alone a stranger.

"They'll kiver therselves with grass, and lay on the ground all day,
without movin', waitin' for a party to pass. I've been within ten foot of
one myself, and seed him, too, and thought 'twas a part of the rock he
was lying agin.

"I tell yer, them fellers's smarter'n a whip! They be, sartin, now."

"Well," said Ned, who had been listening attentively to Jerry's
description of the Apache character, "if I'd had any idea these Indians
were half as smart as you say they are, I'd rather have stayed in Texas
than started on the trip."

"I wouldn't," declared Hal. "I've had about as much experience with 'em
as anybody in the party, and I don't believe they're half as smart as you
make 'em out. At any rate, I wouldn't be afraid to put my brain against
theirs."

"Put your what, youngster?" inquired Jerry, in such an incredulous tone,
that we all burst into a hearty laugh, in the midst of which Hal retired,
leaving Jerry, Ned, and myself to continue the Apache question alone.

"You may depend on't, we ain't a-goin' ter git through this blasted
country without more'n one brush with them fellers; and my way is ter
keep our ears and eyes open, our rifles and pistols well loaded, and meet
'em when they come;--for come they will, sartin," said Jerry.

"Well, you must adopt such precautions and make such rules as you think
proper," was my reply. "We'll all obey them."

"I'll set ther guard ter-night, and yer may ez well turn in now, 'cause
we must make a early start."

We had hardly been on the road an hour the next day, before we observed
one of the remarkable signal-smokes (used by the Apaches to give warning
of the approach of strangers into their country), suddenly shoot up into
the air from a spur of the mountains several miles distant.

Although the morning was windy, the smoke arose in a straight column to a
great height, then spread out like a huge umbrella at the top, and, in
the twinkling of an eye, was gone.

"That means 'look out,' plain enuff, don't it?" asked Jerry. "That's what
I call telegraphin'. Now, putty soon you'll see some more answerin' of
'em."

"Do you know what that means?" inquired Ned.

"That means, 'Strangers is comin'.' If they'd repeated it three or four
times, it would have said, 'The party's a big one, and wants watchin'.'
But they're so fur off, I reckon they'll send two or three spies in ter
see how many thar is of us, afore we shall hear from 'em. Hilloa! there
the