ars and his band began at once to arrange their own camp, for their
morning's march through the pass had been a long and fatiguing one.

If the Apache chief had known a very little more, he would have sent
his best scouts back upon the trail that squad of cavalry had come by,
till he found out whether all who were travelling by that road had
followed it as far as the spring. He might thus have learned something
of special importance to him. Then, at the same time, he would have
sent other scouts back upon his own trail, to see if anybody was
following him, and what for. He might have learned a good deal more
important news in that way.

He did nothing of the kind; and so a very singular discovery was left
for Rita and Ni-ha-be to make, without any help at all.

As they rode out from the narrow pass, down the mountain-side, and came
into the valley, it was the most natural thing in the world for them to
start their swift mustangs on a free gallop; not directly toward the
camping-place, for they knew well enough that no girls of any age would
be permitted to approach very near to warriors gathered in council.
Away to the right they rode, following the irregular curve of the
valley, side by side, managing the fleet animals under them as if horse
and rider were one person.

So it came to pass that before the warriors had completed their task
the two girls had struck the trail along which the blue-coated cavalry
had entered the valley.

"Rita, I see something."

"What is it?"

"Come! See! Away yonder."

Rita's eyes were as good as anybody's, always excepting Apaches' and
eagles', and she could see the white fluttering object at which her
adopted sister was pointing.

The marks of the wheels and all the other signs of that trail, as they
rode along, were quite enough to excite a pair of young ladies who had
never seen a road, a pavement, a sidewalk, or anything of the sort; but
when they came to that white thing fluttering at the foot of a
mesquite-bush they both sprung from their saddles at the same instant.

One, two, three--a good deal dog's-eared and thumb-worn, for they had
been read by every man of the white party who cared to read them before
they were thrown away, but they were very wonderful yet. Nothing of
the kind had ever before been imported into that region of the country.

Ni-ha-be's keen black eyes searched them in vain, one after another,
for anything she had ever seen before.

"Rita, you