Cruel Trail — William M. James

Far from his own hunting ground, Cuchillo Oro is roaming through Nevada when he sees a cavalry patrol taking up ambush position in a canyon. Undetected, he watches as a band of Shoshone braves rides unsuspectingly into the murderous crossfire.Enraged by the senseless slayings, he prepares to attack—just as a saddle bum sneaks up and sticks a rifle in his back. Captured and turned over to the troopers, Cuchillo learns they are planning to desert in search of buried treasure rumored to be somewhere in the Sierra Madres. But first they must kill him.Lying to save his skin, Cuchillo claims he knows the exact location and offers to lead them to the cache … in exchange for his life. Greedily, they accept—only to learn that the great Apache warrior has cunningly outsmarted them … by setting a savage trap across their path.