Apaches it was his hope that they would not
follow in pursuit until broad daylight and that it would be noon before
they could reach the Pass. By that time, with or without the mules,
Captain Gwynne would certainly be back. Meanwhile his first duty seemed
to be to get the provisions from the wagon up to the little fastness
among the great bowlders where the children, guarded by poor, trembling
but devoted Kate, were now placidly sleeping--worn out with the fatigue
of their jolting ride from Snow Lake. She kept Black Jim with a loaded
rifle close by the side of the family wagon and prevented his falling
asleep at his post, in genuine darkey fashion, by insisting on his
talking with her in low tones. She kept fretting and worrying about the
absence of the captain and the non-arrival of Manuelito with his wagon.
She asked Jim a hundred questions as to the cause of the delay, but he
could give no explanation. It was with joy inexpressible, therefore,
that she heard Pike's well-known voice hailing them in cheery tones. He
wanted Jim.

[Illustration: HIS FIRST DUTY SEEMED TO BE TO GET THE PROVISIONS FROM
THE WAGON.]

"Where's the captain and the wagon?" demanded Kate in loud whisper.

"Up the road a piece," answered Pike in the most off-hand way
imaginable. "We'll have it here presently but Jim'll have to help. We've
lost a linch-pin in the dark. Come along, Jim."

"Shure you're not going to take Jim away and leave me alone with the
poor children. Oh, corporal, for the love of the blessed saints don't do
that!"

"Sho! Kate. We won't be any distance away and there ain't an Indian
within ten miles. They wouldn't dare come prowling around at night.
Here, you take Jim's gun and blow the top of the head off the first
Apache that shows up. We'll be back in five minutes. How are the
kids--sleeping?"

"Sleeping soundly, God be praised, and never draming of the awful peril
we're in."

"Peril be blowed!" answered Pike stoutly. "We're safer here than we
could be anywhere east of the Verde and as soon as it's good and light
and the horses are rested, we'll be off for the Colorado Chiquito and
leave the Tontos miles behind. Take things easy, old girl, and don't
worry. Come along, Jim."

And so away they went through the inky darkness, plunging along the
rocky and winding path by which they had brought the ambulance up the
steep. Not until they had got down into the road itself did Pike give
his negro comrade an idea of what had