ry Pan itself, had not the Native Son's quick
eyes caught a movement on the rim-rock across the bare, rock-bottomed
basin. He spoke to luck about it, and luck levelled his field glasses
and glimpsed a skulking form up there.

"Hunt yourselves some shelter, boys!" he cried in the sharp tone of
warning. "We'll make sure who's ahead before we go any farther."

They ducked behind rocks or trees and piled off their horses in a burry.
And a scattered fusillade from the rim-rock ahead of them proved how
urgent was their need.

For the first fifteen minutes or so they thought that they were fighting
Ramon and his party, and their keenest emotions were built largely of
resentment, which showed in the booming voice of Big Medicine when he
said grimly:

"Well, I'd jest about as soon pack Ramon in dead, as lead 'im in alive
'n' kickin', by cripes! Which is him, d'yuh reckon?"

From behind a rock shield luck was studying the ledge. "They're
Injuns--or there are Injuns in the bunch, at least," he told them after
a moment. "See that sharp point sticking up straight ahead? I saw an
Injun peeking around the edge--to the south. You watch for him, Andy,
and let him have it where he lives next time be sticks his head out." He
swung the glasses slowly, taking every inch of the rim in his field of
vision. As he moved them be named the man he wanted to watch each place
where he had reason to suspect that someone was hiding.

The disheartening part of it was that he needed about a dozen more
men than he had; for the rock wall which was the rim of the Frying-pan
seemed alive with shooters who waited only for a fair target. Then the
Native Son, crouched down between a rock and a clump of brush, turned
his head to see what his horse was looking at, back whence they had
come.

"Look behind you, Luck," he advised with more calmness than one would
expect of a man in his straits. "They're back in the pines, too."

"Fight 'em off--and take care that your backs don't show to those babies
on the rim-rocks," he ordered instantly, thrusting his glasses into
their case and snatching his rifle from its boot on the saddle. "They
won't tackle coming across that bare hollow, even if they can get down
into it without breaking their necks. Happy, lead your horse in
here between these rocks where mine is. Bud, see if you can get the
pack-horses over there outa sight among those bushes and rocks. We'll
hold 'em off while you fix the horses--can't let ours