The captain shook his head.

"From what I know of the American race, it is unlike them."

"What knowledge have we that they have not maintained such a lookout
and discovered us as soon as we noticed the camp fire itself? They may
have formed an ambuscade at some point further along the trail."

"It is a disturbing possibility and I would be alarmed, but for my
confidence in Vose. He has been through this region so often and knows
these wild people so thoroughly that he could not commit a blunder
like that. It seems to me," added the captain a few minutes, later,
"that he is absent a long time."

"It's tough," remarked Ruggles, "that things are fixed so we won't
have a chance to take any hand in this bus'ness."

The captain looked inquiringly at him and he explained:

"You and Vose have set it up atween you."

"I have told you that if your help is needed, it will be welcome; I
can add nothing to that."

"The captain is right," interposed the parson, "but at the same time,
he can see what a disappointment it is for us."

"I admit that, but we are not out of the woods yet."

Before he could make clear the meaning of this remark, Vose Adams
emerged from the cedars, and the three breathlessly awaited his
coming. He broke into a trot and quickly descended the slope to where
they stood. The expression of his face showed before he spoke that he
brought unwelcome news.

"Confound it!" he exclaimed with a shake of his head, "they're not
there!"

"Then they have gone on up the trail," said the captain inquiringly.

"No; they haven't been there; it isn't their camp."

"Whose is it?"

"Injins; there are five of 'em; they've just had their breakfast and
are gettin' ready to make a start."

"Didn't they see you?"

"That isn't the way I do bus'ness," replied Vose rather loftily; "it's
more'n likely, howsumever, they seen us all awhile ago when we was
further down the trail. They're traveling eastward."

"How can you know that?" asked the parson.

"The Injin that took his dive off the trail 'bout the time the captain
fired off his revolver, was going that way. He b'longed to the party
and was sorter leading 'em; he was a chief or something of the kind."

"Where are their ponies?"

"They haven't any,--leastways he was the only one that had, which is
why I said he was some kind of a chief. We shall hear from 'em agin."

"Why?"

"I mean after they find out about that little row."

"Why need they find out ab