ent upon him a reproving look.

"Thar you are, Tom!" he said, "talkin' 'us to death ag'in. Can't you
ever give your tongue no rest?"

Silent Tom blushed once more under his tan, but said nothing, abashed by
his comrade's stern rebuke.

"Yes, I kin see Braxton Wyatt an' his band stalkin' us," resumed
Shif'less Sol, having the floor, or rather the earth, again to himself.
"Braxton's heart is full o' unholy glee. He is sayin' to hisself that we
can't git away from him this time, that he's stretched 'bout us a ring,
through which we'll never break. He's laughin' to hisself jest az we
laugh to ourselves, though with less cause. He's sayin' that he an' his
warriors will set down at a safe distance from our rifles an' wait
patiently till we starve to death or give up an' trust ourselves to his
tender mercy. He's braggin' to hisself 'bout his patience, how he kin
set thar fur a month, ef it's needed, an' I kin read his mind. He's
thinkin' that even ef we give up it won't make no diff'unce. Our scalps
will hang up to dry jest the same, an' he will take most joy in lookin'
at yours, Henry, your ha'r is so fine an' so thick an' so yellow, an' he
hez such a pizen hate o' you."

"Your fancy is surely alive tonight, Sol," said Henry, "and I believe
the thought of Braxton Wyatt's disappointment later on is what has
stirred it up so much."

"I 'low you're right, Henry, but I'm thinkin' 'bout the grief o' that
villain, Blackstaffe, too. Oh, he'll be a terrible sorrowful man when
the net's closed, an' he finds thar's nothin' in it. It will be the
great big disappointment o' his life an' I 'low it will be some time
afore Moses Blackstaffe kin recover from the blow."

The silent laugh again overspread the countenance of the shiftless one
and lingered there. It was one of the happiest moments that he had ever
known. There was no malice in his nature, but he knew the renegades were
hunting for his life with a vindictiveness and cruelty surpassing that
of the Indians themselves, and he would not have been true to human
nature had he not obeyed the temptation to rejoice.

"A half hour more and Sunday will have passed," said Henry, who was
again attentively surveying the man in the moon.

"An' then," said Long Jim, "we'll take a look at what them fellers are
doin'."

"It will be a good move on our part, and if we can think of any device
to make 'em sure we're still in the hollow it will help still more."

"Which means," said Paul, "