“Weil, pardner, you talk straight, and you feel about the young lady as I would if she was a friend of mine.  But they are a bad bunch in there.”

“I appreciate your warning, but it will not stop us.”

“All right; go ahead, and good luck to you.  About a mile farther on you will come to a narrow defile leading to the north, cutting the range.  That leads into a broad valley, at the west end of which is the place called the Hole in the Wall.  It is practically impregnable.  It is entered by a narrow passage which one man could hold against an army.  It can be approached at night by riding down the valley, dismounting, and crawling over the mountain until you are above the Hole in the Wall, when every man can be wiped out by a few rifles.”

“Thanks, sergeant.  We will take to the hills.”

With mutual good wishes, they parted, and the boys were soon riding in single file up the defile.

In the valley they secreted themselves and their horses, while Ted and Bud went forward to reconnoiter.  It was rapidly growing dark in the mountains as Ted and Bud crawled along the mountain paths toward the end of the valley.

Suddenly Ted placed his hand on Bud’s arm.

“Some one right ahead of us,” he whispered.

“Sentinel, I reckon,” answered Bud.

Ted nodded:  “You stay here.  I’m going forward.  I’ll be back soon.”

Ted glided away into the gloom.  Presently Bud heard a muffled cry.  Then all was still again.

He waited a few minutes, and was about to go forward, when he heard a slight rustle beside him, and there stood Ted.

“It was a guard,” he said.  “I jumped him, and gagged him, but he gave me a pretty good fight.  I’ve rolled him away where his pals won’t find him.  I guess we can go on now, but we must go slowly and quietly.  I don’t know how many more of them are about.”

“Get a line on where the hole is?”

“Yes, we’re on the right track.  It is ahead of us.”

On they went, and, having proceeded about half a mile, they suddenly became aware of the neighing of horses and the voices of men, which seemed to come from beneath them, and it was not long before they saw a glare of light against the rocks not far ahead.

They went more cautiously now, crawling forward on their hands and knees.  Ted, in advance, soon threw up his hand and lay flat on the rocks, and Bud crawled to his side.

They found themselves looking down into a circular little valley, in reality a hole in the wall of the mountain.

Several camp fires were burning here and there, and about fifty Indians and white men were lounging about.

Near the rear wall was a small tent, before which sat a fat old squaw.

As Ted was looking, the flap of the tent was pushed aside, and Ted clutched Bud’s arm, for Stella had come forth, and stood looking up at the sky.

“By Jove, if we could only attract her attention,” muttered Ted.