In pursuance of this plan they separated. In half an hour Johnny found himself alone, crossing a narrowing plain between two broken ranges. The Indian was on his left, Doc Ritter on his right. By noon time they were miles apart. The plain which Johnny had traversed came to an end. Before him arose giant mountains. It was his intention to scale them and later on to cross a high plateau to his north, eventually coming to the trail which led to the post trader’s store. The boy’s horse made slow progress during the next hour. Every foot of the way was an uphill climb. On reaching a fairly level basin in the mountainside Johnny stopped to let his pony get his wind. Reaching for his tobacco and papers, Johnny began rolling a cigarette. The _zing-g-g-g_ of a bullet terminated the operation very abruptly. With a backward lunge the boy threw himself out of his saddle, and, hugging the ground, wriggled to the cover of a giant bowlder. Ten yards away he could see his hat, a neat little hole showing where the bullet had passed through. Not more than a second later, it seemed, another shot sounded. Johnny’s head swung around to find the source of it. As he stared above him he saw a man rise to his feet, sway for an instant as his gun dropped from his hands, and sink back out of sight. “It’s Kent!” Johnny gasped. A voice called then: “Hullo—Johnny! Hees all right for stand up. It’s me—Madeiras!” CHAPTER XXXI THE DEATH CHANT “For God’s sake!” Johnny cried when he reached Madeiras. “What did you kill him for?” “Eet’s either you or heem. You t’ink I let heem pump lead into you like that?” “Have you been stalkin’ him?” “I watch heem all right. Thunder Bird and feefty braves ees up beyond. Gallup and Roddy ees on other side of mountain. You most t’ink eet was a raid. Gallup die if he come close.” “We’ve got to stop that, Tony. Gale’s been shot. He confessed. Gallup killed both him and Traynor. Kelsey and a posse are spread out in the hills to git him. I been lookin’ my eyes out for you. Who told you I was alive?” “The chief. He tell me you want me.” “You bet! Kent and Gallup have got Molly hidden somewhere. They swore out a warrant for me, chargin’ I took her.” Tony smiled very superiorly. “No,” he said. “They ain’t got her; me, Tony Madeiras, has got the girl!” “What? You stole her?” “_Sí!_ I watch Gallup leave town las’ night. I lose time before I follow, but I go pretty dam’ fas’ when I get started. I t’ink he ees go to the ranch. I say I tak’ the girl before I let heem have her. _Por Dios_, that girl hate me. I have fight to tak’ her away.” Tony shook his head. “Such nice girl, Johnny—sometime I wish you not come back.” “Well, where is she now?” Johnny demanded excitedly. “Don’ worry; she’s safe—she’s in Thunder Bird’s lodge. Hees squaw ees tak’ good care of her.”