se most of us may go off
duty now, for I can't see any Injun out on the plains."

"Yes: hundreds!" said the Beaver, who had been shading his eyes and
gazing attentively over the sunlit expanse of rocky landscape dotted
with trees.

"Where, Beaver?" said Joses.

For answer the chief pointed right away, and both Joses and Bart tried
to make out what he meant, but in vain.

"Your eyes are younger than mine, Bart," said Joses at last, gruffly.
"I can't see nothing--can you?"

"No, Joses," replied Bart. "I can see nothing but trees."

The Beaver smiled.

"Ah, it's all very well for you to laugh," said Joses, bluntly, "but
you've got eyes that see round corners of hills, and through clumps of
wood and bits of mountain. I never saw such eyes in my life."

"My eyes will do," said the Beaver, quietly. "The Apaches are over
yonder. They will be on the watch to carry off the cattle or to kill us
if they can."

"Yes, that's it," said Joses; "if they can."

Without another word, the Beaver and half-a-dozen of his followers went
down the slope, and climbed the stone gateway, to leap into the plain,
where, without a word of instruction, they bore off the body of the
fallen Indian, and buried it down in the rift where the other two had
been laid, after which they returned to partake of the morning meal that
had been prepared--fires being lit in various crevices and chasms off
the zigzag way; and this meal being partaken of in the bright morning
sunshine, seemed to make the dangers of the night appear trifling, and
the spirits of the people rose.

In fact, there was no time for despondency. Every man knew when he came
out to adventure for silver that he would have to run the risk of
encounters with the Indians, and nothing could be more satisfactory than
their position. For they had a stronghold where they could set half the
Indian nations at defiance, while the savages could not hinder their
mining operations, which could be continued on the mountain if they were
invested, and at the edge of the canyon or down below, where there was
nothing to fear.

The greatest danger was with respect to the cattle, which had to be
drawn out to pasture along near the side of the lake, and this was done
at once, every available man mounting his horse and forming guard, so as
to protect the cattle and pasture his horse at the same time.

This was carried on for some days, and a careful watch was kept out
towards the plain; but th