"Is it not?"
"Magnificent," Fray Antonio went on, enthusiastically.
"Yes, and you would not be vexed if I let you mount it, to fly more rapidly, eh?"
"Oh! do not think that," he said, with a gesture of denial.
"Enough!" the Scalper roughly interrupted; "Think of yourself, for your enemies are coming."
With one bound he was in the saddle, made his horse curvet, and hid himself behind the enormous stem of the mahogany tree.
Fray Antonio, aroused by the approach of danger, quickly seized his rifle, and also got behind the tree.
At the same moment a rather loud rustling was heard in the bushes, which then parted, and several men appeared.
They were about fifteen in number, and Apache warriors; in the midst of them were Blue-fox, John Davis, and his companions.
Blue-fox, though he had never found himself face to face with the White Scalper, had often heard him spoken of, both by Indians and hunters; hence, when he heard him pronounce his name, an indescribable agony contracted his heart, as he thought of all the cruelty to which his brothers had been victims from this man; and the thought of seizing him occurred to him. He hastened to give the signal agreed on with the hunters, and rushing through the chaparral with the velocity characteristic of Indians, went to the spot where his warriors were waiting, and bade them follow him. On his return, he met the two hunters who had heard the signal, and were hurrying to his help.