CHAPTER XVI.
The King of the Drove.
The travelers had been intensely interested in the old trapper'sstory, and not even the thought that the danger was passed, and thatFrank was safe in camp again, could altogether quiet their feelings.Frank was more astonished than ever, and he secretly determined thathe would never again lose sight of the wagon, if he could avoid it.But, if he should again be compelled to take an involuntary ride, andshould happen to fall in with strangers on the prairie, he would givethem a wide berth.
Mr. Winters said nothing. He did not think that the occasion demandedthat he should caution his nephew, for it was by no means probablethat the latter would soon forget his night in the outlaw's camp.
His adventures, which were the subject of a lengthy conversation, didnot, however, entirely quench his love of excitement, and when, aftera hearty dinner on buffalo hump, Archie proposed a short ride on theprairie, he agreed to accompany him, and, as soon as he had caught andsaddled his uncle's horse, was ready for the start. As they rode alongout of the woods, Archie informed his cousin that another herd ofbuffaloes had been seen that morning by old Bob, feeding near the baseof the mountains, and announced his determination of endeavoring toshoot one, if they should happen to come across them. As there was nowno danger of being stampeded--both of their horses being old buffalohunters--Frank agreed to the proposal, and followed his cousin, wholed the way toward the place where the buffaloes had last been seen.Swell after swell they mounted, straining their eyes in everydirection, without discovering the wished-for game.
But they saw something else that excited them quite as much as thesight of a herd of buffaloes would have done; for, as Archie, who hadridden some distance in advance of his cousin, reached the top of oneof the hills, Frank saw him suddenly draw rein, and back his horsedown the swell, out of sight of something which he had discovered onthe other side. He then rode back to meet Frank, and, as soon as hecame within speaking distance, whispered, excitedly:
"There's a big drove of wild horses out there."
Frank waited to hear no more, but, throwing his bridle to his cousin,dismounted from his horse, and, going cautiously to the top of theswell, looked over. Sure enough, there they were, about half a miledistant, probably five hundred of them, scattered about overthe prairie, some feeding, and others prancing about, as ifwholly unconscious of danger. Among them was one horse--aniron-gray--rendered conspicuous by his great size and extraordinarybeauty, which galloped about as if he were "monarch of all hesurveyed." Frank remembered what Dick had told him about every droveof wild horses having a "master," and, as he watched his movements,and noticed how the other horses shied at his approach, he came to theconclusion that the gray horse was the king. He gazed at them for sometime, admiring their rapid, graceful movements, and thinking how fullythe gray would supply the place of the horse he had lost, when henoticed that the animals were feeding directly toward him. Fearful ofbeing discovered, he crawled back down the swell, and rejoined hiscousin.
"What shall we do?" asked the latter, excitedly.
"Don't you suppose Dick could catch one of those fellows?" inquiredFrank.
"Of course he could," answered Archie, quickly. "Didn't he catch thatblack mustang he told us about--a horse that every body had tried tocatch, and couldn't? Let's go back, and ask him to try."
The boys hastily remounted, and started for the camp as fast as theirhorses could carry them. Archie, of course, led the way, and, as hedashed up to the wagon, he threw himself from the saddle, exclaiming:
"Dick, there's a drove of wild horses out there on the prairie. Jumpon Sam, and go and catch one for Frank."
"That's the same drove I seed day afore yesterday," said old Bob, "an'that's what I meant when I told Frank we'd put him on hossback ag'inafore he war two days older. Ketch my hoss, Dick."
Dick did as he was desired, and, by this time, Frank had come up,Archie, in his eagerness, having left him far behind.
"Did you skeer 'em, youngsters?" asked old Bob, as he went to thewagon and drew out two rawhide lassos, one of which he handed to Dick.
"No," replied Frank. "They didn't see us. Dick, catch the king--he's alarge iron-gray--the prettiest horse in the drove. If I could havehim, I would be glad I lost Pete."
"Wal, now, that ar' will be a hard thing to do, youngsters," repliedthe trapper, coiling up his lasso, and hanging it on the horn of hissaddle; "a mighty hard thing to do. Them ar' kings ar' allers theswiftest hosses in the drove; an' it aint every ole buffaler hunterthat can keep up with 'em."
Archie was astonished to hear the trapper speak so lightly of SleepySam, a horse that had several times proved himself to be possessed ofgreat speed; but Dick hastened to explain.
"I aint sayin' nothin' ag'in your hoss, little one, no more'n I amag'in Bob's. But if you had chased wild hosses as often as I have, youwould know that a hoss can beat any thing in a wagon train, an' yethave no bisness with the king of a drove. I won't say that we'll ketchthat gray fur you, Frank, but we'll try hard, an' if he is too fastfur us, we'll lasso one of the others, sartin. We'll bring backsomethin' fur you to ride."
By this time the trappers were ready for the start. Mr. Winters andthe boys accompanied them to the edge of the prairie, and there Boband Dick left them, after repeatedly assuring Frank that it was nottheir intention to return empty-handed.
When they had disappeared, Mr. Winters and the boys seated themselveson the ground, and for nearly an hour, waited and listened for thesound of the pursuit. Suddenly a single horse appeared upon the summitof a distant swell, and facing about, stood as if regarding someobject that had excited his curiosity. Then came another, and another,and in a moment more the entire drove appeared, running at the top oftheir speed. One minute elapsed--two--three--and then two more horsessuddenly arose over the swell, and followed swiftly after the drove.The chase had begun in earnest. The boys were surprised, and not alittle discouraged, to see the trappers so far behind. But still theyhad great confidence in them, and Frank was already reconciled to theloss of his horse, and confident that he would own another before hewent to sleep that night. The chase was tending directly toward themountains, and it presented a sight the boys would have been loth tomiss. Nearer and nearer came the wild steeds, prancing and snorting,and looking back at the strange objects that were pursuing them.Presently, among the foremost ones, the boys discovered the gray king.He moved over the ground as lightly as if he had been furnished withwings, and as Frank watched his movements, he reluctantly came to theconclusion that if his endurance was as great as his speed, he mustcontent himself with one of the common horses of the drove. Theycontinued to advance until they came within a quarter of a mile of thewillows, when they seemed, for the first time, to discover that theirretreat in that direction was cut off by the mountains. This appearedto confuse and frighten them. The foremost ones slackened their speed,but seeing their pursuers close behind them, the drove suddenlydivided, part of the horses turning one way, and the rest going theother. The trappers had kept their eyes on the king, and, when heturned, they singled him out from the others, and followed him withincreased speed. The gray mustang made an exhibition of his powersthat was truly surprising; but the trappers took a "short cut" on him,and gained so rapidly that Frank's hopes rose again. Sleepy Sam wasrunning splendidly; but, to the surprise of all, old Bob's ungainly,raw-boned horse, in answer to a yell from his rider, bounded past him.All this happened in much less time than we have taken to describe it.The horses moved with wonderful rapidity, and, in a very few momentsafter the drove divided, the gray king and the trappers were out ofsight behind the swells, and all sounds of the chase had died away inthe distance.
Mr. Winters then returned to the camp, while the excited boys againseated themselves on the ground, and waited long and impatiently forthe trapper's return. The hours slowly wore away, and, finally, thesun went down, but still no signs of the horsemen. It soon began togrow dark, and the boys were obliged to return to the wagon. Frankprepared sup
per that evening, but their appetites must have gone offwith the gray mustang, for they ate but little. They sat beside thefire until midnight, straining their ears to catch the first sounds ofthe trapper's return; but nothing but the occasional howl of a wolfbroke the stillness; and, finally, growing tired of watching, theyspread their blankets and went to sleep. At the first peep of day theywere again stirring, and, after a hasty breakfast, they stationedthemselves in the edge of the willows, to await the return of thehorsemen. In about two hours their patience was rewarded by thediscovery of several objects moving along the summit of a distantswell. As they approached, the boys recognized the trappers, and inhalf an hour they were within speaking distance. Could Frank believehis eyes? Was Dick really riding the gray king? It was a horse thatbore a strong resemblance to him, and Frank felt confident that theanimal he had so much admired, was really his own. Nor was hedeceived; for, as they came up, Dick exclaimed:
"Here we ar', youngsters. We've got him, sure as shootin'. Easy thar,"he continued, as the delighted boys walked slowly around him, admiringhis fine points. "If you know any thing you'll keep cl'ar of hisheels. He aint very good natur'd."
This was very evident; for the trapper had scarcely spoken before themustang began to show his temper. He danced about in the most livelymanner; first rearing up almost straight in the air, and then kickingwith both hind feet. His plunges were furious and desperate, and theboys fully expected to see the trapper unseated. But the latter,although he had no saddle--that being a contrivance he despised--andonly had his lasso twisted around the gray's lower jaw, for a bridle,kept the animal completely under his control, and rode him into thecamp in triumph.
"The critter led us 'bout as long an' as lively a race as we everrun," said Dick, after the gray had been securely fastened to a tree."An' it war only by accident that we ketched him. I don't reckon I amsayin' too much when I say that I never seed a hoss run faster norhold out better nor he did--not even the black mustang. We went 'roundon the other side of the drove afore we started 'em, on purpose tomake 'em run t'wards the mountains. That give you a good sight ofsomethin' you never seed afore, an' by it we gained on the gray whenhe turned. Wal, he kept ahead of us for ten or twelve miles, gainin'on us all the while, fur when he seed that we war arter him in'arnest, the way he did climb over the prairy war a purty thing tolook at--when, all to onct, we found ourselves in a prairy-dog's nest.The prairy, as far as a feller could see, war like a honey-comb. I'spected every minit that my hoss would break through, an' at last hedid. But the gray broke in fust--went down clean to the top of hislegs, an' couldn't git out. I war sartin we had him, an' war jestgoin' to throw my lasso, when my hoss went in, an' kerchunk I went onthe ground. But ole Bob war on hand, an' he ketched him. We told you,Frank, that we'd put you on horseback ag'in, an' now that we've doneit, I don't reckon you'll lose this animal by campin' with BlackBill."