round him for aught he knew; and as he thought it
possible that one of the dismounted bodies might be creeping up towards
the gateway close beneath the rocks, he found himself hoping that the
party had gone in and were blocking up the entrance well with stones.

The darkness was terrible, and still there was a strange lurid aspect
above him, showing dimly the edge of the top of the mountain. That
there was going to be a storm he felt sure--everything was so still, the
heat was so great, and the strange oppression of the air foretold its
coming; but he hoped to be far on his way and beyond the Indians ere it
came, for the flashes of lightning might betray him to the watchful eyes
of the enemy, and then he knew it meant a ride for life, as it would not
take the Apaches long to mount.

All at once, as he was riding cautiously along, his rifle slung behind
him, and his head bent forward to peer into the darkness, there was a
sharp flash, and what seemed to be a great star of fire struck the rock,
shedding a brilliant light which revealed all around for a short
distance, as if a light had suddenly appeared from an opening in the
mountain; and then, close in beneath where the electric bolt had struck,
he could see a knot of about a dozen Indians, who uttered a tremendous
yell as they caught sight of him, making Black Boy tear off at full
speed, while the next moment there was a deafening crash, and it seemed
to Bart that a huge mass of the mountain-side had fallen crumbling down.

That one flash which struck the mountain seemed as if it had been the
signal for the elements to commence their strife, for directly after the
heavens were in a blaze. Forked lightning darted here and there; the
dense clouds opened and shut, as if to reveal the wondrously vivid
glories beyond, and the thunder kept up a series of deafening peals that
nearly drove the little steed frantic.

As to his direction, Bart was ignorant. All he knew was that he ought
to have ridden some distance farther before turning off, but that awful
flash had made the cob turn and bound away at once; and as far as the
rider could make out, they were going straight for the lake with the
dismounted Indians running and yelling madly behind.

At least that was what he fancied, for, as he listened, all he could
hear was the deafening roar of the thunder, and the sharp crackling
sound of the lightning as it descended in rugged streaks, or ran along
the ground, one flas