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what 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 fire
she 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
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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。〃
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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
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range of wild and rugged mountains on our right。 They rose by slopes
and ledges； steep and rough； and at la