"It was too late for us to get back that night to the camp, as we were about a day"s trip distant. So we decided to make camp in the valley. I was not worried about Jim and Jo, for I felt sure that they could take care of themselves, and I did not really expect them to make the canyon camp either.
"The next day, we hunted slowly down. About noon we started a bunch of goats and they led us a merry chase. At one time I thought we had them cornered. But they were wiser than the hunters, for just as we were in range, they disappeared into a cave in the precipitous wall of rock.
"I decided that we had best be satisfied with our luck, and push on to the camp. It did not take us more than a couple of hours to reach the canyon, but no sooner did we come to the slight trail leading down it, than I made a discovery.
"I jumped hastily off from my horse and examined a footprint in a bit of shelving gravel. A little further on I caught it again.
""Tom," I whispered, "I shall have to scout a little. Here"s a live Apache track only a few minutes old. You stay here and keep watch up the canyon, and I will see what this beggar is up to."
"Silently and stealthily I made my way down the canyon. When I came in sight of the camp the two pack horses were nowhere to be seen. Then I knew what had happened.
"I lost no time in following the Indian, who was was driving off our animals. I hoped to catch him before he got out on the plains, and I caught sight of him after I had gone a half a mile.
"He was a rather short, squat Indian, but powerfully built. I could have shot him in the back, but I hated to do that even to an Apache thief. So I followed quickly on his trail. Once he turned suspiciously, but I dropped instantly to cover.
"With a silent rush I came up behind him and when I was about ten feet away, he turned, and before he had recovered from his instantaneous surprise, I had smashed him down with the b.u.t.t of my rifle.
"My next move was to tie him up good and fast, and then gag him. Then I went back for Tom, who was much relieved to see me.
""Where are the boys?" he inquired anxiously.
""They evidently haven"t returned," I replied, "but I am sure they are all right."
"But I, too, was worried, though I did not wish to alarm Tom. So I put the best face on it that was possible.
""Did you see the Apache?" asked Tom.
""Yes, and fortunately before he saw me," I replied.
""Did you get him?"
""Just in time," I replied, "he was helping himself to our pack animals, when I arrested him with my rifle."
""Where is he now?" Tom inquired.
""Oh, he is down the canyon a ways snugly tied up in a bundle."
"I determined to get some idea of where the missing boys were. So I left Tom to guard the pack animals and I rode down to the mouth of the canyon and found the trail easily, where they had ridden south in the search for antelope.
"I was by this time thoroughly alarmed, and the conviction forced itself on me that they had been killed by the Apaches, but I shook the thought off. I would not have it so.
"That Jim and Jo were in difficulties of some kind was certain, and it was up to me to get them out of it. But what should I do, and where should I look? Then suddenly the problem was solved for me. I had ridden to a place where I could see the whole sweep of plains to the south, but keeping under cover of the growth of oaks that fringed the base of the foot hills, when I saw a war party of Apaches at a distance of several miles, making straight for the mountain.
"Instinctively I recognized their object and I likewise knew that so large a party would not be going back into the mountains so late in the day unless upon some special quest.
"In a short time the whole party of braves had disappeared into a canyon whose location I marked exactly. They have got those boys corraled in there, I said to myself, there is no question about that. I bet they are making a brave fight, those two, but they will have reinforcements pretty soon, or my name is not Captain Graves.
""Did you see any signs of them?" inquired Tom eagerly, as I came up to him.
""I have them located," I replied.
""Where?"
""Only in a general way, but I suspect that the Apaches have them located specifically."
""But not staked out," said Tom.
"A shudder went through me, for Tom did not realize the significance of the phrase with its suggestion of Indian torture.
""No," I said, "they won"t be staked out if the captain is active enough to get around this section of the country."
"I did not like the canyon, where we had made our camp previously, as it seemed to be a thorough-fare for the Apaches, so I decided to make a move even if it was now growing dusk.
""We will make a start this evening, Tom," I said, "this is a pretty situation, but there are some things I don"t like about it."
""All right, captain," he replied, "whatever you say."
"So we started driving our pack horses before us."
CHAPTER VIII
THE CAPTAIN"S SCHEME
"Dusk had fallen as we made our way out of the canyon, and we proceeded slowly along a rather bare and rounding ridge, under the light of the stars.
"From this ridge ran several canyons downwards towards the plains. We pa.s.sed the heads of two of them, and at the third I stopped. This was the one which I had seen the Indians entering from the plain.
""Can you make out anything down there in the darkness, Tom?" I asked.
"Tom peered keenly into the gloom below us.
""I believe I can catch a glimpse of a fire down there," he answered.
"But I did not have to depend on Tom"s eye-sight altogether, for my hearing was acute, even if my sight had become somewhat defective and I was positive that I heard the Apache war cry.
"I determined, however, to make a closer investigation to see exactly how the land lay. There was a possibility that I might be able to reach the boys in the darkness, if they were besieged in the canyon below, as I now felt positive they were.
"The first thing, however, was to find some suitable place for a camp, where I could leave Tom with the horses, while I made my reconnaissance.
"It was somewhat difficult to do in the darkness, but at last I located a camp on the south side of the south ridge of the canyon. There were some great boulders with a semi-circle of trees or brush shutting in one side of the rocks.
"When I had Tom safely ensconced in our new camp, I gave him his orders and started to see what I could discover. I was armed with my revolver and a knife in my belt, as I wanted to be free to move quickly, and to fire instantly.
"I made no noise as I slipped over the ground in my moccasined feet. I could, from long experience, make myself as stealthy and invisible as any Indian and I moved noiselessly down the side of a broad valley, for such it was, rather than a canyon.