"Yes, Bart," said the Doctor, "we have a horse now for a messenger, but
I dare not send you; and if you lent Black Boy to the Beaver and sent
him, I am sure the governor would never respond to my appeal for help.
I should be doubtful even if I sent Joses."
"Black Boy would not let Joses mount him, sir," replied Bart; "he never
would."
"I dare not send you," said the Doctor again.
"Why not, sir? I could find my way," replied Bart excitedly. "Trust
me, and I will go and tell the governor such a tale that you will see he
will send us a squadron or two of lancers, and horses and cattle for our
help."
"I do not like sending you, Bart," said the Doctor again, shaking his
head. "No, we will wait and see how matters turn out."
The silver-mining went on merrily, and universal satisfaction was felt
by the people, who were too busy to think of the rate at which
provisions were failing; but the Doctor thought of it deeply, and he
knew that help must be sent for if they were to exist.
They had made two or three excursions into the canyon and brought up
large quantities of salmon, and what was dearer to the hearts of all,
large pieces of virgin silver; and after the last excursion it had been
determined to risk the coming of the Indians, and work the rich deposits
of silver below, when, the very next morning at daybreak, the Beaver
announced the coming of the Apaches.
"And now," he said quietly to Bart and Joses, "the Beaver's young men
will get back many horses."
"Yes, I thought that," said Joses, "and I'm willing; but take care of
yourselves, my lads; there is danger in the task."
The Beaver nodded and smiled and went his way, while Bart joined the
Doctor, who was eagerly watching the coming savages as they rode slowly
across the distant plains.
"Bart," he said at last, shutting up his glass, "you are very young."
Bart nodded.
"But I find myself compelled to send you on a very dangerous errand."
"To ride on to Lerisco, sir?" said Bart promptly. "I'm ready, sir; when
shall I go?"
"Not so fast," said the Doctor, smiling at the lad's bravery and
eagerness. "You must make some preparations first."
"Oh, that will soon be done, sir; a few pieces of dried bison-meat and a
bag of meal, and I shall be ready."
"I was thinking," said the Doctor, "that I ought to have sent you off
before the Indians came, but I have since thought that it is better as
it is, for we know now where our enemies are. If I had sent you
yesterday, you might have ridden right into their midst."
"That's true, sir. But when shall I go?"
"If I send you, Bart, it must be to-night, with a letter for the
governor, one which, I am sure, he will respond to, when he hears from
you of the enormous wealth of the canyon and the mine. Now go and
consult with the Beaver as to the track you had better follow so as to
avoid the Indians. I must take a few precautions against attack, for
they seem to be coming straight on, and I sadly fear that they mean to
invest us now."
Bart found the Beaver, who was watching his natural foes, the Apaches,
along with Joses, as they talked together in a low tone.
"I am going to ride back to Lerisco for help," said Bart suddenly.
"You are, my lad?" cried Joses. "I shall go too."
"But you have no horse, Joses," said Bart smiling, and the rough fellow
smote himself heavily on the chest.
"It is good," said the Beaver in his calm way. "My young men would like
to ride with you, but it cannot be."
"Tell me, Beaver, how I had better go so as to escape the Apaches."
"The young chief must ride out as soon as it is dark, and go straight
for the lake, and round its end, then straight away. The Apache dogs
will not see him; if they do, they will not catch him in the dark.
Ugh!" he ejaculated with a look of contempt, "the Apache dogs are no
match for the young chief."
Bart could not help feeling very strangely excited as the evening
approached, the more especially that the Apaches had come close on
several hundred strong, and they could see them from the rock lead their
horses down into the lake for water, and then remount them again, while
a couple of small parties remained on foot, and it seemed possible that
they intended to make an attack upon the fortress, for they were all
well-armed.
"I shouldn't wonder if we have a bad storm to-night, Master Bart," said
Joses, as the sun set in a band of curious coppery-coloured clouds,
while others began to form rapidly all over the face of the heavens,
with a strangely weird effect. "You won't go if the weather's bad, I
s'pose, my lad?"
"Indeed but I shall," said Bart excitedly. "If I am to go, I shall go."
The Doctor came up then and seemed torn by two opinions, speaking out
frankly to the lad upon the point.
"I don't want to send you, Bart, and yet I do," he said, rather
excitedly. "It seems an act of cruelty to send you forth on such a
mission, but it is my only hope."
"I'll go, sir," cried Bart, earnestly. "I'll go for your sake and
Maude's."
"Thank you, my brave lad," cried the Doctor with emotion, "but it is
going to be a terrible night."
"The safer for our purpose, sir," replied Bart. "There, sir, I won't
tell a lie, and say I do not feel timid, because I do; but I mean to
mount and ride off boldly, and you'll see I'll bring back plenty of
help, and as quickly as I can."
"But wait another night, my lad; it will be finer perhaps. There is no
moon, and if it clouds over, you will never find your way to the lake."
"Black Boy will, sir, I know," said Bart laughing. "I am keeping him
without water on purpose."
"A clever idea, Bart," said the Doctor.
"Yes, sir," said Bart, "but it is not mine. It was the Beaver's notion.
Those dismounted Indians are coming right in, sir, I think," he said.
"Yes, without doubt, Bart," exclaimed the Doctor, watching them. "Yes,
they mean to get somewhere close up. There will be an attack to-night."
"Then I shall gallop away from it," said Bart laughing, "for I am afraid
of fighting."
Two hours later, Black Boy, already saddled and bridled, a good blanket
rolled up on his saddle-bow, and a bag of meal and some dried
bison-flesh attached to his pad behind, was led down the rugged way to
the gate, which had been opened out ready. Joses and the Indians were
on either side ready with their rifles as the lad mounted in the outer
darkness and silence; a few farewell words were uttered, and he made his
plans as to the direction in which he meant to ride, which was pretty
close in to the side of the mountain for about a quarter of a mile, and
then away at right angles for the end of the lake.
"Good-bye, my boy, and God be with you," whispered the Doctor, pressing
one hand.
"Take care of yourself, dear lad," whispered Joses, pressing the other,
and then giving way to the chief, who bent forward, saying, in his low,
grave voice--
"The Beaver-with-Sharp-Teeth would like to ride beside the brave young
chief, but the Great Spirit says it must not be. Go; you can laugh at
the Apache dogs."
Bart could not answer, but pressed his steed's sides, and the brave
little animal would have gone off through the intense darkness at a
gallop; but this was not what Bart wished, and checking him, Black Boy
ambled over the soft ground, avoiding the rocks and tall prickly cacti
with wonderful skill, while Bart sat there, his ears attent and nostrils
distended, listening for the slightest sound of danger, as the Indians
might be swarming round him for aught he knew; and as he thought it
possible that one of the dismounted bodies might be creeping up towards
the gateway close beneath the rocks, he found himself hoping that the
party had gone in and were blocking up the entrance well with stones.
The darkness was terrible, and still there was a strange lurid aspect
above him, showing dimly the edge of the top of the mountain. That
there was going to be a storm he felt sure--everything was so still, the
heat was so great, and the strange oppression of the air foretold its
coming; but he hoped to be far on his way and beyond the Indians ere it
came, for the flashes of lightning might betray him to the watchful eyes
of the enemy, and then he knew it meant a ride for life, as it would not
take the Apaches long to mount.
All at once, as he was riding cautiously along, his rifle slung behind
him, and his head bent forward to peer into the darkness, there was a
sharp flash, and what seemed to be a great star of fire struck the rock,
shedding a brilliant light which revealed all around for a short
distance, as if a light had suddenly appeared from an opening in the
mountain; and then, close in beneath where the electric bolt had struck,
he could see a knot of about a dozen Indians, who uttered a tremendous
yell as they caught sight of him, making Black Boy tear off at full
speed, while the next moment there was a deafening crash, and it seemed
to Bart that a huge mass of the mountain-side had fallen crumbling down.
That one flash which struck the mountain seemed as if it had been the
signal for the elements to commence their strife, for directly after the
heavens were in a blaze. Forked lightning darted here and there; the
dense clouds opened and shut, as if to reveal the wondrously vivid
glories beyond, and the thunder kept up a series of deafening peals that
nearly drove the little steed frantic.
As to his direction, Bart was ignorant. All he knew was that he ought
to have ridden some distance farther before turning off, but that awful
flash had made the cob turn and bound away at once; and as far as the
rider could make out, they were going straight for the lake with the
dismounted Indians running and yelling madly behind.
At least that was what he fancied, for, as he listened, all he could
hear was the deafening roar of the thunder, and the sharp crackling
sound of the lightning as it descended in rugged streaks, or ran along
the ground, one flash showing him the lake right ahead, and enabling him
to turn a little off to the left, so as to pass its end.
He knew now that the pealing thunder would effectually prevent the
Indians from hearing him, but the lightning was a terrible danger when
it lit up the plains; and as he peered ahead, he fully expected to see a
body of horsemen riding to cut him off. But no; he went on through the
storm at a good swinging gallop, having his steed well now in hand, a
few pats on its arching neck and some encouraging words chasing away its
dread of the lightning, which grew more vivid and the thunder more awful
as he rode on.
After a time he heard a low rushing, murmuring sound in the intervals
when the thunder was not bellowing, so that it seemed to rock the very
foundations of the earth. It was a strange low murmur, that sounded
like the galloping of horsemen at a great distance; and hearing this,
Bart went off at a stretching gallop, crashing through bushes and tall
fleshy plants, some of which pierced the stout leggings that he wore,
giving him painful thrusts from their thorns, till, all at once, the
rushing sound as of horsemen ceased, and he realised the fact that it
was the noise of a storm of rain sweeping across the plain, borne upon
the wind to fall almost in sheets of water, though he passed quite upon
its outskirts, and felt only a few heavy pattering drops.
He had passed the end of the lake in safety, and was beginning to be
hopeful that he would escape the Indians altogether, but still he could
not understand how it was that the little dismounted body of men had not
spread the alarm, for he knew that they must have seen him, the ball of
light that struck the rock having lit up everything, and he knew that he
seemed to be standing out in the middle of a regular glare of light; but
after the deafening crash that followed he had heard no more--no distant
shouts--no war-whoop. They would be sure to communicate with their
nearest scouts, and their bodies of mounted men would have begun to
scour the plain in spite of the storm; for he could not think that the
Apaches, who were constantly exposed to the warfare of the elements,
would be too much alarmed to attempt the pursuit.
"They would not be more cowardly than I am," he said with a half laugh,
as he galloped on, with Black Boy going easily, and with a long swinging
stride that carried him well over the plain, but whether into safety or
danger he could not tell.
All he knew was that chance must to a great extent direct his steps, and
so he galloped on with the rain left behind and a soft sweet breeze
playing upon his face, the oppression of the storm seeming to pass away,
while it was plain enough that the thunder and lightning were
momentarily growing more distant, as if he were riding right out of it
towards where the air and sky were clearer. Before long, he felt sure,
the stars would be out, and he could see his way, instead of galloping
on in this reckless chance manner, leaving everything to his horse.
"I can't quite understand it," said Bart; "there must have been some
mistake. Of course, I see now. I was riding straight along under the
mountain-side when Black Boy swerved almost right round and went off in
another direction: that and the darkness threw them off the track, but
they will be sure to strike my trail in the morning. Black Boy's
hoof-prints will be plain enough in the soft earth where the rain has
not washed them away, and they'll come on after me like a pack of hungry
wolves. How I wish I knew whether I was going right! It would be so
valuable now to get right away before morning."
Bart was getting well ahead, but not in the best direction. He had,
however, no occasion to fear present pursuit, for the knot of dismounted
Indians whom he had seen close under the rock when the lightning fell
lay crushed and mangled amongst a pile of shattered rocks which the
electric discharge had sent thundering down, while as Bart was cantering
on, full of surmises, where not a drop of rain was falling, the storm
seemed to have chosen the mountain as its gathering point, around which
the lightning was playing, the thunder crashing, and the water streaming
down, so that in places regular cascades swept over the sides of the
rock, and tore away like little rivers over the plain.
For the time being, then, Bart had nothing to fear from these
unfortunate Apaches; but, as the storm lulled, and another little body
of dismounted Indians crept cautiously up to the fallen rocks, their
object being to surprise the guards at the gateway, they learned from
one of their dying friends of the appearance of the young chief upon his
little black horse, and that he had gone right off over the plain.
The sequel to this was that the dead and dying soon were borne away, and
a party was formed at daybreak to take steps that would have made Bart
had he known, feel terribly uncomfortable, instead of growing hour by
hour more confident and at his ease.