Evening was closing in, and the ruddy, horizontal rays of the sun were
casting long grotesque shadows of the tall-branched plants of the cactus
family that stood up, some like great fleshy leaves, rudely stuck one
upon the other, and some like strangely rugged and prickly fluted
columns, a body of Indians, about a hundred strong, rode over the plain
towards the rocks where Dr Lascelles and his little party were
encamped.
The appearance of the Indians denoted that they were on the war-path.
Each wore a rude tiara of feathers around his head, beneath which hung
wild his long black hair; and saving their fringed and ornamented
leggings, the men rode for the most part naked, and with their breasts
and arms painted in a coarse and extravagant style. Some had a rude
representation of a Death's head and bones in the centre of the chest;
others were streaked and spotted; while again others wore a livery of a
curiously mottled fashion, that seemed to resemble the markings of a
tortoise, but was intended to imitate the changing aspect of a snake.
All were fully armed, some carrying rifles, others bows and arrows,
while a few bore spears, from the top of whose shafts below the blades
hung tufts of feathers. Saddles they had none, but each sturdy,
well-built Indian pony was girt with its rider's blanket or buffalo
robe, folded into a pad, and secured tightly with a broad band of raw
hide. Bits and bridles too, of the regular fashion, were wanting, the
swift pony having a halter of horse-hair hitched round its lower jaw,
this being sufficient to enable the rider to guide the docile little
animal where he pleased; while for tethering purposes, during a halt,
there was a stout long peg, and the rider's plaited hide lariat or
lasso, ready for a variety of uses in the time of need.
The rugged nature of the ground separated the party of Indians from the
Doctor's little camp, so that the approach of the war party was quite
unobserved, and apparently, from their movements, they were equally
unaware of the presence of a camp of the hated whites so near at hand.
They were very quiet, riding slowly and in regular order, as if moved by
one impulse; and when the foremost men halted, all drew rein by some
tolerably verdant patches of the plain, blankets and robes were
unstrapped, the horses allowed to graze, and in an incredibly short time
the band had half a dozen fires burning of wood that had been hastily
collected, and they were ravenously devouring the strips of dried
buffalo meat that had been hanging all day in the hot sun, to be
peppered with dust from the plain, and flavoured by emanations from the
horse against whose flank it had been beaten.
This, however, did not trouble the savages, whom one learned in the lore
of the plains would have immediately set down as belonging to a powerful
tribe of horse Indians--the Apaches, well-known for their prowess in war
and their skill as wild-horsemen of the plains. They feasted on, like
men whose appetites had become furious from long fasting, until at last
they had satisfied their hunger, and the evening shadows were making the
great plants of cactus stand up, weird and strange, against the
fast-darkening evening sky; then, while the embers of the fire grew more
ruddy and bright, each Indian, save those deputed to look after the
horses and keep on the watch for danger, drew his blanket or buffalo
robe over his naked shoulders, filled and lit his long pipe, and began
silently and thoughtfully to smoke.
Meanwhile, in utter unconsciousness of the nearness of danger, Dr
Lascelles continued his watch thus far into the night. From time to
time he examined the tethering of the horses, and glanced inside the
tent to stand and listen to the regular low breathing of his child, and
then walk to where, rolled in his blanket, Bart Woodlaw lay sleeping in
full confidence that a good watch was being kept over the camp as he
slept.
Then the Doctor tried to pierce the gloom around.
Away towards the open plains it was clear and transparent, but towards
the rocks that stretched there on one side all seemed black. Not a
sound fell upon his ear, and so great was the stillness that the dull
crackle of a piece of smouldering wood sounded painfully loud and
strange.
At last the time had come for arousing some one to take his place, and
walking, after a few moments' thought, to where Bart lay, he bent down
and touched him lightly on the arm.
In an instant, rifle in hand, the lad was upon his feet.
"Is there danger?" he said in a low, quiet whisper.
"I hope not, Bart," said the Doctor quietly, "everything is perfectly
still. I shall lie down in front of the tent; wake me if you hear a
sound."
The lad nodded, and then stood trying to shake off the drowsiness that
still remained after his deep sleep while he watched the Doctor's figure
grow indistinct as he walked towards the dimly seen tent. He could just
make out that the Doctor bent down, and then he seemed to disappear.
Bart Woodlaw remained motionless for a few moments, and then, as he more
fully realised his duties, he walked slowly to where the horses were
tethered, patted each in turn, the gentle animals responding with a low
sigh as they pressed their heads closely to the caressing hand.
Satisfied that the tethering ropes were safe, and dreading no hostile
visit that might result in a stampede, the guardian of the little camp
walked slowly to where the fire emitted a faint glow; and, feeling
chilly, he was about to throw on more wood, when it occurred to him that
if he did so, the fire would show out plainly for a distance of many
miles, and that it would serve as a sign to invite enemies if any were
within eyeshot, so he preferred to suffer from the cold, and, drawing
his blanket round him, he left the fire to go out.
Bart had been watching the stars for about an hour, staring at the
distant plain, and trying to make out what was the real shape of a pile
of rock that sheltered them on the north, and which seemed to stand out
peculiarly clear against the dark sky, when, turning sharply, he brought
his rifle to the ready, and stood, with beating heart, staring at a tall
dark figure that remained motionless about a dozen yards away.
It was so dark that he could make out nothing more, only that it was a
man, and that he did not move.
The position was so new, and it was so startling to be out there in the
wilds alone as it were--for the others were asleep--and then to turn
round suddenly and become aware of the fact that a tall dark figure was
standing where there was nothing only a few minutes before, that in
spite of a strong effort to master himself, Bart Woodlaw felt alarmed in
no slight degree.
His first idea was that this must be an enemy, and that he ought to
fire. If an enemy, it must be an Indian; but then it did not look like
an Indian; and Bart knew that it was his duty to walk boldly up to the
figure, and see what the danger was; and in this spirit he took one step
forward, and then stopped,--for it was not an easy thing to do.
The night seemed to have grown blacker, but there was the dark figure
all the same, and it seemed to stand out more plainly than before, but
it did not move, and this gave it an uncanny aspect that sent something
of a chill through the watcher's frame.
At last he mastered himself, and, with rifle held ready, walked boldly
towards the figure, believing that it was some specimen of the fleshy
growth of the region to which the darkness had added a weirdness all its
own.
No. It was a man undoubtedly, and as, nerving himself more and more,
Bart walked close up, the figure turned, and said slowly:--
"I can't quite make that out, Master Bart."
"You, Joses!" exclaimed Bart, whose heart seemed to give a bound of
delight.
"Yes, sir; I thought I'd get up and watch for a bit; and just as I
looked round before coming to you, that rock took my fancy."
"Yes, it does look quaint and strange," said Bart; "I had been watching
it."
"Yes, but why do it look quaint and strange?" said Joses in a low, quiet
whisper, speaking as if a dozen savages were at his elbow.
"Because we can see it against the sky," replied Bart, who felt half
amused at the importance placed by his companion upon such a trifle.
"And why can you see it against the sky?" said Joses again. "Strikes me
there's a fire over yonder."
Bart was about to exclaim, "What nonsense!" but he recalled the times
when out hunting up stray cattle Joses had displayed a perception that
had seemed almost marvellous, and so he held his tongue.
"I'll take a turn out yonder, my lad," he said quietly; "I won't be very
long."
"Shall I wake up the Doctor?"
"No, not yet. Let him get a good rest," replied Joses. "Perhaps it's
nothing to mind; but coming out here we must be always ready to find
danger, and danger must be ready to find us on the look-out."
"I'll go with you," said Bart eagerly.
"No, that won't do," said the rough fellow sturdily. "You've got to
keep watch like they tell me the sailors do out at sea. Who's to take
care of the camp if you go away?"
"I'll stay then," said Bart, with a sigh of dissatisfaction, and the
next minute he was alone. For Joses had thrown down his blanket, and
laid his rifle upon it carefully, while over the lock he had placed his
broad Spanish hat to keep off the moisture of the night air. Then he
had gone silently off at a trot over the short and scrubby growth near
at hand.
One moment he was near; the next he had grown as it were misty in the
darkness, and disappeared, leaving Bart, fretting at the inaction, and
thinking that the task of doing duty in watching as sentry was the
hardest he had been called upon to perform.
Meanwhile the rough cattle driver and plainsman had continued his trot
till the broken nature of the ground compelled him to proceed
cautiously, threading his way in and out amongst the masses of rock, and
forcing him to make a considerable _detour_ before he passed the ridge
of stones.
His first act was to drop down on hands and knees; his next to lie flat,
and drag himself slowly forward a couple of hundred yards, and then
stop.
It was quite time that he had, for on either hand, as well as in front,
lay groups of Indians, while just beyond he could distinguish the horses
calmly cropping the grass and other herbage near. So still was it, and
so closely had he approached, that every mouthful seized by the horses
sounded quite plainly upon his ear, while more than once came the
mutterings of some heavy sleeper, with an occasional hasty movement on
the part of some one who was restless.
Joses had found out all he wanted, and the next thing was to get back
and give the alarm. But as is often the case in such matters, it was
easier to come than to return. It had to be done though, for the
position of those in the little camp was one full of peril, and turning
softly, he had begun his retrograde movement, when a figure he had not
seen suddenly uttered an impatient "ugh!" and started to his feet.
Joses' hand went to his belt and grasped his knife, but that was all.
It was not the time for taking to headlong flight, an act which would
have brought the whole band whooping and yelling at his heels.
Fortunately for the spy in the Indian camp, the night was darker now, a
thin veil of cloud having swept over the stars, otherwise the fate of
Dr Lascelles' expedition would have been sealed. As it was, the Indian
kicked the form beside him heavily with his moccasined foot, and then
walked slowly away in the direction of the horses.
Some men would have continued their retreat at once, perhaps hurriedly,
but Joses was too old a campaigner for such an act. As he lay there,
with his face buried deeply in the short herbage, he thought to himself
that most probably the waking up of the Indian who had just gone, the
kick, and the striding away, would have aroused some of the others, and
in this belief he lay perfectly still for quite ten minutes.
Then feeling satisfied that he might continue his retreat, he was
drawing himself together for a fresh start, when a man on his right
leaped to his feet; another did the same, and after talking together for
a few moments they too went off in the direction of the horses.
This decided Joses upon a fresh wait, which he kept up, till feeling
that, safe or unsafe, he must make the venture, he once more started,
crawling slowly along without making a sound, till he felt it safe to
rise to his hands and knees, when he got over the ground far more
swiftly, ending by springing to his feet, and listening intently for a
few moments, when there was the faint neigh of a horse from the Indian
camp.
"If one of ours hears that," muttered Joses, "he'll answer, and the
Indians will be down upon us before we know where we are."