now he is good."

CHAPTER XX

The trees to which Bill and his two mates had been tied by the Lipans
were so situated that all that they needed was to turn their heads in
order to have a good view of what was doing on the plain to the
westward. They saw their captors ride out, and heard their whoops and
yells of self-confidence and defiance.

"Don't I wish I was with the boys just now!" growled Bill.

"Three more good rifles'd be a good thing for 'em."

"Skinner'll fight, you see'f he don't. He'll stop some of that
yelling."

"He's great on friendship and compromise," groaned Bill. "He may think
it's good-sense not to shoot first."

The three gazed anxiously out toward the scene of the approaching
conflict, if there was to be one. They could not see the advance of
their comrades, but they knew they were coming.

"Hark!" suddenly exclaimed Bill. "That's the boys. Opened on 'em.
Oh, don't I wish I was thar!"

The other two could hardly speak, in their excitement and disgust. It
was a dreadful thing for men of their stamp to be tied to trees while a
fight was going on which might decide whether they were to live or die.

Suddenly a squad of Lipans came dashing in. The cords that bound them
were cut--all but those on their hands--and they were rudely lifted
upon bare-backed ponies and led rapidly away to the front of the battle.

They could not understand a word of the fierce and wrathful talking
around them, but the gesticulations of the warriors were plainer than
their speech. Besides, some of them were attending to wounds upon
their own bodies or those of others. Some were on foot, their ponies
having been shot under them. More than all, there were warriors lying
still upon the grass who would never again need horses.

"It's been a sharp fight," muttered Bill, "for a short one. I wonder
if any of the boys went under? What are they gwine to do with us?"

A tall Lipan sat on his horse in front of him, with his long lance
levelled, as if only waiting the word of command to use it. It
remained to be seen whether or not the order would be given, for now
To-la-go-to-de himself was riding slowly out to meet Captain Skinner.

"He can't outwit the Captain," said one of the miners. "Shooting first
was the right thing to do this time. Skinner doesn't make many
mistakes."

It was their confidence in his brains, rather than in his bones and
muscles, which made his followers obey him, and they we