by 
 
 r 
 
 K 
 
&orvilie Libby, Jr. 
 
 SUNSET PASS 
 

CAPT. CIIAS. KING 
 
Dorville Libby, Jr. 
 
 Bmerican Butbors* Series, mo. 1 1 
 
 SUNSET PASS 
 
 Oil 
 
 RUNNING THE GAUNTLET THROUGH 
 APACHE LAND 
 
 BY 
 
 CAPTAIN CHARLES KING 
 
 AUTHOR OF 
 THE DESERTER," "A WAR-TIME WOOING, ETC 
 
 NEW YORK 
 JOHN W. LOVELL COMPANY 
 
 150 WORTH ST., COR. MISSION PLACE 
 
COPYRIGHTED, *I&)A, " r 
 
 JOHN W. LOVELL COMPANY 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 CAPT. CHAS. KING, Frontispiece 
 
 HE DREW LITTLE NELL CLOSE TO HIM, . opp. p. 14 
 MANUELITO WAS SHUFFLING ABOUT THE FIRE 
 
 APPARENTLY DOING NOTHING, . . opp. p. 35 
 "WHERE S MANUELITO?" .... opp. p. 40 
 His FIRST DUTY SEEMED TO BE TO GET THE 
 
 PROVISIONS FROM THE WAGON, . . opp. p. 44 
 "JiM, OLD BOY, WE VE GOT TO PULL TO 
 GETHER TO-NIGHT," .... opp. p. 48 
 " MY GOD! THERE S NOT A LIVING SOUL IN 
 
 SIGHT," opp. p. 61 
 
 BENDING DOWN HE RAISED HER IN His 
 
 STRONG ARMS, ..... opp. p. 77 
 
 AWAY HE FLEW AT FULL SPEED, . . opp. p. 90 
 THE Two MEN SET TO WORK TO BUILD 
 
 THEIR BREASTWORK, .... opp. p. 98 
 NELLIE, CLINGING TO HER NURSE, WAS TERRI 
 FIED BY THE SOUNDS, .... opp. p. 106 
 THE POOR DEVIL WAS NOW SEATED, BOUND 
 AND HELPLESS, ON A ROCK BY THE ROAD 
 SIDE, . , opp. p. 112 
 
 "THAT S WHAT JiM TOOK FOR AN APACHE," Opp. p. 130 
 
 ONE VEHEMENT KICK AND CURSE HE GAVE 
 
 HIM, opp. p. 142 
 
 WITH ONE BACKWARD LOOK HE STAGGERED 
 
 WEARILY ON, ...... opp. p. 154 
 
 "MY GOD ! WHAT CAN HAVE HAPPENED? IT S 
 CAPTAIN G WYNNE?" .... opp. p. 158 
 
 EVIDENTLY THE ONE WHO WAS SHOT WAS A 
 MAN OF SOME PROMINENCE AMONG THEM 
 POSSIBLY A CHIEF, .... opp. p. 168 
 
 ALL OF A SUDDEN A BLACK SHADOW RUSHED 
 
 THROUGH THE AlR, .... Opp. p. 180 
 
 " Dow r N WITH THESE STONES, Now T ! " . opp. p. 188 
 THE BULLET OF THE LITTLE BALLARD HAD 
 
 TAKEN HIM JUST UNDER THE EYE, . . Opp. p. 190 
 
 M24625 
 
SUNSET PASS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 A RASH RESOLVE. 
 
 " BETTER take my advice, sir. The road 
 ahead is thick with the Patchies." 
 
 " But you have come through all alone, 
 my friend ; why should I not go ? I have 
 been stationed among the Apaches for the 
 last five years and have fought them all 
 over Arizona. Surely I ought to know how 
 to take care of myself." 
 
 " I don t doubt that, captain. It s the 
 kids I m thinking of. The renegades from 
 the reservation are out in great numbers 
 
6 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 now and they are supposed to be all down in 
 the Tonto Basin, but I ve seen their mocca 
 sin tracks everywhere from the Colorado 
 Chiquito across the Mogeyone, and I m 
 hurrying in to Verde now to give warning 
 arid turn the; troops this way." 
 ; ; "Well/ why -didn t they attack you, then, 
 Al? r; 
 
 The party thus addressed by the familiar 
 diminutive of " Al " paused a moment before 
 reply, an odd smile flitting about his 
 bearded lips. A stronger, firmer type of 
 scout and frontiersman than Al Sieber never 
 sat in saddle in all Arizona in the seventies, 
 and he was a noted character among the 
 officers, soldiers, pioneers, and Apaches. 
 The former respected and trusted him. 
 The last named feared him as they did the 
 Indian devil. He had been in fight after 
 fight with them ; had had his share of 
 wounds, but what the Apaches recoiled 
 
SUNSET PASS. 7 
 
 from in awe was the fact that he had never 
 met them in the field without laying one at 
 least of their number dead in his tracks. 
 He was a slim-built, broad-shouldered, pow 
 erful fellow, with a keen, intelligent face, 
 and eyes that were kindly to all his friends, 
 but kindled at sight of a foe. A broad- 
 brimmed, battered slouch hat was pulled 
 well down over his brows ; his flannel shirt 
 and canvas trousers showed hard usage ; 
 his pistol belt hung loose and low upon his 
 hips and on each side a revolver swung. 
 His rifle Arizona fashion was balanced 
 athwart the pommel of his saddle, and an 
 old Navajo blanket was rolled at the cantle. 
 He wore Tonto leggins and moccasins, and 
 a good-sized pair of Mexican spurs jingled 
 at his heels. He looked and so did his 
 horse as though a long, hard ride was 
 behind them, but that they were ready for 
 anything yet. 
 
8 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 " It makes a difference, captain their 
 attacking me or you. I ve been alive among 
 em so many years that they have grown 
 superstitious. Sometimes I half believe they 
 think I can t be killed. Then, too, I may 
 have slipped through unnoticed, but you 
 with all this outfit why ! you re sure to 
 be spotted, followed, and possibly ambushed 
 in Sunset Pass. It s the worst place along 
 the route." 
 
 Captain Gwynne looked anxiously about 
 him a moment. He was a hard-headed, obsti 
 nate fellow, and he hated to give up. Two 
 months ago his wife had died, leaving to his 
 care two dear little ones a boy of nine 
 and a girl of six. He soon determined to 
 take them East to his home in far Pennsyl 
 vania. There was no Southern Pacific or 
 any other Arizona railway in those days. 
 Officers and their families who wanted to go 
 East had to turn their faces westward, take 
 
SUNSET PASS. 9 
 
 a four or five days " buckboard " ride 
 across the dusty deserts to the Colorado 
 River, camp there perhaps a week before 
 " Captain Jack Mellon " came backing or 
 sideways down the shallow stream with his 
 old " Cocopah." Then they sculled or 
 ground their way over the sand bars down 
 to Fort Yuma, a devious and monotonous 
 trip ; then were transferred to " lighten " or 
 else, on the same old Cocopah, were floated 
 out into the head of the Gulf of California 
 and there hoisted aboard the screw steamers 
 of the Ocean line either the Newbern or 
 the Montana, and soon went plunging down 
 the gulf, often very sea-sick, yet able to get 
 up and look about when their ship poked 
 in at some strange old Mexican town, La 
 Paz or Guaymas, and finally, turning Cape 
 St. Lucas, away they would steam up the 
 coast to San Francisco, which they would 
 reach after a two weeks sea voyage and 
 
10 SUNSET PASS, 
 
 then, hey for the Central Pacific, Cape Horn, 
 the Sierras, Ogden, and the tramp to the 
 Union Pacific and, at last, home in the 
 distant east, all after a journey of five or 
 six weeks and an expense of months of the 
 poor officer s pay. 
 
 Now Captain Gwynne was what we called 
 a " close " man. He could not bear the idea 
 of spending something like a thousand dol 
 lars in taking himself, little Ned and Nellie, 
 and their devoted old nurse, Irish Kate, by 
 that long and expensive route. He had two 
 fine horses and a capital family wagon, 
 covered. He had a couple of stout mules 
 and a good baggage wagon. Jim, his old 
 driver, would go along to take care of " the 
 Concord," as the family cart was termed. 
 Manuelito, a swarthy Mexican, would drive 
 the mules ; the captain would ride his own 
 pet saddle horse, Gregg, and a discharged 
 soldier, whom he hired for the purpose, 
 
SUNSET PASS. 11 
 
 would ride Mclntosh, the other charger. 
 All were well armed. Parties were going 
 unmolested over the Sunset Pass route every 
 month. Why should not he? 
 
 The officers at Prescott shook their heads 
 and endeavored to dissuade him, but the 
 more they argued the more determined was 
 he. There were tearful eyes among the la 
 dies at Prescott barracks, where Mrs. Gwynne 
 had been dearly loved, when they bade 
 good-by to the children. But one fine day 
 away went " the outfit ; " stopped that night 
 at Camp Verde, deep down in the valley ; 
 started again early in the morning, despite 
 the protestations of the garrison, and that 
 evening were camping among the beautiful 
 pine woods high up on the Mogollon range. 
 Sieber s pronunciation of the name " Mog- 
 eyone " - will give you a fair idea of what 
 it is really like. 
 
 And now, three days out on the Mesa, 
 
12 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 Ned and Nellie, in silence, but with beating 
 hearts, were listening to this conversation be 
 tween their father and the famous scout, and 
 hoping, poor little mites, that their father 
 would be advised and turn back until met 
 by cavalry from Verde ; yet so loyal to him, 
 so trustful to him, that neither to one 
 another nor to Kate would they say a word. 
 
 " Well, Sieber, I ve argued this thing 
 out with all Prescott and Verde," said the 
 captain at last. " I ve sworn I wouldn t 
 turn back, and so, by jinks, I m going ahead. 
 It s all open country around Snow Lake, 
 and I can keep on the alert when we reach 
 the Pass." 
 
 " You know your business best, I suppose, 
 captain, but " and Sieber stopped abruptly 
 and gazed through the open windows of the 
 Concord at the two little forms huddled 
 together, with such white faces, on the back 
 seat. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 13 
 
 u Well, won t you at least wait and camp 
 here a day or so ? I ll go down by way of 
 Wales Arnold s and get him to send up a 
 couple of men. That won t be gc lj ng back, 
 and you ll be tolerably safe here. The cav 
 alry won t be long getting out this way." 
 
 " And meantime having my beasts eating 
 barley by the bucketful so that I won t 
 have enough to get through ? No, Al, I ve 
 made calculations just how many days it will 
 take me to get over to Wingate, and delay 
 would swamp me. I don t mean to discredit 
 your story, of course, but everybody, even 
 at Verde, said the renegades were all down 
 by Tonto Creek, and I cannot believe they 
 would be out here to the northeast. I m 
 going ahead." 
 
 " Well, Captain Gwynne, I give up. If 
 you re bound to go there s no use talking. 
 Stop one moment though ! " He spurred 
 his broncho close to the window, and thrust- 
 
14 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 ing in his wiry arm drew little Nell close to 
 him, bent and kissed tenderly her bonny 
 face. 
 
 " God guard you, baby," he murmured, 
 as finally he set her down. " Adios, Ned, 
 my lad," and he shook the little man heart 
 ily by the hand. " Good luck all ! Now I 
 must gallop to make up k time." He turned 
 quickly away and went " loping " down the 
 trail, but his gauntlet was drawn across his 
 eyes two * or three times before he disap 
 peared from view. Two white little faces 
 gazed wistfully after him and then into each 
 other s eyes. Irish Kate muttered a blessing 
 on the gallant fellow s head. " Come on, 
 Jim," said the captain, with darkening face, 
 and presently the little train was again in 
 motion, winding over the range that, once 
 passed, brings them in view of Snow Lake 
 with the gloomy, jagged rocks bounding the 
 horizon far beyond. There is a deep cleft 
 
HE DREW TJTTLE NELL CLOSE TO HIM. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 15 
 
 that one sees in that barrier just as he 
 emerges from the pine woods along the 
 ridge, and that distant cleft is Sunset Pass. 
 
 Though seldom traveled, the mountain 
 road from Fort Verde over to Fort Wingate 
 was almost always in fair condition. Rains 
 were very few and did little damage, and so 
 at a rapid, jingling trot the wagons lunged 
 ahead while the captain and Pike, the re 
 tired trooper, rode easily alongside or made 
 occasional scouts to the front. 
 
 Knowing that his children must have 
 heard his talk with Sieber, the captain soon 
 dropped back opposite the open window 
 and thrust in his hand for the little ones to 
 shake. 
 
 " You re not afraid to go ahead, Ned, my 
 boy ! I knew I could count on you/ said 
 he heartily. " And Nell can hardly be 
 afraid with you and her old dragoon dad to 
 guard her. Isn t it so, pet ? " 
 
16 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 And the wan little face smiled back to 
 prove Nellie s confidence in father, while 
 Ned stoutly answered : 
 
 " I m never afraid to go anywhere you 
 want me to go, father. And then I haven t 
 had a chance to try my rifle yet." 
 
 The boy held up to view a dainty little 
 Ballard target gun a toy of a thing 
 but something of which he was evidently 
 very proud. 
 
 " And then we ve got good old Pike, 
 papa and Kate here I m sure she could 
 fight," piped up little Nell, but there was no 
 assent to this proposition from the lips of 
 poor Kate. All along she had opposed the 
 journey, and was filled with dread whenever 
 it was spoken of. Vainly had she implored 
 the officers and ladies at Prescott to prohibit 
 the captain from making so rash an attempt. 
 Nothing would avail. As ill-luck would 
 have it the lieutenant colonel recently ga- 
 
SUNSET PASS. 17 
 
 zetted to the infantry regiment stationed 
 in Northern Arizona had just come safely 
 through from Wingate with exactly such an 
 " outfit," but without such guards, and Cap 
 tain Gwynne declared that what man had 
 done man could do. There were plenty of 
 people who would have taken her off the 
 captain s hands, but nothing would induce 
 the faithful creature to leave the motherless 
 " childer." She loved them both and if 
 they were to go through danger she would 
 go with them. All the same she stood 
 sturdily out in her resentment toward the 
 captain and would not answer now. Jim, 
 too, on the driver s seat, was gloomily silent. 
 Manuelito with the mules in rear had lis 
 tened to Sieber s warning with undisguised 
 dismay. Only Pike ex-corporal of the 
 captain s troop rode unconcernedly ahead. 
 What cared he for Apaches ? He had 
 fought them time and again. 
 
18 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 Nevertheless when Captain Gwynne came 
 cantering out to the front and joined his 
 old non-commissioned officer, it was with 
 some surprise that he listened to Pike s 
 salutation. 
 
 " May I say a word to the captain ? " 
 
 " Certainly, Pike ; say on." 
 
 " I was watching Manuelito, sir, while the 
 captain was talking with Sieber. Them 
 greasers are a bad lot, sir one and all. 
 There isn t one of em I d trust as far as I 
 could sling a bull by the tail. That Manuel 
 ito is just stampeded by what he s heard, 
 and while he dare not whirl about and go 
 now, I warn the captain to have an eye on 
 the mules to-night. He ll skip back for the 
 Verde with only one of them rather than 
 try Sunset Pass to-morrow." 
 
 " Why ! confound it, Pike, that fellow 
 has been in my service five years and never 
 failed me yet." 
 
SUNSET PASS. 19 
 
 " True enough, sir ; but the captain never 
 took him campaigning. They do very well 
 around camp, sir, but they d rather face the 
 gates of purgatory than try their luck 
 among the Tontos. I believe one Apache 
 could lick a dozen of em." 
 
 The captain turned slowly back, and took 
 a good look at the Mexican as he sat on his 
 high spring seat, and occasionally encour 
 aged his team with endearing epithets, or, 
 as in the manner of the tribe^ scored them 
 with wildest blasphemy. Ordinarily Man 
 uelito was wont to show his white teeth, and 
 touch the broad, silver-edged brim of his 
 sombrero, when " el capitan " reined back 
 to see how he was getting along. To-day 
 there was a sullen scowl for the first moment, 
 and then, as though suddenly recollecting 
 ing himself, the dark-skinned fellow gave 
 a ghastly sort of grin and the captain 
 felt certain that Pike s idea was right. 
 
20 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 The question was simply how to circumvent 
 him. 
 
 At sunset the little party was cosily 
 camped on the edge of Snow Lake a 
 placid little sheet far up among the moun 
 tains. The plateau was broken by a low 
 ridge a few miles east, through a gap in 
 which, known as Jarvis Pass, ran the road 
 to Sunset Pass beyond. Horses and mules, 
 securely tethered, were grazing close at 
 hand. The two wagons were drawn in near 
 the little camp-fire. The children were hav 
 ing a jolly game of hide and seek and 
 stretching their legs after the long day s 
 ride in the wagon. Kate was stowing away 
 the supper dishes. Manuelito was stretched 
 upon the turf, his keen, eager eyes following 
 every motion of his captain, even though his 
 teeth held firmly the little paper tobacco 
 holder he called his "papelito." Out on 
 the open ground beyond the little bunch of 
 
SUNSET PASS. 21 
 
 trees Pike could be seen, carbine in hand, 
 scouting the prairie-like surface and keep 
 ing guard against surprise. The sun went 
 down. Twilight hovered over them ; Kate 
 had cuddled her beloved (i childer " into 
 their beds in the wagon and the captain 
 had come around to kiss them good-night. 
 Manuelito still sprawled near the tiny blaze, 
 smoking and watching, and at last, as the 
 bulky form of the Irish nurse-maid disap 
 peared within the canvas walls of the 
 wagon, the Mexican sprang from his re 
 cumbent position, turned, and with quick, 
 stealthy step sped away through the clumps 
 of trees to where the animals were placidly 
 browsing. He bent his lithe body double, 
 even though he knew that at this moment 
 the captain and the ex-corporal were over at 
 the east end of their little camp-ground, 
 chatting together in low tones. He laughed 
 to himself as he reached his mules and 
 
22 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 found them heavily hoppled with iron 
 chains. 
 
 " As if I would take a burro when one 
 stroke gives me a caballo grande," he mut 
 tered, and pushed still further out to where 
 the four horses were " lariated " near the 
 timber. A word to " Gregg " whom he 
 had often cared for ; a gleam of his knife 
 from the sheath and the gallant horse was 
 free to follow him. Still in silence and 
 stealth he led him back toward the camp-fire 
 where the saddles were piled. Still he 
 marked that Captain Gwynne and Pike were 
 in earnest talk down at the other end of the 
 camp. Warily he reached forward to grasp 
 the captain s saddle, when a low exclamation 
 was heard from that officer himself and, 
 peering at him through the trees, the Mexi 
 can could see that he was eagerly pointing 
 westward and calling Pike to his side. 
 Instinctively Manuelito glanced over his 
 
SUNSET PASS. 23 
 
 shoulder and saw a sight that told him horse- 
 thieving would not save his tawny hide ; 
 that told him their retreat was cut off, and 
 their only hope now was in standing to 
 gether. Back among the pines through 
 which they had come ; well upon the ridge, 
 and not ten miles away, blazed an Indian 
 signal fire. It was the Apache summons 
 for a quick " gathering of the clans." 
 
 Now God help the bairnies in the wagon ! 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 MANUELITO S TREACHERY. 
 
 ALL this time Darkey Jim had been sleep 
 ing soundly, wrapped in his blankets, with 
 his feet to the fire. There was never an 
 hour, day or night, when this lively African 
 could not loll at full length, in sunshine or 
 shade, and forget his cares, if cares he ever 
 had, in less than three minutes. In this 
 case, despite Sieber s warning, which he had 
 overheard, he simply took note of the fact 
 that the captain and Corporal Pike were 
 looking after things and that was enough 
 for him. There was no use in worrying 
 when " Marsa Gwin " was on guard, and 
 
SUNSET PASS. 25 
 
 within an hour from the time he had had his 
 substantial supper, Jim was snoring melodi 
 ously, with his head buried in his arms. 
 
 Manuelito was thoroughly aware of this 
 trait of his " stable-mate," else he had not 
 dared to bring the captain s horse so close 
 to the fire. Now his fierce, half Indian face 
 seemed full of perplexity and dread. The 
 Apache signal fire still glowed among 
 the black pines away to the westward. 
 The captain and Corporal Pike were hur 
 riedly coming towards him through the 
 stunted trees, yet here he stood with 
 " Gregg," all irresolute, all fearful what to 
 do. Back towards those black pines and 
 the long reach of road beyond he dare not 
 go. The Tontos held the line of retreat. 
 Here in camp he hardly dare remain for the 
 keen cut in " Gregg s " side line showed 
 plainly that the knife had been used, and 
 left him accused of treachery. Out of the 
 
26 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 fire light and back to the grazing ground 
 he must get the horse at once but what 
 then ? Noiselessly turning, he led Gregg, 
 wondering, back to the glade in which the 
 other horses were tethered, and quickly 
 drove his picket pin and put him on the half 
 lariat. But how was he to conceal the sev 
 ered side line ? Off it came, both nervous 
 hands working rapidly, and then when he 
 had about determined to cut off the lines of 
 one of Jim s mules and so throw suspicion 
 on him, his African mate, he was aware of 
 his captain striding through the trees toward 
 him. He could almost have run away. 
 But the next words re-assured him. 
 
 " That you, Manuelito? " challenged Cap 
 tain Gwynne in low, hoarse tones. " All 
 right ! Take the side lines off Gregg and 
 saddle him for me at once. I have work 
 to do." 
 
 The Mexican could hardly believe in his 
 
SUNSET PASS. 27 
 
 escape. For the time being, at least, he 
 stood safe. It would be easy enough later 
 to " lose " the telltale side line in the waters 
 of the lake. Manuelito cursed his folly 
 in having used the knife at all. Haste 
 prompted that piece of bad judgment. He 
 could have unbuckled them just as well. 
 But all the same he blessed his lucky stars 
 for this respite. In three minutes he had 
 " Gregg " saddled and ready by the little 
 camp-fire. There stood the captain and 
 Pike in low and earnest conversation. 
 
 " I shall only go out a short four miles/ 
 said the former, " but I must satisfy myself 
 as to whether those beggars are coming this 
 way to-night. Gregg and I have 6 stalked 
 them many a time and the country is all flat 
 and open for six miles back." 
 
 " I wish the captain would stay here and 
 let me go," pleaded Pike. 
 
 " No ! I m never satisfied without seeing 
 
28 SUNSET PASS, 
 
 for myself. You and Manuelito will have 
 your arms in constant readiness, and watch 
 for me as I come back. There s no moon 
 no light but so much the better for my 
 purpose. Is he all ready, Manuelito ? Let 
 me glance at my little ones in the ambulance 
 before I start." 
 
 Who can say with what love and yearning 
 the father bent over those little faces as he 
 peered in upon them ? The flickering light 
 of the camp-fire threw an occasional glimmer 
 over them just enough to enable him to 
 see at times the contour yet hardly to reveal 
 the features of " his babies." He dare not 
 kiss for fear of waking them. " God bless 
 and guard you, darlings," was the choking 
 prayer that fell from his lips. Then, vigor 
 ous and determined, he sprang into saddle. 
 
 " Now, Pike," he muttered, " you ve been 
 with me in many a night bivouac and you 
 know your orders. They never attack at 
 
SUNSET PASS. 29 
 
 night unless they know they have an abso 
 lutely sure thing, and they haven t with 
 you three. Jim, there, can fight like a 
 tiger whenever there is need. Watch the 
 horses. I ll be back in an hour or there ll 
 be reason for my staying." 
 
 Three minutes more and they heard the 
 rythmic beat of " Gregg s " hoofs out on the 
 open plateau and dying away westward, 
 sturdy, measured, steady in the trot the 
 captain preferred to any other gait. Pike 
 moved out to the edge of the timber, where 
 he could hear the last of it a big anxiety 
 welling up in his heart and a world of 
 responsibility with it ; but he clutched his 
 carbine the more firmly and gave a back 
 ward glance, his face softening as his eyes 
 fell upon the wagon where little Ned and 
 Nell lay sleeping, and darkening with men 
 ace and suspicion as he took one swift look 
 at Manuelito, cowering there over the fire. 
 
30 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 " Blast that monkey-hearted greaser ! " he 
 
 muttered. " I believe he would knife the 
 
 whole party just to get the horses and slip 
 
 away. I ll keep my ears open to the west 
 
 -but I ll have my eyes on you/ 
 
 Once out at his chosen station, Pike 
 found himself in a position where he could 
 " cover " three important objects. Here, 
 close at his right hand, between him and 
 the lake, the horses and mules were brows 
 ing peacefully and as utterly undisturbed as 
 though there were not an Apache within a 
 thousand miles. To his rear, about fifty 
 yards, were the two wagons, the little camp- 
 fire and flitting restlessly about it the slouch 
 ing form of Manuelito. In front of him, 
 
 O 
 
 close at hand, nothing but a dark level 
 of open prairie ; then a stretch of impene 
 trable blackness ; then, far away towards the 
 western horizon, that black, piney ridge, 
 stretching from north to south across the 
 
SUNSET PASS. 31 
 
 trail they had come along that day ; and 
 right there among the pines Pike judged 
 it it to be several miles south of the road 
 there still glared and flamed that red beacon 
 that his long service in Arizona told him 
 could mean to the Apaches only one thing 
 - " Close in ! " and well he knew that 
 with the coming morn all the renegades 
 within range would be gathered along their 
 path, and that if they got through Sunset 
 Pass without a fight it would be a miracle. 
 
 The night was still as the grave ; the 
 skies cloudless and studded with stars. 
 One of these came shooting earthward just 
 after he took his post, and seemed to plunge 
 into vacancy and be lost in its own com 
 bustion over towards Jarvis Pass behind 
 him. This gave him opportunity to glance 
 backward again, and there was Manuelito still 
 cowering over the fire. Then once more he 
 turned to the west, watching, listening. 
 
32 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 Many a year had old Pike served with the 
 standards of the cavalry. All through the 
 great civil war he had born manful, if hum 
 ble part, but with his fifth enlistment stripe 
 on his dress coat, a round thousand dollars 
 of savings and a discharge that said under 
 the head of " Character," " A brave, reliable 
 and trustworthy man," the old corporal had 
 chosen to add to his savings by taking his 
 chances with Captain Gwynne, hoping to 
 reach Santa Fe and thence the Kansas 
 Pacific to St. Louis, to betterment of his 
 pocket and to the service of one, at least, of 
 his former troop commanders. No coward 
 was Pike, but he had visions of a far-away 
 home his coming would bless, where a loved 
 sister s children would gather about his knee 
 and hear his stories of battle and adventure, 
 and where his dollars would enable him to 
 give comforts and comfits, toys and " taffee " 
 to her little ones. Was he not conscious 
 
SUNSET PASS. 33 
 
 that her eldest boy must be now fourteen, 
 named for him, Martin Pike, and a young 
 American all through ? It must be con 
 fessed that as the ex-corporal stood there at 
 his night post under the stars he half 
 regretted that he had embarked on this 
 risky enterprise. 
 
 "If it were anybody else now but old 
 Gwynne," he muttered to himself, " things 
 wouldn t be so mixed, but he never did 
 have any horse sense and now has run us 
 into this scrape and it s a bad one or I m 
 no judge." 
 
 Then he glanced over his shoulder again. 
 Manuelito was shuffling about the fire appar 
 ently doing nothing. Presently the ex-cor 
 poral saw the Mexican saunter up to the 
 wagons and Pike took several strides through 
 the timber watching before he said a word ; 
 yet, with the instinct of the old soldier, 
 he brought his carbine to full cock. Some- 
 
34 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 how or other he " could not tolerate that 
 greaser." 
 
 But the suspected greaser seemed to con 
 tent himself with a cursory examination of 
 the forage and baggage wagon and pres 
 ently came slouching back to the fire again. 
 He had some scrap of harness in his hand 
 and Pike longed to know what, but it was 
 too far from his post of observation. He 
 decided to remain where he was. He must 
 listen for the captain. All the same he kept 
 vigilant watch of Manuelito s movements 
 and ere long, when the fire brightened up a 
 bit, he made out that the "greaser" was 
 fumbling over nothing else than a side line. 
 Now what did that mean ? 
 
 Pike took a turn through the little herd 
 of " stock/ bending down and feeling the 
 side line of each horse and mule. All were 
 secure and in perfect order. The one in 
 Manuelito s hands, therefore, was probably 
 
MANUELITO WAS SHUFFLING ABOUT THE FIRE APPAR 
 ENTLY DOING NOTHING. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 35 
 
 " Gregg s/ or an extra " pair " that he had 
 in his wagon. There was nothing out of 
 the way about that after all, so Pike resumed 
 his watch towards the west, where still the 
 Apache beacon was burning. 
 
 It must have been half after ten o clock. 
 Manuelito had slunk down by the fire, and 
 not a sound was to be heard except Jim s 
 musical snore, and a little cropping noise 
 among the horses. Yet Pike s quick ear 
 caught, far out on the prairie to the west, 
 the sound of hoofs coming towards him. 
 
 " When those Apaches named a horse 
 f click-click they must have struck one that 
 interfered," he muttered. " Now that s old 
 Gregg coming in, I ll bet my boots, and 
 there s not a click about his tread. Course 
 there might be on rock, instead of this soft 
 earth. The captain s back sooner than I 
 supposed he d come. What s up ? " 
 
 Quickly, crouchingly, he hurried forward 
 
36 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 some few rods, then knelt so that he might 
 see the coming horseman against the sky. 
 Then challenged sharp and low : 
 
 " Who comes there ! " 
 
 " Captain Gwynne," was the quick answer. 
 
 " That you, Pike ? By Jove, man ! I ve 
 come hack in a hurry. Are the horses all 
 right ? I want to push right on to the Pass 
 to-night." 
 
 " Horses all right, captain. What s the 
 matter back there ? >: 
 
 " I didn t venture too far, but I went far 
 enough to learn by my night glass and my 
 ears that those scoundrels were having a 
 war-dance. Now the chances are they ll 
 keep it up all night until they gather in all 
 the renegades in the neighborhood. Then 
 come after us. This is no place to make a 
 fight. It s all open here. But the road is 
 good all the way to Sunset, and once there 
 I know a nook among the rocks where we 
 
SUNSET PASS. 37 
 
 can stow our whole outfit where there are 
 6 tanks of fresh water in abundance and 
 where we can stand them off until the cav 
 alry get out from Verde. Sieber said he d 
 have them humming on our trail at once. 
 
 o 
 
 Tanner and Canker and Lieutenant Ray are 
 there with their troops and you can bet high 
 we won t have long to wait. It s the one 
 thing to do. Rouse up Jim and Manuelito 
 while I give Gregg a rest. Poor old boy," 
 he said, as he noted his favorite s heaving 
 flanks. " He has had a hard run for it and 
 more than his share of work this day." 
 
 In ten minutes Black Jim, roused by vig 
 orous kicks, was silently but briskly hitching 
 in his team, Manuelito silently but suddenly 
 buckling the harness about his mules. Irish 
 Kate, aroused by the clatter, had poked 
 her head from underneath the canvas to 
 inquire what was the matter, and, at a 
 few words from the captain, had shrunk 
 
38 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 in again, stricken with fear, but obeying 
 implicitly 
 
 66 Let the children sleep as long as possible, 
 Kate/ were G Wynne s orders. " The jolting 
 will wake them too soon, I fear, but we ve 
 got to push ahead to Sunset Pass at once. 
 There are Indians ten miles behind us." 
 
 A few minutes more and all was ready 
 for flight. 
 
 " Now, Pike, ride ahead and keep sharp 
 lookout for the road. I ll jump up here 
 beside Jim and drive, keeping right on your 
 trail. Old Gregg will tow along behind 
 the wagon. He is too tired to carry any one 
 else this day and you Manuelito, hark 
 ye, keep right behind Gregg. Don t fall 
 back ten yards. I want you right here with 
 us, and if anything goes wrong with your 
 team, or you cannot keep up, shout and we ll 
 wait for you. Now, then, Pike, forward ! " 
 
 An hour later in its prescribed order this 
 
SUNSET PASS. 39 
 
 little convoy had wound its way through 
 Jarvis Pass and was trotting rapidly over 
 the hard but smooth roadway towards the 
 high Sunset range. The little ones had been 
 aroused by the swaying and jolting and were 
 sitting up now silent and full of nameless 
 fears, yet striving to be brave and soldierly 
 when papa threw back some cheery word to 
 them over his shoulders. Never once did he 
 relax his grasp on the reins or his keen watch 
 for Pike s dim, shadowy form piloting them 
 along the winding trail. Little Ned had got 
 his " Ballard " and wanted to load, but his 
 father laughed him out of the idea. 
 
 " The Tontos were ten miles behind us, 
 Ned, my boy, when we left Snow Lake, and 
 are farther away now. These mountain Apa 
 ches in northern Arizona have no horses, 
 you know, and have to travel afoot. Not 
 a rod will they journey at night if they can 
 help themselves the lazy beggars ! " 
 
40 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 And so the poor father, realizing at last 
 the fruits of his obstinacy, strove to reassure 
 his children and his dependants. Little 
 Nell was too young to fully appreciate 
 their peril, and soon fell asleep with her 
 curly head pillowed on Kate s broad lap. 
 Ned, too, valiant little man, soon succumbed 
 and, still grasping his Ballard, fell sound 
 asleep. In darkness and silence the little 
 convoy sped swiftly along, and at last, far in 
 the "wee sma hours/ Pike hailed : 
 
 " Here we are, right in the Pass, captain ! 
 Now can you find that point where we turn 
 off the road to get into the rock corral ? " 
 
 " Take the lines, Jim ; I ll jump out and 
 prospect. I used to know it well enough." 
 
 Down the road the captain went stumbling 
 afoot. Everything was rock, bowlder and 
 darkness now. The early morning wind was 
 sighing through the pines up the mountain 
 side at the south. All else was silence. 
 
. ... - =r * 
 
 ~~~~Ct "*"* 
 
 " WHERE S MANUELITO ? " 
 
SUNSET PASS. 41 
 
 Presently they heard him hail : 
 
 " Come on ! Here we are ! " 
 
 Jim touched up his wearied team and 
 soon, under the captain s guidance, was 
 bumping up a little side trail. A hundred 
 yards off the road they halted and Gwynne 
 called back into the darkness : 
 
 " How s Manuelito getting on, Pike? " 
 
 No answer. 
 
 The captain stepped back a few yards 
 and listened. Not a sound of hoof or 
 wheel. 
 
 " Pike ! " he called. "Where are you ? " 
 
 No answer at all. 
 
 " Quick, Jim, give me the lantern," he 
 called, and in a moment the glimmering 
 light went bounding down the rocky trail, 
 back to the road. 
 
 And there the two soldiers met Pike 
 trotting up rapidly from the west, the cap 
 tain swinging his lantern in the Pass. 
 
42 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 " Where s Manuelito ? " was the fierce 
 demand. 
 
 "Gone, sir. Gone and taken the mules 
 with him. The wagon s back there four 
 hundred yards up the road. " 
 
 " My God ! Pike. (jive me your horse 
 quick. You stay and guard my babies." 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 ON THE ALERT. 
 
 OBEDIENT to the captain s order, Pike had 
 dismounted and given him the horse, but it 
 was with a sense of almost sickening dread 
 that he saw him ride away into darkness. 
 
 " Take care of the babies/ indeed ! The 
 old trooper would shed his heart s blood 
 in their defence, but what would that avail 
 against a gang of howling Apaches ? It 
 could only defer the moment of their capture 
 and then what would be the fate of those 
 poor little ones and of honest old Kate ? 
 Jim, of course, would do his best, but there 
 remained now only the two men to defend 
 
44 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 the captain s children and their nurse against 
 a swarm of bloodthirsty Tontos who were 
 surely on their trail. There was no telling 
 at what moment their hideous war-cry might 
 wake the echoes of the lonely Pass. 
 
 With all his loyalty, Pike was almost 
 ready to blame his employer and old com 
 mander for riding off in pursuit of the 
 Mexican. It was so dark that no trail 
 could be seen. He could not know in 
 which direction Manuelito had fled. It was 
 indeed a blind chase, and yet the captain 
 had trotted confidently back past the de 
 serted wagon as though he really believed 
 he could speedily overtake and recapture 
 the stolen mules. Pike thought that the 
 captain should stay with his children and 
 let him go in pursuit or rather search, but 
 every one who knew Gwynne knew how 
 self-confident he was and how much higher 
 he held his own opinion than that of any- 
 
HIS FIRST DUTY SEEMED TO BE TO GET THE PROVISIONS 
 FROM THE WAGON. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 45 
 
 body else. " It is his confounded bull-head- 
 edness that has got us into this scrape," 
 thought poor Pike, for the twentieth time, 
 but the soldier in him came to the fore and 
 demanded action action. 
 
 Knowing the habits of the Apaches it 
 was his hope that they would not follow in 
 pursuit until broad daylight and that it 
 would be noon before they could reach the 
 Pass. By that time, with or without the 
 mules, Captain Gwynne would certainly be 
 back. Meanwhile his first duty seemed to 
 be to get the provisions from the wagon up 
 to the little fastness among the great bowl 
 ders where the children, guarded by poor, 
 trembling but devoted Kate, were now 
 placidly sleeping worn out with the fa 
 tigue of their jolting ride from Snow Lake. 
 She kept Black Jim with a loaded rifle close 
 by the side of the family wagon and pre 
 vented his falling asleep at his post, in 
 
46 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 genuine darkey fashion, by insisting on his 
 talking with her in low tones. She kept 
 fretting and worrying about the absence of 
 the captain and the non-arrival of Manuelito 
 with his wagon. She asked Jim a hundred 
 questions as to the cause of the delay, but 
 he could give no explanation. It was with 
 joy inexpressible, therefore, that she heard 
 Pike s well-known voice hailing them in 
 cheery tones. He wanted Jim. 
 
 " Where s the captain and the wagon ? " 
 demanded Kate in loud whisper. 
 
 " Up the road a piece," answered Pike in 
 the most off-hand way imaginable. " We ll 
 have it here presently but Jim ll have 
 to help. We ve lost a linch-pin in the 
 dark. Come along. Jim." 
 
 o" 
 
 " Shure you re not going to take Jim 
 away and leave me alone with the poor 
 children. Oh, corporal, for the love of the 
 blessed saints don t do that ! " 
 
SUNSET PASS. 47 
 
 " She ! Kate. We won t be any distance 
 away and there ain t an Indian within ten 
 miles. They wouldn t dare come prowling 
 around at night. Here, you take Jim s gun 
 and blow the top of the head off the first 
 Apache that shows up. We ll be back in 
 five minutes. How are the kids sleep- 
 ing?" 
 
 " Sleeping soundly, God be praised, and 
 never draming of the awful peril we re in." 
 
 " Peril be blowed ! " answered Pike stout 
 ly. " We re safer here than we could be 
 anywhere east of the Verde and as soon as 
 it s good and light and the horses are rested, 
 we ll be off for the Colorado Chiquito and 
 leave the Tontos miles behind. Take things 
 easy, old girl, and don t worry. Come 
 along, Jim." 
 
 And so away they went through the inky 
 darkness, plunging along the rocky and 
 winding path by which they had brought 
 
48 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 the ambulance up the steep. Not until 
 they had got down into the road itself did 
 Pike give his negro comrade an idea of 
 what had happened. Then, speaking low 
 and seizing the other s arm, he began : 
 
 " Jim, old boy, we ve got to pull together 
 to-night. There s nothing the matter with 
 the wagon that s all right, but that whelp 
 Manuelito has run off with the mules and 
 the captain s put out after him. It ll be 
 daylight soon and he ll get the son of a gun 
 sure, and then hurry back to join us; 
 but the wagon lies just where I think you 
 and I can start it down the road and fetch 
 it nearer camp. Then we can rake out 
 what provisions we want in case we have to 
 stand a siege. See ? " 
 
 Black Jim s eyes nearly popped from their 
 sockets. He had been on scouts with his 
 master, and bragged prodigiously around 
 garrison about how they fought Tontos 
 
JIM, OLD BOY, WE VE GOT TO PULL TOGETHER 
 TO-NIGHT," 
 
SUNSET PASS. 49 
 
 down along the Black Mesa and in the 
 infested " Basin." 
 
 To hear Jim talk one would fancy he had 
 killed at least half a dozen Indians in hand 
 to hand encounters. Indeed he had be 
 haved with self-possession and a very fair 
 degree of coolness in the two affairs which 
 G Wynne s troop had had when Jim hap 
 pened to be along. But this was different. 
 Then they had forty or fifty veteran sol 
 diers. Here only old Pike and himself 
 were left to defend the position and no 
 one might say how many Apaches might 
 come along. Besides it was still dark (and 
 Napoleon said all men were cowards in the 
 dark), though far in the east a grayish pal 
 lor was creeping up from the horizon. 
 Who could blame poor Jim if his knees 
 shook and his teeth chattered a little, but 
 he went manfully along by Pike s side and 
 soon they reached the abandoned wagon. 
 
50 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 As luck would have it, Manuelito had 
 stopped where the road began a pretty 
 sharp descent and Pike felt sure that if they 
 could only start the thing they could run 
 the wagon almost opposite their hiding 
 place. Then it would be far easier to get 
 the stores up the rocks. Taking the pole 
 himself and telling him to " put his shoul 
 der to the wheel " Pike sung out a cheery 
 " Heave ! " and, slowly at first, then more 
 rapidly, the vehicle with its precious freight 
 came thundering down the rocky and almost 
 unused road. Pike had to hold back with 
 all his might and to shout for Jim to join 
 him, but between them they managed to 
 control the speed of the bulky runaway and 
 to guide it safely to a point not far from 
 their little camp. The old trooper rummaged 
 about until he found the lantern hanging 
 under the seat. This he quickly lighted, 
 and then, loading a sack of barley for the 
 
SUNSET PASS. 51 
 
 horse on Jim s shoulders, and lugging a box 
 of hard bread under one arm and of bacon 
 under the other, he led the way up among 
 the rocks until they reached Kate s " field 
 hotel," as he called it. There they dumped 
 their load under the ambulance. Pike whis 
 pered a jovial " Go to sleep, old girl. 
 You re all safe " to the still trembling Irish 
 woman, then down they went for another 
 load. This time they came laden with a 
 wonderful assortment. Coffee, sugar, con 
 densed milk, canned corned beef, potted 
 ham, canned corn and tomatoes, some flour 
 and yeast powders, a skillet or two, the 
 coffee pot, some cups, dishes, etc., and these, 
 too, were placed close to the ambulance, to 
 Kate s entire mystification ; and then, send 
 ing Jim down for another little load, Pike 
 set to work to build a tiny fire far back in a 
 cleft in the rocks. 
 
 " We 11 all be glad of a cup of coffee 
 
52 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 now/ he said to himself, " and so will the 
 captain ; he should be brought back before 
 day. We may have no chance for cooking 
 after the sun is up. Thank God, there s 
 water in plenty here in these hollows." 
 
 Out in the Arizona mountains one may 
 journey day after day in July or August, and 
 all through the fall and winter, and cross 
 gulley, gorge, ravine, canon and water cross 
 and find them all dry as a bone not a drop 
 of water running. It is useless to dig below 
 the surface, as one could do in sandy soil and 
 find water, for it is all rock. Indeed it would 
 be impossible to dig ; nothing short of blast 
 ing would make an excavation. But a kind 
 Providence has decreed that the scout or 
 traveler should not be left to die of thirst. 
 Here and there in the low ground or in the 
 ravines are deep hollows, in which the water 
 has gathered during the rainy season, and this 
 is almost always palatable and sweet. One 
 
SUNSET PASS. 53 
 
 only has to know where these " tanks " are, 
 and he is all right. Both Captain Gwynne 
 and Pike had twice been over to the Pass 
 before, and, spending a day or more there 
 scouting the neighborhood, had noted the 
 little nook among the great bowlders and the 
 abundant supply of water. It was God s 
 mercy that this was the case. 
 
 And now as he boiled his coffee in the 
 little niche whence no betraying gleam from 
 his fire could shoot out across the gorge, Pike 
 gave himself over to a calm look at the situ 
 ation. If the captain recovered the mules 
 and got back by sunrise despite fatigue 
 they could give them and the horses a good 
 feed of barley and then push for the Colo 
 rado Chiquito, some twenty miles away. Once 
 across that stream they were comparatively 
 safe, for the Apaches had a superstitious 
 feeling against venturing % beyond. That 
 country was considered as belonging to the 
 
54 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 Maqui Pueblo Indians, of whom the wild 
 Tontos stood a little in dread. Then, a little 
 further on, began the Navajo country, and 
 the Navajos once the most fearless and in 
 tractable of mountain tribes were now all 
 gathered in at their reservations about old 
 Fort Defiance, the richest Indians in sheep, 
 cattle and " stock " on the face of the globe. 
 
 o 
 
 No Apache dare venture on their territory, 
 and white men, on the contrary, were safe 
 there. " If we can only get away before 
 those scoundrelly Tontos get after us," said 
 Pike to himself. " Even if the captain 
 doesn t get the mules, we can abandon the 
 wagon and the heavy luggage, cram the 
 ambulance with provisions and make a run 
 for it to Sunset crossing. I wonder which 
 way that blackguard of a greaser did go. He 
 would hardly dare go back the way he came 
 with every chance of running slap into the 
 Tontos. He has taken hard tack and bacon 
 
SUNSET PASS. 55 
 
 enough to keep him alive several days. It s 
 my belief he means to hide somewhere about 
 Jarvis Pass until he sees the Indians follow 
 ing our trail and then, when they are fairly 
 past, to make a run for the Verde. The 
 cowardly hound ! " 
 
 Then Jim came stumbling up the path 
 with his load and the lantern. Pike gave 
 him a big tin mug of steaming coffee and a 
 couple of " hard tack." Took another down 
 to Kate, whom he pacified by saying that 
 the captain was with Manuelito and the mules 
 and bidding her to lie down and get a little 
 sleep before day. Then he went back to Jim. 
 
 " Now young man," said he, " I want you 
 to listen carefully to what I say. You had a 
 nap last evening a sound sleep in fact and 
 I ve not had a wink. If I can get an hour 
 or an hour and a half it will fetch me out all 
 right for the day s work. This coffee will 
 freshen you up and keep you awake. You 
 
56 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 stand guard until sunrise until the sun is 
 well up, in fact, then call me. Keep your 
 ears wide open ; listen for every sound ; if it s 
 the captain coming back you 11 hear the hoof 
 beats down there on the road ; if it s Apaches 
 you won t hear anything. But you take my 
 word for it, Jim, they won t attempt to 
 follow beyond Snow Lake to-night. They 
 can t be here before noon, and by that time 
 we 11 be miles away towards the river. Don t 
 get stampeded. Just keep cool ; watch and 
 listen. If Kate asks anything more about the 
 captain tell her he s down by the wagon. It 
 was too heavy to fetch up here. I don t 
 want to make a man lie, but we mustn t let 
 her and those poor little kids know he s 
 away. Now are you game for it, Jim ? " 
 
 The negro mechanically took the rifle that 
 Pike handed to him. " I 11 do my best, 
 corporal," he said. 
 
 "That s a trump ! Now I believe I can rest 
 
SUNSET PASS. 57 
 
 easy/ answered Pike, and so saying he un 
 rolled his blankets, spread them on the 
 ground close by the ambulance, looked to the 
 chamber of his revolver to see that every cart 
 ridge was all right, lay his rifle by the wheel, 
 lay down and rolled himself into his soldier 
 bedding, and was asleep in three minutes. 
 
 How long afterwards it was that he was 
 aroused Pike could not begin to guess. It 
 seemed to him that he had not slept five 
 minutes yet he had had a good, long, refresh 
 ing nap, and now it was broad daylight. 
 The sun was shining brightly and Black Jim 
 was bending over him ; his finger on his lips. 
 Pike sat up and rubbed his eyes. The first 
 question he longed to ask was : " Has the 
 captain got back ? " but Jim pointed to the 
 ambulance and, listening, the old trooper 
 heard childish voices, soft and low ; their 
 bubbling laughter telling of their utter igno 
 rance of the dread anxiety which hovered 
 
58 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 over the camp. Kate, worn out, was evi 
 dently still asleep and the children were chat 
 ting blithely together but taking care not to 
 disturb their kind old nurse. Little Ned 
 poked his hand out through the narrow space 
 between the curtain and the frame of the 
 door and peeped through with one merry 
 blue eye as he shook hands with Pike, who 
 had scrambled to his feet. 
 
 " Where s papa ? " he whispered. 
 
 " He s all right, little man," answered Pike, 
 smiling cheerfully up at the bright boy face, 
 though the old soldier s heart was heavy as 
 lead. " He s all right. He s down looking 
 after the mules with Manuelito. You and 
 Nellie hungry ? I 11 get you some breakfast 
 presently, but better let old Kate sleep as 
 long as she. can." 
 
 " I d like to come out, corporal, and look 
 around," whispered Ned. 
 
 " Wait a little while, my lad. It s very 
 
SUNSET PASS. 59 
 
 early and the air is pretty keen. I 11 let you 
 out presently. See if you can find papa s 
 field glasses in there anywhere. I want to 
 take a look at the road with them." 
 
 Ned withdrew his little brown fist and 
 could be heard groping around the dark 
 interior. The captain had so arranged the 
 seats in his " family wagon " that they could 
 be turned and flattened against the sides of 
 
 o 
 
 the vehicle, leaving a clear space in which 
 there was abundant room for Kate and the 
 children to lie at full length and sleep in 
 comfort, and this was their tent and sleeping 
 apartment. The captain and his party slept 
 as we always used to sleep when scouting in 
 the dry season in Arizona, without shelter of 
 any kind, in the open air. 
 
 Presently the little fellow re-appeared at 
 the aperture. 
 
 " Here it is, Pike," he whispered. " But 
 you ll have to open the door to get it out." 
 
60 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 Pike turned the handle, took the " binoc 
 ular," gave Ned a jovial nod and another 
 shake of the hand, closed the door and 
 strode away signalling Jim to follow him. 
 When they were out of earshot of the am 
 bulance he turned : 
 
 " Have you heard nothing no hoof 
 beats ? " 
 
 " Not a thing," answered Jim. " We 
 can t see the wagon from here, but I could 
 hear anything if anything had come." 
 
 Pike looked wistfully back up the Pass. 
 In one or two places the road was visible 
 from their lookout, winding and twisting 
 around the rocks. 
 
 Three hundred yards away it turned 
 around the foot of a hill and from that 
 point was utterly lost to view. Pike looked 
 at the sun, then at his old silver watch. 
 " After seven o clock, by jove ! and not 
 back yet," he muttered. " It s full time 
 
1 MY GOD! THERE S NOT A LIVING SOUL IN SIGHT." 
 
SUNSET PASS. 61 
 
 we were off for the Chiquito, but we can t 
 stir without the captain." Then he turned 
 once more to Jim. " Water the horses and 
 give them a good measure of barley each, 
 then put some dry wood on those embers in 
 the niche there be sure and make no 
 smoke and cook some breakfast for us all. 
 I ve got to go up to that point yonder. 
 From there I can see all over the open 
 country to the west, and the road, too, as 
 far as Jarvis Pass. These glasses will show 
 every moving object to me, and I haven t a 
 doubt I ll see the captain somewhere out 
 there in the distance coming back to join 
 us. Darn the mules ! I don t much care 
 whether he gets them or not, but I d like 
 about two minutes private interview with 
 that blasted greaser." 
 
 So saying, Pike got a pail of water from 
 the "tank," liberally soused his head, face 
 and neck in the clear, cold water ; then, 
 
62 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 throwing his rifle over his shoulder, the 
 brave fellow went springing down the wind 
 ing trail to the roadway and then strode west 
 ward up the Pass. A few moments brought 
 him to the base of the little hill, a short, 
 sharp climb brought him to its crest, and 
 there, kneeling, he adjusted the glasses, 
 and for a long, long minute swept the open 
 country and the winding road lying before 
 him in the bright sunshine. He could see 
 every inch of the way to Jarvis Pass, and 
 when at last he lowered the glass he groaned 
 aloud : " My God ! My God ! There s not a 
 living soul in sight." 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ON THE WATCH. 
 
 FOR fully half an hour poor old Pike 
 remained there at his post of observation, 
 every now and then vainly scanning the pla 
 teau through his field glass. Meantime he 
 was talking over the situation to himself. 
 " The jig is up now. I ve got to go back to 
 camp presently. I ll have to tell them the 
 captain is still away and that I have no idea 
 where he has gone. I might just as well 
 make a clean breast of it and admit that 
 Manuelito has deserted and gone off with the 
 mules, and that the old man (for by this half- 
 endearing appellative the soldiers often spoke 
 
64 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 of their captain) is in pursuit. I don t sup 
 pose he found their trail until broad day 
 light anyhow." Then he looked back 
 towards the nook in which his precious 
 charges were doubtless impatiently awaiting 
 his return. He could just see the top of 
 the ambulance over the ledge of rock that 
 hid it from the road. " Jim is just giving 
 them his breakfast about this time," he went 
 on with his self-communion. " They could 
 not eat another mouthful if I were to go 
 back now with my bad news. Better wait 
 until they ve had a square meal before I tell 
 them. They can bear it better then." 
 
 Still the stout-hearted veteran would not 
 give up hope. Again he swept the road with 
 his glass, searching wistfully for some little 
 dust cloud or other sign of coming horseman 
 across the wide, open plateau, but all was 
 silence and desolation, and, at last, feeling 
 that he must go back to camp and get some- 
 
SUBSET PASS. 6 
 
 thing to eat, he shouldered his rifle and went 
 down the hill, his heart heavy as lead. 
 
 Of course it was still possible for him to 
 hitch up the team and make a run for it, 
 with Kate and the children, for Sunset 
 Crossing, but he felt confident that neither 
 Kate nor little Ned would listen to such a 
 project if it involved leaving the captain 
 behind. There was yet a chance of his old 
 commander s returning in time Although 
 he was not to be seen anywhere over the 
 twenty-mile stretch towards Jarvis Pass it 
 was all the more probable that he might 
 have found Manuelito s trail leading into 
 the mountains north or south of the gorge 
 in which they were now hiding. The Mex 
 ican had long been employed in the pack 
 train and had been up through this range 
 towards Chevelon Fork he had heard 
 him say so. Very probably, therefore, he 
 had struck out for the old " short cut " back 
 
66 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 to the Verde. It was impracticable for 
 wagons but easy enough for mules and 
 it lay, so Pike judged, ten or fifteen miles 
 south of the Pass. The very thing ! It 
 would be the most natural course for him 
 to follow since the signal fire west of Snow 
 
 o 
 
 Lake had showed them the evening previous 
 that the Indians were on their trail. Doubt 
 less the captain had reasoned it out on the 
 same line and ridden southward along the 
 western base of the range until he had over 
 taken his treacherous employe. A huge 
 shoulder of the mountain shut off the view 
 in that direction, but the theory seemed so 
 probable to Pike that his spirits began to 
 rise again as he struck the road Why ! 
 It might readily be that at this moment the 
 captain was not more than a mile or two 
 away, and hurrying back, fast as the mules 
 would let him, to join the loved ones whom 
 he had left at camp. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 67 
 
 " It s a theory worth banking on for an 
 hour or two at least," said Pike to himself. 
 " By Jinks ! I ll swear to it as long as it can 
 possibly hold good. There s no use in let 
 ting them worry their hearts out those 
 poor little kids. God be with us and help 
 me to bring them safely through ! " And so, 
 much comforted in spirit, tlu old trooper 
 half New England Puritan, half wild 
 frontiersman strode briskly down the road, 
 determined that he would make no move for 
 the Colorado until he knew from the evi 
 dence of his own eyes that the Apaches 
 were coming in pursuit. 
 
 The shortest way from Jarvis Pass to the 
 point where they now lay resting, was by 
 way of the road along which they had come 
 the night before, on both sides of which, as 
 has been said, the country lay comparatively 
 clear and open for miles to both north and 
 south. Pike felt certain that with the aid 
 
68 SUNSET PASS, 
 
 of his glass he could see the Indians almost 
 as soon as they got out upon the plain and 
 while still many a long mile away. Then 
 there would be abundant time to bundle 
 their supplies into the ambulance, run it 
 back to the road, stow Kate and the chil 
 dren safely in the interior and whip up for 
 "the Chiquito," leaving their pursuers far 
 behind. What a mercy it is, thought Pike, 
 that these Tontos have no horses ! The 
 captain, too, he argued, even if he had not 
 started before, would have an eye on that 
 road wherever he was, and would gallop for 
 camp the moment he saw the distant signs 
 of the coming foe. 
 
 Even as he trudged along, whistling 
 loudly now by way of conveying an idea of 
 jollity to the anxious little party at the 
 ambulance, Pike s keen eyes were scanning 
 the mountain sides. North of the Pass the 
 ground did not begin to rise to any extent 
 
SUNSET PASS. 69 
 
 until fully half a mile away, but southward 
 the ascent began almost at the roadside and 
 was so steep as to be in places almost 
 precipitous. A thick growth of scrub oak, 
 cedar and juniper covered the mountain and 
 here and there a tall tree shot up like some 
 leafy giant among its humbler neighbors ; 
 and, standing boldly out on the very point 
 where the heights turned southward, was a 
 vertical ledge of solid rock. Pike stopped 
 instantly. " Now that s a watch-tower as is 
 a watch-tower ! " he exclaimed. " I ll scram 
 ble up and have a look from there before I 
 do another thing." So saying he left the 
 road and pushing his way among the 
 stunted trees and over rocks and bowlders 
 he soon began a moderately steep climb. 
 Long accustomed to mountain scouting, the 
 craft of the old Indian fighter was mani 
 fest in his every movement. He carefully 
 avoided bending or breaking the merest twig 
 
70 SUNSET PASS 
 
 among the branches, and in stepping he 
 never set foot on turf or soft earth, but 
 skipped from rock to rock, wherever possi 
 ble, so as to leave no " sign " behind him. 
 It was more a matter of habit than be 
 cause he believed it necessary to conceal 
 his trail from the Indians in this case. 
 No human being on earth can follow an 
 enemy, like an Apache ; a bent twig, a 
 flattened bit of sod, even a tiny impression 
 in the loose sand or rocky surface will catch 
 his eye in an instant, and tell him volumes. 
 Pike knew well that there was no such thing 
 as hiding the trail of his party, and thinking 
 of them he stopped to take breath and look 
 down. Their little fastness was hidden 
 from him by the trees, but he could see the 
 baggage wagon down in the road, and, being 
 unwilling to have Kate and the little ones 
 worrying about his long continued absence, 
 he set up a loud and cheery shout. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 11 
 
 "Hullo o o Jim!" 
 
 Jim s voice came back on the instant. 
 " What d you want ? " 
 
 " Just save a little breakfast for the cap 
 tain and me, will you ? We ll be hungry as 
 wolves when we get in." 
 
 "Is papa there?" piped up little Ned in 
 his childish treble. 
 
 " No he s down around the west side. 
 He ll be in presently. I look for him every 
 minute. He s all right, Ned." 
 
 " Where you at? " shouted Jim again in 
 his southern vernacular. 
 
 " Up here on the hill. I m going a piece 
 farther to look at a big rock. I ll be down 
 in ten or twenty minutes." 
 
 And so having cheered and re-assured 
 them, Pike pushed on again. A few min 
 utes sharp climbing brought him to the base 
 of the ledge which proved to be far bigger 
 and higher than he had supposed, and all 
 
72 SUNSET PAS& 
 
 the better for his purpose. Clambering 1 to 
 the top he could hardly repress a shout of 
 exultation. Not only had he now a com 
 manding view of all the plateau over to the 
 ridge through which wound Jarvis Pass, 
 but he could even see over beyond towards 
 Snow Lake, while northward for several 
 miles the western foothills of the range were 
 open to his view. It was by long odds the 
 best lookout he could have found and he 
 only regretted that his view southward was 
 still shut off. Adjusting his binocular he 
 again gazed long and carefully over all the 
 plain and especially along the western edge 
 of the range to the north, but the search 
 was fruitless as before. Not a living, mov 
 ing object was in sight. 
 
 Finding an easy descent on the side far 
 thest from camp and opposite that on which 
 he had clambered to the top Pike half slid, 
 half swung himself to the base again, and 
 
SUNSET PASS. 73 
 
 there he came upon a sight that filled his 
 soul with joy. From base to summit the 
 ledge was probably fifty feet in height and 
 was so far tilted over on the western side as 
 to have an overhang of at least fifteen. 
 More than this, there was a great cleft near 
 the base and an excavation or hollow run 
 ning inwards and downwards, perhaps fif 
 teen feet more. Pike went in to explore, and, 
 to his farther satisfaction, found a " tank " 
 where the water had gathered from the 
 melting snows and in the rainy season. He 
 tasted it and found it cool and fresh, and 
 then, sprawling at full length, he drank 
 eagerly. 
 
 " What a find ! " he almost shouted, with 
 glee. " We can store Kate and the children 
 back in there, throw up a little barrier of 
 rock at the front with loopholes for our 
 rifles. Not a bullet or arrow can reach us 
 from any direction except the tops of those 
 
74 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 trees yonder, and God help the Tonto that 
 tries to climb em. And, even if the captain 
 don t come, by Jinks ! we can stand off all 
 the Apaches in Arizona. It won t be more 
 than three days before Al Sieber will be 
 galloping out with a swarm of the old boys 
 at his back, and if Jim and I, in such a fort 
 as this, can t lick Es-Kirninzin and his whole 
 gang, call me a dough boy ! 
 
 The more he explored, the better was 
 Pike pleased with the situation, and in five 
 minutes he had made up his mind what to 
 do. The little nook in which the party had 
 been hiding was all very well for the night 
 and a good refuge for the horses as well 
 as the human beings, but in broad day 
 light the Indians would have no difficulty in 
 finding and surrounding it, and there was 
 hardly any space within its rocky walls 
 which would be safe from bullet or arrow 
 when once the assailants got up the hillside. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 75 
 
 Here, however, they could stand a siege with 
 almost perfect safety. From above or from 
 the flanks the Indians could not reach them 
 at all, and if they attacked from the front 
 up hill nothing but a simultaneous and 
 preconcerted rush of the whole band could 
 succeed, and Pike knew the Apache well 
 enough to feel secure against that possibility. 
 Now it was possible to wait for the cap 
 tain indefinitely. If he got back in abun 
 dant time for them to load, up and push out 
 for the Colorado Chiquito before the Indians 
 reached the Pass well and good. If he 
 did not well, thought Pike, from here I 
 can see the scoundrels when they are still 
 miles away, and all we ve got to do is stock 
 this cave with blankets, provisions and 
 ammunition, build our breastwork and let 
 em come. " With Kate and the kids out 
 of harm s way, back in that hole, I 
 wouldn t ask anything better than to have 
 
76 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 those whelps of Tontos trail us up here and 
 then attempt to rout us out. We d make 
 some of em sick Indians ; wouldn t we, old 
 girl ? " wound up the ex-corporal apostro 
 phizing his Henry rifle. 
 
 Greatly elated over his discovery, Pike 
 went scrambling down the rocky hillside in 
 the direction of camp. He no longer took 
 any precautions about concealing his " trail." 
 He well knew that in the two or three trips 
 it would take to bring their stores and then 
 Kate and the children up to the cave, such 
 "signs " would be left that the Apaches 
 could follow without the faintest hesitation. 
 
 Five minutes brought him into the midst 
 of his charges, and here for a moment the 
 stout-hearted soldier was well nigh un 
 manned. Instantly he was besieged with 
 eager and anxious inquiry about papa, and 
 poor little Nellie, who had come running 
 eagerly forward when she heard his cheery 
 
BENDING DOWN HE RAISED HER IN HIS STRONG ARMS. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 77 
 
 voice, looked wistfully beyond him in search 
 of her father, and seeing at last that Pike 
 
 O 
 
 had come alone, she clasped her little arms 
 about his knees and, looking imploringly up 
 in his face, burst into tears and begged him, 
 amid her sobs, to say why papa did not 
 come. Bending down, he raised her in his 
 strong arms and hugged her tight to his 
 heart. 
 
 " Don t cry, little sweetheart," he plead. 
 " Don t worry, pet. Papa isn t far away. 
 He s coming soon and I ve got such a 
 beautiful playhouse for you and Ned and 
 Kate up there on the hill. We won t go up 
 just now, for we all want to be here to give 
 papa his breakfast when he comes in. And 
 my ! how hungry I am, Nellie ! Won t 
 you give old Pike some coffee now, and 
 some bacon and frvjoles ? " 
 
 Nellie, like a little woman, strove to dry 
 her tears and minister to the wants of her 
 
78 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 staunch old friend, the corporal. Ned man 
 fully repressed his own anxiety and helped 
 to comfort his little sister, but Kate retired 
 behind the ambulance and wept copiously. 
 She knew that something must be wrong. 
 No mere matter of a mule astray would keep 
 the captain from " the childer " all this long 
 while. Black Jim had set the coffee pot 
 and skillet again on the coals and in a few 
 moments had a breakfast piping hot, all ready 
 for the present camp commander who, mean 
 time, slung aside his slouch hat and neck- 
 handkerchief, rolled up his sleeves and was 
 giving himself a plentiful sluicing of cold 
 water from one of the " tanks " below them. 
 Then, as he went up to take his rations, he 
 sung out gaily to Ned : 
 
 " Here, Ned, my boy. We ought to have 
 a sentry posted to present arms to the cap 
 tain when he comes in. Get your rifle and 
 mount guard until I get through here." 
 
SUNSET PASS. 79 
 
 And Ned, proud to be so employed, and out 
 in the Indian country, too, was presently 
 pacing up and down on the side nearest the 
 road, with all the gravity and importance of 
 a veteran soldier. 
 
 Pike made great pretence of having a 
 tremendous appetite and made little Nell 
 help him to coffee twice, refusing to take 
 sugar except from her hand. Once during 
 his repast, poor old Kate came forth from 
 behind the ambulance, and with her apron 
 to her eyes slowly approached them, but the 
 trooper sternly warned her back, saying no 
 word but pointing significantly to the ambu 
 lance. He did not mean to have the little 
 ones upset by the nurse s lamentations. 
 His " square meal " finished, he asked Nellie 
 to see to the breakfast for her father being 
 carefully kept in readiness and then, saun 
 tering off towards the road, called Jim to 
 follow him. 
 
80 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 Then, while they were apparently exam 
 ining the bolts of the baggage wagon, he 
 gave the darkey his instructions. 
 
 " Jim, I don t know when the captain will 
 get back or how far he s gone, but I haven t 
 a dread or fear of any kind now. Up there 
 where you see that big gray rock I ve found 
 a cave that is the most perfect defensive 
 position I ever saw. No bullet can reach 
 it from any point, and on the contrary, from 
 the mouth of the cave, we command the 
 whole hillside. Now if those Apaches are 
 bound to follow, they ought to be along 
 here about noon. If the captain gets here 
 in plenty of time we ll pull out for the 
 Chiquito. If he doesn t I mean to move 
 the whole outfit up to the cave. I want you 
 now to roll and strap all the blankets ; to 
 get the provisions and everything of that 
 kind in shape so that we can easily pack 
 them, then I m going back to the top of the 
 
SUNSET PASS. 81 
 
 rock to keep a look out. I can see way 
 beyond Jarvis Pass, and if the Indians are 
 following I ll spot them before they get 
 within ten miles of us. See? " 
 
 Quarter of an hour later Pike was once 
 more on the top of the rock. First he 
 glanced at his w r atch. Just nine o clock. 
 Then he sprawled at full length upon the 
 blanket he had brought with him, levelled 
 his glasses and, resting his elbows on the 
 rock, gazed long and earnestly over the wind 
 ing road. Presently he sat up, whipped off 
 the red silk handkerchief about his neck, 
 carefully wiped the eye and object glasses of 
 his binocular and his own tired old eyes and, 
 once more prone on his stomach, gazed 
 again ; then twisted the screw a trifle as 
 though to get a better focus ; gazed still 
 another time ; lowered the glass ; rose to his 
 knees, his eyes gleaming brilliantly and his 
 teeth setting hard ; once more levelled the 
 
82 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 glass and looked with all his soul in his eyes 
 and then slowly let the faithful binocular 
 fall to the blanket by his side as he spoke 
 aloud : 
 
 " By Jove ! They re coming." 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE PRISONER. 
 
 WHAT Pike saw, far over on the plateau 
 towards Jarvis Pass would perhaps have 
 attracted no attention from tourist or casual 
 looker through a field glass, but to him - 
 an old trooper, Indian fighter and moun 
 taineer, it conveyed a world of meaning. 
 Against the dark background of that distant 
 ridge and upon the dun-colored flat along 
 which the road meandered, the old corporal 
 could just make out a number of dingy 
 white objects mere specks bobbing and 
 twinkling in the blazing sunshine. Nothing 
 of the kind had been there when he looked 
 
84 SUNSET PASS 
 
 before and he knew only too well what it 
 meant. Those dirty white specks were the 
 breech-clouts and turbans worn by nearly 
 all the Tonto warriors in preference to any 
 other head-gear or clothing, a cheap cot 
 ton cloth being always kept in abundant 
 supply at the agencies solely for their use. 
 Some of them, it is true, wore no turban at 
 all, their luxuriant growth of coarse black 
 hair tumbling about their shoulders and 
 trimmed off in a " bang " just level with 
 their fierce, beady eyes, being all the head 
 covering they needed. But the breech-clout 
 was universal and some few even wore loose 
 cotton shirts These, with the moccasin 
 and leggin invariably worn, the leggin 
 generally in a dozen folds at the ankle, made 
 the war toilet of the intractable Tonto. 
 There was none of the finery of the proud 
 warriors of the plains the Sioux, Chey 
 enne or Crow but for all that, when those 
 
SUNSET PASS. 85 
 
 Apaches took to the war-path, the soldiers 
 used to say, " It meant business." 
 
 " They will be here in three hours at the 
 rate they re coming ; three short hours, too, 
 for those beggars can keep up a jog trot all 
 day long. Now for it ! captain or no cap 
 tain." 
 
 With that brief soliloquy Pike slid down 
 from his perch, and for the second time that 
 morning made his way down the hillside and 
 back to camp. Here he found Kate and the 
 children as full of eager and anxious inquiry 
 about papa as before, and could only comfort 
 them by saying that the mules must have 
 run far to the south and were proving more 
 than ordinarily obstinate about coming back. 
 Still, he said, papa is sure to be here before 
 noon, and indeed he hoped, and more than 
 half believed, that such would be the case. 
 Knowing the danger that menaced his little 
 ones, it could not be that the captain would 
 
86 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 not use every endeavor to get back to them 
 before the Indians could reach the Pass. 
 
 Jim had obeyed his instructions to the 
 letter. There were the two big rolls of 
 blankets, securely strapped ; there were the 
 supplies; the bacon, bread, frijoles, coffee, 
 sugar, canned meats and vegetables. Even 
 some jams and jellies for the children, 
 together with the coffee pot, skillets, plates, 
 cups and saucers all stowed away in the big 
 iron kettle that hung under the wagon and 
 in a pail or two, ready to be plumped into 
 the ambulance if a start was to be made for 
 the river, or " toted " up the hill if the 
 order was to take to the cave. And then 
 the irrepressible propensity of the negro had 
 cropped out again. There lay Black Jim 
 peacefully snoring in the sunshine, oblivious 
 of all danger. 
 
 " Now, Kate, as the captain has my horse, 
 I m going to borrow his awhile," said Pike. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 87 
 
 " I want to ride down the range a little way 
 and see if I can t help him home with the 
 mules. You are perfectly safe here. Just 
 as safe, at least, as you would be if I were 
 with you. I wouldn t go and leave you if it 
 were not absolutely necessary, as I believe it 
 to be. You ll take care of her, won t you, 
 Ned, my boy ? " 
 
 The little fellow looked up bravely. " Nel 
 lie and I aren t afraid," he said. " Only we 
 do want papa to come and get something to 
 eat. Jim told me not to let the fire go out 
 and I put on a little dry wood now and 
 then." 
 
 But Kate sat with her apron to her eyes, 
 rocking to and fro in speechless misery and 
 dread, Nellie striving vainly to comfort her. 
 All unconscious of the coming peril, the 
 little ones were fearless and almost content. 
 They had no sympathy for their old nurse s 
 terror. Pike stopped and spoke once again 
 
88 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 to Kate before riding away, but in ten min 
 utes, mounted on a fresh and spirited horse, 
 with his rifle athwart the pommel and the 
 field glasses in their case swinging by their 
 strap from his shoulder, he cantered boldly 
 up the Pass and was soon well out upon the 
 open plain. His idea was to ride straight 
 out to the west along the road, five or six 
 miles and more if necessary, scour the coun 
 try southward with the glasses in search of 
 Captain Gwynne, and if he saw nothing of 
 him to get near enough to the advancing 
 Apaches to see about how large a party they 
 were, then to whirl about, put spurs to his 
 horse, ride like the wind for camp, get Kate, 
 the children, Jim and the blankets and pro 
 visions up to the cave and be all ready for 
 the Tontos when they came " Gregg " was 
 curveting and prancing even now, eager for 
 a gallop, but Pike s practised hand kept him 
 down to a moderate gait and in this way he 
 
SUNSET PASS. 89 
 
 rode steadily westward towards a distant rise 
 in the midst of the undulating plateau, and 
 there he felt confident he could see all that 
 there was to be seen. It was just ten o clock 
 when he reined in at the top of a gentle 
 ascent and unslung his glasses. First he 
 looked towards Jarvis Pass to see how far 
 away were the enemy and how many in 
 number. Despite the windings of the road 
 and occasional stunted trees or bushes, the 
 first glance through the binocular placed 
 them at once. Yes, there they were in plain 
 view certainly not more than four miles 
 away. Not only could he count the breech- 
 clouts and turbans now, but the swarthy, 
 sinewy bodies could be made out as they 
 came bobbing at their jog trot along the 
 trail. " Twenty-five in that party at least," 
 muttered Pike, " and coming for all they re 
 worth. But what on earth are they bunched 
 so for ? There seems to be half a dozen in 
 
90 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 a clump, right in the middle of the road." 
 Long and earnestly he studied them ; a 
 strange, worried expression coming into his 
 face. Then, just as he had done at the rock, 
 Pike wiped the glasses and his own eyes, and 
 then gazed again. 
 
 " By heaven ! " he muttered at last. 
 a That s a prisoner, sure as fate, that they 
 are lashing and goading along ahead of 
 them. Who on earth can it be ? Oh, God 
 grant it isn t the captain ! " Rapidly then 
 he swept the plateau southward, searching 
 the foothills of the range south of the 
 Pass, his whole heart praying for some 
 glimpse of horse and rider, but it was all 
 unavailing. Then, with one more look at 
 the coming foe, poor Pike turned, with 
 almost a groan of misery and anxiety, gave 
 " Gregg " one touch of the spur and a flip 
 of the reins, and away he flew at full speed 
 back to his duty at the Pass. One minute 
 
AWAY HE FLEW AT FULL SPEED. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 91 
 
 he reined in as he neared the gorge to note 
 the direction taken by Manuelito. There 
 were the tracks of the two mules, and run 
 ning southward out across the open plain, 
 but the captain had turned south almost the 
 instant he had got out from among the foot 
 hills. His trail started parallel with the 
 range. Surely then he ought to have 
 returned to camp by this time. 
 
 And now, as once again he neared the 
 little fastness in the rocks, Pike drew rein 
 and rode at easy, jaunty lope down the Pass. 
 He would not alarm his charges by hoof-beat 
 that indicated the faintest haste. When 
 he and " Gregg " came into view no one 
 of the anxious watchers could have dreamed 
 for an instant that he had seen a horde of 
 fierce Apaches hastening to overtake them. 
 
 " Just as I thought," he sung out cheer 
 ily. " The captain went right down the 
 range to the south and the mules strayed off 
 
92 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 across the plateau, so they missed each other 
 and he won t come back till he gets them. 
 It s all right, but I expect he s pretty hun 
 gry by this time." Then, springing from 
 the saddle, he picked little Nell up in his 
 arms : 
 
 " And now, baby, you want to see the 
 beautiful house I found for you, don t you ? 
 We ll all go up and take a look at it and 
 have lunch up there and lots of fun 
 while we wait for papa." And then with a 
 kiss he set her down and stalked over to 
 where Jim was still snoring in the sunshine ! 
 
 " Wake up, Jim ! " he cried, giving him a 
 lively shake or two. " Wake up and give 
 me a lift here. Nellie wants to see her 
 stone house." 
 
 It took some hard shaking it generally 
 does to rouse the darkey from his slumber, 
 but Jim presently sat up, rubbed his eyes, 
 looked around him, and then, as though 
 
SUNSET PASS. 93 
 
 suddenly recovering his faculties, sprang to 
 his feet. 
 
 " Unsaddle < Gregg and put the saddle, 
 bridle and blanket with the other stuff, 
 Jim," whispered Pike. " We must take our 
 horse equipments and harness with us. 
 We ve got to move up to the cave. No 
 hurry, mind you. You fetch the blankets 
 first. I ll carry Nellie." 
 
 Then calling to Ned to bring his Ballard 
 there were lots of squirrels up the hill 
 a fiction that can hardly have been very 
 heavily charged against him, Pike quickly 
 lifted Nellie to his shoulders and strode off 
 up the rocks. " You come, too, Kate. 
 It s quite a climb but it ll do you good," he 
 shouted, and presently he had his whole 
 procession strung out behind him and clam 
 bering from bowlder to bowlder. Long 
 before they reached the ledge they had to 
 let poor Kate recover breath and, after one 
 
94 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 or two halts of this kind, Pike sent Jim 
 ahead with the blankets and bade him come 
 back at once and tow, push or "boost " the 
 stout Irishwoman to their destination. At 
 last the rock was reached, Ned and Nellie 
 shouting with delight over the wonderful 
 cave and speedily making themselves at 
 home in its inmost recesses, Kate breathless 
 and exhausted and bemoaning the fates that 
 brought her on such an uncanny trip. The 
 blankets were spread out on the smooth sur 
 face of the rock within the great, gloomy 
 hollow. Jim was sent down for another 
 load while Pike clambered up to his watch- 
 tower and took a long look with his glass. 
 The Indians had not yet reached the rise 
 from which he had counted their numbers 
 at ten o clock. 
 
 In an hour more all the provisions they 
 could need for several days, more blankets 
 and pillows, all the arms and ammunition, 
 
SUNSET PASS. 95 
 
 all the harness and horse equipments had 
 been lugged up to and safely stowed in and 
 about the cave. " They ll burn the wagons, 
 blast them ! " muttered Pike to himself, 
 " but we can leave the horses there. They 
 won t harm them because they will want 
 them to get away with in case they find the 
 cavalry on their trail. The chances are the 
 horses can be recovered, but darn me if 
 I ll let em have saddle, bridle or harness 
 to run off anything with." Then once 
 more he had climbed to his post and was 
 diligently watching the road, while Jim, 
 obedient to orders, was rolling rocks and 
 bowlders around to the opening of the 
 cave. 
 
 " What s thiin for? " demanded Kate. 
 
 u Corporal Pike s goin to build a wall 
 here to keep out the bears," said Jim, with 
 lowered voice and a significant glance at the 
 children prattling happily together at the 
 
96 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 back of the cave, and poor Kate knew twas 
 no use asking questions. 
 
 And now, through the glasses, Pike could 
 see the Tontos gathered on the low hillock 
 which had been the western limit of his 
 morning ride. They seemed to have come 
 suddenly upon " Gregg s " hoof prints and 
 to have halted for consultation. Full half 
 an hour they tarried there and the children 
 began to clamor for the promised luncheon. 
 Sauntering down by a roundabout way the 
 veteran picked up an armful of dry twigs, 
 sticks and dead boughs and tossed them 
 down at the mouth of the cave. Then, 
 behind the rock, he built a small fire of the 
 dryest twigs he could find, explaining that 
 he didn t want smoke in the dining room, 
 and soon had his skillet heating and his ket 
 tle of water at the boil. Jim was directed to 
 cook all that was needed for luncheon and to 
 have plenty for the captain, who would be 
 
SUNSET PASS. 97 
 
 sure to come back mighty hungry in course 
 of the afternoon, and the corporal was 
 speedily at his post again. What could it 
 mean ? The Tontos were still hanging 
 about that little hill six miles out there on 
 the plain. Was it possible they had aban 
 doned the pursuit ? 
 
 Noon came ; one o clock, two o clock. 
 They had all had luncheon, and Pike had 
 been scrambling up and down the rock like 
 a monkey, and still there was no forward 
 movement of the foe. Every time he looked 
 they were still lounging or squatting, so he 
 judged, about the stunted trees on the knoll, 
 and there was nothing to explain the delay. 
 It must have three o clock when at last the 
 binocular told him they were again in motion 
 and coming rapidly toward him. He could 
 see the dirty white breech-clouts floating in 
 the breeze and could almost distinguish the 
 forms of the warriors themselves. Leaving 
 
98 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 his glass on the top of the ledge he slid 
 down to the base again, called quietly to 
 Jim, and the two men set to work to build 
 their breastwork. Bowlders big and little, 
 rocks of every possible shape and size were 
 all around them, and in three-quarters of 
 an hour they had a stout parapet fully 
 four feet high, whose loopholes commanded 
 the approach up the hillside, and yet were 
 secure from fire from above, below or either 
 flank. Then back he went to his watch- 
 tower. 
 
 The instant he adjusted the glass and lev 
 elled it at the road, Pike gave vent to an ex 
 pletive that need not be recorded here, but 
 that indicated in him a most unusual decree 
 
 o 
 
 of excitement. No wonder. The Tontos were 
 now in plain view only two miles and a 
 half out there on the plain, and though 
 they were spread out, as a rule, to the right 
 and left of the road, quite a number of 
 

 THE TWO MEN SET TO WORK TO BUILD THEIR 
 BREASTWORK, 
 
SUNSET PASS. 99 
 
 them came jogging along the road itself, 
 and right in the midst of these, led by an 
 Indian in front and guarded by two or three 
 in rear were the missing mules. Even at 
 
 o 
 
 that distance Pike could swear to them. On 
 they came, rapidly, relentlessly, well know 
 ing that even if their human prey had 
 escaped them the big wagon must be some 
 where about the Pass and loaded still with 
 provisions. Nearer nearer jogged the lead 
 ers ; but now the old trooper was carefully 
 studying a dark object on the back of the 
 foremost mule a pack of some kind and 
 marvelling- what it could be, wondering", 
 
 O O 
 
 too, what they had done with their prisoner. 
 He was sure they had one as they came 
 along that morning. At last they were 
 within a mile of the heights and the western 
 entrance to the Pass, and now their speed 
 slackened. They began opening out farther 
 and farther to the right and left, and the 
 
100 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 nearer they came to the foothills the slower 
 and steadier became their advance. The 
 mules and their attendants were kept well in 
 the background and for the life of him Pike 
 could not tell what that queer looking 
 "pack" could be. Slowly, steadily, the 
 Tonto skirmish line came on. Every 
 moment brought them nearer to the mouth 
 of the Pass. The sun was low down in the 
 west and threw long shadows of the ap 
 proaching foe before them. Little by little, 
 crouching, almost crawling, the more daring 
 spirits among them would give a spring and 
 a rapid run to the front of forty or fifty 
 yards. Evidently they expected to be 
 greeted with a sharp fire somewhere about 
 the Pass, and did not dare push ahead in 
 their usual order. And now they had 
 reached the entrance to the defile. Two or 
 three, as flankers, remained well out to the 
 right and left among the trees \ two or three. 
 
SUNSET 
 
 stole cautiously ahead down the road. Pike 
 watched their every move, yet found him 
 self every few seconds fixing his gaze on 
 that foremost mule now placidly cropping 
 the scant herbage while the skirmish line 
 pushed ahead. Presently a signal of some 
 kind was given and repeated. The Indians 
 in charge of the mules hastened with them 
 to the mouth of the Pass, and as they did so, 
 that singular pack came closer under Pike s 
 powerful glass. 
 
 " It s their prisoner," he uttered. " They 
 have driven and goaded him until he fainted 
 from exhaustion. Then they had to wait 
 for the mules to be brought up to the 
 hillock then lashed the poor fellow upon 
 the back of one of them and pushed ahead." 
 For some purpose of their own they were 
 keeping him alive, and death by fearful 
 torture was something to be looked forward 
 to in the near future. The corporal con- 
 
SUNSET PASS. 
 
 tinued to gaze as though fascinated until 
 the leading mule got almost under him, and 
 then he gave a groan of helplessness and 
 misery as he exclaimed, " My God ! My 
 God! It s Manuelito !" 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 MANUELITO S FATE. 
 
 FOR ten minutes Pike remained at his 
 post of observation on top of the rock, 
 watching the Indians as they slowly and 
 cautiously moved down the Pass in the 
 direction of the abandoned camp. The 
 children, worn out with their play, and the 
 fatigues of the climb, were sleeping soundly 
 in the little cave on the peak, Nellie, with 
 her fair head pillowed in patient Kate s lap. 
 Black Jim, too, was lying where the sun 
 shone full upon him, and snoring away as 
 placidly as earlier in the morning. 
 
 Kate, far back in the cave, had no idea 
 
104 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 what was going on in the Pass below ; but 
 her soul was still filled with dread and 
 anxiety. The old trooper knew well that 
 just as soon as the Indians came to the 
 wagons and found them abandoned, their 
 first care would be to secure all the plunder 
 from them possible. Then they would prob 
 ably dispose of Manuelito after their own 
 cruel designs ; and then, if darkness did not 
 come on in the meantime, they would prob 
 ably begin their search for the fugitives. 
 There would be no difficulty to Indian 
 trailers in following their track up the 
 mountain side ; of this Pike was well as 
 sured. But the wary old trooper had taken 
 the precaution, every time that he and Jim 
 had gone to and from the camp, to take a 
 roundabout path, so as to bring their trail 
 around the base of the mountain in front of 
 the cave, and in this way the Indians in 
 following would come directly in front of 
 
SUNSET PASS. 105 
 
 their barricade at the mouth and from sixty 
 to a hundred yards down the hill and within 
 easy range and almost sure shot of the 
 defenders. 
 
 And now, peering down into the road far 
 below, Pike could see that the leading 
 Indians had come in sight of the big bag 
 gage wagon and that they were signalling 
 to those in the rear, for almost instantly 
 three or four sinewy, athletic young fellows 
 sprang up among the trees and bowlders on 
 the north side of the Pass, and crouching 
 like panthers, half crawling, half springing, 
 they went flitting from rock to rock or tree 
 to tree until lost to the view of the lone 
 watcher on the great ledge, but it was evi 
 dent that their purpose was to reconnoitre 
 the position from that side, as well as to 
 surround the objects of their pursuit should 
 they still be there. Almost at the same 
 instant, too, an equal number of the Tontos 
 
106 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 came leaping like goats a short distance up 
 the slope towards Pike s unconscious garri 
 son, but speedily turned eastward, and, 
 adopting precisely the same tactics as those 
 of their comrades across the road, rapidly, 
 but with the utmost stealth and noiselessness, 
 bore down on the abandoned nook. 
 
 " Mighty lucky we got out of that and 
 found this," muttered Pike. " It won t be 
 five minutes before they satisfy themselves 
 that there is no one left to defend those 
 wagons or the horses and the moment 
 they realize it there ll be a yell of delight." 
 
 Sure enough ! After a brief interval of 
 silence, there came from below a shout of 
 exultation, answered instantly by triumphant 
 yells from the Indians in the roadway, and 
 echoed by a wail of mortal terror from poor 
 Kate, crouching below in the cave. Pike 
 lost no time in sliding down the rocks and 
 striving to comfort her. Nellie, clinging to 
 
NELLIE, CLINGING TO HER NURSE, WAS TERRIFIED BY THE 
 SOUNDS. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 107 
 
 her nurse, was terrified by the sounds. Little 
 Ned, pale, but with his boyish face set and 
 determined, grasped once more his little 
 Ballard rifle, and looked up in the corporal s 
 face as much as to say : Count on me for 
 one of your fighting men ! Trembling, shiv 
 ering and calling on the blessed saints, poor 
 Kate stood there wringing her hands, the 
 very personification of abject fright. Jim, 
 coming around to the mouth of the cave, 
 spoke sternly to her ; told her she ought to 
 be ashamed of herself for setting so bad an 
 example to little Nell. " Look at Ned," he 
 said, " see how the little man behaves ; his 
 father would be proud of him." And then 
 Pike spoke up. " Don t worry, don t be so 
 afraid, Kate ; they have got all they want 
 just now. They ll just plunder and gorge 
 themselves with food, and then they will 
 have Manuelito to amuse themselves with. 
 It is getting too late in the day for them to 
 
108 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 attempt to follow us. They have got too 
 much to occupy themselves with anyhow. 
 Don t you worry, old girl ; if they do come 
 this way, as they may to-morrow morn 
 ing, we ll give them a dose that will make 
 them wish they had never seen a Yankee." 
 
 The Indian shouts redoubled ; every ac 
 cent was that of triumph. They were evi 
 dently rejoicing over the rich find in the 
 ambulance and the baggage wagon. Of 
 course a great deal of property had been left 
 there for which Pike s party would have no 
 possible use up here in the cave, and this 
 included plenty of food. The horses, too, 
 delighted the Tontos, and, as Pike said, they 
 would doubtless be occupied some little time 
 with the division of the spoils, and longer in 
 having a grand feast. 
 
 Looking down the road he could see the 
 two mules browsing peacefully side by side, 
 Manuelito still lashed to the back of one of 
 
SUNSET PASS. 109 
 
 them. Two young 1 Indians stood guard over 
 him and their four-footed captives ; but even 
 these fellows were by no means forgotten, 
 for every now and then Pike could see their 
 friends running back to them with something 
 to eat and, after exchanging a word or two, 
 hurrying again to the wagons. 
 
 After a while poor Kate, partially assured 
 by Pike s words, but more shamed into 
 silence by the bravery of little Ne*d, sub 
 sided into a corner of the cave, and there 
 seated herself, moaning and weeping, but no 
 longer making any outcry. Pike decided 
 that it would be necessary for him to go 
 once more to his watch-tower, and as far as he 
 could, watch the programme of the Apaches 
 the rest of the day. Before starting, how 
 ever, he called up Jim and gave him his 
 instructions : " You see that the sun is 
 almost down. The chances are that they 
 will be so much interested in what they 
 
110 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 have found that darkness will settle down 
 upon us before they fairly get through with 
 their jubilee Then, again, it may be that 
 the bloody hounds will have some fun of 
 their own with poor Manuelito to-night. 
 I ve no sympathy for the scoundrel, but I 
 can t bear the idea of one who has served 
 with us so long being tortured before our 
 very eyes. We can t help it, however, there 
 are only two of us here, and our first object 
 is to protect these poor little children, and 
 that wretched old Kate of a nurse there. 
 Stay here with your rifle behind the barri 
 cade. I ll whistle if any Indian attempts to 
 follow our trail ; then I ll come down here 
 as quickly as possible. But keep a bright 
 lookout yourself. Watch those trees down 
 there to the front. Note everything occur 
 ring along the road as far as you can see. 
 There goes one of the beggars back to that 
 point now. Even in the midst of their fun 
 
SUNSfiT PASS. Ill 
 
 they don t neglect precautions. See ! he s 
 going to climb up there on that little hill 
 just where I was watching this morning. 
 Yes, there he goes. Now you will see him 
 lie down flat when he gets to the top, and 
 peer over the rocks to the west. What he 
 is looking out for, I don t know, but it 
 may be that they expect the cavalry even 
 more than we do. They possibly have 
 had signal fires from the reservation warn 
 ing them that the cavalry have already 
 left the Verde. I hope and pray they have. 
 Now, keep up your grit, Jim ; don t let any 
 thing phaze you. If you want help ? or see 
 anything, whistle, and I ll come down." 
 
 Already it was growing darker down the 
 gorge. Pike could see that the Apaches 
 had lighted a fire in the road close to the 
 wagons. Evidently they were going to 
 begin some cooking on their own account, 
 and were even now distributing the provi- 
 
112 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 sions they had found. Two of them had 
 released Manuelito from the mule, and the 
 poor devil was now seated, bound and help 
 less, on a rock by the roadside, looking too 
 faint and terrified to live. The captain s 
 field glass revealed a sorry sight to the old 
 soldier s eyes as he peered down at the little 
 throng of savages about the baggage wagon, 
 now completely gutted of its contents ; and 
 though he despised the Mexican as a traitor 
 and thief and coward, it was impossible not 
 to feel compassion for him in his present 
 awful plight. There was something most 
 pitiable in the fellow s clasped hands and 
 abject despair. He had lived too long in 
 Arizona not to know the fate reserved for 
 prisoners taken by the Indians, and he 
 knew, and Pike knew, that, their hunger 
 once satisfied, the chances were ten to 
 one they would then turn their attention 
 entirely to their captive, and have a wild 
 
THE POOR DEVIL WAS NOW SEATED, BOUND AND HELP 
 LESS, ON A ROCK BY THE ROADSIDE. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 
 
 and furious revel as they slowly tortured 
 
 him to death. 
 
 -i 
 
 The sun had gone down behind the 
 range, far over to the west, as Pike reached 
 once more the top of his watch-tower, and 
 every moment the darkness deepened down 
 the Pass. Up here he could not only see 
 the baggage wagon in the road, but the top 
 of the ambulance, and two of the horses 
 were also visible, and occasionally the lithe 
 forms of the Tontos scurrying about in the 
 firelight. Evidently the old cook fire in the 
 cleft of the rocks had been stirred up and 
 was now being utilized by half the band, 
 while the others toasted the bacon and 
 roasted frijoles down in the road. The yells 
 had long since ceased. Many of the warriors 
 were squatting about the baggage wagon 
 gnawing at hard bread or other unaccus 
 tomed luxuries, but those at the ambulance 
 were chattering like so many monkeys and 
 
114 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 keeping up a hammering, the object of 
 which Pike could not at first imagine, until 
 he suddenly remembered the locked box 
 under the driver s seat, the key of which 
 was always carried by the captain. Then a 
 flash of hope shot over him as he recalled 
 the fact that when they left their station 
 Captain Gwynne had stowed away in there 
 three or four bottles of whiskey or brandy. 
 It would take them but a little while, he 
 knew, to break into the enclosure, and then 
 there would be a bacchanalian scene. 
 
 " Oh, that it were a barrel instead of a 
 bottle or two," groaned Pike. " As it is 
 there s just enough to exhilarate the gang 
 and keep them singing and dancing all 
 night ; but a barrel ! that would stupefy 
 them one after another and Jim and I could 
 have gone down and murdered the whole 
 crowd. Not one of em would ever have 
 known what hurt him." 
 
SUNSET PASS. 115 
 
 Ha ! a sound of crashing, splitting wood. 
 A rush, a scuffle then a yell of triumph 
 and delight. Every Indian in the roadway 
 sprang to his feet and darted off up the 
 rocks to swell the chorus at the ambulance. 
 Even Manuelito s guard left his prisoner to 
 take care of himself and ran like a deer to 
 claim his share of the madly craved " fire 
 water." A few years before and most of 
 them hardly knew its taste, but some of 
 their number had more than once made 
 "John Barleycorn s" acquaintance and had 
 told wondrous tales of its effects. In less 
 than a minute, with the single exception 
 of their sentry on the hill, every Tonto was 
 struggling, shouting, laughing and leaping 
 about the family wagon, and Pike knew 
 from the sounds that the captain s little 
 store of liquor was rapidly disappearing. 
 Every moment the noise waxed louder and 
 fiercer as the deep potations of the principal 
 
116 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 Indians did their poisonous work. There 
 were shrill altercations, vehement invective 
 and reproach ; Pike even hoped for a min 
 ute that there had been enough after all to 
 start them fighting 1 among themselves, but 
 the hope was delusive. All was gloom and 
 darkness now in the Pass except immediately 
 around the two fires. He could no longer 
 see Manuelito or the mules, but suddenly he 
 heard a sound of a simultaneous rush and an 
 instant after with hideous shouts and yells 
 the whole band leaped into view and went 
 tearing down into the road and up to the 
 rocks where their helpless prisoner still sat 
 bound and helpless more dead than alive 
 and Pike heard the shriek of despair with 
 which the poor fellow greeted his now half 
 crazy captors. 
 
 " My God ! " groaned the old soldier, "it 
 is awful to have to lurk here and make no 
 move to help him. He would have cut all 
 
SUNSET PASS. 117 
 
 our throats without a twinge of conscience, 
 but I can t see him tortured nor can I lift a 
 hand to save him. And here s Kate, and 
 those poor little ones. They can t help 
 hearing his cries and shrieks. What an 
 awful night twill be for them ! No use of 
 my staying up here now. I must go down 
 to them." 
 
 Far back in the black recesses of the cave 
 he found them. Nellie trembling 1 and sob- 
 
 O 
 
 bing with her head pillowed in Kate s lap and 
 covered with a shawl so as to shut out, if 
 possible, the awful sounds from below. The 
 Irishwoman, too, was striving to stop her ears 
 and was at the same time frantically praying 
 to all the saints in the calendar for help in 
 their woeful peril, and for mercy for that 
 poor wretch whose mad cries and impreca 
 tions rang out on the still night air even 
 louder than the yells of his captors. Manful 
 little Ned sat close by his sister s side, pat- 
 
118 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 ting her arm from time to time with one 
 hand while lie clung 1 to his rifle with the 
 other. The boy did not shed a tear, though 
 his voice trembled and his lips quivered as he 
 answered Pike s cheery words. Jim knelt at 
 his post at the stone breastwork keeping 
 vigilant watch, though his teeth chattered 
 despite his best efforts, and his eyes were 
 doubtless bulging out of their sockets. 
 
 " You mustn t be sitting here all in the 
 dark," said Pike. " Keep up a little fire, 
 Ned, my boy. It s so far back and so far up 
 the hill that the Indians cannot possibly see 
 the light it may make even were they to come 
 around to the east side of the mountain. 
 They won t to-night, though. They ve found 
 papa s stock of whiskey and brandy and are 
 already half drunk. They 11 lie around there 
 all night long and never come hunting for us 
 until after sunrise to-morrow, if they do then. 
 We 11 just have fun with these fellows until 
 
SUNSET PASS, 119 
 
 the cavalry come from Verde, as come they 
 will, I haven t a doubt, no\i that papa has 
 found that he was cut off and has ridden 
 back on the trail to meet and hurry the 
 troops. He knows well that you and Jim 
 and I could take care of Nellie and stand off 
 these beggars until he could reach us. Now, 
 light the lantern and stow it in that niche 
 yonder. And you, Kate, lie down and cover 
 yourself and the children with blankets. I m 
 going out where I can watch what they re 
 doing." 
 
 So saying, Pike took his rifle and the field 
 glasses and, after a word with Jim, passed 
 around to the east front of the ledge. It was 
 too dark to enable him to venture down the 
 bowlders, or to attempt to climb again to the 
 top of the rock, but he found a spot among 
 the stunted trees from which he could just 
 see the back part of the baggage wagon and 
 the Apaches flitting about it in the light of 
 
120 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 their fire. Leveling his glasses he could 
 make out that several of the Indians were 
 grouped about some object in the road, and 
 presently one or two came running to the 
 spot with buckets of water which they 
 dashed over a prostrate form. It was 
 Manuelito, who had probably fainted dead 
 away. 
 
 Then, as the Mexican apparently began to 
 recover his senses, he was lifted roughly from 
 the ground arid borne, moaning and feebly 
 struggling, towards the wagon. Into this he 
 was tossed head foremost, so that only his 
 feet and legs were visible to the anxious 
 watcher up the hill. Securely bound, and 
 already half dead from the tortures inflicted 
 on him, unable to move hand or foot, the 
 poor wretch lay there, alternately praying 
 and weeping. What the next move of the 
 Apaches would be was not long a matter of 
 doubt. The whole band, with the exception 
 
SUNSET PASS. 121 
 
 of their sentinels, were now dancing and 
 leaping about their captive, singing some 
 devil-inspired chant, which occasionally gave 
 place to yells of triumph. Presently the 
 younger men began piling up wood under 
 the back of the wagon under the Mexi 
 can s manacled feet ; and then brands and 
 embers were thrust underneath. Pike turned 
 sick with horror and helplessness at the sight, 
 for he knew instantly what it meant. The 
 wagon was to be the wretched Manuelito s 
 funeral pyre. They meant to burn him to 
 death by inches. Saddenly a bright flame 
 leaped up from the bottom of the stack of 
 fuel ; broader, brighter, fiercer it grew until 
 it lapped up over the floor of the wagon. A 
 scream of agony rang through the Pass, 
 answered by jeering laughter and fiendish 
 yells. The next minute the whole band were 
 circling round the wagon in a wild war- 
 dance j their yells, their savage song, com- 
 
122 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 pletely drowned the shrieks of the tortured 
 man. The whole wagon was soon a mass of 
 flames, and more fuel was added. Presently 
 the rear axle came down with a crash, send 
 ing showers of sparks whirling through the 
 night air, and Pike turned away faint and 
 trembling. 
 
 Another instant, however, and every 
 faculty was on the alert, every nerve strung 
 to its highest tension, and the old soldier 
 
 O 
 
 sprang back to the cave in answer to Jim s 
 
 call. 
 
 i 
 
 " Look ! " whispered the negro. " Look 
 down there ! There s some one moving 
 among those rocks." 
 
 r ;, ;> 
 
 i> 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PIKE S STRANGE DREAM. 
 
 KNEELING behind their rocky barrier the 
 two men silently peered into the darkness 
 down the hill. The great ledge of rock 
 under which they were hiding concealed 
 from their view the burning fires of the 
 Indians down in the roadway to the east. 
 But the reflection of the fire could be plainly 
 seen on the rocks and trees on the north 
 side of the Pass. Here and there stray 
 beams of light shot through the firs and 
 cedars and stunted oaks that lay below them 
 among the bowlders ; and somewhere down 
 among these little trees, watchful Jim de- 
 
124 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 clared that he had seen something 1 white 
 moving cautiously and stealthily to and fro. 
 Pike closely questioned him, Avhispering his 
 inquiries so as not to catch the ears of Kate 
 or the children, but Jim stoutly declared 
 that he could not be mistaken. He had 
 marked it twice, moving from place to place, 
 before he had quit his post and called to the 
 corporal to come and verify for himself what 
 he was sure he had seen. For a few mo 
 ments Pike thought that it might be the 
 Apache sentinel who had, possibly, left his 
 position on the little hill across the road, and 
 was seeking on his own account some clue 
 to the whereabouts of the fugitives from 
 the camp. Pike had seen one or two 
 Indians running up the road to where the 
 sentinel was stationed in order to give him 
 
 o 
 
 some of the plunder which they had taken 
 from the wagon, and it was now so dark 
 that he could no longer see objects out on 
 
SUNSET PASS. 125 
 
 the plain, and, as lie could hear approach 
 ing horsemen just as well on this side of 
 the road as on that, it was quite possible 
 that this Indian was the cause of Jim s 
 warning. 
 
 Several minutes passed without either of 
 them seeing anything. Then suddenly Jim s 
 hand was placed on the corporal s arm, and 
 in a low, tremulous voice he whispered : 
 " Look ! Look ! " 
 
 Following with his eyes the direction 
 indicated by Jim s hand, Pike could just see, 
 probably two hundred or two hundred 
 and fifty yards away down the hillside, some 
 thing dirty white in color, very slowly and 
 very stealthily creeping from one bowlder to 
 another. The tops and crests of the trees 
 and bowlders, as has been said, were tinged 
 by the light of the fires still burning down 
 in the roadway. The Indian yells were 
 gradually ceasing as, one after another. 
 
126 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 seemingly overcome by the liquor that they 
 had been drinking, they subsided into silence. 
 A number of them, however, still kept up 
 their monotonous dance, varied every now 
 and then by a yell of triumph ; but the 
 uproar and racket was not to be compared 
 with what had been going on during the 
 torture to which Manuelito had been sub 
 jected before they had mercifully, though 
 most horribly, put an end to his sufferings. 
 
 Nothing but the embers of the wagon and 
 the unconsumed iron work, of course, now 
 remained in the road. Pike judged too that 
 the ambulance had been burned, and that 
 nothing remained of that. But all thought 
 as to what was going on among the Indians 
 in the Pass was now of little account as 
 compared with the immediate presence of 
 this object below him. Could it be one of 
 the Apaches ? Could it be the sentinel 
 from the other side ? Its stealthy movements 
 
SUNSET PASS. 127 
 
 and the noiseless way in which it seemed to 
 flit from rock to rock gave color to his sup 
 position, and yet it appeared unnatural to 
 Pike that any one of the Indians should 
 separate himself from his comrades and go 
 on a still hunt in the dead of the night for 
 traces of their hated foes. 
 
 " I cannot see it now/ whispered Jim. 
 " Where is he gone ? " 
 
 " Behind that big rock that you see 
 touched by the firelight down yonder. Our 
 trail is just about half way. Look ! There 
 it is again ! Nearer, too, by fifty yards. I 
 wish he d get on top of one of those bowl 
 ders where the light would strike him. Then 
 we might make him out. By Jove ! He s 
 coming up the hill. Whatever you do, 
 don t fire. I ll tend to him." 
 
 With straining eyes they watched the 
 strange, stealthy approach of the mysterious 
 object. Every now and then it would 
 
128 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 totally disappear from sight and then, a 
 moment or two afterwards, could again be 
 dimly seen, crouching along beside some big 
 rock or emerging behind the thick branches 
 of some stunted tree. Nearer it came until 
 Pike was sure it must have reached the 
 " trail " they had made in their journeys up 
 and down the hill. 
 
 " I never saw an Apache that could move 
 about in the dark as quickly as that fellow. 
 Jim, by Jimminy, I ll bet it s no Indian at 
 all ! " 
 
 " What is it, then ? " muttered Jim, whose 
 teeth would chatter a little. He had all a 
 darkey s dread of u spooks " and was more 
 afraid of a possible ghost than an actual 
 Tonto. 
 
 " That s a lynx or a wild-cat, man ! They 
 have a dingy white coat to their backs, in 
 places at least, arid you ve only stirred up 
 some mighty small game. See here, Jim, 
 
SUNSET PASS. 129 
 
 you re getting nervous. I ll have to call 
 Ned out here with his little Ballard to take 
 your place if you are going to There ! 
 What did I tell you?" 
 
 A heap of fresh fuel probably dry 
 cedar boughs had just been thrown on 
 the coals by some of the determined dancers 
 down in the road and a broad glare of fire 
 light illumined the Pass. Again the rocks 
 and trees down in front of the cave were 
 brilliantly tinged, and, as though determined 
 to have a good look at these strange " goings 
 on," there suddenly leaped from the dark 
 ness and appeared in view upon the flat top 
 of one of the biggest bowlders a little four- 
 footed creature gazing with glowing eyes 
 upon the scene below. 
 
 " There s your Indian, James, my boy," 
 softly laughed Pike and, turning, he called 
 back into the cave : 
 
 " Ned, are you asleep ? " 
 
130 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 " No," was the prompt answer. " Do you 
 want me, Pike ? " 
 
 " Come here and I ll show you a pretty 
 shot for your Ballard." 
 
 Ned was at his side in an instant, bringing 
 his little rifle with him, and the old soldier 
 pointed down the hill. 
 
 " That s what Jim took for an Apache," 
 he said. 
 
 " So did you, Pike ; you needn t try to make 
 fun of me," was Jim s answer, half surly, half 
 glad, because his fears were now removed. 
 
 " Is it a panther ? " whispered Ned. " Oh ! 
 can t I take a pop at him ? " 
 
 " Not a shot. It would simply be telling 
 those blackguards where we were hiding and 
 spoil all the fun I expect to have in the 
 morning. That s no panther ; they have a 
 tawny hide ; but it s the biggest catamount or 
 wild-cat I ever set eyes on. Now go back to 
 Kate, bundle up in your blankets and keep 
 
THAT S WHAT jnvi TOOK FOR AN APACHE. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 131 
 
 warm and go to sleep. Jim and I stand 
 guard to-night." 
 
 And, obediently, the boy crept away. 
 Pike looked after him with moistening eyes 
 all his jovial, half-laughing manner 
 changing in an instant. 
 
 " God bless the little man ! He s as brave 
 and plucky as a boy could be, and hasn t so 
 much as whimpered once," muttered the ex- 
 corporal to himself. " What would I not give 
 to know where his father was this night ! " 
 
 Then he turned to Jim who had somewhat 
 sulkily drawn away to the other end of the 
 little parapet. 
 
 " Come back, Jim, my boy. I didn t 
 mean to hurt your feelings," he said. " You 
 were perfectly right in keeping such close 
 watch on everything and anything the least 
 suspicious and I was wrong if I ridiculed 
 it. Now we ve got to divide the night 
 between us. You lie down at once and go 
 
132 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 to sleep. I 11 keep guard till one or half 
 past; then you relieve me until daybreak." 
 
 And Jim, nothing loth, crept back towards 
 the glowing coals and rolled himself in his 
 heavy blanket, leaving the old corporal to his 
 solitary reflections, and these were of a 
 character so gloomy, so full of anxiety and 
 dread, that one only marvels how he was 
 able to keep up, before Kate and the chil 
 dren, the appearance of jollity and confr 
 dence that had marked throughout this 
 trying day his whole demeanor. 
 
 " I would give anything to know where 
 the captain is to-night ! " again he muttered 
 as his weary eyes gazed over the jagged hill 
 side below him. The Indian fires were 
 waning again and the gleams of light on rock 
 and tree were growing fainter and fainter. - 
 The sounds of savage revelry, too, were more 
 subdued, though a hoarse, monotonous chant 
 came up from below. As has been said, 
 
SUNSET PASS. 133 
 
 Pike s watch-tower and fortress was fully a 
 quarter of a mile south of the road and about 
 a third of a mile from the abandoned camp, 
 but in the absolute silence that reigned in 
 every other quarter the sounds from the 
 Apache war-dance in that clear mountain air 
 were almost distinctly audible. The awful 
 groans and cries of Manuelito were still ring 
 ing in his ears, and, to himself, the old 
 soldier confessed that his nerve was not a 
 little tried by the fearful sights and sounds 
 of the early evening. It was poor prepara 
 tion for the fight that he felt morally certain 
 would speedily follow the rising of the 
 morrow s sun, but Pike had been through 
 too many an Indian war and in too many 
 tight places before to "lose his grip/ as 
 he expressed it, now. 
 
 " If I only had those poor little kids safe 
 with their father nothing would suit rne 
 better than to be here with four or five of 
 
134 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 the old Troop and let the whole of the 
 Apache nation try to rout me out/ he said 
 to himself. " Even as it is, I m bloodthirsty 
 enough now, after what I ve seen and heard 
 to-night, to be impatient for their attack. By 
 gad ! we ve got a surprise in store for them 
 if only Jim don t get stampeded." 
 
 Turning to listen for sounds from his little 
 
 CT 
 
 garrison, Pike could distinguish two that 
 were audible and that prevailed above all or 
 any others : Kate was tearfully moaning and 
 praying aloud ; Jim placidly snoring. 
 
 " That nigger could lie down and go to 
 sleep, by thunder, if he knew the world was 
 coming to an end in less than an hour. I ll 
 have to watch here till nearly dawn and have 
 the strongest coffee I can brew all ready for 
 him or he ll be going to sleep on his post 
 and letting those hounds crawl right upon us. 
 Coffee s a good idea ! I ll have some myself." 
 
 So saying the veteran stole back into the 
 
SUNSET PASS. 135 
 
 cave, noiselessly filled the battered coffee-pot 
 and set it on the coals, said a few reassuring 
 words to Kate and begged her to remember 
 him in her prayers, laughed at her doleful 
 and despairing reply and returned to his 
 post. 
 
 All quiet. Even the wild-cat had disap 
 peared and there was now no longer light by 
 which he could have detected the creature. 
 Pike almost wished he hadn t gone, for, as 
 he grimly said, the fellow might have been 
 good company and kept him from getting 
 sleepy. Little by little the Indian chant was 
 getting drowsy and the weird dancers, some 
 of the younger braves, tired of the sport 
 when there were neither admiring squaws or 
 approving old chiefs to look on. The chiefs 
 in this case, of course, had consumed the 
 greater portion of the whiskey and were now 
 sleeping off its soporific effects, and the 
 youngsters could only remain where they 
 
136 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 were, keep watch and ward against surprise, 
 and make no move in any direction until their 
 elders should be themselves again, unless the 
 sudden coming of enemies should compel 
 them to rouse their leaders from their 
 drunken slumbers and skip like so many 
 goats for the highest parts of the mountain. 
 
 Looking at his watch as he sipped his tin 
 of coffee Pike noticed that it was now eleven 
 o clock. " Oh, if I only knew that all was 
 well w r ith the captain," he muttered. " And 
 if I only knew where Sieber and the cavalry 
 were to-night." 
 
 Not until after two o clock in the morning 
 did the old soldier decide that it was time to 
 " turn over the command " and seek a little 
 rest himself. He knew that he would not be 
 half fit for the responsibilities of the coming 
 day unless he could get a few hours sleep, 
 and as Jim had now been snoring uninter- 
 
 o 
 
 ruptedly for over four hours, Pike concluded 
 
SUNSET PASS. 137 
 
 to call him, give him some strong coffee and 
 some sharp instructions, and put him "on 
 post." It took no little shaking and kicking 
 to rouse the boy, but presently he sat up, just 
 as he had done at the ambulance, with the 
 yawning inquiry, " What s the matter ? " 
 
 " Nearly half -past two, Jim, and your 
 turn for guard. Stir out here, now. Douse 
 your head with some of this cold water. 
 It will freshen you up. Then I ll give you 
 a good tin of coffee." 
 
 Jim obeyed, and after stumbling stupidly 
 around a moment, and then having a gourd 
 or two of water dashed over his face and 
 neck, he pronounced himself all right and 
 proceeded to enjoy the coffee handed him. 
 
 " Now, Jim," said Pike, " the wild-cat s 
 gone, and no Apaches will be apt to prowl 
 up here to-night, but I want you to keep the 
 sharpest lookout you ever did in all your 
 life not only over their movements down 
 
138 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 in the road, but for cavalry coming from 
 the west. There s just no telling how soon 
 those fellows may be out from Verde, and 
 when they come we want to know it. The 
 Indians have their sentries out, so they evi 
 dently expect them. Watch them like a 
 hawk, but don t give any false alarm or 
 make any noise. Let me sleep until it 
 begins to get light, then call me. Now, 
 can you do it ? " 
 
 " Of course I can, corporal, but where are 
 you going to sleep ? " 
 
 " Right here by you. I ll hand your 
 blankets and mine out by the parapet, so 
 that if you want me, all you have to do is 
 put out your hand. If you are chilly, or 
 get so towards daybreak, throw that saddle 
 blanket over your shoulders." 
 
 For a long time, despite fatigue and 
 watching, Pike could not get to sleep. He 
 lay there looking up at the stars shining in 
 
SUNSET PASS. 139 
 
 the clear heavens and thinking how peace 
 ful, how far removed from strife or battle, 
 they seemed to be. Then he kept an eye on 
 Jim, and was glad to note that the darkey 
 seemed alert and aware of his responsibili 
 ties, for every few minutes he would creep 
 out and peer around the shoulder of the 
 ledge where he could get a better view of 
 anything going on down in the road, and, 
 after half an hour of this sort of thing, 
 he reported to Pike that he " reckoned the 
 whole gang had gone to sleep down there." 
 The old trooper assured him, however, that 
 some must be on the alert and warned him 
 to relax in no way his vigilance, and then 
 at last wearied Nature asserted her rights, 
 and the soldier fell asleep. 
 
 Four o clock came, five o clock, and 
 there had been no sound from below. Then, 
 far in the east the skies began to hoist 
 their colors in honor of the coming Day 
 
140 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 God, and rich crimson and purple soon 
 blended with the richer gold, and all around 
 the rocky fastness the pale, wan light of 
 the infant morn stole over rock and tree, 
 and still old Pike slept, but not the deep, 
 restful slumber of three hours before. He 
 was dreaming, and his dreams were troubled, 
 for his limbs were twitching ; he rolled 
 over and moaned aloud ; inarticulate sounds 
 escaped from his lips ; but still, as one 
 laboring with nightmare, he could not wake 
 could not shake off the visions that 
 oppressed him. In his sleep he saw, and 
 saw beyond possibility of doubt, that the 
 Apaches were hurriedly rousing their com 
 rades ; that they were quickly picking up 
 their rifles and then nimbly speeding up the 
 rocks ; that even as they came towards him 
 up the mountain side several of their num 
 ber went crouching along towards the east 
 and eagerly watching the roadway through 
 
SUNSET PASS. 141 
 
 the Pass, and, following their fierce eyes, 
 he could see, winding 1 up the gorge, coming 
 at a trot, a troop of the longed-for cavalry 
 coming not from the west, as he had 
 expected, but from the direction of the 
 magnificent sunrise that flashed on their 
 carbines and tinged the campaign hats 
 with crimson. At their head rode two 
 officers, and one, he knew at once, must be 
 his old captain, but why that bandage 
 about his head? Why the rude sling in 
 which his arm was carried ? Plainly visible 
 though they were to him, the Apaches were 
 completely hidden from the approaching 
 troops. Two minutes ride brought the 
 leaders to the smouldering ruins of the 
 baggage wagon, at sight of which, and the 
 charred and unrecognizable body in their 
 midst, his captain had groaned aloud, then 
 forced his " broncho " up the rocky path 
 to where they had made their camp, and 
 
142 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 then, when he saw the ruined ambulance 
 and all the evidences of Apache triumph, he 
 reeled in his saddle and would have fallen 
 headlong had not two stout troopers held 
 him while their young lieutenant thrust a 
 flask of brandy between the ashen lips ; and 
 then in his wild vision Pike saw them ride 
 on and on up the road right beneath them 
 only a quarter of a mile away never heed 
 ing, never looking for him and his precious 
 charges. He strove to shout : he screamed 
 aloud, yet only a suffocated groan seemed to 
 issue from his lips ; he shouted to Jim to 
 fire and so attract their attention, but there 
 was no response ; and then, in his agony, he 
 started up, wide awake in an instant, and, 
 hurling off his blankets, seized his rifle and 
 sprang to his feet. 
 
 Broad daylight ; sunbeams dancing through 
 the trees ; and there, doubled up at the 
 back of the parapet, lay that scoundrel Jim 
 
\ 
 
 ONE VEHEMENT KICK AND CURSE HE GAVE HEM. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 143 
 
 asleep on guard. One vehement kick 
 and curse he gave him : then peered over 
 the .barrier down the rocky hillside. God 
 of heaven ! what a sight met his eyes ! 
 The Apaches were almost on them. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 THE CAPTAIN S RIDE. 
 
 IT is high time now that we should hear 
 something of Captain Gwynne himself, and 
 leave for the time our little garrison in the 
 cave at Sunset Pass. Let us follow the move 
 ments of the father for whom the children 
 were so anxiously and tearfully praying. 
 
 Galloping away on Pike s horse in close 
 pursuit, as he supposed, of Manuelito and 
 the mules, the captain had turned south the 
 moment he cleared the rocky buttresses that 
 formed the western gateway to the Pass. 
 He had reasoned that the Mexican would 
 not dare go back along the road on which 
 
SUNSET PASS. 145 
 
 they came, because in so doing he must 
 infallibly run straight into the Apaches, who 
 were following in pursuit. Knowing, as did 
 Pike, that Manuelito was well acquainted 
 with the short cut through the mountains 
 down to the valley of the Verde, miles to 
 the south of the winding and roundabout 
 way on which they were compelled to come 
 by road; knowing, too, that this trail was 
 far to the south of where they had seen the 
 Indians signal fires, Gwynne s whole idea 
 seemed to be that Manuelito would take the 
 shortest line to reach that rough but easily 
 known trail. He did not hesitate, then, a 
 moment in turning short to the south, and 
 riding confidently along to the western foot 
 hills, expecting every moment to hear the 
 bray of the mules or the sound of their hoof 
 beats. He knew that the moment these 
 creatures heard the hoof beats of his own 
 horse, they would be almost sure to signal. 
 
146 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 Just what to do with Manuelito himself, he 
 had not yet determined ; but it was his 
 purpose to force him back to camp at the 
 point of the pistol, if necessary ; then to 
 bind him to the wagon ; make him drive, at 
 least until they reached Fort Wingate over 
 in New Mexico beyond the Navajo Keser- 
 vation, and turn him over there to the mil 
 itary authorities for such disposition as they 
 might choose to make of him. Of course, 
 he would have no further employment in 
 Arizona, for his character was blasted for 
 ever. Mile after mile, however, the captain 
 rode without hearing one of the anticipated 
 sounds, and the further he rode the lighter 
 it grew. Far down. to the south, now, he 
 could dimly see objects that looked like four- 
 footed creatures, moving rapidly. Unluckily, 
 he had with him only a light, short-ranged 
 pair of glasses, and he could not distinctly 
 make out what they were; but believing 
 
SUNSET PASS. 147 
 
 that they could be nothing but Manuelito 
 and the mules, he put spurs to his weary 
 horse, and pushed rapidly in pursuit 
 wondering, however, how it was that the 
 Mexican, with the slow-moving mules, could 
 have got so far to the front. Five miles 
 further he rode and by that time the sun 
 was up above the mountains of New Mexico, 
 over to the east, and lighting up the whole 
 plateau to his right. By this time, too, the 
 objects, of which he had been in pursuit, 
 had totally disappeared from his sight, and 
 looking around him he could see nowhere 
 sign of hoof or any trail that would indicate 
 that the mules had come that way. How 
 ever, as he might be anywhere from ten 
 yards to ten miles from the exact line Man 
 uelito traveled, this gave him no concern. 
 He decided that he would push on until he 
 came upon the cavalry trail up which he had 
 ridden a year before on an expedition with 
 
148 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 their good guide Sieber to Chevelon Fork. 
 By this time, too, he knew that he must be 
 twelve miles from camp, and that in all 
 probability the Indians had left their position 
 west of Snow Lake, and were already coming 
 in pursuit. He dreaded to think of the 
 peril in which his children might be ; but 
 he had every confidence in Pike ; he believed 
 in Jim s pluck and fighting qualities, and he 
 reasoned that it would be one or two o clock 
 before the Indians could possibly reach the 
 Pass, and that he could easily get back long 
 before that time. Riding, therefore, still 
 further to the south, he pursued his search 
 for an hour longer, and then came suddenly 
 upon a sight that thrilled his heart with 
 hope and joy. Right before him, coming 
 across the southern edge of the plateau, and 
 winding up the mountains to the left, was 
 an unmistakable cavalry trail, not more than 
 a day or two old. Evidently some troop 
 
SUNSET PASS. 149 
 
 was out from Verde and had taken the old 
 short cut to Chevelon Fork, expecting by 
 that route to make the quickest time to the 
 Sunset crossing of the Colorado River. In 
 all probability this was one of the troops 
 coming- out in search of and to succor him 
 and his party. Reining his jaded horse to 
 the left, the captain rapidly followed on the 
 trail. He reasoned that the four-footed 
 creatures that he took to be the mules were 
 in all probability a portion of the pack-train 
 of the troop that had so recently passed 
 along, or it might be one or two troopers 
 who had been making scouts to the right or 
 to the left of the trail, and were now follow 
 ing the main body. All thought of pursu 
 ing" Manuelito further was abandoned. His 
 
 o 
 
 sole object was to overtake, as quickly as 
 possible, the little command of cavalry that 
 he knew to be in his path, and then to guide 
 them by the shortest line back to Sunset 
 
150 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 Pass, arid to the defence of the dear ones 
 there awaiting him. If he had good luck, 
 he might catch them before they had gone 
 many miles. The trail he knew would speed 
 ily lead him over into the valley of Chevelon 
 Fork, and following this they would emerge 
 on the east side of the mountain. Perhaps 
 it might be fortunate that he did not over 
 take them until they were east of the range ; 
 for the Apaches would certainly not expect 
 the cavalry to come from the Colorado side 
 of the mountain ; but would be looking for 
 them from the west, and the chances, there 
 fore, would, be all the more in favor of their 
 dealing them a crushing blow, and punish 
 ing them as they deserved for their assault 
 on defenseless women and children. 
 
 On, on he rode, urging his horse as rapidly 
 as it was possible for him to go over the 
 rocky, broken trail. Two hours ride brought 
 him no nearer, apparently, to the comrades 
 
SUNSET PASS. 151 
 
 he was pursuing. Three hours ride brought 
 him down into the valley of Chevelon Fork 
 and half way through the range. It was 
 not until one o clock that he found himself 
 at such a point that he could look forward 
 and see part of the country toward the 
 Colorado Chiquito ; but not a vestige of the 
 cavalry or pack-train was anywhere in sight, 
 and his horse was now so weary that he could 
 only answer with a groan the touch of the 
 spur, and could not by any possibility acceler 
 ate his speed. Two o clock came, and the 
 anxious father found himself, he knew not 
 how many miles away from Sunset Pass, 
 away from the children so anxiously praying 
 for him, and awaiting his coming. 
 
 He was growing faint from long fasting, 
 and the horse was so jaded that the captain 
 dismounted and was fairly towing him along 
 behind him with the bridle rein. In this 
 way they had slowly and painfully climbed 
 
152 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 a steep and rocky ascent where the trail 
 seemed to make a short cut across a deep 
 bend of the stream, and reaching the sum 
 mit they stopped to rest, panting hard with 
 fatigue. Again the captain resorted to his 
 little glasses and looked long and eagerly 
 over the broad stretch of country to the east, 
 but it was all in vain. No living creatures 
 were in sight. 
 
 Directly in front, the trail wound down 
 wards over an incline so steep that it looked 
 as though horses and mules could never 
 have made those hoof tracks, but that only 
 goats could have gone that way. The poor 
 old bay looked piteously at his master as 
 though imploring him not to force him to 
 undertake that steep descent, but Gwynne 
 could show no mercy now. He had come 
 too far to turn back. His only hope, if he 
 could not find the scouting party, was to 
 make his way along the east side of the 
 
SUNSET PASS. 153 
 
 range back to the little camp in Sunset Pass. 
 He prayed God to watch over and protect 
 his little ones, and then, with almost a sob 
 rising to his throat, he tried to speak cheer 
 fully to poor " Mac ; " he patted the droop 
 ing head of his faithful old servitor and, 
 calling to him to follow, he pressed forward, 
 and half sliding, half stepping, he began the 
 steep descent. The poor horse braced his 
 fore feet and stiffened his knees and came 
 skating over the loose slate after him. All 
 went tolerably well until they were about 
 two hundred feet from the rushing waters of 
 the fork, foaming and swirling over the rocks 
 below, and there, coming upon a sharp point 
 around which they had to make their way, 
 Gwynne had taken only three or four steps 
 downward and was about to turn and speak 
 encouragingly again to " Mac," when the 
 horse s fore feet seemed to shoot from under 
 him ; he rallied, gathered himself, stumbled, 
 
154 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 and then, plunging heavily forward, crashed 
 down upon his master, rolled completely 
 over him, and then went sliding and pawing 
 desperately to the edge of the rocky preci 
 pice, over which he shot, a huge, living bowl 
 der and fell with a thud upon the jagged 
 rocks below. For some minutes Gwynne lay 
 where he had been hurled, stunned and 
 senseless ; then he slowly revived, found that 
 his left arm was severely wrenched and 
 bruised, and that the blood was streaming 
 from a long gash in his forehead. Slowly 
 and painfully he made his way to the foot 
 of the steep, bathed his head in the cool 
 waters and bound it up as well as he could 
 with his big silk handkerchief. He was 
 fainter, weaker now, than he had been before, 
 but never for an instant could he forget the 
 little ones at the Pass. 
 
 " Oh, God help me and bring me back tc? 
 them in time/ he prayed ; and then 2 holding 
 
WITH ONE BACKWABP I^OOK 
 
 ON- 
 
SUNSET PASS. 155 
 
 his maimed left arm in his right hand, and 
 with one backward look up the canon at the 
 now lifeless carcass of poor " Mac," he stag 
 gered wearily on, following the trail of the 
 cavalry. 
 
 Late that evening, just as darkness was 
 settling down over the valley of the Colorado 
 Chiquito, the soldiers of a little detachment, 
 chatting gleefully around their bivouac fires 
 and sipping their fragrant coffee, were 
 startled by the sudden sight of a man with 
 ghastly, blood-stained features and dress, who 
 reeled blindly into their midst and then fell 
 forward upon his face, to all appearances 
 dead. 
 
 Some of them, believing Indians to be 
 upon them, sprang for their arms ; others 
 bent to the aid of the stricken man. They 
 turned him over on his back, brought water 
 and bathed the blood from his face, and then 
 a sergeant cried : 
 
156 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 " My God ! What can have happened ? 
 It s Captain Gwynne ! Here, Murphy, call 
 the lieutenant, quick ! " 
 
 In an instant the young officer command 
 ing the party came running to the scene and 
 bent breathlessly over the senseless form. 
 
 " It is Captain Gwynne," he said ; " bring 
 more water. Go to my pack, one of you, 
 and get the sponge you ll find there. Fetch 
 me my flask, too. Which way did he come ? 
 Did none of you see ? " 
 
 " None, sir. The first we knew he was 
 right over us. He never spoke a word, but 
 fell like a log." 
 
 And then the rough-looking, bearded, 
 anxious faces hovered about the prostrate 
 man. His heart-beats were so faint that the 
 young officer was terribly alarmed. No 
 surgeon was with the little party and he 
 hardly knew what to do. The whiskey 
 forced down Gwynne s throat seemed power- 
 
SUNSET PASS. 157 
 
 less to revive him. Full an hour he lay 
 almost motionless, then little by little the 
 pulse grew firmer and respiration audible. 
 At last there was a long, deep sigh, but still 
 he did not open his eyes. Consciousness 
 returned only very slowly, and when Mr. 
 Hunter had called him by name time and 
 again and begged him to speak, he sighed 
 even more deeply than before, the lids 
 slowly drew back, and the almost sightless 
 eyes looked feebly around. Then, with 
 sudden flash of memory, the poor captain 
 strove to rise. " My babies ! " he moaned ; 
 " my babies ! " 
 
 " Where did you leave them, captain ? 
 Tell us. I ll send for them instantly," said 
 Hunter. " Sergeant, saddle up right off. 
 This means something." 
 
 More whiskey, a long draught, and more 
 cold water, presently revived him so that he 
 could speak collectedly. 
 
158 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 "I left them with Pike in the Pass. 
 My Mexican ran away with the mules 
 followed and found your trail my horse 
 fell on me and then rolled over a precipice 
 killed. I ve come on foot ever since." 
 
 " Thank God, you re here safe anyhow ! 
 Now lie still. I ll leave a guard with you 
 and we ll go as fast as we can through the 
 darkness and find Ned and Nellie." 
 
 " No ! no ! I must go. I will go, too. 
 See, I can stand. Give me a horse." 
 
 And so, finding- him determined and 
 
 t O 
 
 rapidly regaining strength, Hunter made 
 the captain eat all he could bear to swallow 
 then, and, stowing more food in their saddle 
 bags, away went the gallant little troop 
 hurrying through the starlit night for Sunset 
 Pass and rescue. 
 
 But the way was long ; road or trail there 
 was none. Over rugged height, through 
 deep ravine, they forced their way, but not 
 
MY GOD ! WHAT CAN HAVE HAPPENED ? IT S CAPTAIN 
 CrWYNXE ! " 
 
SUNSET PASS. 159 
 
 until all the sky was blushing in the east did 
 they come to the old Wingate road, and the 
 gloomy entrance to the Pass. Up they rode 
 at a steady trot, Gwynne and Hunter lead 
 ing, and, at a sudden turn of the road, far in 
 towards the western side, their horses re 
 coiled, snorting with fear, from a heap of 
 smouldering embers, in the midst of which 
 
 O * 
 
 lay a fearful something, the charred and 
 hissing body of a human being. Gwynne 
 groaned aloud at the sight and then drove 
 his horse up a rocky pathway to the left, 
 the others following. There lay the smoking 
 ruins of an ambulance with scraps of cloth 
 ing heaped about on every side, and here the 
 stricken father s waning strength left him 
 entirely. With one heartbroken cry, " My 
 babies my little ones. They are gone ! 
 gone ! " he was only saved from falling by 
 the prompt action of two stalwart troopers. 
 In ten minutes, supporting the fainting 
 
160 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 soldier as best they could, the detachment 
 was marching rapidly westward. 
 
 " Sieber with the scouts can t be farther 
 away than Jarvis Pass. We ll meet him," 
 said Hunter to his sergeant, "and trail these 
 Scoundrels to their holes." 
 
 His words were true. Before ten o clock 
 they had met, not only Sieber, but Turner s 
 troop from Verde, coming full tilt, and 
 Gwynne was now turned over to the doctor s 
 care. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE ATTACK. 
 
 STARTLED suddenly from his sleep, it 
 was indeed a dreadful sight, and one cal 
 culated to shake the nerves of many an 
 old soldier, that greeted Pike s eyes as he 
 peered over the rocky parapet in front 
 of him. One glance was sufficient. Look 
 ing down behind the wall, he seized Jim 
 by the throat, shaking him vigorously and 
 at the same time placing his other hand 
 over his mouth so that he might make no 
 outcry. " Wake up, Jim ! Wake up ! and 
 see what your faithlessness has brought 
 upon us ! Look down the hill here ! Look 
 
162 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 through that loophole and see what you ve 
 done ! " 
 
 Terrified, with his eyes starting from 
 their sockets, Jim obeyed, and his black 
 face showed in an instant the full realization 
 of the scene before him. 
 
 " Now, is your rifle all ready ? " whispered 
 Pike. " Don t rouse those poor little people 
 in there until we have to. They must stay 
 way back in the cave. Now, observe strictly 
 what I tell you : I want you to aim at the 
 taller of those two Indians who are the 
 leaders. Do not fire until I give the word ; 
 but be sure you hit. Recollect now, you ve 
 got to fire down hill, and the bullets fly 
 high. Aim below his waistband, then you ll 
 probably strike him either through the heart 
 or the upper chest. Now, go to your loop 
 hole and stay there. Are you ready, Jim ? " 
 
 " I m ready, boss. Just wait one minute 
 until I get my rifle through here." 
 
SUNSET PASS 163 
 
 Kneeling beside his own loophole, Pike 
 once more looked down the hill. Not over 
 a hundred yards away crouching along, 
 following step by step the trail that he and 
 Jim had made pointing with their long 
 bony fingers at every mark on the ground 
 or upon the trees two lean, keen-eyed, 
 sinewy Apaches were slowly and silently 
 moving up the mountain side in a direction 
 that would take them diagonally across the 
 front of the hill. Behind them, among the 
 trees and bowlders, and spread out to the right 
 and left, came others, all wary, watchful, 
 silent, as noiseless and as stealthy in their 
 movements as any panther could possibly be. 
 Pike could see that they were armed mostly 
 with rifles. He knew that very few of them 
 had breech-loaders at that time ; but still 
 that there were some among them which 
 they had obtained by murdering and rob 
 bing helpless settlers, or mail messengers. 
 
164 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 With abundant ammunition close at hand, 
 with the advantage of position and the fact 
 that he meant to have the first fire, Pike 
 calculated that the moral effect would be 
 such that he could drive them back, and 
 that they would not resume the attack until 
 after a consultation among themselves. 
 The two who were so far in front of the 
 others were steadily approaching the little 
 barricade, only the top of which could 
 readily be seen from below and was hardly 
 distinguishable from the general mass of 
 rocks and bowlders by which it was sur 
 rounded. 
 
 He knew it could not be long, however, 
 before the quick eyes of the Apaches de 
 tected it, and that they would know at once 
 what it meant. " However," thought Pike, 
 "before they see it those two villains in 
 front will be near enough for us to have a 
 sure shot, and then, I don t care how soon 
 
SUNSET PASS. 165 
 
 they know we re here. Now, Jim/ he 
 whispered, " watch your man ! recollect 
 you aim at that tall fellow on your own 
 side, I ll take the little, skinny cuss - 
 the one who is just turning towards us now. 
 They are not more than seventy-five yards 
 away. Aim low ! " There was a moment 
 of breathless silence. "Are you ready, 
 Jim?" whispered Pike. 
 
 " Yes, all ready, corporal." 
 
 " All right ! One minute now get 
 you a good aim ! Draw your bead on him ! 
 - Wedge your rifle in the rock, if neces 
 sary ! Got it?" 
 
 " I think so, corporal." 
 
 " All right then ! Fire ! " 
 
 Bang ! bang ! rang out almost simulta 
 neously the reports of two rifles. The 
 smoke floated upward. Pike and Jim had 
 the good sense not to attempt to lift their 
 heads or peer over the barriers, but to con- 
 
166 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 tent themselves with looking through the 
 loopholes. One look revealed the scene. 
 " The little, skinny cuss," as Pike had called 
 him, clasping his hands to his breast, had 
 fallen head foremost among the rocks up 
 which he was climbing. But the tall 
 Indian, giving a spring like that of a cat, 
 had leaped behind a bowlder full ten feet 
 away from him, and the next instant, - 
 bang ! went his rifle, and a bullet whizzed 
 overhead and struck, flattening itself upon 
 the rocks. 
 
 " Oh, you ve missed him, Jim," said Pike, 
 reproachfully. " Now, look out for the 
 others ! " 
 
 The rest of the Apaches, hearing the 
 shots, with the quickness of thought, had 
 sprung for shelter behind the neighboring 
 trees or rocks. Not one of their number, by 
 this time, failed to know just where these 
 shots had come from ; arid in a minute more, 
 
SUNSET PASS. 167 
 
 from all over the hillside below, thick and 
 fast, the reports of the rifles were ringing 
 on the morning air and the bullets came 
 singing about the stone parapet, some of 
 them chipping off little fragments from the 
 top of the parapet itself, but most of them 
 striking the great mass of rocks overhead 
 and doing no harm whatever, except to 
 spatter little fragments of lead upon the 
 parapet and its gallant defenders. 
 
 " Watch for them ! Keep your eyes 
 peeled, Jim ! Every time you see a head or 
 an arm or a body coming from behind a 
 rock or tree, let drive at it ! It will give 
 the idea that there are more of us up here 
 than we really have, and we ve got all the 
 ammunition we can possibly use. Don t 
 be afraid ! I ll tell you when to save your 
 cartridges. There s one now ! Watch 
 him ! " Bang ! went Pike s rifle. It was 
 a good shot ; for they could see that the 
 
168 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 bullet barked the tree just where the 
 Apache was standing- ; but apparently it did 
 no harm to the Indian himself ; for the 
 answering shot of his rifle was prompt, and 
 the bullet whizzed dangerously near. 
 
 " That fellow s a cool hand ! " said Pike. 
 " Watch him, Jim, you re a little further 
 that way. He ll be out again in a minute. 
 What s the reason your man hasn t fired? 
 - the man behind the rock that I told you 
 to kill?" 
 
 " Because I m certain that I hit him," 
 said Jim, " and I reckon by this time he 
 isn t doing any more shooting." 
 
 " Watch carefully, anyhow," was the 
 reply. " They ll soon try, when they find 
 there are very few of us, to crawl up the hill 
 upon us. Then s the time you ve got to 
 note every movement ! See ! there comes 
 one fellow behind that rock now. He s 
 crawling on all fours. Thinks we can t see 
 
EVIDENTLY THE ONE WHO WAS SHOT WAS A MAN OF SOME 
 PROMINENCE AMONG THEM POSSIBLY A CHIEF. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 169 
 
 him. Now just hold on until he comes 
 around that little ledge ! I ll take him 1 
 I ve got him ! Now ! " 
 
 And again Pike s rifle rang out, and to 
 his intense delight the Indian sprang to his 
 f ee t staggered an instant and then fell 
 all in a heap, huddled up around the roots 
 of the tree which he was just striving to 
 reach. Some one down among the Indians 
 gave a yell of dismay. Evidently the one 
 who was shot was a man of some prom 
 inence among them possibly a chief. 
 
 " They ll try and haul his body out of 
 the way, Jim. Watch for at least one or 
 two of them coming up there ! He may be 
 only wounded, and they ll try to get him 
 into safety. If they do fire at the first 
 
 man you see ! " 
 
 Another minute, and then both the rifles 
 blazed again. Two daring young Indians 
 had made a rush forward, and had attempted 
 
170 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 to seize their wounded comrade ; but the 
 shots of the rifles whistling close about their 
 ears, caused them to desist, to throw them 
 selves on their faces, and then to roll or 
 crawl away behind the adjacent rocks. 
 Evidently they didn t care to expose them 
 selves to the chance of further loss. Two 
 Indians lying dead, and one over behind a 
 rock possibly wounded, was enough to dis 
 courage even an Apache. 
 
 " They ll show again in a minute, though, 
 Jim. Keep watch ! They won t go away 
 and leave those two bodies there if they can 
 possibly help themselves. Some of them 
 will stay. Of course, they ll have a consul 
 tation and then see if they can t get at us 
 from the flank or from the rear. They 
 can t; but they don t know it. That ll be 
 their next game." 
 
 And so for the next five or ten minutes 
 the siege was carried on, Jim and the old 
 
SUNSET PASS. 171 
 
 corporal watching the hillside, but mean 
 time there was consternation back in the 
 cave. Poor old Kate mingled moaning 
 with prayers and tears ; little Nellie, fright 
 ened, of course, as any child would be, lay 
 sobbing with her head buried in Kate s lap. 
 But Ned, brave little man that he was, had 
 grasped his rifle, the Ballard, of which so 
 much has already been said, and, crouching 
 eagerly forward, before Pike knew it, the 
 boy was close beside him at the stone wall, 
 and had placed his hand upon his arm. 
 
 " Corporal, let me come in here beside 
 you, there s room for another. Do let me 
 have one shot at them ? Papa would if he 
 were here, and I know it ! " 
 
 This was altogether too much for Kate to 
 bear. She dare not come forward, but 
 from the dark recess in which she and Nellie 
 were hidden, her cries and prayers broke 
 forth again : 
 
172 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 " For the love of all the saints, corporal, 
 don t let that boy stay out there ! Bring 
 him back here to me ! His father would 
 kill me if anything happened to him ! Oh, 
 listen to me, Pike ! Send the boy back 
 again ! Make him come !-" 
 
 But so far from paying any attention to 
 Kate s admonition, Pike turned with kin 
 dling eyes and patted the little fellow on the 
 shoulder : " You re your father s own boy, 
 Ned, and you shall stay here with me for 
 the present at least, and if there should be 
 a chance of a shot one I can give you 
 without exposing you I m going to let 
 you have it. Kneel low down there, and 
 don t lift your head above the parapet what 
 ever you do ! Stay just where you are." 
 
 With that the old trooper, whose rifle 
 was still projecting through the loophole, 
 again turned his attention to the Indians 
 lurking among the rocks and bowlders down 
 
SUNSET PASS. 173 
 
 the hill. The two bodies still lay there 
 Jim s rifle covering them and threatening 
 any Indians who might attempt to drag 
 them away. 
 
 Every now and then, a black head would 
 appear from behind some tree, but the 
 instant it did so the darkey s rifle would ring 
 out, the bullet would go whistling close 
 beside it, the head would pop suddenly 
 back, and Jim as promptly would re-load 
 his rifle. 
 
 It was beginning to grow monotonous. 
 The Indians probably because they knew 
 they were only wasting their scanty ammu 
 nition had ceased firing, and were evi 
 dently calling to one another and signaling 
 from behind the rocks and trees where they 
 had taken refuge. So long as they re 
 mained down there in front Pike had no 
 possible concern. His only fear, as has 
 been said, was that they should make a 
 
174 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 combined rush. If they were to have sense 
 enough to do that, and ignore the proba 
 bility of losing three or four of their num 
 ber in the attempt, it would be all over with 
 the little party in the cave. 
 
 But the corporal had served too long 
 among the Apaches to greatly dread any 
 such move. They were already shaken by 
 the severity of their reception and of their 
 losses. He knew that they could not be 
 aware that only two men and a little boy 
 constituted the whole force of the defenders, 
 for they would have come with a rush long 
 before. 
 
 Their plan now would doubtless be to 
 leave a few of their number in front to keep 
 the besieged in check while the greater part 
 of the band surrounded the big ledge and 
 sought a means of getting at the little garri 
 son from flank or rear. 
 
 Wha^t be hoped for was a chance pf deal-* 
 
SUNSET PASS. 175 
 
 ing them one more blow before they could 
 crawl back out of range and presently the 
 opportunity came. Two or three of the 
 band who were farthest to the rear had 
 managed to slip back some distance down 
 the hill and occasional glimpses could now 
 be caught of them as they stealthily made 
 their way out towards the western slope. It 
 was not long before their dirty white breech- 
 clouts could be distinguished as they slowly 
 and cautiously came creeping up hill. 
 
 " By George ! Jim," muttered the old 
 man with the ejaculation that with him 
 supplied the place of trooper profanity 
 " I believe you re right about your Indian. 
 You probably wounded him and he s lying 
 behind that rock now, and those fellows 
 are coming up to help him. Don t fire ! 
 They re too far away for a down-hill shot. 
 Wait till I tell you. Now, Ned, my boy, 
 run back and comfort Nellie a minute. I 
 
176 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 don t want you here where a glancing shot 
 might hit you. The moment we get them 
 started on the run, I ll call you." 
 
 Ned looked far from satisfied with the 
 proposition, but the corporal was the com 
 manding officer, and there was nothing to 
 do but obey. He went reluctantly. " Mind, 
 corporal, you ve promised I should have a 
 shot," he said, and Pike nodded assent, 
 although he could not turn from his loop 
 hole. Another minute and the Henry rifle 
 barked its loud challenge down the slope, 
 and the old trooper s keen, set features re 
 laxed in a grin. 
 
 " Now they ve got two to lug," he mut 
 tered to Jim. " Lord ! See that beggar 
 
 oo 
 
 roll over those rocks ! " 
 
 Again there came yells and shots from 
 down the hill but both were harmless. 
 Cowed, apparently, by the sharp shooting 
 of the defenders, the Apaches who had 
 
SUNSET PASS. 177 
 
 sought to rescue their wounded mate con 
 tinued in hiding behind the rocks where 
 they had taken shelter. The others, farther 
 to the east, were slipping 1 back as fast as 
 they could, but studiously keeping out of 
 sight of those death-dealing loopholes, 
 Presently it was apparent to the corporal 
 that a number of them had got together 
 far down the hill and y^ere holding 1 excited 
 
 o 
 
 controversy, probably as to the best means 
 of getting possession of their dead friends 
 and then, their living enemies. Pike looked 
 at his watch. It was half after seven and 
 they had been fighting an hour. 
 
 And now came a lull. Once in a long 
 while some one of the besiegers would let 
 
 o 
 
 drive a bullet at the loopholes, but Apache 
 shooting was never of the best and though 
 the lead spattered dangerously near, " the 
 miss," quoth Pike, " is as good as any num 
 ber of miles." On the other hand, when- 
 
178 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 ever or wherever an Indian head, leg or arm 
 appeared, it was instantly saluted by one^ 
 sometimes two, quick shots, and there could 
 be no doubt whatever that the pale faces, as 
 the Tontos supposed them all to be, were 
 fully on the alert. 
 
 " Now, Jim, it won t be long before they 
 will be showing around on all sides. Pile 
 on a few more stones above that loophole 
 that looks to the west. The next thing you 
 know there ll be a head and a gun poked 
 out from behind that shoulder of rock 
 beyond you. I ll watch my side and keep a 
 look on down the hill, too." 
 
 And now the hours seemed to drag with 
 leaden weight. All was silence around 
 them, yet Pike knew that this made their 
 danger only the more imminent. He could 
 nowhere see a sign of their late assailants 
 except the stiffening bodies down the hill, 
 but he had not a doubt that while some 
 
SUNSET PASS. 179 
 
 watched the front, most of them, making 
 wide detours, were now lurking on every 
 side, and looking for a possible opening. 
 Every now and then he had to give a quick 
 glance over his shoulder to see that Jim was 
 alert and watchful. It would not do to have 
 him fall asleep now. And then once in a 
 while he listened, God only knows how 
 wistfully, for the sound of cavalry coming 
 across the westward plain. It surely was 
 time for Sieber and the troops to be coming 
 if the former had carried out his intentions. 
 Pike could see nothing of the road towards 
 Jarvis Pass and only a glimpse here and 
 there of the plateau itself. The foliage in 
 the larger trees was too thick. He longed 
 to clamber to his watch-tower but felt well 
 assured that one step outside the parapet 
 would make him a target for the Indian 
 rifles. First as an experiment he put his 
 hat on a stick and cautiously raised it 
 
180 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 above their barricade. Two bullets instantly 
 " zipped " over his head and dropped flat as 
 pancakes from the rock overhead. The 
 experiment was conclusive. 
 
 At last the straining ears of the watchers 
 were attracted by strange sounds. Low calls 
 in savage tongue from down the hill were 
 answered on both sides and from above. 
 The Indians had evidently thoroughly 
 " reconnoitred " the position, and had found 
 that there was actually no place around 
 the rock from which they could see and 
 open fire on the besieged. The sun was 
 now high overhead. Odd sounds as of 
 dragging objects began to be heard from 
 the top of the rock, and this was kept 
 up for fully an hour. Neither Pike nor 
 Jim could imagine what it meant, but 
 neither dared for an instant to leave his 
 post. 
 
 It must have been eleven o clock and 
 
ALL OF A SUDDEX A BLACK SHADOW RUSHED THROUGH 
 THE AIK. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 181 
 
 after, when, all of a sudden, a black shadow 
 rushed through the air, and Pike started 
 
 O 
 
 almost to his feet as a huge log fell from 
 above and bounded from the lagged rocks 
 
 J OO 
 
 in front of them. Then came another, 
 tumbling one upon the other, wedging and 
 jostling, and speedily rising in a huge pile 
 several feet high. More and more they came ; 
 then smaller ones ; then loose dry branches 
 and roots in quantities. And then, as the 
 great heap grew and grew, an awful thought 
 occurred to the old trooper. At first it 
 seemed as though the Indians meant to try 
 and form a " curtain," sheltered by which 
 they could crawl upon their foes ; but 
 when the brushwood came, a fiercer, far 
 more dreadful purpose was revealed. " My 
 God ! " he groaned, " they mean to roast 
 us out." 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 LITTLE NED S SHOT. 
 
 FROM the babel of voices that reached 
 old Pike s ears every now and then, and the 
 bustle and noise going on overhead, he 
 judged that there must be twenty or thirty 
 Indians busily engaged in the work of heap 
 ing up firewood in front of the cave. The 
 mountain side, as he well knew, was thickly 
 strewn with dry branches, dead limbs, up 
 rooted trees and all manner of combus 
 tible material, and the very warriors who, 
 when around their own "rancheria," would 
 have disdained doing a stroke of work 
 of any kind, were now laboring like so 
 
SUNSET PASS. 183 
 
 many beavers to add to the great pile 
 that was already almost on a level with the 
 breastwork and not more than eight feet 
 away. Some of the logs first thrown had 
 rolled off and scattered down the slope, but 
 enough had remained to make a sure foun 
 dation, and once this was accomplished the 
 rest was easy work. 
 
 Poor Jim looked around imploringly at 
 his superior. 
 
 " Ain t dey some way to stop that, corpo 
 ral ? " he asked. 
 
 " Don t you worry, Jim," was the prompt 
 reply. "It will take them an -hour more at 
 least to get it big enough and then twill do 
 no great harm. We can knock down our 
 barricade so that they can t use it and fall 
 back into the cave where it s dark and cool 
 and where the smoke and flame can t reach 
 us. Keep your eyes on your corner, man ! " 
 But though he spoke reassuringly, the old 
 
184 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 soldier felt a world of anxiety. Under cover 
 of that huge heap of brushwood, growing 
 bigger every minute, it would soon be possi 
 ble for the Indians from below to crawl un 
 seen close upon them, and set fire to the 
 mass. 
 
 Even now he felt certain that there were 
 several of the more daring of the Apaches 
 lurking just around the corners which he 
 and Jim were so faithfully guarding. The 
 negro seemed so utterly abashed at his hav 
 ing been overcome by sleep during the hour 
 before the dawn, and possibly so refreshed 
 by that deep slumber, that now he was vigi 
 lance itself. 
 
 Within the cave old Kate had seen, of 
 course, the falling of the logs and brush 
 wood, and though she could not comprehend 
 their object it served to keep in mind that 
 their savage foes were all around her and 
 her little charges, and to add to her alter- 
 
SUNSET PASS. 185 
 
 nate prayer and wailing. Unable to leave 
 his post. Pike could only call sternly to her 
 from time to time to cry shame upon her 
 for frightening Nellie so, and to remind her 
 that they had shot five Indians without get 
 ting a scratch themselves. " We can stand 
 em off for hours yet, you old fool," he said, 
 " and the boys from Verde are sure to get 
 here to-day." And whether it was " old " 
 or the "fool" in Pike s contemptuous re 
 mark, that stirred her resentment, it cer 
 tainly resulted that Kate subsided into 
 suffering and indignant protest. Then Ned s 
 brave, boyish voice was heard. 
 
 " Corporal ! Can t I come to you now ? 
 I m no good here and I m sick of the row 
 Kate keeps up. You said you d let me 
 come back." 
 
 " Wait a few minutes, Ned. I want to be 
 sure they are not sneaking around these 
 corners," was the reply, followed almost 
 
186 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 instantly by the bang of Pike s carbine. 
 Kate gave a suppressed shriek and the cor 
 poral a shout of exultation. Encouraged by 
 the sound of his voice to suppose that the 
 guard on the east side of the barrier was 
 neglecting his watch, a daring young Apache 
 crawled on all fours around the foot of the 
 rock to take an observation. The black 
 head came in view even as Pike was speak 
 ing and the fierce eyes peered cautiously at 
 the breastwork, but the corporal never 
 moved a muscle, and the savage, believing 
 himself unseen, crawled still further into 
 view, until half his naked body was in sight 
 from the narrow slit through which the old 
 trooper was gazing. The brown muzzle of 
 the cavalry carbine covered the creeping 
 " brave/ and the next instant the loud 
 report went echoing over the gorge and the 
 Indian, with one convulsive spring, fell 
 back upon the ground writhing in the ago- 
 
SUNSET PASS. 187 
 
 nies of death. In striving to drag the body 
 of his comrade back behind the rock another 
 Tonto ventured to show head and shoulder, 
 and came within an ace of sharing his fate, 
 for Pike s next shot whistled within an inch 
 of the flattened nose, and Apache number 
 two dodged back with wonderful quickness, 
 and did not again appear. 
 
 This would tend to keep them from 
 sneaking around that particular corner, 
 thought Pike, and he only wished that Jim 
 could have similiar luck on his side, but the 
 Indians had grown wary. Time and again 
 the veteran glanced down the hill to see if 
 there was any sign of their crawling upon 
 him from below, but that threatening pile 
 of brushwood now hid most of the slope 
 from his weary, anxious eyes. The crisis 
 could not be long in coming. 
 
 " God ! " he prayed, " save these little 
 children. Bring us aid." 
 
188 8U&8JST PASS. 
 
 Poor old Pike ! Even as the whispered 
 words fell from his lips a low, crackling 
 sound caught his ear. Louder it grew, 
 and, looking suddenly to the left, he saw 
 a thin curl of smoke rising through the 
 branches and gaining every instant in volume. 
 Louder, louder snapped the blazing twigs. 
 Denser, heavier grew the smoke. Then 
 tiny darts of flame came shooting upward 
 through the top of the pile and then yells 
 of triumph and exultation rang from the 
 rock above and the hillside below. A min 
 ute or two more, and while the Indians 
 continued to pour fresh fuel from above, 
 the great heap was a mass of roaring flame 
 and the heat became intolerable. A pniV of 
 wind drove a huge volume of smoke and 
 flame directly into Jim s nook in the fortifi 
 cation, and with a shout that ho could hold 
 on no longer the negro dropped back into 
 the cave, rubbing IHH blinded eyes. 
 
ro\rv wrrn TTTEST;: STOXKS, xow!" 
 
SUNSET PASS. 189 
 
 " Come back, Jim ! Quick ! " shouted 
 Pike. " Down with these stones, now ! 
 Kick them over ! but watch for Indians 
 on your side. Down with em ! " and suit 
 ing action to the word the old soldier rolled 
 rock after rock down towards the blazing 
 pyre, until his side of the parapet was almost 
 demolished. Half blinded by smoke and 
 the scorching heat, he lost sight for a 
 moment of the shoulder of the ledge on the 
 east side. Two seconds more and it might 
 have been all over with him, for now, rely 
 ing on the fierce heat to drive the defenders 
 back, a young Apache had stepped cau 
 tiously into view, caught sight of the tall old 
 soldier pushing and kicking at the rocks, 
 and, quick as a cat, up leaped the rifle to 
 his shoulder. But quicker than any cat 
 quick as its own flash there sounded the 
 sudden crack of a target rifle, the Indian s 
 gun flew up and was discharged in mid-air, 
 
190 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 while the owner, clapping his hand to his 
 face, reeled back out of sight. The bullet 
 of the little Ballard had taken him just 
 under the eye, and as Pike turned in amaze 
 ment at the double report, saw the Apache 
 fall, and then turned to his left there 
 knelt little Ned, his blue eyes blazing, his 
 boyish form quivering with excitement and 
 triumph. Pike seized him in his arms and 
 fairly kissed the glowing face. " God bless 
 you, my boy ! but you are a little soldier if 
 there ever was one ! " was his cry. " Now 
 all three of us must watch the front. Keep 
 as far forward as you can, Jim. We ve got 
 to hold those hounds back until the boys 
 come ! " 
 
 Until the boys come ! Heavens ! When 
 would that be ? Here was the day nearly 
 half spent and no sign of relief for the little 
 party battling so bravely for their lives at 
 Sunset Pass. Where where can the father 
 
THE BULLET OF THE LITTLE BALLARD HAD TAKEN HIM 
 JUST UNDER THE EYE. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 191 
 
 be? Where is Al Sieber? Where the 
 old comrades from Verde ? 
 
 Let us see if we cannot find them, and 
 then, with them, hasten to the rescue. 
 
 Far over near Jarvis Pass poor Captain 
 Gwynne had been lying on the blankets the 
 men eagerly spread for him, while the sur 
 geon with Captain Turner s troops listened 
 eagerly to the details of the night s work, 
 and at the same time ministered to his ex 
 hausted patient. Turner, the other officers, 
 and their favorite scout held brief and 
 hurried consultation. It was decided to 
 push at once for Sunset Pass ; to leave Cap 
 tain Gwynne here with most of his nearly 
 worn-out escort ; to mount the six Hualpai 
 trailers they had with them on the six freshest 
 horses, so as to get them to the scene of the 
 tragedy as soon as possible, and then to start 
 them afoot to follow the Apaches. In ten 
 minutes Captain Turner, with Lieutenant 
 
192 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 Wilkins and forty troopers, was trotting off 
 eastward following the lead of Sieber with 
 his swarthy allies. Ten minutes more and 
 Captain Gwynne had sufficiently revived to 
 be made fully aware of what was going 
 on, and was on his feet again in an instant. 
 The surgeon vainly strove to detain him, but 
 was almost rudely repulsed. 
 
 " Do you suppose I can rest one conscious 
 minute until I know what has become of 
 my babies?" he said. And climbing pain 
 fully into the saddle he clapped spurs to his 
 horse and galloped after Turner s troop. 
 
 Finding it useless to argue, the doctor, 
 with his orderly, mounted, too, and followed 
 the procession. It was an hour before they 
 came up with Turner s rearmost files and 
 found burly Lieutenant Wilkins giving the 
 men orders to keep well closed in case they 
 had to increase the gait. The scouts and 
 Sieber, far to the front, were galloping. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 193 
 
 " What is it ? " asked the doctor. 
 
 " Smoke," panted Wilkins. " The Hual- 
 pais saw it up the mountain south of the 
 Pass." 
 
 Gwynne s haggard face was dreadfid to 
 see. The jar of the rough gallop had 
 started afresh the bleeding in his head and 
 the doctor begged him to wait and let him 
 dress it again, but the only answer was a 
 look of fierce determination, and renewed 
 spurring of his wretched horse. He was 
 soon abreast the head of the column, but 
 even then kept on. Turner hailed him and 
 urged him to stay with them, but entreaty 
 was useless. "I am going after Sieber," 
 was the answer. " Did you see the smoke ? " 
 
 " No, Gwynne ; but Sieber and the Hual- 
 pais are sure a big column went up and that 
 it means the Apaches can t be far away. 
 We re bound to get them. Don t wear your 
 self out, old fellow ; stay with us ! " but 
 
194 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 G wynne pressed on. Far out to the front 
 he could see that one of the Indian scouts 
 had halted and was making signs. It took 
 five minutes hard riding to reach him. 
 
 "What did you see? What has 
 happened ? " he gasped. 
 
 " Heap fire ! " answered the Hualpai. 
 " See ? But Gwynne s worn eyes could 
 only make out the great mass of the moun 
 tain with its dark covering of stunted trees. 
 He saw, however, that the scout was 
 eagerly watching his comrades now so long 
 a distance ahead. Presently the Indian 
 shouted in excitement : 
 
 " Fight ! Fight ! Heap shoot, there ! " 
 and then at last the father s almost breaking 
 heart regained a gleam of hope ; a new light 
 flashed in his eyes, new strength seemed to 
 leap through his veins. Even his poor horse 
 seemed to know that a supreme effort was 
 needed and gamely answered the spur. 
 
SUNSET PASS. 195 
 
 Waving his hat above his head and shouting 
 back to Turner " Come on ! " the captain 
 dashed away in pursuit of Sieber. Turner s 
 men could hear no sound, but they saw the 
 excitement in the signal ; saw the sudden 
 rush of Gwynne s steed, and nothing more 
 was needed. " Gallop," rang the trumpet, 
 and with carbines advanced and every eye 
 on the dark gorge, still three miles before 
 them, the riders of the beautiful " chestnut 
 sorrel " troop swept across the plains. 
 
 Meantime the savage fight was going on 
 and the defense was sorely pressed. Covered 
 by the smoke caused by fresh armfuls of 
 green wood hurled upon the fiery furnace in 
 front of the cave, the vengeful Apaches had 
 crawled to within a few yards of where the 
 little breastwork had stood. Obedient to 
 Pike s stern orders Kate had crept to the 
 remotest corner of the recess and lay there 
 flat upon the rock, holding Nellie in her 
 
196 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 arms. The corporal had bound a handker 
 chief about his left arm, for some of the 
 besiegers, finding bullets of no avail, were 
 firing Tonto arrows so that they fell into 
 the mouth of the cave, and one of these had 
 torn a deep gash midway between the elbow 
 and the shoulder. Another had struck him 
 on the thigh. Jim, too, had a bloody 
 scratch. It stung and hurt and made him 
 
 o 
 
 grit his teeth with rage and pain. Little 
 Ned, sorely against his will, was screened by 
 his father s saddle and some blankets, but he 
 clung to his Ballard and the hope of at least 
 one more shot. 
 
 And still, though sorely pressing the be 
 sieged, the Indians kept close under cover. 
 The lessons of the morning had taught them 
 that the pale faces could shoot fast and 
 straight. They had lost heavily and could 
 afford no more risks. But every moment 
 their circle seemed closer to the mouth of the 
 
SUNSET PASS. 197 
 
 cave, and though direct assault could not 
 
 o 
 
 now be made because of tbeir great bonfire, 
 the dread that weighed on Pike was that 
 they should suddenly rush in from east and 
 west. " In that event/ said he to Jim, 
 " we must sell our lives as dearly as possible. 
 I ll have two at least before they can reach 
 
 me." 
 
 Hardly had he spoken when bang came a 
 shot from beyond the fire ; a bullet zipped 
 past his head and flattened on the rock well 
 back in the cave. Where could that have 
 come from ? was the question. A little 
 whiff of blue smoke sailing away on the 
 wind from the fork of a tall oak not fifty 
 feet in front told the story. Hidden from 
 view of the besieged by the drifting smoke 
 from the fire a young warrior had clambered 
 until he reached the crotch and there had 
 drawn up the rifle and belt tied by his com 
 rades to a " lariat." Straddling a convenient 
 
198 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 branch and lashing himself to the trunk he 
 was now in such a position that he could 
 peer around the tree and aim right into the 
 mouth of the rocky recess, and only one leg 
 was exposed to the fire of the defense. 
 
 But that was one leg too much. " Blaze 
 away at him, Jim," was the order. " We ll 
 fire alternately." And Jim s bullet knocked 
 a chip of bark into space, but did no further 
 harm. " It s my turn now. Watch your 
 side." 
 
 But before Pike could take aim there 
 came a shot from the fork of the tree that 
 well nigh robbed the little garrison of its 
 brave leader. The corporal was just creep 
 ing forward to where he could rest his rifle 
 on a little rock, and the Indian s bullet 
 struck fairly in the shoulder, tore its way 
 down along the muscles of the back, glanced 
 upward from the shoulder blade, and, flatten 
 ing on the rock overhead, fell almost before 
 
SUNSET PASS. 199 
 
 Ned s eyes. The shock knocked the old 
 soldier flat on his face, and there came a yell 
 of savage triumph from the tree, answered 
 by yells from below and above. Ned, terror 
 stricken, sprang to the old soldier s side, 
 just as he was struggling to rise. 
 
 " Back ! boy, back ! They ll all be on 
 us now. My God ! Here they come ! 
 Now, Jim, fight for all you re worth." 
 
 Bang ! bang ! went the two rifles. Bang 1 
 bang 1 bang ! came the shots from both 
 sides and from the front, while the dusky 
 forms could be seen creeping up the rocks 
 east and west of the fire, yelling like fiends. 
 Crack ! went Ned s little Ballard again, and 
 Pike seized the boy and fairly thrust him 
 into the depths of the cave. A lithe, naked 
 form leaped into sight just at the entrance 
 and then went crashing down into the blaz 
 ing embers below. Another Indian gone. 
 Bang ! bang ! bang ! Heavier came the 
 
200 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 uproar of the shots below. Bang ! bang ! 
 "Good God!" groaned Pike. "Has the 
 whole Apache nation come to reinforce 
 them ? Yell, you hounds aye yell ! 
 There are only two of us ! " Shots came 
 ringing thick and fast. Yells resounded 
 along the mountain side, but they seemed 
 more of warning than of hatred and defiance. 
 Bang ! bang ! bang ! the rifles rattled up the 
 rocky slopes, but where could the bullets go ? 
 Not one had struck in the cave for fully ten 
 seconds, yet the rattle and roar of musketry 
 seemed redoubled. What can it mean ? 
 Pike creeps still further forward to get a 
 shot at the first Indian that shows himself, 
 but pain and weakness are dimming the sight 
 of his keen, brave eyes ; perhaps telling on 
 his hearing. Listen, man ! Listen ! Those 
 are not Indian yells now resounding down 
 the rocks. Listen, Pike, old friend, old 
 soldier, old hero ! Too late too late ! 
 
SUNSET PASS. 201 
 
 Just as a ringing trumpet call, " Cease firing," 
 comes thrilling up the steep, and little Ned 
 once more leaps forward to aid him, the 
 veteran falls upon his face and all is dark 
 ness. 
 
 Another moment, and now the very hill 
 side seems to burst into shouts and cheers, 
 joy, triumph, infinite relief. Victory 
 shines on face after face as the bronzed 
 troopers come crowding to the mouth of the 
 cave. Tenderly they raise Pike from the 
 ground and bear him out into the sunshine. 
 Kespectfully they make way for Captain 
 Turner as he springs into their midst and 
 clasps little Nellie in his arms ; and poor old 
 Kate, laughing, weeping and showering bless 
 ings on " the boys," is frantically shaking 
 hands with man after man. So, too, is 
 Black Jim. And then, half carried, half led, 
 by two stalwart soldiers, Captain Gwynne 
 is borne, trembling like an aspen, into their 
 
202 SUNSET PASS. 
 
 midst, and, kneeling on the rocky floor, 
 clasps his little ones to his breast, and the 
 strong man sobs aloud his thanks to God for 
 their wonderful preservation. 
 
 ******* 
 
 " Papa papa, I shot an Indian ! " How 
 many a time little Ned has to shout it, in his 
 eager young voice, before the father can 
 realize what is being said. 
 
 " It s the truth he s telling, sir," said a big 
 sergeant. " There s wan of em lies at the 
 corner there with a hole no bigger than a 
 pay under the right eye," and the captain 
 knows not what to say. The surgeon s 
 stimulants have restored Pike to conscious 
 ness, and Gwynne kneels again to take the 
 old soldier s hands in his. Dry eyes are few. 
 Hearts are all too full for many words. 
 After infinite peril and suffering, after most 
 gallant defense, after a night of terror and 
 a day of fiercest battle, the little party was 
 
SUNSET PASS. 
 
 rescued, one and all, to life and love and 
 such a welcome when at last they were 
 brought back to Verde, where Pike was 
 nursed back to strength and health, where 
 Nellie was caressed as a heroine, and where 
 little Ned was petted and well nigh spoiled 
 as " the boy that shot an Indian " - and if 
 he did brag about it occasionally, when he 
 came east to school, who can blame him ? 
 But when they came they did not this time 
 try the route of Sunset Pass. 
 
 THE END. 
 
mrc 
 
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