"

He waded ashore, and shook himself like a dog.

"I didn't hear 'em until they were right on top of me; and I couldn't
get away without being seen," said he; "so I just waded out and imitated
a rock with my head."

We roared with laughter by way of relief.

"It isn't the first time, Johnny," said I.

"That's all right," put in Missouri Jones. "This is no joke. They got
three of our hosses."

Then he told us his experience.

"I was just a-browning of the venison," he explained, "when I happened
to look up, and thar was three of our hosses running off, tails up, and
a half dozen Injuns a hoss-back driving 'em. I let drive with old Betsey
and Johnny's gun, but they was about out of range. While I was looking
after them about forty Injuns went past sky-hootin'. I suppose they
thought the first lot had all the hosses, and so they didn't stop. The
rest of the hosses, luckily, was asleep behind the cottonwoods. You bet
I didn't call their attention to myself."

He exhibited the greatest satisfaction when he learned that we had
accounted for four.

"That's something like Injun fighting," he observed, "though these are a
pore, spiritless lot. The whole bag ain't worth more than one of them
good hosses."

We did no more gold washing that day, but remained close in camp,
consumed with anxiety for our companions. From time to time we fired a
rifle, with the idea of warning them that something was amiss. The
remaining half-dozen horses we ran into the corral.

Night fell and still the hunters did not return. We were greatly alarmed
and distressed, but we could not think of anything to do, for we had not
the least idea in what direction to look.

"Bagsby and Yank are old hands," speculated Missouri Jones consolingly.
"And the fact that Injuns is abroad would make them slow and careful."

None of us felt like turning in. We all sat outside on the ground around
a little fire.

Toward midnight we heard voices; and a moment later Yank and Bagsby
strode in out of the darkness.

"Where's McNally?" Yank instantly demanded. "Hasn't he come in yet?"

We told him we had seen nothing of the missing man.

"Well, he'll drift in pretty soon," said Bagsby. "We lost him in the
darkness not two hours back."

They set to frying some venison steak. Excitedly and in antiphony Johnny
and I detailed the day's adventure. Both the backwoodsmen listened in
silence, but without suspending their cooking.

"They didn't bother McNally,