CHAPTER X
SHOTS FROM AMBUSH
The boy ranchers were very free with their surmises as to what mightportend the oncoming of the lone Indian. Youth is ever thus, eager toguess instead of waiting for certainties. The older cowboys--Yellin'Kid, Snake, Rolling Stone and those who made up the rescueparty--remained in silent contemplation of the approaching figure.
"He rides doggoned funny," observed Snake.
"Like a bag of oats," added Rolling Stone. "Looks like he'd fall offany minute."
"Say!" began Bud eagerly, and then he stopped, as if he had thoughtbetter.
"What's the matter?" asked Nort.
"Don't you know somebody who rides just like that?" Bud inquired."Some one we all know?"
Nort and Dick uttered exclamations. Bud's words were all that wasneeded to set in motion a slumbering train of thought.
"Looks to me like he was hurt," affirmed Yellin' Kid. "Can't be one ofthe Yaquis. They wouldn't be this near. And if they was they'd be toobig cowards to ride right for us this way."
"This isn't any unfriendly Indian!" declared Bud. "He knows us--and weknow him!"
"How come?" demanded Snake, half incredulously.
"Can't you see?" cried Bud. "It's our own Indian--Buck Tooth!"
"Wow!" shouted Yellin' Kid. "So it is! But I'd never have known him.He's all togged out--got his war paint on!"
And, in very truth, Buck Tooth--for he it was--had donned a strangegarb. Wearing some of the clothing of civilization, he had ornamentedhimself with dangling bits of cow-hide, with parts of tails danglingfrom it. He carried behind him a collection of pans and campparaphanalia that rattled and banged about him as he rode forward. Hehad stuck some feathers in his coarse black hair and he was a somewhatlaughable mixture of an American and Mexican Indian on the warpath.
"Ugh!" grunted Buck Tooth when he came within speaking distance. Notthat he ever spoke much, but this was his greeting.
"What'd you come away from the ranch for?" demanded Bud, for Buck Toothwas a valued hand on a cattle place, and he had been left with thesomewhat small force to take charge of Happy Valley when the others hadstarted after the Yaquis. "What you doing here?" Bud wanted to know.
"Me after 'em too--Yaquis!" grunted the Indian. "Me catchum an'shootum same like um shoot me!"
As he spoke, or, rather, grunted this out, he pointed to his leftshoulder. It was bound about with bloody rags, and in spite of hisstoicism the Indian winced as he moved in the saddle.
"Did the Yaquis shoot you?" cried Nort.
"Sure! I come after you--no could stay when fight to be done--andYaquis what you call plug me! But I plug one, two, three 'fore I quit!"
"Where was this?"
"Was there a fight?"
"Lead us there!"
"When did it happen?"
These were only a few of the questions hurled at Buck Tooth, whose namewas obviously well earned once you had looked at him. The old nativeseemed stunned by the volley of interrogations, and sat stolidly in hissaddle while more were shot at him.
"Ugh!" he grunted in answer. "Fight yistidy--back there," and he waveda dirty hand in the direction whence he had come.
"Sure they were Yaquis?" asked Snake.
"Sure; Me know--Me Yaqui once!"
"That's right!" fairly shouted Bud. "I forgot, for the time being,that Buck Tooth is a sort of Yaqui Indian. But how comes it they firedon one of their own tribe?" he asked.
"Bad Yaquis--no good!" was the answer.
"That's right--they sure are bad!" declared Rolling Stone. "I've haddealings with 'em!"
"Did you see anything of their prisoners--young lady and young man?"asked Snake. "Say, you'd better talk with him--you can sling his lingobetter than I can," and the cowboy appealed to Bud.
Thereupon the boy rancher talked to Buck Tooth in a way he knew hisIndian helper could understand, and Buck Tooth answered in like strain.The Indian had been at Happy Valley ever since that venture had beenunder way, and in that time Bud and the old native had come tounderstand one another very well. Buck Tooth, it will be remembered,was of aid to Bud and his cousins when the fight over the water rightsand the dam was under way, and the Indian helped fight Del Pinzo's gang.
"It's this way," Bud translated to the others, having finishedquestioning the Indian. "He got sort of lonesome after we left theranch, and though I told him he must stay, he hiked off on his own hookto join us. He took a roundabout trail so he wouldn't meet up with ustoo soon and get sent back.
"Then, it appears, yesterday, he ran into a bunch of Yaquis, and theyfired at him. He got in among some rocks and fired back, and he sayshe did for two or three. Maybe he wounded 'em, or maybe he made 'emcandidates for the Happy Hunting Grounds. Anyhow, after the fight hemanaged to get on our trail, and here he is."
"But did he see anything of Rosemary and Floyd?" asked Nort.
"Not a sign. He says these Yaquis didn't have any captives," Budanswered.
"How do you account for that?" Dick wanted to know, while rather a grimsilence fell on the others.
"Well, this may have been another party of Indians. Very likely was,"Bud declared.
"That's right!" chimed in Snake. "The ones that captured Rosemary andFloyd could hardly have gotten so far north as the ones were that gaveBuck Tooth that little reminder in the shoulder."
This opinion, coming from one who could reason out the matter, madeeveryone feel less apprehensive.
"There must be two or three bodies of these Yaquis," went on SnakePurdee. "They always split up after a raid. One party has Rosemaryand Floyd, and another engaged in a little set-to with Buck Tooth.Being one of them he knew their fighting tricks and he left his markson 'em."
"It's queer one Indian would turn against the others of the sametribe," spoke Nort.
"No, not in Buck Tooth's case," declared Bud. "He's a good Indian, ifever there was one. And, as he says, these Yaquis may be a lot ofhalf-breeds, or a part of the tribe that is outlawed from the others.I'm not standing up for the Yaquis," he hastened to add, "for I knowthey've done a lot of dirty work. But this bunch may be worse than theothers. Anyhow Buck Tooth says so. And I'm glad he's with us. I feltsorry after I left him back at the ranch."
"Yes, he'll be of service I reckon," asserted Snake, and Yellin' Kidnodded in agreement.
The Indian's wound, which he had not troubled himself to dress, waslooked after with rough and ready, but effective cowboy skill and then,a good camping place near a water hole having been reached, saddleswere taken off the weary steeds who began to roll about in welcomerelief.
The fires were made, grub cooked and as night settled down all preparedfor much-needed rest.
"Well, another day or two and we ought to catch up to 'em," observedBud, as he prepared to turn in with the others.
"That's right," agreed Yellin' Kid. "They can't have traveled anyfaster than we did, and we took a shorter trail."
The night passed without any incidents of moment, though Nort nearlygave a needless alarm when he sprang up, declaring that he was being"roped" in the darkness.
But a light revealed that only a harmless snake was crawling over hisneck, an unpleasant enough sensation as you doubtless will admit, butone not necessarily disastrous.
"Burr-r-r-r!" shuddered Nort, when he saw that it was a snake, and nota lariat that had rasped him. "I'd almost rather it was a lasso! Ihate snakes!"
Then sleep was resumed.
The gray, cold and somewhat cheerless dawn was breaking over thetemporary camp when, as Buck Tooth toddled over to replenish the firefor breakfast, there came sharp cracks of rifles from the surroundingrocks and scrub underbrush, and the old Indian fell.
"Yaquis!" yelled Nort, springing for his gun.
"Ambushed!" cried Bud.
"Steady, everybody!" shouted Yellin' Kid and his strenuous voice,rumbling and echoing through the silent morning, seemed to calm themall. "Get down on your faces! Drop!" commanded the cowboy, whilepuf
fs of smoke, flashes of fire and nerve-racking reports told that theattack from ambush was in some force.