like a draught of water to the fever-parched
patient.

He had lain on the ground under the protecting shadow of a rock but a
short time when his eye rested upon something which convinced him that
he was not the only one in the valley. Looking dreamily off toward the
west, up the valley, with the mountains sloping down on the right and
left, he noticed what at first seemed a thin bluish cloud, resting
against the sky. Then he observed that its form was a little out of the
usual order, it being column-shaped, tall, and like a shaft of almost
invisible vapor, thrown against the white background beyond.

"That ain't a cloud," he suddenly exclaimed, starting to his feet and
scrutinizing it more closely. "It's the smoke from a camp fire and I've
got to go right by it."

There could be no doubt of the truth of what he said, and he became
deeply interested.

"I wonder whether they're Indians or white men? I suppose it's most
likely they are Apaches, and they may be Lone Wolf and his companions.
I've got to keep a sharp lookout and keep from running into them. If
they are white hunters, that I've heard are sometimes in these
mountains, it will be a lucky thing for me."

Somehow or other he became impressed with the idea that the camp fire
ahead of him was that of friends instead of enemies--that the assistance
which he so sorely needed was thus placed within his reach. He had
learned, long before, that one is apt to miscalculate the distance when
placed as he was; but, making allowance for all that, he was confident
that the camp fire was not more than a mile away. Yielding to a natural
curiosity to learn its meaning, he shortened the hour which he had
intended to devote to rest, and started ahead again.

Once or twice it seemed to him that he had dropped into some sort of
trail, which he was following. Here and there were traces showing that
the route had been traveled before. It seemed to be one of those natural
roads or passes which are found at intervals in all great mountain
chains, and without which, many of of them for vast distances would be
literally impassable for man or animal.

The conviction that he was not the pioneer over that section caused the
young wanderer some misgivings and suggested several discomforting
questions. If Apaches had used the trail already, might not some of them
be upon it? If some of them were coming from the opposite direction, how
was he to avoid running into their arms? These quer