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Billy Byrne moved cautiously through the darkness, and he moved not in the

direction of escape and safety but directly up the canyon in the way that the

village of the Pimans lay.

Soon he heard the sound of voices and shortly after saw the light of cook fires

playing upon bronzed faces and upon the fronts of low huts. Some women were

moaning and wailing. Billy guessed that they mourned for those whom his bullets

had found earlier in the day. In the darkness of the night, far up among the

rough, forbidding mountains it was all very weird and uncanny.

Billy crept closer to the village. Shelter was abundant. He saw no sign of sentry

and wondered why they should be so lax in the face of almost certain attack.

Then it occurred to him that possibly the firing he and Eddie had heard earlier in

the day far down among the foothills might have meant the extermination of the

Americans from El Orobo.

Well, I'll be next then," mused Billy, and wormed closer to the huts. His eyes

were on the alert every instant, as were his ears; but no sign of that which he

sought rewarded his keenest observation.

Until midnight he lay in concealment and all that time the mourners continued

their dismal wailing. Then, one by one, they entered their huts, and silence

reigned within the village.

Billy crept closer. He eyed each hut with longing, wondering gaze. Which could it

be? How could he determine? One seemed little more promising than the others.

He had noted those to which Indians had retired. There were three into which he

had seen none go. These, then, should be the first to undergo his scrutiny.

The night was dark. The moon had not yet risen. Only a few dying fires cast a

wavering and uncertain light upon the scene. Through the shadows Billy Byrne

crept closer and closer. At last he lay close beside one of the huts which was to be

the first to claim his attention.

For several moments he lay listening intently for any sound which might come

from within; but there was none. He crawled to the doorway and peered within.

Utter darkness shrouded and hid the interior.

Billy rose and walked boldly inside. If he could see no one within, then no one

could see him once he was inside the door. Therefore, so reasoned Billy Byrne, he

would have as good a chance as the occupants of the hut, should they prove to be

enemies.

287

The Mucker