when the pursuing apaches first fired their two shots, one of them slightly wounded the hand of young chadmund, while the other, unsuspected by the lad, buried itself in the body of the mustang and inflicted a fatal wound. it was characteristic of the noble creature that his indomitable courage should remain to the last. he kept up his astonishing speed until his rider voluntarily checked him, and then his gait remained his natural one until nature succumbed and he dropped dead.
it would be hard to say which emotion was the most poignant in the breast of the young wanderer. he had learned to love the noble mustang during their brief companionship, and he had discovered, too, how impossible it was for him to make any substantial progress without a good horse to ride. he had lost the best steed he had ever bestrode, and was again thrown upon his own resources. it was natural and creditable to the lad that, as he looked at the fallen steed, and reflected how faithfully he had served him, his hands should seek his eyes. so they did, and he spent full ten minutes in a regular old-fashioned cry, such as he had not enjoyed since receiving a good trouncing at the hands of his parent.
when his grief had subsided somewhat, he bade the unconscious form good-bye, and with his rifle over his shoulder started ahead again. he could not bear even to remove the blanket which was strapped around the body of the mustang, and which was likely to be of great service to him in his wanderings.
it was already growing dark, when he aimed for the hills, and, as his eye swept over the the prairie, he saw no indian or sign of danger. he was hopeful that for the time being, at least, he was free from molestation. his greatest trouble was, that he was ravenously hungry again, and he counted upon considerable difficulty in securing the wherewithal with which to satisfy his cravings. true, he had gun and ammunition, but the game which he wished to meet seemed to be, as a rule, reluctant to put itself within his reach.
after reaching the hills, the lad's next proceeding was to hunt up some suitable spot in which to pass the night. the air was so warm and sultry that he could have made no use of the blanket, had he possessed it. the place was full of stunted trees and undergrowth, with jagged, irregular masses of stone lying here and there, and constantly obtruding themselves in such a way that he received a number of severe bruises.
after tramping about for a short time he discovered that the hills were mainly in the form of a ridge, passing over the crest of which he went down the opposite slope and found himself among a mass of larger rocks, and in a still wilder section. there, while searching, it occurred to him that he might find a suitable retreat among the rocks. the sound of trickling water directed his steps a little to the left, where a tiny rivulet was found dripping down from the dark stones. after quenching his thirst he renewed his hunt.
although he continued for some time, he was not as successful as he desired. nothing in the shape of a regular cavern presented itself, and he finally nestled down beside one of the largest rocks which could be discovered, with the intention of sleeping until morning.
ned thought it strange that he should feel so frightened. with the gathering of darkness he grew so nervous that all possibility of sleep was driven away. he examined his rifle several times—a curious mistrust taking possession of him—and then arose to his feet and listened.
all seemed as quiet as at creation's morn. there was a soothing influence in the faint sound of the dripping water, and an almost inaudible roar seemed to steal forth from the great prairie, such as is sometimes noted when in the vicinity of the becalmed ocean. without any thought he thrust his hand into an inner pocket, when he felt a small package wrapped up in paper. wondering what it could be, he drew it forth.
it was a box of matches!
suddenly he remembered how they came there. on the day before leaving santa fe it occurred to him that he would be likely to need such a convenience, and he had carefully wrapped up a box and placed it in this out-of-the-way corner, where it had lain forgotten.
"that's lucky!" exclaimed the delighted lad, as he drew them out, recognizing them more by the touch than by sight. "now i'll build a big fire, and fix things splendidly."
a fire was his great desideratum, and, had he believed it possible without great trouble and work, he would have kindled one before that. the capture of a new horse could have pleased him scarcely more than the discovery of the matches, and he set about reaping the advantage at once.
in such a place there was little difficulty in procuring fuel, and it took ned but a short time to gather all he could possibly need; but, to guard against all contingencies, he continued collecting until he had a huge pile, made up of dead limbs, branches, and a number of green sticks thrown in. in a few minutes the flames were under way. he had kindled them against the face of a rock, and they burned with a cheery heartiness that did much to dispel the gloom which had begun settling over him. he seated himself as near the fire as he could without being made uncomfortable by the reflected heat, and then he assumed as easy a position as was possible in such a place.
"i wonder if anybody will see that?" he asked himself in a whisper, after it had continued burning some time.
rising and reconnoitering the ground, he was gratified to learn that the light was better screened than he had reason to expect, considering the carelessness with which he had kindled it. the rock at the rear shut off all view from that direction, while the undergrowth was so matted and dense in front, that it seemed impossible for any one to see it from the prairie. having made this survey, he returned to his position, feeling much easier in mind than before.
"strange what has become of dick and tom," he muttered, following up this train of thought, as usual whenever he was left undisturbed for a few minutes. "can it be that they have been killed by the apaches? it might be, and yet i don't know how it could happen, either."
he was still meditating upon this ever-interesting query, when he was roused to a sense of his situation by the sound of something trampling through the bushes behind him.
"indians!" he exclaimed, springing to his feet, rifle in hand, and casting his terrified glance in the direction from whence came the sound.
the words were yet in his mouth, when he felt that he had committed a blunder. no indian would approach in that manner.
"it must be some animal," was his conclusion, as he stepped back, so as to bring himself as close to the fire as possible.
the next moment, a huge, dark, unwieldy body advanced from the gloom with a growl, and he saw an immense grizzly bear lumbering toward him. as quick as thought his rifle was at his shoulder, and he fired full at him, the distance being so short that he could not fail to hit the mark; but the wound, however severe it might have been, was not fatal, and did not deter bruin's advance in the least. knowing that it would be sure death if he were once seized by the powerful monster, and aware of the dread which all animals have of fire, he dropped his gun and caught up a blazing brand, which he flung in the very face of the brute.
this was more than a bear, as courageous as was this giant grizzly, could stand, and he retreated with an awkward haste which was ridiculous. for the instant he was panic stricken, and continued falling back until he was invisible in the gloom. but he was not disposed to give up the contest by any means. ned knew he would be back again, and fortified himself as well as possible by hugging his own camp fire, stooping down and holding himself ready to hurl another torch in the brute's face if he should persevere in his attack.
for several minutes all was quiet, and he began to hope that his fright was such that he would keep at a respectful distance. such was not the case, however. a growl from another direction warned him that the brute was about to advance from that quarter. the lad peered out into the gloom, wondering whether the creature would eventually overcome his dread to such an extent as to press him to the wall. at any rate, he was not disposed to wait and hastily ran around to the other side of the blaze, by which maneuver it was interposed directly between him and his enemy.
"i wonder what he will do now?"
