CHAPTER VIII
in stone men cañon
FILING out into the sunshine on either side of them from lateral ravines came two troops of mounted Indians. Their blue-black hair hung in two long braids down their shining copper backs, tied with scarlet. Each wore a narrow fillet of scarlet about the brow, in which was stuck an eagle feather. Outside of breech-clouts they wore no clothing. Only a few of them had saddles; their reins were single. But they sat their ponies, which were either pintos, golden buckskin, or white, as if they were Centaurs. Stone counted four rifles among the two parties, ten warriors in each, twenty in all. The rest carried lances and bows, with the quivers on a strap over their shoulders. They took up positions to left and right, close to the cuff walls, about sixty feet on either side of the four white men and their burros, riding slowly on as if they did not see the invaders, an ominous escort.
Stone looked at Healy. The gambler was walking jerkily, as if his limbs were controlled by strings. Globules of sweat rolled down his cheeks. The hand that gripped the butt of his Winchester trembled.
"Get braced, man," Stone snapped at him. "They're sizing us up."
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