One of them held a hand in the air above his head, which Jerry at once said, was the Apache way of asking for a parley.

“We’ll hev ter give it to ’em, though we must be mighty keerful,” continued he, “’cause it’s next to sartin, thet therain’t no two on ’em out there alone.  We’ll find thet out for ourselves, though, afore we’re many hours older.  Keep your eyes wide open, and your finger on the trigger o’ yer rifle, and we’ll go and see what they want.”

[Illustration:  The Two Apaches.]

Upon coming up with them, they each extended, an exceedingly dirty hand, with finger-nails that looked almost like bear’s claws After shaking hands with them, Jerry proceeded to have a talk in Spanish.  This gave me an excellent opportunity to examine their personal appearance; one, that I did not neglect.

They were small in stature, with short, ugly faces, very dark complexions, little, snapping black eyes, low foreheads, with coarse, stringy, faded hair, that hung far down their backs, carrying in their faces that nameless, but unmistakable impress of treachery and low cunning, that constitutes so large a part of the Apache character.

Around their bodies was wrapped an old blanket, so filthy, it was almost impossible to detect any trace of its original color, which had undoubtedly been blue.  Each carried a bow and arrows, but was destitute of either leggins or moccasins, although mounted upon very respectable-looking ponies.

After a short interview, which terminated with our presenting them all the tobacco we had, with a shake of the hands we parted.

As they rode away, Jerry said:  “I wish them boys was well in camp.”

“You don’t anticipate any trouble with these fellows?” inquired I.  “What did they say?”

“Say? why, they said they was particular friends of the Americans,” replied Jerry.  “Just what they all say; but they’re treacherous cusses, and either one of ’em, would shake with one hand and scalp with t’other one, ef they got a chance.  That little black cuss called himself El Chico,—­that means The small,—­and said he belonged to the copper-mines band, and hailed us to see if he couldn’t get a little terbacker; but all he wanted, was to see how we was armed, and if we had any larger party.  I filled him chock full, you bet; and mebbe we shan’t see ’em again, though it’s likely we shall.  I see one of ’em eyin’ that rifle o’your’n pretty sharp, and he didn’t like the look of it much:  I could see that.”

We had ridden nearly a mile from the place of the interview, when Jerry exclaimed, “There they be again, sure’n shootin’;” and, pointing to the mouth of a small aroya, that made back from the river, I discovered six Apaches, coming towards us as fast as their horses would bring them.

We were within a quarter of a mile of a small mound, upon the top of which was a peculiar sandstone formation, not unlike, in shape, a huge bottle; and I suggested to Jerry, that we should ride to the top of this mound, and, sheltering our horses behind the rock, await their approach on foot.