〃Otra　vez！〃　yells　I　again。
  〃Boom！〃　says　the　Ole　Virginia。
  This　was　the　biggest　shot　of　the　lot；　and　she　surely　cut　loose。
  I　ought　to　have　been　half…way　up　the　bill　watching　things　from　a
  safe　distance；　but　I　wasn't。　　Lucky　for　me　the　shaft　was　a　little
  on　the　drift；　so　she　didn't　quite　shoot　my　way。　　But　she
  distributed　about　a　ton　over　those　renegades。　　They　sort　of　half
  got　to　their　feet　uncertain。
  〃Otra　vez！〃　yells　I　once　more；　as　bold　as　if　I　could　keep　her
  shooting　all　day。
  It　was　just　a　cold；　raw　blazer；　and　if　it　didn't　go　through　I
  could　see　me　as　an　Apache　parlour　ornament。　　But　it　did。　　Those
  Chiricahuas　give　one　yell　and　skipped。　　It　was　surely　a　funny
  sight；　after　they　got　aboard　their　war　ponies；　to　see　them　trying
  to　dig　out　on　horses　too　tired　to　trot。
  I　didn't　stop　to　get　all　the　laughs；　though。　　In　fact；　I　give　one
  jump　off　that　ledge；　and　I　lit　a…running。　　A　quarter…hoss
  couldn't　have　beat　me　to　that　shack。　There　I　grabbed　old
  Meat…in…the…pot　and　made　a　climb　for　the　tall　country；　aiming　to
  wait　around　until　dark；　and　then　to　pull　out　for　Benson。　　Johnny
  Hooper　wasn't　expected　till　next　day；　which　was　lucky。　　From
  where　I　lay　I　could　see　the　Apaches　camped　out　beyond　my
  draw；　and　I　didn't　doubt　they'd　visited　the　place。　　Along　about
  sunset　they　all　left　their　camp；　and　went　into　the　draw；　so
  there；　I　thinks；　I　sees　a　good　chance　to　make　a　start　before
  dark。　　I　dropped　down　from　the　mesa；　skirted　the　butte；　and
  angled　down　across　the　country。　　After　I'd　gone　a　half　mile　from
  the　cliffs；　I　ran　across　Johnny　Hooper's　fresh　trail　headed
  towards　camp！
  My　heart　jumped　right　up　into　my　mouth　at　that。　Here　was　poor　old
  Johnny；　a　day　too　early；　with　a　pack…mule　of　grub；　walking
  innocent　as　a　yearling；　right　into　the　bands　of　those　hostiles。
  The　trail　looked　pretty　fresh；　and　Benson's　a　good　long　day　with
  a　pack　animal；　so　I　thought　perhaps　I　might　catch　him　before　he
  runs　into　trouble。　　So　I　ran　back　on　the　trail　as　fast　as　I　could
  make　it。　　The　sun　was　down　by　now；　and　it　was　getting　dusk。
  I　didn't　overtake　him；　and　when　I　got　to　the　top　of　the　canon　I
  crawled　along　very　cautious　and　took　a　look。　　Of　course；　I
  expected　to　see　everything　up　in　smoke；　but　I　nearly　got　up　and
  yelled　when　I　see　everything　all　right；　and　old　Sukey；　the
  pack…mule；　and　Johnny's　hoss　hitched　up　as　peaceful　as
  babies　　to　the　corral。
  〃THAT'S　all　right！〃　thinks　I；　〃they're　back　in　their　camp；　and
  haven't　discovered　Johnny　yet。　　I'll　snail　him　out　of　there。〃
  So　I　ran　down　the　hill　and　into　the　shack。　　Johnny　sat　in　his
  chairwhat　there　was　of　him。　　He　must　have　got　in　about　two
  hours　before　sundown；　for　they'd　had　lots　of　time　to　put　in　on
  him。　　That's　the　reason　they'd　stayed　so　long　up　the　draw。　　Poor
  old　Johnny！　　I　was　glad　it　was　night；　and　he　was　dead。　　Apaches
  are　the　worst　Injuns　there　is　for　tortures。　　They　cut　off　the
  bottoms　of　old　man　Wilkins's　feet；　and　stood　him　on　an
  ant…hill。
  In　a　minute　or　so；　though；　my　wits　gets　to　work。
  〃Why　ain't　the　shack　burned？〃　I　asks　myself；　〃and　why　is　the　hoss
  and　the　mule　tied　all　so　peaceful　to　the　corral？〃
  It　didn't　take　long　for　a　man　who　knows　Injins　to　answer　THOSE
  conundrums。　　The　whole　thing　was　a　trapfor　meand　I'd　walked
  into　it；　chuckle…headed　as　a　prairie…dog！
  With　that　I　makes　a　run　outsideby　now　it　was　darkand　listens。
  Sure　enough；　I　hears　hosses。　　So　I　makes　a　rapid　sneak　back　over
  the　trail。
  Everything　seemed　all　right　till　I　got　up　to　the　rim…rock。　　Then
  I　heard　more　hossesahead　of　me。　　And　when　I　looked　back　I　could
  see　some　Injuns　already　at　the　shack；　and　starting　to　build　a
  fire　outside。
  In　a　tight　fix；　a　man　is　pretty　apt　to　get　scared　till　all　hope
  is　gone。　　Then　he　is　pretty　apt　to　get　cool　and　calm。　　That　was
  my　case。　　I　couldn't　go　aheadthere　was　those　hosses　coming
  along　the　trail。　　I　couldn't　go　backthere　was　those　Injins
  building　the　fire。　　So　I　skirmished　around　till　I　got　a　bright
  star　right　over　the　trail　head；　and　I　trained　old　Meat…in…the…
  pot　to　bear　on　that　star；　and　I　made　up　my　mind　that　when　the
  star　was　darkened　I'd　turn　loose。　　So　I　lay　there　a　while
  listening。　　By　and　by　the　star　was　blotted　out；　and　I　cut　loose；
  and　old　Meat…in…the…pot　missed　fireshe　never　did　it　before　nor
  since；　I　think　that　cartridge
  Well；　I　don't　know　where　the　Injins　came　from；　but　it　seemed　as
  if　the　hammer　had　hardly　clicked　before　three　or　four　of　them
  bad　piled　on　me。　　I　put　up　the　best　fight　I　could；　for　I　wasn't
  figuring　to　be　caught　alive；　and　this　miss…fire　deal　had　fooled
  me　all　along　the　line。　　They　surely　had　a　lively　time。　　I
  expected　every　minute　to　feel　a　knife　in　my　back；　but　when　I
  didn't　get　it　then　I　knew　they　wanted　to　bring　me　in　alive；　and
  that　made　me　fight　harder。　　First　and　last；　we　rolled　and　plunged
  all　the　way　from　the　rim…rock　down　to　the　canon…bed。　　Then　one
  of　the　Injins　sung　out：
  〃Maria！〃
  And　I　thought　of　that　renegade　Mexican；　and　what　I'd　heard　bout
  him；　and　that　made　me　fight　harder　yet。
  But　after　we'd　fought　down　to　the　canon…bed；　and　had　lost　most　of
  our　skin；　a　half…dozen　more　fell　on　me；　and　in　less　than　no　time
  they　had　me　tied。　　Then　they　picked　me　up　and　carried　me　over　to
  where　they'd　built　a　big　fire　by　the　corral。〃
  Uncle　Jim　stopped　with　an　air　of　finality；　and　began　lazily　to
  refill　his　pipe。　　From　the　open　mud　fireplace　he　picked　a　coal。
  Outside；　the　rain；　faithful　to　the　prophecy　of　the　wide…ringed
  sun；　beat　fitfully　against　the　roof。
  〃That　was　the　closest　call　I　ever　had；〃　said　he　at　last。
  〃But；　Uncle　Jim；〃　we　cried　in　a　confused　chorus；　〃how　did　you　get
  away？　　What　did　the　Indians　do　to　you？　　Who　rescued　you？〃
  Uncle　Jim　chuckled。
  〃The　first　man　I　saw　sitting　at　that　fire；〃　said　he；　〃was
  Lieutenant　Price　of　the　United　States　Army；　and　by
  him　was　Tom　Horn。〃
  〃'What's　this？'　he　asks；　and　Horn　talks　to　the　Injins　in　Apache。
  〃'They　say　they've　caught　Maria；'　translates　Horn　back　again。
  〃'Maria…nothing！'　says　Lieutenant　Price。　'This　is　Jim　Fox。　I　know
  him。'〃
  〃So　they　turned　me　loose。　　It　seems　the　troops　had　driven　off
  the　renegades　an　hour　before。〃
  〃And　the　Indians　who　caught　you；　Uncle　Jim？　　You　said　they　were
  Indians。〃
  〃Were　Tonto　Basin　Apaches；〃　explained　the　old　　man〃government
  scouts　under　Tom　Horn。〃
  CHAPTER　TWO
  THE　EMIGRANTS
  After　the　rain　that　had　held　us　holed　up　at　the　Double　R　over　one
  day；　we　discussed　what　we　should　do　next。
  〃The　flats　will　be　too　boggy　for　riding；　and　anyway　the　cattle
  will　be　in　the　high　country；〃　the　Cattleman　summed　up　the
  situation。　　〃We'd　bog　down　the　chuck…wagon　if　we　tried　to　get
  back　to　the　J。　H。　　But　now　after　the　rain　the　weather　ought　to　be
  beautiful。　　What　shall　we　do？〃
  〃Was　you　ever　in　the　Jackson　country？〃　asked　Uncle　Jim。　　〃It's
  the　wildest　part　of　Arizona。　　It's　a　big　country　and　rough；　and
  no　one　lives　there；　and　there's　lots　of　deer　and　mountain　lions
  and　bear。　　Here's　my　dogs。　　We　might　have　a　hunt。〃
  〃Good！〃　said　we。
  We　skirmished　around　and　found　a　condemned　army　pack　saddle　with
  aparejos；　and　a　sawbuck　saddle　with　kyacks。　　On　these；　we　managed
  to　condense　our　grub　and　utensils。　　There　were　plenty　of　horses；
  so　our　bedding　we　bound　flat　about　their　naked　barrels　by　means
  of　the　squaw…hitch。　　Then　we　started。
  That　day　furnished　us　with　a　demonstration　of　what　Arizona　horses
  can　do。　　Our　way　led　first　through　a　canon…bed　filled　with
  rounded　boulders　and　rocks；　slippery　and　unstable。　　Big
  cottonwoods　and　oaks　grew　so　thick　as　partially　to　conceal
  the　cliffs　on　either　side　of　us。　　The　rim…rock　was　mysterious
  with　caves；　beautiful　with　hanging　gardens　of　tree　ferns　and
  grasses　growing　thick　in　long　transverse　crevices；　wonderful　in
  colour　and　shape。　　We　passed　the　little　canons　fenced　off　by　the
  rustlers　as　corrals　into　which　to　shunt　from　the　herds　their
  choice　of　beeves。
  The　Cattleman　shook　his　head　at　them。　　〃Many　　a　man　has　come　from
  Texas　and　established　a　herd　with　no　other　asset　than　a　couple　of
  horses　and　a　branding…iron；〃　said　he。
  Then　we　worked　up　gradually　to　a　divide；　whence　we　could　see　a
  range　of　wild　and　rugged　mountains　on　our　right。　　They　rose　by
  slopes　and　ledges；　steep　and　rough；　and　at　last　ended　in　the
  thousand…foot　cliffs　of　the　buttes；　running　sheer　and　unbroken
  for　　many　miles。　　During　all　the　rest　of　our　trip　they　were　to　be
  our　companions；　the　only　constant　factors　in　the　tumult　of　lesser
  peaks；　precipitous　canons；　and　twisted　systems　in　which　we　were
  constantly　involved。
  The　sky　was　sun…and…shadow　after　the　rain。　　Each　and　every
  Arizonan　predicted　clearing。
  〃Why；　it　almost　never　rains　in　Arizona；〃　said　Jed　Parker。　　〃And
  when　it　does　it　quits　before　it　begins。〃
  Nevertheless；　about　noon　a　thick　cloud　gath