Lone Wolf recognized the taunt of his old enemy, and his black eye lit
up with a gleam of fire and passion. He would not turn his back upon his
white foe, who had just sent a bullet in quest of his heart. He would
accept the gage of battle, and end his personal warfare of years. But,
like all Indians, the chieftain was the personification of treachery,
without a particle of chivalry or manhood, and when he resolved upon his
attempt to destroy the frontiersman, it was without any regard for the
fairness of the means which he should employ.
He handed the boy to one of the warriors sitting near him, as, of
course, he could do nothing when impeded by his presence, although he
had proved very convenient some time before, in the way of a shield.
Then he said something to a dozen or so of the warriors immediately
around him. The main body remained comparatively motionless, while the
chief rode out in advance and headed toward his antagonist, his horse
upon a slow walk, and moving with great caution.
Sut Simpson was not to be caught napping. No one understood the sneaking
character of Lone Wolf better than did he. He had had it back and forth
with him too many times not to be able to read the fellow through and
through.
While the leader was coming forward in this cautious manner, he saw
several other horsemen in motion. Their direction was not the same as
their leader. They appeared to be riding further back upon the prairie,
as though they had been sent upon some errand to a distant point. But
Sut knew what it meant. They meant to steal away until they were out
of sight, when they would come around behind him. There were enough to
surround him completely and to cut off his escape in any direction.
Sut saw all this and was not surprised thereat. He believed that he
was too old a bird to be caught with such chaff. The manner in which he
could defeat the purpose of Lone Wolf was by direct fight, or by forcing
him into a combat which would anticipate the intention of the Apache. He
preferred the latter course, and he made the effort in the common Indian
way, by uttering a taunt, still using the Apache tongue.
“Lone Wolf is a coward and a dog! He is afraid of the white hunter! He
stays by his warriors, that they may hold his head when his heart grows
faint at sight of his pale-face foe.”
Anyone who understands the temper of an Indian will see that such a
taunt as this was of the most exasperating nature. It rankled deeply
in the heart of Lone Wolf, who would have given a dozen of his best
warriors for the chance of burying his tomahawk in the skull of his foe;
but he was too cunning to be misled by his desire for revenge. He,
too, indulged in a little of the taunting business himself; and, as the
hunter had honored him by speaking in the Apache language, he “threw
himself,” so to speak, in English.
“The white hunter is afraid of Lone Wolf. He dreads his scalping-knife.
His heart trembles, and he knows not where to hide himself.”
“He does not hide from Lone Wolf, for he has hunted days and nights to
find him, and when Lone Wolf saw him coming, he ran among his warriors
and hid.”
“He is not among them now,” retorted Lone Wolf; “while he seeks Sut
Simpson, the brave hunter moves away.”
Such was really the case. Judged from a superficial standpoint, the
greatest show of courage was made by the Apache, whose horse was moving
forward at a slow, cautious pace, while the mustang of Sut Simpson kept
up a continued and equally guarded retreat, so that the distance between
the two taunting enemies remained about the same. The hunter had a
manifest purpose in this, which was simply to draw his foe far enough
away from his support to gain a chance for a sudden dash at him before
he could elude him. At the same time he did not forget the dozen
horsemen that had stolen out so cautiously from the rear, and he knew
that “if it were done, then 'twere well it were done quickly,” as
Macbeth so aptly puts it.
Sut carefully measured the intervening space with his eye, but Lone Wolf
was still too near his reserve. The two men were eying each other like
cats, and, although he taunted so loudly, yet no one would have been
readier than the Apache to flee if he believed that he was in greater
peril than his antagonist.
“Why does not Lone Wolf move faster?” asked Sut, hoping to spur him into
doing so.
“Why does not the hunter wait for him?” asked the chief, very
appropriately, in return.
The scout thought that if he could draw the savage a few yards further
he would have him just where he wanted him. Feeling how precious the
passing time was, he galloped his mustang a rod or so and then came to a
sudden abrupt halt.
“Here I'll await you, you old copper-skinned hoodlum!” he called out, in
unmistakable English.
Lone Wolf did not check his speed; nor, on the other hand, did he hasten
it. Let alone, he was sure to reach the proper point in due time; but
the trouble was that Sut had no time to spare. The dozen horsemen who
were making their circuit must have accomplished considerable of it
already, and would soon be closing in around him.
The hunter had been caught in just such predicaments many a time before,
and had managed to pull through without material injury; but no brave
man who was possessed of ordinary sense would willingly allow himself to
be drawn into such a trap. The Apaches were as good riders as he, and a
shot that would disable his horse would play mischief with the rider. He
wished to avoid any such snarl, and so he dallied and trifled with his
adversary in the hope of trolling him along to a point where he could
hold him, while the Indian continued his advance like one whose only
purpose was to hold his man until the other warriors could close in
behind him. The moment speedily came when it would not have been best to
wait a second longer.
Wheeling his horse with the suddenness of lightning, Simpson charged
at full speed straight at Lone Wolf. The latter was surprised by the
movement, but he was not thrown off his guard, nor did he seek to fall
back on his reserves. It would be time enough to do that when he should
become convinced of its necessity; besides which, he had only to keep
the hunter engaged for a brief time in order to give his horsemen the
chance to entrap him.
Bearing in mind the deceitful character of the chief, Sut waited until
he was within a short distance, when he wheeled and let drive with a
couple chambers of his revolver. Lone Wolf went over the side of his
mustang so suddenly that the hunter believed he had been killed; but, as
he checked himself before reaching the ground, he saw his mistake, and
knew that the savage's “reply” would be forthcoming on the instant.
Accordingly, Sut followed suit and interposed the body of his mustang
like a flash between himself and the red-skin.
He was not a wink too soon. Just as he went over he caught the flash,
and heard the report of a pistol. The chief had fired from beneath
the neck of his steed, with his revolver--for Lone Wolf carried his
revolver, like any other gentleman of the plains.
This was complicating matters so much that the hunter determined to
force conclusions without a moment's delay.
There was no use of firing at the Indian as long as he was protected
by his horse. He was to cunning to be caught napping. So, without a
particle of hesitation, Sut threw the muzzle of his rifle beneath the
neck of his steed, and fired straight at the one which was sheltering
his adversary.
The shot was fatal, and, with a frenzied leap, the animal stumbled
forward upon his neck, and fell dead in his tracks. Nimble Lone Wolf
threw himself as quick as a flash from beneath the falling body, and,
conscious of his disadvantage, started on a run for the main body of
warriors; but Sut, with extraordinary shrewdness, had anticipated this
very thing, and, assisted by the intelligence of his animal, he threw
himself ahead of him, so as to shut off the flight in that direction.
Everything now went with bewildering swiftness. The Apaches, seeing
their chief environed, rode forward to his assistance, while the hunter,
revolver in hand, blazed away at him, determined to bring him to
earth, now that he had the chance. The activity of Lone Wolf was simply
marvelous.
He darted here and there, dodged back and forth, and once or twice
actually shot beneath the belly of his adversary's mustang. His antics
were confusing, and, although Sut succeeded in wounding him, it seemed
utterly impossible to disable him.
The hunter had already discharged his rifle when he slew the horse, and
when he emptied his revolver, he was chagrined, furious, and baffled.
“I believe you're the devil himself!” he exclaimed, ceasing his efforts
to bring him down, “and I'll let you go this time!”
He turned to flee when he saw that the Apaches were all about him.