CHAPTER XV
TEXAN SCOUTS
The day broke clear and the usual excitement and bustle of the camp wasincreased by the eager activities of the two hunting parties. After themorning meal the animals were driven some distance from the camp and theherd guards began their day's vigil. Tom placed the outposts andreturned to report to the captain, and then added that he had somethingof a very confidential nature to tell him, but did not want to be seentalking too long with him.
Woodson reflected a moment. "All right; I'll come after ye in a fewminutes an' ask ye ter go huntin' with me. 'Twon't be onusual if weketch th' fever, too."
Tom nodded and went over to Cooper's wagons to pay his morning'srespects, and to his chagrin found that Patience had gone for a shortride with Doctor Whiting and his friends.
"Sorry to miss her, Uncle Joe," he said. "Things are going to happenfast for me from now on. I may leave the caravan tonight. About twodays' more travel and we'll be south of Bent's. Hank and I don't want tolose our merchandise, we can't take it with us, and we need to turn itinto money. How much can you carry from here on?"
Uncle Joe scratched his head. "The two big wagons can take fivehundred-weight more apiece, and this wagon can stand near eight hundred,seein' that it ain't carryin' much more than our personal belongings.Don't worry, Tom; if I can't handle it all, Alonzo and Enoch can taketh' balance. Them greasers showing their cards?"
"It's like this: According to those Texans we met, no troops are goingto meet us this trip. Their advance guard got thrashed and Armijo andthe main body turned tail at Cold Spring and fled back to Santa Fe. Icould go with the caravan miles farther and probably be safe; but ifPedro gets a messenger away secretly there is no telling what mayhappen. If I stay with the caravan and put up a fight it might end inembroiling a lot of the boys and certainly would make trouble for themif the train pushed on to Santa Fe, and it's got to push on. I won'tsurrender meekly. So, you see, I'll have to strike out."
Uncle Joe nodded. "If it wasn't for Patience, and my brother in SantaFe, I'd strike out with you. Goin' to Bent's?"
"Bent's nothing!" retorted Tom. "I'm going to Santa Fe, but I'm going away of my own."
"It's suicide, Tom," warned his friend. "Better let me take in yourstuff, an' meet us here on the way back. Patience won't spoil; an' whenshe learns how much you're wanted by Armijo she'll worry herself sick ifshe knows you are in th' city. Don't you do it!"
Tom scowled at a break in the hills and in his mind's eye he could seeher riding gaily with his tenderfoot rivals. "Reckon she won't fallaway," he growled. "Anyhow, there's no telling; an' there's no reasonwhy she should know anything. I told her I was goin' to Santa Fe, an'I'm going!"
Uncle Joe was about to retort but thought better of it and smiledinstead. "Oh, these jealous lovers!" he chuckled. "Blind as bats! Who doyou know there, in case I want to get word to you?"
Tom swiftly named three men and told where they could be found, hiscompanion nodding sharply at the mention of two of them.
"Good!" exclaimed the trader. "Throw your packs into my wagons an' I'llsee to stowin' 'em."
"No," replied Tom. "That's got to be done when th' camp's asleep. I'msupposed to be takin' 'em with me.
"But these Mexicans'll trail you, an' get you when you're asleep,"objected Uncle Joe.
Tom laughed and shook his head, and turned to face Woodson, who waswalking toward them. "Th' captain an' I am goin' huntin'. See youlater."
"Git yer hoss, Boyd," called the captain. "I'm goin' fer mine now. Howair ye, Mr. Cooper?"
"Never felt better in my life, captain. We all owe you a vote of thanks,an' I'll see that you get it."
"Thar ain't a man livin' as kin git a vote o' thanks fer me out o' thiscaravan," laughed Woodson, his eyes twinkling. "But I ain't got no callter kick: I ain't had nigh th' trouble I figgered on. Jest th' same,I'll be glad when we meet up with th' greaser troops at Cold Spring. Iaim to leave ye thar an' go on ahead an' fix things in th' city."
Uncle Joe caught himself in time. "That's where we bust up?"
Woodson nodded. "Thar ain't no organization from thar in. Don't need it,with th' sojers. All us proprietors that ain't got reg'lar connectionsin th' city will be leavin' from Cold Spring on."
"Any danger from th' Injuns, leavin' that way?"
"Oh, we slip out at night," answered Woodson. "Thar ain't much dangerfrom any big bands. Got ter do it; customs officers air like axles; theywork better arter they air greased. I aim ter leave two waggins behindth' noon arter we git to th' Upper Spring, an' save five hundred apieceon 'em. Th' other six kin make it from thar with th' extry loads, an'th' extry animals to help pull 'em." He looked toward the wagons ofAlonzo and Enoch, where Tom had tarried on his way back. "Thar's a fine,upstandin' young man; I've had my eye on him ever since we left th'Grove."
"He is; an' anythin' he tells you is gospel," said Uncle Joe.
They saw the two traders waving their arms and soon Tom hurried up.
"Alonzo an' Enoch would like to go with us, only thar hosses air withth' herd," he said.
"Then we'll go afoot," declared Woodson. "I ain't hankerin' so much fera hunt as I air ter git away from these danged waggins fer a spell. I'msick o' th' sight o' 'em. Better come along, Mr. Cooper."
"That depends on how fur yer goin'; this young scamp will walk me off myfeet."
"Oh, jest a-ways around th' hills; dassn't go too fur, on account ofairy Injuns that may be hangin' 'round."
In a few moments the little group had left the encampment behind and outof sight and Woodson, waving the others ahead, fell back to Tom's side.
"Hyar we air, with nobody ter listen. What ye want ter tell me?"
To the captain's growing astonishment Tom rapidly sketched hisconversation with the two Texans, his affair with the despotic NewMexican governor and what it now meant to him. Then he told of hisdetermination to leave the caravan some night soon, perhaps on thisnight.
"Wall, dang my eyes!" exclaimed Woodson at the conclusion of thenarrative. "Good fer them Texans! Young man, which hand did ye hit himwith? That un? Wall, I'll jest shake it, fer luck." He thought a moment."Ye air lucky, Boyd; north o' here, acrost th' headwaters o' this river,an' a couple more streams, which might be dry now, ye'll hit th'Picketwire, that's allus wet. If ye find th' little cricks dry, headmore westward an' ye'll strike th' Picketwire quicker. It'll take yenigh inter sight o' Bent's; an' thar ain't no finer men walkin' thanWilliam an' Charles Bent. Hate ter lose ye, Boyd; but thar ain't no twoways 'bout it; ye got ter go, or get skinned alive."
"I'm not goin' ter Bent's, captain," said Tom quietly. "I'll be in SantaFe soon after you git thar. Hank knows them mountains like you know thistrail. When I'm missed if ye'll throw 'em off my track I'll not fergitit." He smiled grimly. "If I war goin' ter Bent's they could foller, an'be damned to 'em. I'd like nothin' better than have 'em chase usthrough this kind o' country."
Woodson chuckled and then grew thoughtful. "Boyd, them Texans air goin'ter make trouble fer us, shore as shootin'. It'll be bad fer you, ferevery American in these settlements is goin' ter be watched purty clost.Better go ter Bent's."
"Nope; Hank an' me air headin' fer Turley's, up on Arroyo Hondo. Hankknows him well. Hyar come th' others. I've told you an' Cooper, an'that's enough. You fellers ain't turnin' back so soon, air ye?" hecalled. "Ye don't call this a hunt? Whar's yer meat?"
"Whar's yourn?" countered Alonzo, grinning. "I ate so many berries I gotcramps."
"Us, too," laughed Uncle Joe. "My feet air tender, ridin' so long. We'regoin' back."
"Might as well jine ye, then," said Woodson. "Comin', Boyd?"
"Not fer awhile," answered Tom, pushing on.
He made his way along the lower levels, reveling in the solitude and thesurroundings, and his keen eyes missed nothing. A mile from camp hesuddenly stopped and carefully parted the thick berry bushes. In thesoft soil were the prints of many horses, most of them shod. Cautiouslyhe followed the tracks and in a few moments came to the edge
of a small,heavily grassed clearing, so well hidden by the brush and the thickgrowth of the trees along the encircling, steep-faced hills that itspresence hardly would be suspected. Closely cropped circles, eachcentered by the hole made by a picket pin, told him the story; and whenhe had located the sand-covered site of the fire, whose ashes and stickscarefully had been removed, an imprint in the soft clay brought a smileto his face.
"Following us close," he muttered. "Lord help any Mexicans that wanderaway from the wagons. Nearer twenty than what they said." He slippedalong the edge of the pasture and found where the party had left thelittle ravine. Following the trail he soon came to another matted growthof underbrush, and then he heard the barely audible stamp of a horse.Creeping forward he wormed his way through the greener brush and finallypeered through an opening among the stems and branches. A dozen Texanswere lolling on the floor of the ravine, and he knew that the otherswere doing sentry duty.
A shadow passed him and he froze, and then relaxed as Burch came intosight. It was needful that he make no mistake in how he made hispresence known, for a careless hail might draw a volley.
Burch passed him treading softly and when the man's back was turned tohim Tom called out in a low voice. "Burch! Don't shoot!"
"Boyd!" exclaimed the sentry. "Cussed if ye ain't a good un, gittin'whar ye air an' me not knowin' it. What ye doin' hyar?"
"Scoutin' fer Injuns. Glad ter see ye."
Burch stepped to the edge of the ravine. "Friend o' mine comin' down,name o' Boyd." He turned. "Go down an' meet th' boys; thar honin' fer toshake han's with th' kiyote that hit Armijo. Be with ye soon."
Tom descended and shook hands with the smiling Texans and in a fewmoments was at home in the camp. He noticed that they all had the Coltrevolving rifles which his friend Jarvis, back in St. Louis, hadcondemned. Each man wore two pistols of the same make, and most of themcarried heavy skinning knives inside their boot legs.
"I heard tell them rifles warn't o' much account," he observed.
"Wall, they ain't as good as they might be," confessed a lanky Texan,"if thar used careless an' git too hot. A Hawken will out-shoot 'em; butwe mostly fight on hossback, an' like ter git purty clost. Take themgreasers we run inter; we didn't pull trigger till we war a hundredpaces away, an' by th' time we'd emptied th' rifles an' pulled pistolsth' danged fight war over. Th' Injuns don't like 'em worth a cuss.That's a right smart rifle ye got thar, friend."
Tom passed it around and it was duly admired. Then the guard was changedand Burch and Flint appeared.
"You fellers air stickin' purty clost ter us," observed Tom.
"But not as clost as th' greasers air," laughed Flint. "Danged if we kinketch one o' 'em away from th' waggins."
"That's jest as well," replied Tom. "More'n half of 'em hate Armijo asmuch as we do. If ye pick 'em off careless yer bound ter make mistakes.Thar's one gang that's fer him strong, an' 'twon't be long before theysplit from th' others an' stand out so thar won't be no mistakin' 'em.They'll be trailin' me an' Hank in a bunch. We're aimin' ter slip awayan' head fer Bent's some place between hyar an' the Upper Spring."
"Thought ye was goin' ter Santa Fe," said Burch in surprise. "If yergoin' ter Bent's ye should 'a' left th' train at th' Crossin'."
"I'm goin' ter Santa Fe," replied Tom, "but thar's some folks that airanxious ter see me. If they larn I'm thar I'll likely be stood ag'in awall; an' Armijo'll add my ears ter his c'llection. We got ter throw 'emoff our trail." He smiled grimly around the circle. "I don't wantSalezar ter larn I'm in this part o' the country, fer I want ter git mypaws on him."
At the mention of that name the eyes of the leader flamed withflickering fires and he leaned slightly forward, unable to conceal hiseagerness. "Whar ye aimin' ter leave th' caravan, friend?" he asked.
"Don't know jest yet," answered Tom, "but I know th' way we'll head. Yeknow whar th' waggin road crossed McNees Crick? Wall, plumb north o'that a crick empties inter th' Cimarron. Thar's a dry gully jines th'crick at its mouth, makin' a V. Th' gully war made by th' buffalerswearin' away th' top soil, which let the rains cut inter th' sandbeneath an' wash it away. That buffaler trail is th' biggest ye eversaw, an' it's worn down so deep that every rain pours a stream along it.It's cut a gully back fer a hundred paces to whar th' buffaler wallershave turned a little pasture inter a swamp when it rains. Clost to itsupper end is a hill, whar my partner built a cache about ten years back.He says th' pit could be easy seen when he war thar last."
"We're aimin' ter head fer Bent's as soon as th' caravan gits too furalong," said the leader, who not long since had returned from thelepers' hospital, used as a prison in his case, in Mexico City. Hisbitterness had seared him to the soul and Tom thought it strange that heso easily would forego the desire for revenge, the flames of whichintermittently flickered in his eyes. "I've been wonderin' about th'best an' straightest way to Bent's, with water on it. Yer pardner saysthat's th' best trail?"
"Yes," replied Tom. "An' it's th' best fer us in another way. Thar'ssprings in th' river bed up thar an' fer near a mile th' river's alluswet. Ye see, we got ter throw th' greasers off our trail, which will betoo danged plain, with two hosses an' eight mules. I'd swap th' eightmules fer two hosses, seein' as how we're fixed, but I dassn't make th'play, fer everybody in th' caravan would larn of it. Come ter think ofit, thar'll be more hosses an' mules; couple o' friends air goin' withus. We change our packs tonight, buildin' 'em up with buffaler rugs wetraded th' Comanches fer, in case we part with our goods an' leave th'caravan afterward. Th' two extra hosses would be enough ter carry ourgrub an' supplies, an' they'd let us make better time than th' muleswould."
The Texans nodded and one of them glanced at his leader while he spoketo Tom. "Reckon if ye got them mules ter Bent's ye could sell 'em, ortrade 'em fer a couple o' hosses?" He hesitated and then said: "We'rerunnin' powerful short o' powder an' lead."
"Th' caravan bein' so clost ter Santa Fe, it's got more o' both than itneeds," replied Tom. "If we kin git ye some we'll leave it behind th'hill at that old cache o' Hanks. If ye go that way, look fer it." Hegrinned. "Hank an' me air aimin' ter carry some in one of th' buffalerrug packs. Thar's two fifty-pound pigs o' lead fastened to each o' th'cannon carriages, an' they won't have no use fer more than one ter eachgun.
"Wish I war goin' with ye," growled the Texan leader, his eyes flamingagain. "I'm hankerin' ter git Salezar's ears, fer I saw th' polecatc'llect Texan ears on th' road from San Miguel ter 'Paso, ter keep th'tally o' his prisoners straight. He strung 'em on a wire, d--n him!" Hisface became livid with passion, and murder raised its grisly visage inhis eyes.
Tom paled. "Yes," he said. "He took th' ears o' a friend o' mine thatwar sick an' weak with hunger an' cold an' exhaustion, an' couldn't keepup. He had traded most o' his clothes fer short rides on th' mules o'th' guards. They killed him near Valencia, an' his ears war took teraccount fer him."
"Valencia!" muttered the leader, pacing back and forth like a panther."I remember him! Oh, Christ!" he cried, and then got hold of himself."Boyd, I'd give everythin' I own ter git my han's on that Salezar; an'go ter hell with a smile on my face!" Then he stiffened and reachedconvulsively toward his holster, for the unmistakable twang of abowstring sounded from the bushes above his head. The Texans leaped totheir arms, but Tom stopped them with a cry.
"Wait, boys! That's Hank--my pardner!" He looked up toward the bushes."Ye damned fool! Show yerself!"
"Didn't hardly know if 'twar safe," chuckled Hank, his head slowlyarising above the tangle of leaves and vines, a dozen paces from theplace where the bowstring had twanged.
"Whar's that huntin' party ye war nursin'?" quickly demanded Tom.
"Took 'em 'round on t'other side o' th' camp, ast 'em ter hold my hoss,an' left 'em thar," chuckled the plainsman, making his way down thehillside with caution and silence that had become habitual.
"Boys," said Tom, "hyar's a 'dopted son o' th' Piegan tribe o' th'Blackfeet, name o' Hank Marshall, an' he's more Injun than any brave inth' tribe. Anyhow,
I'd ruther have a Injun on my trail than him. He'sgoin' with me ter Santa Fe; an' Salezar's shore goin' ter need all hisfriends!"
"Put her thar!" said the Texan leader. "If yer lookin' fer help I'lljine ye, cussed if I won't!"
"Don't want no help that's strange ter Taos an' Santer Fe," laughedHank. "We got two Green River boys, an' don't need no more; don't hardlyneed them, but Zeb wants his ha'r, an' I wants his ears, ears bein' hispet joke." He looked at the leader. "You boys run inter some 'Rapahoes?Thar's nigh onter a dozen projectin' 'round these hills. Stumbled acrostthar camp a-ways back. If I'd had one o' them newfangled rifles ye gotso many of, danged if I wouldn't 'a' trailed 'em." He grinnedexpansively. "They cleaned out a cache o' mine, three year back, up onBig Sandy Crick, an' I ain't paid 'em fer it yit."
"We shore do need powder an' lead," said the leader thoughtfully. Heturned to one of his men. "Sam, reckon we kin part with pore Williams'rifle?"
"Seein' as we got three more extrys, reckon we kin," answered Sam. "Itoughter be worth a keg o' powder an' a couple o' pigs o' lead." Hewalked over to where their supplies were piled and returned with a heavyColt repeating rifle. "Hyar, Hank," he said, handing it to the hunter."Be keerful ter keep th' powder from spillin' down 'round th' cap end;an' don't empty her too fast after th' first few shots. Hyar's th' mold,an' some caps. Git a Injun ter pay fer pore Williams. She's full loaded,so look out."
The rifle was sheathed in a saddle scabbard and Hank took it, lookedfrom it to his own, weighing them both. "Heavy as all git out," heremarked. "Wall, 'twon't weigh nothin' when it's slung ter a saddle.Might be handy purty soon. Much obliged, friends. How we goin' ter gitth' powder an' lead ter ye?"
"I've arranged fer that," said Tom, picking up his rifle. "Wall, goodluck, boys. Remember us at Bent's if ye git thar."
"Reckon it's you boys that need th' good luck," grimly replied theleader. He watched the two visitors until they were lost to sight in thebrush and then turned to his men, his eyes flaming again. "Break camp,boys; we're crossin' th' river close by, ter circle back ag'in fartherup."
Tom and Hank, moving silently back toward the encampment, had coveredabout half of the distance when they heard a sudden burst of shots,yells, and the thunder of hoofs. Running up the side of a little hillthey peered over the top and flung themselves down. Less than twohundred paces away a little party of tenderfeet, with Patience Cooper inthe center, fought frightened horses as a band of nearly a dozen Indianscame charging straight for them across the little clearing. As theylooked one of the tenderfeet's horse went down, spilling its rider, andthrowing the group into still greater confusion.
"'Rapahoes!" snorted Hank, and his rifle spoke. "_One_ fer my cache!"
The double-barreled rifle of his companion roared twice and anotherwarrior plunged from his horse, while the third fought madly to keep hisseat, but his weakening grasp loosened and he rolled over and overacross the grass. Tom dropped the empty rifle and started to rise, hishand leaping to the Colt revolver at his belt; but Hank, who had slippedthe newly-acquired repeating rifle from its sheath, poked it into hisfriend's hand and fell to re-loading his Hawken. "She's yore gal. Give'em hell!" he grunted.
The deadly and unexpected attack from the little hilltop created adiversion which for the moment turned the thoughts of the savages fromthe tenderfeet in the open, and the charging line split to pass theforlorn group and give its full attention to the real menace; but as ithesitated the heavy, regular crashes of the revolving rifle rolled fromthe hill, its lead always selecting the warrior nearest to thepanic-stricken group. Here an Indian went down, there a horse; and withthe cry "_Tejanos!_" the rest of the savage band wheeled and dashed overthe route they had come. The last warrior to reach the edge of thepasture was for one instant silhouetted against the sky on the edge of aravine, and at that moment Hank's rifle cracked. Throwing both arms upover his head, he turned a backward flip from the horse and sprawledinertly in a currant bush. Re-loading as quickly as they could while onthe run the two plainsmen hastened to the group, and Tom, pulling Dr.Whiting from his horse, was within an inch of strangling him whenPatience's hands on his wrists checked him.
"Six trusty knights!" sneered the enraged plainsman, hurling the doctorfrom him. "I _said_ you were six flashes. Ask a woman to go riding withyou in a country as broken as this, and as over-run with Indians!" Hetook a step forward, seething with rage, and ran his eyes over thespeechless tenderfeet. "Git back to camp, all of you! Miss Cooper goeswith us!" Poised, tense, and enraged he watched them go and did not knowthat Hank had run to the little hilltop for the double-barreled rifleuntil the old hunter returned with it, loaded its two barrels, cappedthem and threw the weapon under his arm. At that moment a burst offiring sounded from the north and Hank cocked his head.
"Sounds like them Colt rifles," he remarked, and then kicked himselffiguratively, for at his words, his two companions, almost in eachother's arms, started, stiffened, and stepped apart. Seeing that thedamage already was done, Hank placidly continued. "Is thar anotherpassel o' Texans loose 'round hyar, or has our friends hit th' trailalready?"
"Yes," said Tom, quivering like a leaf.
Patience closed her eyes. "Yes," she sighed.
Hank scratched his head and frowned, very much puzzled. "Shucks! tharain't no doubt 'bout it, a-tall. Course it is--an' I'm a danged oldfool!"
"You're one of the four best men I ever knew," said Patience, restingher hand on his arm.
Hank felt of the disgraceful, stubby beard on his face, scowled at hisblackened hands, and furtively brushed at a bloodstain on his shirt.Then he wheeled abruptly and strode off to look over the victims of thelittle affray. When he turned again he saw Patience and Tom going towardcamp, Patience on her horse and Tom striding at her side. Fixing thestrap to his own rifle he slung the weapon over his shoulder and, withthe double-barreled weapon balanced expertly in his hands, slowlyfollowed after to act as a badly needed protector to them both.
Back in camp Tom handed Patience into her uncle's care, looked at her ina way she would remember to the end of her days, and hastened on toreport to the captain of the caravan. When he reached Woodson he foundHank there before him, laughingly recounting the fight. As Tom came upHank stepped back and slipped away, heading straight for the excitedgroup of tenderfeet at the other end of the encampment, and roughlypushed in among them.
"Look hyar, ye sick pups," he blurted. "My pardner dassn't thrash any o'ye, or he'll mebby lose his gal. Anybody hyar wantin' ter take advantageo' an old man? Huh! Then open yer dumb ears ter this: If I ketch airyone o' ye hangin' 'round Cooper's waggins, or even sayin' 'how-de-do'to that gal, I'll git ye if I has ter chase ye all the way back terMissoury!" He spat at the doctor's feet, turned his back and rambledover to where his trade goods were piled. On the way he met Zeb, whoscowled at him.
Hank pulled some black mops out of his pocket, showed them, and shovedthem back again.
"Hell!" said Zeb, enviously. "Whar ye git 'em?"
"Found one on a currant bush," chuckled Hank, and went on again.
Zeb placed his fists on his hips and scowled in earnest. "I didn't knowwhat that shootin' war, with all th' hunters runnin' 'round. Dang him!He allus _did_ have more luck ner brains!"
Up at the captain's wagon Woodson nodded as his companion finishedspeaking. "I reckon ye kin have 'most anythin' in this hyar camp, Boyd.Two bars o' lead off'n th' cannon carriages, an' a keg o' powder? Shore,I'll put th' powder in Cooper's little waggin, an' ye kin help yerselfter th' lead when ye git th' time."