ON GUARD
"The first thing," said Jim, "is to find out how long a siege we can
stand."
"Why!" I exclaimed in alarm, "don't you think that the captain and Tom
will locate us soon and get us out of this?"
"Perhaps," replied Jim, "but they may have troubles of their own. Anyhow
there must be at least a hundred of these Apaches down below, and there
is no telling how many more there will be in another day. They will
probably have all their howling relatives here within the radius of two
hundred miles to join in the picnic."
"I believe the captain will find some way out if he can only locate us,"
I said.
"Odds are odds," replied Jim, doggedly. "I don't want him to run any
desperate chance on my account."
"What are we to do?" I inquired anxiously. "Don't you suppose that we
could get through their lines to-night, it is so dark and stormy?"
Jim shook his head.
"I thought of that. We would stand a chance to make our escape on foot,
but not with the horses."
"Leave them," I cried desperately.
"You idiot," exclaimed Jim, "what would we do in this country without
horses? We would never reach the Colorado River."
"I don't care if we don't," I said irritably.
"Well, I do," Jim replied. "There isn't going to be anything that will
stop me from taking that trip. It will take a bigger bunch of Apaches
than are down there to do it."
"Well," I said, returning to the original question. "How long will our
supply of water last?"
"I have been figuring on that and I think it will keep us a going for a
week, with what we can get from the water pocket. Of course if we have
rain we can make out much longer."
"And the food?"
"Well, with Coyote to fall back on," laughed Jim, "we can hold out until
Christmas. But without joking, we ought to be able to get along for a
month. It was mighty lucky that we got those antelope."
"I suppose we will have to stand guard to-night," I said.
"Yes," replied Jim, "we don't dare to take a chance, even though
Indians do not often make night attacks."
"I daresay that there is no danger of them crawling up the rocks. They
are too steep, but we will have to watch the trail between the rocks," I
remarked.
"How shall we divide the time?" Jim asked.
"It does not make much difference," I replied.
"Very well, then, you can take it up to midnight, and I will look after
the balance."
So it was decided. It had now grown dark and we thought it best to look
around together. As we came out of our rock shelter we saw our ponies
standing with their backs to the storm and heads bent down, looking much
dejected.
"They look like four-legged ghosts," I said.
"If it hadn't been for them we would have been ghosts by this time,"
remarked Jim pleasantly.
"What's the use of talking that way?" I said. "Perhaps we will be ghosts
before we are through with this business."
"Don't you believe it," said Jim cheerily. "I don't know how we are
going to get out of this scrape, but perhaps we will have some unusual
luck."
"Here's wishing it," I replied.
It looked kind of cheery as we looked back and saw the warm glow from
our fire in the rock room that was our temporary camp.
We made the rounds of our fort, but could see or hear nothing in the
darkness below. No sound but the steady fall of the rain. The rock must
have been seventy-five feet or more of sheer descent on all sides except
by the narrow trail by which we had come up.
"It's time for you to go on guard now," said Jim.
"All right," I replied, "I'm ready."
"Be sure to keep awake," he cautioned.
We went back to the campfire and I made a careful examination of my
rifle. It was all right, and with my faithful friend close at hand in my
belt I was ready for what might come.
I crawled out in the darkness leaving Jim curled up cosily by the fire.
I envied him because I did not have much heart to stand out there in the
dark and in the rain alone, but there was nothing to do but to make the
best of it.
I crawled down between the rocks at the upper end of the narrow trail
with the rain beating down on me. I could see the horses back of me and
their presence was a whole lot of company for me.
It is strange how much companionship there is in a horse or dog that
you are fond of, especially if it has shared your trips and your
dangers. I know that Coyote was glad to see me by the way he followed me
with his head. The first part of my watch passed monotonously enough.
Most of the time one would have thought there was nothing of danger or
menace in the darkness below as far as sound went.
But I felt, though I could not see, the cruel presence of our enemies.
Once I caught the light of a fire down the valley a ways, in a sheltered
place and I could see occasionally the movement of a shadowy form. I
brought my rifle up, intending to fire. Then thought better of it.
What was the use? I had better have my ammunition, and then it would
simply arouse Jim up to no purpose. Sometime later I heard the guttural
sounds of the Indians as they talked.
I imagined that it came from the slope just below, so I went cautiously
down between the rocks. When I reached the lower end of the trail that
ended abruptly with a step off of several feet, I stopped, listening
intently, stooping down and peering into the rainy darkness of the slope
below.
I could make out a few boulders and further down the dark mass of pines.
As my eyes became accustomed to the contour of things, I was sure that
I saw a dark, crouching form moving over and among the rocks stealthily
as a snake.
It was not more than twenty-five yards off. I reached around among the
rocks at my feet until I found a stone about the size of the baseball
that I used to pitch in my old days at school.
As the object stopped and raised up in sudden suspicion I poised myself
and fired it with all my strength. My old accuracy had not deserted me.
I heard the thud distinctly and the Indian dropped like one dead, a mere
black outline on the rock.
Then I saw him being drawn backward almost as it were by invisible
hands. I decided not to fire, but crouched low in the rock trail. I did
not want to waste a shot, and then I thought the very quietness and
mystery of the fellow's injury might impress the superstitious minds of
the Apaches and I believe that it did, for I heard no further sound or
stir from them.
After a while I decided to go back to the head of the trail and I
proceeded cautiously upwards. Just before I reached the top I became
conscious that there was something waiting for me. Looking down I
recognized the long, familiar face of Coyote.
"Hey, old chap," I said, giving him a hearty slap on the shoulder, "so
you thought you would start down to see what kept your old boss so long.
Well, you can go back and go to sleep. It's all over."
This may have been reassuring to Coyote, but it was not the exact truth,
but I could not foresee that. I took my post again at the top of the
trail and waited for further developments. I began to think that it was
about time for Jim to come forward. At least I knew that I would not
have many more hours to wait.
The rain was now coming down less rapidly and there was promise of the
storm lifting. If I had not been so wet I might have dropped off to
sleep, but if I had done so I would have had a sudden awakening.
No sound came from the Indians below and I had relaxed my keen
attention, when I heard a noise that aroused me again. Something was
coming up the rock trail. It did not seem to be an Indian but some
animal.
It was coming quickly, then it saw me and crouched low with that intense
menace that shows in a wild beast before it springs. I raised my gun to
fire and something held me back. Then I saw what it was.
"Here, Santa," I cried, "come, old dog."
He stalked up to me as soon as he heard my voice. But he showed no
emotion. He was not one of those effusive dogs, who wag their tails and
jump around in delight.
"Where did you come from?" I asked, "where's Captain?"
Santa then began to trail around on top of the hill, and before I could
stop him he had jumped down and run under the rock where our camp was.
"Hello, what is this?" I heard Jim exclaim.
"It's Santa," I said.
"Where's the captain?" questioned Jim.
"He seemed to be looking for him," I replied. "Perhaps they are in
trouble too, or the captain may have sent him out to trail us. Anyway,
he adds one more to the garrison."
"Is my time up?" I asked.
"Yes," he replied, "I will stand guard now and have Santa to help me."
"All right," I said, "I wouldn't mind having a little sleep."