The  solitary  pursuer  had  not  penetrated  far
among  the  foothills,  when,  as  he  anticipated,  a
point  was  reached  where  his  pony  could  be  of  no
further  use  to  him.  Accordingly  he  dismounted,
removed  the  saddle  and  bridle  and  turned  him
loose,  to  wander  at  will,  until  he  should  come  back
to  claim  him.
From  the  point  where  he  left  his  animal  to  where
he  believed  the  Apaches  were  gathered  was  hardly
a  mile,  but  the  distance  was  traversed  with  such  ex-
treme care,  that  the  long,  hot  afternoon  was  draw-
ing to  a  close  before  he  was  near  his  destination.
Well  aware  that  the  slightest  mistake  on  his  part
would  be  fatal,  he  determined  to  make  none,  if


AN  APACHE  SIGNAL.  175

patience,  caution  and  circumspection  could  pre-
vent it.
That  stealthy  advance  among  the  stunted  vege-
tation, over  and  around  vast  rocks,  down  declivities,
gullies  and  gorges,  through  hollows  and  ravines  and
up  abrupt  slopes,  was  enough  to  try  the  endurance
and  nerve  of  the  bravest  man.  His  vision  was  so
circumscribed  that  he  often  failed  to  see  a  dozen
feet  in  advance,  and  he  never  caught  sight  of  a
boulder  or  rock,  that  he  did  not  ask  himself  whether
one  or  more  of  his  enemies  was  not  kneeling
behind  it,  with  leveled  Winchester,  awaiting  just
such  an  opportunity  to  bring  him  down.
He  could  no  longer  detect  anything  of  the  signal
fire  that  was  the  means  of  bringing  him  thither,

Cj  V_?  *

and  he  believed  it  had  been  extinguished  ;  but  when
he  was  congratulating  himself  on  his  success,  he  was
startled  to  find  that,  without  any  thought  on  his
part,  he  had  struck  the  trail  of  Maroz  and  Ceballos.
