sible breath of air stirring,
as was told him by the fact that one side of the moistened finger was
slightly chilled. Everywhere, right, left, in front or rear, so far as
the bright moonlight permitted his vision to extend, was the same dead
level of treeless plain. Kneeling down he applied his ear to the ground.
Could it be? There _was_ a sound thus carried to his ears--the very
sound which above all others he dreaded to hear. It was a faint, almost
inaudible, tapping upon the earth. Far away it was, but drawing nearer
every minute.

The scout knew what it meant. It was the sound of horse's hoofs!

CHAPTER IV.

OUTWITTED.

"I'll match them Apaches agin the world for shrewd deviltry," exclaimed
Hardynge, unable to suppress his admiration even in the moment which
told him of his own increased personal danger. "By some hook or crook,
the Old Boy only knows what, they've found out my game, and are after
me. Ah! if I only had my mustang, Thundergust, with me!"

Tom now changed his direction more to the north, his intention being to
strike the river much sooner than was his original purpose. It was the
only thing he could do to escape the redskins, who showed such a
wonderful skill in following him up.

As near as he could judge, something like ten miles still intervened
between him and the friendly stream--a distance which he was confident
of passing before daylight, if he did not find his pursuers in his path.
The greatest care was necessary to keep out of the way of these
creatures, and the fugitive had run but a short distance when he paused
and applied his ear to the ground again. Only for an instant, however,
when he bounded up and was off like a shot. The alarming sounds came to
his ear with such distinctness as to prove that the Apaches were close
at hand. Guided by some strange fatality, they were bearing directly
down upon him at full speed. More than all, those pattering footfalls
were such as to indicate that the swarthy horsemen were not approaching
in a compact group. They had separated so as to cover a wide area of
ground, and were advancing in such an array that the difficulty of
escape was increased tenfold. Everything conspired against poor Tom. The
bright moonlight, the broad level stretch of plain, the fact that he was
on foot, and his pursuers, besides being well mounted, were among the
most skillful riders of the Southwest, made his situation about as
desperate as it is possible to imagin