alvo's at once. How could those Indians have got over that
way?"

"It is beyond me to say, sir. I didn't know they ever went west of the
Santa Maria."

"I can hardly believe it now, but there's no doubting that signal; it
is to call us thither at all speed wherever we may be, and means only
one thing,--'Apaches here.' Sergeant Wing is not the man to get
stampeded. Can they have jumped the stage, do you think, or attacked
some of Ceralvo's people?"

"Lord knows, sir. I don't see how they could have swung around there;
there's nothing to tempt them along that range until they get to the
pass itself. They must have come around south of Moreno's."

"I think not, sergeant."

The words were spoken in a very quiet voice. Drummond turned in
surprise, his foot in the stirrup, and looked at the speaker, a
keen-eyed trooper of middle age, whose hair was already sprinkled with
gray.

"Why not, Bland?"

"Because we have been along the range for nearly fifty miles below
here, sir, and haven't crossed a sign, and because I understand now
what I couldn't account for at two o'clock,--what I thought must be
imagination."

"What was that?"

"Smoke, sir, off towards the Gila, north of Ceralvo's, I should say,
just about north of west of where we are."

"Why didn't you report it?"

"You were asleep, sir, and by the time I got the glasses and looked it
had faded out entirely; but it's my belief the Indians are between us
and the river, or were over there north of Ceralvo's to-day. If not
Indians, who?"

"You ride with me, Bland. I'll talk with you further about this. Come
on with the men as soon as you have the packs ready, sergeant." And so
saying, Lieutenant Drummond mounted and rode slowly down the winding
trail among the boulders. At the foot of the slope, where the water
lay gleaming in its rocky bed, he reined his horse to the left to give
him his fill of the pool, and here the trooper addressed as Bland
presently joined him.

"Where was it you enlisted, Bland?" was the younger soldier's first
question. "I understand you are familiar with all this country."

"At Tucson, sir, six months ago, after the stage company discharged
me."

"I remember," was the answer, as the lieutenant gently drew rein to
lift his horse's head. "I think you were so frank as to give the
reason of your quitting their employment."

"Well, there was no sense trying to conceal it, or anything else a man
may do out here, lieutenant. They fire