Whether the Apache possessed much knowledge of the English tongue can only
be conjectured, but the gestures accompanying the command were so
expressive that he could not fail to take in the whole meaning. The
Indian, no doubt, considered it preferable to drop down into the pit
rather than run against the bullet. At any rate, he released his hold, and
down he went.

As he drooped into the gloom he made a clutch at the lasso, doubtless for
the purpose of creeping up unawares upon the lad, who, by a strange
providence, had so suddenly become his master. But the Indian, although a
pretty good athlete, had not practiced that sort of thing, and he failed
altogether, going down to join his comrades much the same as if he had
dropped from a balloon.

Fred proved himself equal to the emergency. The moment he saw that he was
relieved from the presence of his enemy, he darted back to the other side
of the opening, caught hold of the lasso, and hurriedly drew it up out of
reach of those below.

"There! they can't come crawling up that when I ain't thinking," he said,
when the end of the thong was in his hand.

He coiled the whole thing up at his feet, and then, with a feeling of
relief and pleasure which cannot be described, he looked about to see
whether he was alone. Alone he was, and master of the situation. Where
there had been six daring Apache warriors a half-hour before, not one was
now visible. All were in the cave. Five had gone willingly, while it
looked very much as if the sixth had not been so willing. At any rate,
they were all beyond the power of injuring Fred Munson, who, after