Stewart Edward White

“ He sprang forward and cocked his rifle, but before he could fire the Indians had melted silently into the shadows of the island bushes. From the other side of the river bed came one shrill triumphant yell. Then all was still. The Man sat down again, breathing heavily. Every sense was strained now in the effort to penetrate the surrounding darkness. When a mule stirred or a coyote barked, the Man started; his forehead was beaded, and he gripped his rifle fast. ”

“ Then in a moment a half-grown boy came up with a pony, and the dog was taken away across several ravines to a war camp between two turreted clay bluffs. There his legs were unbound, and he was hitched to a picket stake. He pulled for a moment on his rope, and then sat gravely on his haunches.
"Good dog!" said the boy. The dog eyed him for a moment, and slowly wagged his tail.
As evening approached the warriors came in one by one. They turned their ponies into a bunch, and the boy guarded them. On distant hills other warriors lay hidden in the grass. ”

“ After his meal he sat behind the bush with the Winchester across his knees, watching the stony creek bottom. He did not smoke. The twilight faded, and the moon came up, throwing the hill into shadow, but showing like a broad white ribbon the divided bed of the stream. A coyote howled from one bank, and was answered from the other. Then a dark figure glided across the river bed. The Man started convulsively and threw his gun forward, but smiled grimly to himself at being frightened by a prairie wolf. The moon rose still farther, and the mules slept heavily near their picket stakes. ”