The G.A. Henty MEGAPACK ®. G.a. Henty Henty
before advancing there will be a lot of hubbub and talk before they really make up their minds that we have really slipped through their fingers, and arrange for a start. Still, by midday we shall be having them behind us if we can’t find the way to throw them off.”
“I’d willingly take twenty ounces for my share of that gold, to be paid to me at Santa Fe,” Boston Joe said.
“So would I, Joe; there ain’t no denying it, we are in a tight place, and unless we find some way out of it in the morning, my own opinion is that we have only got one chance, and that is to leave all the horses behind us and to take our rifles and a loaf of bread each, and to start back on foot.”
“I should not wonder if we came to that,” Zeke said; “but we will hold on for a few hours, and, anyhow, before we leave them we will hide them bags. Possibly we might come back some day; anyhow, we could each tote along what we have got in our blankets; it aint as if we were going to run all the way from here to the settlements. Twelve pound weight aint nothing one way or the other.”
“No, nor twenty,” Boston agreed. “I vote if we do have to leave the horses we slip open one of the bags and take another eight pounds or so each. Twenty pounds aint much for a man to carry besides his gun and ammunition and a chunk of bread. Well, let the rest of you lie down and get a couple of hours’ sleep. I was off once last night.”
“All right; wake us directly you see a change in the sky. We should give the horses a chunk of bread and a drink each before we start.”
It seemed to the lads that they had been asleep for five minutes only when they were roused. It was but the work of a few minutes to adjust the loads again and to give the horses the bread and water. It was still hardly light in the ravine when they were ready to start, but all were too anxious to get on to delay a moment. As soon as the day had broadened a little they were able to pick their way along on the comparatively level ground beyond the edge of the water-course, and the horses were put into a trot.
“If we can keep on like this,” Joe said, “the Apaches won’t be up to us before night. They will know that we have got nigh twelve hours’ start of them, and though they may start off fast at first, they will soon settle down into a pace that they can keep up all day.”
After journeying for three hours they came upon the spot where two other ravines fell into that along which they were journeying.
“Let us hold a council,” Dave said. “Now, what do you think had best be done—push straight forward or take one of these other gulches?”
“They seem to run back almost the same line as that ye have been following,” Dick said.
“All the better, lad. They will be less inclined to think that we have taken it. What do you say, Zeke?”
“I think we had better push straight on, Dave. If they were coming along in the dark it would be a different thing; but they would not go a horse’s length afore they missed our tracks, and even if we muffle the critters’ feet, they are strong enough to send a party each way.”
“So they are, Zeke; but it would be a sight better to fight a third of them than the hull lot.”
“I think that it would be better to push on, Dave,” Boston Joe said. “There ain’t no saying where these narrow valleys lead, they wind and double every way; besides, they are dry, so I says let us push on till we get into one of the main valleys.”
“Well, we will do it, Joe; anyhow, we may as well do as I say and muffle their feet. The Injuns will know what we have done when they see the tracks stop here, but, as you say, they won’t know whether we have gone straight on or turned up one side or the other. I guess most likely they will think that we have turned up; anyhow, they are sure to divide.”
No further talking was necessary. The blankets were all cut up, bunches of dry grass were laced under the horses’ feet to form a pad, and the strips of blankets wound round and round and securely fastened.
“Now, on we go again, lads,” Dave said, setting the example, and they rode straight down the ravine ahead of them. Two hours later the blankets were taken off and thrown among the bushes, the rocks having cut through them, they were useless any longer to conceal the tracks, and they incommoded the horses. A mouthful of water was given to the animals, and they again started at a brisk pace. The sides of the valley were now narrowing in again, and becoming much steeper; the trees had ceased, and the bare rock rose in some places almost precipitously.
“The water rises high here when there is a storm,” Zeke said. “You see, it is pretty nigh closed up somewhere in front here.”
“All the better,” Dave said; “we can make a fight for it in a place like that, and hold it till dark. They can’t be far behind us now. Stop the horses a moment and listen.”
A faint sound was heard.
“That is them,” Dave said; “they aint above a mile behind; push on till we find a good place to make a stand.”
CHAPTER XV
Rifle-Shots
Another five minutes they entered a gorge so blocked with rocks that had fallen from above that they had the greatest difficulty in leading the horses over them.
“It could not be better,” Dave said. “We can stop them here. Zeke, do you go on with Dick, see how far this goes, and what the chances are when we get out of it. If you can see any way of climbing the side of the valley come back and tell us. Then I reckon the best thing will be for you to take the horses down and go straight up, leaving Dick to tell us exactly where you have gone up; then, as soon as it is quite dark, we will be off and follow you; they won’t be able to pick up the trail and will guess we have gone straight down the valley. Anyhow, it will give us another twelve hours’ start.”
Zeke nodded. “We may as well take the critters down at once,” he said; “it may be two or three miles before we can find a place where we can get out of this valley, and there aint no use making two journeys of it.”
Somewhat reluctantly Dick followed Zeke, driving the horses before them.
They had been gone but five minutes when he heard the crack of a rifle behind them.
“Do you think they are sure to be able to hold that place?”
“They are safe for some time, anyhow,” Zeke said. “As soon as the redskins see they are brought to a stand they will draw off and wait till the bands that have gone up the other valleys join them. No doubt, as soon as they had made out our tracks again, they sent a kipple of men off to fetch them back, but I reckon they wouldn’t have seen them till they got four or five miles down, and by that time the other bands would have been as much farther up the side-valleys, and the messengers would have a long ride before they overtook them—ten or twelve miles, maybe—and they would have all that to come down again, so they would be pretty well four hours before they had joined the first band, and in four hours it will be dark enough for Dave to draw off.”
“There they go again!”
Shot after shot echoed among the cliffs. The gorge extended for another mile, and then widened rapidly. A mile and a half farther the sides were clad with trees, and the slope, although still steep, was, Zeke said, possible for horses to scramble up.
“They will go up there safe enough,” he said, “five of them with nothing to carry, and the other four ain’t heavy loaded. You see them two trees standing alone on the crest there?”
“I see them, Zeke.”
“Well, that is to be your mark. You will make them out plainly enough in the moonlight. I shall be just down beyond them. I need not tell you to be keerful how you go when you get beyond the shelter of the trees below. Dave will know all about that. Now you can be off back again.”
Dick started back at a run, and in less than half an hour joined the other three among the rocks.
“Found a place, lad?”
“Yes; they have