Would they hear them on the rocks? Would Joses be ready? Would the Doctor give their enemies a salutation? Would they never reach the gateway?
These and a dozen other such questions pa.s.sed like lightning through Bart"s brain in those moments of excitement; for the rocky gateway, that had seemed so near to the first scout when they set out that morning and cantered off, now appeared at an interminable distance, and as if it would never be reached; while the Apaches, as if dreading that their prey might escape, were now redoubling their efforts, as Bart could see when he glanced over his left shoulder.
But on the little band of fugitives swept, so close together that their horses almost touched; and, unless some unforeseen accident occurred--a slip, a stumble, or a fatal shot--they would soon be in comparative safety.
The Beaver saw this, and, forgetting his ordinary calm, he rose in his stirrups, half turned and shook his rifle at the great body of Apaches, yelling defiantly the while, and drawing a storm of vengeful cries from the pursuers that rose loud above the thunder of the horses" hoofs.
Another two hundred yards, and the gateway would be reached, but it seemed as if that short distance would never be pa.s.sed; while now the Apaches, taking advantage of the fact that their prey was compelled to swerve to the left, began to close in, bringing themselves in such close proximity that Bart could see the fierce, vindictive faces, the flashing eyes, and eager clutching hands, ready to torture them should they not escape.
Another fierce race for the last hundred yards, with the Apaches closing in more and more, and the fate of the fugitives seemed sealed, when, just as the enemy gave a fierce yell of triumph, rising in their stirrups to lash their panting little steeds into an accelerated pace, the rock suddenly seemed to flash, and a sharp sputtering fire to dart from the zigzag path. Some of the pursuing horses and their riders fell, others leaped or stumbled over them; and as Bart and his companions drew rein close in beneath the gallery, forming a breastwork of their blown horses, and began firing with such steadiness as their excitement would allow, a regular volley flashed from above their heads, and Joses and his companions followed it up with a triumphant shout.
The effect was marvellous,--the great body of Apaches turning as upon a pivot, and sweeping off at full gallop over the plain, leaving their dead and wounded behind, and pursued by many a deadly shot.
This was the result of their surprise, however; for before they had gone far, they turned and charged down again, yelling furiously.
"Don"t fire till they"re close in, Master Bart," Joses shouted from above; "they"ve come back for their wounded. Give "em some more to take."
Joses was right, for the charge was not pushed home, the savages galloping only sufficiently near to come to the help of their friends; and doubtless they would have carried off their dead, but they encountered so fierce a fire from the rock that they were glad to retreat, leaving several of their number motionless upon the plain.
Then they rode on right away, and Bart threw himself down, completely overcome, to lie there panting and exhausted, till the Doctor and Joses came and led him up, the Beaver and his followers staying behind to safely enclose the cavern stable with stones, after they had placed their own ponies and Black Boy within.
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.
HOW JOSES FED THE CATTLE.
The Apaches seemed to have had so severe a lesson that they kept right away in the plain for the rest of the day; and as it appeared to be safe, the Indians went out with the Beaver to hide the ghastly relics of the attack, returning afterwards to the Doctor to sit in council upon a very important point, and that was what they were to do about the cattle and horses.
This was a terrible question; for while the occupants of the rock fortress could very well manage to hold out for a considerable time if they were beleaguered, having an ample store of meal and dried meat, with an abundant supply of water, the horses and cattle must have food, and to have driven them out to the lake grazing-grounds meant to a certainty that either there must be a severe battle to save them or the Apaches would sweep them off.
"The Beaver and his men will watch and fight for the cattle," said the chief, quietly.
"I know that, my brave fellow; but if they were yours, would you let them go out to graze?" said the Doctor.
"No," replied the chief, smiling; "because the Apache dogs would carry all away."
"Well," said the Doctor, "we must not risk it. Let us go out and cut as much gra.s.s as we can to-day, for the poor brutes are in great distress."
The chief nodded, and said that it was good; and while strict watch was kept from the rock, three parts of the men were hurried down to the nearest point where there was an abundance of buffalo-gra.s.s really in a state of naturally-made hay, and bundles of this were cut and carried to the starving cattle.
It was a terribly arduous job in the hot sun; and it made the Doctor think that if matters went on in this way, the silver procured from the mine would be very dearly bought.
Even with all their efforts there was but a very scanty supply obtained, and of that Joses declared the mules got by far the best share, biting and kicking at the horses whenever they approached, and driving the more timid quite away.
Strict watch was kept that night, but no Apaches came, and as soon as it was light the next morning the horizon was swept in the hope of finding that they were gone; but no such good fortune attended the silver-miners, and instead, to the Doctor"s chagrin, of their being able to continue their toil of obtaining the precious metal, it was thought advisable to go out and cut more fodder for the starving beasts.
The next day came, and no Apaches were visible.
"We can drive the cattle out to-day, Beaver," said the Doctor; "the enemy are gone."
"The Apache dogs are only hiding," replied the chief, "and will ride down as soon as the cattle are feeding by the lake."
The Doctor uttered an impatient e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n and turned to Joses.
"What do you say?" he asked.
"Beaver"s right, master."
"Well, perhaps he is; but we can"t go on like this," cried the Doctor, impatiently. "No silver can be dug if the men are to be always cutting gra.s.s. Here! you and Harry and a dozen greasers, drive out half the cattle to feed. Bart, you take the gla.s.s, and keep watch from high up the path. The signal of danger directly you see the Indians is the firing of your piece. If you hear that fired, Joses, you are to drive in the cattle directly, and we will cover your return."
"Good!" said Joses; and without a word he summoned Harry and a dozen men, going off directly after through the gateway to the corral, saying to Bart, as he went, "Of course, I do as master tells me, but you keep a sharp look-out, Master Bart, or we shan"t get them bullocks and cows back."
Bart promised, and took his station, rifle across his knee and gla.s.s in hand, to look out for danger, while before he had been there long the Beaver came and sat beside him, making Bart hurriedly apologise for the risk he had caused on the day of their adventure, he never having been alone since with the chief.
"Master Bart, brave young chief," was all the Indian said; and then he sat silently gazing out over the plain, while no sooner were the cattle released than they set off lowing towards the pastures at a long lumbering gallop, Joses and his followers having hard work to keep up with them, for they needed no driving.
In less than half an hour they were all munching away contentedly enough, with Joses and his men on the far side to keep the drove from going too far out towards the plain, and then all at once the Beaver started up, pointing right away.
"Apache dogs!" he shouted.
Bart brought the gla.s.s to bear, and saw that the chief was right.
In an instant he had c.o.c.ked and fired his piece, giving the alarm, when the garrison ran to their places ready to cover the coming in of the cattle-drivers and their herd, Bart, seeing that Joses had taken the alarm, and with his men was trying to drive the feeding animals back.
But the Doctor had not calculated upon hunger and bovine obstinacy. The poor brutes after much fasting were where they could eat their fill, and though Joses and his men drove them from one place, they blundered back to another, lowing, bellowing, and getting more and more excited, but never a step nearer to their corral.
And all this while the Apaches were coming on at full speed, sweeping over the level plain like a cloud.
The Doctor grew frantic.
"Quick!" he cried; "we must go out to help Joses and his men. No, it would be madness. Good heavens! what a mistake!"
"Let me go with the Beaver and his men to his help," cried Bart excitedly.
"My dear Bart, the Indians will be upon them before you could reach the horses, let alone saddle and bridle and mount."
"It is true," said the Beaver, sternly. "Chief Joses must fight the Apache dogs himself."
Bart knew they could do nothing, and just then he saw that the Mexican greasers had left the cattle, and were coming at full speed as hard as they could run towards the shelter of the rock.
"The cattle must go," cried the Doctor, bitterly. "It is my fault. Why does not Joses leave them? Harry is running with the others."
"Because poor Joses is too brave a fellow," cried Bart in despair. "I must go to his help; I must indeed," he cried piteously.
"Young chief Bart must stay," said the Beaver, sternly, as he seized the lad"s arm. "He would be killed. Let chief Joses be. He is wise, and can laugh at the Apache dogs."
It was an exciting scene, the Mexican labourers fleeing over the plain, the cattle calmly resuming their grazing, and the cloud of Indian hors.e.m.e.n tearing along like a whirlwind.