Here he
waited.

Chiquita watched Colorow disappear down the gulch and divined his
purpose, then returned to see Jack as he awakened and witness his
surprise at having so forgotten his prudence.

Picking up his rifle and skins Jack started swiftly down the gulch,
intending to follow the one selected by Colorow, as he had some venison
protected by two big traps and was certain to get at least a bobcat
there.

But at the last moment he changed his mind or neglected to watch the
trail and entered the left-hand gulch.

It was getting late when he discovered his error, but decided not to
retrace his steps, and the ridge was too precipitous to climb at that
point.

Chiquita followed Jack to Pony Creek and on down to where it joined Rock
Creek. Then Jack went to his cabin and Chiquita to the Indian village,
where she later saw Colorow come in, baffled in his mission, at least
for the time being.

Jack now thoroughly realized the dangerous position in which he was
placed and made up his mind to protect himself very carefully against
any mishap. He knew that Colorow would not dare to attack him openly,
and that safety depended on constantly guarding against all chance of
surprise.

"Jack is heap glad to hear Chiquita tell of how she watches for the
white man's safety. Does Chiquita sabe?" said Jack in a half apologetic
manner, speaking abstractedly and not knowing what was best to say under
the circumstances. His mind was taken up with the uncertainties of "good
Indians." He wanted to trust Yamanatz and Chiquita, but did not know how
far either one would dare to go in their evident desire to protect him.
His recent talk with Yamanatz, of less than a week before, was pictured
vividly in Chiquita's story of her long day's tramp and vigil over him,
and he knew that if Colorow made any attempt at his life in the presence
of either Chiquita or Yamanatz, they might resist, but even their
resistance would possibly be unavailing.

Making an early start on the day following to go the reversed route of
the trip during which he had taken the nap Chiquita had so graphically
described, Jack found himself in the gulch where the venison lay and a
couple of bobcats in the traps near the carcasses. Killing and skinning
these took some time, and with the heavy pelts added to a haunch of deer
meat, Jack found it no easy task to climb to the top of the snowy ridge,
down which he must go in order to reach camp. The frozen, well-worn
trai