“I shouldn’t wonder a bit, now, if that isn’t it exactly,” said Fred, who was quite taken with the ingenious theory of his friend.  “It seems to me that the best thing that we can do is to ride on as fast as we can.”

“We’ve got to run the risk of it being all wrong, and fetching up in the bosom of the spalpeens; but it’s moighty sure we don’t make anything by standing here.”

The Irishman turned his horse as near the middle of the canon as possible.  Fred kept close to his side, his mustang behaving so splendidly that he gave him his unreserved confidence.  The average width of the pass was about a hundred yards, so it will be understood that if a detachment of men were caught within it they would be compelled to fight at a fearful disadvantage.

The plan of Mickey and Fred, as they discussed it while riding along, was to keep up the moderate gallop until close upon the fire.  They would then put their animals to the highest speed and pass the dangerous point as speedily as possible.  They felt no little misgiving as they drew near the dangerous place, and they continually glanced upward at the rocks overhead, expecting that a party of Indians would suddenly make their appearance and open fire.

The first plan was, as they drew near, to run in as close as possible beneath the rocks on the left, in the belief that, as they overhung so much, the Indians above could not reach them with a shot.  But before the time came to make the attempt, it was seen that it would not do.  Accordingly, Mickey, who had maintained a line as close as possible to the centre of the canon, suddenly sheered his mustang to the right, until he nearly grazed the wall there.  Then he put him on a dead run, Fred Munson doing the same, with very little space between the two steeds.  A few plunges brought them directly opposite the signal-fire, and every nerve was strained.

Both beasts were capable of magnificent speed and the still air became like a hurricane as the horsemen cut their way through it.  Fred glanced upward at the crest of the rocks on the left and fancied that he saw figures standing there, preparing to fire.  He hammered his heels against the ribs of his mustang and leaned forward upon his neck, in the hope of making the aim as difficult as possible.

Still no reports of guns were heard; and, after continuing the terrific gait for a quarter of a mile, they gradually decreased it until it became a moderate walk, and the riders again found themselves side by side.  Both had looked behind them a dozen times since passing the dangerous point, but had not obtained a glimpse of an Indian.

“I thought I saw a number just as we were opposite,” said Fred; “but, if so, what has become of them?”

“Ye didn’t obsarve any at all, for I kipt raising me eye that way, and they weren’t there.  The whole thing is a moighty puzzle, as our tacher used to remark when the sum in addition became so big that he had to set down one number and carry anither.  The spalpeens must have manufactured that fire for our benefit, and where’s the good that it has done them?”