No answer. Sure that he had heard the gruff, though
inarticulate, voice of his comrade, he hailed again
more loudly than before, and still there came no reply.
Surprised, he stepped quickly back around the rocky
point to where the tents lay under the sheltering cliff,
and came face to face with three dark, shadowy forms,
whose moccasined footsteps gave no sound, whose
masked and blackened faces defied recognition, whose



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FOES IN AMBUSB, 59

cocked revolvers were thrust into his very face before
a lariat settled over his shoulders, snapped into place,
and, yelling for help when help was miles beyond
range of his ringing voice. Sergeant Wing was jerked
violently to earth, dragged into a tent, strapped to a
cot, deftly gagged, and then left to himself. An instant
later the Picacho was lighted up with a lurid, unearthly
glare ; the huge column of sparks went whirling and
hissing up on high, and, far and near, the great beacon
was warning all seers that the fierce Apache was out
in force and raiding the Yuma road.
Away out across the desert its red glare chased the
Concord wagon wherein, all unconscious of the danger
signal, the sisters were now chatting in low tone.
