The Apaches seemed to have had so severe a lesson that they kept right
away in the plain for the rest of the day; and as it appeared to be
safe, the Indians went out with the Beaver to hide the ghastly relics of
the attack, returning afterwards to the Doctor to sit in council upon a
very important point, and that was what they were to do about the cattle
and horses.
This was a terrible question; for while the occupants of the rock
fortress could very well manage to hold out for a considerable time if
they were beleaguered, having an ample store of meal and dried meat,
with an abundant supply of water, the horses and cattle must have food,
and to have driven them out to the lake grazing-grounds meant to a
certainty that either there must be a severe battle to save them or the
Apaches would sweep them off.
"The Beaver and his men will watch and fight for the cattle," said the
chief, quietly.
"I know that, my brave fellow; but if they were yours, would you let
them go out to graze?" said the Doctor.
"No," replied the chief, smiling; "because the Apache dogs would carry
all away."
"Well," said the Doctor, "we must not risk it. Let us go out and cut as
much grass as we can to-day, for the poor brutes are in great distress."
The chief nodded, and said that it was good; and while strict watch was
kept from the rock, three parts of the men were hurried down to the
nearest point where there was an abundance of buffalo-grass really in a
state of naturally-made hay, and bundles of this were cut and carried to
the starving cattle.
It was a terribly arduous job in the hot sun; and it made the Doctor
think that if matters went on in this way, the silver procured from the
mine would be very dearly bought.
Even with all their efforts there was but a very scanty supply obtained,
and of that Joses declared the mules got by far the best share, biting
and kicking at the horses whenever they approached, and driving the more
timid quite away.
Strict watch was kept that night, but no Apaches came, and as soon as it
was light the next morning the horizon was swept in the hope of finding
that they were gone; but no such good fortune attended the
silver-miners, and instead, to the Doctor's chagrin, of their being able
to continue their toil of obtaining the precious metal, it was thought
advisable to go out and cut more fodder for the starving beasts.
The next day came, and no Apaches were visible.
"We can drive the cattle out to-day, Beaver," said the Doctor; "the
enemy are gone."
"The Apache dogs are only hiding," replied the chief, "and will ride
down as soon as the cattle are feeding by the lake."
The Doctor uttered an impatient ejaculation and turned to Joses.
"What do you say?" he asked.
"Beaver's right, master."
"Well, perhaps he is; but we can't go on like this," cried the Doctor,
impatiently. "No silver can be dug if the men are to be always cutting
grass. Here! you and Harry and a dozen greasers, drive out half the
cattle to feed. Bart, you take the glass, and keep watch from high up
the path. The signal of danger directly you see the Indians is the
firing of your piece. If you hear that fired, Joses, you are to drive
in the cattle directly, and we will cover your return."
"Good!" said Joses; and without a word he summoned Harry and a dozen
men, going off directly after through the gateway to the corral, saying
to Bart, as he went, "Of course, I do as master tells me, but you keep a
sharp look-out, Master Bart, or we shan't get them bullocks and cows
back."
Bart promised, and took his station, rifle across his knee and glass in
hand, to look out for danger, while before he had been there long the
Beaver came and sat beside him, making Bart hurriedly apologise for the
risk he had caused on the day of their adventure, he never having been
alone since with the chief.
"Master Bart, brave young chief," was all the Indian said; and then he
sat silently gazing out over the plain, while no sooner were the cattle
released than they set off lowing towards the pastures at a long
lumbering gallop, Joses and his followers having hard work to keep up
with them, for they needed no driving.
In less than half an hour they were all munching away contentedly
enough, with Joses and his men on the far side to keep the drove from
going too far out towards the plain, and then all at once the Beaver
started up, pointing right away.
"Apache dogs!" he shouted.
Bart brought the glass to bear, and saw that the chief was right.
In an instant he had cocked and fired his piece, giving the alarm, when
the garrison ran to their places ready to cover the coming in of the
cattle-drivers and their herd, Bart, seeing that Joses had taken the
alarm, and with his men was trying to drive the feeding animals back.
But the Doctor had not calculated upon hunger and bovine obstinacy. The
poor brutes after much fasting were where they could eat their fill, and
though Joses and his men drove them from one place, they blundered back
to another, lowing, bellowing, and getting more and more excited, but
never a step nearer to their corral.
And all this while the Apaches were coming on at full speed, sweeping
over the level plain like a cloud.
The Doctor grew frantic.
"Quick!" he cried; "we must go out to help Joses and his men. No, it
would be madness. Good heavens! what a mistake!"
"Let me go with the Beaver and his men to his help," cried Bart
excitedly.
"My dear Bart, the Indians will be upon them before you could reach the
horses, let alone saddle and bridle and mount."
"It is true," said the Beaver, sternly. "Chief Joses must fight the
Apache dogs himself."
Bart knew they could do nothing, and just then he saw that the Mexican
greasers had left the cattle, and were coming at full speed as hard as
they could run towards the shelter of the rock.
"The cattle must go," cried the Doctor, bitterly. "It is my fault. Why
does not Joses leave them? Harry is running with the others."
"Because poor Joses is too brave a fellow," cried Bart in despair. "I
must go to his help; I must indeed," he cried piteously.
"Young chief Bart must stay," said the Beaver, sternly, as he seized the
lad's arm. "He would be killed. Let chief Joses be. He is wise, and
can laugh at the Apache dogs."
It was an exciting scene, the Mexican labourers fleeing over the plain,
the cattle calmly resuming their grazing, and the cloud of Indian
horsemen tearing along like a whirlwind.
The occupants of the rock were helpless, and the loss of the cattle was
forgotten in the peril of Joses, though murmurs long and deep were
uttered by the Englishmen against him who had sent them out to graze.
In spite, too, of the terrible loss, there was something interesting and
wonderfully exciting in the way in which the Apaches charged down with
lowered lances, the cattle calmly grazing till they were near; then
lifting up their heads in wonder, and as the Indians swooped round, they
wheeled about, and went off at a gallop, but only to be cleverly headed
and driven back; and then with the Apaches behind, and forming a
crescent which partly enclosed the lumbering beasts, they were driven
off at full speed fight away towards the plain, gradually disappearing
from their owners' eyes.
"Only half as many to feed," said the Doctor, bitterly.
"Poor Joses!" groaned Bart with a piteous sigh.
"Chief Joses coming," said the Beaver pointing; and to the delight of
all they could see Joses in the distance, his rifle shouldered, marching
quietly towards them, and evidently making himself a cigarette as he
came.
Half an hour later he was in their midst.
"Couldn't save the obstinate beasts, master," he said quietly; "they
were worse than buffler."
"But how did you manage to escape?" cried the Doctor and Bart in a
breath.
"Oh! when I see it was all over, I just crept under a bush, and waited
till the Indian dogs had gone."
"Chief Joses too wise for Apache dog," said the Beaver, with a calm
smile. "Beaver-with-Sharp-Teeth told young chief Bart so."
"Yes," said Bart; "and I can't tell you how glad I am."
"Just about as glad as I am, Master Bart," said Joses, gruffly. "I did
my best, master, and I couldn't do no more."
"I know, Joses," replied the Doctor. "It was my fault; and the greasers
ran away?"
"Lord, master, if we'd had five hundred thousand greasers there it would
have been all the same. Nothing but a troop of horse would have brought
the obstinate cattle back to their corral. You won't send out no more?"
"No, Joses, not a hoof," said the Doctor, gloomily; and he went to his
tent on the top of the mountain to ponder upon the gloomy state of their
affairs.