agency about it, and uttering their blood-curdling yells, they started
in full pursuit. But by this time the steam gentleman was getting down
to his regular pace, and was striding over the prairie like a
dromedary. For a time the Indians gained, then the intervening
distance became stationary, and then he began pulling steadily away
from them.

Still the savages maintained the chase until satisfied of its
hopelessness, when they gave it up and sullenly withdrew in the
direction of the mountains.

The young fellow, in his triumph, could not avoid rising in the wagon,
shouting and waving his hat defiantly at his baffled pursuers. The
daring act came near costing his life, for it was instantly followed
by the discharge of several guns, and the singing of the bullets about
his ears caused him to duck back into his seat as suddenly as he had
risen from it.

The afternoon was now quite well advanced, and besides feeling hungry,
Johnny Brainerd was anxious to get back to camp.

The intervening distance was rapidly passed, and the sun was just
setting as he slacked up within a short distance of Wolf Ravine.

For some unaccountable reason, the nearer he approached 'camp,' as it
was called, a feeling akin to fear came over him. It was a
presentiment of coming evil, which be found it impossible either to
shake off or to define, and that was why he halted some distance away.

From where he stood it was impossible to see his two friends at work,