LARIAT DAN'S DISCOVERY.
We have said that the shot which Blaze and Winkle heard had also
aroused Endicott and his party. Lariat Dan, a trailer, trapper and
guide of the party, and whose experience had been immense, and whose
word could not be doubted, said that he had heard, in addition, a
woman's scream for help. At this, as it were by instinct, Endicott and
Rothven looked at each other. Could it be that the woman of whom they
had been conversing but a short time ago, had since been in mortal
danger? Endicott wondered, too, whether the conversation he had with
Martin had any thing to do with it, or, if some sudden peril had come
to the girl as she wandered, as of old, beneath the moonlight? Then
Grizzly Dave, a voyageur of some renown, and also of his party, said
that he "smelt Injun," and thereat Endicott hastily gave orders for an
immediate preparation for a quick move. Accordingly there was a bustle
and buzz around the camp, for a few minutes, every man with nervous
rapidity attending to his duty.
By the time that Martin and half a score or more of his trusty
followers foamed into Endicott's camp, every thing was in a condition
that spoke well for the training and agility of the small brigade.
So ready, too, were Endicott's company for defense, that more than
one saddle of the Free Trappers might have been emptied as they came
charging up had not Lariat Dan been acute enough to distinguish the
thunder of their horses from the sweep of Indian ponies, and informed
Endicott of the number and quality of their approaching visitors. In a
moment it seemed to him that he had caught by intuition a glimpse of
the position of affairs, and he confronted Martin so earnestly that
that worthy's suspicions as to foul play emanating from that camp were
at once dispelled.
"Now, then, ef yer man enough to follow Dick Martin, you've a chance to
ride behind him. Ther's been some carelessness to-night that'll cost
more than the sleepy cusses' brains are worth. Jump into the saddle if
you're ready. What you leave in camp is safe as a church, and come on.
The red-skin rascals shan't get clear without hard riding and harder
fighting."
"What is it? Out with the whole of it! We heard the shot and a scream,
and got ourselves together for any thing rough that might turn up."
"Come on. I can tell you every thing as we go. That fool of a girl
has been gobbled up by the copper-skins, and that when I had six good
men out for them. She'll be fifty miles away up in the mountains by
morning."
The truth, as it was spoken rapidly by Martin, stirred Endicott into
instantaneous action.
"Never mind cacheing the dunnage, I'll bear the damage. Is every thing
ready for a start?" he exclaimed.
"You can just gamble on that yere," was the response of Lariat Dan.
"Then mount and away. Twenty-five dollars apiece extra pay for the
extra work, and every thing else goes on the same!"
"That's the right ring! Count us boys in on this yere frolic--up and
git," said Dan.
Endicott's followers fell in with those of Martin, and the whole body
swept rapidly away, Martin, some yards in advance, heading toward the
trail of the Indians, which passed the camp not many yards distant.
Those few yards were soon traversed, and, with scarce an effort, the
trail was found. There it lay before them, fresh, full and deep. As
they ranged upon it, Endicott drew up to the leader. At the pace
they were going, a free, steady gallop, conversation could be held
with perfect ease, and he wished to gather the particulars of the
catastrophe as well as learn the probable result.
"It seems to me the girl is born to be the center of a mix, and just
lives to make and be in trouble. I've got the whole thing down to a
point now--might have seen it at once if I hadn't had my ideas turned
off thinking of what you had been saying to me to-night. What there is
in her white face and staring eyes I can't see; but she's bewitched
a dozen or so, and in the lot there's a red-skin that's been into my
camp two or three times in the last year. That red-skin has made the
difficulty now."
"Then there's little danger of her coming to any immediate harm?"
"Not so much if they don't tomahawk her as we catch up."
"But will we catch up? What are the chances?"
"Will we? You talk as though you had never done business before with
Dick Martin. Of course we will! What he puts his hand to goes through.
That's what has made him out here. We _must_ catch up. The scent is
fresh, our cattle good, and if we let them get away from us into the
mountains we ought to lose our hair before we get back. Ther's a smart
sprinkling of a chance for some of us to do that, though, anyhow."
"And suppose they do get into the mountains?"
"Well, then, we have a heavy contract to carry, that's all. Ah, what's
that?"
The sudden exclamation was caused by the speaker's catching sight of
the spot where Bill Blaze and party had come upon the trail of the
Indians. Conversing as he was, and rapidly as he was riding, Martin's
eye was never for an instant blinded, but made constant use of the
moonlight, which, before many hours, would fail them. He glanced
backward, caught the direction and comprehended in a moment.
"That's the party that were camped down there," pointing with his
fingers in the direction of Winkle's lately left camp. "Only there were
two men and three horses then. They must have found a third rider.
Wonder if it could be the trapper that is just down from the mountains?
They are on the trail hard--and the more the merrier."
Again they dashed on at a rapid rate. Now the silence was unbroken
by speech. Well mounted and well armed, Martin hoped to overtake the
red-skins before the moon should set, or they have an opportunity
to find cover. The three men who had so unexpectedly come to his
assistance had evidently a start, and they might be riding in view.
Perhaps they might so embarrass the retreat that he would soon come up.
Once at close quarters, unless against overwhelming odds, he could rest
confident in the prowess of his men.
A mile more was soon devoured; then the whole cavalcade came to a
sudden halt at the exclamation from their leader.
A new addition had been made to the number of the forces on one side or
the other, and, anxious as he was to push on, Martin was here compelled
to pause and make a thorough examination; the result of which proved at
once embarrassing and unexpected. On inspection it was evident that at
this spot a small party of Indians had halted for some hours. The grass
was beaten down and upon the ground was the imprints of moccasined
feet. At first there was a difficulty in finding any further traces of
the horsemen of whom they were in pursuit. Martin and two or three of
his most experienced trailers gave their keen eyes to the work, while
Lariat Dan, Grizzly Dave and Mike Motler went circling round on their
own account. Endicott and Eben Rothven remained motionless, conversing
between themselves. Rothven had entered upon this ride with manifest
reluctance, and would even now fain have persuaded his friend that
their best policy was to withdraw from a pursuit which was attended
with positive danger, and the result of which was so dubious in its
nature. But Endicott was neither to be persuaded nor warned, and
listened with half-closed ears to the words of his partner.
Almost simultaneously Martin and Grizzly Dave uttered an ejaculation.
Each had found a trail leading away from the halting-place. Dick had
already found the path made by the halting squad, and, by careful
scouting, had satisfied himself that it had been traversed by three
mounted men, and a led horse. And looking a few yards further he found
the footprints of the same four horses leading back in almost the
exact direction from whence they had come. Having noted this he turned
to examine into what Grizzly Dave had found.
It was evidently a trail, though a faint one. Just a shadow of a track
left, a bruising of the grass as though by the muffled feet of horses.
And by the side of it another track, that of Harry Winkle and his two
followers. They cautiously moved on a few paces, keeping, with some
difficulty, the marks in view. When they came to a spot in the prairie
that was soft and rather bare, the hoof-prints of the three horses
could be quite plainly discerned. More than that, one of those horses
was doubly laden, as could be told by the depth of his tracks. Then
Lariat Dan made another discovery which he showed in silence. It was a
little shred of stuff which Martin at once recognized as a shred from
Edith Van Payne's dress.
"We have it now, boys; come ahead!" shouted the leader, and again they
pressed on, guided partly by the feebly discernible Indian trail,
partly by the bolder one of the three white men. But, moving with as
much rapidity as they could, time, and valuable time, was consumed, and
so far it could not be disguised that the red-skins had traveled two
miles to the white men's one.
Another mile brought a fresh development. The pursued had thrown away
all disguise and all attempt to conceal their trail, apparently being
more desirous of making a rapid flight than aught else.
As they galloped on, now Lariat Dan drew up alongside of Endicott and
spoke to him in a low tone: "Fall back an' out a little; I want to tell
yer somethin' you mout not hev noticed."
Something in the tone of the speaker struck strangely the one
addressed, and without hesitation he did as requested.
"I rayther think ther's more in this than _all_ on us can cipher out
at onc't, an' so I thort I'd tell you, kinder private like, thet this
huyer is all durned foolishness, an' we're losin' time. Jist call me
a double-barreled ground-hog ef the gal hesn't gone t'other way. It's
the purtiest piece o' red-skin devilment I've seen fur a coon's age,
an' I'll allow it did take in this old hoss at fust; but, I kin see
with half an eye now, that them are cusses blinded that trail just enuf
fur it to be found an' time fooled away on it an' the devil's dance
played, an' then the two lots'll git together ag'in an' be up in the
cover. Ef yer want to see the gal yer best plan is to corner right
off. I kin see with both eyes shut whar the're slidin' fur, an' ef the
hosses kin go the pace, I kin purty nigh make up lost time enough to
put yer thar before 'em."
"And how many of the Indians do you think we will find 'thar', waitin'
for them and ready to gobble us?"
"Nary durned one! The other is the nasty trail to foller. Ther'll be
jist three o' them, and you and yer partner throwed in. Ef yer say so
I'll tip our boys the wink an' we can take the route by ourselves,
er ef yer wants it, I kin tell Martin an' maybe the hull lot will go
a-b'ilin' off. Don't think too cussed long, for time's preshus."
In the gambling game that Endicott was ready to play, no hand could
have been dealt him which would better suit his purposes, provided the
statements of Dan, so positively made, could be relied on. There was a
risk to run; but the actual rescue of Edith Van Payne by himself, and
the consequent possession of her, surrounded only by his own men, was a
trump card that he was bold enough to make an effort to possess.
He was willing, for such an unexpected good fortune, to break, at a
moment's notice, with Martin.
In fact, as the reader may have surmised, he had already half decided
upon, but a few hours before, the abduction of Miss Van Payne by
himself and his men. Now he thought he saw the game played to a
successful termination, and seeing that, he was willing to blind his
eyes to the difficulties and dangers between. He looked at his henchman
with an approving smile, and slowly said: "You have done well. Let
Dave and Mike know and we will follow your lead in search of the other
party."
Rothven was close at hand, indeed he was hardly likely to be found
among the first riders, and when Charles Endicott in an undertone
requested him to gradually reduce his speed, he did it without urging.
He thought it was a sign that they were about to relinquish the chase;
a something which certainly met with his full approval. So quietly
and skillfully was the thing managed that, before their defection was
discovered, the five men had dropped behind, had turned their horses'
heads, and, under the skillful guidance of Lariat Dan, were stretching
out over the plain at a gait that plainly evinced that they were
desirous of making up for lost time.
Since the utmost silence was maintained, it was some time before Eben
could form any estimate of the direction in which he was going, or
learn the cause of their withdrawal. When at length an explanation was
vouchsafed him, he drew up like one who seems to think he has fallen
from the frying-pan into the fire; but he did not appear to think it
worth while to reason with the rest. Only he grumbled out that he
thought, if they must go on such a fool's chase, leaving their own
legitimate interests, he conceived that at least a decent regard for
their own safety, not entering into the question of effectiveness,
might have been exercised, and instead of plunging off into darkness
and danger alone, they might have followed on with the main body.
Dan, their present guide, took this murmuring quite pleasantly.
"Yer ha'r'll be just as safe when daylight comes, as ef ye'd follered
to a stray shot with Martin an' his trappers. Thar's no tellin' how
many o' them will go under afore mornin' yet."
"Yes, come now, don't be grumbling; but save your breath for some
emergency. We have a long ride before us and something of business at
the end of it. I never went more gayly to a ball than I go to my work
to-night."
"Oh, I'm not grumbling, and when the time comes you will find me as
ready as the readiest. Only I've a respect for the old Napoleonic
maxims about the heaviest battalions, and the strength of union."
"Them's only jineral principles," interposed Grizzly Dave. "When yer
come down to the fine p'ints, ye'll find that, when ther time fur a
galvanized bu'ster to go in out of the wet has arrove, the identical
cuss that shoots plum center slides along with it, an' yer bound to
drop. Ef Dick Martin's hand's out, there's the man pullin' in the
stakes this very minnit."
What answer Rothven might have made can not be recorded, for far
behind them they, with sudden startlingness, heard the peal of firearms.
"Thar's business now, an' you was just a-grumblin' thet yer head wasn't
bein' run slap inter the hornets' nest," said Grizzly Dave. "They've
run somethin' to a hole."