AN INDIAN RAID
The time passed very pleasantly; Will had become a great favourite with
both Señor Sarasta and his wife, and was treated as one of the family.
Donna Clara often accompanied the party on horseback, and when her first
shyness with Will had worn off, he found that she was lively and
high-spirited. Accustomed to horses from her infancy, she was an
admirable rider, and, although both Juan and Will were mounted on some
of the best horses on the ranch, she could leave them behind on her
favourite mare, a beautiful creature that she herself had broken in. At
the end of three months Will felt that, much as he was enjoying himself,
he must not outstay his welcome; but, upon his broaching the subject of
leaving, the whole family protested so indignantly against such an idea,
that he felt they really desired him to stay with them. Juan spoke to
him on the subject as soon as they started on horseback together that
afternoon.
"The idea of your leaving us is altogether preposterous, Will; do you
think that we should for a moment let you go? Where, indeed, would you
go? What ideas have you in your mind? Are you not one of us completely?"
"You are awfully good to me; I was never so happy in my life," Will
replied, "but there is reason in all things; I cannot spend my life
here. I must be doing something for my living. As I told you, I do not
want to return home until I can say to my father, I have been a success,
I require no favours, and am in a position to keep myself."
"I understand that," Juan said, "but how do you propose doing it?"
"I should do it somehow. I can at least ride now, and have more ways of
making a living open to me than I had before."
"My dear Will, you are talking nonsense, and if you suppose that we are
going to let you go out into the world in that sort of way you are
altogether mistaken. At any rate, leave the matter alone for the
present; we may see our way more clearly in time;" and had Will happened
to glance at his companion's face, he would have been puzzled by the
slight smile that glanced across it.
Two months later all hands were busy on the ranch. It was the season at
which the herds were weeded out, the old bulls and some of the young
ones slaughtered, skinned, and boiled down. Will only once accompanied
Señor Sarasta and Juan to the scene of operations. He was interested in
the Indians, who, with their squaws and young ones, had come down and
established a camp of their own. They were free to take as much meat as
they pleased, not only for eating, but for drying for future
consumption; broad, thin slices of flesh were cut up and hung on ropes
between poles to dry in the sun. Three days sufficed for the operation.
The meat, now almost as hard as leather, was pounded by the women
between heavy stones, and then mixed with a little salt and packed
tightly in bags made of skins. In this state it would keep for an
indefinite time. Will Harland often went there, but could not be induced
to approach the spot where the animals were slaughtered. He was much
rallied by Señor Sarasta and Juan on what they called his
faint-heartedness.
"I admit all you say," he replied. "I don't mind going into a fight
myself, but I cannot stand seeing those poor brutes killed. I know that
it is necessary, and that your vaqueros do it almost instantaneously; at
the same time, it is not necessary for me to see it. I would very much
rather stay away and watch the natives, with the shrivelled old women,
and the funny little papooses."
Clara nodded approvingly. "You are quite right, Don William," for
although the others all, like Juan, called him simply by his Christian
name, Clara still continued the more formal mode of address. "I never go
near the yard myself when it is going on."
"Ah! it is one thing for a girl not to like it," Juan said, "but for
Will, whom I have seen as cool as possible when his life was in danger,
and who fired at a man as steadily as if he had been shooting at a
target, it seems odd. However, one does not go to see the animals
killed; no one can take pleasure in that. The interest lies in the skill
and courage of the vaqueros, who are constantly risking their lives;
and, indeed, there is scarcely a season passes in which one or two of
them are not killed."
The work occupied nearly a month; then Juan started with his father for
San Diego, where the formal betrothal of the former was to take place.
At this his father's presence was necessary, and the latter would make
his usual arrangements for chartering a ship to go down to receive the
hides and skins full of tallow at the mouth of the river. Will had again
proposed that he should accompany them and say good-bye to them there.
As before, his proposal was scoffed at.
"It will be time enough to think of that when I go down three months
hence to be married," Juan said; "and now you must take our places
here, and look after my mother and sister. You will have to play the
part of my younger brother, and keep things straight. When we come back,
we will have a serious talk about the future."
Will was indeed now quite at home in the work of the ranch, and not
infrequently rode in one direction to give orders respecting the herds,
while Juan rode in the other; and the vaqueros all regarded him as being
invested with authority by their master. The report of Antonio and
Sancho of what had taken place at San Diego and on the road, had greatly
predisposed them in his favour, and the manner in which he had succeeded
in sitting a horse that few of them would venture to mount had greatly
increased their respect for him. Don Señor Sarasta settled the matter by
saying, "If you were to go with Juan I could not leave at the same time,
Will, and I particularly wish to be present at his betrothal. It would
be strange and contrary to all custom if one of his family were not
there; still, we could hardly be away together unless there were
someone here to take our place. You know questions are constantly
referred to us. One herd strays into the ground allotted to another,
disputes arise between vaqueros, and, in fact, someone in authority must
be here."
"Very well, sir. Then, if you think that I can be really useful, I shall
be only too glad to stay. You know that my own inclinations are all that
way. I have already been here five months, and I feel that this
delightful life must come to an end before long. However, since you are
good enough to say that I can really be of use in your absence, I will
gladly remain here until Juan goes down again to fetch his bride."
Two days later the Mexican and his son rode off, accompanied by six
well-armed horsemen. Will found plenty to do, and was out the greater
part of the day. Two days after the others had started he saw one of the
Indians talking to Antonio. As soon as the latter saw him he left the
Indian and came up to him.
"This Indian, who is one of the chiefs of our tribe, señor, tells me
that there is a report that the Indians on the other side of the river
are preparing for an expedition. It is supposed that it is against
another tribe farther east. They have not raided on this side of the
river for many years, but he thought that it was as well to let us know
that they are at present in an unsettled state. He says that he will
have some of his warriors down near the river, and that he will let us
know as soon as he has any certain news."
"Is there anything to be done, do you think, Antonio?"
"No, señor; wars are frequently going on between the Indians to the
east, but we have never had any trouble with them since we came here. If
our Indians thought that there was any danger, they would very soon be
flocking down here, for they have always been promised that they should
be supplied with firearms were anything of that sort to happen, and they
know that, with the aid of our people, they could beat off any number of
these red-skins."
"I have no doubt that we could defend ourselves, Antonio; however, you
see that in Don Sarasta's absence I have a very heavy responsibility,
and I think that it would be as well to take some precaution. Will you
ask the chief to send down a dozen of his warriors? They shall be paid,
in powder and in blankets, whatever is the usual sum. I want them to
establish themselves round the hacienda, to keep guard at night. I don't
mean that they shall stay close to the house, but scout down towards the
river, so that in case of alarm there would be time to get you all in
from the huts. How many sleep there?"
"There are about thirty of us who look after the herds in the lower
parts of the valley, and eight or ten peons who work in the garden round
the house."
"Well, that force, with the half-dozen servants in the house, would be
able to hold the hacienda against almost any number of Indians, and you
could all be here in ten minutes from the alarm being given."
"Very well, señor, I will tell the chief."
He talked for a few minutes with the Indian.
"He will send twelve of his braves down to-morrow," he said, when he
rejoined Will.
"Very well, let him do so; I shall certainly feel more comfortable. What
tribe do these Indians on the other side of the river belong to?"
"They are a branch of the Tejunas, who are themselves a branch of the
Apaches. The head-quarters of the tribe lie on the east side of Arizona,
between the Gila River and the Little Colorado. The Tejunas lie between
them and the Colorado; they are just as bad as the Apaches themselves,
and both of them are scourges to the northern districts of Mexico."
"What are our Indians?"
"They are a branch of the Genigueh Indians. They live among the hills
between Iron Bluff, sixty miles below us, and those hills you see as
many miles up. A good many of them hunt during the season on the other
side as far east as Aquarius Mountains, in what is known as the Mohave
country, but they never go farther south that side than the river
Santemaria, for the Tejunas would be down upon them if they caught them
in what they consider their country."
"I wish the señor was back," Will said; "though I dare say it is all
right, and that, as the Indians haven't made a raid across here for many
years, they will not do so now. How would they get across the river?"
"They would swim across, señor. An Indian thinks nothing of swimming a
wide river; he simply slips off his horse, and either puts his hands on
its back, or more generally holds on by its tail."
"Have these fellows guns?"
"A great many of them have. They capture them from the Mexicans, or, in
peaceable times, trade skins or their blankets or their Indian trumpery
for them. It is against the law to sell guns to the Indians, but most
Mexicans will make a bargain if they have the chance, without the
slightest regard to any law."
"How is it that the Mexican government does not try and get rid of these
Indians? I see by the map that the frontier line is a long way north of
the Gila."
"Yes, señor; they may put the line where they like, but there is not a
white man for a couple of hundred miles north of the Gila, except on the
Santa Fé River, and even there they are never safe from the Apaches and
the Navajoes. Why, it would want an army of twenty thousand men to
venture among the mountains north of the Gila, and they would all die of
starvation before they ever caught sight of an Apache. No, señor; unless
there is an earthquake and the whole region is swallowed up, I don't see
any chance of getting the better of the red rascals."
After entering the house, Will said nothing of the news which he had
heard. It seemed that there was no real ground for alarm, and yet he
could not but feel very uneasy. The next morning he rode down to the
river, where a number of peons were engaged in loading the rafts with
hides and tallow. He had told Donna Sarasta that he should be down
there all day, as he wanted to get the work pushed on. He had been there
but two hours when Antonio rode up at a headlong gallop.
"What is it, Antonio?" Will exclaimed, for it was evident from the man's
appearance that his errand was one of extreme importance.
"The hacienda has been attacked by Indians, señor; I was with the herd
two miles this side of it when I heard some shots fired. I galloped to
see what was the matter, but when I got within a quarter of a mile I saw
that the Indians were swarming round it. A dozen started in pursuit of
me, but they did not follow me far."
Will stood as one thunderstruck.
"But how can they have got there, Antonio?"
"They must have come by what is called the little gap. You know it,
señor,--that valley that runs off from the other nearly abreast of the
hacienda. Following that and crossing a shoulder, you cross down on to
the river some ten miles higher up. They must have crossed there by
swimming in the night."
"But the chief said he had scouts there."
"They could hardly watch thirty miles of the river, señor; besides, the
red-skins would have sent over two or three swimmers to silence anyone
they found near the place where they were to cross."
By this time a dozen other vaqueros, who had been warned by Antonio as
he came down, joined them.
"We must ride for the hacienda at once," Will said, leaping into the
saddle.
"No use, señor, no use. I should say there must be four hundred or five
hundred of the red-skins, and we may be sure that there is not a soul
alive now at the hacienda or at the huts. They will be here in a short
time, of that there is no doubt; probably half will come down the valley
and half will go up. We must ride for it, sir; follow the river down
till we are past the hills; there is not a moment to be lost."
The peons who had gathered round gave a cry of despair. "You can go if
you like, Antonio; I see we can do nothing at present, but I will not
leave the place."
"What will you do then, señor?"
"We will take the rafts and pole them across the river; there are no
signs of Indians there, and it is not likely there will be now." Then he
turned to the peons. "You have heard what I said. Get to the rafts at
once, there is not a moment to be lost. Look at that herd galloping
wildly; you may be sure that the red-skins are after them."
"The señor's advice is good," Antonio said, "and there is not a moment
to be lost. Get on board all of you, comrades; tie your bridles to the
rafts."
All hurried on to the rafts, the ropes that held them to the shore were
cut, and the peons, putting out the poles, pushed them into the stream.
The rafts were already heavily laden, by far the greater portion of the
cargo having been placed on board. Most of the vaqueros had their rifles
slung across their shoulders, as they had heard from Antonio what the
Indian had said, and had, on starting out, taken their guns with them.
"One never can tell what will happen," Antonio said; "it is always well
to be on the safe side."
Although the peons exerted themselves to the utmost, the rafts moved but
slowly, and they were but seventy or eighty yards from the shore when a
large band of Indians rode down to the bank and at once opened fire. As
they approached, Will shouted to all the men to take their places on the
other side of the piles of hide, and, using these as a breast-work,
those having guns at once returned the Indian fire. Five or six of the
red-skins fell, and the plunging of many horses showed that they were
wounded. A chief, who seemed to be in command, waved his hand and
shouted to his followers, who were evidently about to urge their horses
into the river, when Will, who had held his fire, took a steady aim at
the chief, and the latter fell dead from his horse.
"Will they take to the water, Antonio?" he asked the vaquero, who had
taken his place on the raft with him.
"I do not think so, señor; it is not in Indian nature to run such a risk
as that. We should shoot down numbers of them before they reached us,
and they would have a tough job then, for the peons would fight
desperately with their long knives, and it is no easy matter to climb
out of the water on to a raft with two or three men with long knives
waiting for you. This band are Apaches, señor; they have evidently
joined the Tejunas in a big raid."
The Indians for a few minutes continued their fire, but as those on the
rafts only showed their heads when they stood up to fire, and every
bullet told in the crowded mass, the Indians sullenly rode off.
The peons then resumed their poles, and in ten minutes reached the
opposite shore. Will sat down as soon as he had seen the horses landed,
with a feeling of despair in his heart. In the hurried arrangements for
the safety of those with him he had scarcely had time to think. Now
that there was nothing to do, the full horror of the situation was felt,
and the thought of Donna Sarasta and of Clara being murdered altogether
overpowered him, and his cheeks were moistened with tears. What would
the señor and Juan say on their return? They had left him in charge, and
although he could hardly be said to be to blame, yet he might have taken
greater precautions. He should not have relied upon the Indian scouts,
but have kept at least enough of the men up at the house to offer a
serious defence. Antonio, who was at the head of one of the parties in
charge of a herd, came up to him presently.
"Well, señor, 'tis no use grieving, and assuredly if anyone is to blame
it is I rather than you, for I assured you that there was no danger. I
shall tell the señor so when he comes. Had he been here he would, I feel
sure, have waited for further news before regarding the matter as
serious. Now, señor, what do you propose to do next? You are our
leader."
"The first thing to do is to go to the hacienda after dark, and to find
out what has happened there. How long do you think that the Indians will
remain in the valley?"
"Some days, I should say, señor. They will no doubt kill a number of
cattle and jerk the meat. Then they will drive off as many as they think
they can take with them, and probably slay the rest out of pure
wickedness."
"The principal point is to find out if all at the hacienda have been
killed."
"That you may be sure of, señor; but still it is right that we should
know. There may be one exception, although I can hardly hope."
"How do you mean, Antonio?"
"I mean, señor, that the señorita may have been spared for a worse
fate--I mean, may have been carried off by them. The Indians, while
sparing no one else, old or young, always carry off the young women."
"Great heavens!" Will exclaimed, stepping back, as if he had been
struck. "You do not say so! A thousand times better had she been
murdered by her mother's side. It is maddening to sit here and be able
to do nothing, not even to be able to find out if this dreadful thing is
true. How many men have we with guns?"
"Thirteen besides myself and you, señor."
"Those who have no rifles will be useless; they had better go down with
the rafts as soon as it becomes dark."
"Yes, señor, that would be best. The Indians are sure to swim across
to-night, and the four rafts would do well to push off as soon as they
can no longer be seen from the other side. The four head men, who will
go down with them, are all here."
"Call them up."
The four white men came to him.
"As soon as it is dark," he said, "you must push off; do not make the
slightest noise; when you get out in the middle of the stream let the
current take you down, only using the poles, when it is absolutely
necessary to keep you from approaching either bank. The twelve vaqueros
who have not guns had better go with you; that will give three to each
raft. We will pick out thirteen of the best horses, the others you must
kill this afternoon for food. Have you fishing-lines?"
"Yes, señor, we always carry them with us; and we have spears and can
fish by torch-light."
"Good! then you will manage very well. The vaqueros and what peons you
do not require must be landed as soon as you have passed the mountains;
they had better strike up to Monterey and wait there for orders. I will
give money to one of them to buy a horse there and ride with the news to
Don Sarasta at San Diego."