FRIENDS
Colonel Briggs was nonplussed for the moment. He had failed to scare
the men whom he meant to despoil of their property and some of the
mutterings behind him showed that he lacked the unanimous support of
his followers.
"Boys," he said, looking round in their faces; "you've heerd what
these strangers say to my mild requests. Since they are too mean to
trade, I leave it to you to say whether we shall let up on 'em or make
'em trade; which is it?"
"Trade! trade!" was the response, given with such ardency that there
seemed to be no dissent, though there was.
"That hits me right; trade it shall be; the first one of the strangers
that kicks, fill him full of holes."
"And the first man that lays a finger on my property," said Captain
Dawson, in the same deliberate voice, "will be shot down like a dog!"
The person whom Parson Brush had selected a few minutes before for
his first target and whom he was watching closely, now did an
extraordinary thing. This individual was thin to emaciation. His
beard was scant and scraggly, and his large black eyes gleamed like
those of a wild animal. He had a very long body, and sat so upright
in his saddle, with his Winchester resting across in front, that he
towered head and shoulders above his companions. From the first,
he fixed his penetrating eyes on Captain Dawson and studied him
closely. It was this persistent intensity of gaze that attracted
the notice of Brush, who set him down as being even more malignant
than the leader of the disreputable party.
When a collision was impending, and must have come the next second,
the singular looking man, grasping his revolver, raised his hand above
his head and called:
"Hold on a minute!"
His commanding voice and manner hushed every one. From his place at
the rear, he spurred his mule straight toward the three men standing
on the ground.
"Keep off!" commanded the parson; "if you come any nearer I'll
shoot!"
The extraordinary looking individual gave him no heed, but forced his
mule in front of Captain Dawson, upon whom he kept his eyes riveted.
"Don't fire till I give the word," commanded the captain, who had
become suddenly interested in the tall, slim man.
Halting his mule directly before Dawson, and with no more than a
couple of yards separating them, the stranger craned his head forward
until his chin was almost between the long ears of his animal. He
seemed to be trying to look the officer through, while every other man
watched the curious proceeding.
Suddenly the fellow resumed his upright posture in the saddle, his
manner showing that he had solved the problem that perplexed him.
Through his thin, scattered beard, he was seen to be smiling.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Maurice Dawson."
"Formerly captain of the Iowa ---- cavalry?"
"The same at your service."
"Don't you know me, captain?"
The officer thus appealed to took a single step forward, and looked
searchingly in the face of the man that had thus addressed him.
"There is something familiar in your looks and voice, but I am unable
to place you."
"Did you ever hear of Corporal Bob Parker of the ---- Missouri?"
"Yes; you are he! I recognize you now! I am glad to greet you."
And shoving his Winchester under the stump of his arm, Captain Dawson
extended his hand to his old comrade and shook it warmly, the two
seeming to forget the presence of every one else.
"Something in your face struck me," said the corporal, "but I wasn't
sure. The last time I saw you, you had both arms."
"Yes; I got rid of this one at the very close of the war."
"Things were pretty well mixed up around Petersburg; I tried to get on
your track, but failed; I knew you meant to come to California, and
when we drifted here, I was hopeful of finding you, but I didn't think
it would be in this style."
While speaking the corporal had retained the hand of the captain,
shaking it occasionally as he spoke. He now gave it a final pressure
and dropped it.
"Captain, you and I went through some pretty tough scrimmages and you
were always dead true and game; when we lost our colonel and major,
you took command and led the charge that day at Cold Harbor; Grant or
Sheridan couldn't have done better."
"It _was_ rather warm," smiled the captain, blushing at the
compliment; "but, corporal, it looks as if we are going to have
something of the kind here."
Corporal Parker deliberately turned to the wondering group behind
him.
"Jim and Tom, you know what we agreed on, if this should prove to be
my old commander. You two wore the gray, but you are true blue now."
At this reminder, two of the company without a word rode forward and
placed themselves beside the corporal.
"Now, we'll face the other way."
His suggestion was followed. The three wheeled their animals around,
so that their riders, like the footmen, were in a line confronting
Colonel Briggs and his astonished company.
"Dress," said the corporal, looking down and moving his mule about
until the alignment would have drawn a compliment from a West Point
cadet.
"Now, boys, are your shooting irons ready?"
"They gin'rally air," was the significant response of one of the men.
"All right, colonel," added the corporal making a military salute;
"everything being in readiness please let the skirmish proceed."
Colonel Briggs emitted a forceful exclamation.
"What's the meaning of all this? I don't understand it."
"There are six on each side; that evens matters; shall you start the
music or do you prefer to have the captain fire the opening gun?"
"But you haven't told me what this means."
"It means that Captain Dawson and Corporal Bob Parker have drunk from
the same canteen."
It must be conceded that Colonel Briggs had one merit; no one was
quicker than he to grasp a situation. So long as there were nine men
on one side and three on the other, the success of the former was
promising. He meant to crowd the defiant miners to the wall and would
have done so but for the unprecedented turn of affairs. Now it was six
to six and he knew the mettle of the three recruits that had joined
the miners. Bob Parker was the most terrific fighter in the whole
company. He was one of those men, occasionally seen, who was
absolutely without fear. He would have stood up alone and fought the
other eight. During that single week in Sacramento, he gained the name
of a terror and caused a sigh of relief on the part of the authorities
when he left for the mountains.
The corporal always fired to kill, and his skill with rifle and pistol
was marvelous. While talking with Colonel Briggs, he fixed his
brilliant black eyes on him, as if to intimate that he had selected
_him_ for his pet antagonist. All this was disconcerting.
In this crisis, when every nerve was drawn tense and the question of
life and death hung on the passing of a breath, Colonel Briggs leaned
backward and elevating his chin in the way that had become familiar,
emitted one of his resounding laughs. Then he abruptly snapped his
jaws together like the springing of a trap.
"Why, Bob, this puts a different face on things," he said cheerily;
"if the man's a friend of yours, of course we can't quarrel with
him."
"I rather think not," replied the corporal.
"I was in the army myself," added the colonel, "but didn't stay long;
me and General Grant couldn't agree as to how the war should be run,
and one night when no one was around, I resigned and left."
"Then you didn't win your title in the service," remarked Captain
Dawson, who felt that he could afford to show good will, now that the
situation had taken so remarkable a turn.
"Scarcely; the boys think that no officer lower than a colonel is fit
to command this crowd, so that's how I got the handle."
Captain Dawson could not forbear saying:
"I think it much more befitting that a true and tried soldier, like
Corporal Parker, should be in your place."
"It was offered to me," said the corporal, "but I refused it."
"No; we agreed to make him a full-fledged major-general, but he
declined the honor with some sarcastic remarks," said the colonel;
"howsumever, boys, now that things have been straightened out, do you
intend to go with the captain or with us?"
Corporal Parker addressed his two comrades.
"Wheel and salute!"
They faced their animals around, and, taking the cue from the
corporal, made an elaborate military salutation to Captain Dawson and
his companions. Then they wheeled again and rode back to their former
places.
"With my best regards," added the colonel, also saluting, while the
rest half-nodded and grinned over the odd turn of affairs. Dawson,
Brush and Ruggles unbent sufficiently to respond, but kept their
places, side by side, and watched the curious procession until it
passed out of sight beyond a sweeping curve in the canyon.
"I wonder if we are likely to see any more of them," said the parson;
"they are an ugly lot and badly want our horses."
"Not badly enough to fight Corporal Parker and his two friends. The
corporal is the bravest man I ever saw. I know he was disappointed
when the colonel was so quick in backing down. He will go hungry for
two or three days, for the sake of a fight. It is he and not the
colonel or any one in the company that is spoiling for a row."
"And I picked him out as the first one to shoot," grimly remarked
Brush.
"The chances are ten to one that he would have dropped you first, but
it shows how easily one may be mistaken."
"I tell you," said Ruggles earnestly, "when that gang strikes New
Constantinople, there'll be trouble."
"There's no doubt of it," commented Brush; "the forces will be about
equal; if the boys at home could have warning of what is coming, they
would make it so hot for Colonel Briggs and his tramps that they would
be glad to camp somewhere else."
"That wouldn't improve matters, for of necessity there would be
passing back and forth, and there are some people at New Constantinople
who would welcome the change. That's the worst of it; a good deal of
this evil seed will fall on soil waiting for it."
"We may be back in time to take a hand in the business," said the
parson; "I don't know whether your friend, the corporal, can be
secured as an ally."
"It is doubtful, for about the only merits he has are his bravery and
his loyalty to his friends."
"In my 'pinion the same is considerable," commented Ruggles.
"He would be a powerful friend to Nellie, because she is a female and
because she is my daughter, but," added the father with a sigh, "I
have my doubts whether I shall ever take her to the settlement
again."
This announcement strangely affected the two who heard it, for the
dearest schemes which they secretly nourished included the spending
of their days in the mining settlement. The hope of each had flickered
into life once more with the prospect of recovering and punishing her
abductor. They knew that she would bitterly mourn his loss, and would
probably be inconsolable for a time, but the months and years would
bring forgetfulness and then--who should say what _might_ come to
pass?
"We thought," remarked Ruggles, as they resumed their seats, "that we
should have a weary wait for Vose, but it didn't prove so dull after
all."
The captain looked at his watch.
"He has been gone more than an hour, and there's no saying when he
will be back. He has his own way of managing this business, and,
though I concede his skill and superior knowledge in this part of the
world, it is hard to keep my patience when I see the hours slipping
away without bringing any results."
But the patience of the three men was tried more sorely than ever
before, and to a greater extent than any one of them anticipated. Noon
came and passed and without bringing Vose Adams. The party partook
sparingly of their lunch, leaving enough for their absent friend, but
the lagging hours wore away and they still waited. They said little to
one another, but the captain, unable to restrain his restlessness,
wandered down the canyon. The two left behind watched him until he
passed from view in the direction taken by Colonel Briggs and his
company. A few minutes later, the report of his rifle came back to
them.
"I wonder if _he's_ got into trouble," exclaimed the parson, rising to
his feet and peering to their left, without seeing everything to
explain the sound that had reached them.
"I shouldn't wonder," replied Ruggles; "everything is going wrong;
Vose wouldn't stay away so long, unless he, too, was in difficulty."
"The captain may need us; he can't be far off."
Gun in hand, the couple walked hurriedly down the canyon, on the alert
for Indians, for it seemed more likely that if any danger threatened,
it was from them. To their relief, however, they soon found their
alarm groundless. The captain was seen coming, apparently as well as
ever.
"Nothing is wrong," he explained when they were within speaking
distance; "I saw an antelope among the rocks and took a shot at him."
"How near did you come to hitting him?"
"He made only a single jump after he received my bullet; it's a pity
he didn't make a couple of them."
"Why?"
"It would have brought him over the outer rock and into the ravine;
then we should have had something for supper. Haven't you seen Adams
yet?"
Instead of answering directly the three looked toward the fissure in
the side of the canyon, and there, to their unspeakable relief, they
saw the man who had been absent for so many hours. As is the rule at
such times, their ill-humor deepened.
"Why didn't you wait till morning?" was the question of the captain.
"I was afraid I would have to do so," replied the guide, whose flushed
face and agitated manner proved that he brought important news; "but I
didn't have to, and got away in time to reach you afore night."
"Not much before," commented the parson; "you must have had a
remarkable experience to detain you so long."
"Rather, but I'm starving, give me something to eat, while I talk."
The lunch was produced, and he fell to with avidity, but he saw they
were in no mood for frivolity, and he did not presume upon their
indulgence.
"Wal, pards, after leaving you, I picked my way as best I could up the
gorge, which runs back, with the bottom rising more or less all the
way, for 'bout two hundred yards when you reach level ground. That is
to say, the gorge ends, but the ground is anything but level."
"And they went all that distance ahead of you with their animals?"
asked Brush.
"That's what they done; the tracks of the horses were so plain there
couldn't be any mistake 'bout it. At the top of the gorge, the trail
slanted off to the right, toward a big pile of rocks, caves and
gullies, where it didn't look as if a goat could travel. There was so
much stone that it was mighty hard to keep on the trail and I lost
it."
"And didn't you find it again?" demanded the captain.
"Yes, but it took a good deal of time; that's one reason why I was
gone so long, but it wasn't the only reason by a jug full. When I
struck it agin, it led straight toward a high rocky place to the left,
where I made up my mind the two were hidin'."
"That would imply that they knew we were close behind them."
"There can't be any doubt of that. What bothered me was to learn what
they had done with their horses, fur the prints that I followed was
made by the folks' feet. I couldn't figger out what they had done with
the animals, and I spent some more time in trying to larn, but it was
no use.
"Bime by I struck better ground, where the trail was so clear I could
have trotted over it."
"Why didn't you do it?" asked Ruggles.
Adams shook his head.
"It wouldn't have done; as I said they must have found out, purty
early in the day, that we was after them, for if they didn't, why did
they turn off the reg'lar track?"
"Never mind asking questions," replied the captain; "go on with your
story."
"Wal, pards, by that time I must have been a mile from here and it
looked as if I'd have to go that much further. I had a good mind to
come back after you, for time was important, but when another rocky,
walled-up place showed in front of me, I was sartin I was close upon
'em. Their horses couldn't make their way through such a spot, and I
was sure I had 'em fast."
"Why didn't you come back at once?" said the captain, "but, never
mind, go on with your account."
"I thought it would be best to find out just how they was fixed. At
the same time, it would never do to let 'em diskiver that I was about.
So I was powerful careful and crept forward as if into an Injin camp.
It wasn't long before I smelled burning wood. That told me they had
come to a stop, built a fire and didn't dream I was anywhere in the
neighborhood.
"But I wasn't through with the bother yet; it took me another long
time to find where that fire was burnin', but I hit it at last. A
little faint streak of smoke was climbin' from behind a ridge, among a
growth of pines. I begun creeping forward when I changed my mind. I
thought that if one of 'em happened to be on the watch and see me,
they would be off afore I could git anywhere near 'em. So I worked
round to the other side to come upon 'em from that. Then you see if
they took the alarm, they'd have to come back toward you or make
another long circuit. Anyway, I was sure of a chance to meet 'em.
"Wal, pards, I don't want to make a long story of what is a short one.
I got round to tother side, but it took me a good while, and it's
hardly an hour ago that I catched my first sight of their camp."
"What passed between you and them?" asked the captain.
"When I rested my eyes on the little bundle of wood burnin', there
wasn't a man, woman or horse in sight."
The listeners were dumbfounded for the moment. After the waste of the
greater part of the day, they were no nearer seeing the fugitives than
before. In a voice, husky with passion, Captain Dawson exclaimed:
"It will take hard work to convince me that all this was not done on
purpose by you."
"What do you mean?" demanded Vose, showing more anger than at any time
since the strange hunt had been begun.
"If you had spent a week trying to fix things so as to help them get
away from us, you couldn't have done any better than your own account
shows you to have done. The whole day has been lost and we stand just
as near success as we did twenty-four hours ago."
"You ought to have returned to us as soon as you located them," added
Brush in the effort to soothe the ruffled feelings of the two.
"P'raps I didn't do the wisest thing," replied Adams with unexpected
meekness; "but I ain't the first person in the world that has made a
mistake. Howsumever, there won't be any more slips by me."
His companions looked inquiringly at him.
"I don't understand that remark," said the captain, "when you are sure
to blunder as long as you attempt to manage things."
"That's the p'int; I resign from this time forward; I haven't given
satisfaction and you may now do the work to suit yourselves."
"It's just as well," commented the captain, "for we can't make a
greater mess of it than you."
The story told by Vose Adams was a singular one, but the most singular
feature about it was that it did not contain a grain of truth. Every
statement was a falsehood, deliberately intended to deceive, and,
seeing that he had succeeded in his purpose, he was satisfied.