Part 46 (1/2)

All at once, as he was riding cautiously along, his rifle slung behind him, and his head bent forward to peer into the darkness, there was a sharp flash, and what see a brilliant light which revealed all around for a short distance, as if a light had suddenly appeared fro in the mountain; and then, close in beneath where the electric bolt had struck, he could see a knot of about a dozen Indians, who uttered a tre Black Boy tear off at full speed, while the nextcrash, and it seeedown

That one flash which struck the nal for the elements to commence their strife, for directly after the heavens were in a blaze Forked lightning darted here and there; the dense clouds opened and shut, as if to reveal the wondrously vivid glories beyond, and the thunder kept up a series of deafening peals that nearly drove the little steed frantic

As to his direction, Bart was ignorant All he kneas that he ought to have ridden so off, but that awful flash had made the cob turn and bound away at once; and as far as the rider could ht for the lake with the dis madly behind

At least that hat he fancied, for, as he listened, all he could hear was the deafening roar of the thunder, and the sharp crackling sound of the lightning as it descended in rugged streaks, or ran along the ground, one flash showing hi him to turn a little off to the left, so as to pass its end

He kne that the pealing thunder would effectually prevent the Indians froer when it lit up the plains; and as he peered ahead, he fully expected to see a body of horseh the stor his steed well now in hand, a few pats on its arching neck and so, which grew more vivid and the thunder more awful as he rode on

After a ti sound in the intervals when the thunder was not bellowing, so that it seee low reat distance; and hearing this, Bart went off at a stretching gallop, crashi+ng through bushes and tall fleshy plants, so him painful thrusts fro sound as of horsemen ceased, and he realised the fact that it was the noise of a stor across the plain, borne upon the wind to fall alh he passed quite upon its outskirts, and felt only a few heavy pattering drops

He had passed the end of the lake in safety, and was beginning to be hopeful that he would escape the Indians altogether, but still he could not understand hoas that the little dismounted body of men had not spread the alarht that struck the rock having lit up everything, and he knew that he seeht; but after the deafening crash that followed he had heard no more--no distant shouts--no hoop They would be sure to communicate with their nearest scouts, and their bodies of un to scour the plain in spite of the storm; for he could not think that the Apaches, ere constantly exposed to the warfare of the elements, would be too much alarmed to attempt the pursuit

”They would not be alloped on, with Black Boy going easily, and with a long swinging stride that carried hier he could not tell

All he kneas that chance alloped on with the rain left behind and a soft sweet breeze playing upon his face, the oppression of the storh that the thunder and lightning were ht out of it towards where the air and sky were clearer Before long, he felt sure, the stars would be out, and he could see his way, instead of galloping on in this reckless chanceto his horse

”I can't quite understand it,” said Bart; ”there must have been so under the ht round and went off in another direction: that and the darkness threw them off the track, but they will be sure to strikeBlack Boy's hoof-prints will be plain enough in the soft earth where the rain has not washed thery wolves Hoish I knehether I was going right! It would be so valuable now to get right away beforewell ahead, but not in the best direction He had, however, no occasion to fear present pursuit, for the knot of dismounted Indians who fell lay crushed and st a pile of shattered rocks which the electric discharge had sent thundering dohile as Bart was cantering on, full of sur, the stor point, around which the lightning was playing, the thunder crashi+ng, and the water streaular cascades swept over the sides of the rock, and tore away like little rivers over the plain

For the ti to fear from these unfortunate Apaches; but, as the storm lulled, and another little body of dismounted Indians crept cautiously up to the fallen rocks, their object being to surprise the guards at the gateway, they learned fro chief upon his little black horse, and that he had gone right off over the plain

The sequel to this was that the dead and dying soon were borne away, and a party was formed at daybreak to take steps that would have made Bart had he known, feel terribly unco hour by hour more confident and at his ease

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

HUNTED BY INDIANS

There's so that h the veins, raising the spirits, and sending trouble along with darkness far away into the background

As the sun rose, flooding the wild plains with heat, and Bart drew rein and looked about after his long night-ride to see that there was hardly a cloud in sight, and, better still, no sign of Indians, he uttered a cry of joy, and bent down and smoothed and patted his brave little steed, which had carried hiood look round, to see if he could make out his position, and, after a while, came to the conclusion that he was not so very far out of his way, and that by turning off a little more to the west he would soon be in the direct route

In patting andmuch of Black Boy, Bart found that the little horse was dripping with perspiration, ht; and if the journey was to be satisfactorily performed, he knew that there must be some time for rest

With this idea, then, Bart turned a little to the east, and rode straight for a clump of trees about a couple of e and shade, perhaps water, while, unseen, he could keep a good look-out over the open plain

The patch Bart reached was only of a few acres in extent, and it offereda pleasantly clear pool of water in an open spot, while the grass was so te that he had hardly tiin He was soon tethered to a stout sapling, however, feeding away to his heart's content, while, pretty earied out by his long night-ride, Bart sat down beneath a tree where he could have a good view of the plain over which he had ridden, and began to refresh hiht of pure cool water, with one of the long dry strips of bison-meat that formed his store

Nature will have her oay Take away froht's rest that she has ordained for et it back And so it was here; for as Bart satthere in the delicious restfulness of his position, with the soft warolden sunshi+ne raining down a strealed with the gentle _crop, crop, crop_ of Black Boy's teeth as he feasted on the succulent growth around, all tended to produce drowsiness, and in a short ti

Then he roused hi himself that he must watch; and he swept the plain with his eyes But, directly after, as he thought that he must hurry on, as it was a case of life and death, he was obliged to own that the more haste he exercised the less speed there would be, for his horse could not do the journey without food and rest

That word rest seee effect upon him, and he repeated it two or three ti wearily at his side as he did so, and his eyes half closing while he listened to the pleasant hum of the insects all around

Then he started into wakefulness again, determined to watch and wait until a better time for sleep; but as he came to this deter andnoiseas it cah the trees, were too sweet to be resisted, and before poor Bart could realise the fact that he was ready to doze, he was fast asleep with his head upon his breast