The rifles were fired but twice, and then the fire of the Indians
ceased.

"I think we have accounted for two more," Joe said. "We shan't hear any
more of them. Seven out of twenty-five is a sharp lesson, and the first
man who fell was their chief, I reckon, and they will wait till the
sub-chiefs with the other bands come up. Now, the sooner the sun goes
down the better. There is one thing, it will be dark down here an hour
before it is on the hill-tops."

"Why shouldn't we fall back at once?" Tom asked.

"Because, like enough, they will open fire occasionally, and if we
didn't reply they would think we had made off, and would follow us, and
pick up the trail where the horses left the valley. We have got to wait
here until it is too dark for them to follow the trail. The moment it is
dark enough for that we are off."

It was just getting dusk, when Dave said, suddenly:

"There is one of the other bands coming up. They are a good bit away
yet, but I can hear them."

Dick could only make out a low, continuous murmur that sounded to him
like a distant waterfall.

"What do you think, Joe," Dave said; "would it be safe to make a run for
it? We might beat off the first attack, but some of us are safe either
to get killed or hurt too badly to travel. They will talk for a quarter
of an hour at least after they come up, and by the time they find we