“They were at it again, that’s what!” replied the vidette, bitterly; and somehow Adrian could see that he looked peeved, as well as puzzled; as though there were certain features connected with the happening that did not altogether please him.
“The reds, you mean?” Adrian went on to ask.
“Sure thing, Ad.”
“That looks like they meant to have our horses by fair means or foul; and I just reckon we’ll have to sit up the rest of the night, so’s to be ready to pick off the first brave who shows himself,” Adrian ventured.
Billie managed to reach them just then, and of course he was brimming over with a desire to know all that had happened. But then any one would have felt that way, after being so rudely awakened from a most enjoyable sleep, and compelled to
crawl out from under his warm blanket, to experience the chill of the night air.
“Is he dead?” he asked, solemnly.
“Meaning the Injun that gave that screech, I suppose you’re asking about, Billie?” Donald went on to say, still gloomily, Adrian thought. “Well make your mind easy, for he got away, all right; though he certainly did let out a yelp that told he’d been pinked by that lead pellet.”
“You are sure of that, are you, Donald?” demanded Billie, giving an audible sigh of relief; for he had fully expected that he would be compelled to look upon the stiffening figure of a wretched Apache young brave who had been tempted to stray from the reservation, and try what it felt like to pick up the old pursuits of Geronimo, the fierce chief who gave the soldiers so much trouble years back.
“Well, I can tell you this,” replied the other; “as soon as the shot came he let out a whoop that had a lot of pain back of it. Then he limped across that little open piece yonder where the moonlight falls on the ground. I reckon his mate was waiting there in the shadows for him, with their own hosses; because I saw the one that was hurt climb on the back of a pony, whirl the animal around, and vanish in the shadows like a ghost. I lifted my gun to shoot, but thought it would be only throwing good lead away, so I held back, hang the luck!”