An hour later the soldiers" camp was reached, and Rasco and d.i.c.k were placed in a temporary guard house. They had been there but a short while when a visitor entered. It was--Louis Vorlange!
"So they have you safe, I see," began Vorlange, when Rasco sprang at him and knocked him down.
"Will you make my niece a prisoner," he cried, wrathfully, for d.i.c.k had told him the story. "You dirty spy!"
"Hold up," gasped Vorlange, his face growing white. "Rasco, don"t be a fool. I--I--made her a prisoner because I have orders to arrest anybody found roaming around----"
"I won"t argy the p"int!" roared Rasco. "I know you, Vorlange, and so does d.i.c.k here. You robbed and nearly murdered thet boy"s father!"
At these words Vorlange staggered back as though struck a blow.
"Who says I--I did that?" he faltered.
"I say so."
"And so do I," put in d.i.c.k, boldly. "We"ll have a nice story to tell when we are brought out for examination, I"ll tell you that."
Vorlange breathed hard and glared from one to the other. Then of a sudden he caught d.i.c.k by the arm and turned him to one side.
"Boy, beware how you cross me," he hissed into d.i.c.k"s ears. "Beware, I say! I have known your father for years, and I have the knowledge in my possession which can send your father to the gallows."
CHAPTER XXIV.
CHASED BY CAVALRY.
"Checkmated! By Jove, but this is too bad."
Such were the words which issued from p.a.w.nee Brown"s lip as he swung around and saw the cavalrymen sitting on their horses at attention.
His disappointment was keen. In speaking of it afterwards he said:
"I never felt so bad in my life. I had promised to take the boomers through and I felt that I had disappointed nearly four thousand people who were looking to me with utmost confidence."
But disappointment was not the worst of it. Hardly had the command to halt been issued than the captain of the troops advanced toward the scout.
"p.a.w.nee Brown!" he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, in surprise, and a smile of satisfaction crossed his face. "This is a great pleasure."
"Is it?" answered the great scout, coldly.
"It is indeed. Do you intend to throw up your hands?"
For the scout"s hands had not yet been lifted skyward.
"This looks as if you meant to arrest me, captain."
"Why shouldn"t I? You are at the head of the Kansas boomers, are you not?"
"I have that honor, yes."
"It"s a question to me if it is an honor. You are transgressing the laws of the United States when you try to get into Oklahoma for homestead purposes."
"Say rather that we transgress the laws of the cattle kings, captain.
Under the U. S. Homestead Law we have a perfect right to this land, if we can get in and stake our claims, and you know it."
"I know nothing of the sort. This talk about the cattle kings is all nonsense!" roared the cavalry officer. He knew p.a.w.nee Brown was more than half right, but felt he must obey the orders he had received from his superiors. "I"ll have to take you to the fort."
"All right, take me--if you can, captain," came the quick answer. "Don"t you dare fire on me, for you know I am a crack shot and I promise I"ll fire on you in return and lay you low!"
Thus speaking, the boomer wheeled about and sent Bonnie Bird off like a shot along the trail he had come.
The movement was so quick that for the moment the cavalry officer was paralyzed and knew not what to do. He raised his long pistol, but p.a.w.nee Brown"s stern threat rang in his ears and he hesitated about using the weapon, having no desire to be laid low.
"After him, men!" he roared, upon recovering his wits. "We must capture him!"
"Shall we fire, cap"n?" came from several, and a number of shining pistol barrels were leveled toward the great scout.
"N--no, capture him alive," came the hesitating reply; and away went the calvary men at a breakneck speed in pursuit.
Looking back over his shoulder, p.a.w.nee saw them coming. To lessen the chances of being shot, he bent low over his faithful mare"s neck.
"On, Bonnie, on!" he cried softly, and the beautiful animal seemed to understand that it was a race for life and death.
"Crack!" It was the report of a pistol close at hand. Looking among the trees, p.a.w.nee Brown saw an arm wearing the colors of a cavalryman disappearing among the foliage of a nearby tree. He aimed his own weapon and pulled the trigger. A yell of pain followed.
The marksman had been Tucker, the fellow hired to take the great scout"s life. Tucker had been on picket duty for the cavalry troop, but had failed to note p.a.w.nee Brown"s first movement in that direction. Seeing the scout coming, he had instantly thought of the promised reward and taken aim. The bullet had struck p.a.w.nee Brown"s shoulder, merely, however, sc.r.a.ping the skin. On the return fire Tucker was. .h.i.t in the side and nearly broke his neck in a tumble backward into a hole behind him.
The chase was not of long duration. Although they had good steeds, not one of the cavalryman"s horses could gain upon the scout"s st.u.r.dy racing mare, and soon they dropped further and further behind. Seeing this, p.a.w.nee Brown turned to the eastward, out of the ravine, and in three minutes had his pursuers entirely off the trail.
His face grew thoughtful as he allowed Bonnie Bird to drop into a walk.
The cavalry had followed the wagon train westward--they were bound to keep the boomers in sight. What was to be done? Should he advise another movement during the night to come and then a forward dash?
"We might make it," he mused. "But if we did not there would be a fearful fight and possibly slaughter. I wish I knew just how matters were going at Washington."
p.a.w.nee Brown had friends at the Capital, men who were doing their best to defeat the cattle kings by having a bill pa.s.sed in Congress opening Oklahoma to settlement--a bill that would smooth the present difficulty for all concerned. He felt that the bill was not needed, yet it would be better to have such a law than to have some of the boomers killed before their rights could be established.
"I"ll send a messenger off to the nearest telegraph station and telegraph for the news," he went on. "A day"s delay may mean many lives saved. It shall never be said that p.a.w.nee Brown rushed in, heedless of the danger to those who trusted in him."
It was not long before the scout reached the boomers" camp. Here he found several waiting for him.
"I want to see p.a.w.nee Brown." It was Dan Gilbert, who was making his way through the crowd to the great scout"s side. Gilbert held a message from Arkansas City. It was to the effect that p.a.w.nee Brown should telegraph to Washington at once and wait until noon at Arkansas City for a reply.
Five minutes later p.a.w.nee Brown was on the trail over which the wagon train had journeyed the night before. He had told Gilbert, Clemmer and the others of the nearness of the Government cavalrymen and had advised a halt until further orders from himself. Clemmer had promised to wait, although ready "ter swoop down on "em, b" gosh, an" take wot belongs ter us," as he expressed himself.
The ride back to Arkansas City was an uneventful one, and arriving there, p.a.w.nee Brown lost no time in visiting the telegraph office.