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014 - Chapter 13 Rescued · Redskin and Cow-Boy - A Tale of the Western Plains

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Speaker 1: Chapter thirteen of Redskin and Cowboy, A Tail of the
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Speaker 1: Western Plains by G. A. Henty. The slipper Box recording
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Speaker 1: is in the public domain. Chapter thirteen rescued Steve Rutherford,
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Speaker 1: the settler, Owen, and Hugh made their way along the
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Speaker 1: foot of the steep rocks, keeping among the fallen boulders,
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Speaker 1: stopping at times and making a close survey of the
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Speaker 1: plains to be sure that no Indians were in sight
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Speaker 1: before moving further. That is the point, Steve said, Presently,
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Speaker 1: from among those rocks we can get a view of
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Speaker 1: the village. You must keep your head low lightning and
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Speaker 1: not show it above the rocks. They will be keeping
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Speaker 1: a sharp lookout, and like enough they would make out
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Speaker 1: a lizard moving at this distance. When they reached the point,
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Speaker 1: they made their way with extreme care to the highest boulders,
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Speaker 1: and then, lying down, looked through the interstices between them.
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Speaker 1: Hugh started as he did so, for although the Indian
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Speaker 1: village was nearly half a mile away, the mountain air
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Speaker 1: was so clear that it did not seem a quarter
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Speaker 1: of that distance. Its position was well chosen. The hill
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Speaker 1: rose almost perpendicularly behind it, defending it from an attack.
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Speaker 1: On that side, while in front and on both sides,
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Speaker 1: the ground sloped away and was clear of brushwood, or
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Speaker 1: inequalities that would afford shelter to assailants. Trees stood in
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Speaker 1: and around it, affording shade during the heat of the day.
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Speaker 1: A number of horses were grazing close to the village,
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Speaker 1: with half a dozen Indian boys round them in readiness
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Speaker 1: to drive them in at the shortest notice. Smoke was
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Speaker 1: curling up from the top of the wigwams and through
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Speaker 1: the trees. Many figures of men and women could be
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Speaker 1: seen moving about. How long do you think it will be,
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Speaker 1: Steve before their scouts get back again? Another hour, I
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Speaker 1: should guess. I expect they started at daybreak. Anyhow, they
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Speaker 1: had gone before I got here. I reckon they wouldn't
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Speaker 1: travel fast going there. In the first place, they would
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Speaker 1: scout about and look for signs of an enemy, and
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Speaker 1: in the second they wouldn't want to blow their horses,
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Speaker 1: for they might have to ride for their lives any moment.
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Speaker 1: I should give them four hours a good two and
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Speaker 1: a half to get there, and something over an hour
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Speaker 1: for one of them to get back again. He may
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Speaker 1: be here at half an hour, he may not be
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Speaker 1: here for an hour. It will be somewhere between one
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Speaker 1: and the other. Twenty minutes passed, and then Steve exclaimed,
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Speaker 1: here he comes. The other two caught sight of the
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Speaker 1: Indian at the same moment as first his head and shoulders,
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Speaker 1: and then the whole rider and horse appeared on the
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Speaker 1: crest of a rise some four miles away. He was
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Speaker 1: as yet invisible from the village, but in a few
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Speaker 1: minutes they could perceive astir there, and three or four
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Speaker 1: warriors ran out from the village, leapt on to their horses,
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Speaker 1: and galloped out to meet the returning scout. They seldom
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Speaker 1: join him, and, sweeping round without a check, accompany him,
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Speaker 1: and in ten minutes they reached the village. A minute
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Speaker 1: later a mournful wail sounded in the air. They know
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Speaker 1: it now, Steve said. They are just about beginning to
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Speaker 1: feel as we do. It is all very well as
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Speaker 1: long as they go out and murder and burn and
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Speaker 1: come back with scalps. But they don't like it when
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Speaker 1: the game is played on them. When will they start
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Speaker 1: out again, do ye think, Steve? Not yet? Awhile they're
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Speaker 1: going to talk, Indians never do anything without that. There,
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Speaker 1: d'ye see there ain't a man among the trees. There
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Speaker 1: are some women and children, but nar a warrior. You
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Speaker 1: may be sure that they are gathering for a great council.
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Speaker 1: First of all, the scout will tell his story, Then
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Speaker 1: the chiefs will talk. It will be another hour at
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Speaker 1: least before there is a move made. Oh, I do
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Speaker 1: hope our plan won't fail, Hugh said, I don't think
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Speaker 1: that there is much chance of it. Owen put in.
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Speaker 1: They're bound to do something. Their scout can only report
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Speaker 1: that so far as he saw, there was not more
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Speaker 1: than four men, and as they did not chase him,
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Speaker 1: he expects they have no horses. They never can leave
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Speaker 1: it like that. They're bound to go out and see
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Speaker 1: about it. Otherwise they know they couldn't go in twos
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Speaker 1: or three's without the risk of being ambushed, just as
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Speaker 1: the scouts were. Besides, they lost the two men they
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Speaker 1: left behind, and maybe one maybe three this morning, and
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Speaker 1: they are bound to have vengeance. Oh, they are safe
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Speaker 1: to go. An hour later, a sudden succession of wild
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Speaker 1: yells were heard. That's their war cry. Steve said. The
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Speaker 1: thing is settled, and they are going. A few minutes later,
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Speaker 1: the Indian boys were seen driving the horses in towards
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Speaker 1: the village, and then a number of warriors ran out.
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Speaker 1: There are a good lot of them, Steve said a
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Speaker 1: tone of satisfaction. They was sure to go. The question
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Speaker 1: were how many of them? It will be a strong
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Speaker 1: party anyhow. The Indians were soon seen to be mounting.
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Speaker 1: Now we can count them, Steve said, five and thirty.
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Speaker 1: I couldn't tell within four or five. Hugh said, they
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Speaker 1: keep moving about, so but I should say that was
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Speaker 1: about it, Yes, five and thirty. Owen agreed. You have
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Speaker 1: the youngest legs lighting you screwed across as hard as
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Speaker 1: you can run and tell them to get ready. Steve
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Speaker 1: and I will see them fairly off, and then we
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Speaker 1: will come in. Don't let them move out of the
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Speaker 1: hall till we join you. There ain't no special hurry,
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Speaker 1: for we mustn't attack till the band have got four
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Speaker 1: or five miles away. If they heard the guns, they
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Speaker 1: would be back again like a torrent. Hugh did as
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Speaker 1: he was told. As he ran down over the crest
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Speaker 1: into the dip. He gave a shout of satisfaction at
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Speaker 1: seeing Bronco Harry and the three men who had remained
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Speaker 1: with him. They had arrived a few minutes before. Well, Harry,
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Speaker 1: we saw all had gone right, as only one of
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Speaker 1: their scouts came back. Has it drawn them? Harry asked, yes,
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Speaker 1: A bend of five and thirty started five minutes ago,
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Speaker 1: fully for us. Harry said that we have got them
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Speaker 1: all right now. I expect there ain't above thirty fighting
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Speaker 1: men left in the village, and catching them as we shall,
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Speaker 1: they won't have a show against us. How did you
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Speaker 1: get on, Harry? It were just as you reckon. Let
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Speaker 1: three of them came out. They were very scary about
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Speaker 1: coming close. They yelled to their mates, and in course
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Speaker 1: got no answer. Then they galloped round, one at a time,
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Speaker 1: getting nearer and nearer. But at last they concluded that
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Speaker 1: the place was deserted and rode up. We let them
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Speaker 1: get so close that there were no fear of our missing,
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Speaker 1: and then we shot two of them the other road
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Speaker 1: for it. We fired after him, but took good care
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Speaker 1: not to hit him, and as soon as he had
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Speaker 1: gone we ran to the wood where we had left
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Speaker 1: our ponies, and came on here pretty slick. There were
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Speaker 1: no difficulty in following your trail. We reckoned that we
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Speaker 1: should have to come pretty fast, to be here in time,
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Speaker 1: as it were three or four miles further for us
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Speaker 1: to go than the engine would have, and he wouldn't
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Speaker 1: spare his horse flesh. Still, we was sure it would
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Speaker 1: be an hour at least before they was ready to start.
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Speaker 1: More likely too, Jim and Gatlin were flurried a bit natural.
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Speaker 1: He wouldn't like not to be with the others when
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Speaker 1: they went in to rescue Rosie. So it seems we
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Speaker 1: are just in time with nothing to spare. But here
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Speaker 1: comes Steve. By this time all had been got ready
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Speaker 1: for a start. Horses had been brought up, saddles looked to,
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Speaker 1: girths tightened, and blankets strapped on. A hearty greeting was
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Speaker 1: exchanged between Steve and the party just arrived. We will
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Speaker 1: give them another ten minutes before we start, Steve said.
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Speaker 1: Now we had better settle Bronco as to what we
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Speaker 1: should each do when we get in, else there may
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Speaker 1: be confusion and they may tomahawk the prisoners before we
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Speaker 1: find them. Yes, that is best, Bronco agreed. Now look here,
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Speaker 1: our crowd will do the fighting, and you and your
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Speaker 1: fellows jump off as soon as you get in and
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Speaker 1: search the wigwams. You will know just where to go.
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Speaker 1: The prisoners are safe to be in a wigwam close
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Speaker 1: by that of the principal chief. He'll keep them close
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Speaker 1: under his eye. You may bet your life and mine. Boys,
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Speaker 1: let us have no shooting at squaws or kids. We
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Speaker 1: have come out to rescue the women they have carried off,
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Speaker 1: to pay out the men for the work they did.
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Speaker 1: But don't let us be as bad as they are.
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Speaker 1: There was a general assent from the cowboys, but two
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Speaker 1: or three of the men who had come with them grumbled,
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Speaker 1: they have killed our wives and children. Why shouldn't we
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Speaker 1: pay them back in the same coin, because we are
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Speaker 1: whites and not redskins. Bronco Harry said, look here, Steve,
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Speaker 1: we've come here to help you, and we are risking
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Speaker 1: our lives pretty considerable in this business. But afore we
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Speaker 1: ride in that village, we are going to have your
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Speaker 1: word that there ain't going to be a shot fired
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Speaker 1: at a squaw or child. Those are our terms, and
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Speaker 1: I don't think they are unreasonable. As a chorus of
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Speaker 1: approval went up from the rest of the cowboys, and
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Speaker 1: as the others were well aware that what they said
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Speaker 1: they meant, they unwillingly assented, that is right and square,
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Speaker 1: Bronco Harry said, you have all given your promise, and
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Speaker 1: if anyone breaks it, I begin shooting. That is all.
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Speaker 1: Now it's about time to be moving, Steve. The men
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Speaker 1: swung themselves up into their saddles. Now boys, quietly until
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Speaker 1: we get inside of the village, and then fast as
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Speaker 1: we can go. But all were eager for the fight,
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Speaker 1: and the pace gradually quickened till they came within sight
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Speaker 1: of the village. Then they charged down upon it at
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Speaker 1: full gallop. They had gone but a short distance when
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Speaker 1: they heard the cry of alarm, the yells of the Indians,
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Speaker 1: shouts and orders, screams of women and children, and the
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Speaker 1: barking of the village dogs. Shots were fired, but to
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Speaker 1: Hugh's surprise, these ceased before the cowboys reached the village.
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Speaker 1: The skunks are Bolton, Bronco Harry exclaimed, Keep round the trees,
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Speaker 1: number two outfit, and straight across the plain after them.
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Speaker 1: They may have got some of the girls. It was, however,
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Speaker 1: less than two minutes from the moment the assailants had
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Speaker 1: been seen to that when they burst into the village,
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Speaker 1: the Indians taken altogether by surprise at the appearance of
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Speaker 1: a foe from a quarter from which no danger had
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Speaker 1: been apprehended, and seeing a band of the dreaded cowboys
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Speaker 1: dashing down at a gallop, caught up their arms, and then,
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Speaker 1: in obedience to the orders of the chief left behind
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Speaker 1: in charge of the village, dashed out to their horses,
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Speaker 1: mounted and rode off. Their leader had seen at once
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Speaker 1: that there was no hope of rest. The assailants were
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Speaker 1: nearly equal in number to the fighting men left in
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Speaker 1: the village. They would be armed with those terrible pistols
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Speaker 1: that were the dread of the Indians, and they had
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Speaker 1: all the advantage of a surprise. There was nothing to
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Speaker 1: do but to ride off to the main body. For
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Speaker 1: a moment, the thought of killing the prisoners before starting
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Speaker 1: had crossed his mind, but there was no time to
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Speaker 1: run to the wigwam in which they had been placed,
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Speaker 1: and he saw too that their death would entail that
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Speaker 1: of the Indian women and children. These had been no
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Speaker 1: less speedy in their movements than the men, and at
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Speaker 1: the first cry of danger, the women had seized their infants, and,
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Speaker 1: followed by the boys and girls of the village, had
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Speaker 1: fled along the foot of the cliff. Till they reached
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Speaker 1: a spot where, although steep, it was accessible. Here a
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Speaker 1: path winding among boulders and hidden by bushes, led up
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Speaker 1: to the top of the cliff. This had been constructed
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Speaker 1: by the boys of the village at the time the
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Speaker 1: Indians first established themselves there, for the purpose of enabling
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Speaker 1: its occupants to make their escape in case of a
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Speaker 1: sudden attack by superior forces. Steph and his party were
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Speaker 1: astonished when as they dashed into the village they found
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Speaker 1: the place almost deserted. A few old men stood at
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Speaker 1: the entrances of their wigwams, and four or five aged
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Speaker 1: women were assembled in front of one standing near the
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Speaker 1: center of the place. And as the cowboys and settlers
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Speaker 1: galloped up, five white women ran out from the wigwamp
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Speaker 1: to meet them with cries of joy. All save Rosie,
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Speaker 1: Steve Rutherford shouted as he rode up, All safe, Father,
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Speaker 1: and a cheer burst from the rescuers as they leapt
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Speaker 1: from their horses and crowded around the girls. These had
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Speaker 1: all friends or relations among the party. Three of you
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Speaker 1: let off your rifles, one after the other, Steve said,
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Speaker 1: the instant he had embraced his daughter. I told Bronco
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Speaker 1: as he rode off, that should be the signal that
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Speaker 1: we had got them all. Then some of you had
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Speaker 1: better ride as hard as you can after them. You
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Speaker 1: may be wanted, though I don't expect the Indians will stop.
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Speaker 1: Tell Bronco he had best come back again. There ain't
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Speaker 1: no time to lose the rest of you. Scatter and
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Speaker 1: put a lot to these wigwams. There's all the things
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Speaker 1: they stole from us scattered among them, and all their
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Speaker 1: skins and things, not worth much, perhaps, but a lot
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Speaker 1: to them. Look into the huts and see their ain't
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Speaker 1: no babies left in them? Where are all the women
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Speaker 1: and children? Rosy? But Rosie was at that moment much
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Speaker 1: too occupied with Jim gatling to hear him. Never mind that, now,
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Speaker 1: gal Steve said, striding up to them, there will be
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Speaker 1: enough time for fooling when we get out of this war.
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Speaker 1: Are the women and children? I don't know, father, We
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Speaker 1: know nothing about it. We were in the wigwam and
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Speaker 1: suddenly heard shouts and screams, and then almost directly everything
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Speaker 1: became quiet. And then these old women opened the door
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Speaker 1: and made signs to us to come out, And as
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Speaker 1: we did, we saw you charging in among the trees.
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Speaker 1: Where are the squaws and children? Steve asked one of
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Speaker 1: the old women in her own language. She looked vacantly
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Speaker 1: at him, as if she did not understand. Aah, that's
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Speaker 1: no use, he said, I might have known that. Scatter about, boys.
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Speaker 1: See if you can't find some of them. They can't
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Speaker 1: have gone out onto the plane that is Sartain. They
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Speaker 1: can't have got up this cliff. Not here, perhaps sars
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Speaker 1: a cave somewhere. Scatter along and search, go right along
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Speaker 1: some distance each way. There might be some path up somewhere.
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Speaker 1: What does it matter about them, Steve, one of the settlers, asked,
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Speaker 1: we agreed there weren't to be no killing of squaws
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Speaker 1: or kids. I don't want to kill them, Steve said,
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Speaker 1: I'm just so pleased to getting my girl on the
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Speaker 1: other's back that I don't feel like hurting anything. What
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Speaker 1: Bronco and me reckoned on was to take some of
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Speaker 1: the chiefs, wives and children along with us as hostages.
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Speaker 1: If we had them with us, we reckoned they could
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Speaker 1: not attack us on our way back. I tell you, boys,
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Speaker 1: it may just make the difference of our scalps to us.
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Speaker 1: Not another word was needed, and all with the exception
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Speaker 1: of a few of the friends of the rescued women
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Speaker 1: scattered on the search. It was ten minutes before they
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Speaker 1: found the concealed path. The man who discovered it ran
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Speaker 1: back to Rutherford. I found the place, Steve. It is
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Speaker 1: away three or four hundred yards to the left. There,
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Speaker 1: just at the end of the clump of trees. There
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Speaker 1: are some bushes against the face of the hill. It
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Speaker 1: didn't look as if there could be any way up,
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Speaker 1: but I pushed through them, and sure enough there was
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Speaker 1: some steps cutting the rock. I went up them and
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Speaker 1: round a sharp angle and there was a sort of
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Speaker 1: gap in the cliff. You couldn't see it from the plane,
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Speaker 1: and a path went straight up there. Thought they're bad news, Owen.
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Speaker 1: They've got a quarter of an hour's start and it
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Speaker 1: ain't no sort of use. Are going after them? Wow,
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Speaker 1: there's nothing to do but ride for it. I wish
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Speaker 1: Bronco's party was back. They're just coming back, a man said,
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Speaker 1: I've been to the edge of the woods to look
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Speaker 1: for them. They're galloping back and we'll be here in
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Speaker 1: a few minutes. By the time Bronco, Harry and his
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Speaker 1: party rode into the village, the Wigwams were all in flames.
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Speaker 1: The men who had set fire to them had brought
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Speaker 1: out the meat they had found inside. There were several
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Speaker 1: quarters of deer and a quantity of beef, doubtless the
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Speaker 1: produce of animals belonging to the herd they had driven off.
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Speaker 1: They were satisfied that the burning of the Wigwams would
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Speaker 1: be a heavy loss to the Indians, for they had
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Speaker 1: found many piles of skins and robes stored up to
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Speaker 1: be used in barter for guns and horses. Indeed, the
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Speaker 1: whole belongings of the tribe, except their cattle, were destroyed,
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Speaker 1: together with what perhaps would be even more severely felt
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Speaker 1: the scalps taken from their enemies, and many a fight
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Speaker 1: and massacre. A few words acquainted the newcomers with what
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Speaker 1: had taken place, and they were were delighted to find
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Speaker 1: that they had arrived in time to save the women
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Speaker 1: from the fate that awaited them. Did you hear the
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Speaker 1: rifle shots? Bronco nar Won. We was having a skirmish
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Speaker 1: with the Redskins. They showed fight at first till they
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Speaker 1: saw the rest of the boys coming. We chased them
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Speaker 1: two miles and killed six of them. Then we thought
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Speaker 1: it best to come back, for we could see that
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Speaker 1: a couple of the best mount it had been sent
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Speaker 1: straight off as hard as they could go after the
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Speaker 1: first lot. We should not have chased them as far
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Speaker 1: as we did, but we wanted to rope five of
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Speaker 1: their horses for the women. As soon as we had
14:28
Speaker 1: done that we took the back track. Have you caught
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Speaker 1: some of the squaw, Steve, no worse luck? They had
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Speaker 1: all cleared out afore we got here. There was narest
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Speaker 1: soul in the village except these old men and women.
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Speaker 1: But where on earth did they get to It took
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Speaker 1: us a quarter of an hour to find out, and
14:43
Speaker 1: then one of the men lit on it pretty nigh
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Speaker 1: by accident. Right along the cliff, there are some steps
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Speaker 1: cutting the rock. They're hidden by bushes and up above
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Speaker 1: them as a sort of gap in the rock with
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Speaker 1: a path up to it. You can't see it from
14:54
Speaker 1: the plane at all, No doubt. That is the principal
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Speaker 1: reason why they fixed their village here. It gave them
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Speaker 1: a means of escape if they were attacked. Wow, if
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Speaker 1: you haven't got no hostages, Steve, there ain't another minute
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Speaker 1: to waste here. You see, we had figured on them
15:07
Speaker 1: hostages I see you have got some meat. That's good.
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Speaker 1: Well are you all ready, because if so, let's get
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Speaker 1: Three minutes later, the party rode away from the burning village.
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Speaker 1: The women mounted on the Indian horses oars our cattle,
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Speaker 1: Steve said, pointing to a herd out on the plane.
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Speaker 1: But it ain't any use thinking to them now, you bet, Bronco,
15:26
Speaker 1: Herry replied, There ain't no thinking about horns or hides
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Speaker 1: at present. It is our own hire we've got to
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Speaker 1: think of. You think they will catch us up, Bronco
15:33
Speaker 1: said Steve. I don't think nothing about it at all.
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Speaker 1: They are just as sure to catch us up as
15:38
Speaker 1: the sun is to rise. We've got every foot of
15:41
Speaker 1: one hundred miles to go, and the horses have been
15:43
Speaker 1: traveling hard for the last three days. By this time,
15:46
Speaker 1: those fellows us have galloped on ahead are pretty nigh
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Speaker 1: their main party. If they haven't overtook them before this,
15:51
Speaker 1: they had no call for speed and would be taking
15:53
Speaker 1: it easy. You can't wreckon much more than ten miles
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Speaker 1: start still, when they catch us, they won't be more
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Speaker 1: than three to one. Thirty five went out, you, said Steve,
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Speaker 1: and another twenty five in the second lot. That brings
16:04
Speaker 1: him up to sixty, which is pretty nigh three to one. Well,
16:07
Speaker 1: three to one ain't such great odds. Even if they
16:09
Speaker 1: were to come down and fight us in a body,
16:11
Speaker 1: but I reckon they would not do that. They are
16:13
Speaker 1: more likely to make a surround of it. They would
16:16
Speaker 1: know that we should have to leave pretty near half
16:17
Speaker 1: our number to guard the women, and the rest wouldn't
16:19
Speaker 1: be strong enough to charge them. Besides, it ain't only
16:23
Speaker 1: sixty we've got to reckon with like enough. Half a
16:25
Speaker 1: dozen of them started as soon as we turn back
16:28
Speaker 1: to the other villages of the tribe, you may reckon
16:30
Speaker 1: we shall have two or three hundred of them coming
16:32
Speaker 1: along in our track in an hour or two. Don't
16:35
Speaker 1: make any mistake about it, Steve. We shan't get away,
16:38
Speaker 1: and we have got to fight now. You know the country,
16:41
Speaker 1: and what you've got to reckon up is where shall
16:44
Speaker 1: we fight? You can't calculate on above fifty miles, and
16:47
Speaker 1: if you say forty it will be safer. A few
16:49
Speaker 1: of the horses might get a bit further than that,
16:51
Speaker 1: but taking them all around and reckoning they have been
16:53
Speaker 1: going hard for the last few days. Forty is the
16:56
Speaker 1: longest we can calculate on afore we hear the redskin
16:59
Speaker 1: yells behind us. The two brothers are about forty miles
17:02
Speaker 1: from here. Steve Brutherford said, Ah, I've heard of them.
17:06
Speaker 1: They are two buttes close together, ain't they. Yes, we
17:09
Speaker 1: should be safe enough there. If all the Redskins in
17:11
Speaker 1: Creation was attacking us, they might starve us out. But
17:13
Speaker 1: they could never climb up one of the brothers. There
17:16
Speaker 1: ain't no climbing up at all. It stands straight up
17:19
Speaker 1: all around. But the other has got a track up.
17:21
Speaker 1: I've seen cattle on the top. Do you know the
17:24
Speaker 1: way up? Steve? Yes. I was with the party that
17:27
Speaker 1: came out from the Canadian looking up the cattle that
17:29
Speaker 1: had strayed. We didn't find many of the cattle. The
17:32
Speaker 1: engines had got them, you may be sure. But we
17:34
Speaker 1: stopped at the foot of the buttes and did some
17:36
Speaker 1: hunting for a day or two. Three or four of
17:38
Speaker 1: us climbed up. It ain't a road you would choose
17:40
Speaker 1: to drive a team down. And I should not have
17:42
Speaker 1: thought that cattle would have climbed it if I hadn't
17:44
Speaker 1: been told they did so. Still it is good enough
17:47
Speaker 1: for us. There was no attempt to gallop at full speed,
17:50
Speaker 1: the horses being kept at a canter, the pace to
17:52
Speaker 1: which they are most accustomed. There, Steve said, pointing to
17:56
Speaker 1: the lower country ahead of them, for they had since
17:58
Speaker 1: starting been gradually descending. There are the brothers. They don't
18:01
Speaker 1: look far away. Hugh, who was riding beside him, remarked,
18:05
Speaker 1: I guess they're near fifteen miles lightning. I should have
18:08
Speaker 1: said five if I had been asked, Hugh said, I
18:11
Speaker 1: wish they was only five. I expect before we get
18:13
Speaker 1: halfway to them, we shall hear the engines behind us. Yes,
18:17
Speaker 1: Bronco has been telling me what you think of it. Well,
18:19
Speaker 1: there is one thing. If we get to those buttes first,
18:22
Speaker 1: we can keep the whole tribe at bay. Yes, lad,
18:25
Speaker 1: as far as fighting goes. But there's one thing again,
18:27
Speaker 1: us water. Hugh asked, you have hit it. I don't say,
18:32
Speaker 1: as there may be any water up there. I reckon
18:34
Speaker 1: there is, but they told me the cattle would stay
18:36
Speaker 1: up there for some time without coming down. But there
18:38
Speaker 1: weren't no cattle when I was there, and I didn't
18:40
Speaker 1: see no water. But it may be at times there
18:43
Speaker 1: is some. The top of the place seemed to me
18:45
Speaker 1: the lowest in the center, not a great deal perhaps,
18:48
Speaker 1: maybe not more than three or four feet. And if
18:50
Speaker 1: there is any hole in the middle, there may be
18:52
Speaker 1: water there. I weren't thinking of it at the time
18:54
Speaker 1: and didn't look for it. Maybe in the rains it
18:56
Speaker 1: gets filled up and there is enough to last the cattle.
18:59
Speaker 1: Sometime everything depends on that. I have been thinking. Hughes
19:03
Speaker 1: said that if I were to ride straight on, I
19:05
Speaker 1: might get through to the next ranch. My horse is
19:08
Speaker 1: a first rate one, and I am sure he could
19:10
Speaker 1: do the distance. If he had started after a couple
19:12
Speaker 1: of days rest, he could carry you one hundred miles.
19:15
Speaker 1: I don't doubt there ain't nothing out of the way
19:17
Speaker 1: in that I have ridden as much a score of times.
19:20
Speaker 1: But you see, lad, he has not had much rest
19:22
Speaker 1: and not much time to eat since we started. You
19:25
Speaker 1: rode him out from your camp and then on to
19:26
Speaker 1: the first halting place. That made eighty or ninety mile.
19:30
Speaker 1: Next day we made sixty I reckon. Then he was
19:32
Speaker 1: going all yesterday till we halted before we went up
19:35
Speaker 1: through the pass, and he kept on going a good
19:37
Speaker 1: bit past midnight. We may not have done more than
19:39
Speaker 1: fifty or sixty mile, but he got no good feed
19:41
Speaker 1: until we got into that dip about two o'clock this morning.
19:45
Speaker 1: If you only had the horses after you that the
19:47
Speaker 1: Indians rode down to Gainsford, I should say your horse
19:50
Speaker 1: would carry you as well as theirs would, But it
19:52
Speaker 1: won't be so you bet your life. That mob we
19:55
Speaker 1: saw outside the village was a fresh one. The fust
19:58
Speaker 1: thing they would do when they got to camp in
19:59
Speaker 1: the after would be to send some of the lads
20:01
Speaker 1: off to grazing grounds with the horses they had ridden,
20:04
Speaker 1: and to fetch in a fresh lot. Besides that, as
20:06
Speaker 1: I've told you, there will be others of the tribe
20:08
Speaker 1: coming up, and John and the chase scores of them.
20:11
Speaker 1: They will all be on fresh mounts, and they will
20:13
Speaker 1: be just on the best ponies they have got, for
20:16
Speaker 1: they will guess that we are heading for the Canadian No, no, lad,
20:19
Speaker 1: it'll never do. They would ride you down Sartain. Another
20:23
Speaker 1: thing is whoever goes has got to know every foot
20:26
Speaker 1: of the country to travel at night and to be
20:28
Speaker 1: able to find his way to the nearest ranch. That
20:31
Speaker 1: job will be mine. I reckon I know more of
20:33
Speaker 1: the engine ways than anyone here. And if anyone can
20:35
Speaker 1: do the job I can. Besides, it is my place.
20:39
Speaker 1: You have all gone into this affair to get my
20:41
Speaker 1: Rosie out of the hands of the Redskins, and it
20:43
Speaker 1: is my duty to get you out of the scrape. Listen.
20:46
Speaker 1: The whole party checked their horses simultaneously as the air
20:49
Speaker 1: brought to their ears a long, quavering yell, and looking
20:52
Speaker 1: back they saw against the distant sky a confused body
20:55
Speaker 1: of horsemen two miles good. Ain't it Bronco about that?
20:59
Speaker 1: I should say, And we've got twelve to ride now.
21:02
Speaker 1: Then let the ponies know they have got to do
21:04
Speaker 1: some work. The shouts of the riders, the tightening of
21:07
Speaker 1: the reins, and a touch of the spur told the
21:09
Speaker 1: horses what was required of them, and they sped along
21:12
Speaker 1: at a very different pace to that which they had
21:14
Speaker 1: hitherto traveled. We are all right, I think, long, Tom
21:17
Speaker 1: said to Hugh. They've been riding a good deal faster
21:20
Speaker 1: than we have, and I don't think they will gain
21:22
Speaker 1: on us now, not anything to speak of. We shall
21:24
Speaker 1: be at the buttes long before they catch us. Though.
21:26
Speaker 1: You see, when one party is chasing another, they have
21:29
Speaker 1: got a great advantage. How do you mean, Tom, I
21:31
Speaker 1: don't see what advantage they have. They have this advantage lightning.
21:36
Speaker 1: All horses ain't the same. Some can go a lot
21:38
Speaker 1: faster than others, some can keep on ever so much
21:41
Speaker 1: longer than others. There are some good and some bad,
21:44
Speaker 1: of course there are tom but that is the same
21:46
Speaker 1: with both parties. Certain it is lad. But you see
21:50
Speaker 1: the party that is chasing go at the speed of
21:52
Speaker 1: their fastest horses, well, not of their fastest, but the
21:56
Speaker 1: speed that the most of them can keep up. Those
21:59
Speaker 1: who are badly mounted drop in the rear and are
22:01
Speaker 1: left behind. The others don't concern themselves about them. Now.
22:04
Speaker 1: It is just the contrary with the party that is chased.
22:07
Speaker 1: They've got to go at the pace of the slowest
22:09
Speaker 1: horse among them. They can't leave one or two of
22:12
Speaker 1: their mates to the marcie of the redskins. They have
22:14
Speaker 1: got to keep together and to fight together, and it
22:17
Speaker 1: must be to die together. There's a lot of difference
22:20
Speaker 1: among the horses in this crowd. We just took what
22:22
Speaker 1: we could get when we started. There weren't no picking
22:25
Speaker 1: and choosing. That were one apiece for us, good or bad.
22:28
Speaker 1: The pace we are going ain't nothing to that horse
22:30
Speaker 1: of yours. But you'll soon see that some of the
22:32
Speaker 1: others can't keep it up, and then we shall have
22:34
Speaker 1: to slow down to their pace. I didn't think of that, Tom. Yes,
22:39
Speaker 1: I see, a party that pursues has an immense advantage
22:41
Speaker 1: over one that flies, providing, of course, they are greatly
22:45
Speaker 1: superior in numbers. If not, there will be a time
22:47
Speaker 1: when the best mounted men could no longer ride at
22:50
Speaker 1: full speed, because if they did, they would be inferior
22:52
Speaker 1: in numbers to those they chased when they came up
22:55
Speaker 1: to them. That is reasonable, lad. And if those redskins
22:58
Speaker 1: behind us are the only lot from the village that
23:00
Speaker 1: will bring them up a bit, they know well enough
23:03
Speaker 1: they can't lick us if they ain't pretty nigh three
23:05
Speaker 1: to one, so they will want their whole crowd up,
23:07
Speaker 1: and they won't be able to travel at the speed
23:09
Speaker 1: of their best horses. That is why I said we
23:11
Speaker 1: shall beat them easy. It ain't really them. It is
23:14
Speaker 1: the bands from the other villages that we've got to fear.
23:18
Speaker 1: I don't know this country, and I don't know what
23:20
Speaker 1: the other villages are, but I shouldn't be surprised any
23:22
Speaker 1: moment to see bands cutting in from the right or left.
23:25
Speaker 1: Some of the engines would ride straight off there, and
23:27
Speaker 1: they will have heard the news as soon or sooner
23:30
Speaker 1: than the band that went after us to the rocks.
23:32
Speaker 1: They will guess the line we should take, and we'll
23:34
Speaker 1: all be on fresh horses. That is what I am
23:37
Speaker 1: thinking of all the time, I suppose Steve knows. Hugh
23:40
Speaker 1: said he knows. He ain't said much, but he'd dropped
23:43
Speaker 1: behind an hour ago, and said to me, keep a
23:46
Speaker 1: sharp lookout on both sides, Tom, that is where the
23:48
Speaker 1: danger comes in. For the next five miles. The pursuers
23:51
Speaker 1: did not appear to gain. Can't we take it easy, Steve,
23:54
Speaker 1: Jim Gatlin asked, some of the horses are beginning to
23:57
Speaker 1: blow a bit. There ain't more than seven miles now
23:59
Speaker 1: between us the buttes. We might let them walk for
24:01
Speaker 1: five minutes now to get their wind again. Steve turned
24:04
Speaker 1: in his saddle and looked round at the horses, wiry
24:07
Speaker 1: little animals as they were. Many of them were showing
24:09
Speaker 1: signs of distress. We will go a little bit easier,
24:13
Speaker 1: he said, just a little. When we get to that
24:15
Speaker 1: brow a mile ahead, we shall get a better view
24:17
Speaker 1: than we will see about it. The horses were pulled
24:20
Speaker 1: in a little, but still kept at a gallop till
24:22
Speaker 1: they got to the top of the ascent. From this
24:25
Speaker 1: point there was a smooth and regular fall right down
24:27
Speaker 1: to the valley from which rose the buttes six miles away.
24:30
Speaker 1: Now you've got to ride for it, and no mistake,
24:33
Speaker 1: Steve said, sharply, there they come both ways. That is
24:36
Speaker 1: just what I was afeared of. An exclamation of something
24:39
Speaker 1: like dismay broke from many of the men, for two
24:42
Speaker 1: bands of Indians were seen, one on each hand, riding
24:44
Speaker 1: like themselves for the buttes. The one to the left
24:47
Speaker 1: was perhaps a mile away, but considerably in advance of them.
24:51
Speaker 1: That on the right was perhaps twice as far, and was,
24:54
Speaker 1: like themselves, just beginning to descend the long incline. We
24:57
Speaker 1: shall pass the crowd to the right, Bronco, Harry said,
25:00
Speaker 1: But the others will cut us off. Sure that is so, Harry,
25:03
Speaker 1: Steve said, quietly. But there's one thing. There ain't above
25:06
Speaker 1: forty or fifty of them, while that crowd to the
25:09
Speaker 1: right twice as strong. If they've been first, it would
25:11
Speaker 1: have been all over with us. Well, don't travel too fast, lads,
25:15
Speaker 1: We can't pass ahead of that lot to the left.
25:17
Speaker 1: But there's no fear of the crowd to the right.
25:19
Speaker 1: Just go at the pace we are going. Now, look here.
25:22
Speaker 1: What has got to be done is this. We have
25:24
Speaker 1: got to keep together with the women in the middle
25:26
Speaker 1: of us. We have got to go right through them. Now,
25:29
Speaker 1: nine of you have got rifles. You keep next to
25:32
Speaker 1: the gals. The moment we have got through the engines,
25:34
Speaker 1: you ride with them straight on to the foot of
25:36
Speaker 1: the butte. I must go with you because I know
25:39
Speaker 1: just where the path starts, and no one else does.
25:41
Speaker 1: The moment you get there, jump off the ponies, take
25:44
Speaker 1: posts among the rocks and open fire on the engines.
25:47
Speaker 1: You bronco with the rest of them directly we are through,
25:50
Speaker 1: you turn again and charge them. Just check them for
25:53
Speaker 1: about a minute. That will be enough. Then you ride
25:55
Speaker 1: in and we will cover you with our rifles. That's
25:58
Speaker 1: about it, Harry replied, Now, boys, you all hear you
26:01
Speaker 1: with the rifles, go straight on and look here. Empty
26:04
Speaker 1: your six shooters into them as you charge. The more
26:07
Speaker 1: you wipe out, the better. Then the rest of you
26:09
Speaker 1: with me. Just give a yell to scare them, and
26:11
Speaker 1: then close with them again. Don't you empty your six
26:14
Speaker 1: shooters at first? But keep your fire till we are
26:16
Speaker 1: through them. It is mighty hard at the others with
26:19
Speaker 1: six shots apiece, don't clear the way for us. You
26:21
Speaker 1: must bear in mind that you will want every shot
26:23
Speaker 1: after we are through, so don't throw away one. Don't
26:26
Speaker 1: you bother about the advanced crowd with the women. I
26:29
Speaker 1: will keep my eye on them, and when they are ready,
26:31
Speaker 1: I will give a yell, and then we will ride
26:33
Speaker 1: for it together. The Indians saw that they had it
26:35
Speaker 1: in their power to cut off the Whites from the buttes,
26:38
Speaker 1: and they no longer rode at the headlong speed at
26:40
Speaker 1: which they were going when first perceived, but slacken down
26:43
Speaker 1: their pace. They could, if they had chosen, have brought
26:46
Speaker 1: on the fight at some distance from the buttes, but
26:48
Speaker 1: they had no motive for doing so. They saw the
26:50
Speaker 1: large party coming from the other side, and preferred to
26:53
Speaker 1: delay the contest till the last moment in order that
26:55
Speaker 1: their friends should be near at hand. Steve remarked with
26:58
Speaker 1: satisfaction that they did not tempt to outride his party.
27:01
Speaker 1: The fools, he said to Bronco Harry, they won't be
27:04
Speaker 1: there above one hundred yards before us, and won't get
27:06
Speaker 1: above one shot each before we were on them. If
27:09
Speaker 1: they had known their business, they would have ridden fit
27:11
Speaker 1: to kill their horses till they got there, and then
27:13
Speaker 1: jumped off and run up that path and held it.
27:16
Speaker 1: We should have lost half our number at least fighting
27:18
Speaker 1: our way up. In fact, with the women with us,
27:21
Speaker 1: we couldn't have done it scarce. Another word was spoken.
27:24
Speaker 1: As the party galloped on. Mile after mile had been passed,
27:28
Speaker 1: and the buttes were now towering up in front of them.
27:31
Speaker 1: When within half a mile of the foot, the riders
27:33
Speaker 1: gradually fell into their places assigned to them. Those with
27:36
Speaker 1: rifles went on in front, then the women, then the
27:39
Speaker 1: men with revolvers. Only the small party of Indians kept
27:42
Speaker 1: on until within one hundred and fifty yards of the
27:44
Speaker 1: foot of the buttes. Then they halted and turned. The
27:48
Speaker 1: Whites were at the moment some two hundred yards behind them.
27:51
Speaker 1: The great party of Indians on the right were about
27:53
Speaker 1: half a mile away. The Indians in front did not
27:56
Speaker 1: await the shock of the Whites, knowing that the impetus
27:59
Speaker 1: of the latter would give them an advantage, but raising
28:01
Speaker 1: their war cry, dashed forward to meet them, discharging their
28:04
Speaker 1: rifles as they came. Not a shot was fired by
28:07
Speaker 1: the Whites until the two lines were within twenty paces
28:10
Speaker 1: of each other. Then the revolvers of the ten men
28:13
Speaker 1: in front cracked out sharply. Several of the Indians fell.
28:16
Speaker 1: Then there was a crash as the lines met, and
28:18
Speaker 1: then for a moment a confused medley, the Indians fighting
28:22
Speaker 1: with tomahawk and spear, the Whites with their deadly revolvers.
28:25
Speaker 1: The conditions were too unequal. There was not one among
28:29
Speaker 1: the band of Whites who could not rely with certainty
28:31
Speaker 1: upon his aim. And as in a close line, boot
28:34
Speaker 1: touching boot, they pressed on, the Indians melted like snow
28:38
Speaker 1: before them. It seemed to Hugh but a moment from
28:40
Speaker 1: the time the fight began, till the path before them
28:42
Speaker 1: to the buttes was open. Forward, shouted Steve, where through
28:46
Speaker 1: them boys. As Hugh dashed on, he heard Broncho Harry shout,
28:50
Speaker 1: the cracking of the revolvers, and the yell of the Indians.
28:53
Speaker 1: The women were riding abreast with them. Now, never mind
28:55
Speaker 1: the gals, Steve shouted, I'll tumble off together. It was
28:59
Speaker 1: but a few seconds before the first band threw themselves
29:02
Speaker 1: from their horses and took up their posts behind boulders
29:04
Speaker 1: and bushes. As they dismounted, Steve gave a loud shout,
29:08
Speaker 1: and almost at the same moment, the party that had
29:10
Speaker 1: fought under the leadership of Bronco Harry wheeled round and
29:13
Speaker 1: rode towards them. Had there been only the Indians that
29:16
Speaker 1: had tried to bar their way to reckon with, there
29:18
Speaker 1: would have been no need for them to seek refuge
29:20
Speaker 1: at the buttes. Half their number had fallen under the
29:23
Speaker 1: bullets of the front line of the Whites as they
29:24
Speaker 1: fell upon them. The charge of Broncho Harry's detachment had
29:28
Speaker 1: completed the effect of the blow. The whole conflict had
29:30
Speaker 1: only lasted half a minute, but in that time the
29:33
Speaker 1: deadly six shooters had brought terrible havoc with the band
29:36
Speaker 1: of Indians. Less than half of them went galloping back
29:39
Speaker 1: to meet their advancing friends, and several of these were
29:42
Speaker 1: leaning over their saddles, evidently badly wounded. Over twenty lay
29:46
Speaker 1: together at the spot where the two parties had met.
29:49
Speaker 1: A few of the horses stood quietly beside their dead owners.
29:52
Speaker 1: The rest were careering wildly over the plain. A lild
29:55
Speaker 1: cheer broke from both parties of the Whites as Bronco
29:58
Speaker 1: Harry's band rode in and dismounted. That has been a
30:00
Speaker 1: pretty tight race, long Tom said, But we beat them,
30:04
Speaker 1: Handsome Tom, do you stow away your horses and ours
30:07
Speaker 1: as snug as you can among the rocks and trees.
30:09
Speaker 1: Then take your places down here. We will get a
30:12
Speaker 1: bit higher up so as to get a wider range
30:14
Speaker 1: for our rifles. But we haven't time for that now.
30:16
Speaker 1: We must just give this other crowd a hint that
30:19
Speaker 1: we have got rifles and can use them. Now, boys,
30:21
Speaker 1: take steady aim at that clump of redskins. Don't throw
30:24
Speaker 1: away a shot. There is nothing like straight shooting for
30:27
Speaker 1: skaring a red. Here goes and Steve, taking steady aim, fired,
30:32
Speaker 1: while his companions followed his example. End of Chapter thirteen,
30:36
Speaker 1: read by Dorry Smith