"HOLE IN THE WALL."
"Kit, you will stay and take care of the herd," said Ted, just before
the boys galloped off.
"All right, but I'd mighty well like to go with you," said Kit, who,
although he was eager to be in the fight that he knew would come off if
Ted found that Shan Rhue had anything to do with the abduction of
Stella, was not one to get disgruntled.
Ted would have been well pleased to have Kit with him, but Kit's arm was
not yet well enough to risk in a possible rough-and-tumble adventure.
"Say, Ted," Kit called after the leader of the broncho boys.
"What?" asked Ted, riding back.
"Don't you think you better take Stella's pony, Magpie, along with you?
She'll have to have something to ride coming back."
He did not say "if you find her," for he knew that if she was anywhere
in the Wichita Mountains Ted would find her.
"Glad you spoke of it," said Ted.
It did not take long to rope the magpie pony and throw Stella's saddle
on it.
Now they were off into the northeast, where the Wichita Mountains lay.
None of them knew just where the Hole in the Wall was, but Ted felt
confident of finding it if there was such a place.
They rode so hard, only stopping at noon to water the ponies, that early
in the afternoon they entered the mountains.
As they were going up the valley they saw the flying figure of a man on
horseback coming toward them.
As he approached, they saw that he was a cavalryman.
"Hello, what's up?" said Bud. "I never see a sojer goin' so fast, except
there was somethin' doin'."
A few minutes later the soldier rode up to them.
He proved to be a sergeant of cavalry.
"Where are you going?" he asked, pulling his horse to its haunches.
"What's that ter you?" asked Bud jovially.
"Just this: The Indians are threatening to rise, perhaps to-night,
perhaps not until to-morrow. But when they do, this will be no place for
white men."
"Where is the place called the Hole in the Wall?" asked Ted.
"Do you want to go there, or do you want to avoid it?" asked the
sergeant.
"We want to go there as soon as we can."
"I'd advise you to keep away until the troops get there and clean things
up."
"Why?"
"That is where the dissatisfied Indians are camped. I do not know it
officially, but I understand that Flatnose and Moonface, the two chiefs,
are there now, and that the orders from Washington are to send us in to
drive them out."
"When is this to take place?"
"The Indians have made no open declaration of war as yet, but it is
looked for at any time."
"How will it be announced?"
"By the signal fires on the hills. A detachment of our men picked up
early this morning a wounded Indian, named Pokopokowo. He was wounded,
and was taken to the post surgeon to be cared for. He has just confessed
that it is the intention of the Indians to rise and kill all the white
settlers they can lay their hands on. I am on my way to send out the
alarm."
"And you say the Indians are camped at the Hole in the Wall?"
"Yes, the detachment sent out early this morning were on a scouting
expedition when they picked up Pokopokowo."
"Where is this Hole in the Wall, and how do you get there?"
"You are bound to go there? I would advise you not to."
"We must go. A young lady belonging to our party has been captured and
taken there. We did not know there were any Indians there, but only
white outlaws."
"That is different. I suppose you must go. But why don't you wait and go
in with the troops? The Hole in the Wall is the rendezvous for all the
white outlaws in this part of the country, and they are believed to be
in league with the Indians, and will use the uprising of the Indians as
a cover under which to run off all the stock in the country."
"There is no use of our waiting for the troops when the young lady is in
there, we don't know under what indignities. The troops put off
attacking the Indians as long as they can for the sake of policy. We are
all deputy United States marshals, and we get quicker action. Tell us
where the Hole in the Wall is, and we will go in and get our own. The
troops can do what they please later."
"Weil, pardner, you talk straight, and you feel about the young lady as
I would if she was a friend of mine. But they are a bad bunch in there."
"I appreciate your warning, but it will not stop us."
"All right; go ahead, and good luck to you. About a mile farther on you
will come to a narrow defile leading to the north, cutting the range.
That leads into a broad valley, at the west end of which is the place
called the Hole in the Wall. It is practically impregnable. It is
entered by a narrow passage which one man could hold against an army.
It can be approached at night by riding down the valley, dismounting,
and crawling over the mountain until you are above the Hole in the Wall,
when every man can be wiped out by a few rifles."
"Thanks, sergeant. We will take to the hills."
With mutual good wishes, they parted, and the boys were soon riding in
single file up the defile.
In the valley they secreted themselves and their horses, while Ted and
Bud went forward to reconnoiter. It was rapidly growing dark in the
mountains as Ted and Bud crawled along the mountain paths toward the end
of the valley.
Suddenly Ted placed his hand on Bud's arm.
"Some one right ahead of us," he whispered.
"Sentinel, I reckon," answered Bud.
Ted nodded: "You stay here. I'm going forward. I'll be back soon."
Ted glided away into the gloom. Presently Bud heard a muffled cry. Then
all was still again.
He waited a few minutes, and was about to go forward, when he heard a
slight rustle beside him, and there stood Ted.
"It was a guard," he said. "I jumped him, and gagged him, but he gave me
a pretty good fight. I've rolled him away where his pals won't find him.
I guess we can go on now, but we must go slowly and quietly. I don't
know how many more of them are about."
"Get a line on where the hole is?"
"Yes, we're on the right track. It is ahead of us."
On they went, and, having proceeded about half a mile, they suddenly
became aware of the neighing of horses and the voices of men, which
seemed to come from beneath them, and it was not long before they saw a
glare of light against the rocks not far ahead.
They went more cautiously now, crawling forward on their hands and
knees. Ted, in advance, soon threw up his hand and lay flat on the
rocks, and Bud crawled to his side.
They found themselves looking down into a circular little valley, in
reality a hole in the wall of the mountain.
Several camp fires were burning here and there, and about fifty Indians
and white men were lounging about.
Near the rear wall was a small tent, before which sat a fat old squaw.
As Ted was looking, the flap of the tent was pushed aside, and Ted
clutched Bud's arm, for Stella had come forth, and stood looking up at
the sky.
"By Jove, if we could only attract her attention," muttered Ted.
"It would help her a lot if she knew we were so close to her," said Bud.
The glare from the fires flaring upward fell full upon their faces, and
they knew that if she looked in their direction she would not fail to
see them.
They saw her cast her eyes all around the sky, and in their direction.
Ted dared not make a noise, but he nodded his head several times so that
she would know who it was, should she chance to see him.
Evidently she did not, for she turned away, and again her eyes swung
around in the circle with her back to them.
"I've a mind to throw somethin' down at her, and attract her attention
ter us," said Bud.
"And have every one of those cutthroats get on to us. Don't you do it,"
said Ted.
In a moment Stella looked up again, and this time they saw her start,
then stare fixedly at them. Ted nodded his head again, and this time she
made a gesture that told them that she had seen them, and knew that they
were there.
"Duck yer head quick," said Bud, rapidly getting out of sight himself.
"What's the matter?" asked Ted.
"I saw Shan Rhue walking toward Stella."
"But she saw us, just before she ducked into her tent. Now it's up to us
to get her out of there."
"You bet. But it will be a big job to get in there."
"I've got a plan that ought to work out."
"What is it?"
"You go back and get the boys. Put Ben and Clay down in the valley to
hold the entrance to the Hole in the Wall. Bring the rest up here.
Hurry! I'll stay here on guard. If any man attempts to touch Stella,
I'll pot him from here. Bring your lariat with you."
Bud hurried away as he was bid, and in the course of half an hour,
during which Ted, looking over the edge of the Hole, saw the men
preparing to retire for the night, he returned with seven of the boys.
"Now, fellows," said Ted, "I'm going down into the hole to send Stella
up on the rope."
"Jeering jackals!" exclaimed Bud. "Don't you ever do that. It means sure
death ter you, an' p'r'aps ter Stella, too."
"No, I don't think so. At any rate, I'm going to take a chance. It will
be up to you fellows to keep the bunch down there busy while I'm at
work. Three of you will stay on this side of the hole, and four on the
other. If you do your firing right, you will keep those fellows jumping
from side to side so fast that they won't have any time for me."
"I see yer scheme, but I wouldn't like ter undertake it myself."
"Did you bring the rope?"
"Here it is," said Bud, unwinding it from around his waist.
Ted took it from him while the boys distributed themselves in their
firing positions as he had directed.
Ted looped the rope under his arms. "You'll lower me down, Bud," he
said. "Maybe I'll come up hand over hand if I can, and you will pull
away when I give the rope two jerks."
He took another look over the edge. All the men were rolled up in their
blankets asleep, except an old Indian who sat crouched over the fire.
Ted carefully lowered himself over the edge for the descent.
Down he went slowly and quietly, and soon his feet touched the ground
just back of Stella's tent.
"Hiss-t!" He gave a low, sibilant warning of his presence, and in a
moment the corner of the tent moved aside, and he saw Stella's bright
eyes looking into his. He motioned her to come out, and the flap was
gently lowered again.
In a few moments, which seemed hours, the flap was raised again, and
Stella crawled forth.
"Oh, Ted," she whispered, pressing his hand. He held up a warning finger
as he rapidly tied the rope beneath her arms.
"Bud will pull you up. Good luck," he whispered.
"Are you going to stay down here?" she whispered back.
"Yes, I must. Hurry!" He gave the rope two jerks, and it at once began
to tighten, and Stella's feet left the ground as she slowly ascended
skyward.
Ted, concealed against the wall back of the tent, saw her go up and up.
She was more than halfway to the top when an old Indian woman crawled
out of the tent, and, casting her eyes aloft, saw Stella.
A sudden scream rang through the hole. It was the Indian's warning. The
rope began to go faster, and before the sleepy men in the hole had been
able to sit up and rub their eyes, Ted saw Stella reach the top and
disappear over its edge.
But the old Indian woman had run among the men crying out something in
her native tongue. Evidently she was telling of the escape of Stella,
for in an instant all sleep vanished and the place was full of men
running about or staring up at the edge of the wall over which Stella
had gone.
Then Shan Rhue came forth, swearing horribly. He caught the old squaw by
the arm and threw her down.
"So you let the white squaw go, did you?" he asked. "And how much was
you paid for it?" But the poor old wretch only shrank closer to the
ground and moaned her protests that she had nothing to do with the
escape of the white squaw.
Shan Rhue strode toward the tent, behind which Ted was crouching with
his hand on his revolver.
Shan Rhue threw open the front of the tent and looked within. Then he
straightened up, and caught a glimpse of Ted, whom he did not at first
recognize in the gloom.
He reached in his powerful right arm to pull the intruder out, and
looked into the muzzle of Ted's six-shooter, behind which he now saw
Ted's smiling face.
At that he straightened up with a loud laugh that filled the Hole in the
Wall and reverberated from side to side.
"Well, of all the luck," he shouted. "This has worked out just as I
expected. I knew that if I got ther gal in yere that you'd be after her,
an' here you are. Well, my bucko, you remember what I said about getting
even with you. Now is the time. You've come to the end."
"Oh, I don't know," said Ted coolly. "I'm a long ways from a dead one
yet. Be careful what you do. This six-shooter of mine is mighty
sensitive on the trigger."
He heard a soft, swishing noise behind him, and knew that Bud was
lowering the rope again. As he thrust his gun forward into the face of
Shan Rhue, the bully backed away a few feet.
At that moment the rope swung down in front of his face, and, hastily
putting his revolver into his pocket, Ted grasped it and went sailing up
into the air hand over hand, assisted by Bud and Carl, who were pulling
on the rope for all they were worth.