AT FAULT.
As a rule the American Indian is not partial to cigarette smoking, that
being a vice that he is willing to leave to his more civilized brother;
but the Comanche in front of Avon Burnet, and so near him, left no doubt
of his purpose.
As the tiny flame burned more brightly, he shaded it with his hands and
puffed the twisted roll of tobacco, like one who knew how liable the
blaze was to be blown out by the wind that rustled among the mesquite
bushes. He was such an expert at the business, however, that he met with
no difficulty.
The glow of the flame shone between the fingers, where they slightly
touched each other, giving them a crimson hue, while the point of the
nose, the eyes, and the front of the face were revealed almost as
distinctly as was the countenance of the warrior whom Dinah discovered
in the act of firing the roof of the cabin.
This Comanche was more ill-favored than the other and was in middle
life. There was something in his appearance which gave the youth the
suspicion that he was the chief or leader of the band of raiders, though
there could be no certainty on that point.
Nothing would have been easier than for Avon, from where he stood, to
shoot down the savage and appropriate his horse for himself. There was
an instant when he meditated such a step, but though many a veteran of
the frontier would have seized the chance with eagerness, he shrank from
such a deliberate taking of human life.
The youth had already shown his pluck and readiness to use his weapon
when necessary, but he could not justify himself in an act like the one
named.
But he did not mean to stand idle when there was a call for instant and
decisive action.
While the Comanche used his two hands in manipulating his match and
cigarette, his rifle leaned against the limbs of one of the largest
mesquite bushes, where he could snatch it up without stirring a foot.
It was not to be supposed that he had dismounted for the purpose of
kindling his cigarette, for he could have done that on the back of his
mustang, as well as when on the ground. He must have decided that he was
nigh enough to the other warriors to light his tobacco before joining
them on foot.
The youth was sure the steed before him was a fine one, for it is rare
to see one of those people without an excellent horse, and he resolved
to capture it.
At the instant the match was at its best, and the point of the cigarette
was glowing red, Avon stepped toward the motionless steed, passing along
the side which was furthest from his master. The beast saw him on the
instant, and gave a slight whinny and recoiled.
His master spoke sharply, while the cigarette was between his teeth. Not
suspecting the cause of his alarm, he supposed it was trifling and gave
it no attention. But when his animal, with a loud snort, wheeled and
started off on a gallop, the Indian threw down his match, called out
angrily, and, grasping his gun, sprang forward to intercept him.
It will be remembered that the darkness was more dense in the mesquite
bush than on the open prairie, and, although he caught a glimpse of the
vanishing mustang, he saw nothing of the figure on his back, for the
reason that, when the nimble youth vaulted thither, he threw himself
forward on his neck.
The Indian must have been astonished by the action of his animal, but he
probably concluded he would not wander far, and would be within reach in
the morning when needed. So he refrained from attempting anything like
pursuit, which would have been foolish under the circumstances.
It was a clever exploit on the part of Avon Burnet, and he could not
repress a feeling of exultation over the success. Boldness, dash, and
peculiarly favoring circumstances had taken him through the Comanche
lines, when a repetition of the attempt would fail ninety-nine times
out of a hundred.
But while he was justified in being grateful, there was enough serious
business still before him. He could not forget that the friends in the
cabin were in dire peril and no time ought to be wasted in bringing them
relief.
The first indispensable act was to locate himself, so as to gain an idea
of the points of the compass, without which it was beyond his power to
reach the camp of his friends.
A brief walk brought the horse out of the bush and he stood on the open
prairie. The mustang was without saddle or bridle, except a single
buffalo thong, that was twisted over his nose and by which his master
guided him. Avon had ridden the animals in the same way, and since this
mustang became tractable the instant he felt anyone on his back, such an
equestrian as the young Texan met with no difficulty whatever.
But he realized that a serious difficulty confronted him when he
attempted to locate himself. The flurry in the bush had so mixed up his
ideas of direction, that he was all at sea.
Not a star twinkled in the cloudy sky, nor could he tell in what quarter
of the heavens the moon was hidden. Looking in the supposed direction of
the cabin, he saw only gloom, while it was equally dark when he gazed
toward the spot where he believed the camp of the cowboys lay.
Between the home of Captain Shirril and the spot where his men awaited
his coming were several elevations and depressions of land, so that had
the Texans been burning a fire, as was likely, it would not show until
more than half the intervening distance was passed. The cattle were
herded to the northward, so that in the event of a stampede it was
easier to head them on the right course over the Great Cattle Trail.
A person placed in the situation of young Burnet is apt to go astray, no
matter how extended his experience in wandering abroad at night, unless
he is able to start right. This was the difficulty with Avon, who was
too wise to depend upon what impressions took possession of him, since
it is almost the invariable rule that such impressions are wrong.
There was one faint hope: the Comanches in the vicinity of the cabin had
been indulging in shouting and firing their guns. These sounds would
prove of great help, but to his dismay, though he sat for several
minutes motionless on his mustang and listening, he heard nothing of the
kind.
He knew the wind was unfavorable, but he was compelled to believe that
he had ridden much further than he first supposed, in order to be beyond
reach of the reports. After mounting his mustang, he had sent him
scurrying on a dead run through the bush, and kept it up for several
minutes, before emerging into the open country: that was sufficient to
take him a long way and, as he believed, excluded the one means of
guidance which otherwise would have been his.
"Helloa! what does that mean?"
In peering around in the gloom, he saw, apparently a long way off to the
left, a star-like point on the prairie, which shone out with an
increasing gleam. Wondering what it could signify, he sat for a minute
or two, attentively watching it, but unable to solve the interesting
question.
"These Comanches are as fond of smoking as are our men, and I suppose
one of them has some trouble in lighting his pipe or cigarette--helloa!
there it goes!"
The light which was so interesting to him suddenly went out, and all was
blank darkness again.
He waited and looked for several minutes, but it did not reappear. At
the moment it vanished, he fancied he heard a slight sound, but it was
too indefinite to identify.
Had the young man but known that the light which he had seen was burning
on the roof of his own home, and that it was Dinah who extinguished it
so abruptly, he would have shaped his course far differently.