er up that slope he would do worse than make a mistake--he
would be facing a double peril.

What fearless horsemen these Indians were! Shadd was mounted, as were
three others of his gang. Evidently the white men, the outlaws, were the
ones on foot. Shefford thrilled and his veins stung when he saw these
pursuers come passing what he considered the danger mark. But manifestly
they could not see their danger. Assuredly they were aware of the chasm;
however, the level upon which they were advancing narrowed gradually,
and they could not tell that very soon they could not go any farther nor
could they turn back. The alternative was to climb the slope, and that
was a desperate chance.

They came up, now about on a level with Shefford, and perhaps three
hundred yards distant. He gripped his rifle with a fatal assurance that
he could kill one of them now. Still he waited. Curiosity consumed
him because every foot they advanced heightened their peril. Shefford
wondered if Shadd would have chosen that course if he had not supposed
the Navajo had chosen it first. It was plain that one of the walking
Piutes stooped now and then to examine the rock. He was looking for some
faint sign of a horse track.

Shadd halted within two hundred yards of where Shefford lay hidden. His
keen eye had caught the significance of the narrowing level before he
had reached the end. He pointed and spoke. Shefford heard his voice.
The others replied. They all looked up at the steep slope, down into
the chasm right below them, and across into the cedars. The Piute in the
rear succeeded in turning his horse, went back, and began to circle
up the slope. The others entered into an argument and they became more
closely grouped upon the narrow bench. Their mustangs were lean, wiry,
wild, vicious, and Shefford calculated grimly upon what a stampede might
mean in that position.

Then Shadd turned his mustang up the slope. Like a goat he climbed.
Another Indian in the rear succeeded in pivoting his steed and started
back, apparently to circle round and up. The others of the gang appeared
uncertain. They yelled hoarsely at Shadd, who halted on the steep slant
some twenty paces above them. He spoke and made motions that evidently
meant the climb was easy enough. It looked easy for him. His dark face
flashed red in the rays of the sun.

At this critical moment Shefford decided to fire. He meant to kill
Shadd, hoping if the leader was gone the others would aban