102 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 



which the moonbeams played, suddenly arrested his attention. 

 Rigid as a statue, he stood transfixed to the spot, thinking a for- 

 mer inhabitant of the city was visiting, in a ghostly form, the 

 scenes his body once knew so well. The bow in his right hand 

 shook with fear as he saw the shadow approach, but was as tightly 

 and steadily grasped when, on the figure emerging from the shade 

 of the wall, he distinguished the form of a naked Apache, armed 

 M'ith bow and arrow, crawling stealthily through the gloomy 

 ruins. 



Standing undiscovered within the shadow of the wall, the Taos 

 raised his bow, and di*ew an arrow to the head, until the other, 

 who was bending low to keep under cover of the wall, and thus 

 approach the sentinel standing at a short distance, seeing suddenly 

 the Avell-defined shadow on the ground, rose upright on his legs, 

 and, knowing escape was impossible, threw his arms do\Mi his 

 sides, and, drawing himself erect, exclaimed, in a suppressed tone, 

 " Wa-g-h !" 



" Wagh I" exclaimed the Taos likewise, but quickly dropped 

 his arrow point, and eased the bow. 



" What does my brotlier want ?" he asked, " that he lopes lilce 

 a wolf round the fires of the white hunters ?" 



" Is my brother's skin not red ?" returned the Apache, " and 

 yet he asks a question that needs no answer. Why does the 

 ' medicine wolf ibllow the bufialo and deer ? For blood — and 

 for blood the Indian follows the treacherous white from camp to 

 camp, to strike blow for blow, until the deaths of those so basely 

 killed are fully avenged." 



*' My brother speaks with a big heart, and his words are true ; 

 and though the Taos and Pimo (Apache) black their faces toward 

 each other (are at war), here, on the graves of their common 

 fathers, there is peace between them. Let my brother go " 



The Apache moved quickly away, and the Taos once more 

 sought the camp-fn-es of his white companions. 



