The lads were surprised at the way their own horses followed, sliding on
their haunches down the steepest places and picking their way among
rocks and bowlders. Six hours after starting they found themselves in a
deep ravine, whose sides were covered with trees. They had now lost the
moon, and it was far too dark for them to progress further.
"We will give them four hours' rest," Dave said; "that long halt on the
path was worse than traveling. We shall go three times as fast when we
get light to help us as in the dark; besides, we have got to look for
some place where we can double on them. We shan't find that till we are
out of this valley. We shall have to be pretty spry if we are going to
get away from them; they will come along fast when they once take up the
trail. It has taken us six hours to get down here; it won't take them
three. Well, I hope we shall get on the move an hour or two before they
do. If they wait until daylight before advancing there will be a lot of
hubbub and talk before they really make up their minds that we have
really slipped through their fingers, and arrange for a start. Still, by
midday we shall be having them behind us if we can't find the way to
throw them off."
"I'd willingly take twenty ounces for my share of that gold, to be paid
to me at Santa Fé," Boston Joe said.
"So would I, Joe; there ain't no denying it, we are in a tight place,
and unless we find some way out of it in the morning, my own opinion is
that we have only got one chance, and that is to leave all the horses
behind us and to take our rifles and a loaf of bread each, and to start
back on foot."
"I should not wonder if we came to that," Zeke said; "but we will hold
on for a few hours, and, anyhow, before we leave them we will hide them
bags. Possibly we might come back some day; anyhow, we could each tote
along what we have got in our blankets; it aint as if we were going to
run all the way from here to the settlements. Twelve pound weight aint
nothing one way or the other."
"No, nor twenty," Boston agreed. "I vote if we do have to leave the
horses we slip open one of the bags and take another eight pounds or so
each. Twenty pounds aint much for a man to carry besides his gun and
ammunition and a chunk of bread. Well, let the rest of you lie down and
get a couple of hours' sleep. I was off once last night."
"All right; wake us directly you see a change in the sky. We should give
the horses a chunk of bread and a drink each before we start."
It seemed to the lads that they had been asleep for five minutes only
when they were roused. It was but the work of a few minutes to adjust
the loads again and to give the horses the bread and water. It was still
hardly light in the ravine when they were ready to start, but all were
too anxious to get on to delay a moment. As soon as the day had
broadened a little they were able to pick their way along on the
comparatively level ground beyond the edge of the water-course, and the
horses were put into a trot.
"If we can keep on like this," Joe said, "the Apaches won't be up to us
before night. They will know that we have got nigh twelve hours' start
of them, and though they may start off fast at first, they will soon
settle down into a pace that they can keep up all day."
After journeying for three hours they came upon the spot where two other
ravines fell into that along which they were journeying.
"Let us hold a council," Dave said. "Now, what do you think had best be
done--push straight forward or take one of these other gulches?"
"They seem to run back almost the same line as that ye have been
following," Dick said.
"All the better, lad. They will be less inclined to think that we have
taken it. What do you say, Zeke?"
"I think we had better push straight on, Dave. If they were coming along
in the dark it would be a different thing; but they would not go a
horse's length afore they missed our tracks, and even if we muffle the
critters' feet, they are strong enough to send a party each way."
"So they are, Zeke; but it would be a sight better to fight a third of
them than the hull lot."
"I think that it would be better to push on, Dave," Boston Joe said.
"There ain't no saying where these narrow valleys lead, they wind and
double every way; besides, they are dry, so I says let us push on till
we get into one of the main valleys."
"Well, we will do it, Joe; anyhow, we may as well do as I say and muffle
their feet. The Injuns will know what we have done when they see the
tracks stop here, but, as you say, they won't know whether we have gone
straight on or turned up one side or the other. I guess most likely they
will think that we have turned up; anyhow, they are sure to divide."
No further talking was necessary. The blankets were all cut up, bunches
of dry grass were laced under the horses' feet to form a pad, and the
strips of blankets wound round and round and securely fastened.
"Now, on we go again, lads," Dave said, setting the example, and they
rode straight down the ravine ahead of them. Two hours later the
blankets were taken off and thrown among the bushes, the rocks having
cut through them, they were useless any longer to conceal the tracks,
and they incommoded the horses. A mouthful of water was given to the
animals, and they again started at a brisk pace. The sides of the valley
were now narrowing in again, and becoming much steeper; the trees had
ceased, and the bare rock rose in some places almost precipitously.
"The water rises high here when there is a storm," Zeke said. "You see,
it is pretty nigh closed up somewhere in front here."
"All the better," Dave said; "we can make a fight for it in a place like
that, and hold it till dark. They can't be far behind us now. Stop the
horses a moment and listen."
A faint sound was heard.
"That is them," Dave said; "they aint above a mile behind; push on till
we find a good place to make a stand."