"You may hev found her all right," admitted Old Rocks; "but yer made a mistake in keepin" her. I"ll take her now."
"Dunno "bout that," muttered Half Hand.
"Whut?" roared the old man, suddenly aroused, having thrust his pipe into his pocket. "You dunno? Wa-al, I will allow thet I know! Look yar, you"ll be gittin" inter one o" ther derndest sc.r.a.pes you ever did ef you tries ter kerry off this yere gal. It"ll be reported, an" ther United States soldiers will take an" hang yer all!"
"Bah!" sneered the half-breed. "Who care for soldiers! We find gal; she b"long to us."
"Not much!"
"What white man do?"
"Take her."
"Him can"t."
"Dog my cats ef I don"t!"
"Him can"t git erway."
The Blackfeet had formed a circle about Old Rocks.
"Stiddy, critters!" he warned. "Don"t try ter stop me, fer ef yer does, som" o" yer will bite ther dust."
"White man give up gal, we let um go "thout hurtin"."
"Thet"s kind; but I reckons I"ll hev ter be hurt, fer I"ll never give her up."
"Then white man dies!"
One of the Indians slipped up behind Old Rocks and lifted a hatchet to split open the head of the guide.
Crack! the report of a rifle rang out.
A yell of agony broke from the lips of the Indian, and the hatchet dropped from his hand. A bullet had shattered his forearm.
Frank"s aim had been true, and he had saved the life of Old Rocks.
At that instant, just as the guide stooped to lift the child, a man broke through the circle of savages and s.n.a.t.c.hed up the child, tearing it from the fingers of the guide, to whom he cried:
"Hold them off, and I will get away with her!"
It was the Hermit.
Out came a brace of revolvers in the hands of the weather-tanned guide, and the yells which broke from his lips awoke a hundred echoes. He began shooting to the right and left.
Over the top of the rocks, behind which he had been concealed, Frank was sending a shower of bullets whistling. After the first two shots, he aimed high, counting on demoralizing the savages by terror, instead of taking chances of hitting Old Rocks or the child.
The trick worked long enough for the guide to get away, and he followed close at the heels of the Hermit.
By chance the man with the child pa.s.sed near Frank, and then Old Rocks came along, shouting:
"Up an" dig, boy! Ther trick is did!"
In a moment Frank dashed after the old man.
The Blackfeet recovered quickly, and they leaped in pursuit, uttering fierce cries.
Old Rocks was surprised by Frank"s fleetness on foot.
"Derned ef you can"t run, ez well ez do other things!" he muttered, as the lad forged along by his side. "You"re a holy wonder, boy. It"s twice you saved my life this day. I trusted everything ter you this last time, an" yer didn"t fail me."
"I broke the Indian"s arm as he was on the point of striking."
"Thet wuz ther only mistake yer made. You oughter broke his head, an"
thar"d bin one less. They"re arter us hot foot, an it"s a race fer life now."
CHAPTER x.x.xIV.
IN SAND CAVE.
Behind them the enraged Blackfeet began shooting, and the bullets whistled over the heads of the fugitives.
"I pray none of those hits little Fairy," panted Frank.
"Ef we could strike some kind o" cover an" hed a minute to spar", we"d be able ter stan" ther varmints off," came from Old Rocks.
"My rifle is empty."
"I ain"t got mine, an" I"ll allow my small guns are empty; but I kin load "em as we run."
"We may have to fight anyhow."
"Right, boy. Ef we do, dog my cats ef we don"t make some o" them onery skunks gaul derned sick!"
Still running, Old Rocks snapped the empty sh.e.l.ls from his revolvers, and replaced them with fresh cartridges.
At times it was not easy to keep track of the Hermit, who ran through the night with the speed of a deer and the tirelessness of a hound.
Now and then the frightened child cried out, and this aided Frank and the old guide in following.
Rocks soon replenished his revolvers, and said:
"Thar, I kinder "lows we kin make it interestin" fer them varmints ef they press us too hard. Dunno ez I kin find ther place whar I hid my rifle, but I reckons I oughter."
"If we escape."