The Young Trail Hunters Part 19

Supper over, Jerry suggested that, as some repairs were necessary to one of the wagons, we should remain in camp, and make them the following day.

This suggestion was received with so much pleasure by the boys, I at once determined to adopt it.

Hal proposed a hunting expedition for the morning, leaving Jerry and myself to attend to the wagon.

This we agreed to; and, about sunrise, the boys started, confident of their ability to furnish us with a fine quant.i.ty of game before night.

As they mounted their ponies, Jerry gave them the following advice:--

"Be keerful ter keep yer eyes and ears open; foller the course of the river, and don't git out'er sight of it, whatever yer do. There's three kind 'er game in this country, yer want ter steer clear of, sartin: them's Injins, bars, and painters. And be keerful to git back afore sundown, whatever else you do."

"I shan't steer clear of 'painters' or bears, you bet," said Hal. "If I see one, I shall go for it, and as for Indians, I've had quite enough experience to know how to handle them, without any advice from you, Mr.

Jerry. I guess we can take care of ourselves;" and away they rode.

"That boy knows less, for a fellow that thinks he knows so much, than anybody I ever see. Why, he don't know nothin', compared ter Ned, if he does talk ten times as much. I used ter think, when I was a boy, thet the feller thet hed the longest tongue, knowed the most; but them's the ones that don't know nothin'; and he's one of 'em, sartin," said Jerry.

I ventured to remark that Hal was a boy yet, and that we ought not to expect too much wisdom in one so young as he.

"But ain't t'other a boy, ez well?" inquired Jerry; "and hain't he got ten times as much sense? However, less go and look at that wagon, and see what's got ter be done to it."

The repairs kept Jerry and myself busy during the forenoon; and, after they were finished, Jerry proposed that we should take our rifles, and see if we couldn't get some game on our own account.

This suggestion met my cordial approval; and, after giving directions concerning the camp, Jerry and myself started across the prairie, intending to strike the river some miles above, and follow its course down; hoping, in this way, to fall in with the boys, on their return.

We rode along for several miles without seeing any game, save a few antelope, and they at such a distance, that Jerry though it not best to follow them; and, after a time, decided to make our way to the river and follow it down to camp.

It was a beautiful day: such a one as always brings peace and quiet to the most restless mind. I felt its effects most sensibly, and remarked to Jerry, that I rarely had seen so perfect a day in any country, and it seemed almost too bad, that so lovely a section could be given over to the possession of savages and wild beasts.

"'Tis, sartin," he replied; "both on 'em thrive here. I'm thinkin', though, 'twon't be many years afore white men'll git in here, and then the Injuns and painters, and sich like'll, hev to leave it. Why, there's lots o' gold jest above here. I've known plenty of scouts that hev brung it in. The white folks'll git hold of it one of these days, and then the country'll fill up like Californy.

"Yer see thet little mountain right ahead of us, don't yer? Wall, I r'member thet place. There's a narrer pa.s.s through thet hill, thet we've got ter go through. I've been in it once afore, and it's a mighty pokerish place, I tell yer: however, we'll git along all right, I reckon."

In a short time we reached the entrance to the _canon_, which was indeed a narrow pa.s.s. Huge rocks, hundreds of feet high, towered above and upon each side of us, their dark, moss-grown surface rendering the narrow pa.s.sage so gloomy, that, in spite of myself, I felt a cold s.h.i.+ver run over me, that gave me an involuntary sensation of danger, which I could not throw off.

Turning to Jerry, I said, "Isn't there any danger here?"

"Danger!" repeated Jerry, "of course there's danger, everywhere in this country. We ain't out of danger a minute. Ha! ha! ha!" and he laughed so loudly, that the rocks above us caught the sound and hurled it against the opposite side of the _canon_, where it seemed to be detained for a moment by some overhanging cliff, and then sent back, reverberating and re-echoing, now faint and indistinct, then clear and well-defined, to again die away in the distance, to once more approach nearer and nearer, louder and louder, until finally catching upon the sharp edge of some far-jutting crag, it s.h.i.+vered into a dozen, startlingly distinct peals of laughter, that seemed to my terrified senses like the shouts of demons, exulting at our temerity in venturing within their own well-chosen realms.

So terrifying was the effect upon me, that, for a few moments, I could not persuade myself that it was but an echo I heard. The blood surged to my heart and receeded so suddenly, that I was hardly able to sit erect upon my horse. As soon as I could speak, I said,--

"Come, let us go back, Jerry. I want to get out of this, as soon as I can."

"We've got ter git ter camp, an' this's the nearest way; but, ef you're afraid, we'll turn back. That warn't nothin' ter hurt, though, it did sound kind er skeery. Ther shortest way's always ther best in this country, so let's go ahead," said Jerry.

"I don't know that we are any more likely to meet danger in this _canon_ than we are out of it," said I; "but it's one of the most dismal and sunless places I ever was in."

"Well, 'twon't be many minutes afore we're out on the plains agin, so we'll ride along kind er midlin fast;" and, putting spurs to our horses, we soon emerged from the gloomy defile, out into the bright suns.h.i.+ne again.

Once clear of the shadows, I seemed to overcome the forebodings of danger, that had so oppressed me in the _canon_; and, in a few moments, the unpleasant sensations produced by the echo, entirely disappeared.

While thus riding along, the sound of a rifle-shot, a long distance away, fell upon our ears.

"That's them boys, for sartin," said Jerry. "They're in better luck than we be, for they've seen somethin' to shoot at,--an' so do I," continued he in a lower tone, pointing towards a little knoll a short distance away from the trail we were following.

I knew in an instant, from the tone of his voice, that he had made an unpleasant discovery, and was satisfied it was Indians. Still I looked, and saw, upon the top of the knoll, in bold relief against the sky, two Indians sitting upon their ponies.

One of them held a hand in the air above his head, which Jerry at once said, was the Apache way of asking for a parley.

"We'll hev ter give it to 'em, though we must be mighty keerful,"

continued he, "'cause it's next to sartin, thet therain't no two on 'em out there alone. We'll find thet out for ourselves, though, afore we're many hours older. Keep your eyes wide open, and your finger on the trigger o' yer rifle, and we'll go and see what they want."

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Two Apaches.]

Upon coming up with them, they each extended, an exceedingly dirty hand, with finger-nails that looked almost like bear's claws After shaking hands with them, Jerry proceeded to have a talk in Spanish. This gave me an excellent opportunity to examine their personal appearance; one, that I did not neglect.

They were small in stature, with short, ugly faces, very dark complexions, little, snapping black eyes, low foreheads, with coa.r.s.e, stringy, faded hair, that hung far down their backs, carrying in their faces that nameless, but unmistakable impress of treachery and low cunning, that const.i.tutes so large a part of the Apache character.

Around their bodies was wrapped an old blanket, so filthy, it was almost impossible to detect any trace of its original color, which had undoubtedly been blue. Each carried a bow and arrows, but was dest.i.tute of either leggins or moccasins, although mounted upon very respectable-looking ponies.

After a short interview, which terminated with our presenting them all the tobacco we had, with a shake of the hands we parted.

As they rode away, Jerry said: "I wish them boys was well in camp."

"You don't antic.i.p.ate any trouble with these fellows?" inquired I. "What did they say?"

"Say? why, they said they was particular friends of the Americans,"

replied Jerry. "Just what they all say; but they're treacherous cusses, and either one of 'em, would shake with one hand and scalp with t'other one, ef they got a chance. That little black cuss called himself _El Chico_,--that means The small,--and said he belonged to the copper-mines band, and hailed us to see if he couldn't get a little terbacker; but all he wanted, was to see how we was armed, and if we had any larger party. I filled him chock full, you bet; and mebbe we shan't see 'em again, though it's likely we shall. I see one of 'em eyin' that rifle o'your'n pretty sharp, and he didn't like the look of it much: I could see that."

We had ridden nearly a mile from the place of the interview, when Jerry exclaimed, "There they be again, sure'n shootin';" and, pointing to the mouth of a small _aroya_, that made back from the river, I discovered six Apaches, coming towards us as fast as their horses would bring them.

We were within a quarter of a mile of a small mound, upon the top of which was a peculiar sandstone formation, not unlike, in shape, a huge bottle; and I suggested to Jerry, that we should ride to the top of this mound, and, sheltering our horses behind the rock, await their approach on foot.

The suggestion seemed to be a good one, for it was no sooner made than adopted, and we had barely time to reach the desired location, ere they were upon us.

"Steady," said Jerry; "let me give 'em one;" and taking deliberate aim'

he fired, killing one of the ponies, thereby forcing its rider to mount behind one of the others; but on they came towards us, as fast as their horses could bring them.

"Now's your' time,--fire!" said Jerry.

I brought my rifle to my face and blazed away; seemingly, however, without effect.

"That won't do. If you can't shoot surer'n that, you'd better load and let me do it," said Jerry.

The Indians were now so close that several of their arrows fell about us, two or three striking the rock behind and s.h.i.+vering to pieces, and enabling us to recognize among them, the two who had hailed us but a short time before.

"The treacherous cusses," said Jerry. "I'll pay them fellows off, afore I git through with 'em, or my name ain't Jerry Vance, sartin."

The Indians appeared to be in no hurry to come within range of our rifles, but kept well out of the way, occasionally coming furiously to wards us, and as we raised our rifles to our faces, they would hastily throw themselves over upon the sides of their animals for protection, and ride rapidly away.

"They ain't goin' to hurt us much in this way," said I to Jerry.