the rocks as much as they could.

"I wanted to give the defenders of the fort some signal of warning, but
I was perfectly helpless, but I soon found that whoever was on guard was
not to be caught napping.

"For a succession of shots came from the top of the rock fort.

"'No, you don't,' I heard a familiar voice. 'You boys can go right home
and go to sleep.' It was Jim and it was all that I could do to keep from
giving him a cheer.

"But if I was going to be of any help to them, I must get out of the
situation with a whole scalp. So I took advantage of this diversion to
get out of the vicinity of the Apaches.

"In a few minutes I was free of their lines and was making my way back
through the valley, and crossing over the bridge, I approached the place
where I had left Tom.

"My mind was so engrossed with my plans for the morrow that I did not
realize that I was so close to the camp until I heard, 'Halt, who's
that?' From the tone I judged Tom was alarm