silent. He could only keep on toward where he heard the 
sound last, and to his amazement he discovered the herd just 
ahead of him rounded up in a clcUse hunch standing quite still 
in the darkness. He passed around them thus to turn them 
hack toward camp in case they should he frightened. He came 
within a few feet of the hunch, and approaching more closely 
was about to place his hand on the face of the old bald-faced 
hell-horse when the horse shook his head and there was no hell, 
and it suddenly dawned upon Tom that these strange movements 
of the animals were not made of their own will hut under the 
guidance of the hand of Indian desperadoes. The explanation 
came very suddenly. A flash of lightning revealed the crouch¬ 
ing forms of two savages, almost within the reach of his foot, 
engaged in cutting the hohhles from the two hohhled mules. They 
caught sight of him at the same moment and were so struck with 
amazement that they thought only of flight. Y/ith a hound they 
sprang upon their ponies and were off like a shot. Tom, doubt¬ 
less somewhat stunned, did not take to flight hut jumping on the 
nearest mule started the herd toward camp uttering the most fear¬ 
ful yells at every jump. The red-skins, as they flew up the 
valley and over the rolling hills must have felt their blood 
freeze at the very sound. Certainly they did not stop until a 
long distance intervened between them and the scene of their 
fright. In half an hour our animals were all safe in camp. We 
thanked Tom for having saved us from a great disaster - that of 
being set afoot in a practical desert 200 miles from the nearest 
habitation. 
