THE LOST CATTLE.
A fortnight passed without the slightest incident or alarm. The rules
which Mr. Hardy had laid down were strictly observed. The sheep and
cattle were carefully secured at night; two or three of the native dogs
were fastened up, down at the fold; one of the mastiffs was kept at the
men's hut, while the other's kennel was placed by the house; the
retrievers, as usual, sleeping in-doors. A flagstaff was erected upon
the lookout, with a red flag in readiness to be run up to summon those
who might be away on the plain, and a gun was kept loaded to call
attention to the signal. The boys, when they went out for their rides,
carried their carbines instead of their guns. The girls fulfilled the
duties of lookouts, going up every half-hour from daybreak to dusk; and
the call of 'Sister Anne, do you see horsemen?' was invariably answered
in the negative. One day, however, Mr. Hardy had ridden over to
Canterbury to arrange with his friends about hiring shearers from
Rosario for the united flocks. The boys and Terence were in the fields
ploughing, at a distance of half a mile from the house, when they were
startled by the sound of a gun. Looking round, they saw both the girls
standing upon the tower: Maud had just fired the gun, and Ethel was
pulling up the flag.
'Be jabers! and the Indians have come at last!' Terence exclaimed, and
they all three started at a run.
Maud turned round and waved her hand to them, and then she and Ethel
continued looking over the plain. At this moment they were joined on the
tower by Mrs. Hardy and Sarah.
'It is all right,' Charley, who was of an unexcitable temperament, said.
'The Indians must be a long way off, or the girls would be waving to us
to make haste. Take it easy; we shall want to keep our hands steady.'
So they broke from the headlong speed at which they had started, into a
steady trot, which in five minutes brought them up to the house.
'What is it?' they exclaimed as they gained the top of the tower.
'Oh dear, oh dear!' Ethel said. 'They have got all the animals.'
'And I fear they have killed Gomez and Pedro,' Mrs. Hardy added.
It was too evidently true. At a distance of six miles the boys could see
a dark mass rapidly retreating, and numerous single specks could be seen
hovering round them. Two miles from the house a single horseman was
galloping wildly. The girls had already made him out to be Lopez.
The boys and Terence stood speechless with dismay. The Irishman was the
first to find his tongue.
'Och, the thundering villains!' he exclaimed; 'the hathen thieves! And
to think that not one of us was there to give them a bating.'
'What will papa say?' Hubert ejaculated.
Charley said nothing, but looked frowningly, with tightly closed lips,
after the distant mass, while his hands closed upon his carbine. 'How
was it, Maud?' he asked at length.
'I was down-stairs,' Maud said, 'when Ethel, who had just gone up,
called down, "Come up, Maud, quickly; I think that something's the
matter." I ran up the steps, and I saw our animals a long way off,
nearly four miles, and I saw a black mass of something going along fast
towards them from the left. They were rather nearer to us than the
cattle were, and were in one of the slopes of the ground, so that they
would not have been seen by any one with the cattle; then, as they got
quite near the animals, I saw a sudden stir. The beasts began to gallop
away, and three black specks--who, I suppose, were the men--separated
themselves from them and went off sideways. One seemed to get a start of
the other two. These were cut off by the black mass, and I did not see
anything more of them. Lopez got away; and though some of the others
rode after him for about a mile, they could not overtake him. Directly I
saw what it was, I caught up the gun and fired, and Ethel ran up the
flag. That's all I saw.'
Ethel confirmed her sister's account, merely adding that, seeing the two
bodies in the distance, one going very fast towards the other, she
suspected that something was wrong, and so called at once to Maud.
The animals were now quite out of sight, and the whole party went down
to meet Lopez, who was just riding up to the enclosure. He was very
pale, and his horse was covered with foam.
'Are the peons killed, Lopez?' was Mrs. Hardy's first question.
'I do not know, signora; but I should think so. The Indians caught them;
I heard a scream,' and the man shuddered. 'Santa Virgine'--and he
crossed himself piously--'what an escape! I will burn twenty pounds of
candles upon your altar.'
'How was it that you were surprised, Lopez?' Charley asked. 'You were so
particularly ordered to keep a good lookout.'
'Well, Signor Charles, I was keeping a good lookout, and it is lucky
that I was. I was farther away than I ought to have been,--I know that,
for the signor told me not to go far; but I knew that the rise that I
took them to was the highest in that direction, and that I could see for
miles away into the Indian country. So I got out there, and Pedro and
Gomez had got the sheep and cattle all well together, and there was no
fear of them straying, for the grass there is very good. So the men lay
down for their siesta, and I was standing by my horse looking over the
campo. Some of the beasts seemed uneasy, and I thought that there must
be a lion somewhere about. So I got on my horse, and just as I did so I
heard a noise; and looking behind, where I had never dreamt of them, I
saw a lot of Indians coming up at full gallop from the hollow. The
cattle went off at the same instant; and I gave a shout to the men, and
stuck my spurs into Carlos. It was a near touch of it, and they gave me
a hard chase for the first mile; but my horse was fresher than theirs,
and they gave it up.'
'How many Indians were there?' Charley asked.
'I don't know, Signor Charles. It was only those in front that I caught
sight of, and I never looked round after I started. Some of them had
firearms, for eight or ten of them fired after me as I made off, and the
arrows fell all round me.'
'What do you think, girls, about the number?'
The girls were silent, and then Ethel said: 'They were all in a lump,
Charley. One could not see them separately.'
'The lump seemed to be about the size that our cattle do when they are
close together at the same distance. Don't you think so, Ethel?' Maud
said.
'Yes,' Ethel thought that they were.
'Then there must be from a hundred to a hundred and fifty of them,'
Charley said. 'I wonder what papa will do! One of us had better ride off
at once and fetch him.'
'I will go,' Hubert said, moving away to saddle his horse.
'Stop, Hubert,' Charley said; 'I think you had better take Lopez's
horse. I don't know what papa may make up his mind to do, and it is
better to have your horse quite fresh.'
Hubert agreed at once, and was mounting, when Maud said: 'Wait a moment,
Hubert, I will run up to the lookout. I may see papa; it is nearly time
for him to be home.'
Hubert paused while Maud ran up to the house, and in a minute appeared
at the top of the tower. She stood for a moment looking across the
stream towards Canterbury, and then held up her hand. 'I can see him,'
she called out. 'He is a long way off, but he is coming.'
Hubert was about to alight again, when Mrs. Hardy said: 'You had better
ride to meet your papa, Hubert. He will be very much alarmed when he
sees the flag, and it will be a great satisfaction to him to know that
we at least are all safe.'
Hubert at once galloped off, while Maud continued to watch her father.
He was about two miles distant, and was riding quietly. Then for a
little while she lost sight of him. As he came up on the next rise, she
saw him suddenly stop his horse. She guessed that he was gazing at the
flag-staff, for there was not a breath of wind, and the flag drooped
straight down by the pole, so that it was difficult to distinguish it at
a distance. Then she was sure that he made it out, for he came on at a
furious gallop; and as he came nearer, she could see that he had taken
his gun from its place and was carrying it across his arm in readiness
for instant action. In a few minutes Hubert met him, and after a short
pause the two rode together back to the house at a canter.
Mr. Hardy paused at the men's hut to give Lopez a hearty rating for his
disobedience of orders in going so far out upon the plain. Then he came
up to the house. 'This is a bad affair, my dear,' he said cheerfully;
'but as long as we are all safe, we can thank God that it's no worse. We
shall get some of our beasts back yet, or I am mistaken. Ethel, run down
to Terence, and tell him to drive the bullocks that are down with the
ploughs into their enclosure, and to fasten the gate after them. Maud,
give all the horses a feed of Indian corn and some water. Boys, tell
Sarah to put some cold meat and bread into your hunting-bags. Load the
spare chambers of your carbines, and see that your water-gourds are
full.'
Mr. Hardy then retired with his wife--who had been looking on anxiously
while these orders were being given--into their own room, where they
remained about ten minutes. When they came back into the sitting-room
Mrs. Hardy was pale, but composed, and the children could see that she
had been crying.
'Your mamma and I have been talking the matter over, boys, and I have
told her that I must do my best to get some, at least, of our animals
back. I shall take you both with me. It is unfortunate that two of our
friends at Canterbury have ridden over early this morning to Mr.
Percy's, and will not be back until late to-night. Had they been at
home, they would, I know, have joined us. I thought at first of sending
over for Mr. Farquhar, who is at home, but I do not like losing the
time. I shall send Lopez over with a note, asking him to come and sleep
here to-night. We shall not be back till to-morrow. There is no fear of
another alarm to-day; still I shall be more comfortable in knowing that
you have some one with you. Do not go beyond the enclosure, girls, until
we return. Terence, too, is to remain inside, and can sleep in the house
to-night; so also can Lopez. You will therefore be well protected. Let
us have something to eat, and then in ten minutes we will be in the
saddle. Charley, fetch down three blue-lights, two signal rockets, and
two of the tin rockets. Maud, fill our pocket-flasks with brandy.
Hubert, you boys will each take your carbine and a revolver; I will
carry my long rifle, and the other two Colts.'
In ten minutes they were ready to mount, and after a final embrace, and
many a 'Be sure and take care of yourselves' from their mother and
sisters, they started off across the plain at a long, steady gallop.
'They have got just an hour's start, boys,' Mr. Hardy said. 'Your mother
said that it was exactly half an hour from the first alarm to my
arrival, and I was in the house a minute or two under that time. It is
about half past twelve now.'
'It is very fortunate, papa, that we had our horses safe up at the
house.'
'Yes, boys. If we had been obliged to wait until to-morrow morning
before starting, our chance of coming up would have been very slight. As
it is, we shall be up with them in three or four hours. The sheep cannot
go really fast more than twelve or fifteen miles, especially with their
heavy fleeces on.'
Half an hour's riding took them to the scene of the attack. As they
neared it, they saw two figures lying upon the grass. There was no
occasion to go near: the stiff and distorted attitudes were sufficient
to show that they were dead.
Mr. Hardy purposely avoided riding close to them, knowing that the
shocking sight of men who have met with a violent death is apt to shake
the nerves of any one unaccustomed to such a sight, however brave he may
be.
'They are evidently dead, poor fellows!' he said. 'It is no use our
stopping.'
Charley looked at the bodies with a fierce frown upon his face, and
muttered to himself, 'We'll pay them out for you, the cowardly
scoundrels.'
Hubert did not even glance towards them. He was a tender-hearted boy,
and he felt his face grow pale, and a strange feeling of sickness come
over him, even at the momentary glance which he had at first taken at
the rigid figures.
'I suppose you do not mean to attack them until night, papa?' Charley
asked.
'Well, boys, I have been thinking the matter over, and I have come to
the conclusion that it will be better to do so directly we get up to
them.'
'And do you think, papa, that we three will be able to thrash the lot of
them? They must be a poor, miserable set of cowards.'
'No, Charley; I do not think that we shall be able to thrash the lot, as
you say; but, with our weapons, we shall be able to give them a terrible
lesson. If we attack at night they will soon find out how few are our
numbers, and having no particular dread of our weapons, may rush at us,
and overpower us in spite of them. Another thing, boys, is, I want to
give them a lesson. They must know that they shan't come and murder and
steal on our place with impunity.'
Scarcely another word was exchanged for the next hour. At a long, steady
gallop they swept along. There was no difficulty in following the track,
for the long grass was trampled in a wide swathe. Several times, too,
exclamations of rage burst from the boys as they came across a dead
sheep, evidently speared by the savages because he could not keep up
with the others. After passing several of them, Mr. Hardy called to the
boys to halt, while he leapt off his horse by the side of one of the
sheep, and put his hand against its body and into its mouth.
'It's quite dead; isn't it, papa?' Hubert said.
'Quite, Hubert; I never thought it was alive.' And Mr. Hardy leapt upon
his horse again. 'I wanted to see how warm the body was. If we try again
an hour's ride ahead, we shall be able to judge, by the increased heat
of the body, as to how much we have gained on the Indians, and whether
they are far ahead. You see, boys, when I was a young man, I was out
many times in Texas against the Comanches and Apaches, who are a very
different enemy from these cowardly Indians here. One had to keep one's
eyes open there, for they were every bit as brave as we were. Don't push
on so fast, Charley. Spare your horse; you will want all he's got in him
before you have done. I think that we must be gaining upon them very
fast now. You see the dead sheep lie every hundred yards or so, instead
of every quarter of a mile. The Indians know well enough that it would
take a whole day out on the edge of the settlements to collect a dozen
men for pursuit, and would have no idea that three men would set off
alone; so I expect that they will now have slackened their pace a
little, to give the sheep breathing time.'
After another ten minutes' ride Mr. Hardy again alighted, and found a
very perceptible increase of warmth in the bodies of the sheep. 'I do
not think that they can have been dead much more than a quarter of an
hour. Keep a sharp lookout ahead, boys; we may see them at the top of
the next rise.'
Not a word was spoken for the next few minutes. Two or three slight
swells were crossed without any sign of the enemy; and then, upon
breasting a rather higher rise than usual, they saw a mass of moving
beings in the distance.
'Halt!' Mr. Hardy shouted, and the boys instantly drew rein. 'Jump off,
boys. Only our heads have shown against the sky. They can hardly have
noticed them. There, hold my horse; loosen the saddle-girths of yours
too, and let them breathe freely. Take the bridles out of their mouths.
It seemed to me, by the glimpse I got of our enemies, that they were
just stopping. I am going on to make sure of it.'
So saying, Mr. Hardy again went forward a short distance, going on his
hands and knees as he came on to the crest of the rise, in order that
his head might not show above the long grass. When he reached it, he saw
at once that his first impression had been correct. At a distance of a
little over a mile a mass of animals were collected, and round them were
scattered a number of horses, while figures of men were moving among
them.
'It is as I thought, boys,' he said when he rejoined his sons. 'They
have stopped for a while. The animals must all be completely done up;
they cannot have come less than thirty miles, and will require three or
four hours' rest, at the least, before they are fit to travel again. One
hour will do for our horses. Rinse their mouths out with a little water,
and let them graze if they are disposed: in half an hour we will give
them each a double handful of Indian corn.'
Having attended to their horses, which they hobbled to prevent their
straying, Mr. Hardy and the boys sat down and made a slight meal. None
of them felt very hungry, the excitement of the approaching attack
having driven away the keen appetite that they would have otherwise
gained from their ride; but Mr. Hardy begged the boys to endeavour to
eat something, as they would be sure to feel the want of food later.
The meal over, Mr. Hardy lit his favourite pipe, while the boys went
cautiously up the hill to reconnoitre. There was no change; most of the
animals were lying down, and there was little sign of movement. Two or
three Indians, however, were standing motionless and rigid by their
horses' sides, evidently acting as sentries. The boys thought that hour
the longest that they had ever passed. At last, however, their father
looked at his watch, shook the ashes out of his pipe and put it in his
pocket. 'Now, boys, it is five minutes to the hour. Examine your
carbines and revolvers, see that everything is in order, and that there
is no hitch. Tighten the saddle-girths and examine the buckles. See that
your ammunition and spare carbine chambers are ready at hand.'
In another five minutes the party were in their saddles.
'Now, boys, my last words. Don't ride ahead or lag behind: regulate your
pace by mine. Look out for armadillo holes,--they are more dangerous
than the Indians. Remember my orders: on no account use the second
chamber of your carbines unless in case of great urgency. Change the
chambers directly you have emptied them, but don't fire a shot until the
spare ones are charged again. Now, boys, hurrah for old England!'
'Hurrah!' the boys both shouted as they started at a canter up the rise.
As they caught sight of the Indians, everything was quiet as before; but
in another moment they saw the men on watch throw themselves on to their
horses' backs, figures leapt up from the grass and ran towards their
horses, and in little over a minute the whole were in motion.
'Surely they are not going to run away from three men!' Charley said in
a disgusted tone.
'They won't run far, Charley,' Mr. Hardy said quietly. 'By the time that
we are half-way to them they will see that we can have no one with us,
and then they will come on quickly enough.'
It was as Mr. Hardy said. Keen as had been the watch kept by the
Indians, in spite of their belief that no pursuing force could be sent
after them, it was some little time before they could get the weary
animals on their legs and in motion; and even at the easy canter at
which Mr. Hardy approached, he had neared them to within half a mile
before they were fairly off. A small party only continued to drive the
animals, and the rest of the Indians wheeling sharp round, and uttering
a wild war-cry, came back at full gallop towards the whites.
[Illustration: Onset of the Indians.--_Page 183._]
'Halt, boys--steady, dismount: take up your positions quietly. Don't
fire till I give you the word. I shall try my rifle first.'
The well-trained horses, accustomed to their masters firing from their
backs, stood as steady as if carved in stone, their heads turned
inquiringly towards the yelling throng of horsemen who were approaching.
Mr. Hardy and the boys had both dismounted, so that the horses were
between them and the Indians, the saddles serving as rests for their
firearms.
'Five hundred yards, Charley?' his father asked quietly.
'A little over, papa; nearly six, I should say.'
Mr. Hardy waited another ten seconds, and then his rifle cracked; and a
yell of astonishment and rage broke from the Indians, as one of their
chiefs, conspicuous from an old dragoon helmet, taken probably in some
skirmish with the soldiers, fell from his horse.
'Hurrah!' Charley cried. 'Shall we fire now, papa?'
'No, Charley,' Mr. Hardy said as he reloaded his rifle; 'wait till they
are four hundred yards off, then fire slowly. Count ten between each
shot, and take as steady an aim as possible. Now! Well done, two more of
the scoundrels down. Steady, Hubert, you missed that time: there, that's
better.'
The Indians yelled with rage and astonishment as man after man dropped
before the steady and, to them, mysterious fire which was kept up upon
them. Still they did not abate the rapidity of their charge.
'Done, papa,' Charley said as the two boys simultaneously fired their
last shot, when the leading Indians were about two hundred and fifty
yards distant.
'Change your chambers and mount,' Mr. Hardy said as he again took aim
with his rifle.
The enemy was not more than a hundred and fifty yards distant, when they
leapt into their saddles and started at a gallop.
'Steady, boys, keep your horses well in hand. Never mind their balls;
they could no more hit a man at this distance from the back of a horse
than they could fly. There is no chance of their catching us; there
won't be many horses faster than ours, and ours are a good deal fresher.
Keep a good lookout for holes.'
Both pursuers and pursued were now going over the ground at a tremendous
pace. The Indians had ceased firing, for most of those who had guns had
discharged them as Mr. Hardy and his sons had mounted, and it was
impossible to load at the speed at which they were going.
During the first mile of the chase Mr. Hardy had looked round several
times, and had said each time, 'We are holding our own, boys; they are a
good hundred yards behind; keep your horses in hand.'
At the end of another mile, his face brightened as he looked round. 'All
right, boys, they are tailing off fast. Three-quarters of them have
stopped already. There are not above a score of the best mounted
anywhere near us. Another mile and we will give them a lesson.'
The mile was soon traversed, and Mr. Hardy saw that only about twelve
Indians had maintained their distance.
'Now is the time, boys. When I say halt, draw up and jump off, but take
very steady aim always at the nearest. Don't throw away a shot. They are
only a hundred yards off, and the revolvers will tell. Don't try to use
the second chamber; there is no time for that. Use your pistols when you
have emptied your carbines. Halt!'
Not five seconds elapsed after the word was spoken before Charley's
carbine rang out. Then came the sharp cracks of the carbines and pistols
in close succession. The Indians hesitated at the tremendous fire which
was opened upon them, then halted. The delay was fatal to them. In
little over half a minute the eighteen shots had been fired. Five
Indians lay upon the plain; another, evidently a chief, had been carried
off across the saddle of one of his followers, who had leapt off when he
saw him fall; and two others were evidently wounded, and had difficulty
in keeping their seats.
'Now, boys, change your chambers, and take a shot or two after them,'
Mr. Hardy said as he again reloaded his rifle.
The boys, however, found by the time they were ready, that the flying
Indians were beyond any fair chance of hitting; but their father took a
long and steady aim with his deadly rifle, and upon its report a horse
and man went down. But the rider was in an instant upon his feet again,
soon caught one of the riderless horses which had galloped off with its
companions, and followed his comrades.
'Well done, boys,' Mr. Hardy said, with a hearty pat on their shoulders.
'You have done gallantly for a first fight, and I feel proud of you.'
Both boys coloured with pleasure.
'How many have we killed?'
'I think seven fell at our first attack, papa, and six here, counting
the one they carried off, besides wounded.'
'Thirteen. It is enough to make them heartily wish themselves back. Now
let us give the horses ten minutes' rest, and then we will stir them up
again. We must not lose time; it will be sunset in another
three-quarters of an hour.'
Half an hour's riding again brought them up to the Indians, who had
stopped within a mile of their former halting-place.
'The moon will be up by one o'clock, boys, and they mean to remain where
they are till then. Do you see that hollow that runs just this side of
where they are? No doubt there is a small stream there.'
This time the Indians made no move to retreat farther. They knew now
that their assailants were only three in number. They were armed,
indeed, with weapons which, in their terrible rapidity of fire, were
altogether beyond anything they had hitherto seen; but in the darkness
these would be of no avail against a sudden rush.
But if the Indians did not run away, neither did they, as before, attack
their assailants. Their horses had been placed in the middle of the
cattle, with a few Indians standing by them to keep them quiet. The rest
of the Indians were not to be seen, but Mr. Hardy guessed that they were
lying down in the long grass, or were concealed among the animals.
'The rascals have got a clever chief among them, boys. Except those
half-dozen heads we see over the horses' backs, there is nothing to see
of them. They know that if we go close, they can pick us off with their
guns and bows and arrows, without giving us a single fair shot at them.
Don't go any nearer, boys; no doubt there are many of their best shots
hidden in the grass.'
'We could scatter the cattle with a rocket, papa.'
'Yes, we could, Hubert, but we should gain nothing by it; they have got
men by their horses, and would soon get the herd together again. No, we
will keep that for the night. Hallo! to the right, boys, for your
lives.'
Not a moment too soon did Mr. Hardy perceive the danger. The chief of
the Indians, expecting another attack, had ordered twenty of his best
mounted men to separate themselves from the main body, and to hide
themselves in a dip of the ground near the place where the first attack
had taken place. They were to allow the whites to pass, and were then to
follow quietly, and fall suddenly upon them.
Complete success had attended the manoeuvre; and it was fortunate that
the party had no firearms, these having been distributed among the main
body with the cattle, for they were within forty yards of Mr. Hardy
before they were seen. It was, in fact, a repetition of the manoeuvre
which had proved so successful in their attack upon the cattle.
They were not immediately in the rear of Mr. Hardy, but rather to the
left. As Mr. Hardy and his sons turned to fly, a number of Indians
sprang upon their feet from among the grass, and discharged a volley of
guns and arrows at them. Fortunately the distance was considerable. One
of their arrows, however, struck Mr. Hardy's horse in the shoulder,
while another stuck in the rider's arm. Another went through the calf of
Hubert's leg, and stuck in the flap of the saddle.
There was no time for word or complaint. They buried their spurs in
their horses' sides, and the gallant animals, feeling that the occasion
was urgent, seemed almost to fly. In a mile they were able to break into
a steady gallop, the enemy being now seventy or eighty yards behind. Mr.
Hardy had already pulled the arrow from his arm, and Hubert now
extracted his. As he stooped to do so, his father, who had not noticed
that he was wounded, saw what he was doing.
'Hurt much, old man?'
'Not much,' Hubert said; but it did hurt a good deal nevertheless.
'I don't want to tire our horses any more, boys,' Mr. Hardy said; 'I
shall try and stop those rascals with one of my revolvers.'
So saying, he drew one of his pistols from his holster, and turning
round in his saddle, took a steady aim and fired.
At the same instant, however, his horse trod in a hole, and fell, Mr.
Hardy being thrown over its head with tremendous force. The boys reined
their horses hard in, and Hubert gave a loud cry as he saw his father
remain stiff and unmoved on the ground. The Indians set up a wild yell
of triumph.
'Steady, Hubert. Jump off. Pick up papa's pistol. Arrange the horses in
a triangle round him. That's right. Now don't throw away a shot.'
The nearest Indian was scarcely thirty yards off, when Charley's bullet
crashed into his brain. The three immediately following him fell in
rapid succession, another chief's arm sank useless to his side, while
the horse of another fell, shot through the brain.
Both the boys were pale, but their hands were as steady as iron. They
felt as if, with their father lying insensible under their protection,
they could not miss.
So terrible was the destruction which the continued fire wrought among
the leaders, that the others instinctively checked the speed of their
horses as they approached the little group, from which fire and balls
seemed to stream, and began to discharge arrows at the boys, hanging on
the other side of their horses, so that by their foes they could not be
seen, a favourite manoeuvre with the Indians. As the boys fired their
last barrels, they drew their revolvers from the holsters, and, taking
aim as the Indians showed a head or an arm under their horses' necks or
over their backs, their twelve barrels added to the Indians scattered
over the ground.
'Now, Hubert, give me the two last revolvers, and put the two fresh
chambers into the carbines.'
Seeing only one of their foes on the defence, the Indians again made a
rush forward. Charley shot the two first with a revolver, but the others
charged up, and he stooped a moment to avoid a spear, rising a little on
one side, and discharging with both hands his pistols at the Indians,
who were now close. 'Quick, Hubert,' he said, as he shot with his last
barrel an Indian who had just driven his spear into the heart of Mr.
Hardy's horse.
The animal fell dead as it stood, and the Indians with a yell charged
at the opening, but, as they did so, Hubert slipped a carbine into his
brother's hand, and the two again poured in the deadly fire which had so
checked the Indians' advance.
The continuation of the fire appalled the Indians, and the seven that
survived turned and fled.
'I will load, Hubert,' Charley said, trying to speak steadily. 'See to
papa at once. Empty one of the water-gourds upon his face and head.'
Hubert looked down with a cold shudder. Neither of the boys had dared to
think during that brief fight. They had had many falls before on the
soft turf of the Pampas, but no hurt had resulted, and both were more
frightened at the insensibility of their father than at the Indian
horde, which were so short a distance away, and which would no doubt
return in a few minutes in overwhelming force.
Great, then, was Hubert's delight, when, upon looking round, he saw that
Mr. Hardy had raised himself with his arms.
'What has happened?' he said in a confused manner.
'Are you hurt, papa?' Hubert asked, with tears of joy running down his
face; 'you frightened us both so dreadfully. Please drink a little
water, and I will pour a little over your face.'
Mr. Hardy drank some water, and Hubert dashed some more in his face.
'That will do, Hubert,' he said with a smile; 'you will drown me. There,
I am all right now. I was stunned, I suppose. There you are,' and he got
up on to his feet; 'you see I am not hurt. And now, where are the
Indians?'
'There, papa,' said the boys with pardonable triumph, as they pointed to
thirteen dead Indians.
Their father could not speak. He grasped their hands warmly. He saw how
great the danger must have been, and how gallantly his boys must have
borne themselves.
'The Indians may be back in a few minutes, papa. Your horse is dead, but
there is one of the Indians' standing by his dead master. Let us catch
him and shift the saddle.' The animal, when they approached it, made no
move to take flight, and they saw that his master's foot, as he fell,
had become entangled in the lasso, and the well-trained beast had stood
without moving. In three minutes the saddles were transferred, and the
party again ready for fight or flight.
'What next, papa?'
'We turned to the right, and rather towards home, when we started; so
the Indian halting-place is to the south-east of us, is it not?'
'Yes, papa; as near as may be,' Charley said, making out the points with
some difficulty on the pocket-compass, one of which they each carried,
as the danger of being lost upon the pathless Pampas is very great.
'We had ridden about two miles when I got my fall, so we are a mile to
the west of their camp. We will ride now a couple of miles due north.
The Indians are sure to send out a scout to see whether we have returned
home, and our track will lead them to believe that we have. It is dusk
now. We shall get three hours' rest before we have to move.'
It was perfectly dark before they reached their halting-place. The
saddles were again loosened, a little Indian corn, moistened with water,
given to the horses, and another slight meal taken by themselves. The
boys, by Mr. Hardy's orders, though sorely against their own wishes,
then lay down to get a couple of hours' sleep; while Mr. Hardy went back
about a hundred yards along the trail they had made on coming, and then
turned aside and sat down at a distance of a few yards to watch, in case
any Indian should have followed up their trail.
Here he sat for over two hours, and then returned to the boys. Charley
he found fast asleep. The pain of Hubert's wound had kept him awake. Mr.
Hardy poured some water over the bandage, and then, waking Charley, gave
them instructions as to the part they were to play.
Both of them felt rather uncomfortable when they heard that they were to
be separated from their father. They raised no objections, however, and
promised to obey his instructions to the letter. They then mounted their
horses,--Hubert having to be lifted up, for his leg was now very stiff
and sore,--and then began to retrace their steps, keeping a hundred
yards or so to the west of the track by which they had come.
They rode in single file, and they had taken the precaution of fastening
a piece of tape round their horses' nostrils and mouth, to prevent their
snorting should they approach any of their own species. The night was
dark, but the stars shone out clear and bright. At starting, Mr. Hardy
had opened his watch, and had felt by the hands that it was ten o'clock.
After some time he felt again.
It was just half an hour from the time of their starting.
'Now, boys, we are somewhere close to the place of your fight. In
another ten minutes we must separate.'
At the end of that time they again closed up.
'Now, boys, you see that bright star. That is nearly due east of us; go
on as nearly as you can guess for ten minutes, at a walk, as before. You
will then be within a mile of the enemy. Then get off your horses. Mind,
on no account whatever are you to leave their bridles, but stand with
one hand on the saddle, ready to throw yourself into it. Keep two
blue-lights, and give me one. Don't speak a word, but listen as if your
lives depended upon detecting a sound, as indeed they do. You are to
remain there until you see that I have fairly succeeded, and then you
are to dash in behind the cattle and fire off your revolvers, and shout
so as to quicken their pace as much as possible. I do not think there is
the least fear of the Indians following, the rockets will scare them too
much. When you have chased the herd for about two miles, draw aside half
a mile on their side, and then listen for the Indians passing in pursuit
of the cattle; wait ten minutes, and then blow your dog-whistle,--a
sharp, short note. If you hear Indians following you, or think there is
danger, blow twice, and go still farther to the right. God bless you,
boys. I don't think there is much fear of your falling upon any scouts;
they have been too badly cut up to-day, and must look upon our guns as
witches. I need not say keep together, and, if attacked, light a
blue-light and throw it down; ride a short way out of its circle of
light, and I will come straight to you through everything. Don't be
nervous about me. There is not the least danger.'
In another minute the boys lost sight of their father, and turning their
horses, proceeded in the direction he had ordered. Every now and then
they stopped to listen, but not a sound could they hear. Their own
horses' hoofs made no noise as they fell upon the soft turf.
At the end of the ten minutes, just as Charley was thinking of stopping,
they heard a sound which caused them to halt simultaneously. It was the
low baa of a sheep, and seemed to come from directly ahead of them.
Charley now alighted, and Hubert brought his horse up beside him,
keeping his place, however, in the saddle, but leaning forward on the
neck of his horse, for he felt that, if he got off, he should be unable
to regain his seat hurriedly in case of alarm.
'About a mile off, I should say, by the sound,' Charley whispered; 'and
just in the direction we expected.'
The spot Charley had chosen for the halt was a slight hollow, running
east and west; so that, even had the moon been up, they would not have
been visible except to any one in the line of the hollow.
Here, their carbines cocked and ready for instant use, they remained
standing for what appeared to them ages, listening with the most intense
earnestness for any sound which might tell of the failure or success of
their father's enterprise.
Mr. Hardy had ridden on for, as nearly as he could tell, two miles, so
that he was now to the south-west of the enemy; then, turning west, he
kept along for another mile, when he judged that he was, as nearly as
possible, a mile in their direct rear. He now advanced with the
greatest caution, every faculty absorbed in the sense of listening. He
was soon rewarded by the sound of the baaing of the sheep; and
dismounting and leading his horse, he gradually approached the spot. At
last, on ascending a slight rise, he fancied that he could make out a
black mass, at a distance of a quarter of a mile. Of this, however, he
was not certain; but he was sure, from an occasional sound, that the
herd was exactly in this direction and at about that distance.
He now left his horse, taking the precaution of tying all four legs, to
prevent his starting off at the sound of the rockets. He next set to
work to cut some turf, with which he formed a narrow sloping bank, with
a hollow for the rocket to rest in--calculating the exact distance, and
the angle required. During this operation he stopped every minute or two
and listened with his ear on the ground; but except a faint stamping
noise from the distant cattle, all was quiet.
All being prepared, Mr. Hardy took the signal rocket, and placing it at
a much higher angle than that intended for the others, struck a match
and applied it to the touch-paper. In a moment afterwards there was a
loud roar, and the rocket soared up, with its train of brilliant sparks
behind it, and burst almost over the Indian camp. Five or six balls of
an intense white light broke from it, and gradually fell towards the
ground, lighting up the whole surrounding plain.
A yell of astonishment and fear broke from the Indians, and in a moment
another rocket rushed out.
Mr. Hardy watched its fiery way with anxiety, and saw with delight that
its direction was true. Describing a slight curve, it rushed full at the
black mass, struck something, turned abruptly, and then exploded with a
loud report, followed instantly by a cracking noise, like a straggling
fusilade of musketry.
It had scarcely ceased before the third followed it, greeted, like its
predecessors, with a yell from the Indians.
Its success was equal to that of its predecessors, and Mr. Hardy was
delighted by the sound of a dull, heavy noise, like distant thunder, and
knew that the success was complete, and that he had stampeded the
cattle.
He now ran to his horse, which was trembling in every limb and
struggling wildly to escape, soothed it by patting it, loosed its bonds,
sprang into the saddle, and went off at full gallop in the direction by
which he had come. He had not ridden very far before he heard, in the
still night air, the repeated sound of firearms, and knew that the boys
were upon the trail of the cattle. Mr. Hardy had little fear of the
Indians pursuing them; he felt sure that the slaughter of the day by the
new and mysterious firearms, together with the effect of the rockets,
would have too much terrified and cowed them for them to think of
anything but flight. He was, however, much alarmed when, after a quarter
of an hour's riding, he heard a single sharp whistle at about a few
hundred yards' distance.
'Hurrah! papa,' the boys said as he rode up to them. 'They have gone by
at a tremendous rush--sheep and cattle and all. We started the moment we
saw your first rocket, and got up just as they rushed past, and we
joined in behind and fired, and yelled till we were hoarse. I don't
think they will stop again to-night.'
'Did you see or hear anything of the Indians, boys?'
'Nothing, papa. When the first rocket burst, we saw several dark figures
leap up from the grass--where they had been, no doubt, scouting--and run
towards the camp; but that was all. What are we to do now?'
'Ride on straight for home. We need not trouble about the animals; they
won't stop till they are back. We must go easily, for our horses have
done a very long day's work already. They have been between fifty and
sixty miles. I think that we had better ride on for another hour. By
that time the moon will be up, and we shall be able to see for miles
across the plain. Then we will halt till daybreak,--it will only be
three hours,--and the horses will be able to carry us in at a canter
afterwards.'
And so it was done. In an hour the moon was fairly up, and, choosing a
rise whence a clear view could be obtained, the horses were allowed to
feed, and Mr. Hardy and Hubert lay down to sleep, Charley taking the
post of sentry, with orders to wake the others at daybreak.
The day was just dawning when he aroused them. 'Wake up, papa. There are
some figures coming over the plain.'
Mr. Hardy and Hubert were on their feet in an instant. 'Where, Charley?'
'From the north, papa. They must have passed us in their pursuit of the
cattle, and are now returning,--empty-handed, anyhow; for there are only
seven or eight of them, and they are driving nothing before them.'
By this time all three were in the saddle again.
'Shall we attack them, papa?'
'No, boys; we have given them quite a severe lesson enough. At the same
time, we will move a little across, so that we can get a good sight of
them as they pass, and make sure that they have got nothing with them.'
'They are coming exactly this way, papa.'
'Yes, I see, Hubert; they are no doubt riding back upon their trail.
They will turn off quickly enough when they see us.'
But the new-comers did not do so, continuing straight forward.
'Get your carbines ready, boys; but don't fire till I tell you. They
must belong to some other party, and cannot know what has happened. No
doubt they take us for Indians.'
'I don't think they are Indians at all,' Hubert said, as the figures
rapidly approached.
'Don't you, Hubert? We shall soon see. Halloo!'
'Halloo! hurrah!!' came back to them; and in another five minutes they
were shaking hands heartily with their three friends from Canterbury,
the Jamiesons, and two or three other neighbouring settlers.
They told them that Farquhar, as soon as Lopez brought news of the
attack, had sent mounted men off to all the other settlements, begging
them to meet that night at Mount Pleasant. By nine o'clock they had
assembled, and, after a consultation, had agreed that the Indians would
be satisfied with their present booty, and that therefore no guard would
be necessary at their own estancias.
A good feed and four hours' rest had been given to their horses, and
when the moon rose they had started. Two hours after leaving they had
seen a dark mass approaching, and had prepared for an encounter; but it
had turned out to be the animals, who were going towards home at a
steady pace. There seemed, they said, to be a good many horses among
them.
Assured by this that some encounter or other had taken place with the
Indians, they had ridden on with much anxiety, and were greatly relieved
at finding Mr. Hardy and his boys safe.
The whole party now proceeded at a rapid pace towards home, which they
reached in four hours' riding. As they came in sight of the watch-tower,
Mr. Herries separated himself from the others, and rode thirty or forty
yards away to the left, returning to the others. This he repeated three
times, greatly to Mr. Hardy's surprise.
'What are you doing, Herries?' he asked.
'I am letting them know you are all well. We agreed upon that signal
before we started. They would be able to notice one separate himself
from the rest in that way as far as they could see us, and long before
they could make out any other sort of signal.'
In a short time three black spots could be seen upon the plain in the
distance. These the boys very shortly pronounced to be Mrs. Hardy and
the girls.
When they approached, the rest of the party fell back, to allow Mr.
Hardy and his sons to ride forward and have the pleasure of the first
meeting to themselves. Needless is it to tell with what a feeling of
delight and thankfulness Mrs. Hardy, Maud, and Ethel received them.
After the first congratulations, the girls observed that Mr. Hardy had
his arm bound up with a handkerchief.
'Are you hurt, papa?' they exclaimed anxiously.
'Nothing to speak of,--only an arrow in my arm. Old Hubert has got the
worst of it: he has had one through the calf of his leg.'
'Poor old Hubert!' they cried. And Hubert had some difficulty in
persuading the girls that he could wait on very fairly till he reached
home without its being bandaged or otherwise touched.
'And how did it all happen?' Mrs. Hardy asked.
'I will tell you all about it when we have had breakfast, my dear,' her
husband said. 'I have told our friends nothing about it yet, for it is a
long story, and one telling will do for it. I suppose the animals have
got back? How many are missing?'
'Lopez came in from counting them just as we started,' Mrs. Hardy said.
'He says there are only four or five cattle missing, and about a couple
of hundred sheep; and, do you know, in addition to our own horses, there
are a hundred and twenty-three Indian horses?'
'Hurrah!' the boys shouted delightedly. 'That is a triumph; isn't it,
papa?'
'It is indeed, boys; and explains, readily enough, how it was that there
was not the slightest attempt at pursuit. The Indian horses evidently
broke their lariats and joined in the stampede. I suppose Lopez has
driven them all into the enclosure?'
'Oh yes, papa. They went in by themselves with our own animals, and
Terence shut the gate at once.'
In another quarter of an hour they reached the house, received by Sarah
and Terence--the latter being almost beside himself with joy at his
master's safe return, and with vexation when he heard that there had
been a fight, and that he had not been able to take part in it.
Orders had been given to Sarah to prepare breakfast the instant the
returning party had been seen, and their signal of 'all safe' been made
out. It was now ready; but before sitting down to it, Mr. Hardy begged
all present to join in a short thanksgiving to God for their
preservation from extreme peril.
All knelt, and as they followed Mr. Hardy's words, they were sure, from
the emotion with which he spoke, that the peril, of the particulars of
which they were at present ignorant, had been indeed a most imminent
one.
This duty performed, all fell to with great heartiness to breakfast; and
when that was over, Mr. Hardy related the whole story. Very greatly were
Mrs. Hardy and the girls amazed at the thoughts of the great peril
through which their father and boys had passed, and at the account of
the defence by the boys when their father was lying insensible. Mrs.
Hardy could not restrain herself from sobbing in her husband's arms at
the thought of his fearful danger, while the girls cried sore and kissed
their brothers, and all their friends crowded round them and wrung their
hands warmly; while Terence sought relief by going out into the garden,
dancing a sort of jig, and giving vent to a series of wild war-whoops.
It was some time before all were sufficiently calm to listen to the
remainder of the story, which was received with renewed congratulations.
When it was all over, a council was held, and it was agreed that there
was no chance whatever of the Indians returning to renew the contest, as
they would be helpless on foot; but that if by a spy they found out that
their horses were there, they might endeavour to recover them. It was
therefore agreed that they should be driven over at once to Mr. Percy's,
there to remain until a purchaser was obtained for them. In the
afternoon the party dispersed, with many thanks from the Hardys for
their prompt assistance.