They were returning to their camping-place, when Ben exclaimed that he heard the sound of horses' hoofs. All stopped to listen.
"There are not more than three of them," Ben said, "and they are coming along at a canter. I don't expect we shall hear anything of the red-skins until tomorrow morning."
They heard the horses enter the cañon, then Jerry shouted: "Are you all right, Harry?"
"Yes; the red-skins were all quiet when we came away. Why, where are you?" he shouted again when he came up to the fire.
"A hundred yards farther on I will show you a light."
Two or three blazing brands were brought up. Harry and the Indians had dismounted at the first fire, and now led their horses up to the stone barrier.
"What on arth have you lit that other fire for, Jerry?" Harry asked as he stopped at the foot of the barrier.
"Because we shall sleep a dog-goned sight better with it there. As like as not they may send on two or three young warriors to scout. It is as black as a wolf's mouth, and we might have sat listening all night, and then should not have heard them. But with that fire there they dare not come on, for they would know they could not pass it without getting a bullet in them."
"Well, it is a very good idea, Jerry; I could not think what was up when I got there and did not see anybody. I see you have another fire over the other side. I could make it out clear enough as we came on."
"It will burn down a bit presently," Jerry said. "I should not try to get those horses up here now, Harry. It was a bad place to come up in daylight, and like enough they would break their legs if they tried it now. They will do just as well there as they would on this side, and you can get them over as soon as the day breaks."