<h4>MEETING THE ATTACK</h4>
<p>Instantly the camp was thrown into confusion. The lads ran
here and there, not knowing what to do.</p>
<p>"Get behind the ponies! That's the only cover we can find
here. Run for it!"</p>
<p>And run they did, the Professor outdistancing all the rest in
his attempt to secrete himself where the enemy's weapons would
not be likely to reach him.</p>
<p>In a moment more, the camp of the Pony Rider Boys was
deserted, and behind each sleeping pony lay a boy, with rifle
barrel poked over the animal's back, ready to shoot at the first
sign of the redskins. Stacy, in his excitement, had forgotten
that not a cartridge was left in his magazine, and the others
were too fully occupied to remember to tell him.</p>
<p>For all of half an hour did the party lie protected. The boys
began to grow restive. Tad's suspicions were being slowly
aroused.</p>
<p>"I'm going to do a little scouting," he told them, slipping
from behind the pony and skulking along back of the tents. The
moon was shining brightly now. He could see a long distance. Not
a human being was in sight.</p>
<p>"I thought so," he muttered, retracing his steps. "See here,
Stacy Brown, what did you see—what did you shoot at?" he
demanded sternly.</p>
<p>"I—I shot the chute—I—I mean I chuted the
shot—I mean—"</p>
<p>"Say, what do you mean?"</p>
<p>"I—I mean—say, leggo my neck, will you?" roared
Chunky.</p>
<p>"Fellows, he doesn't know what he means."</p>
<p>"Guess he's been feeding on crazy grass out on the prairie,"
was Ned's conclusion.</p>
<p>"There isn't an Indian anywhere around here. I know it. They
would have been after us long before this, if there had
been."</p>
<p>One by one the boys came from their hiding places, the lazy
Mexican last. Disapproving eyes were turned on Stacy.</p>
<p>"Chunky, you come along and show us where you were when you
shot—did you shoot at an Indian?" asked Tad.</p>
<p>"Yes, and I—I—I shot him."</p>
<p>"Show us. We're all from Chillicothe," demanded Ned.</p>
<p>Stacy, with a show of importance, led the way, keeping a wary
eye out for the enemy. It was noticed, however, that each of the
lads held his rifle ready for business in case there should be an
enemy about.</p>
<p>"There! I was standing right over there—I guess."</p>
<p>"You guess! Don't you know?" questioned the Professor.</p>
<p>"Yes; that's the place."</p>
<p>The lad walked over to the identical spot from which he had
first fired his rifle.</p>
<p>"He was over there and I shot at him, so," said Stacy,
leveling the weapon. "Ye-ow! There he is, now!" shrieked the
boy.</p>
<p>Every weapon flashed up to a level with the eyes.</p>
<p>"There is something over there on the ground," decided the
Professor.</p>
<p>"Put down your guns so you don't shoot me," said Tad. "I'm
going to find out what it is."</p>
<p>Keeping his own weapon held at "ready," the lad walked boldly
over to where a heap of some sort lay on the plain. It surely had
not been there during the afternoon—Tad knew that.</p>
<p>He reached it, stooped, peered, then uttered a yell.</p>
<p>"What is it?" they cried, hurrying up.</p>
<p>"You've done it now, Chunky Brown. You certainly have gone and
done it."</p>
<p>"What—what is it?" cried the others in alarm.</p>
<p>"You've shot the lazy Mexican's burro. That's your Indian,
Stacy Brown."</p>
<p>Juan, who had followed them out on the plain, uttered a wail
and threw himself upon the body of his prostrate burro. The
animal, it seemed, had recovered consciousness during the night,
and in a half-dazed condition had wandered out on the plain.
Stacy, while crouching down on the ground, had seen the head and
long ears of the burro. He thought the ears were part of the head
dress of a savage and let fly a volley of bullets at it.</p>
<p>"He—he isn't dead," shouted the fat boy. "See, I just
pinked him in the ears."</p>
<p>And, surely enough, an examination revealed a hole through
each ear. The holes were so close to the animal's head that it
was reasonable to suppose the shot had stunned him, being already
in a weakened condition from the sleepy grass.</p>
<p>The boys set to work to rouse the burro, which they succeeded
in doing in a short time. Juan, with arm around the lazy beast's
neck, led it back to camp, petting and soothing it with a
chattering that they could not understand.</p>
<p>There was no more sleep in camp that night, though the boys
turned in at the Professor's suggestion. Every little while,
laughter would sound in one of the tents, as the others fell to
discussing Stacy's Indian attack.</p>
<p>The next morning they were overjoyed to find that the ponies
had awakened and were trying to get up.</p>
<p>"Lead them out of that grass, fellows," shouted Tad, the
moment he saw the ponies were coming around. "We don't want them
to make another meal of that stuff."</p>
<p>"Nor take another of Chunky's Rip Van Winkle sleeps," added
Ned.</p>
<p>Never having had a like experience, none of the lads knew what
to do with their mounts after getting them sufficiently awake to
lead them to a place of safety. They appealed to Juan for advice,
but the lazy Mexican appeared to know even less than they.</p>
<p>Tad, after studying the question a few moments, decided to
give them water, though sparingly. This they appeared to relish
and braced up quite a little. But the boy would not allow them to
graze until nearly noon, when each one took his pony out, making
sure that there was none of the sleepy grass around. The animals
were then permitted to graze.</p>
<p>About the middle of the afternoon Tad decided that all were
fit to continue the journey, and that it would be safe to travel
until sunset. Everyone was glad to get away from the spot where
they had had such unpleasant experiences, and the boys set off,
moving slowly, the stock not yet being in the best of
condition.</p>
<p>Late in the afternoon, when they had about decided to make
camp, one of the boys espied an object, something like a quarter
of a mile away, that looked like the roof of a house.</p>
<p>Ned said it couldn't be that, as it appeared to be resting on
the ground. They asked Juan if he knew what it was, and for a
wonder he did. He said it was a dug-out—a place where a man
lived.</p>
<p>"Is he a hermit?" asked Stacy apprehensively, at which there
was a laugh. Stacy had not forgotten his experiences in the cave
of the hermit of the Nevada Desert.</p>
<p>For the next hour, the lads were too busy, pitching tents and
unloading the pack animals, to give further thought to the
dug-out or its occupant; but when, after they had prepared their
evening meal, they saw some one approaching on horseback, they
were instantly curious again.</p>
<p>The newcomer proved to be the owner of the dug-out. He was a
tall, square-jawed man, with a short, cropped iron-gray beard and
small blue, twinkling eyes.</p>
<p>"Will you join us and have some supper?" asked Tad politely,
walking out to greet the stranger.</p>
<p>"Thank you; I will, young man," smiled the stranger.</p>
<p>Tad introduced himself and companions.</p>
<p>"You probably have heard my name before, young men. It is Kris
Kringle; I'm living out here for my health and doing a little
ranching on the side."</p>
<p>Stacy looked his amazement.</p>
<p>"Is—is he Santa Claus?" he whispered, tugging at Tad's
coat sleeve.</p>
<p>"No, young man. I am not related to the gentleman you refer
to," grinned Mr. Kringle.</p>
<p>There was a general laugh at Stacy's expense.</p>
<p>After supper, the visitor invited all hands to ride over to
his dug-out and spend the evening with him. The boys accepted
gladly, never having seen the inside of a dug-out, and not
knowing what one looked like. Professor Zepplin had taken a
sudden liking to the man with the Christmas name, and soon the
two were engaged in earnest conversation.</p>
<p>The distance being so short, Tad decided that they had better
walk, leaving the ponies in charge of Juan so they might get a
full night's rest. Then all hands set out for the dug-out.</p>
<p>A short flight of steps led down into the place, the roof of
which was raised just far enough above the ground to permit of
two narrow windows on each side and at the rear end.</p>
<p>The room in which they found themselves, proved to be a
combination kitchen and dining room. Its neatness and orderliness
impressed them at once.</p>
<p>"And here," said Kris Kringle, "is what I call my den,"
throwing open a door leading into a rear room and lighting a
hanging oil lamp.</p>
<p>The Pony Rider Boys uttered an exclamation of surprised
delight.</p>
<p>On a hardwood floor lay a profusion of brightly colored Navajo
rugs, the walls being hung with others of exquisite workmanship
and coloring, interspersed with weapons and trophies of the
chase, while in other parts of the room were rare specimens of
pottery from ancient adobe houses of the Pueblos.</p>
<p>At the far end of the room was a great fire-place. Book cases,
home-made, stood about the room, full of books. The Professor
realized, at once, that they were in the home of a student and a
collector.</p>
<p>"This is indeed an oasis in the desert," he glowed. "I shall
be loath to leave here."</p>
<p>"Then don't," smiled Mr. Kringle. "I'm sure I am glad enough
to have company. Seldom ever see anyone here, except now and then
a roving band of Indians."</p>
<p>"Indians!" exclaimed Tad. "Do you have any trouble with
them?"</p>
<p>"Well, they know better than to bother with me much. We have
had an occasional argument," said their host, his jaws setting
almost stubbornly for the instant. "Most of the tribes in the
state are peaceful, though the Apaches are as bad as ever. They
behave themselves because they have to, not because they wish to
do so."</p>
<p>"I saw their fire dance the other night," began Tad.</p>
<p>"What?" demanded Mr. Kringle.</p>
<p>"Fire dance."</p>
<p>"Tell me about it?"</p>
<p>Tad did so, the host listening with grave face until the
recital was ended.</p>
<p>He shook his head disapprovingly.</p>
<p>"And this—this Indian that you knocked down—was he
an Apache?"</p>
<p>"I don't know. I think so, though. He had on a peculiar head
dress</p>
<p>"That was one of them," interrupted Mr. Kringle, with
emphasis. "And I'll wager you haven't heard the last of him yet.
That's an insult which the Apache brave will harbor under his
copper skin forever. He'll wait for years, but he'll get even if
he can."</p>
<p>The faces of the Pony Rider Boys were grave.</p>
<p>"Have you a reliable guide?"</p>
<p>"Far from it," answered the Professor. "If I knew where I
could get another, I'd pack him off without ceremony."</p>
<p>Kris Kringle was silent for a moment.</p>
<p>"I need a little change of scene," he smiled. "How would you
like to have me take the trail with you for a week or so?"</p>
<p>"Would you?" glowed the Professor, half rising from his
chair.</p>
<p>"I think I might."</p>
<p>"Hurrah!" cried the Pony Riders enthusiastically. "That will
be fine."</p>
<p>"Of course, you understand that I expect no pay. I am going
because I happen to take a notion to do so. Perhaps I'll be able
to serve you at the same time."</p>
<p>The Professor grasped Mr. Kringle by the hand impulsively.</p>
<p>"I'll send that lazy Juan on his way this very
night—"</p>
<p>"Let me do it," interposed Stacy, with flushing face. "I'll do
it right, Professor. But I'll put on my pair of heavy boots
first, so it'll hurt him more."</p>
<p>The boys shouted with laughter, while the new guide's eyes
twinkled merrily.</p>
<p>"I think, perhaps, the young man might do it even more
effectively than you or I," he said. "Have you weapons,
Professor?"</p>
<p>"Rifles."</p>
<p>"That's good. We may need them."</p>
<p>"Then you think?"</p>
<p>"One can never tell."</p>
<h3>CHAPTER XI</h3>
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