again he heard it. He pressed his left ear close
to earth. The sound grew louder and seemed to
come nearer. Again he lifted his head. As before,
he could hear nothing save the snoring of
the large man and the dream-twitching of the
Professor. He gazed about him. The camp was
still. He peered outside in the moonlight. The
horses were all down -- at rest. At length he
dropped back once more, closed his eyes sleepily,
and soon dozed a second time.

But again he was aroused. He whipped up
his head. The sound was thundering in his
ears. He heard trampling hoofs -- many hoofs -- immediately
outside. He leaped to his feet. He
saw horsemen -- Indians -- the renegades -- crowding
past, riding frantically to the north. He
called sharply to the others, who were already
waking and leaping to their feet. He' turned to
the horses. They were all there, standing now,
alert and tense. Wheeling, he stared after the
Indians. They were speeding away like the wind,
close huddled, fleeing in a panic. He watched them,
dazed, saw them ascend a rise, become a vacillating
speck in the moonlight, and drop from view
in a hollow beyond the rise. He turned to the
men. All stood in mute helplessness, only half
comprehending. He opened his mouth to speak,
but as he did so there came a sudden interruption.

It was a bugle-call, rollicking across the desert,
crashing into the death-like hush which had
settled upon the camp. He turned his eyes toward
the sound -- to the south. Over a giant sand-

[[237]]

p236 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p237w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p238

v?