The Young Trail Hunters Part 22

"Wall, youngster," said Jerry, "I've heered you through; and now I'd like ter know what you think of the 'Paches; 'cause, you see, we've got ter travel a good many hundred miles through their country, and I'd like ter hev your opinion of 'em."

"Why, I think they are a cruel, cowardly, treacherous tribe, as Mr.

Mastin said; and the dirtiest things I ever saw."

"Tell me, Jerry, do you know much about them?" interrupted I. "If you do, tell us something of their character and habits, as you've seen them."

"Wall, I've been through their country seven times, and I've met a heap of 'em, one way and another; but I hain't got no better opinion of 'em than Mr. Mastin hed. They're the smartest, wickedest and cunningest, Injins I ever seed. A Comanche ain't a touch to 'em, and I've never yet seed a white man smart enuff to beat 'em."

"You don't exactly mean that, do you, Jerry?" inquired I.

"That's exactly what I do mean: no more and no less," was the reply.

"You'll hev a chance ter see for yourself, afore we git through this trip, I'm thinkin, or you'll be the only man thet ever travelled through their country that hain't; that's my idee, sartin. Why, the cusses'll telegraph to one another all over the country, and know just what's goin'

on a hundred miles away.

"Americans can't understand 'em, and never will. No one ever saw a white man look at a country as a 'Pache does: he'll see everything. Ther ain't a ravine, gully, rock, bush, or tree, a foot high, thet he don't hev his eye on. Now, a white man don't look at a country in that way, does he?

[Ill.u.s.tration: Apache Trailing.]

"Jest ez likely ez not, there's a Injin within a dozen yards of us; but we wouldn't think it."

"A dozen yards of us!" exclaimed Hal, looking around; "why, where could he hide, I'd like to know?"

"That's jest it, youngster. We might go within ten feet of him, and never see him. Why, I've knowed 'em to hide behind a brown-bush, clump er cactus, or a rock, so mighty cunnin' thet ther ain't one scout in fifty would see 'em, let alone a stranger.

"They'll kiver therselves with gra.s.s, and lay on the ground all day, without movin', waitin' for a party to pa.s.s. I've been within ten foot of one myself, and seed him, too, and thought 'twas a part of the rock he was lying agin.

"I tell yer, them fellers's smarter'n a whip! They be, sartin, now."

"Well," said Ned, who had been listening attentively to Jerry's description of the Apache character, "if I'd had any idea these Indians were half as smart as you say they are, I'd rather have stayed in Texas than started on the trip."

"I wouldn't," declared Hal. "I've had about as much experience with 'em as anybody in the party, and I don't believe they're half as smart as you make 'em out. At any rate, I wouldn't be afraid to put my brain against theirs."

"Put your what, youngster?" inquired Jerry, in such an incredulous tone, that we all burst into a hearty laugh, in the midst of which Hal retired, leaving Jerry, Ned, and myself to continue the Apache question alone.

"You may depend on't, we ain't a-goin' ter git through this blasted country without more'n one brush with them fellers; and my way is ter keep our ears and eyes open, our rifles and pistols well loaded, and meet 'em when they come;--for come they will, sartin," said Jerry.

"Well, you must adopt such precautions and make such rules as you think proper," was my reply. "We'll all obey them."

"I'll set ther guard ter-night, and yer may ez well turn in now, 'cause we must make a early start."

We had hardly been on the road an hour the next day, before we observed one of the remarkable signal-smokes (used by the Apaches to give warning of the approach of strangers into their country), suddenly shoot up into the air from a spur of the mountains several miles distant.

Although the morning was windy, the smoke arose in a straight column to a great height, then spread out like a huge umbrella at the top, and, in the twinkling of an eye, was gone.

"That means 'look out,' plain enuff, don't it?" asked Jerry. "That's what I call telegraphin'. Now, putty soon you'll see some more answerin' of 'em."

"Do you know what that means?" inquired Ned.

"That means, 'Strangers is comin'.' If they'd repeated it three or four times, it would have said, 'The party's a big one, and wants watchin'.'

But they're so fur off, I reckon they'll send two or three spies in ter see how many thar is of us, afore we shall hear from 'em. Hilloa! there they go," continued he, pointing to three more of the signals that were suddenly sent up in different directions. "We're in amongst 'em, sure, boys; so let's keep our eyes open."

Notwithstanding we maintained the utmost vigilance during the entire day's journey, we saw nothing of Indians, or any signs indicating their presence; but, upon camping at night, we so disposed our wagons, that we should be able to make a vigorous resistance in case of attack. The guard was posted, to be relieved every two hours. Our camp was on an open plain, with no shrubbery save an occasional brown-bush or _yucca_ near us; and we retired, feeling as safe as we had any time since crossing the Rio Grande.

The night pa.s.sed quietly; and, just as the grey dawn began to make objects visible about camp, I awoke.

I saw the guard sitting over the smoldering fire, the mules. .h.i.tched to the wagon-wheels as usual, and the remainder of the party wrapped in their blankets, apparantly sleeping soundly; so I determined to take another nap before rising.

While thus lying, half awake and half asleep, I dreamily turned my eyes towards a small bush that stood a few yards from the place where I was lying, and, to my horror, discovered a pair of bright eyes peering at me from between the branches.

My first thought, that it was some animal, was speedily dissipated by discovering the fingers of a human hand holding aside the branches so as to give its owner an uninterrupted view of our camp; and it required but little stretch of the imagination to plainly see the features of a swarthy, ugly face behind them.

In an instant I remembered the conversation with Jerry the day previous, and decided that it must be the face of an Apache spy, and that I had better remain quiet; knowing, that, if my surmise was correct, we need not fear an attack from him or his companions, at that time.

I lay for some moments,--it seemed hours,--spell-bound, watching the face, but not daring to move even an eyelid, lest the discovery of the fact that I was awake, should be the signal for my own destruction. I expected every moment to hear the tw.a.n.g of a bow-string, and feel the head of an arrow penetrate my flesh; for I felt confident the spy was not alone.

I remember watching the eyes, so steadily gleaming from between the boughs, and comparing them to those of a tiger, about to spring upon its prey, and then, I found myself speculating as to whether a flint arrow-head would cause more pain than an iron one.

While these thoughts were pa.s.sing through my mind, I noticed the branches almost imperceptibly resume their natural position and the eyes disappear from view.

My first impulse was to spring to my feet and alarm the camp. Then I bethought myself of the well-known cunning of the Apaches, and determined to remain quiet for a few moments, lest a ruse had been adopted to ascertain if their presence had been discovered.

Just at this moment, the guard, who had been sitting over the dying embers of the camp-fire, arose, drew his coat closer about him to s.h.i.+eld him from the chill morning air, and, after taking a look around, again sat down. As he did so, I saw the branches once more cautiously pushed aside, and two pairs of eyes, instead of one, survey the scene.

What should I do? A cold sweat started from every pore of my body, and my heart almost ceased to beat, as I realized that the least movement of either of my sleeping companions might precipitate upon us a foe, of whose numbers I could form no estimate.

Conscious that I had acted wisely in doing nothing myself to hasten it, I felt equally certain I could have done nothing to avert it.

There I lay waiting, I knew not for what. The suspense became terrible.

It seemed as though every moment had become a long hour,--as though I dared not breathe, lest the breath should be my last.

Suddenly, I felt that the boughs had again resumed their natural position, and the eyes were gone. Yes! they were there no longer. Once more I breathed freely.

Why I did not instantly arouse the camp, I cannot tell. I waited several minutes, then quietly c.o.c.ked my rifle beneath my blankets, and touched Jerry on the shoulder. The instant he felt it, he started; but my low "s-h"

apprised him of danger, and he again resumed his old position.

In a low tone, I told him what I had seen. He waited a few moments and then aroused the camp.

No one was aware, that, during the night, Indians had been so near us, nor did the camp show any evidence that they had entered it; but the ground in the vicinity of the bush, which had concealed the foe revealed very plainly the track of four moccasined feet. Although we found it difficult to tell in what direction they had gone, yet it was quite evident that we might, at any time, expect a visit from our Apache friends, and our only course was to be ready when they appeared.

Hal and Ned were disposed, at first, to imagine that the visitors of the night previous were the creation of a dream; but the sight of their footprints in the sand, soon dissipated that theory, while they plainly told them the necessity of greater caution.

Breakfast dispatched, we got under way once more; and, during the next three or four days crossed several spurs of the Burro and Pelloncillo ranges of mountains, and over that portion of the great Madre Plateau, that lies along the thirty-second parallel,--but saw no Indians.

This fact gave Hal a good opportunity to laugh at what he termed my vision; nor did he fail to improve the opportunity.

Jerry and I often consulted together, and wondered why it was that we heard nothing more from the spies that had visited us; for, as Jerry wisely said, "If they'd come along and have it out with us, one way or t'other, he wouldn't keer; but ter keep us always expectin' 'em, is what wears a feller out. By'm by, when we git keerless, they'll ketch us nappin', and then, G.o.d help us, that's all."

Our route, the next day, pa.s.sed through a fertile _cienega_,[Valley.] thence over an alkali plain. It was while crossing this latter, that I met with an adventure, the most desperate we encountered on the trip. Our route carried us over this vast plain, strongly impregnated with alkali, and spa.r.s.ely covered with dwarfed mesquite with an occasional cl.u.s.ter of _yuccas_, scarce two feet in height; and was so level, we could see for miles over it in any direction.