Ned was startled beyond measure, but he was like a spring released by a key.  He felt that the need of instant action was great, and, as light of foot as Urrea himself, he sprang up, rifle in hand, and followed the young Mexican.  He was thankful for the wilderness training that he had been compelled to acquire.  He caught sight of Urrea about twenty yards ahead, still moving swiftly on soundless feet.  He moved thus a hundred yards or more, with Ned, as his shadow, as dark and silent as he, and then he stopped by the side of a great tree.

Ned felt instinctively, when Urrea halted that he would look back to see if by chance he were followed, and he sank down in the bushes before the Mexican turned.  Urrea gave only a glance or two in that direction and, satisfied, began to examine the tree which was certainly worthy of attention, as it rose to an uncommon height, much above its fellows.

Ned’s amazement grew.  Why should Urrea be so particular about the size or height of a tree?  It grew still further, when he saw Urrea lay his rifle down at the foot of the tree, spring up, grasp the lowest branch with one hand, and then deftly draw himself up, taking with him the burning stick.  He paused a moment on the bough, looked again toward the little camp and then climbed upward with a speed and dexterity worthy of a great monkey.

Ned saw the Mexican’s figure going up and up, a dark blur against the stem of the tree, and it was hard to persuade himself that it was reality.  He saw also the bright spark on the end of the stick that he carried with him.  The tree rose to a height of nearly 150 feet, and when Urrea passed above the others that surrounded it, the moon’s rays, unobstructed, fell upon him.  Then, although he became smaller and smaller, Ned saw him more clearly.  The boy was so much absorbed now in the story that was unfolding before him that he did not have time to wonder.

Urrea went up as high as the stem would sustain him.  Then he rested his feet on a bough, wrapped his left arm around the tree, and, with his right arm, began to whirl the burning stick rapidly.  The spark leaped up, grew into a blaze, and Ned saw a wheel of fire.  He had seen many strange things, but this, influenced by circumstances of time and place, was the most uncanny of them all.

Far above his head, and above the body of the forest revolved the wheel of fire.  Urrea’s own body had melted away in the darkness, until it was fused with the tree.  Ned now saw only the fiery signal, for such it must be, and his heart rose in fierce anger against Urrea.  Once he lifted his rifle a little, and studied the possibilities of a shot at such range, but he put the rifle down again.  He would watch and wait.