Another chorus of _vivas_ announced that the guerrilla captain had
finished his oration, and that the attack was about to be made. We saw
the chief himself, with one or two others, advance in front of the line,
and head towards us, as if intending to lead the charge.
"Now!" muttered Rube, in a sharp quick tone, "guns ready, boys! no waste
shots, d'yur hear? Lead counts hyur--_it_ do. See! By the jumpin
Geehosophat, thur a gwine to ride right down! Let 'em kum on, and be
damned! Thur's one o' 'em won't git thie fur--I mout say two--I mout
say three i'deed. Durn the glint o' thet sun! Billee!" he continued,
addressing Garey, "ee 'll shoot fust; yur gun's furrest carry. Plug the
big un on the clay-bank hoss. This child's for Number 2 on the grey
mustang. An, young fellur! ee'll jest pick off thet niggur on the roan.
I know yur wild-cat to the back-bone, but keep yur eye skinned an yur
narves steady, d'yur hear?"
"Yes, yes!" I hurriedly answered, though at the time steadiness of
nerves was easier promised than practised. My heart was heaving in
quick pulsations at the near prospect of the terrible drama about to be
enacted.
At this moment the "Forward" fell upon our ears, and with the wild notes
of the bugle came the words--
"_Andela! anda! Dios y Guadalupe_!" (On! forward! God and Guadalupe!)
In an instant, the troop was in motion, galloping down to the charge.
They had not made many stretches before their line became broken,
several of the swiftest or most courageous having forged ahead of the
others.
"The three 'most!" cried Rube, in the same sharp tone--"the three
fo'most! Thet'll fotch 'em up wi' a roun turn, or this child's
mistaken. Now, boyees! mind yur eyes! Steady! Stea-dy--stea-d-y--"
All at once, Rube's muttered cautions, slowly drawled out, were changed
to an exclamation that betokened surprise, followed by a long low
whistle of the same import!
The cause was clear! The guerrilleros had got within three hundred
yards of us, still going at a gallop, but we could perceive that their
pace slackened as they advanced; already it was more of an amble than
the forward dash of an earnest charge. It was evident they had no
stomach for the business--now that they were near enough to see the
shining barrels and black hollow tubes of our levelled rifles.
Garey was waiting till the foremost should pass the artemisia-bush; for
by that he had calculated the point-blank range of his rifle. Another
moment, and its crack would have been heard; but the horseman, as if
warned by instinct, seemed to divine the exact limit of danger. Before
reaching the bush, his heart failed him, and in a wavering, irresolute
manner, he drew bridle, and halted!
The others, nothing loath, followed his example, until the whole troop
had pulled up within less than three hundred yards of the muzzles of our
guns!
"Cowed, by God!" shouted Rube, with a derisive laugh, "Hulloo!"
continued he, raising his voice still louder, and addressing the halted
line: "what do ee want anyhow? Why the hell don't ee come on?"
Whether Rube's comical interrogatory was understood or not, it elicited
a reply:--
"_Amigos! somos amigos_!" (We are friends!) shouted back the leader of
the band.
"Friends, be damned!" exclaimed the trapper, who knew enough of Spanish
to understand the signification of _amigos_. "Nice friends, you,
i'deed! Wagh! D'yur think to bamfoozle us thet-away? Keep yur
distance now!" continued he, raising his rifle in a threatening manner,
as a movement was perceptible among the horsemen. "Keep yur distance,
or, by the 'tarnal airthquake! I'll plug the fust o' ye thet rides
within reach. Damn sich friends as you!"
The leader now conversed in a low tone with his lieutenant, and some new
design seemed to be discussed between them. A change of tactics was
evidently devised during this pause in the action.
After a while the chief again addressed us, speaking as before in
Spanish.
"We are friends!" said he: "we mean you no harm. To prove it, I shall
order my men to fall back upon the prairie, while my lieutenant,
unarmed, will meet one of you on the neutral ground. Surely, you can
have no objection to that?"
"And why such an arrangement?" inquired Garey, who spoke Spanish
fluently. "We want nothing of _you_. What do you want from _us_, with
all this infernal fuss?"
"I have business with you," replied the Mexican; "and _you_, sir, in
particular. I have something to say to you I don't wish others to
hear."
As he said this, the speaker turned his head, and nodded significantly
towards his own following. He was candid with them at least.
This unexpected dialogue took all three of us by surprise. What could
the man want with Garey? The latter knew nothing of him--had never, as
he declared, "sot eyes on the niggur afore;" although at such a
distance--with the sun in his face, and the Mexican's sombrero slouched
as it was--Garey might be mistaken. It might be some one whom he had
met, though he could not recall him to mind.
After a short consultation, we agreed that Garey should accept the
proposal. No evil could result from it--none that we could think of.
Garey could easily get back, before any attack could be made upon him,
and Rube and I should still be ready to protect him with our pieces. If
they meditated treachery, we could not perceive the advantage they were
to gain from the proceeding.
The "parley" therefore was accepted, and the conditions arranged with
due caution on our part.
The horsemen--with the exception of the leader and his lieutenant--were
to ride back to the distance of half-a-mile; the leader was to remain
where he was; and halfway between him and us, Garey and the lieutenant
were to meet, both of them on foot and unarmed.
At an order from their chief, the guerrilleros fell back. The
lieutenant dismounted, laid his lance along the ground, unbuckled his
sabre, drew the pistols from his belt, and placing them beside the
lance, advanced towards the appointed spot.
Garey had likewise disarmed himself; and leaving his weapons in charge
of Rube and myself, stepped forth to meet the Mexican.
In another minute, the two stood face to face, and the "parley" began.
It was of short duration. The speaking, which appeared to be
principally done by the Mexican, was carried on in a low tone; and Rube
and I saw that he pointed frequently in our direction, as if we were the
subject of his discourse! We observed that his harangue was suddenly
interrupted by Garey, who, turning round at the same instant, cried out
to us in English--
"Hillow, Rube! what do yer think the skunk wants?"
"How shed I know?" replied Rube. "What do 'e want?"
"Why, he wants"--Garey's voice rose louder with indignation--"he wants
us to give up the _ranger-captain_; an sez, if we do, you an me can go
free. Ha, ha, ha!" and the young trapper ended his announcement with a
scornful laugh.
Simultaneous with Garey's laugh, I could hear Rube utter a low whistle,
and the words, "Thet's how the stick floats;" and then raising his
voice, he called out--
"An what answer hev you gin him, Billee?"
"I hain't answered him yet," was the prompt reply: "but hyar's the
answer!"
I saw Garey's arm raised, with his huge fist clenched; I saw it descend
like a trip-hammer upon the face of the Mexican, who under the blow fell
heavily to the earth.