The lad raised the instrument and scanned a fourth of the horizon to the right and left. At first he saw only the broad, level sweep of plain, and was about to say so, when something caught his eye. What seemed to be a half dozen or more specks flickered on the horizon, but even with the aid of the glass he could not make them out clearly and at first was in doubt. Shagbark kept his keen eyes on the youth. He knew from the expression on Alden’s face that he had discovered that which the other meant him to see. “Wal, what is it?” asked the guide. “I am not sure, but I think a party of horsemen are hovering along the bank of the river, a little way out on the prairie.” “Zactly; are they white or red?” “It is impossible to tell at so great a distance.” “Onpossible fur _ye_; what good is that gimcrack of yers, anyway?” “It shows me what I could not otherwise see.” “I never use them things, but my eyes tell me a blamed sight more than that can tell ye; them horsemen ye obsarved are Injins.” “You have wonderful eyesight, Shagbark,” remarked Alden admiringly, again lifting the glass to his eyes and peering through them. “I can make out the horsemen quite plainly, but that is all.” “I seed ’em two hours ago and have been watching ’em ever since.” “That Express Rider that went by will run into them.” “No, he won’t; he ain’t such a fool; he’ll make a big sneak to the left and get past ’em; if it was among the mountains, he wouldn’t have half the chance, but he knows what to do and he’ll do it, as sure as ye are knee high to a grasshopper.” “Why do they keep so far from us?” asked Alden. “They don’t want us to see ’em, and they hain’t any idee that we do, but,” chuckled the guide, “they don’t know old Shagbark has charge of these folks.” The old man seemed vastly pleased, and his massive shoulders bobbed up and down for a minute, while he puffed hard at his pipe. “Do you think they intend to bother us?” asked Alden. “No; I don’t think; I _know_ it; we ain’t through with ’em; if they don’t pay us a visit to-night, we shall hear of ’em to-morrer night as sure as a gun.” “Why don’t they make an open attack, as I have been told the Indians often do?” “A red varmint never takes chances when he has a show of getting what he wants without it; there ain’t ’nough of ’em to ride up and open fire; don’t ye see that if they hold off till darkness, believing as how we haven’t an idee they’re within a thousand miles, and we ain’t keeping a lookout, they believe they can play thunder with us?” There was no questioning the truth of this theory. Alden slipped the cord which held the glasses over his head and handed them to the guide. “Try them; good as are your eyes, these will help you.” But the old fellow shook his head. “I don’t need any of your new-fangled notions; when my eyes go back on me, I’ll resign and hike over the divide.”