While he had been speaking, all had reloaded their rifles.
"You had best go across and talk it over with Harry, chief, and consart measures with him for getting out of this fix. Those red-skins have got a bad scare, but you may bet they ain't gone far; and they have lost six of their bucks now beside what the others shot before, and it ain't in Indian natur for them to put up with such a loss as that." He had been looking at the rock as he spoke, and turning round uttered an exclamation of surprise, for the chief was no longer there. Looking down they saw that he had managed to make his way down the face of the cliff, and in another two minutes was ascending the rock. There he stood for some time in earnest conversation with the whites, and then returned to the ledge.
"Trouble over horses," he said.
"Ay, ay, I reckoned that was what you was talking over. There ain't no going back for them now."
The chief shook his head. "'Rappahoes keep watch," he said, "cannot go till night to fetch horses. All lie here to-day, go across to rock when darkness comes, then white men go up valley till get to trees an hour's march away; can see them from rock. Get in among trees and work up into hills. Leaping Horse and Hunting Dog cross river, go down other side past 'Rappahoes, then cross back and get into cañon, drive horses up. White men meet them up in mountains."
"That seems a good plan enough, chief. That is, if you can get out at the other end of the cañon."
"Cañon little up high," the chief replied. "Find some place to climb."
"But they may find the horses to-day."
The Indian nodded. "May find, perhaps not."
"Why should we not go across to the rock at once, chief?"