The four seemed uncertain. Then one of them looked down-hill, the other three followed his gaze, and away they flew above us and round in a circle, not firing now, to where their wounded comrade lay by the rock, and after capturing his horse, one of them, alighting, helped him to the saddle. It is a wonder to me that they did not surmise that our ammunition was done, for they came close enough to carry away the others who had fallen. But they themselves did not fire again. They seemed in haste to be gone, and with another glance round and shaking their fists backwards as they rode, they departed athwart the slope and broke into a jogging lope down Baker shoulder. Apache Kid had moved away a trifle from the rest of us as we watched this departure, and now he sat grinning at the sheriff who was mopping his brow and head. "Well, Sheriff," he said. "I hope this convinces you of my innocence." "What?" asked the sheriff, a little pucker at the eyes. Apache handed him back the revolver that he had received at the beginning of the fight. "That!" said he. The sheriff looked at the chambers which Apache Kid’s finger indicated with dignified triumph. "Two shells that you did n’t fire!" said the sheriff. "What does that show?" "That I had you held up if I had liked—you and your Indian—and I passed the hand, so to speak. My friend and I might leave you now if we so desired. There are other ways through the mountains besides following these gentlemen. We could do pretty well, he and I, I think." The sheriff smiled grimly. "This here Winchester that’s pointin’ at your belly has one shell in yet," said he. "It come into my haid that maybe——" and he stopped and then in a voice that seemed to belie a good deal of what I had already taken to be his nature, a voice full of beseeching, he said: "Say, Apache, I got to apologise to you for keepin’ up this yere shell. You ’re a deep man, sir, but I guess you are innocent, right enough, o’ wipin’ out Pinkerton. Here comes Slim and the waggon." Apache looked with admiration on the sheriff. "Diamond cut diamond," he said, and laughed; and then said he: "And have I to apologise for keeping my two shells?" "No, sir!" cried the sheriff. "You kept them to show me you was square. I kept my last one because I did n’t trust you. I guess I do now." "We begin to understand each other," said Apache. "I don’t know about understand," said the sheriff. "But I sure am getting a higher opinion of you than I had before." *CHAPTER XXIV* _*For Fear of Judge Lynch*_ The long, dragging scream of wheels came to our ears, putting an end to this mutual admiration; and then there came out of the cool of the woods below, where the honeysuckle showed, into the blaze of the hillside, with its grey-blue granite blocks and their blue shadows, a large Bain-waggon drawn by two horses.