A STARTLING DISCOVERY
The Mexican boy had apparently escaped serious injury at the time the
frightened cayuse made a sudden bolt upon sighting the bear, and threw
him over his head onto the rocks.
The lad was already sitting up, and rubbing his knee in a dazed way, as
if not fully understanding what had happened. The pony rushed wildly
away, heading up the wide gully, as though with a full knowledge of
where it was going. And the poor little burro would doubtless have
been only too glad of a chance to follow, if only it could break loose
from the detaining rope.
Meantime the ugly monster, that had been the cause of all this
commotion, was shuffling closer with each passing second, eager to
strike down the burro with one savage blow from his mighty paw with its
long claws, after which he could proceed to help himself to what those
various packages contained.
All this Frank Haywood saw in that one glance he shot toward the scene
of action. The boy was apparently directly in the path of the hungry
bear. And when his pony had fled in such a panic he must have also
carried off the rifle, if the boy possessed so valuable a weapon.
Thus the little fellow was at the mercy of the most feared wild beast
to be found in all the territory between the Atlantic and the Pacific.
A wild inclination to hurl himself between that brute and his
prospective victim surged over Frank. With but a knife, or even a
revolver to back him up, such a rash act would have been little short
of madness. Fortunately it was not needed.
"Let me try for him, Frank!" said a trembling voice at his side.
And then, all at once, Frank Haywood discovered his chum was crouching
close by, and that he was clutching a rifle in his shaking hands. How
he had managed to get hold of the weapon Frank could not even guess,
because his own was a dozen feet away just then.
Now Bob Archer had certainly never before set eyes on a ferocious bear
outside of the circus or museum. And doubtless that brownish-colored
beast looked as big as a house to him, for he was very much excited.
But he had true Kentucky pluck, and even that circumstance did not make
him quail. If the monster had seemed to equal two houses, still would
Bob have tried to do his duty. And just then it was to save that poor
little Mexican boy.
The grizzly had advanced so rapidly that he was already almost upon the
crouching boy, who stared at him as if in dire dismay, as well he
might. It was not too late, even then, for the boy to have escaped,
could he have understood the real situation, and that it was the food
in the packs the bear craved, rather than his life; but he did not seem
to realize the fact.
They had seen him fumbling about his sash, and now he drew something
forth that glistened in the early morning sun. Why, the little chap
had actually drawn his knife, as though that trifling bit of steel
could avail anything more than the prick of a pin against that shaggy
monster.
The boy was shivering as with terror, but all the same he showed
himself game. Frank was amazed by the sight, and not apt to forget it
in a hurry.
But by now Bob had stepped forward, uttering a sharp "hello" as he did
so. His object, of course, was to attract the attention of the bear
toward himself. This might cause the grizzly to change his course, and
allow of a few more seconds' delay. It would also divert the attack
from the helpless boy to one who was at least better armed, even though
not professing to be a bear-hunter.
Frank aroused himself. He remembered that he, too, had a repeating
rifle, leaning against the trunk of a tree not far off. He sprang to
secure the firearm, in the belief that possibly his assistance would be
needed in order to finish the dreaded animal.
However good Bob's intentions were, when he sought to draw the
attention of the grizzly toward himself, they did not succeed as he had
hoped. Bruin seemed to know that a feast awaited him as soon as he
could clear a way to that frantic little burro with the big load. And
he declined to be turned aside on any account.
Seeing this, the Kentucky boy dropped on one knee. He felt that he
must find some sort of rest for his gun, since his shaking hands could
hardly be expected to hold the weapon steady when it came time to pull
the trigger.
Even as Frank swept up his gun he heard the weapon of his chum speak
sharply. The report was instantly drowned in a tremendous roar.
Looking, even as he drew back the hammer of his rifle, Frank saw that
the bear had finally turned away from temptation in the way of meat and
supplies. He had started to rush Bob, whom he evidently recognized as
the cause of that sudden pain which had shot through his bulky body.
Bob was pumping another cartridge into the firing chamber of his
repeater. He seemed cool, although perhaps only he himself knew how
his heart was pounding away like mad against his ribs.
Both guns spoke together, it seemed. The grizzly gave another roar,
even more furious than before. At the same time, however, he stumbled,
and fell over sideways. Then he tried desperately to scramble back to
his four feet, still full of fight.
Both the boys again put their guns in a firing condition. Even if
tremendously excited at the moment, they seemed to remember what was
necessary to do in order to accomplish this result.
But the bear was apparently unable to get up again. One of the bullets
must have most luckily reached a vital point in the region of his
heart. He was floundering about unevenly, while the little Mexican boy
sat and stared, still gripping that ridiculously small blade in his
hand.
"We got him that time, Frank!" exclaimed Bob just then, though he could
hardly believe his eyes at seeing the monster growing weaker. "He's a
goner, as sure as shooting! Look at him wobble! Wow! there he goes
over, to make his last kick! Frank, just think of me having a hand in
the killing of such royal game! A real grizzly! Oh! I can hardly
believe it!"
They now approached the spot where the little Mexican boy was getting
on his feet again. He was no longer white. The threatening monster
had been placed where he could do no more harm; but the little chap
stared uneasily at the two saddle boys. Evidently he was possessed of
a new cause for alarm in the mere fact of their unexpected presence.
The burro, meanwhile, had somehow managed to effect his release from
the rope that had become fast in the crevice of the rock. Still in a
panic because of the wild animal odor so close at hand, the laden
animal hurried off after the cayuse that had fled along the gully,
heading for where Frank had declared the canyon must undoubtedly lie.
And the boy really looked very much as though he, too, would like to
depart with equally scant ceremony.
"Hi! there goes the burro!" called out Bob. "Head him off, Frank; or
shall I jump on my horse and try to rope him?"
To the astonishment of both the saddle chums the Mexican boy threw out
a detaining hand, crying earnestly:
"Senors, all, there is no need to chase them. They know where to go,
believe me, and surely I must soon overtake them. You have saved my
life, Senors. Lopez, he thanks you both. Before now have I seen such
a bear; but this time I was caught dreaming. He would surely have
killed me if it had not been for the brave Americanos."
Frank was struck with the soft tones of the small chap, who did not
look as if he could be much more than twelve years of age. His
features were regular, if thin, and the big black eyes seemed to be
filled with a courage beyond the ordinary. Indeed, they could not
doubt this, having seen how he had drawn that small knife on finding
himself confronted by the Rocky Mountain terror.
"Well, we were only too glad to have been of help to you, Lopez," Frank
remarked, as he advanced with outstretched hand.
The boy looked embarrassed, as though hardly knowing what to do. It
seemed to Frank that he had been staring very hard at Bob, and he
wondered why. Then again he imagined that the boy must be keeping
something back. This would account for the worried look on his small,
pinched, but good-looking face.
But undoubtedly Lopez realized that it ill became him to decline to
take the hand that had helped save his life.
"You understand that we are your friends, Lopez, don't you?" asked
Frank, as he held the small palm of the Mexican in his own strong one
for a moment, and looked with a puzzled expression into the big black
eyes that quickly fell under his gaze.
"Oh, yes, Senor, surely you have proved it more than enough," the
little fellow hastened to say; and Frank was astonished to hear what
good language he used.
"You go across mountains, eh?" asked Bob, indifferently; truth to tell
he was just then more interested in the size of the great grizzly that
had fallen before the guns of himself and his saddle chum, than the
mere fact of this stripling being entrusted with such a task as
bringing supplies to prospectors, or rustlers, as the case might prove.
A flash crossed the face of the boy, just as though he saw a sudden
opening whereby his presence here might be explained without entering
into details.
"Oh! yes, across the range. I get supplies for prospectors in camp,"
he replied, with an intake of his breath, while he watched Bob
narrowly, as if, somehow, he believed he had more to fear from that
source than from the tawny-haired prairie lad.
"That's kind of queer, seems to me," remarked Bob, slowly, turning to
again survey the boy; "for them to send so small a chap on so long a
trail. I should think it was more of a man's work, toting supplies
across these mountains, through the canyons. And with the chances of
running foul of such dangers as bears, not to speak of rustlers."
At that Lopez drew his diminutive figure up, and tried to assume a bold
look. The Spanish blood was proud, Bob could see.
"This have I done a long while, Senors, believe me," he said, calmly;
"and until to-day never have I met with trouble. Had I not been so
tired and sleepy, perhaps even I might have shot the bear, who knows?
It would not be the first I have seen, no, nor yet the second; but the
horse ran away with my gun. But Senors, I must go on after my animals;
they will be waiting for me farther along."
"Then you won't wait for us?" asked Frank. "My friend, he would like
to get the claws of this fellow, to remember him by. It will not take
very long, Lopez."
"Thank you, Senors, but I must not delay. Perhaps you may overtake me
farther along the trail. There is no more danger; and my pack burro
might scrape off his load if I am not there to watch. Again I thank
you, Senors."
The boy bowed to each of them in turn, just as though he might have
been an actor in some old-time play. Frank believed he had never seen
such remarkable grace in any half-grown lad. Generally, at that age,
boys are apt to be about as clumsy as bear cubs at play. He looked
after Lopez with a frown on his face.
"What's the matter, Frank?" demanded Bob, as he noticed this
expression. "Are you huffed just because the independent little rascal
wouldn't let us mother him? Say, look at his strut, will you? If he
was heir to the throne of Alfonso he couldn't walk finer. Give me a
whack between the shoulders, won't you, Frank? Perhaps I've been
asleep, and dreamed all this."
"Oh, rats! Take a look at the bear, and that'll show you what's what.
There, he's disappeared behind that clump of mesquite yonder," and
Frank turned to look at his saddle mate with an expression of
bewilderment on his face, as though he might be trying to clutch some
idea that kept eluding him.
"Suppose you help me cut these awful claws off, Frank. You see I don't
know the first thing about how it's done; and I think your idea about
keeping 'em for trophies is just immense."
"Well, for that matter," replied Frank, "I don't know as I ever did a
job like that, myself; but I've watched old Hank do it, so I reckon
we'll get along."
For a few minutes they worked away in silence. Then Bob looked up to
remark:
"He said it was prospectors he was taking those supplies to, didn't he;
and that he'd been doing the same a long while?"
"That was about the size of it, Bob," returned his chum, thoughtfully.
"Well," Bob went on, "between you and me, Frank, I'd rather believe
little Lopez was in touch with the rustlers. I mentioned that word
just on purpose to see if he would turn red, or give himself away."
"And did he?" asked the other, quickly.
"Well," replied Bob, "not so you could notice; but then he seemed such
a smart chap, like as not he knew how to hide his feelings. He looked
frightened when we talked of wanting him to stay with us. Mark me,
there's a heap of mystery bound up in that little fellow."
"He sure puzzles me, all right," remarked Frank. "Did you notice how
he had a silk handkerchief bound around his head, regular Mex fashion?"
"Sure I did," laughed Bob, without glancing up, as he used his knife
industriously after the fashion set by his chum. "And I also took
notice that he had a fine, glossy bunch of hair under that same colored
silk bandana."
"Great governor!" ejaculated Frank, suddenly.
"What's the matter--you didn't cut yourself, I hope?" demanded his
comrade, uneasily, starting up.
"Shucks! no. Something just struck me, that's all," replied Frank,
with an air of disgust, and a quick look up the gully where the little
Mexican had last been seen.
"Oh! Is that so?" mocked Bob. "Must have hurt right bad then, to make
you peep like that. Now, I reckon it might have been something about
Lopez?" for he had noted that hasty glance, and the disappointed frown.
"That's just what it was, Bob," Frank continued, in an even tone.
"Fact is, I just remembered who Lopez put me in mind of. Only perhaps
you'll laugh when I tell you. Remember that poor little girl Peg Grant
was cuffing when you knocked him down? Well, if you took that colored
handkerchief off Lopez, and let his black hair fall down, I give you my
word he'd be a ringer for that Mexican child!"
Bob stared as if dazed, and then the light of a great discovery dawned
upon him.
"Say, Frank!" he exclaimed presently. "Honest Indian, now, I believe
you've sure struck pay dirt, and that's what!"