Part 56 (1/2)

”Look here,” said Valentine, offering him a pistol. ”Blow out your brains, it will be sooner over, and you will suffer less.”

The bandit seized the weapon with a diabolical grin, and, with a movement swift as thought, fired at the hunter. But Curumilla was watching him, and cleft his skull with his tomahawk. The bullet whistled harmlessly past Valentine's ear.

”Thanks,” said the bandit, as he rolled on the ground.

”What men!” Don Miguel exclaimed.

”_Canarios_, my friend,” the general said, ”you had a narrow escape.”

The three men dug a hole into which they threw the bandit's body. The rest of the night pa.s.sed without incident, and at daybreak the hunt recommenced. About midday, the hunters found themselves again on the river bank, and saw two Indian canoes drifting down with the current.

”Back, back!” Valentine suddenly shouted.

All lay down on the gra.s.s, and at the same instant bullets ricochetted from the rocks, and arrows whizzed through the leaves, but no one was wounded. Valentine disdained to reply.

”They are Apaches,” he said. ”Let us not waste our powder; besides, they are out of range.”

They set out again. Gradually, the forest grew clearer, the trees became rare, and they at length entered a vast prairie.

”Stop,” said Valentine, ”we must be approaching. I believe we shall do well, now that we have an expanse before us, to examine the horizon.”

He stood upright in his saddle, and began looking carefully around.

Presently, he got down.

”Nothing,” he said.

At this moment, he saw something glistening in the gra.s.s, on the river bank.

”What is that?” he asked himself, and bent down. But, instead of rising again, he bent lower still, and in a second turned to Curumilla.

”The moccasin,” he said, sharply.

The Indian handed it to him.

”Look!” the hunter said.

At this spot the sand was damp, and, under a pile of leaves, there appeared clearly and distinctly the trace of a man's foot, with the toes in the water.

”They are only two hours ahead of us,” said Valentine. ”One of them lost a horse bell here.”

”They have crossed the river,” said Eagle-wing.

”That is easy to see,” the general remarked.

Valentine smiled, and looked at Curumilla, who shook his head.

”No,” the hunter said. ”It is a trick, but they shall not catch me.”

Making his comrades a signal not to stir, Valentine turned his back to the river, and walked rapidly toward a tree covered hill a short distance off.