THE FLAG OF TRUCE
The advantage in the fight was on the side of the Diamond X outfit,
even though it was outnumbered. For the Greaser sheep herders nearly
doubled the force of the cowboys. But this, in itself, was not such a
handicap as would at first appear.
Naturally any cowboy held himself more than a match for any two
Greasers, and if this were not enough, the sheep men had the
disadvantage of having to cross a stream in the face of fire. This is
always likely to result in disaster, even in more modern warfare than
that which I am writing about. There are several reasons for this,
whether the attacking party, crossing the stream, is afoot or on horses.
Progress through water is always slow. If you have ever tried to run
while wading in a millpond or at the stream adjacent to the "old
swimming hole," you realize what I mean. It is easier to swim than to
run through water, even where it is not very deep. The same holds true
for horses. And to attempt to swim was out of the question, for the
Greasers, as they must keep their guns out of water.
The only thing for them to do was to start their horses across, with
the men in the saddles. And the Mexicans probably knew, from a test,
that the water was not deep enough to sweep the animals off their legs.
So then, with the handicap of rushing water against them, the horses
could not make much progress, and, while crossing, the enemy force
would be subject to the fire of the boy ranchers and the cowboys from
Diamond X ranch.
"Well, boys, I guess we'll have to let 'em have it," said Billee
regretfully as he saw the advancing sheep men. Nearly all the Greaser
force was concentrated on crossing Spur Creek, only a few being left in
charge of the animals. "But shoot at the horses first," advised
Billee. "I hate to do it, but it's better to have the killing of a
horse on your mind than the murder of a man. Though this isn't
murder--defending your property against a band of thieves. So shoot at
the horses first!"
This, cruel as it may sound, had to be done. It was a case of the
lives of the animals or the lives of our friends. For it could not be
doubted that, once the Mexicans had gained a footing on the northern
side of the stream, they would drive the defenders away--shooting to
kill if need be--and then the way would be clear for bringing over the
sheep.
Several shots rang out from the ranks of the cowboys, and there was a
wild flurry and scramble among the horses in the stream. Two of them
were hit and spilled their riders into the creek. But these men
grasped the tail of other horses and kept on.
"They aren't going to give up easy," murmured Dick.
"But it's up to us to make 'em," said Bud fiercely. "If they get over
it will be all up with us, for they're twice as many as we are."
"They shan't get over!" declared Nort. And it was with the same spirit
that the intrepid Frenchman muttered:
"They shall not pass!"
If the boy ranchers and their comrades hoped to escape scathless they
were painfully disappointed. For though the sheep herders were under
the handicap of having to cross the stream, manage their frantic horses
and shoot--all at the same time--they managed to do enough of the
latter to wound several of the cowboys, one seriously, as developed
later.
And, just as Dick was reloading his gun, he gave a cry and the weapon
dropped from his hands.
"Hit?" cried Bud.
"A little," Dick answered, and he tried to smile, though it was not a
very good attempt.
"Get back under cover," advised Nort, for there was cover, of a sort,
behind where the cowboys were fighting, a range of low hills that would
effectually screen the bullets of the Greasers.
"Oh, it doesn't amount to anything," Dick insisted, holding his left
hand over his right, for it was the latter that was hit. "It's only a
scratch."
"Well, get a bandage on it and come back in the game--if you can, boy,"
advised Billee, who had ridden up on hearing Dick's cry. "We'll look
after it later--when we drive these skunks back where they belong."
This, from Billee, amounted to an order, and Dick obeyed, wheeling his
horse and taking refuge behind a hill. There, in anticipation of some
casualties, a sort of emergency dressing station had been laid out,
with water, lint and bandages. There was water not only for man but
for beast, since it was impossible to let the horses go to the creek in
the face of the fire from the sheep men. So Dick and his steed drank
thirstily and then Dick bandaged, as best he could, his wounded hand.
It was more than a scratch, being, in fact, a deep flesh wound, but the
bullet had struck a glancing blow and had gone out again, for which
Dick was thankful.
Meanwhile he could hear the shooting going on at the scene he had left.
The cowboys, riding up and down the bank of the creek on their fleet
horses, offered very poor marks for the indifferent shooting of the
Mexicans, or the casualties on the part of the Diamond X forces would
have been much heavier than it was. Even then several were hit, and
Billee's hat was carried off his head by a bullet, which, if it had
gone a few inches lower, would have ended the career of that versatile
cowboy.
But the quick and accurate firing of the cowboys was having its effect,
and it was an effect that was telling not only on the morale but on the
fighting ability of the sheep men. For several horses were killed, and
a number of men put out of the game.
For a few minutes, though, it seemed that, after all, the attackers
would make a landing. But with a burst of furious yells Snake and Kid
led a charge against the foremost of the sheepmen and turned them back.
They could not stand the withering fire that was poured in on them and
they wheeled their plunging horses in the swirling stream and made for
the opposite shore whence they had come.
"Hurray!" cried Bud as he saw this.
"We've got 'em on the run!" shouted Nort.
Just then Dick rode back to join the fray, having bound up his wounded
hand as best he could unaided.
"What's doing?" he asked.
For answer his brother and cousin pointed to the retreating Greasers.
"Good!" exclaimed Dick. "Do you think they'll come back?" he asked.
"No telling," remarked Bud.
"I don't believe we'll have gotten rid of them so easily," was Nort's
opinion.
There was some confusion now amid the ranks of the sheep men. Those
who were wounded were being cared for, and they all gathered around
what had been their central camp fire.
"They're debating whether to give up or not," was Snake's view of it.
And if this was the subject of the talk it ended in a decision not to
give up the fight. For presently another attempt was made to cross the
creek. This time the Greasers divided forces, separating about a
quarter of a mile, and thus necessitating a division in the ranks of
the cowboys. This, of course, made the odds against the Diamond X
outfit rather heavier.
But again the Greasers were repulsed, with several wounded, though the
same might be said of Old Billee's forces. Again the sheep men
withdrew across the creek.
Again was there a conference, and then the same tactics were tried as
at first--the main body came directly across the stream.
But now a new element entered into the battle. For, no sooner had the
fight started for the third time than some of the Mexicans began
driving into the water, at a point perhaps half a mile from the fray, a
flock of sheep.
"Look at that!" cried Yellin' Kid.
It was evident that something must be done. It called for another
division of the defending force, now somewhat reduced in numbers
because of injuries. But the crossing of the sheep had to be stopped,
as well as the passage of the armed men.
And, after a hard struggle, this was accomplished. The sheep were the
easier driven back, for the animals were soon frightened and thrown
into confusion. But the Mexicans themselves were desperate, and some
of them even succeeded in reaching the opposite shore, setting their
horses on Mr. Merkel's land.
However, there was a fierce rally against them on the part of the
cowboys and they were driven back.
This was not without desperate work, however, and several on each side
suffered minor injuries. The trouble was that the cowboys held their
enemies too lightly. It was easy, and perhaps natural, for them to
despise the sheep herders.
But, after all, these were men, and rough and ready men at that. They
had something to fight for--their lives and their charges, and to lose
one was to endanger the other. So, for a time it looked, as Bud said
afterward, "like touch and go," so near was the tide of battle to
turning against the cowboys.
Both sides were now pretty well exhausted, but the disadvantage of
having to cross the stream still hampered the Greasers. They must have
felt this, for after another consultation among themselves something
new and unexpected happened.
A lone rider was seen to separate himself from the hated band on the
Mexican side of the creek, and he slowly approached the ford.
"Watch him!" cried Billee, who had picked up his hat with a hole in the
brim.
"He's up to some trick!" declared Bud.
"Shouldn't wonder, son," agreed Billee.
A moment later they saw what the "trick" was, if such it could be
called. From under his coat the man produced a white flag and waved it
vigorously toward the boy ranchers and their friends.
"A truce!" cried Bud. "Guess they've had enough!"