h showing him the lake right ahead, and enabling him
to turn a little off to the left, so as to pass its end.

He knew now that the pealing thunder would effectually prevent the
Indians from hearing him, but the lightning was a terrible danger when
it lit up the plains; and as he peered ahead, he fully expected to see a
body of horsemen riding to cut him off. But no; he went on through the
storm at a good swinging gallop, having his steed well now in hand, a
few pats on its arching neck and some encouraging words chasing away its
dread of the lightning, which grew more vivid and the thunder more awful
as he rode on.

After a time he heard a low rushing, murmuring sound in the intervals
when the thunder was not bellowing, so that it seemed to rock the very
foundations of the earth. It was a strange low murmur, that sounded
like the galloping of horsemen at a great distance; and hearing this,
Bart went off at a stretching gallop, crashing through bushes and tall
fleshy plants, some of which pierced the stout leggings that he wore,
giving him painful thrusts from their thorns, till, all at once, the
rushing sound as of horsemen ceased, and he realised the fact that it
was the noise of a storm of rain sweeping across the plain, borne upon
the wind to fall almost in sheets of water, though he passed quite upon
its outskirts, and felt only a few heavy pattering drops.

He had passed the end of the lake in safety, and was beginning to be
hopeful that he would escape the Indians altogether, but still he could
not understand how it was that the little dismounted body of men had not
spread the alarm, for he knew that they must have seen him, the ball of
light that struck the rock having lit up everything, and he knew that he
seemed to be standing out in the middle of a regular glare of light; but
after the deafening crash that followed he had heard no more--no distant
shouts--no war-whoop. They would be sure to communicate with their
nearest scouts, and their bodies of mounted men would have begun to
scour the plain in spite of the storm; for he could not think that the
Apaches, who were constantly exposed to the warfare of the elements,
would be too much alarmed to attempt the pursuit.

"They would not be more cowardly than I am," he said with a half laugh,
as he galloped on, with Black Boy going easily, and with a long swinging
stride that carried him well over the plain, but whether into safety or
danger he could not tel