CHAPTER XIV--CAPTURED
Directly in front of Reuben five Indians stepped from behind a hugerock and halted his progress. Two of them seized his horse by itsbridle, while two more advanced upon him, one from each side.
Startled by the unexpected sight, Reuben gazed at the men a moment, andthen when he tried to bring his gun to his shoulder his arms were heldpowerless in the grasp of his captors. A moment later he was thankfulthat his enemies had prevented him from using his weapon. If he hadsucceeded he was well aware that instantly he would have beenoverpowered and doubtless slain by the young redmen.
Several times one of the Indians questioned Reuben, but the boy wasunable to understand what was said, and consequently attempted noreply. In a brief time the conversation ceased, and his hands weresecurely bound behind his back. He was compelled to dismount and tofollow the men, who now took his pony and led the way farther withinthe valley.
They were moving cautiously, too, an act which Reuben did notunderstand. His confusion, however, was soon gone when, after a walk ofa half-hour, he was conducted to a camp in which fifteen Indians wereseated around a fire over which they were roasting pieces of meat thathe strongly suspected had been cut from the cattle stolen from themission.
As the young prisoner was ignorant alike of the language spoken by theIndians and of the few words of Spanish which one of them was able tospeak, he was at a complete loss to understand not only who they wereand what their plans might be, but also what was likely to be his fate.His hands had been freed after he had been brought to the camp, but hewas not permitted to leave the enclosure. When night came he wasconducted to a cave among the nearby rocks and there by signs wasinformed that he was to remain throughout the night.
Several Indians seated themselves before the mouth of the cave, andReuben was convinced that escape for the present at least wasimpossible.
Three days slowly passed. Not once was he permitted to leave hisprison, although he was not treated unkindly. Food was given him everymorning and night, and a gourd of water every morning was placed at hisdisposal.
"Several Indians seated themselves before the mouth ofthe cave"]
As the afternoon of the third day wore on, Reuben became aware of apartly suppressed but increasing excitement among his captors. At firsthe was hopeful that the place was about to be attacked by some of hisfriends, in which event he might hope for release. It was impossiblefor him, however, to obtain any information from the Indians, andindeed few of them now even glanced at him as they apparently preparedto depart.
Reuben was disappointed when he learned that only half of the Indianswere to leave the place. The excitement among the others, however, didnot die away, and they frequently talked with one another in low voicesand pointed anxiously in the direction in which their friends had gone.When darkness fell Reuben stretched himself upon the hard floor of thecave, and although he was aware of the excitement which still possessedhis captors, he was convinced that he would be unable to learn thecause of it, and soon was sleeping soundly.
The first faint streaks of daylight were seen when Reuben was awakenedby the return of the men who had departed the preceding night.Instantly it was plain to him what the purpose of their journey hadbeen. With them now were at least threescore horses, and as he lookedkeenly at the animals Reuben recognized some of them. They had belongedto the men whom Kit Carson had been leading. Had their owners perished?Had there been a night attack by the redmen and had Kit Carson's bandbeen destroyed? Excited as Reuben was he was not able to find anyanswer to his questions, though he eagerly interrogated several of theredmen with signs. Not one of them, however, gave any heed to theirprisoner and his demonstrations. All about the camp the redmen were inaction, and it was plain to the boy that they were planning to departquickly.
His surmise proved to be correct, for within a few minutes all theirweapons and belongings had been packed on the backs of their horses andthey were ready to start. For a moment Reuben was hopeful that he wasabout to be left behind, but this was not to be, for one of the Indiansapproached and motioned for him to follow. Obedient to the command,Reuben accompanied his captor, who led the way to the spot whereseveral of the Indian ponies were standing. Altogether there were notmore than twenty of the Indian braves. How they had been able to secureso many horses and to return to their camp without any one having beeninjured was still a puzzle to Reuben. In obedience to the motion of hiscaptor he leaped upon the back of one of the horses and took the reinsin his hands.
The excitement of the band increased when at last it set forth from theplace. Every rider was leading two or three horses. It was plain, too,that the Indians were fearful of pursuit. Frequently they would glancebehind them, as if expecting an attack. They had not gone far, however,before a brief halt was called and three of the braves were sent backto form a rear guard.
Throughout the day the flight was continued, with only two or threebreaks, when the men and horses stopped to quench their thirst at arunning stream. Even when night fell the march was continued.Occasionally the band halted, while the men who formed the rear guardjoined them and a brief conference was held. In every case, however,either the guard or those who were to take their place returned to therear and the journey was resumed.
There were only slight and occasional rests during the second day. Itwas becoming increasingly plain to Reuben that the men were not only indesperate haste, but were in great fear of pursuit.
Grimly the young prisoner assured himself that their fears were wellgrounded, if their horses had been stolen from the band of which KitCarson was the leader. Still Reuben was not ill-treated, although hisconviction became stronger that if he should try to escape his fatewould be quickly sealed.
The way over which they had come had been rough, and in places it wasonly with great difficulty the horses were able to advance. The ridewas hard and all the braves by this time were showing the effect oftheir almost continuous ride. The distance which they had covered,however, had been much less than if they had been fleeing over theplains.
When the darkness of the third night fell the wearied warriors halted,and Reuben suspected from their actions that now a longer time for restwas to be granted. It was also plain that much of the fear which hadurged the Indians forward was gone. And even Reuben did not dare tohope that his friends would follow the redmen so far. One hundred milesor more had been covered in the three days, he assured himself. With asinking heart he was beginning to believe, with his captors, that thepossibility of pursuit no longer existed. Evidently the Indians allfelt now that they were safe. The silence which had rested over theparty gave place to noisy calls and shouts.
Not long after the halt had been called, Reuben was startled when hesaw that the Indians were preparing for a feast. Two of the poor beaststhat had carried them safely throughout their flight and were nearlyexhausted were taken apart from the others and killed. The skins werestripped from the bodies, and then over the fires, which were speedilykindled, the flesh was roasted, and a wild feast followed.
With strength restored by the food they had eaten and their fears ofpursuit now gone, the Indians were like children. They laughed and evenplayed pranks upon one another.
After the hunger of the band had been appeased Reuben was given aportion for his own needs. It was almost impossible for him to bitethrough the tough flesh, but hunger provided a strong incentive andsoon he, too, was sharing in the changed mental attitude of the entiregroup. As he glanced behind him at the hills among which they hadpassed he saw that the moon had risen and that night was at hand. Therewas still sufficient light, however, to enable him to see distinctlyall about him as he watched the antics of his childlike captors.
Suddenly in the midst of their pranks there came a rude and sharpinterruption. The reports of rifles were heard from two sides of thecamp. Several of the Indians fell to the ground, and Reuben instantlyfollowed their example, although he was uninjured.
With wild cries the redmen now ran for their horses, but as the
yapproached the place where they had corralled them there were freshshots, and others of the Indians fell.
With renewed and louder shouts they now turned and ran swiftly towardthe plains beyond. Many of them had been able to secure mounts and someof the horses were carrying double loads. Most of the animals, however,had been abandoned in the sudden flight.
By this time the men who had attacked the camp were near enough toenable Reuben to recognize them as his recent companions. Among them hesaw the youthful form of Kit Carson riding at some distance to the leftof his comrades and evidently fearful of an attack from the redmen whomight still remain in the camp.
Aside from those who had fallen, Reuben was convinced, as he lifted hishead and gazed about him, that he was the only one left there alive.All those who had been able to escape had fled from the place.
"Here I am, Kit! Don't shoot!" he called loudly, afraid to lift hishead lest instantly he should be made the target of the excitedtrappers.
"Who's calling? Who is it?" demanded Kit Carson quickly, as he and hiscompanions stopped to stare blankly all about them at the unexpectedhail.
"Here I am!" repeated Reuben. "If you won't shoot I'll stand up."
"Go ahead, show yourself!" called Kit Carson.
At the command Reuben instantly arose and was recognized by the scoutand his band.