"A narrow escape," said Bourne, and another arrow passed over without
injury to any one present, for the simple reason that all had obeyed the
warning and dropped behind the nearest cover.
"Be on the alert," cried the doctor from the other side. "That means
they are coming back."
"And Griggs was to have been with us by this time to help in the fight.
Father, this looks bad."
The doctor met his son's eyes, and then turned to look in the direction
from which their companion would be bound to arrive if he had managed to
escape over the terraces to make for the gully.
"Don't judge rashly, my boy," said the doctor. "He has had very little
time yet.--Are you all ready for the enemy?"
"Yes," came back quickly enough; but there was no enemy visible.
"Could you see who sent that arrow, Wilton?"
"No, but there are two ponies grazing up yonder. I fancy they must
belong to the last Indians we saw come by."
"It looks like it, as only two shots have come. But we shall have the
whole body coming back soon."
"Close upon a hundred," said Wilton, "and we are five."
"Yes, five, in a strong fortress, with modern weapons against
instruments of barbarism; and what is more, we have dealt the enemy such
a blow as will take them long enough to get over."
"But I wish we were all together, father, instead of being divided.
Wouldn't it be better if we tried to get to them?"
"No," said the doctor quietly. "We are quite right here for the
present, and perhaps we shall have our side strengthened soon by the
coming of friend Griggs."
"Ah!" sighed Chris, "if he only would!"
Another arrow struck the rocks close to where Bourne and his friends
were watchfully scanning the gulch between them and the old camp, and
directly after a shot was fired, making every one start to look where
the little grey puff of smoke arose, and Wilton was calmly reloading his
rifle.
"I marked that fellow down," he said coolly.
"Did you hit?" said the doctor.
"I think so. He has altered his position, and is lying flat."
"Don't fire! A friend!" came in a familiar voice from behind them, and
the boys gave a cheer, which was answered by Griggs, who now appeared,
coming at a trot along the gulch from the direction of the gully, and
began to climb up on the doctor's side.
"I did hope to be in time," he said, as he reached Chris and lay down,
breathing hard. "Not done much, I hope?"
"You are in time," cried Chris, catching at the American's hand, to have
his own pressed firmly.
"We've been in great anxiety about you, Griggs," cried the doctor,
pressing his friend's other hand.
"You'd have felt worse than that, sir, if you'd seen my wig," said the
American, with a chuckle. "They came so near catching me that my hair
began to rise at the thought of being cut shorter than ever it was cut
before, and made into an ornament. They nearly had me before I got to
the first terrace. You know I--There's a chap yonder going to send an
arrow at us, Chris, lad. You'd better shoot."
Chris followed the direction indicated by the American's pointing
finger, saw where a big Indian was drawing his bow, showing only his
face and arms round a corner, and drew trigger, with the result that he
struck the stone and sent splinters flying, and after them the Indian,
evidently hurt badly, for he held his left arm with his right-hand.
"Go on, Griggs," said Chris, reloading. "You were saying, `You know
I--' and then you stopped."
"To be sure," said Griggs, whose breath was still coming in gasps, as he
lay on his chest with his rifle ready now for a shot. "I was going to
say, You know I can run fast."
"Yes, yes," cried Chris eagerly. "Go on."
"I did," said Griggs, "as hard as I could; but a galloping horse is too
much for me, and I won't back myself against one again."
"But you got into safety," cried Chris.
"Only just. I believe I saved myself by about one inch and a half.
That was enough, though, to let me shut and lock the door we had got
ready."
"Did you fire?" asked the doctor.
"Fire? Never had time, sir. But there, I managed to shut up, I hope,
so that the brutes couldn't follow me, and then I hurried on to join
you. Tut, tut, what a cracker that is! I didn't hurry a bit. It was a
regular crawl to the gully. Think me long?"
"Horribly," cried Chris.
"No wonder, my lad. It was a horrible crawl, for I was regularly done.
I felt what the Amurricans call real bad. But now tell me, did the
whole band come by here?"
"As far as we can tell," replied the doctor.
"That's right. I never had time to look back, but it seemed to me as if
the whole Indian nation was after my scalp on horseback. They didn't
get it, did they, Chris?"
"Get it? No, of course not."
"I'm glad of that; but it felt precious cold two or three times. But
now tell me--you've begun shooting--are the enemy coming on?"
"I believe we have only been attacked by a couple of stragglers--two who
passed through the narrow gap here last."
"And you've filled the gap well up?"
"Oh yes. No horse could get by here."
"That's right! Then the big lot haven't found out yet that they're
trapped?"
"Certainly not," said the doctor.
"Then there's going to be a big fight when they do find it out," said
Griggs quietly. "I don't want them to come yet till my hand grows a bit
steady, for, kill and slay or no, we've got to bring down all we can."
"I suppose so," said the doctor gravely. "It's their lives or ours."
"Yes. They'll be real mad; and we've got to give them a lesson--one
that will make them shy of trying bows and arrows against rifles.--Yes,
getting all right again now," continued the speaker, in answer to eager
inquiries from the other side of the gap.
"That's right," said Bourne. "Lee."
"Yes?"
"What do you think of making for the ponies and mules now, before the
Indians find that they're trapped?"
"May I tell him, sir?" said Griggs sharply.
"Yes, say what you think," cried the doctor.
"Look here, Mr Bourne," said Griggs quickly; "the doctor thinks the
same as I do--that it would be mad, giving ourselves up to be massacred.
We've got to hold this barricade for our lives, and shoot down every
man who tries to climb it. There must be no misses this time. Do you
hear, boys? You're fighting for your fathers' lives as well as your
own. It's no time to be sorry for the poor Indians now. Shoot your
best, and leave them to be sorry for themselves.--By the way, Chris, my
lad, can you give me a drink out of your water-bottle? I'm pretty well
dried-up. I had to fling mine away so as to run lighter, and it was
getting so close that I was very nearly sending my rifle and cartridges
off as well. But I managed to bring them home.--Hah!" he continued,
after a long draught from the bottle Chris handed to him. "What fine
stuff water is. I think we've found out that, Squire Bourne, even if we
haven't found the gold."
"Hush! Listen!" cried the doctor, and he held up his hand.
For there was a peculiar reverberation from the rocks farther on towards
the rock city--a sound that thrilled the listeners through and through.
"Yes, that's them coming, sir," said Griggs coolly. "They're only
riding gently, though, and it doesn't seem as if they know what's
happened to them yet. We shall see them along that curve soon. Now,
doctor, will you give your orders about how we are to shoot?"
"Slowly and steadily," replied the doctor, "and always at the leading
men. Listen, Wilton; we three will fire one by one while you all hold
your hands to be ready to keep on while we reload, so that they will not
be able to advance without seeing their men constantly falling. There
must be no excitement, always a careful, steady aim."
"When shall we begin?" asked Wilton.
"As soon as the first man rides out into the open yonder."
"Then it's time to begin at once, sir," said Wilton sharply, "for here
they come."
"Yes," said the doctor firmly. "Keep well in cover, every one. Wait
till I give the word. I want the leaders to see that the way is barred
against their retreat."
"They're beginning to see it already," said Griggs, as about twenty of
the Indians rode round the curve into sight, and their quick eyes
grasped the fact at once that something had happened at the gap since
they passed by.
"Look out! 'Ware arrows," said Griggs, in a low, deep growl. "Tell
'em, doctor, that they needn't mind those plaything toys so long as they
keep well under cover."
"We can hear what you say," said Bourne, and an anxious half-minute
passed, before there was a sudden yell, sounding wild and harsh, to echo
and re-echo from the mighty walls on either side, while as it went
reverberating on from side to side, to die away in the distance, there
was another shout, and close upon it the whizz of a flight of arrows,
and then a tinkling, splintering sound as they struck against the
stones, to snap or glance off, the air just about the barrier seeming
for a moment full of the glistening barbed wands.
"Fire!" said the doctor loudly, and _crack_--_crack_--_crack_ with
measured slowness the rifles of all three rang out, to raise a fresh set
of echoes, and as these were still repeating themselves another and a
fiercer yell rang out, for three of the mounted men had gone down and
their horses had dashed forward, charging right at the barrier, snorting
and tossing their manes, but only to turn back, startled by the heap of
rocks piled-up before them, and returned at a fierce gallop, to confuse
the crowd they had left, when the rifles from the other side flashed out
fire and white puffs of smoke, and three more of the enemy went down, to
free their startled and plunging ponies from their riders' reins.
A yell more fierce than ever arose from the little crowd of Indians,
whose mounts began to partake of the excitement imparted by the ponies
that had begun to tear to and fro in the narrow gulch, while after
discharging another innocuous flight of arrows against the barrier of
stones, about a dozen of the savages came on, yelling and belabouring
their mounts, driving them nearly frantic as they urged them forward.
The riders were evidently imbued with a mad belief that their half-wild
steeds would surmount the barrier by leaps and climbing, as after a
short wild career they were forced right at the rugged mass of stones.
Fully half breasted it, some to fall, others to wrench themselves round,
while others again flung their riders, to gallop back snorting with
excitement, as they returned to dash into the halting mob they had left
and add fresh confusion there.
They were exciting moments at the barrier. One Indian pitched upon his
head to lie senseless, but three more regained their feet, tore their
knives from their belts, and placing them between their teeth to leave
their hands free, began to climb up the slope of rough jagged stones to
take vengeance upon the whites who had dared to oppose their attack.
But not one of them reached the top of the hurled-down masses of rock,
which were, after all, not half-way up to where the little party
crouched, patient, cool, and watchful, as they obeyed their leader's
orders not to waste a shot.
The result of the desperate attack was that one man stopped short,
tottered, and fell back, to roll over to the bottom and then begin to
crawl slowly back, leaving his comrades motionless where they had
fallen.
There was a few moments' pause as the one man crept painfully back, and
then about a dozen of the Indians dismounted and joined in driving the
frantic ponies that were galloping about through an opening made for
them by the waiting band.
This done the party remounted, and set up another furious yell to
frighten the defenders from their posts.
Needless to say, this was as vain as the next and larger flight of
arrows, which splintered amongst the stones or glanced off to fly far
overhead.
There was no firing now by the defenders, for the need was not urgent.
"Let them exhaust themselves," cried the doctor, "and find out that
their efforts are vain."
Still there was no lack of bravery amongst the savages, who, some twenty
strong, being as many as could act in the narrow gully, charged home
again, directly after sending in their arrows, and accompanying the
beating of their ponies' hoofs with yell after yell.
This time there was no waiting on the part of the defenders, who began
firing as soon as the advance commenced, with the result that several
Indians dropped, to encumber the way and unsettle the serried band of
plunging steeds, while the rest, on breasting the rocks, recoiled, and
in a state of panic turned, regardless of yells and blows, to gallop
back after the fashion of their kind, crowding together till they
reached their fellows once again, to stand shivering, snorting, and
stamping, but leaving two struggling in the bottom of the gulch in
company with six of their riders, wounded or dead.
"That ought to settle them," said Wilton, who knelt carefully wiping his
rifle.
"I hope so," said Bourne. "I'm tired of this murderous work."
"'Tis bad, sir," said Griggs, from the other side; "but it rests with
the redskins."
"Do you think they will give up now, Griggs?" said the doctor.
"No, sir; I don't," was the reply.
"Oh, Griggs, you're making the worst of it," cried Chris.
"No, my lad, I'm not. It's of no use for me to talk nonsense. I know
too much of Indian nature. All they're thinking of now is how to get at
us, and have revenge for what we have done."
"Then you think they will attack again?"
"Sure to, sir," replied Griggs; "but perhaps not with a rush. If they
don't, they'll wait till it's dark, and then leave their horses behind
and come on with their knives."
"Ugh!" ejaculated Chris. "That will be bad for us."
"Horrid," said Griggs coolly. "It seems--Hallo! They're coming on
again. Give 'em a volley, sir, this time."
"Yes," cried the doctor eagerly, as he saw at a glance that the Indians
were gathering for another rush. "Hold your fire," he cried loudly,
"till they are three parts of the way here, and then all together. I'll
give the word."
"But suppose they come on, dismount, and attack afterwards," said Chris.
"You have the second barrels," said the doctor. "Be ready. Here they
come."
For once more the savages were putting their regular tactics to the
test, coming on yelling and waving their weapons, using them to frighten
their foes as much as to madden their ponies into a furious gallop, and
this right in the rear of another flight of arrows, half of which came
from the Indians who remained behind for want of room.
To the boys this was the most exciting charge of all, for during the
others they had something to do or see, as the firing was kept up almost
from the first. Here they had to wait--only for moments, it is true,
but moments which seemed like minutes, and during which they had no
gathering smoke to hide the gleaming teeth, flashing eyes, and savage
hate depicted in the red and painted faces coming swiftly on.
"Fire!" shouted the doctor, his voice sounding sharp and clear above the
rattle, of hoofs, the yells of the savages, and the reverberations from
the rocky sides of the gulch.
Every finger pressed the trigger at the same moment; there was a flash,
six jets of grey smoke driven full in the faces of the on-coming ponies,
and then one great crack, followed by a deafening roar, which
combination checked the ponies as if by magic, making them rear up,
dismounting several of their riders. Then they all tore back, leaving
eight or nine Indians scrambling to their feet, to run after their
steeds, others lying struggling among the stones, and, plain to see, two
more tottering upon their ponies' backs, one falling forward to cling to
his mount's neck, another to sink backward and drop off, and another to
wrench himself round and shake his bow at the occupants of the barrier
in impotent fury, before throwing up his hands and lying back clinging
to his seat till his pony had plunged into the little crowd waiting
their return.
"The most effective action yet," said the doctor hoarsely, as the
reloading ended.
"Yes, sir, I think that's best," responded Griggs.
"But such a sickening slaughter of the poor ignorant wretches," cried
Bourne bitterly.
"That's what I used to think when I was first up in the Rockies, sir,"
said Griggs coolly, "till I had been about a bit, and seen where the
redskins up there had been amongst the settlers' ranches. Pleasant
homes burned down, and men, women, and children lying where they had
been murdered and cut about--people who had been living hopeful lives,
hard workers whose only crime against the Indians was trying to get a
living out of a few acres instead of by hunting and war. I used to feel
just as you do, Mr Bourne; but I don't now."
"I know, I know," cried Ned's father passionately; "but they are so
ignorant of our power."
"Yes, sir, but we're not of theirs," replied Griggs. "Now, doctor,
they're drawing off. Had enough of it for one day, and it's time to be
stirring."
"What, retreat?"
"Not yet, sir. Here's my idea. They'll wait till it's dark, attack us
then with knives and tomahawks, coming on silently, leaving their horses
behind, and we shan't have a chance."
"Then what do you propose?" said the doctor.
"Just this, sir, if you can't see a better way. We three stop here,
ready to have a shot at any Indian who shows himself, while Mr Bourne,
young squire, and Chris go off to the mules and horses."
"No," cried Chris; "I'm not going to leave my father."
"Wait, my boy," said the doctor sternly.
"But, father--"
"Silence, sir!"
"Hadn't done speaking, my lad," said Griggs, looking at the boy with a
smile. "Here's the rest of it. Mr Bourne and Squire Ned get old
Skeeter to the front; and set off at once as fast as the mules will go,
which only means a walk."
"But where--where?" cried Bourne excitedly.
"Anywhere, sir, except into the soda-plains. The thing you've got to do
is to put as many miles between you and here as you can manage in the
next twenty-four hours."
"What, and desert you?" cried Bourne. "How are you going to manage to
find us?"
"Oh, I'll find you by your trail when the time comes, sir," said Griggs,
laughing. "Don't you be afraid of that. Don't even think about it,
only of getting right away."
"I see," said the doctor, and he frowned down Chris, who was about to
speak. "Now go on."
"There's not much more to say, sir. We shall stay here till dusk,
giving the redskins a reminder now and then that we're on the alert; and
at last, when we feel that they're coming on for the attack, into the
saddles we jump, and steal off till we're out of hearing, and then crawl
till we make sure of the trail of the mules, and then gallop."
"But the ponies will have gone with the mules," cried Chris excitedly.
"You'd better not let them," said Griggs, with a grim smile at the boy.
"You've got to see the train started well on its way from the bottom of
the gully, and then bring the horses here--all six, mind."
"Yes, I see," said Chris, brightening up, the sun seeming to come out on
his gloomy, powder-smirched face. "But what about Ned's and Mr
Bourne's ponies?"
"They'll have to be contented with mules. They've only got to walk, and
there are several now with half loads. We shall want their ponies for
spare mounts, so as to give the others a rest now and then, for when we
leave here we shall have to make the best of our way."
"Oh!" cried Chris joyously. "I wish I were as clever as you are,
Griggs."
"It's all right, my lad," said the American grimly; "don't be in a
hurry. I've learned a bit about the Indians, and you've got that to
begin with; by the time you get as old as I am you'll have picked up a
deal more than I know, and you will not think much of me then. Now,
doctor, what's your idea?"
"Yours, Griggs," cried the gentleman addressed. "It cannot be bettered.
You hear, Bourne?"
"Yes, I hear," was the reply; "but about the Indians. You will not
escape them; they'll follow your trail."
"A bit," said Griggs, "while they're hot and wild after finding out that
we've tricked them and gone; but I seem to think that they won't tramp
far and leave their mustangs shut up in the valley. They'll come back
to get them out, and that will take them days, even if they do it then;
while if they can catch us after giving us about a week's law, I shall
feel disposed to forgive them."
"We need not discuss the matter further, eh, Wilton?" said the doctor,
turning to the young man, who had crouched close by, watching the spot
where the Indians had disappeared.
"No. It's all cut and dried," said the young man quietly. "Be off,
Bourne; you're going to have the best of it."
"That father isn't," said Ned sharply. "I don't think it's fair. Let
Chris go. I want to stop and fight."
"Nay, nay, nay," said Griggs, smiling; "don't be greedy, lad. You've
killed quite as many redskins to-day as is good for you. Be satisfied.
I dare say we can contrive a bit more fighting for you by and by."
"He may have all my share," said Chris, screwing up his face. "I hate
it. It's horrible."
"Obey orders," said the doctor, smiling. "Bourne, will you get off at
once?"
"Yes," was the reply.
"And you, boys. I don't think any eyes can reach us, for we get no more
arrows now; but all the same, I would not show. Crawl down to the
bottom; you will be safe from all observation there, and you can rise
and walk as soon as you are past the first curve. Till we meet again."
"Till we meet again," said Bourne and Ned in a breath, and they began to
crawl down the far side of the gulch from where they had made their
defence.
"As for you, my boy," continued the doctor, "you will bring the ponies
down, following the mules, and coming to a halt at that spring by the
big needle-like stone. There's some browsing for them there."
"Am I to stay with them, father?" said Chris.
"Of course, my boy, to be ready for starting at a moment's notice."
"But if you have to fight again?"
"We three will do our best."
"But only three, father?"
"Only three, but three men fighting with a knowledge that if things go
against them they have ponies waiting for them, ready for a retreat.
Now, my boy. Duty. Be off. And mind, you'll take no notice of a few
shots."
Chris made no reply. His rifle was already slung, and after one glance
up the gulch towards the valley, without seeing a sign of the enemy, he
began to back down the slope, creeping and crawling till it was safe to
rise, and then hurrying after Bourne and Ned, overtaking them long
before they could reach the entrance to the steep slope of the gully.