In the Pecos Country | Page 8

other, and still the advantage was all
upon the side of the latter, who stood in such deep shadow that he was not only invisible,
but his presence was unsuspected.
The Indian was not gazing in the direction of the lad, but seemed to turn his attention
more to the left, toward the spot where Mickey O'Rooney, the Irishman, was stationed. In
ignoring the proximity of a boy, it cannot be said that he acted unreasonably.
Lone Wolf remained like a carven statue for a few seconds longer, and then began a
cautious movement forward. In the moonlight, Fred could observe the motion of the foot,
and the gradual advance of the body. He felt that it would not do to defer any longer his
intention of obstructing him. If permitted to go on in this manner, he might kill Mickey
O'Rooney, and bring down a whole host of red-skins upon the sleeping settlers, cutting
them off to a man.
Fred had his rifle to his shoulder, and pointed toward the Indian. Suddenly stepping
forward, he placed himself in the moonlight, and, with the muzzle of his piece almost at
the breast of the chief, he said:
"Another step forward, and I'll bore you through!"
The lad did not stop to consider whether it was likely that the Indian understood the
English tongue; but, as it happened, Lone Wolf could use it almost as if to the manner
born; and it would have required no profound linguistic knowledge upon the part of
anyone to have comprehended the meaning of the young hero. It was one of those
situations in which gesture told the meaning more plainly than mere words could have
done. But if ever there was an astonished aborigine, Lone Wolf was the same.
It was not often that such a wily warrior as he was caught napping, but he was completely
outwitted on the present occasion. When he saw the muzzle of the rifle pointed straight at

his breast, he knew what it meant, even though the weapon was in the hands of a boy. It
meant that any attempt on his part to raise his gun or draw his tomahawk or knife, would
be met by the discharge of the threatening weapon, and his own passage from time into
eternity. So he stared at the lad a moment, and then demanded in good English:
"What does my brother want?"
"I want you to leave, just as quickly as you know how, and never show yourself here
again."
Lone Wolf's wigwam is many miles away," supplied the Indian, pointing northward, "and
he is on his way there now."
Fred started a little at this terrible chieftain's name; but he held his gun pointed steadily
towards him, determined to fire the instant he attempted the least hostile movement, for
his own salvation depended upon such a prompt check-mating of his enemy.
An Indian is always ready to make the best of his situation, and Lone Wolf saw that he
was fairly caught. Still, he acted cautiously, in the hope of throwing the young hero off
his guard, so as to permit him to crush him as suddenly as if by a panther's spring.
"If your wigwam is there, it is time you were home," said Fred. "We are on the lookout
for such customers as you, and if any of the others see you they won't let you off so easy
as I do. So the best thing is for you to leave."
Lone Wolf made no direct reply to this, except to take a step toward the side of the lad, as
if it were involuntary, and intended to further the convenience of conversation; but Fred
suspected his purpose, and warned him back.
"Lone Wolf, if you want to carry your life away with you, you will go at once. I do n't
want to shoot you, but if you come any nearer or wait any longer, I'll fire. I'm tired of
holding this gun, and it may go off itself."
The Apache chief made no answer, but, with his eyes fixed upon the lad, took a step
backward, as an earnest of his intention of obeying. Reaching the log, he hastily
clambered over it and speedily vanished like a phantom in the gloom of the wood beyond,
leaving the boy master of the field.
CHAPTER V
THE APACHES ARE COMING
As soon as Lone Wolf was out of sight, young Munson stepped back in the shadow of the
wood, and quickly placed himself behind the trunk of a large tree. He had learned the
nature of the Indian race too well for him to give this precious specimen any chance to
circumvent him. Had he remained standing in the moonlight opening, after the Apache
entered the wood, the