THE LAST STAND
The boy ranchers--only two of them now, for Bud was taking a
much-needed rest, stood silent in the darkness, on one edge of the
camp. They listened "with all their ears," for they were, if not
exactly in the enemy's territory, at least within striking distance of
the Yaquis, and every precaution must be taken.
So when Nort whispered to Dick that a suspicious noise had been heard,
Dick was only too ready to believe it.
"Where did you hear it?" Dick asked in a cautious voice when, after
several seconds of intent listening, neither had caught a sound.
"Off there," replied Nort rather vaguely, pointing to the darkness
ahead of them--a darkness where the rays of several camp fires did not
penetrate, and which the starlight did not seem to pierce.
"I don't hear anything," went on Dick. "Maybe it was only the wind.
We don't want to give an alarm and--"
"Hark!" interrupted his brother in a low but tense voice.
Clearly then, to the ears of both, came the unmistakable sound of
someone or something approaching. There was the crunching of gravel,
and the noise of some hard substance moving on a rock.
"It's the Yaquis!" whispered Nort, as he brought his rifle to bear on
the blackness in front of him. "They're creeping up to make an attack!"
Dick also got his gun in readiness for instant action, and the boys
were just about to fire when a noise, best described as "unearthly,"
smote their ears. It was a long drawn out cry, weird and
blood-curdling. That it was the warwhoop of the Yaquis both boys were
beginning to believe, in spite of knowing that these Mexicans seldom if
ever used such romantic if terrible means of terrifying their enemies.
I say the boys were on the verge of accepting the noise as that, when
its character suddenly changed, and the stillness of the night was
fairly shattered by a loud:
"Hee-haw! Hee-haw! Hee-haw!"
The reaction was so great that Nort and Dick nearly dropped their guns,
and they turned to look one at the other with sheepish grins that would
have been visible had the light been stronger. And then, with one
voice the brothers exclaimed:
"Maud!"
It was one of the army transport mules, an animal that helped carry the
camp baggage! She had strayed.
Again rose the cry, not so weird now that its nature was known.
"Hee-haw! Hee-haw!"
And from the camp came a disgusted complaint from some sleepy trooper
as he shouted: "The chump who tied that mule so he could wander ought
to be made to go get him!"
There was laughter at this, for many had been awakened by the braying
of the animal. And then one of the men in charge of the animals came
out and managed to corral the wanderer.
"Gosh! I'm glad we didn't shoot!" exclaimed Nort, as their tour of
duty ended and their relief came.
"Same here!" added his brother. "How they would have laughed at us if
we had plugged old Maud!"
This was the only disturbing incident of the night, the remainder of
which passed quietly.
With the first streak of dawn the troopers were up, as were the
cowboys, for Rolling Stone had said, and Buck Tooth agreed with him,
that if the Yaquis did attack it would be at dawn, since they seldom
fought after nightfall.
But no attack came, and breakfast was served, with sentries on the
watch to guard against surprise. Some steaming hot coffee, crisp bacon
the odor of which was an aroma in the morning air, flapjacks and sour
dough bread for those who wanted it, made the meal, which well
fortified those who partook of it for the day's events, which were
destined to be strenuous.
Once again the order was:
"Forward--march!"
Again they were on the trail of the Yaquis.
As they advanced the "sign" became more pronounced that the band had
passed that way. Whether they had the captives with them could, of
course, only be guessed at.
But the trail had been carefully scanned, and there was no evidence
that Rosemary and Floyd had been put out of the way. As far as could
be told the captives were still the prisoners of the Indians. And
there were no marks to show that any smaller body had branched off from
this band of Yaquis that had the unfortunate youth and maiden in charge.
So it was with the hope of finding their cousins safe, though perhaps
in dire distress, that the boy ranchers pressed on with their friends
the troopers and the cowboys.
As the trail became more pronounced, greater precautions were taken
against a surprise. And a surprise in the rocky defiles through which
they were passing would have been well nigh fatal. So scouts were
constantly in the lead, ready at the first suspicious sign to send back
word to the main body to be on the alert.
The morning passed without incident, save for one or two false alarms,
and there was a sigh of relief when the midday meal was served without
interruption in the shape of hostile bullets. Then, after a brief rest
for the horses, the march was again taken up.
"I wonder when we'll find them?" asked Nort.
"It's been quite a while now," added Dick.
"Poor Rosemary," sighed Bud, trying to find an easy position for his
wounded hand. "She must have had a tough time."
"Yet she had a lot of grit to send that message the way she did,"
commented Nort.
"Yes, only for that we wouldn't have known about it for a long
time--maybe too late," agreed Bud.
It was but a few minutes after this talk that, suddenly, a shot rang
out well up ahead. Instantly every nerve tingled for it might mean the
beginning of the last fight. The shot was almost at once followed by
others, and then a scout came clattering back.
"We've found 'em!" he cried. "And it's going to be a dickens of a
fight! They're in a regular fort!"
The firing in front became more brisk. Clearly all the van guard was
now engaged, and quick orders were issued to send up a squad or two of
the troopers, while the main body prepared for what they hoped would be
the last battle.
Captain Marshall rapidly questioned the messenger who had come back.
The man told how he and his companions had been riding along when they
were suddenly fired upon. The shot came from a ledge at one side of
the defile through which the trail ran, and they had a glimpse of a
Yaqui warrior shaking his fist at them in defiance as he disappeared
amid the rocks after delivering his warning shot.
Then the shooting between the outposts of the Indians and the advance
guard of the rescue party became general as the scout rode back to
report.
Captain Marshall hurried to the front with his first band of fighters,
the cowboys and our youthful heroes being bidden to remain where they
were until the officer had made an observation. In a little while
Captain Marshall came back.
"It will be their last stand!" he exclaimed.
"How so?" asked Snake.
"Well, they're there with their backs to the wall. They can't get out
at the rear and we're here in front to stop them if they come this way.
It will be a fight to a finish!"
And as the boy ranchers wondered at the fate of Rosemary and Floyd
there came from the front a burst of firing.