About two miles from Neyani’s hogan the horses were reined up and Sid and Scotty dismounted. They were about to vanish into the darkness of the sage, when Big John threw a long leg over the white mustang’s saddle and leaped to the ground.
“Hyar! I’m goin’ to be in on this!” he declared, truculently, handing the Colonel his reins. “Them pesky boys is all right, I’ll admit, to save having it proved on me, but thar’s times when they needs a man around—which same is me!”
Colonel Colvin hesitated a moment. Then—“I guess I can manage the pack train alone, John. You’d better go,” said he at length. “Use no violence, now, unless you have to. I’ll ride the horses slowly toward the Canyon. Good luck to you, boys.”
He waved them a farewell as the three set out. All of them were busily thinking over some plan to rescue Niltci that would work. To steal upon him, even under cover of darkness was playing the Indian’s own game, they knew, a tremendously difficult one for mere whites to succeed at undetected. To make a big detour and come down by way of the sheep corral would be fatal, for the dogs there would surely give a warning. Niltci would undoubtedly be guarded. If they overpowered the guards, it would be known who had kidnaped the prisoner. That would never do!
“As I see it, fellows, the only stunt for us is for one of us to entice Niltci’s guards away for a time, while the other two get to him and cut him loose,” said Sid in low tones as they crept through the sage. “Anyone got any notion of what might attract a Navaho’s curiosity?” he inquired.
There was a silence as the others shook their heads. Then Big John spoke up. “I got a better layout than that, Sid. These Injuns are superstitious, an’ thar’s one thing they’re scairt of wuss than anythin’ else. You-all got plenty of matches?” he asked suddenly.
The boys stopped and got out their emergency kits. Out of each they produced a bundle of about fifty matches. “Ef these was the good old brimstone sticks they’d go better,” said Big John enigmatically, taking them in his big paw, “but I’ll make out with them, all right. You boys run along, now, an’ git as near Niltci’s tree as ye kin. Then lay low and watch my smoke.”
He disappeared into the sage without a further word. Sid and Scotty looked at each other, puzzled, but they knew Big John had a mighty good head on him, and he would be unlikely to try anything that would not work. As they drew near Neyani’s hogan they redoubled their caution, crawling through the sage and taking advantage of every little ridge of rock. At length they were quite near Niltci’s tree and well concealed in a patch of scrub bear grass. They could make out the Indian boy’s blurred form, now, bound upright to the tree. Beside him on the ground squatted two Navaho guards, silent, motionless. They might be dead, for all the movement either made; but that they were quite awake and on watch the boys could not doubt.
For a long time nothing happened. All the desert was still as death, shrouded in the gloom of a faint mist that hung over the barren ground. Overhead the stars swung in their great courses, but their light penetrated but feebly through the dust and mist and haze of smoke that drifted over from the ashes of the great fire.
Then—“Hist!” whispered Scotty, at length, gripping Sid’s arm. “What’s that?”