"That's about it," was the cowboy's laconic answer.

CHAPTER XVII

THE RESCUE

Ruth and Alice gasped convulsively, and then urged their horses nearer
to their father's mount. Russ and Paul looked curiously, and a bit
apprehensively, at each other. As for Baldy, he sat confronting the
tall, thin Indian who had announced the ultimatum of his tribe.

"What are you going to do?" asked Russ of the cowboy.

"Will we have to stay here?" Paul wanted to know.

"Oh, that would be impossible," objected Mr. DeVere. "I would not allow
my daughters to remain out over night."

Baldy moved uneasily in his saddle.

"I sort of got you into this trouble," he said, apologetically, "and I
guess I'll have to get you out. We'll have a talk among ourselves," he
went on. "Some of these fellows understand English, and it's just as
well to be on the safe side."

Then, turning to the Indian, Baldy said:

"We go for pow-wow!"

"Ugh!" was the answer. The Indian then made a sign to his followers, at
the same time calling something to them in a high-pitched voice.

"What is he saying?" asked Alice, as she and the others moved off to one
side.

"He's postin' guard so we can't sneak off, and go down to the plain
again," explained Baldy. "There's only one way off, and that's the way
we came. He's going to guard that way."

"Oh!" cried Ruth, apprehensively.

"Now don't you go to worrying, little girl," said Baldy, quickly. "This
will come out all right. I got you into this mess, and I'll get you out.
There's a bigger band of the Injuns than I calculated on, though," he
added, ruefully, "and they're not in the best of tempers, either."

"Is--er--is there any real danger?" ventured Mr. DeVere.

"No, I'm sure they won't do anything rash, even if they insist on
keepin' us here until their ceremonies are over," replied Baldy. "But
they won't do that, if I can help it."

Some of the Indians went back into the huts, where they had apparently
been resting in preparation for the coming rites. Others moved off
toward the grove where the horses were tethered, evidently to mount
guard against the escape of their prisoners. Then the chief, if such he
was, went into a hut that stood apart from the others.

Baldy led his friends to a secluded place, under the shade of a clump of
stunted trees, and then, after carefully looking about, to make sure
there were no listening Indians, he said:

"Now we'll consider what's best to do!"

"Woul