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015 - Chapter 14 Surrounded by Redskins · Redskin and Cow-Boy - A Tale of the Western Plains

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Speaker 1: Chapter fourteen of Redskin and Cowboy, A Tale of the
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Speaker 1: Western Plains by G. A. Henty. The Slipbrivox recording is
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Speaker 1: in the public domain. Chapter fourteen. Surrounded by redskins. The
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Speaker 1: large band of Indians had checked their horses some five
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Speaker 1: hundred yards from the foot of the buttes, as they
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Speaker 1: saw the survivors in the party in front galloping back
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Speaker 1: to them, and realized that the whites had gained shelter.
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Speaker 1: Some of the more impetuous spirits had, however, ridden on
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Speaker 1: and were some distance in advance. When the rifles of
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Speaker 1: the defectors cracked out. Four of the Indians fell from
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Speaker 1: their horses. Three others were wounded, and these with their
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Speaker 1: companions wheeled round and rejoined the main body, who, now,
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Speaker 1: at the order of their chief, fell back and were
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Speaker 1: a few minutes later reenforced by the band that had
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Speaker 1: followed on the footsteps of the fugitives. Now, boys, we
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Speaker 1: can go up to the top, but first let us
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Speaker 1: see how we stand. Has any gone down? Yes, there
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Speaker 1: are two missing. Long Tom said, I saw two of
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Speaker 1: the first line go down as we charged them. Jim
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Speaker 1: Spencer were killed. Jim Gatling said he were riding next
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Speaker 1: to me Austin were the other Bronco. Harry said, I
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Speaker 1: were riding in a line with him behind and saw
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Speaker 1: him go back kerplumk. I knew he were hit through
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Speaker 1: the head by the way he fell. Four other men
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Speaker 1: were it was now found wounded, and one of the
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Speaker 1: women had been hidding the shoulder with the rifle ball.
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Speaker 1: The Redskins ain't no account with their rifles on horseback.
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Speaker 1: Long Tom said, let them lie down and get their
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Speaker 1: pieces on a lug, and they can shoot pretty straight.
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Speaker 1: But it's just thrown away lead to try to shoot
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Speaker 1: with a rifle from a horse. I never knew more
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Speaker 1: than two or three whites who was any startant with
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Speaker 1: their pieces when their horses was on the move. A
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Speaker 1: six shooters worth ten rifles on horseback, A fella can
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Speaker 1: gallop and keep his arms straight. But when it comes
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Speaker 1: to holding out a long tube with both arms and
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Speaker 1: your pony going on the jump, it stands to reason
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Speaker 1: there ain't no keeping the thing straight. If those Redskins
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Speaker 1: had hurried up and dismounted and steadied their rifles on
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Speaker 1: their saddles, I reckon they might have wiped out half
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Speaker 1: of us before we reached them. While Steve, you and
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Speaker 1: the women and best part of the others may as
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Speaker 1: well get up to the top. But Bronco and me
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Speaker 1: and two or three of the boys will stop down
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Speaker 1: here and look after the horses. Latin, you may as
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Speaker 1: well stop down here with the kipple of other fellows
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Speaker 1: with rifles, so as just to give them a hint
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Speaker 1: to keep at a distance. Otherwise they will be sending
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Speaker 1: their leed up while the others are getting to the top.
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Speaker 1: But the Indians showed no sign of any intention of
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Speaker 1: harassing them for the present. They knew that the rifles
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Speaker 1: in the hands of the defenders carried farther and straighter
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Speaker 1: than their own. They had suffered heavy losses already and
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Speaker 1: were in no way disposed to do anything rash. They
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Speaker 1: knew that there was no occasion for haste, and no
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Speaker 1: fear of the fugitives attempting to make their escape. After
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Speaker 1: some consultation, they drew further off into the plane, and
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Speaker 1: in a short time smoke could be seen ascending at
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Speaker 1: several points. There ain't no occasion to wait down here,
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Speaker 1: no longer longtime, said the Indians know well enough that
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Speaker 1: they can't take this place, not at least without losing
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Speaker 1: one hundred men. And it ain't redskin fashion to throw
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Speaker 1: away lives, especial when they know they have only got
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Speaker 1: to wait to do the job without any fighting at all.
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Speaker 1: So let's go up. The path was comparatively easy for
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Speaker 1: three quarters of the way to the summit of the buttes.
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Speaker 1: It seemed that on this side either the rock had
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Speaker 1: crumbled away in past ages so as to make a
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Speaker 1: gradual slope, or else water or wind had thrown up
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Speaker 1: a bank against it. The height of the butte above
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Speaker 1: the broad valley would be about three hundred feet, and
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Speaker 1: the slope was covered with trees and undergrowth until it
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Speaker 1: terminated abruptly at the face of a wall of rock
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Speaker 1: fifty feet from the summit. At one point only, this
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Speaker 1: wall was broken by a sort of gap or cleft,
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Speaker 1: some three feet wide at the bottom and slanting as
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Speaker 1: steeply as the roof of a house. The bottom was
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Speaker 1: worn almost smooth by the rains of centuries and by
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Speaker 1: the feet of cattle, and Hugh had to sling his
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Speaker 1: gun behind him and use both hands to grasp the
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Speaker 1: irregularities of the rock on either side to get up.
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Speaker 1: On reaching the top, he found that the summit was
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Speaker 1: almost flat, a couple of hundred yards in length and
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Speaker 1: as many feet in width. It was covered with grass,
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Speaker 1: and several trees, some of considerable size, were scattered about
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Speaker 1: over the surface. Whale Bill, he said, as Royce came
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Speaker 1: up to him, have you found any water? Yes, there's
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Speaker 1: a rock pool in the center there by that big tree.
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Speaker 1: There's water enough for us and the horses for maybe
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Speaker 1: a week, enough for us without the horses for a
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Speaker 1: month or more. What are you going to do bring
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Speaker 1: the horses up here? We haven't settled that yet. I
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Speaker 1: reckon we shall bring the best of them up anyhow.
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Speaker 1: I suppose there is no possible place the Indians can
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Speaker 1: get up except by that gap, nary one everywhere else
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Speaker 1: The rock goes straight down to the plane. There ain't
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Speaker 1: no way except by flying to get up here. If
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Speaker 1: you don't come by this gap. Anyhow, we shall bring
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Speaker 1: the horses a good long way up the slope. It
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Speaker 1: is a long line along the bottom there, and the
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Speaker 1: redskins might crawl up in the night, and we should
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Speaker 1: pretty nigh all have to keep guard. Steve says that
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Speaker 1: though where we came up the ground were smooth enough,
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Speaker 1: it ain't so over the rest of the slope, but that,
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Speaker 1: what with the bowlers and the undergrowth of the thorns,
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Speaker 1: it is pretty nigh impossible to get up through the
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Speaker 1: trees anywhere else. He expects that it's been water washing
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Speaker 1: down the earth and sand through that gap that is
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Speaker 1: filled up between the boulders, and made it smooth going
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Speaker 1: where we came up. So we will bring up the
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Speaker 1: horses and get the best of them up here, and
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Speaker 1: tie the others just below the gap. We can take
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Speaker 1: them down water in our hats if we decide to
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Speaker 1: keep them or get them up tomorrow. If we like, anyhow,
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Speaker 1: we shall want to keep four men at watch down
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Speaker 1: below them. I should have thought it best to bring
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Speaker 1: them all up at one spill. What is the use
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Speaker 1: of leaving them below? Wow, Hugh, there ain't grass enough
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Speaker 1: to bring them all up here, And every morning we
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Speaker 1: can take them down and let them graze below. There
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Speaker 1: are no fear of the engines coming close to drive
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Speaker 1: them off, and if they tried it, the critters would
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Speaker 1: come up the path again of their own accord. Except
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Speaker 1: those we took from the Indians. They can get a
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Speaker 1: good lot of sweet grass under the trees down there,
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Speaker 1: and as long as they get that, they can do
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Speaker 1: pretty well without water. Thar, do you see that there
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Speaker 1: are two or three more lots of Indians coming down
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Speaker 1: to join the others. They'll have three hundred of them
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Speaker 1: down there, bey far long. It don't make much difference
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Speaker 1: how many of them there are, if they dare not
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Speaker 1: attack us. Hugh said, that's where you were wrong, Hugh. Bronco. Harry,
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Speaker 1: who had now joined them, said, the more there are
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Speaker 1: of them, the closer watch they can keep to see
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Speaker 1: that none of us gets away. And the more there
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Speaker 1: are of them, the bigger the party must be that
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Speaker 1: comes to rescue us. You may be sure that they
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Speaker 1: have scouts for miles and miles off, and if they
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Speaker 1: get news that there's party coming up, they will just
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Speaker 1: leave a guard to keep us here and go down
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Speaker 1: and fall on them. I didn't think of that, Harry. Yes,
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Speaker 1: it will need a very strong party to bring us off.
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Speaker 1: But perhaps they will get tired and go. Don't you
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Speaker 1: bet on that, Hugh. If are one thing an engine
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Speaker 1: never gets tired of is waiting time ate nothing to them.
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Speaker 1: Them chaps can send out parties to hunts, just as
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Speaker 1: if they were in their own villages the boys will
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Speaker 1: bring down corn and gather their firewood for them, and
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Speaker 1: as long as we're up here, they will stop down there.
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Speaker 1: If it was six months, they know how many of
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Speaker 1: us there are up here, Lots of them must have
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Speaker 1: been up here one time or another. And knowing the
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Speaker 1: time of year and how much rain is falling lately,
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Speaker 1: there ain't no doubt they can calculate pretty well how
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Speaker 1: much water there is in this pool. They will know
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Speaker 1: that we shall keep our horses as long as we can,
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Speaker 1: and they will reckon that three weeks at the outside
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Speaker 1: will see the end of the water. As for food,
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Speaker 1: of course, we're all right. We've got the horses to eat.
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Speaker 1: Horse is pretty nigh as good as cow beef. I
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Speaker 1: would just as soon have one as the other. A
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Speaker 1: young broncos a sight tender than an old cow any day.
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Speaker 1: Hugh now took a turn round the edge of the butte.
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Speaker 1: It was, as Royce had said, a massive rock rising
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Speaker 1: perpendicularly from the plane. It was separated from the other
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Speaker 1: butte by a gap of one hundred and fifty feet wide.
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Speaker 1: It was clear that they had once formed one mass,
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Speaker 1: for between them was a rocky shoulder connecting them. This
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Speaker 1: was very steep on both sides, narrowing almost to a
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Speaker 1: razor edge at the top where it joined the butte
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Speaker 1: on which they were standing. This edge was fifty feet
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Speaker 1: below the top, but it rose as it retreated from it,
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Speaker 1: and on the opposite side reached up to a level
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Speaker 1: with the plateau. A fire had already been lighted on
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Speaker 1: the top of the butte, and over this the women
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Speaker 1: were cooking some of the meat they had brought from
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Speaker 1: the Indian village, and in a short time the whole party,
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Speaker 1: except two who were placed on sentry to watch the
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Speaker 1: movements of the Indians, gathered round it while boys. Steve said,
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Speaker 1: when the meal was finished, I reckon that there ain't
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Speaker 1: no time to lose, and that i'd best start tonight.
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Speaker 1: There ain't no denying that we are in a pretty
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Speaker 1: tight fix here, and it won't be easy to get
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Speaker 1: a forces can fight their way through that crowd. I reckon,
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Speaker 1: I shall not be able to gather over fifty cowboys
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Speaker 1: on the Canadian, and so I'll have to ride to
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Speaker 1: the nearest fort and get the troops to help. That
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Speaker 1: are about two hundred miles from the Canadian. It'll take
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Speaker 1: me three days to get there after I leave the ranches,
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Speaker 1: it'll take four at the very least before the troops
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Speaker 1: will get down there. You can't reckon less than a week.
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Speaker 1: I shall be two days getting down to the ranches,
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Speaker 1: as there won't be any traveling by day. So you see,
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Speaker 1: if I start tonight, you can't reckon on seeing us
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Speaker 1: back before ten days at the earliest. That will be
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Speaker 1: about it, Steve. I don't see as you can do
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Speaker 1: without the troops. No way. Well, we can hold out
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Speaker 1: a fortnite easy. We must put the horses on mighty
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Speaker 1: short allowance of water so as to make it last
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Speaker 1: a fortnight. If we find it running out quicker, and
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Speaker 1: we expect we must kill off half the animals. It
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Speaker 1: don't matter about them a bit. If you come up
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Speaker 1: strong enough to thrash the redskins without our help. Yes,
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Speaker 1: I think you had better go tonight. You are as
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Speaker 1: likely to get out tonight as any But you'll have
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Speaker 1: to look mighty sharp, Steve, for you may bet your
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Speaker 1: life them engines will be as thick as bees around
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Speaker 1: the butte. How do you mean to go, Steve, Hugh asked,
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Speaker 1: Tie the ropes together lightning, and get lowered down over
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Speaker 1: the edge. I have been looking at the ridge that
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Speaker 1: runs from this butte to the other, Hugh said, and
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Speaker 1: it struck me that if you were lowered down onto it,
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Speaker 1: you might get onto the other butte. Of course, two
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Speaker 1: others would be lowered with you, and then you could
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Speaker 1: be let down from the farthest side of the other butte.
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Speaker 1: You said, nobody had ever been on it, and anyhow,
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Speaker 1: the Indians are not likely to be as thick over
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Speaker 1: there as they would be round this one. Thunder, you
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Speaker 1: are right again, lightning. I will go and have a
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Speaker 1: look at it at once. It will soon be getting dark. Bronco,
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Speaker 1: do you and long time? Go along with me. We
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Speaker 1: will lie down before we get to the edge. You
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Speaker 1: may be sure that there are plenty of sharp eyes
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Speaker 1: watching all round, and if they was to see us
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Speaker 1: standing there and looking at that ledge of rock, they
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Speaker 1: might guess what we had in our minds. While we
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Speaker 1: are away, the rest of you might go down and
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Speaker 1: get up the ponies. It took some time to lead
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Speaker 1: all the horses up the slope. Prince and four others
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Speaker 1: were brought up to the plateau, but it was necessary
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Speaker 1: to tie strips of blanket under their feet to enable
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Speaker 1: them to get sufficient footing to climb up through the gap.
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Speaker 1: I shouldn't have thought that cattle could have come where
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Speaker 1: horses can't, Hugh said. Cattle can climb pretty nigh anywhere.
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Speaker 1: The cowboy, he addressed, replied, I've seen cattle climb places
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Speaker 1: where you would have thought that nothing but a goat
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Speaker 1: could get to you. See, their hoofs are softer than
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Speaker 1: horses and get a better hold on rocks. But horses
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Speaker 1: could get up here easy enough if they weren't shod.
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Speaker 1: They don't have a fair show with shoes on. By
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Speaker 1: the time the horses had been brought up, night had fallen.
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Speaker 1: Four men were told off as a guard. Two of
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Speaker 1: them took up their post halfway down the slope, two
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Speaker 1: went down to its foot. No attack was anticipated, for
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Speaker 1: the Indians would be sure that a sharp watch would
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Speaker 1: be kept, and there would be no chance whatever of
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Speaker 1: their making their way up to the summit. Unobserved, Hugh
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Speaker 1: was not with the first party on watch, and joined
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Speaker 1: the crowd round the fire. What time are you going
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Speaker 1: to start, Steve? As soon as it gets quite dark?
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Speaker 1: There ain't no good in waiting. They are on watch now,
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Speaker 1: and they will be on watch all night, so there's
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Speaker 1: no difference that way, and the sooner I goes, the
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Speaker 1: farther I will get before morning. It is settled that
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Speaker 1: if I'm caught tonight, Jim Gatlan will try next. If
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Speaker 1: he goes down to Broncohera will try. After that. You
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Speaker 1: can settle among yourselves. I will volunteer to be next,
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Speaker 1: Hugh said another couple of days, and Prince will be
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Speaker 1: ready to do anything. If I was to try, I
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Speaker 1: should start on his back and take my chance. The
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Speaker 1: Indians cannot have many horses as fast as he is,
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Speaker 1: and if I can get through safely, they may ride
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Speaker 1: as hard as they like. There won't be many who
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Speaker 1: can catch me anyhow, and if they came up one
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Speaker 1: at a time, I have my revolver and can hold
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Speaker 1: my own. I shouldn't like to try tonight, for many
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Speaker 1: of their horses are fresh, and Prince wants at least
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Speaker 1: twenty four hours before he is fit for work again.
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Speaker 1: But if you like to give up your attempt to night, Steve,
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Speaker 1: I will try tomorrow night. No, no, lad, we will
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Speaker 1: do as we have planned. You might do it, and
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Speaker 1: you might not. More likely you would not, for like
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Speaker 1: enough you would run again, a dozen of them going
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Speaker 1: out and would get a lesso dropped over your shoulders
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Speaker 1: before you saw or heard them. Besides, you're a young lad.
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Speaker 1: You've got your life afore you. I'm getting on, and
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Speaker 1: Rosie will have Jim to look after her, so it
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Speaker 1: don't make much matter along of me. An hour later,
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Speaker 1: it was perfectly dark. Steve had left his hat lying
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Speaker 1: on the edge of the rock exactly above the ridge
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Speaker 1: when he had visited it with Harry and long Tom.
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Speaker 1: Several of the ropes were knotted together. While this was
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Speaker 1: being done, Steve withdrew with his daughter and Jim gatling
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Speaker 1: from the fire, and was absent five or six minutes.
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Speaker 1: He came back by himself. I'm ready, he said, goodbye
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Speaker 1: to you all. I hope as I'll see you all
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Speaker 1: again for long. He shook hands with them all around,
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Speaker 1: and then taking up his rifle, walked away without looking round,
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Speaker 1: followed by Bronco, Harry and long Tom, the latter saying
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Speaker 1: to Hugh and two others you come too. We shall
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Speaker 1: want you to lower the last of us down and
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Speaker 1: to hoist us up again. The hat was soon found.
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Speaker 1: All three men took off their boots. Bronco Harry tied
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Speaker 1: those of Steve together by a short piece of rope
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Speaker 1: and slung them over his shoulder, and he and Tom
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Speaker 1: left their revolvers and belts behind them. Now we are ready,
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Speaker 1: Harry said. Mind Steve, as you go down, you keep
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Speaker 1: your face to the rock so that that gunn you
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Speaker 1: shan't strike it. You can't be too careful, you know.
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Speaker 1: A loop was placed round Steve's shoulder under the arm.
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Speaker 1: You lie down, Hugh, with your face over the edge,
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Speaker 1: and then Steve could tell you if we are on
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Speaker 1: one side or the other of the ledge. It looked
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Speaker 1: plunged down from here, but it mayn't be. Harry had, rather,
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Speaker 1: to Hugh's surprise, taken up his blanket as he left
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Speaker 1: the fire. But now he saw the object. It was
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Speaker 1: partly folded and laid over the edge so as to
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Speaker 1: prevent any chance of the rope touching a rock and
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Speaker 1: being cut by it. Now Tom and I will hold
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Speaker 1: it out a bit beyond the face, Harry said, And
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Speaker 1: you two do the lower and away now, Steve. Steve
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Speaker 1: knelt down at the edge and lowered himself until the
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Speaker 1: strain came on the rope. This Bruncho and Tom held
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Speaker 1: out as far as they could, and the other two
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Speaker 1: steadily lowered it. It was so dark that Hugh could
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Speaker 1: not see the ridge and presently lost sight of Steve. Soon, however,
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Speaker 1: he heard his voice about a foot more to the right.
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Speaker 1: A few seconds later, the strain on the rope ceased.
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Speaker 1: Are you all right, Steve, Hugh asked, yes, I'm astride
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Speaker 1: of it. It is wider than I thought it was.
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Speaker 1: Now I will move on. You can let Broncho down
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Speaker 1: as soon as you like. The other two men were lowered,
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Speaker 1: and then there was a long silence. It was no
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Speaker 1: easy matter, Hugh knew, to crawl along the ridge, for
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Speaker 1: it was by no means even. The great danger was
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Speaker 1: that there might be loose pieces which would be dislodged
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Speaker 1: and go clattering down below. When, however, ten minutes had
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Speaker 1: passed without any sound being heard, the watchers felt sure
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Speaker 1: that the three men must have gained the opposite summit.
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Speaker 1: There was nothing to do now but to sit and wait.
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Speaker 1: At the end of an hour and a half, Hugh,
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Speaker 1: who was again leaning over listening, intently, heard a voice
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Speaker 1: below him lower down that other rope. Hugh, we're both here.
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Speaker 1: The short rope was lowered for the long One had
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Speaker 1: been taken by them to lower Steve from the other butte,
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Speaker 1: and in a short time Bronco and Long Tom stood
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Speaker 1: beside them. I think the old man has got safe off, Broncho,
14:48
Speaker 1: Harry said. We have stood over there listening all this
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Speaker 1: time and ain't heard a sound. There are plenty of
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Speaker 1: the varmit about you. Hear that barkin of prairie dogs
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Speaker 1: and hooton of owls. That's them letting each other know
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Speaker 1: where they are. They are thick everywhere, I guess round
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Speaker 1: the foot of this butte. But we didn't hear them
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Speaker 1: on the other side, and I reckon there ain't many
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Speaker 1: of them there anyhow, Steve must have got beyond them
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Speaker 1: by this time. That were a first rate idea of yours, Hugh.
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Speaker 1: He never would have got through if we had lowered
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Speaker 1: him off here. But it wasn't no joke getting along
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Speaker 1: that ridge in the dark, I can tell you. We
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Speaker 1: are all accustomed to balance ourselves in the saddle, and
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Speaker 1: so made a shift to get across. But in some
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Speaker 1: places the rock were pruding guy as sharp as a knife.
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Speaker 1: Do you think there is any chance of a night attack, Bronco.
15:29
Speaker 1: One can never answer for the barment. But I don't
15:31
Speaker 1: reckon as they are like to try it. They know
15:34
Speaker 1: they couldn't get up to the top, and all they
15:35
Speaker 1: could hope for would be to kill some of the
15:37
Speaker 1: horses and cut off the men on watch. It wouldn't
15:40
Speaker 1: be worth risking many lives to do that. Besides, it
15:43
Speaker 1: ain't a nice place to climb in the dark. They
15:45
Speaker 1: can crawl along out on the plane without making more
15:47
Speaker 1: noise than a snake would do, but that is a
15:49
Speaker 1: different thing to climbing up among the bush and rock
15:52
Speaker 1: in the dark. They couldn't reckon on doing it without
15:55
Speaker 1: being heard, no, Hugh. It may be that one or
15:58
Speaker 1: two of the young bucks, wanting to distinguish themselves and
16:01
Speaker 1: Thurston for scalps, may crawl up and see if they
16:03
Speaker 1: can catch anyone napping down below there. But I reckon
16:06
Speaker 1: that is all, and that ain't likely to be tried tonight.
16:09
Speaker 1: They're all out there trying to make sure that no
16:11
Speaker 1: one gets away. That is their first concern. Besides, like enough,
16:15
Speaker 1: the chiefs will try in the morning to get us
16:17
Speaker 1: to surrender, and it wouldn't do for any young brave
16:19
Speaker 1: to make a venture out on his own account. Until
16:21
Speaker 1: it is sartain that they ain't going to get us
16:23
Speaker 1: without fighting. Still, I wouldn't say that when it comes
16:27
Speaker 1: to your turn to be on guard lightning, it would
16:29
Speaker 1: be altogether safe for you to put your rifle down
16:31
Speaker 1: and take an hour's sleep. Well, I am not likely
16:34
Speaker 1: to try that experiment anyhow, Bronco. No, I didn't guess
16:38
Speaker 1: as you was. I only said as it wouldn't be safe.
16:41
Speaker 1: I don't think Steve put enough men on guard. I'm
16:43
Speaker 1: going to talk to the others about it. I reckon
16:45
Speaker 1: we ought to divide into two guards, say ten on
16:47
Speaker 1: each watch, four down below, four up with the horses,
16:51
Speaker 1: two up here at the top of the path. We
16:53
Speaker 1: shan't have much to do all day and can sleep
16:55
Speaker 1: as much as we like. Steve's an old engine fighter,
16:57
Speaker 1: and he knows better than we do what the chance is. Still,
17:01
Speaker 1: if there ain't no good taking risks, I quite agree
17:04
Speaker 1: with you, Bronco. Now that Steve has got safe away,
17:06
Speaker 1: we know we shall get help before very long, and
17:08
Speaker 1: it would be foolish to run any risk merely from
17:11
Speaker 1: want of care. I would go even farther and let
17:13
Speaker 1: fifteen men be on watch at night, and let five
17:16
Speaker 1: sleep and keep lookout during the day. That would be
17:19
Speaker 1: no better. Lad That would be worse, for it is
17:21
Speaker 1: difficult to keep awake the whole night, especially if night
17:24
Speaker 1: after night passes without an alarm. By this time they
17:27
Speaker 1: had reached the others, and there was much rejoicing when
17:29
Speaker 1: it was heard that Steve Brutherford had got safe away.
17:32
Speaker 1: Do you feel sure, Harry, that they might not have
17:34
Speaker 1: caught him and killed him without any noise, Rosy asked anxiously.
17:39
Speaker 1: Sartin Steve's last words was, I shall keep my six
17:42
Speaker 1: shooter in my hand, and if they riddled me with
17:44
Speaker 1: arrows Bronco, I will fire a shot or two before
17:46
Speaker 1: I drop. Don't you fear about that? And he would
17:49
Speaker 1: do it. Besides, it ain't an engine nature to kill
17:51
Speaker 1: an enemy without setting up a yell over it. A
17:54
Speaker 1: redskin's like a hen laying an egg. He's gotten to
17:56
Speaker 1: boast of it loud enough for all the world to hear. No,
18:00
Speaker 1: you needn't be a bit of fear, gal. Your father
18:02
Speaker 1: has got off safe, and by this time I reckon
18:04
Speaker 1: he is ten miles away. Harry then made the proposal
18:07
Speaker 1: that half the men should be always on guard, to
18:09
Speaker 1: which they at once agreed, and six of them, taking
18:12
Speaker 1: up their arms, left the fire without further words, and
18:14
Speaker 1: started to take up their post on the slope. Now, Rosie,
18:18
Speaker 1: you shall give us a pan of tea and a
18:19
Speaker 1: bit of meat. And then the sooner we are all asleep,
18:22
Speaker 1: the better we shall want to use our eyes when
18:24
Speaker 1: it is our turn on watch. At twelve o'clock they
18:26
Speaker 1: were on their feet again and went down the hill. Now, Harry,
18:30
Speaker 1: said long Tom, Lightning, and you and me will go
18:32
Speaker 1: along to the bottom. Three others keep about fifty yards
18:35
Speaker 1: behind us, two up below the horses, and two on
18:38
Speaker 1: the top. Here. As they took their places, and the
18:40
Speaker 1: men they relieved, returned to the summit, long Tom said,
18:43
Speaker 1: listen to the calls, Latning. The redskins have hurt us
18:46
Speaker 1: moving and are warning each other to look sharp. I reckon.
18:49
Speaker 1: They are as thick as peas all around here, for
18:51
Speaker 1: they know that if one of us tries to make
18:53
Speaker 1: a bolt on horseback, it is here he must start.
18:55
Speaker 1: But they can hardly suppose that we are such fools
18:58
Speaker 1: as that comes to. Now we move away five or
19:01
Speaker 1: six yards to the right. Post yourself behind a rock.
19:03
Speaker 1: You've got to keep your eyes in front of you,
19:05
Speaker 1: to see if you could see anything moving in the grass.
19:08
Speaker 1: And you've got to listen for any sounds over there
19:10
Speaker 1: to the right, in case any of the Redskins should
19:12
Speaker 1: try to crawl up through the bushes. To circumvent us,
19:15
Speaker 1: I'll go to the left and Bronco can take the
19:16
Speaker 1: middle of the path. Hugh took up his post and
19:19
Speaker 1: maintained a vigilant watch. He was much more afraid of
19:22
Speaker 1: an attempt on the part of the Indians to crawl
19:24
Speaker 1: up on the right than of an attack in front,
19:27
Speaker 1: and listened intently for the slightest sound of moving leaves
19:30
Speaker 1: on that side, for he knew that the Indians would
19:32
Speaker 1: not be likely to break the smallest twig in their progress.
19:35
Speaker 1: In front of him, he could discern the expanse of
19:38
Speaker 1: the planes stretching out. There were a few low bushes
19:40
Speaker 1: here and there, and at times, to his straining eyes,
19:43
Speaker 1: it seemed that some of the dark masses moved, but
19:46
Speaker 1: he knew that this might be only fancy. Hour after
19:49
Speaker 1: hour passed. Presently, Harry stole up to his side. Day
19:53
Speaker 1: will be breaking in an hour, Hugh, keep a sharp lookout.
19:56
Speaker 1: Now they will try it. If they try it, at
19:58
Speaker 1: all just as the sky begins to light, all, however,
20:01
Speaker 1: remained quiet, and Hugh felt in no slight degree relieved
20:05
Speaker 1: as the light stole gradually up the eastern sky, and
20:08
Speaker 1: he felt that Harry's anticipations were incorrect and that no
20:11
Speaker 1: attack would be made. As soon as the sun rose,
20:13
Speaker 1: the sentries were relieved and the party on watch retired
20:16
Speaker 1: to the crest, for from there a view over the
20:18
Speaker 1: whole of the plane was obtainable, and it was impossible
20:21
Speaker 1: for the Indians to crawl up toward the buttes without
20:23
Speaker 1: being seen. Two hours later, a party were seen approaching
20:27
Speaker 1: from the main Indian camp. They stopped five hundred yards away.
20:31
Speaker 1: Then two Indians advanced and held up their arms to
20:33
Speaker 1: show they had left their rifles behind them. I thought
20:37
Speaker 1: they would be wanting to have a talk this morning, Bronco,
20:39
Speaker 1: Harry said, I suppose two of us had better go
20:42
Speaker 1: down to meet them. You and Jim Gatlin had better go, Bronco. No,
20:46
Speaker 1: Jim said, Raysin had better go with you, Bronco. He
20:49
Speaker 1: speaks a little of their language, and I don't. It
20:51
Speaker 1: is not likely either of the chiefs speak English, all right,
20:54
Speaker 1: Bronco said, it is as well to understand what they say,
20:57
Speaker 1: though we know well enough that nothing will come of it.
21:00
Speaker 1: Put your six shooter in your pocket racing. They will
21:02
Speaker 1: have their tomahawks and knives hidden about them somewhere. Half
21:05
Speaker 1: a dozen of the rest had better come down the slope.
21:07
Speaker 1: It ain't likely they will make a rush, but when
21:09
Speaker 1: they find we won't agree to their terms, they may
21:11
Speaker 1: turn nasty. H watched the meeting from the top of
21:15
Speaker 1: the butte. It lasted about ten minutes, and then the
21:17
Speaker 1: envoys separated and returned to their respective parties. The result
21:21
Speaker 1: was clear enough, for when the Indian chiefs reached their followers,
21:24
Speaker 1: they raised a defiant war cry, which was taken up
21:26
Speaker 1: all over the plane. Just as I expected, Harry said,
21:30
Speaker 1: the Redskins always liked to have a talk before they
21:32
Speaker 1: begin to fight, even when they know well enough that
21:34
Speaker 1: nothing can come of it. What were their proposals? They
21:38
Speaker 1: said that they knew we could hold out for a time,
21:40
Speaker 1: but that the water would soon be finished and we
21:42
Speaker 1: must give in. Then we had stolen the white women
21:45
Speaker 1: out of their camp and had killed their young men.
21:47
Speaker 1: But if we would give up the women and surrender
21:49
Speaker 1: our arms and ammunition, they would let us depart free.
21:51
Speaker 1: What did you say, Bronco and returned. I said that
21:54
Speaker 1: we was very comfortable up here, and that if we
21:57
Speaker 1: had taken the women, they had stolen them away from
21:59
Speaker 1: us to our arms. We thought they was more useful
22:02
Speaker 1: in our hands than they would be in theirs. But
22:05
Speaker 1: if they would go back to their villages, we would
22:06
Speaker 1: promise to do them no further harm until they troubled
22:09
Speaker 1: us again. Who were the chiefs, Harry? One was the eagle.
22:14
Speaker 1: He's the big chief. I've often heard of him. The
22:16
Speaker 1: other was the owl. I fancy the eagle is the
22:19
Speaker 1: fighting chief, and the owl is the counselor. He is
22:22
Speaker 1: a crafty looking better. The eagle is a fine, tall redskin,
22:26
Speaker 1: a sort of chap. I shouldn't care about having a
22:28
Speaker 1: hand to hand fight with with knives and tomahawks. He
22:31
Speaker 1: told us it were no use our hoping for assistance,
22:33
Speaker 1: for that Nune could come to us, and unless we
22:35
Speaker 1: could fly, we could not get through his young men,
22:38
Speaker 1: and that even if we could, our scalps would be
22:40
Speaker 1: hanging in their lodges long before we could get down
22:42
Speaker 1: to the ranches. I said, he might have our scalps
22:45
Speaker 1: if he could take them, But that if he did,
22:47
Speaker 1: it would be off dead bodies. For as long as
22:49
Speaker 1: one of us had strength to draw trigger, he would
22:52
Speaker 1: not get up onto the butte. That was all he
22:55
Speaker 1: knew well enough what the answer would be. He wanted
22:57
Speaker 1: to see. I fancy how we took it, and whether
22:59
Speaker 1: we were in good at heart. It were just a
23:01
Speaker 1: game of bluff, and neither of us were going to
23:03
Speaker 1: show our hands. That night, Bronco Harry's party went first
23:06
Speaker 1: on watch and where we leaved at twelve o'clock. The
23:09
Speaker 1: Indians had remained quiet all the day, and Harry said
23:11
Speaker 1: to Hugh as they returned up the hill after being relieved,
23:14
Speaker 1: I shouldn't be surprised if they'd try an attack before morning.
23:17
Speaker 1: In the first place, they have been wonderful quiet all day.
23:20
Speaker 1: And in the next place, I reckon that when the
23:22
Speaker 1: chief said he acknowledged that we could hold the place,
23:24
Speaker 1: he just meant to give us the idea that he
23:26
Speaker 1: didn't mean to attack, and we're only going to starve
23:29
Speaker 1: us out. In course, they will do that afterwards, but
23:32
Speaker 1: I think they will try one rush first. I'll tell
23:35
Speaker 1: you what, Hugh. We will set to work now and
23:37
Speaker 1: get the rest of the horses to the top. They
23:39
Speaker 1: can't pick up much where they are now, and they
23:41
Speaker 1: may as well be out of the way if there
23:42
Speaker 1: is a fight. The ten men soon got the horses
23:45
Speaker 1: up onto the plateau and then lay down to sleep.
23:47
Speaker 1: The morning was just breaking when the crack of a
23:49
Speaker 1: rifle was heard, and it was followed instantly by a
23:51
Speaker 1: score of others and an outburst of fierce yelling. Every
23:55
Speaker 1: man sprang to his feet and ran to the top
23:56
Speaker 1: of the path. Hugh, do you and two others take
24:00
Speaker 1: your place along the edge of the rock on the
24:01
Speaker 1: top of the gap, Tom, you and Stumpy and Racin
24:05
Speaker 1: take your places on the left, and give her us
24:07
Speaker 1: as we fall back if we have to. As is
24:09
Speaker 1: lack enough, come on with me the rest of you.
24:12
Speaker 1: Standing on the edge of the cliff, Hugh saw the
24:14
Speaker 1: flashes bursting out rapidly among the rocks and trees at
24:17
Speaker 1: the foot of the slope, and soon perceived that they
24:19
Speaker 1: were mounting upwards. A crowd of Indians must have thrown
24:22
Speaker 1: themselves suddenly forward and established themselves in cover, and they
24:25
Speaker 1: were now fighting their way up. The defenders had fallen
24:28
Speaker 1: back for the answering flashes were halfway up the slope.
24:32
Speaker 1: The rattle of musketry was incessant, but far above it
24:35
Speaker 1: rose the yells of the Indians. The Whites fought silently.
24:39
Speaker 1: It was still too dark to make out the figures
24:41
Speaker 1: that Hugh and his companions remained inactive. Our men are
24:45
Speaker 1: falling back, Bill, he said presently to Royce, who was
24:47
Speaker 1: standing a few yards away on the other side of
24:49
Speaker 1: the gap. They are sure to do that, Royce replied,
24:52
Speaker 1: I guess there are two hundred engines down there, and
24:55
Speaker 1: though it is difficult for them to make their way
24:57
Speaker 1: through the bushes, they will do it. You'll see our
24:59
Speaker 1: fellows will soon be up here. Five minutes later, indeed,
25:03
Speaker 1: three or four figures were seen coming up the path.
25:05
Speaker 1: Who are you, Hugh shouted? It is all right, one
25:08
Speaker 1: of them called out. There are too many for us,
25:10
Speaker 1: and Bronco has ordered us to fall back and help
25:13
Speaker 1: you cover the rest. Gradually, the flashes of the Defender's
25:16
Speaker 1: rifles ceased to spurt out from among the rocks and
25:18
Speaker 1: died away altogether. Then, at full speed, the men dashed
25:22
Speaker 1: up the pathway, followed closely by a number of leaping figures.
25:25
Speaker 1: Then the rifles of those along the edge of the
25:27
Speaker 1: rock cracked out. There was a chorus of cries and yells,
25:30
Speaker 1: and the pursuers bounded in among the rocks and bushes again,
25:33
Speaker 1: and their rifles flashed out angrily. Raysin fell backwards, shot
25:37
Speaker 1: through the head, and a cry on the other side
25:39
Speaker 1: of the gap showed that at least one was hit. There,
25:42
Speaker 1: Lie down, Hugh shouted, and fire over the edge. In
25:45
Speaker 1: a minute, the whole party were gathered on the crest.
25:48
Speaker 1: The daylight was now broadening rapidly, but not one of
25:51
Speaker 1: the assailants could be seen, though the puffs of smoke
25:53
Speaker 1: from behind rock and bush showed how thickly they were gathered.
25:57
Speaker 1: Will they try a rush, do you think, Hugh asked Broncho,
26:00
Speaker 1: who had taken his post beside him. I don't think so,
26:02
Speaker 1: Harry said. I expect they didn't reckon on finding so
26:05
Speaker 1: many men on guard on the slope, and thought they
26:07
Speaker 1: might carry it with a rush and get here before
26:09
Speaker 1: we was ready for them, and before it were light
26:11
Speaker 1: enough for us to shoot straight. They can't gather thick
26:14
Speaker 1: enough among the rocks down there to give them a
26:16
Speaker 1: chance of making a big rush. Apparently this was also
26:19
Speaker 1: the opinion of the Indians, who soon learned that it
26:21
Speaker 1: was dangerous to show their position by firing, for every
26:24
Speaker 1: shot was answered instantly, and several were killed as they
26:27
Speaker 1: raised their heads to fire from behind the rocks. The
26:30
Speaker 1: firing therefore gradually ceased. Now we are just as we
26:34
Speaker 1: was before. Harry said, it were sartin. We couldn't hold
26:37
Speaker 1: the slope if they made an attack. The only thing
26:39
Speaker 1: is they are nearer for a rush in the dark
26:41
Speaker 1: than there was before. There ain't no fear they're trying it.
26:43
Speaker 1: As long as it is light. Six will be enough
26:46
Speaker 1: to keep guard. At present. We'll talk over what is
26:48
Speaker 1: best to be done. Six men were picked out as
26:50
Speaker 1: a guard, the rest assembled in council. We've gotten to
26:53
Speaker 1: block up that gap somehow, Harry said, if they make
26:56
Speaker 1: a rush in the dark, we may kill a lot
26:58
Speaker 1: of them, but the chances are they will it up.
27:00
Speaker 1: It seems to me that we had best kill half
27:02
Speaker 1: the horses and pile them up down near the mouth.
27:05
Speaker 1: That will make a breastwork and will stop their bullets.
27:07
Speaker 1: There was a general chorus of ascent. Then Hugh said,
27:11
Speaker 1: that seems a very good idea, Harry, But I should
27:13
Speaker 1: think that it would be better if we were to
27:15
Speaker 1: make that breastwork halfway up the gap, and to cut
27:17
Speaker 1: off some big arms of these trees and pile them
27:20
Speaker 1: in front of it. If we were to pretty well
27:22
Speaker 1: fill up the gap with boughs, it would be very
27:24
Speaker 1: difficult to get through, and a couple of us behind
27:26
Speaker 1: the breastwork with six shooters would prevent them from clearing
27:29
Speaker 1: it away, especially as the others could fire down from
27:32
Speaker 1: above on them. That's it, Bronco Harry said, that will
27:35
Speaker 1: make us as safe as if there were no gap
27:37
Speaker 1: at all. Bully for you again, young, Let us set
27:40
Speaker 1: in to work about it at once. There was not
27:42
Speaker 1: a hatchet among them, and it took them the whole
27:44
Speaker 1: day to cut off five or six stout boughs of
27:46
Speaker 1: trees with their bowie knives. However, it was done at last.
27:50
Speaker 1: The bows were dragged along until near the mouth of
27:52
Speaker 1: the gap, and then dropped into it the butt ends inwards,
27:56
Speaker 1: Bronco Harry and two or three of the others going
27:58
Speaker 1: down into the gap and arranging them so that a
28:00
Speaker 1: dense screen was formed outwards with the bows and leaves.
28:03
Speaker 1: One or two shots came up from the bottom of
28:05
Speaker 1: the slope, but these were harmless and the guard took
28:08
Speaker 1: care that no one was able to fire from a
28:10
Speaker 1: direct line with the gap from anywhere near the summit.
28:13
Speaker 1: At last, the bows were all in position, and a
28:16
Speaker 1: dense hedge filled the gap twelve feet high. We could
28:19
Speaker 1: spare the horses, Harry said. They can't get through that
28:22
Speaker 1: hedge with us above them. They will never even try it.
28:25
Speaker 1: They see as we are up to something by their fire,
28:27
Speaker 1: but I don't suppose they can make out what it is.
28:30
Speaker 1: Luck enough, one of them will crawl off after it
28:32
Speaker 1: gets dark to see, and when he reports what we
28:34
Speaker 1: have done, they will know that the game is up
28:36
Speaker 1: as far as taking the place by storm is concerned.
28:39
Speaker 1: From this time forward, no attempt was made to renew
28:41
Speaker 1: the attack. The Indians still held the slope for shots
28:44
Speaker 1: were occasionally fired whenever one of the defenders came near
28:47
Speaker 1: enough to the edge to allow his head to be seen.
28:50
Speaker 1: Otherwise all was quiet. As soon as the meat brought
28:53
Speaker 1: up was finished. One of the Indian horses was killed,
28:55
Speaker 1: and Hugh found that its flesh was by no means
28:57
Speaker 1: pad eating. The water was careful husbanded horses, as well
29:01
Speaker 1: as men being placed on the smallest possible allowance. The Horses, too,
29:06
Speaker 1: were picketed so as to prevent them from grazing at will,
29:09
Speaker 1: and the grass was cut and supplied to them in
29:11
Speaker 1: small bundles, mixed with leaves from the trees. With good management,
29:15
Speaker 1: it was agreed that they would be able to hold
29:16
Speaker 1: out for a fortnight without difficulty. End of Chapter fourteen,
29:20
Speaker 1: read by Dorry Smith.