“But—­but, oh, can we?  Won’t they be hiding there too?”

“It’s a chance, that’s all—­but better than waiting here for a certainty.  See here, Miss McDonald,” and he caught her hand in his own, forgetful of all save his own purpose and the necessity of strengthening her to play out the game, “the trend of that gulf is to the west; except up here close to the bluff it runs too far away for a guard line.  The Indians will be lying out here on the open prairie; they will creep as close in as they dare under cover of darkness.  I ’ll bet there are twenty red snakes now within a hundred feet of us—­oh, don’t shiver and lose your nerve!  They ’ll not try to close that gap yet; it’s too dangerous with us on guard and only one side of the coach exposed.  That fellow was trying us out a while ago, and they ’ve kept quiet ever since I let drive at him.  They know the limits of the safety zone, and will keep there until just before daylight.  That is when they ’ll try to creep up upon us.  Have you got the time?”

She opened her watch, feeling for the hands with her fingers, wondering vaguely at her own calmness.  The cool resourcefulness of Hamlin was like a tonic.

“It—­it is a little after one o’clock,” she said slowly, “although I am not sure my watch is exactly right.”

“Near enough; there are signs of daylight at four—­three hours left; that ought to be sufficient, but with no darkness to spare.  Will you go with me?  Will you do exactly as I say?”

She drew a swift breath, holding her hand to her side.

“Oh, yes,” her voice catching, “what—­what else can I do?  I cannot stay here with those dead men!”

“But I want you to go because—­well, because you trust me,” he urged, a new trace of tenderness in his lowered voice.  “Because you know I would give my life to defend you.”

He was not sure, but he thought her face was suddenly uplifted, her eyes seeking to see him in the darkness.

“I do,” she answered gravely, “you must believe I do; but I have never been in such peril before, in such a situation of horror, and I am all unnerved.  There doesn’t seem to be anything left me but—­to trust you.”

“That is good; all I can ask.  I know you are all right, but I want you to keep your nerve.  We are going to take a big chance; we ’ve got to do it—­a single misplay, a slip of the foot, an incautious breath may cost our lives.”

“Are you going to try to get away?  To elude the Indians?”

“Yes, and there is but one possibility of success—­to creep the length of the gully there, and so reach the river.  Here is Gonzales’ belt.  Don’t be afraid of it; it is not dead men who are going to hurt us.  Swing the strap over your shoulder this way, and slip the revolver into the holster.  That’s right; we’ll carry as little as we can, and leave our hands free.”  He hesitated, staring about in the darkness, swiftly deciding what to take.  “Do you happen to know if either of the passengers carried any grub?”