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diff --git a/29616-h/29616-h.htm b/29616-h/29616-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..80c16c5 --- /dev/null +++ b/29616-h/29616-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,9130 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Two Arrows, by William O. Stoddard. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + p { margin-top: .5em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .5em; + text-indent: 1em; + } + h1 { + text-align: center; font-family: garamond, serif; /* all headings centered */ + } + h5,h6 { + text-align: center; font-family: garamond, serif; /* all headings centered */ + } + h2 { + text-align: center; font-family: garamond, serif; /* all headings centered */ + } + h3 { + text-align: center; font-family: garamond, serif; /* all headings centered */ + } + h4 { + text-align: center; font-family: garamond, serif; /* all headings centered */ + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + a {text-decoration: none} /* no lines under links */ + div.centered {text-align: center;} /* work around for IE centering with CSS problem part 1 */ + div.centered table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;} /* work around for IE centering with CSS problem part 2 */ + + .cen {text-align: center; text-indent: 0em;} /* centering paragraphs */ + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} /* small caps */ + .totoi {position: absolute; right: 2%; font-size: 75%; text-align: right;} /* to Table of Illustrations link */ + .img {text-align: center; padding: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} /* centering images */ + .tdr {text-align: right;} /* right align cell */ + .tdrb {text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;} /* right align cell */ + .tdrp {text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;} /* right align with padding */ + .tdl {text-align: left;} /* left align cell */ + .tr {margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; margin-top: 5%; margin-bottom: 5%; padding: 1em; background-color: #f6f2f2; color: black; border: dotted black 1px;} /* transcriber's notes */ + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; right: 2%; + font-size: 75%; + background-color: inherit; + text-align: right; + text-indent: 0em; + font-style: normal; + font-weight: normal; + font-variant: normal;} /* page numbers */ + + .poem {margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span {display: block; margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em;} + .poem span.pn { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; right: 2%; + font-size: 75%; + text-align: right; + text-indent: 0em; + font-style: normal; + font-weight: normal; + color: silver; background-color: inherit; + font-variant: normal;} /* page numbers in poems */ + + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Two Arrows, by William O. Stoddard + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Two Arrows + A Story of Red and White + +Author: William O. Stoddard + +Release Date: August 5, 2009 [EBook #29616] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWO ARROWS *** + + + + +Produced by Mark C. Orton, Barbara Kosker, Linda McKeown +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + +<br /> +<br /> + +<div class="img"> +<img border="0" src="images/cover.jpg" width="55%" alt="Book Cover and Spine" /> +</div> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h1>TWO ARROWS</h1> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h3>HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE'S SERIES<br /> +<span class="smcap">New Large-type Edition</span></h3> + +<div class="centered"> +<table border="0" width="65%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="book list"> + <tr> + <td class="tdl" width="70%"></td> + <td class="tdr" width="30%"></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">Toby Tyler</td> + <td class="tdr">James Otis</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">Mr. Stubbs's Brother</td> + <td class="tdr">James Otis</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">Tim and Tip</td> + <td class="tdr">James Otis</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">Raising the "Pearl"</td> + <td class="tdr">James Otis</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">Adventures of Buffalo Bill</td> + <td class="tdr">W. F. Cody</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">Diddie, Dumps and Tot</td> + <td class="tdr">Mrs. L. C. Pyrnelle</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">Music and Musicians</td> + <td class="tdr">Lucy C. Lillie</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">The Cruise of the Canoe Club</td> + <td class="tdr">W. L. Alden</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">The Cruise of the "Ghost"</td> + <td class="tdr">W. L. Alden</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">Moral Pirates</td> + <td class="tdr">W. L. Alden</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">A New Robinson Crusoe</td> + <td class="tdr">W. L. Alden</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">Prince Lazybones</td> + <td class="tdr">Mrs. W. J. Hays</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">The Flamingo Feather</td> + <td class="tdr">Kirk Munroe</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">Derrick Sterling</td> + <td class="tdr">Kirk Munroe</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">Chrystal, Jack & Co.</td> + <td class="tdr">Kirk Munroe</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">Wakulla</td> + <td class="tdr">Kirk Munroe</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">The Ice Queen</td> + <td class="tdr">Ernest Ingersoll</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">The Red Mustang</td> + <td class="tdr">W. O. Stoddard</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">The Talking Leaves</td> + <td class="tdr">W. O. Stoddard</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">Two Arrows</td> + <td class="tdr">W. O. Stoddard</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<h3>HARPER & BROTHERS<br /> +PUBLISHERS</h3> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<br /> +<br /> + +<div class="img"><a name="frontis" id="frontis"></a> +<a href="images/frontis.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/frontis.jpg" width="95%" alt="TWO ARROWS EXPLORES THE RUINS" /></a><br /> +<p class="cen" style="margin-top: .2em;">TWO ARROWS EXPLORES THE RUINS<span class="totoi"><a href="#toi">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h1>TWO ARROWS</h1> + +<h3>A STORY OF RED AND WHITE</h3> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h4>BY</h4> + +<h2>WILLIAM O. STODDARD</h2> + +<h4>Author of "<span class="smcap">The Talking Leaves</span>"</h4> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h4>ILLUSTRATED</h4> + +<br /> +<br /> + +<div class="img"> +<img border="0" src="images/deco.png" width="12%" alt="Publisher's Mark" /> +</div> + +<br /> +<br /> + +<h4>NEW YORK AND LONDON<br /> +HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS</h4> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h5>COPYRIGHT, 1886, BY HARPER & BROTHERS<br /> +COPYRIGHT, 1914, BY WILLIAM O. STODDARD<br /> +F.-Y.</h5> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + + +<div class="centered"> +<table border="0" width="70%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="Table of Contents"> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp" width="8%"><span style="font-size: 80%;">CHAPTER</span></td> + <td class="tdl" width="82%"> </td> + <td class="tdr" width="10%"><span style="font-size: 80%;">PAGE</span></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">I.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Hungry Camp</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">II.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">A Young Hero</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_9">9</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">III.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">A Brave Name</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_17">17</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">IV.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Mining Expedition</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_24">24</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">V.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">A Very Old Trail</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_32">32</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">VI.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">A Thirsty March</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_40">40</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">VII.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Great Cañon</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_48">48</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">VIII.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Water! Water!</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_56">56</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">IX.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Into a New World</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_64">64</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">X.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Sile's Pocket</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_71">71</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XI.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">A Trapped Boy</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_80">80</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XII.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Errand of One-eye</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_88">88</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XIII.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Great Scouting</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_96">96</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XIV.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">A Wrestling Match</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_103">103</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XV.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">A Great Captain</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_111">111</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XVI.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Visiting</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_117">117</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XVII.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">More Fun</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_126">126</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XVIII.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Two War-parties</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_136">136</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XIX.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Wonderful Fishing</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_146">146</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XX.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">A Full Corral</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_157">157</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XXI.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Gold Mine</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_166">166</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XXII.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">A New Settlement</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_174">174</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XXIII.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Danger</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_182">182</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XXIV.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Sile's Victory</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_191">191</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XXV.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">A Midnight March</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_199">199</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XXVI.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Preparing for an Attack</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_207">207</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XXVII.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">From Bow to Rifle</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_216">216</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XXVIII.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Apaches Have Come</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_224">224</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XXIX.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Stirring Times</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_232">232</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdrp">XXX.</td> + <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">A Daring Ride</span></td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_239">239</a></td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<a name="toi" id="toi"></a><hr /> +<br /> +<h2>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> + +<div class="centered"> +<table border="0" width="80%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="Illustrations"> + <tr> + <td class="tdl" width="70%">"Two Arrows explores the ruins"</td> + <td class="tdr" width="30%"><a href="#frontis"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">"Not a boy or girl among themhad such a treasure as that mirror"</td> + <td class="tdrb"><a href="#imagep120"><i>Facing p.</i> 120</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">"The midnight march of the Nez Percés"</td> + <td class="tdr"><a href="#imagep206"><i>Facing p.</i> 206</a></td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td class="tdl">"His right hand with his palm up to show that he was peaceful"</td> + <td class="tdrb"><a href="#imagep230"><i>Facing p.</i> 230</a></td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h2>TWO ARROWS</h2> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<hr /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span> +<br /> +<h2>TWO ARROWS</h2> + +<h3>A STORY OF RED AND WHITE</h3> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> +<br /> + +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter I</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">THE HUNGRY CAMP</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>The mountain countries of all the earth +have always been wonder-lands. The +oldest and best known of them are to this day +full of things that nobody has found out. That +is the reason why people are always exploring +them, but they keep their secrets remarkably +well, particularly the great secret of how they +happened to get there in that shape.</p> + +<p>The great western mountain country of the +United States is made up of range after range +of wonderful peaks and ridges, and men have +peered in among them here and there, but for +all the peering and searching nothing of the +wonder to speak of has been rubbed away.</p> + +<p>Right in the eastern, edge of one of these mountain +ridges, one warm September morning, not +long ago, a band of Nez Percé Indians were +encamped. It was in what is commonly called +"the Far West," because always when you get +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span>there the West is as far away as ever. The +camp was in a sort of nook, and it was not easy +to say whether a spur of the mountain jutted +out into the plain, or whether a spur of the plain +made a dent in the ragged line of the mountains. +More than a dozen "lodges," made of +skins upheld by poles, were scattered around +on the smoother spots, not far from a bubbling +spring of water. There were some trees and +bushes and patches of grass near the spring, but +the little brook which trickled away from it did +not travel a great way into the world, from the +place where it was born, before it was soaked +up and disappeared among the sand and gravel. +Up and beyond the spring, the farther one chose +to look, the rockier and the ruggeder everything +seemed to be.</p> + +<p>Take it all together, it was a forlorn looking, +hot, dried-up, and uncomfortable sort of place. +The very lodges themselves, and the human beings +around them, made it appear pitifully desolate. +The spring was the only visible thing that +seemed to be alive and cheerful and at work.</p> + +<p>There were Indians and squaws to be seen, a +number of them, and boys and girls of all sizes, +and some of the squaws carried pappooses, but +they all looked as if they had given up entirely +and did not expect to live any longer. Even +some of the largest men had an air of not caring +much, really, whether they lived or not; but that +was the only regular and dignified way for a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span>Nez Percé or any other Indian warrior to take +a thing he can't help or is too lazy to fight with. +The women showed more signs of life than the +men, for some of them were moving about +among the children, and one poor, old, withered, +ragged squaw sat in the door of her lodge, +with her gray hair all down over her face, rocking +backward and forward, and singing a sort +of droning chant.</p> + +<p>There was not one quadruped of any kind to +be seen in or about that camp. Behind this fact +was the secret of the whole matter. Those +Indians were starving! Days and days before +that they had been away out upon the plains to +the eastward, hunting for buffalo. They had +not found any, but they had found all the grass +dry and parched by a long drought, so that no +buffalo in his senses was likely to be there, and +so that their own ponies could hardly make a +living by picking all night. Then one afternoon +a great swarm of locusts found where they +were and alighted upon them just as a westerly +wind died out. The locusts remained long +enough to eat up whatever grass there was left. +All through the evening the Nez Percés had +heard the harsh, tingling hum of those devourers, +as they argued among themselves whether +or not it were best to stay and dig for the roots +of the grass. The wind came up suddenly and +strongly about midnight, and the locusts decided +to take advantage of it and sail away after better +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span>grass, but they did not leave any behind them. +They set out for the nearest white settlements in +hope of getting corn and apple-tree leaves, and +all that sort of thing.</p> + +<p>The band of Nez Percés would have moved +away the next morning under any circumstances, +but when morning came they were in a terribly +bad predicament. Not one of them carried a +watch, or he might have known that it was about +three o'clock, and very dark, when a worse disaster +than the visit of the locusts took place. +By five or six minutes past three it was all done +completely, and it was the work of a wicked old +mule.</p> + +<p>All but a half a dozen of the ponies and mules +of the band had been gathered and tethered in +what is called a "corral," only that it had no +fence, at a short distance from the lodges. Nobody +dreamed of any danger to that corral, and +there was none from the outside, even after +the boys who were set to watch it had curled +down and gone to sleep. All the danger was +inside, and it was also inside of that mule. He +was hungry and vicious. He had lived in the +white "settlements," and knew something. He +was fastened by a long hide lariat to a peg driven +into the ground, as were all the others, and he +knew that the best place to gnaw in two that +lariat was close to the peg, where he could get a +good pull upon it. As soon as he had freed himself +he tried the lariat of another mule, and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span>found that the peg had been driven into loose +earth and came right up. That was a scientific +discovery, and he tried several other pegs. Some +came up with more or less hard tugging, and as +fast as they came up a pony or a mule was free. +Then he came to a peg he could not pull, and he +lost his temper. He squealed, and turned +around and kicked the pony that belonged to +that peg. Then he stood still and brayed, as +if he were frightened to find himself loose, and +that was all that was needed.</p> + +<p>It was after three o'clock, and in one minute +the whole corral was kicking and squealing, +braying, biting, and getting free, and joining +in the general opinion that it was time to run +away.</p> + +<p>That is what the western men call a "stampede," +and whenever one occurs there is pretty +surely a mule or a thief at the bottom of it; but +sometimes a hail-storm will do as well, or nearly +so. By five or six minutes past three all of that +herd were racing westward, with boys and men +getting out of breath behind it, and all the +squaws in the camp were holding hard upon the +lariats of the ponies tethered among the lodges. +When morning came there were hardly ponies +enough to "pack" the lodges and other baggage +and every soul of the band had to carry something +as they all set off, bright and early, upon +the trail of the stampeded drove of ponies. +Some of the warriors had followed it without +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span>any stopping for breakfast, and they might have +caught up with it, perhaps, but for the good generalship +of that old mule. He had decided in +his own mind to trot right along until he came +to something to eat and drink, and the idea was +a persuasive one. All the rest determined to +have something to eat and drink, and they followed +their leader. It was not easy for men on +foot to catch up with them, and before noon the +warriors sat down and took a smoke, and held +a council as to what it was best to do. Before +they finished that council the ponies had gained +several miles more the start of them. The next +council the warriors held contained but three +men, for all the rest had gone back as messengers +to tell the band that the ponies had not +been recovered. By nightfall the remaining +three had faithfully carried back the same news, +and were ready for a fresh start.</p> + +<p>After that there had been day after day of +weary plodding and continual disappointment, +with the weather growing hotter and the grass +drier, until the trail they were following brought +them to the spring in the edge of the mountain +range without bringing them to the wicked old +mule and his followers.</p> + +<p>That had not been the whole of the sad history. +On the evening before the stampede that +band of Nez Percés had been well supplied with +riding ponies and pack-mules, and had also been +rich in dogs. No other band of their size had +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span>more, although their failure to find buffaloes +had already begun to have its effect upon the +number of their barking stock. Not a dog had +been wasted by feeding him to the other dogs, +but the human beings had not been allowed to +starve, and after the march began towards the +mountains there was less and less noise in that +camp night after night.</p> + +<p>There was no help for it; the ponies ate the +grass up at the spring, and then one of them had +to be eaten, while the warriors rode all around +the neighborhood vainly hunting for something +better and not so expensive. They did secure +a few rabbits and sage-hens and one small antelope, +but all the signs of the times grew blacker +and blacker, and it was about as well to kill and +eat the remaining ponies as to let them die of +starvation. A sort of apathy seemed to fall +upon everybody, old and young, and the warriors +hardly felt like doing any more hunting. +Now at last they sat down to starve, without a +dog or pony left, and with no prospect that game +of any kind would come into camp to be killed. +It is a curious fact, but whole bands of Indians, +and sometimes whole tribes, get into precisely +that sort of scrape almost every year. Now it is +one band, and now it is another, and there would +be vastly more of it if it were not for the United +States Government.</p> + +<p>There was nothing droll, nothing funny, +nothing that was not savagely sad, about the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span>Nez Percés' camp that September morning. +Every member of the band, except two, was +loafing around the lodges hopelessly and helplessly +doing nothing, and miserably giving the +matter up.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2 class="smcap">Chapter II</h2> + +<h2 class="smcap">A YOUNG HERO</h2> +<br /> + +<p>Away from the camp a long mile, and +down in the edge of the dry, hot, desolate +plain, there was a wide spread of sage-bushes. +They were larger than usual, because of having +ordinarily a better supply of water sent them +from the mountains than if they had settled further +out. In among such growths are apt to +be found sage-hens and rabbits, and sometimes +antelopes, but the warriors had decided that they +had hunted out all of the game that had been +there, and had given the bushes up. Two of +the members of the band who were not warriors +had not arrived at the same conclusion, and both +of these were among the "sage-brush" that +morning. The first had been greatly missed +among the lodges, and had been much hunted +for and shouted after, for he was the largest +and most intelligent dog ever owned by that +band. He was also about the ugliest ever owned +by anybody, and his misfortunes had earned for +him the name of One-eye. He could see more +with the eye he had left—and it was his right—than +any other animal they had ever had, or +than most of the warriors. He saw what <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span>became +of the other dogs, for instance, and at once +acquired a habit of not coming when an Indian +called for him. He kept his eye about him all +day, and was careful as to where he lay down. +Just about the time when the ponies began to +go into the camp-kettles he was a dog hard to +find, although he managed to steal pony-bones +and carry them away into the sage-brush. Perhaps +it was for this reason that he was in even +better condition than common that morning. +He had no signs of famine about him, and he +lay beside what was left of a jackass-rabbit, +which he had managed to add to his stock of +plunder. One-eye was a dog of uncommon +sagacity; he had taken a look at the camp just +before sunrise, and had confirmed his convictions +that it was a bad place for him. He had +been to the spring for water, drinking enough to +last him a good while, and then he had made +a race against time for the nearest bushes. He +lay now with his sharp-pointed, wolfish ears +pricked forward, listening to the tokens of another +presence besides his own.</p> + +<p>Somebody else was there, but not in bodily +condition to have made much of a race after +One-eye. It was a well-grown boy of about +fifteen years, and One-eye at once recognized +him as his own particular master, but he was a +very forlorn-looking boy. He wore no clothing, +except the deer-skin "clout" that covered +him from above his hips to the middle of his +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span>thighs. He carried a light lance in one hand +and a bow in the other, and there were arrows +in the quiver slung over his shoulder. A +good butcher-knife hung in its case by the thong +around his waist, and he was evidently out on a +hunting expedition. He was the one being, +except One-eye, remaining in that band of Nez +Percés, with life and energy enough to try and +do something. He did not look as if he could +do much. He was the son of the old chief in +command of the band, but it was two whole days +since he had eaten anything, and he had a faded, +worn, drawn, hungry appearance, until you +came to his black, brilliant eyes. These had an +unusual fire in them, and glanced quickly, restlessly, +piercingly in all directions. He might +have been even good-looking if he had been well +fed and well dressed, and he was tall and +strongly built. Just such Indian boys grow up +into the chiefs and leaders who make themselves +famous, and get their exploits into the newspapers, +but as yet this particular boy had not +managed to earn for himself any name at all. +Every Indian has to do something notable or +have something memorable occur to him before +his tribe gives him the honor of a distinguishing +name. One-eye knew him, and knew that he +was hungry and in trouble, but had no name +for him except that he suggested a danger of the +camp-kettle.</p> + +<p>There could be no doubt about that boy's +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span>pluck and ambition, and he was a master for any +dog to have been proud of as he resolutely and +stealthily searched the sage-bushes. He found +nothing, up to the moment when he came out +into a small bit of open space, and then he suddenly +stopped, for there was something facing +him under the opposite bushes.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! One-eye."</p> + +<p>A low whine replied to him, and a wag of a +dog's tail was added, but a watch was kept upon +any motion he might make with his bow or +lance.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! no. Not kill him," remarked the boy, +after almost a minute of profound thinking. +"Eat him? No dog then. All old fools. No +dog hunt with. No pony. Starve. Keep One-eye. +Try for rabbits."</p> + +<p>He called repeatedly, but his old acquaintance +refused to come near him, whining a little +but receding as the boy advanced.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! knows too much."</p> + +<p>It was a matter to lessen the value of One-eye +that he understood his own interests, and his +master ceased, wearily, his efforts to entice him. +He pushed on through the bushes, but now he +was instantly aware that One-eye was searching +them with him, keeping at a safe distance, but +performing regular hunter's duty. He even +scared up a solitary sage-hen, but she did not fly +within range of bow and arrow. She was an encouragement, +however, and so were the remains +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span>of the rabbit to which One-eye managed to pilot +the way. They seemed like a promise of better +things to come, and One-eye stood over them +for a moment wagging his tail, as much as to say,</p> + +<p>"There; take that and let me up!"</p> + +<p>The boy picked up the rabbit and said several +things to the dog in a clear, musical voice. He +spoke the guttural, Nez Percé dialect, which is +one of the most difficult in the world, and One-eye +seemed almost to understand him—and yet +there are white boys of fifteen who stumble +dreadfully over such easy tongues as Greek and +Latin.</p> + +<p>The boy and dog seemed to be on better terms +after that, and went on through the sage-brush +towards where a straggling line of mesquite +scrubs marked the plain. The dog was ranging +the bushes right and left, while the boy slowly +followed the narrow lane of an old, hard-beaten +"buffalo path," with an arrow on the string, +ready for anything that might turn up. They +were nearly out of the mesquites when One-eye +uttered a quick, sharp, low-voiced whine, which +his master seemed to understand. It is not +every dog that can whine in the Nez Percé dialect, +but the boy at once dropped upon his hands +and knees and crept silently forward. He had +been warned that something was the matter, and +his natural instinct was to hide until he should +discover what it might be. Again the dog whimpered, +and the boy knew that he was hidden +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span>ahead and beyond him. He crawled out of the +trail and made his way under and through the +bushes. He made no more sound or disturbance +than a snake would have caused in doing the +same thing, and in half a minute more he was +peering out into the open country.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! buffalo!"</p> + +<p>His brilliant eyes served him well. Only an +Indian or a dog would have rightly read the +meaning of some very minute variations in the +brown crest of a roll of the prairie, far away to +the eastward. Only the keenest vision could +have detected the fact that there was a movement +in the low, dull line of desolation. Back +shrank the boy, under the bushes at the side of +the trail, and One-eye now had enough of restored +confidence to come and crouch beside +him. In a few minutes more the spots were +noticeably larger, and it was plain that the buffalo +were approaching and not receding. At +another time and under different circumstances, +even an Indian might have been unwise, and +have tried to creep out and meet them, but the +weakness of semistarvation brought with it a +most prudent suggestion. It was manifestly +better to lie still and let them come, so long as +they were coming. There was no sort of fatigue +in such a style of hunting, but there was a +vast deal of excitement. It was a strain on any +nerves, especially hungry ones, to lie still while +those two great shaggy shapes came slowly out +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span>upon the ridge. They did not pause for +an instant, and there was no grass around +them to give them an excuse for lingering. +They were on their way after some, and +some water, undoubtedly, and perhaps they +knew a reason why there should be an ancient +buffalo-trail in that direction, trodden by generation +after generation of their grass-eating +race. The boy was a born hunter, and knew +that he was lurking in the right place, and he +drew back farther and under deeper and more +perfect cover, hardly seeming to breathe. One-eye +did the same, had almost looked as if he +wanted to put his paw over his mouth as he +panted. On came the two bisons, and it was apparent +soon that no more were following them.</p> + +<p>"Bull—cow," muttered the boy. "Get both. +Laugh at old men then. Have name!"</p> + +<p>His black eyes flashed as he put his best arrow +on the string and flattened himself upon the dry, +hot earth. Nearer and nearer drew the gigantic +game, and with steady, lumbering pace they +followed the old trail. It was a breathless piece +of business, but it was over at last. The bull +was in front, and he was a splendid-looking +old fellow, although somewhat thin in flesh. +Neither he nor his companion seemed to have +smelled or dreamed of danger, and they walked +straight into it. The moment for action had +come, and the boy's body rose a little, with a +swift, pliant, graceful motion. With all the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span>strength starvation had left in him he drew his +arrow to the head. In another second it was +buried to its very feathers in the broad +breast of the buffalo bull, and the great +animal stumbled forward upon his knees, +pierced through the heart. The young +hunter had known well the precise spot to +aim at, and he had made a perfect shot. The +cow halted for a moment, as if in amazement, +and then charged forward along the trail. +That moment had given the boy enough time to +put another arrow on the string, and as she +passed him he drove it into her just behind the +shoulder, well and vigorously. Once more he +had given a deadly wound, and now he caught +up his lance. There was little need of it, but he +could not be sure of that, and so, as the bull +staggered to his feet in his death-struggle, he +received a terrific thrust in the side and went +down again. It was a complete victory, so far +as the bull was concerned, and One-eye had +darted away upon the path of the wounded cow.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! got both!" exclaimed the boy. "Have +name now."</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2 class="smcap">Chapter III</h2> + +<h2 class="smcap">A BRAVE NAME</h2> +<br /> + +<p>One-eye followed the arrow-stricken cow, +and he ran well. So did the cow, and +she did not turn to the right or left from the old +buffalo trail. There was but one road for either +the trail or the cow or the dog, for the very +formation of the land led them all into the mountains +through the nook by the spring, and so by +and by through the camp of the starving Nez +Percés. On she went until, right in the middle +of the camp and among the lodges, she stumbled +and fell, and One-eye had her by the throat.</p> + +<p>It was time for somebody to wake up and do +something, and a wiry-looking, undersized, lean-ribbed +old warrior, with an immense head, +whose bow and arrows had been hanging near +him, at once rushed forward and began to make +a sort of pin-cushion of that cow. He twanged +arrow after arrow into her, yelling ferociously, +and was just turning away to get his lance when +a robust squaw, who had not been made very thin +even by starvation, caught him by the arm, +screeching,</p> + +<p>"Dead five times! What for kill any more?"</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span>She held up a plump hand as she spoke, and +spread her brown fingers almost against his nose. +There was no denying it, but the victorious hunter +at once struck an attitude and exclaimed,</p> + +<p>"No starve now, Big Tongue!"</p> + +<p>He had saved the whole band from ruin and +he went on to say as much, while the warriors +and squaws and smaller Indians crowded +around the game so wonderfully brought within +a few yards of their kettles. It was a grand occasion, +and the Big Tongue was entitled to the +everlasting gratitude of his nation quite as much +as are a great many white statesmen and kings +and generals who claim and in a manner get it. +All went well with him until a gray-headed old +warrior, who was examining the several arrows +projecting from the side of the dead bison, came +to one over which he paused thoughtfully. +Then he raised his head, put his hand to his +mouth, and sent forth a wild whoop of delight. +He drew out the arrow with one sharp tug and +held it up to the gaze of all.</p> + +<p>"Not Big Tongue. Boy!" For he was the +father of the young hero who had faithfully +stood up against hunger and despair and had +gone for game to the very last. He was a proud +old chief and father that day, and all that was +left for the Big Tongue was to recover his own +arrows as fast as he could for future use, while +the squaws cut up the cow. They did it with a +haste and skill quite remarkable, considering +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span>how nearly dead they all were. The prospect +of a good dinner seemed to put new life into +them, and they plied their knives in half a dozen +places at the same time.</p> + +<p>One-eye sat down and howled for a moment, +and then started off upon the trail by which he +had come.</p> + +<p>"Boy!" shouted the old chief. "All come. +See what."</p> + +<p>Several braves and nearly all the other boys, +one squaw and four half-grown girls at once followed +him as he pursued the retreating form of +One-eye. It was quite a procession, but some +of its members staggered a little in their walk, +and there was no running. Even the excitement +of the moment could get no more than a +rapid stride out of the old chief himself. He +was well in advance of all others, and at the +edge of the expanse of sage-brush in which One-eye +disappeared he was compelled to pause for +breath. Before it had fully come to him he +needed it for another whoop of delight.</p> + +<p>Along the path in front of him, erect and +proud, but using the shaft of his lance as a walking-stick, +came his own triumphant boy hunter. +Not one word did the youngster utter, but he +silently turned in his tracks, beckoning his father +to follow.</p> + +<p>It was but a few minutes after that and they +stood together in front of the dead bull bison. +The boy pointed at the arrow almost buried in +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span>the shaggy chest, and then he sat down; hunger +and fatigue and excitement had done their work +upon him, and he could keep his feet no longer. +He even permitted One-eye to lick his hands and +face in a way no Indian dog is in the habit of +doing. Other warriors came crowding around +the great trophy, and the old chief waited while +they examined all and made their remarks. +They were needed as witnesses of the exact state +of affairs, and they all testified that this arrow, +like the other, had been wonderfully well driven. +The old chief sat down before the bull and +slowly pulled out the weapon. He looked at +it, held it up, streaming with the blood of the +animal it had brought down, and said:</p> + +<p>"Long Bear is a great chief. Great brave. +Tell all people the young chief Two ARROWS. +Boy got a name. Whoop!"</p> + +<p>The youngster was on his feet in a moment, +and One-eye gave a sharp, fierce bark, as if he +also was aware that something great had happened +and that he had a share in it. It was +glory enough for one day, and the next duty on +hand was to repair the damages of their long +fasting. Two Arrows and his dog walked +proudly at the side of the Long Bear as he led +the way back to the camp. No longer a nameless +boy, he was still only in his apprenticeship; +he was not yet a warrior, although almost to be +counted as a "brave," as his title indicated. It +would yet be a long time before he could be <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span>permitted +to go upon any war-path, however he +might be assured of a good pony when there +should be hunting to be done.</p> + +<p>There had been all along an abundance of firewood, +of fallen trees and dead mesquite-bushes, +in the neighborhood of the camp, and there +were fires burning in front of several lodges before +the remainder of the good news came in. +The cow had been thoroughly cut up, but the +stern requirements of Indian law in such cases +called for the presence of the chief and the leading +warriors to divide and give out for use. +Anything like theft or overreaching would have +been visited with the sharp wrath of some very +hungry men. The Big Tongue had seated himself +in front of the "hump" and some other +choice morsels, waiting the expected decision +that they belonged to him. He also explained +to all who could not help hearing him how surely +that cow could have broken through the camp +and escaped into the mountains if it had not been +for him, until the same plump squaw pointed at +the hump and ribs before him, remarking, +cheerfully,</p> + +<p>"Go get arrow. Kill him again. Need +some more. Boy kill him when he stood up."</p> + +<p>There was not strength left in the camp for +a laugh, but the Big Tongue seemed to have +wearied of the conversation. He looked wearier +afterwards when the hump was unanimously +assigned to the old chief's own lodge, that Two +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span>Arrows might eat his share of it. Indian justice +is a pretty fair article when it can be had at +home, not interfered with by any kind of white +man. The division was made to the entire satisfaction +of everybody, after all, for the Big +Tongue deserved and was awarded due credit +and pay for his promptness. If the buffalo had +not already been killed by somebody else, perhaps +he might have killed it, and there was a +good deal in that. He and his family had a +very much encouraged and cheerful set of brown +faces as they gathered around their fire and began +to broil bits of meat over it.</p> + +<p>One fashion was absolutely without an exception, +leaving out of the question the smaller +pappooses: not one man, woman, or child but +was diligently working away at a slice of raw +meat, whatever else they were doing or trying to +do. It was no time to wait for cookery, and it +was wonderful what an enlivening effect the +raw meat seemed to have.</p> + +<p>Indian etiquette required that Two Arrows +should sit down before his father's lodge and +patiently wait until his "token" should be given +him. His first slice of meat was duly broiled +by his mother, and handed him by his father, +and he ate it in dignified silence. It was the +proudest hour of his whole life thus far, and he +well knew that the story would spread through +the Nez Percé nation and lead the old men of it +to expect great things of him: it was a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span>beginning +of fame, and it kindled in him a tremendous +fever for more. His ambition grew and +grew as his appetite went down, and his strength +began to come back to him.</p> + +<p>It was a grand feast, and it was not long before +there were braves and squaws ready to go +and cut up the bull and bring every ounce of +him to camp. Starvation had been defeated, +and all that happiness had been earned by "Two +Arrows."</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter IV</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">THE MINING EXPEDITION</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>The place away out upon the rolling plain, +at which the unlucky hunting-camp of the +Nez Percé band had been pitched when the +locusts visited them, was occupied again a few +days after they left it. The new-comers were +not Indians of any tribe but genuine white men, +with an uncommonly good outfit for a small one. +They were one of the hundreds of mining and +exploring expeditions which every year set out +for one range of mountains or another to try and +find what there is in them. They are all sure +to find a good deal of hard work, privation and +danger, and some of them discover mines of +gold and silver.</p> + +<p>This expedition consisted of two very strongly +built but not heavy wagons, with canvas-covered +tilts, and each drawn by four large +mules. What was in the wagons except the +drivers could only be guessed at, but riding at +the side or ahead or behind them as they came +towards the camping-place were six men and +a boy. There were several spare horses and +mules, and the whole affair looked as if it had +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span>cost a good deal of money. It costs a great deal +to bring up eight men and a boy so that these +may be fairly included, but there were wide +variations in the external garnishing of the +riders and drivers.</p> + +<p>They had all been guided to that spot, partly +by the general aim of their undertaking, partly +by the trail they were following, and a good +deal by a tall old fellow with a Roman nose and +a long, muddy yellow beard, who rode in front +upon a raw-boned, Roman-nosed sorrel mare, +with an uncommon allowance of tail. When +they reached that camping-ground it was not +late in the afternoon, but it was not well to go +on past a deep pool of water, surrounded by +willows and cottonwood-trees, however little +grass there was to be had in the neighborhood. +They had found water and grass getting scarcer +and scarcer for two or three days, and there was +quite enough in the look of things to make men +thoughtful. They knew nothing about the Nez +Percés and the grasshoppers and the wicked old +mule, but the tall man in front only looked +around for one moment before he exclaimed,</p> + +<p>"I'd call it—Been some kind of Injins here +lately. No game, I reckon, or they'd ha' +stayed."</p> + +<p>"No kind of game'd stay long in such a +burned-up country as this is," added a squarely +made, gray-headed man who rode up alongside +of him. "We've nothing to do but to push on. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span>We must get out of this or we'll lose our whole +outfit."</p> + +<p>"Sure as shootin'! I move we just unhitch +long enough for a feed and a good drink, and +lay in what water we can carry, and go on all +night. There's a good moon to travel by, and +it'll be cooler work for the critters."</p> + +<p>"It's our best hold. Sile, don't you gallop +that horse of yours one rod. There's work +enough before him. Save him up."</p> + +<p>"All right, father. But isn't this the camp? +He can rest now."</p> + +<p>"No he can't, nor you either. It's an all-night +job."</p> + +<p>Sile was not gray-headed. He was very +nearly red-headed. Still, he looked enough like +his father in several ways. He was broadly and +heavily built, strong and hearty, with something +in his merry, freckled face which seemed to indicate +a very good opinion of himself. Boys +of fourteen, or thereabout, who can ride and +shoot, and who have travelled a little, are apt +to get that kind of expression, and it never tells +lies about them.</p> + +<p>Sile's horse was a roan, and looked like a fast +one under a light weight like his. Just large +enough not to be called "ponyish," and with +signs of high spirit. The moment the youngster +sprang from the saddle and began to remove it +it became manifest that there was a good understanding +between horse and boy. Any <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span>intelligent +animal is inclined to make a pet of its master +if it has a fair chance.</p> + +<p>"Now, Hip, there isn't any grass, but you can +make believe. I'll bring a nose-bag as soon as +you've cooled off and have had a drink of +water."</p> + +<p>He was as good as his word, and there were +oats in the nose-bag when he brought it, and +Hip shortly left it empty, but in less than two +hours from that time the two tilted wagons were +once more moving steadily onward towards the +West and the mountains.</p> + +<p>There had been a hearty supper cooked and +eaten, and there was not a human being in the +party who seemed much the worse for fatigue. +The spare horses and mules had taken the places +of the first lot in harness, and it was plain that +there was plenty of working power remaining, +but there was a sort of serious air about the +whole matter. The sun set after a while, and +still, with occasional brief rests, the expedition +pushed forward. It was a point to be noted +that it travelled about twice as fast as the band +of Nez Percés had been able to do after they had +lost their ponies. It was not hampered by any +heavily burdened foot-passengers. The moon +arose, and now Sile was riding on in front with +the muddy-bearded veteran.</p> + +<p>"Pine," said he, "s'pose we don't come to grass +and water?"</p> + +<p>"Most likely we will before mornin', or <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span>before +noon anyhow. If we don't, we must go +on till we do."</p> + +<p>"Kill all the mules?"</p> + +<p>"They'll all die if we don't, sure's my name's +Pine—Yellow Pine."</p> + +<p>"They can't stand it—"</p> + +<p>"They can stand anything but starvation. +Did you ever try giving up water?"</p> + +<p>"No; did you?"</p> + +<p>"Well, I did. I was glad to give up giving +it up after a few days. It's the queerest feeling +you ever had."</p> + +<p>"How'd it happen?"</p> + +<p>"I don't feel like tellin' about it jest now. +There's too good a chance for tryin' it again to +suit me."</p> + +<p>"Is that so? Pine, do you know, I wish you'd +tell me how they came to call you Yellow Pine."</p> + +<p>The fear of either thirst or hunger had plainly +not yet fallen upon Sile, or he would not have +asked that question just then. It sounded so +much like fourteen years old and recklessness +that the great, gaunt man turned in his saddle +and looked at him.</p> + +<p>"I'd call it—Well, now, you're a customer. +Some reckon it's my complexion, and I am +turned kind o' yaller, but it ain't. It's my own +name."</p> + +<p>"How'd you get it, anyway?"</p> + +<p>"How? Well, my father was just like me; +he was a wise man. He named me after his +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span>brother, my uncle Ogden, and after Colonel +Yell, that was killed in the Mexican war. So +I'm Yell O. Pine, and nobody but you ever cared +how it kem so."</p> + +<p>Sile was satisfied as to that one point, but +there did not seem to be anything else on that +prairie about which he was satisfied, and at last +his companion remarked to him,</p> + +<p>"Now look here, Sile Parks, you go back and +tell the judge, if I've got to answer questions for +you all night, he'll hev to raise my wages. I'm +thirsty with it now, and there's no water to +spare."</p> + +<p>Sile was in no wise disconcerted, but rode back +to the main body in excellent spirits. It was +the first real danger of any sort that the expedition +had encountered, and there was a keen excitement +in it. He had read of such things, and +now he was in one without the least idea in the +world but what everything would come out all +right, just as it does in a novel. Before midnight +he had asked every other human being +around him all the questions he could think of, +and had dismounted four times to examine the +grass at the wayside and see if it were of any +better quality. Each time he was compelled to +mount again and ride on to his father, "Chips."</p> + +<p>When bunch-grass gets to be so dry that it +will crumble in the fingers it ceases to be of +any use except to carry a prairie-fire in a great +hurry. It will do that wonderfully, but it will +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span>not do to feed animals on, and it was needful +to have something better.</p> + +<p>When a halt was called, at about twelve +o'clock, and a rest of two hours was decided on, +the barrels of water in the wagons were drawn +upon for only a moderate ration all around, and +the animals plainly testified their eagerness for +more. They were not at all distressed as yet, +but they would have been if they had done that +amount of work under sunshine. When the +moment for again setting out arrived and the +word was given, Judge Parks inquired,</p> + +<p>"Pine, where is Sile?"</p> + +<p>"Where? I'd call it—There he is on his +blanket, sound asleep. I'll shake him up."</p> + +<p>"Do, while I put the saddle on his horse. +Guess he's tired a little."</p> + +<p>A sharp shake of Sile's shoulder had to be +followed by another, and then a sleepy voice +responded,</p> + +<p>"Water? Why, Pine, there's a whole lake of +it. Was you ever at sea?"</p> + +<p>"Sea be hanged! Git up; it's time to travel."</p> + +<p>"Ah, halloo! I'm ready. I dreamed we'd +got there. Riding so much makes me sleepy."</p> + +<p>He was quickly in the saddle again, and they +went forward; but there were long faces among +them at about breakfast-time that morning. +They were halted by some clumps of sickly +willows, and Yellow Pine said, mournfully,</p> + +<p>"Yer's where the redskins made their next +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span>camp. They and their critters trod the pool +down to nothin' and let the sun in onto it, and it's +as dry as a bone. We're in for a hard time and +no mistake."</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter V</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">A VERY OLD TRAIL</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>During all that was left of that happy day +in the Nez Percé camp there was an immense +amount of broiling and boiling done. +Whoever left the great business of eating enough +and went and sat down or lay down got up again +after a while and did some more remarkable +eating. All the life of an Indian trains him for +that kind of thing, for he goes on in a sort of continual +vibration from feast to famine.</p> + +<p>All the other boys in camp were as hungry as +Two Arrows, and as their hunger went down +their envy of him went up; he had suddenly +stepped ahead of them and had become an older +boy in a moment. It was very much as if a boy +of his age in the "settlements" had waked up, +some fine morning, with a pair of mustaches and +a military title, uniform and all.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows was entitled to strut a little, and +so was One-eye, but for some reason neither of +them was inclined to anything but eating and lying +down. One-eye may have felt lonely, for he +found himself the only dog in all that camp, and +he knew very well what had become of the dogs +he used to know: they had gone to the famine, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span>and there had been no sort of funeral ceremonies, +and now there could be no kind of neighborly +quarrel over bones any more. There was a reason, +why One-eye should attach himself more +closely than ever to his master and follow his +every movement. They had killed two buffaloes +in company, and there was no telling +what they might or might not yet do if they kept +together.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows found the effects of his long fasting +rapidly passing away, but he was like everybody +else and needed a big sleep. One-eye had +the only eye that did any watching all that night, +and nobody but the fat squaw was up very early +next morning. Her next company was the Big +Tongue, and he at once began to talk about the +game he intended to kill, now he had had something +to eat. Two Arrows might not have been +the next riser if it had not been for a friendly tug +from One-eye, but the moment he was awake he +knew that he was hungry again. He was hungry, +but he was silent, and it was plain that he +was thinking about something uncommonly interesting. +He stood in front of his father's +lodge, waiting for the breakfast that was now +sure to come, when a light hand was laid upon +his arm and a soft musical voice exclaimed, +triumphantly,</p> + +<p>"Two Arrows! Name!"</p> + +<p>"Ugh," said he. "Na-tee-kah."</p> + +<p>He hardly looked around, but the pleasantest +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span>face in all that band was smiling upon him. It +bore a strong resemblance to his own, and belonged +to an Indian girl a year or so younger +than himself. She was well grown, slender, +and graceful, and had a pair of eyes as brilliant +as his, but a great deal more gentle and kindly +in their expression. They lacked the restless, +searching, eager look, and his, indeed were +quieter than they had been the day before.</p> + +<p>"Got plenty to eat now," she said. "Not +starve to death any more."</p> + +<p>"Eat all up," replied he. "Fool! Starve +again, pretty soon."</p> + +<p>"No, Long Bear and old men say, keep all +there is left. Work to-day. Dry meat. Go +hunting somewhere else. Not stay here."</p> + +<p>There was a little more talk that indicated a +very fair degree of affection between the brother +and sister, and then Two Arrows said to her,</p> + +<p>"Keep tongue very still. Come."</p> + +<p>She followed him to the lower edge of the +camp, and he silently pointed her to the place +where the old buffalo trail came in.</p> + +<p>"Great many make that. Long time. All +know why."</p> + +<p>"The cow came in there."</p> + +<p>"Ugh! now come."</p> + +<p>She followed him now to the upper end of the +camp, and he pointed again to the trail, deeply +and plainly made, going on into the gorges of the +mountains.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span>"Buffalo go that way; Two Arrows follow. +Say no word. Not find him pretty soon."</p> + +<p>That was the meaning of all his thoughtfulness. +He meant to set off on a hunt of his own +planning, without asking permission of anybody. +Two days earlier he would not have dreamed of +such a piece of insubordination. Now he had +won his right to do that very thing, and he +meant to take advantage of it instantly. All the +young ambition in him had been stirred to the +boiling point, and his only remaining anxiety +was to get a good supply of provisions and get +out of the camp without being seen by anybody. +He could look out for his weapons, including +several of his father's best arrows, and Na-tee-kah +at once promised to steal for him all the +meat he wanted. She went right into his plan +with the most sisterly devotion, and her eyes +looked more and more like his when she next +joined her mother and the other squaws at their +camp-fire. There was no doubt but what her +brother would have his marching rations supplied +well, and of the best that was to be had.</p> + +<p>There was no need for Two Arrows to steal +from Long Bear. What between pride and +buffalo meat the old chief was ready to give or +rather lend him anything, and he deemed it his +heroic son's day to parade and show off. He +was entitled to do so with the best weapons in +his father's collection. The day would surely +come when he would be allowed to paint <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span>himself +and do a great many other things belonging +to full-grown braves and warriors. It was even +lawful for him to wear a patch or two of paint +now, and Na-tee-kah helped him to put it on. +If he had been a white boy with his first standing-collar, +he could not have been more particular, +and every other boy in camp had something +to say to the others about the fit of that vermilion.</p> + +<p>It was a day of drying and smoking meat, +and of eating as much as the older men permitted, +and everybody wore an aspect of extreme +good-humor except One-eye and his master. +The dog and the boy alike kept away from the +camp-fires and from all grown-up Indians. +Towards the middle of the afternoon, Na-tee-kah +slipped quietly out at the upper end of the +camp, carrying her own buckskin sack nearly +full of something, and nobody thought of asking +her what there might be in it. She had not +been gone many minutes before anybody loafing +at that end of the camp might have seen her +brother was following her. He had been standing +near the spring for some time, in full rig, +for the other boys to admire him, and now he +walked dignifiedly away as if he were weary +of being looked at. Half a mile farther up the +rugged valley he caught up with Na-tee-kah, +and she returned to camp without her bead-worked +sack. There was nothing at all noticeable +in the whole affair, unless some suspicious +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span>person had been closely watching them. It +was after sunset before there was any special +inquiry for Two Arrows, and it was dark before +Na-tee-kah expressed her belief that he had +"gone hunt." She replied freely to every question +asked her, well knowing that there would +be no pursuit, but she was more than a little relieved +when the old chief, instead of getting +angry about it, swelled up proudly and remarked,</p> + +<p>"Two Arrows! young brave. All like father, +some day. Kill more buffalo."</p> + +<p>Then Na-tee-kah felt courage to speak about +the trail and her brother's reasoning as to where +it might lead to. She had her ears boxed for +that, as it had a sound of giving advice to her +elders, but it was not long before her father +gravely informed a circle of the warriors and +braves that the path pointed out by the buffalo +cow was the one by which they must seek for +more like her. It was very easy to convince +them that they could do nothing upon the dry, +sunburnt plains, or by staying to starve again +in that camp. The objection made by Big +Tongue that nobody knew where that old trail +might carry them was met by Long Bear conclusively. +He picked up a dry pony-bone that +lay on the ground and held it out to Big Tongue.</p> + +<p>"All other trail go this way. Know all about +it. Been there."</p> + +<p>It was enough. It was better to follow an +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span>unknown trail than to starve, and it was not long +before it leaked out that Two Arrows was +believed to have gone ahead of them on that +very road.</p> + +<p>Precisely how far he had gone nobody had +any idea. They would hardly have believed if +he had sent back word, for he had travelled +most diligently. There were no longer any +traces of starvation about him, except that he +carried no superfluous weight of flesh. He had +load enough, what with his provisions and his +weapons, but he did not seem to mind it. He +tramped right along, with a steady, springy step, +which told a good deal of his desire to get as +far away from camp as he could before his +absence should be discovered.</p> + +<p>For a little distance he had found the trail +rising gently with the land. Then it turned to +the left and went up and over a rocky hill, and +then it turned to the right again, and just about +sunset it looked for all the world as if it were +running right into the side of a great precipice +of the mountain range. The light of the sinking +sun fell clearly and brightly upon the grand +masses of quartz and granite rocks, and showed +him the very point where the pathway seemed +to end. It looked so, but Two Arrows knew +that you cannot cut off the end of a buffalo path +in that way, and he pushed on, every moment +finding the way steeper and more winding. He +could not make any "short cuts" over such +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span>ground as that, and every Indian boy knows a +fact which the white engineers of the Pacific +Railway found out for themselves—that is, that a +herd of buffaloes will always find the best passes +through mountain ranges, and then they will +go over them by the best and easiest grades. +Only by bridging a chasm, or blasting rocks, or +by much digging, did the railway men ever improve +upon the paths pointed out by the bisons.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows had carefully marked his point, +and just as the last rays of daylight were leaving +him he sat down to rest in the mouth of what +was little better than a wide "notch" in the side +of the vast barrier.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! pass," he said.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter VI</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">A THIRSTY MARCH</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>That was a hard day's toil for the mining +expedition. It was the second day of +feasting by the Nez Percés upon the game won +by Two Arrows, but there was no feasting done +by Judge Parks and his men. Even Sile had +no more questions to ask, and at nightfall their +scanty supply of water was nearly gone. Every +old watercourse and even "tow-heads" of dying +bushes that they came to did but each give them +another disappointment. The animals were +holding out well, with frequent rests, for they +had been taken care of even at the expense of +the human beings.</p> + +<p>Just before sunset, as they were plodding +wearily along, Yellow Pine drew his rein, turned +in his saddle, and pointed away across the plain +in advance and to the right of them, exclaiming,</p> + +<p>"Redskins!"</p> + +<p>There was no mistake about it. In a few +minutes more a pretty long line of pony-riders +could be seen travelling steadily southward.</p> + +<p>"Will they attack us, father?"</p> + +<p>"I guess not. We are too strong, even if they +were hostile."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span>"They won't make any muss," said Pine, confidently, +as he again rode forward. "There's +only some two dozen on 'em, and it isn't a good +time for a fight."</p> + +<p>It was evident that the two lines of travel, +crossing each other at right angles, would bring +the white and red men pretty near each other, +and the latter even went out of their way to have +it so. Sile all but forgot how thirsty he was +when the train approached the straggling array +of lances, and a bare-headed warrior rode out +to meet Yellow Pine. The Roman-nosed sorrel +mare sniffed at the pony as if she would have +preferred a bucket of water, and the two riders +held out their hands.</p> + +<p>"How?" said Pine.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! bad. No water. How?"</p> + +<p>A significant motion of his hand towards his +mouth accompanied the response, and Pine made +one like it. Then he pointed at the wagons, and +again towards the west, and made motions as if +he were digging. The Indian understood, and +nodded and pointed at himself:</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Kiowa."</p> + +<p>He made a motion as if pulling a bow, pointed +southward and pretended to drink something, +but when he turned his finger towards the west +he shook his head.</p> + +<p>"How?" said Pine again, and the two shook +hands and all the Kiowas rode on as if they were +in a hurry.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span>"That's a pretty bad report," said Pine to +Judge Parks, and Sile muttered to himself:</p> + +<p>"Why, he hardly uttered a word."</p> + +<p>"What does he say?" asked his father.</p> + +<p>"Worst kind," said Pine. "He says they have +been hunting northerly for several weeks. +Little game, and the drought driving it all away. +He doubts if we find any water between here +and the mountains. Hopes to reach it by to-morrow +night in the direction he's taking. The +rest of his band are down there now."</p> + +<p>"Did he say all that?" exclaimed Sile in +amazement.</p> + +<p>"You wasn't a-watchin' of him. I told him +what I thought about it and what we meant to +do. Tell you what, my boy, if you're to meet +many redskins you've got to learn sign language. +It beats words all holler."</p> + +<p>"Well, I did see his hands and yours a-going."</p> + +<p>"Yes, and his face and mine too, and elbows +and legs. It's as easy as fallin' off a log when +you once get the hang of it."</p> + +<p>"What do you think we had better do after +that?" asked Judge Parks.</p> + +<p>"Read our own signs. Push on for water till +we get some. It can't be more'n one day, now. +I know just about where I am. Risk my life +on it."</p> + +<p>So they went forward, but that night had to +be taken for rest and the morning found men +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span>and horses in a terrible plight. Not one drop +of water had they left, and all they had been +able to do for the horses and mules had been +to sponge their parched mouths. They had +camped near some trees and bushes, as usual, +and it was just about daylight that Yellow Pine +came to wake up his employer.</p> + +<p>"Look a' here, jedge. I was too much played +out to find it last night, but here it is. Come."</p> + +<p>"Well, what is it?" asked the judge, a moment +later.</p> + +<p>Yellow Pine was pointing at a broad, deeply +trodden, flinty looking rut in the surface of the +prairie.</p> + +<p>"That's the old bufler path I follered last +year, when I went into the mountains, or I'm +the worst sold man you ever saw. It led me +jest to where we all want to go, 'zackly as I told +you."</p> + +<p>"We'd better hitch up and follow it now, +then."</p> + +<p>"We had. It'll take us west on a bee-line, +and it'll go to all the chances for water there +are."</p> + +<p>The buffaloes could safely be trusted for that, +and before the sun was up the mining party was +following the very path which had led the big +game within reach of Two Arrows and One-eye. +It was less than two hours afterwards, +without anybody to carry a report of it to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span>anybody +else, that the whole Nez Percé camp disappeared, +and all its human occupants also took +the advice of the buffaloes. It was necessary to +carry all the meat they had, and all the pappooses, +and a number of other things, and so it +had not been possible to take all the lodges +with their lodge-poles. Two of the smaller and +lighter found bearers, but there were not squaws +enough for the rest, and a sort of hiding-place +was made for them among the rocks until they +could be sent for. Indians on a journey load +their ponies first, then their squaws, then the +boys, but never a "brave" unless it is a matter +of life and death. A warrior would as soon +work for a living as carry a burden. It never +takes long to break up an Indian hunting-camp, +for there are no carpets or stoves or beds or +pianos, and the band of Long Bear was on its +way after Two Arrows and his dog in remarkably +short order.</p> + +<p>Judge Parks and his men and all his outfit +would have travelled better and more cheerfully +if they could have set out from beside a +good spring of water. As it was, the best they +could do was to dream of finding one before +they should try to sleep again.</p> + +<p>"Father," said Sile, at about twelve o'clock, +"are we to stop anywhere for dinner? I'm +getting husky."</p> + +<p>"So is everybody. Imitate old Pine; he's +chewing something."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span>"All the men have stopped chewing tobacco; +they say it makes 'em thirstier."</p> + +<p>"Of course it does. Try a chip or a piece of +leather or a bit of meat—not salt meat."</p> + +<p>"There isn't anything else."</p> + +<p>"The less we eat the better, till we get something +to drink."</p> + +<p>"We'll all die, at this rate."</p> + +<p>"Stand it through, my boy. I hope Pine is +right about his trail and where it leads to."</p> + +<p>He seemed confident enough about it, at any +rate, and he and his Roman-nosed mare kept +their place steadily at the head of the little +column. So he was always the first to examine +a hole or a hollow and look back and shake his +head to let the rest know that it contained no +water.</p> + +<p>The sun seemed to shine hotter and hotter, +and not a living creature made its appearance +upon the dry and desolate plain. Away in the +western horizon, at last, some dim and cloud-like +irregularities began to show themselves, and +Sile urged his weary horse to the side of his +father, pointing at them.</p> + +<p>"Will there be some rain?" he asked, in a dry +and husky whisper.</p> + +<p>"My poor boy! are you so thirsty as that? +Those are the mountains."</p> + +<p>Sile's mind distinctly connected the idea of +mountains with that of water, and he took off +his hat and swung it, vainly trying to hurrah.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span>"They're a long way off yet, but we can get +there. Old Pine is right."</p> + +<p>It was wonderfully good news, but every man +had been allowed to gather it for himself. Nobody +cared to say an unnecessary word to anybody +else. It was impossible to tell the horses, +and the poor brutes were suffering painfully.</p> + +<p>"I reckon they'll hold out," said Pine; "but +they'll only jest do it. We're making the tightest +kind of a squeeze."</p> + +<p>So they were, and it grew tighter and tighter +as they went on. Sile managed finally to get +up to Yellow Pine in the advance, and whisper,</p> + +<p>"Were you ever any thirstier than this in all +your life?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir! This isn't much. Wait till you +know yer tongue's a-turnin' to a dry sponge and +there's coals of fire on the back of yer neck. +Keep your courage up, my boy."</p> + +<p>Sile had done so. His father had said a good +deal to him about the pluck with which young +Indians endured that sort of thing, and he had +determined to show "Indian blood," as if he had +some in him. It was the hardest kind of hard +work, and it kept him all the while thinking of +rivers and lakes and ice and even lemonade. +At last he saw a sage-hen, and he said to Pine,</p> + +<p>"Isn't that a sign of water?"</p> + +<p>"Them things never drink," said Pine +"When you come to eat 'em they need to be +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span>b'iled twice. They're jest the driest bird there +is. There's the mountains, though."</p> + +<p>"Oh dear me!" groaned Sile. "But they're +getting bigger, and perhaps we'll reach 'em some +time."</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter VII</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">THE GREAT CAÑON</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>It was not yet dark when Two Arrows and +One-eye halted at the mouth of the pass. +One-eye looked forward and whined, but his +master looked back and thought the matter over. +He had travelled well and over some pretty +rough ground, but the trail had been wide and +well marked. It was almost like a road, so far +as room went, but Two Arrows knew nothing of +wheels, neither did that trail. He was considering +the curious fact that not a man of his band +knew that such a path existed or where it led to. +It was something to set his ambition on fire only +to have discovered and followed anything so +new and remarkable. It was a deed for an old +brave rather than for a boy of fifteen. He +needed rest, but when he again turned and +looked into the pass he at once arose and walked +on.</p> + +<p>"Dark soon. Maybe can't walk then. Do +some more before that," said Two Arrows.</p> + +<p>He was in a spot worth looking at. Some +old-time convulsion of nature had cleft the +mountain barrier at that place so that giant walls +of rock arose on either side of him for hundreds +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span>of feet, almost perpendicularly. For some distance +ahead the cleft was nearly straight, and +its gravelly bottom was from ten to thirty yards +wide. There were not many rocky fragments +or bowlders, but it was evident that at some +seasons of the year torrents of water came pouring +through that gorge to keep it clean.</p> + +<p>"When snow melts," muttered Two Arrows, +"pretty bad place."</p> + +<p>No doubt, or after any great storm or "cloud-burst" +among the peaks beyond; but all was dry +as a bone now. It was sure to become dark early +in such a chasm as that, and there was no telling +how much need there might be for seeing the +way. On went the young explorer until he +came to a point where the chasm suddenly +widened. It was a gloomy sort of hollow and +littered with fragments of trees, drift-wood of +old torrents.</p> + +<p>"Camp," said Two Arrows to One-eye. +"Make fire."</p> + +<p>If a dog could use flint and steel, no doubt +One-eye would have obeyed; as it was, Two +Arrows had to attend to that business for himself, +and it was not long before a great blazing +fire of mountain pine was throwing flashes of +magnificent light upon the mighty precipices in +all directions. The gray granite stood out like +shadows, and the white quartz glittered marvellously, +but the Nez Percé boy had no time to +admire them. He had his supper to cook and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span>eat, and he had found some water in a hollow +of the rocks; no sunshine hot enough to dry it +up had ever found its way down there. Then +drift-wood was gathered to keep some sort of a +blaze burning all night. There was no danger +from human enemies in that utter solitude, but +there were wild beasts among the mountains; +night would be their prowling-time, and not +one among them would venture too near a fire.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows was well entitled to a sound +sleep, and he had one; when he awoke, in the +earliest gray of the next morning, the world was +in fair daylight everywhere outside of that deep +crack in the mountains. He ate heartily and at +once pushed on, determined to have some fresh +game before night if possible. Such thoughts +as he sent back to the Nez Percé camp did not +include the idea that it was already breaking up +to follow him; still less did he have any imagination +of thirsty white people toiling across +a waterless plain along that buffalo trail.</p> + +<p>He was in no danger of losing the way, for +his path was walled in for him. Towards midday +it ceased to go up, up, up, and the chasm +widened into a great rocky cañon of wonderful +ruggedness and beauty. Two Arrows had been +among the mountains before, in other ranges, +and this seemed to him very much like what he +might have expected. Now, however, the trail +turned to the right and picked its way along the +steep side of the varying slopes. Here it was +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span>wider and there it was narrower, until it came to +a reach of natural roadway that even a bison +must have hunted for before he found it. Away +up it went in zigzags, seeming to take skilful +advantage of every natural help it came to, and +then it shot along the mountain-side for a thousand +feet, traversing a mere ledge, where one +formation of rock projected out below another +and made a shelf for it to go upon. If a man +had fallen from that shelf he would have gone +down a tremendous depth upon jagged rocks at +the bottom of the cañon.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows wasted no time in useless observations +or admiration. Where herd after herd +of wild cattle had tramped before him he could +surely follow, and at the end of that ledge the +road began to descend. The descent was +gradual, and uncommonly free from breakages. +It led, before a great while, once more to the +bottom of the gorge. Several times Two Arrows +saw "big-horn" or Rocky Mountain sheep +among the rocks above him, far out of the reach +of his arrows. He felt a longing for antelope +venison, but there was no use in trying to catch +one of those fellows. Hotter than anything else +he felt the fever and fire of his ambition, stirring +him to push on and do more than he had ever +heard of as done by any other boy of his age +among all the bands of his nation. It made him +walk fast and firmly in the bracing mountain air, +and he drew his breath somewhat quickly at +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span>times, when he thought of the wonderful things +which might be before him. He had no watch, +but just as the sun stood nearly over his head, +or, rather, over the middle of the great gorge, +he could see that this was beginning to grow +broader and not so steep. It was promising to +lead out into something, and One-eye dashed +on ahead as if to ascertain what it might be. +Two Arrows stood still for a moment and +watched him, and then he started as if something +had pricked him. The dog was crouching +and creeping as if he had his remaining eye +upon game of some sort or on danger. His +master also crouched and crept, slipping forward +rapidly from rock to rock. In three +minutes more he lay beside One-eye, and they +both had something worth while to look at. +Not more than three hundred yards beyond +them, on the crest of a rocky ledge that came +out from the mountain-side like an abutment, +stood a big-horn antelope. He had seen One-eye +and was looking at him. He may have been +studying whether or not it could be needful for +an antelope away up where he was to spring +away any farther from a dog and an Indian boy. +He had better have been looking behind him +and above him, for his real danger was not in +the quiver of Two Arrows; it was crouching +upon a higher fragment of the very ledge which +held him, and it was preparing for immediate +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span>action. It was a cougar, or American panther, +of full size, on the watch for antelopes, and now +had crept almost within springing distance. +Two Arrows laid his hand upon the head of +One-eye to keep him silent, and watched breathlessly +to see the end of that hunting. Nearer +and nearer crept the cougar, and still the big-horn +was absorbed in his study of matters down +below. He stepped forward to the very edge, +and below him the rock came down with a +perpendicular face of a hundred feet. There +was no danger that he would grow dizzy, but +even the cougar would have done wisely to have +ascertained beforehand the precise nature of the +trap set for him. As it was, he gathered his +lithe and graceful form for his leap, every +muscle quivering with eagerness, and he put all +his strength into one great, splendid bound. It +was as sure as a rifle-shot, and it landed him +upon the shoulders of the big-horn. He had +seized his prize, but he had done too much: he +had fallen with a weight and force which sent +him and his antelope irresistibly over the rocky +edge, and down, down, down they came together +with a great thud upon the granite below.</p> + +<p>"Whoop!" The voice of Two Arrows ringing +through the gorge was joined by the fierce +bark of One-eye as they sprang forward. An +older warrior might have waited to know the +effect of that fall before he interfered between +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span>a cougar and his game, but Two Arrows did +not think of hesitation. It was just as well. +What between the blow of the cougar and the +force of the fall, the big-horn was dead. He +had somewhat broken the effect of the terrible +shock upon his enemy by falling under him, but +even the tough body of the great "cat o' mountain" +had not been made for such plunges, and +he lay on the rock stunned and temporarily disabled. +Whether it would, after all, have killed +him, he was never to know, for, just as he was +staggering to his feet, a Nez Percé Indian boy +charged upon him with a long lance, while a +large and ambitious dog rushed in and seized +him by the throat. He was taken at an advantage.</p> + +<p>Thrust, thrust, thrust, in fiercely rapid succession, +came the keen blade of the lance, and +One-eye bore down and throttled a brute that +could have killed four such dogs in anything +like a fair fight.</p> + +<p>It was tremendous hunting for a boy of fifteen. +A cougar to bring down his antelope for +him, and a precipice to help him kill his cougar, +and only just enough work for his lance and dog +to entitle him to the honor of closing, single-handed, +with one of the most dangerous of wild +animals. He had done that very thing, nevertheless, +and was entitled to all the credit of it. +If he had waited to consider the matter, he might +have had a much harder fight for it. What +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span>was more, his energy and enterprise and endurance +had resulted in bringing him to the right +place at the right time, instead of somewhere +else.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter VIII</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">WATER! WATER!</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>By the time the band of Nez Percés was well +on its way, the Big Tongue had persuaded +himself that the movement was in large part +a following of his own advice. He felt very +free to say as much in the presence of several +squaws. He even ruffled up and looked large +when Na-tee-kah laughed and turned away her +head. She was too young to say anything in +reply to a grown-up brave, but just behind her +was the fat squaw, and her tongue was habitually +more at liberty.</p> + +<p>"Kill cow same way," said she. "Two +Arrows kill him first; then Big Tongue. Great +brave!"</p> + +<p>Big Tongue turned upon her almost fiercely, +exclaiming.</p> + +<p>"Squaw no talk!"</p> + +<p>"Big Tongue keep still. Squaw-boy beat him. +Big Tongue shoot arrows into dead cow. Ha-ha-pah-no +not afraid of squaw-brave."</p> + +<p>Ha-ha-pah-no had a tongue and a reputation +for it, and the Big Tongue did not threaten her +any more. Too many squaws and girls joined +in the laugh against him. Perhaps the fact that +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span>Ha-ha-pah-no had a husband over six feet high +had something to do with it, and that Na-tee-kah +was the only daughter of Long Bear. It was +not safe to quarrel overmuch with either of them. +They were almost as safe as a large dog is if he +is known to be quick-tempered. Nobody kicks +him.</p> + +<p>There was an attempt made at pretty fast +travelling, for all the wise warriors knew that +the tramp across the mountains must be a hard +one, however good the trail might be, and there +were a good many very sober faces among them. +They had lost their horses and their dogs, and +now they were leaving behind them a great many +other things, and they felt as if hard times had +come. Starvation is a very severe school-master.</p> + +<p>So, for that matter, is thirst, even if provisions +are plentiful, and Sile Parks learned a great +lesson of endurance that day. His father had +not uttered a word of complaint. Yellow Pine +had not murmured, and when Sile said to him,</p> + +<p>"All the men seem to stand it the very best +kind," he had all but contemptuously replied,</p> + +<p>"Them? Why, every soul on 'em's an old +mountain man. Not a greenhorn or a tenderfoot +among 'em. You won't catch one on 'em +a whimperin', not if they die for it."</p> + +<p>So there were other men besides red Indians +who were able to suffer and be silent, and Sile +tried hard to be that kind of man; but long before +sunset he felt as if he were choking.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span>The mountains to the westward loomed up +larger and less cloudily as the worn-out teams +were urged forward. The trail pointed steadily +towards them, and Yellow Pine unhesitatingly +asserted that they were on the right track.</p> + +<p>"No mistake about it, jedge. It ain't no common +cross-prairie trail. It's one of their old +migration tracks. They've been a treadin' of it +sence the year one."</p> + +<p>The "year one" was a good while ago, but a +good deal of hard tramping, by many bisons, +year after year, had been required to make that +ancient cattle-path. No grass had grown upon +it for nobody could guess how many generations, +and it was likely to be in the way of ploughing +whenever that plain should be turned into farming-land.</p> + +<p>The greatest care was taken of the animals, +those in the traces being taken out and changed +frequently, and at last all the riders dismounted +and led their horses. Yellow Pine every now +and then went around and examined to see how +things were looking, and Sile went with him.</p> + +<p>"They'll stan' it, every critter of 'em," he said, +repeatedly. "They're all good stock; good condition. +I picked 'em out."</p> + +<p>"Your mare is the ugliest in the lot," said Sile, +recklessly.</p> + +<p>"Best though. Out-walk, out-run, and out-starve +any critter in the outfit, 'cepting me."</p> + +<p>"Can you out-travel a horse?"</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span>"Course I can—most horses. I don't know +'bout the old mare. She can out-travel anything. +She's good tempered, too; knows just +when it's the right time to kick and break things. +Oh but can't she tear, though!"</p> + +<p>He looked at her affectionately, as if her very +temper were one of her virtues, and she glanced +back at him, showing the whites of her eyes +in a way that indicated anything but a placid +mind.</p> + +<p>"She's always riley when she doesn't get +plenty to drink," said Pine, "but she hasn't +kicked once in all this. Knows it isn't any fault +of mine. We'll git there, old lady. Don't you +go off the handle."</p> + +<p>Another hour and the mountains were very +tall, and looked cool, and seemed to promise all +sorts of things.</p> + +<p>"The mines we are after are in among 'em," +said Judge Parks to his son. "Our trip across +the plains has been a quick one; all the quicker +for this push."</p> + +<p>"Hope there'll be a good spring of water right +in the edge of them," said Sile, but his voice was +huskier than ever and he was struggling against +a feeling of faintness.</p> + +<p>"Poor fellow!" said the judge to himself. "I +mustn't say too much to him. It's an awful time +for me."</p> + +<p>So it was, for every now and then the thought +would come to him,</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span>"What if, after all, we should not find water +when we get there?"</p> + +<p>The sun sank lower and lower, and now at +last Yellow Pine stood still and leaned against +his mare, pointing forward.</p> + +<p>"Jedge! Jedge—there they are!"</p> + +<p>"What is it, Pine?"</p> + +<p>The judge could hardly speak, and Sile had +such a ringing in his ears that he could hardly +hear, but Yellow Pine gasped out,</p> + +<p>"Them there mesquite scrubs. I was just a +beginning to say to myself, what if I'd mistook +the lay of the land, and there they are. I went +through 'em last spring was a year ago. It's +all right!"</p> + +<p>The men tried hard to cheer, but it was of +no manner of use. All they could do was to +plod on and drag their horses after them. The +teams in the wagons halted again and again, +panting and laboring, and every slight roll of +the plain was a tremendous obstacle, but all was +overcome, inch by inch.</p> + +<p>Yellow Pine had evidently felt his responsibility +as guide more deeply than he had been +willing to confess. He led on now with his +mouth open and panting, for he had given his +own last ration of water to Sile Parks and was +thirstier than the rest of them. So, for that +matter, had Sile's father, but some men suffer +more from thirst than others and the judge had +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span>held out remarkably. Just inside the range of +mesquites Yellow Pine stopped short.</p> + +<p>"Bufler been killed here inside of two days," +he exclaimed. "Must be Indians nigh, somewhere. +Keep an eye out, boys."</p> + +<p>It was no time for any caution that included +delay, and he walked on like a man who knew +exactly where he was, and all followed him, the +men cutting away the bushes here and there to +let the wagons pass more easily. On, on, until +at last Yellow Pine reached the spring.</p> + +<p>"Here it is," he said faintly, and then he lay +down by it and began to drink slowly, using his +hand for a cup.</p> + +<p>"Boys," said Judge Parks, "be careful how +you drink too much at first. Take it easy. +Sponge the mouths of the horses and then let +them have a little at a time. Sile, my poor boy, +come with me."</p> + +<p>Sile was making a tremendous effort. He +had been doing it all day. He almost wanted +to cry when he saw that spring of water. Then +he wanted to laugh, but his mouth was too dry +for that. All he could do was to smile in a +sickly sort of way and take the cup his father +held out to him. There was only a little water +in the bottom of it.</p> + +<p>"Oh father, give me some more."</p> + +<p>"Not yet, Sile. Sit right down and wait till +you get the effect of that. Hold it in your mouth +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span>before you swallow it. I don't mean to let you +kill yourself."</p> + +<p>"Aha! But isn't it good? There isn't anything +else quite so good as water."</p> + +<p>"That's a fact, Sile, but it's like a great many +other good things, you don't know the value of +it until you've had to go without it."</p> + +<p>A full hour was spent in getting men and +animals ready to drink without injury, and +Yellow Pine at last declared, triumphantly,</p> + +<p>"Jedge, we've won the riffle; we won't lose a +hoof. All the men are doing first-rate too. +This 'ere's my old campin'-ground, but there's +been an Indian camp here since sun-up."</p> + +<p>"How do you know that, Pine?"</p> + +<p>"Found live fire. There hasn't been any dew +on it to put it out. What's more, they've gone +on into the mountains. Hunting-party. We're +all right, jedge."</p> + +<p>The mining expedition now kindled fires of +its own, and something was done in the way of +getting supper. There was no grass, but the +horses and mules could attend fairly well to the +contents of their nose-bags, and the men paid +them all manner of attention. Only a greenhorn +is careless of the comfort and welfare of his +horse.</p> + +<p>Sile drank well at last, under his father's +direction, and then he felt like eating something. +After that it seemed to him as if the whole world +had only been made as a good place to sleep in. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span>He did not care whether the tents were pitched +or not. All he wanted was a piece of ground +large enough to lie on, and a blanket, and he +was ready to sleep as soundly and silently as if +he had been one of the mountains which raised +their shadowy heads into the light of the rising +moon. He had been without water for the first +time in his life. He had stood it through heroically, +he had found a spring, and now he +needed a long sleep.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter IX</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">INTO A NEW WORLD</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>Two Arrows wiped the blood of the +cougar from the blade of his lance. He +was glad it was a good lance. His father had +traded a pony for it, as he well knew, with a +Mexican, years before that, and it was no ordinary +weapon. He had chosen it from among +half a dozen, as the very thing with which to do +something uncommon, and now it had proved +its value. He almost felt an affection for that +lance.</p> + +<p>One-eye had lain down close to the dead body +of the cougar, as if watching him for any returning +signs of life. If that great cat had quivered, +there was a dog ready to shake the quiver out of +him.</p> + +<p>"It's all good meat," said Two Arrows, "but +what shall I do with it?"</p> + +<p>There was but one answer to that question. +He took off the skins of both animals, cut them +up as well as he could, carried all the meat he +did not need at once to a cool place among the +rocks, piled stones over it and left it. He had +no ice-house, and that was the best he could do, +but he made a fire and ate plentifully of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span>antelope +venison, and of what the Western men +call "painter meat." It was hard for him to say +which he liked the best. Then he took a bit of +charcoal and made his mark upon the rocks +where he buried his game. He was immensely +proud of his right to do that. He scored two +very large and distinct arrows, heaped on some +more heavy stones, shouted to One-eye, and again +pushed forward. His exploring trip was already +brimming full of glory and adventure, +and he was ready to fight all the cougars in the +mountains. So was One-eye, for he had had one +of the biggest dinners he had ever eaten, and not +another dog on hand to dispute it with him. He +seemed to be possessed with an idea that that +place must have more antelopes and mountain-cats +in it, and that he was likely to find some of +them behind rocks. He was doubtless right on +the main point, but not a stone of the many he +smelled under turned him out a cougar or +a big-horn. Hunting was over for that day, +and so much time had been consumed that Two +Arrows felt like running to make it up. He did +but walk, however, and as the road was now all +the way downhill, like a bad man's life, he +walked easily. The great gorge widened until +its broken walls stretched away to the right and +left, and the eager-hearted explorer came out +from among the scattered rocks at a point from +which he could suddenly see a great deal. +Away beyond and below him spread such a scene +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span>as he could hardly have hoped for, and yet +which can be found in hundreds of places all +over the mountain country of the American continent. +Just such scenes are to be found among +the Alps, the Andes, the Himalayas, and every +other similar group of rocky upheavals, but +Two Arrows knew of no other country than +his own, the one his band of Nez Percés had +hunted and feasted and starved in.</p> + +<p>It was a great, deep, grassy, well-wooded, +well-watered valley, the very home of game and +a sure promise of all comfort to a hunter. How +far it might reach to the westward no eye could +tell, for the prospect was bounded by other +mountains, and there were plain tokens that a +considerable stream ran through the middle of +it.</p> + +<p>"Much water, perhaps," said Two Arrows. +"Must go somewhere. Find out some day."</p> + +<p>The idea of a river suggested the other idea +that it could be followed until an ambitious boy +could ascertain where it went to. All that was +swallowed up at once by the immediate desire +to get down upon that green grass and among +those trees. One-eye had seen the valley, but +was inclined to stick pretty closely at the side +of his master. There were only two of them, +and they might need each other's help at any +moment.</p> + +<p>The road tramped by the bison herds did not +wind much, as it went on down towards the level +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span>ground, but it lazily picked out the easiest slopes +and turned the corners of the great rocks on +good curves. As Two Arrows and his faithful +companion wound around one of these curves, +almost at the bottom of the long descent, they +suddenly came upon a discovery that startled +them. Even the dog pricked up his ears and began +to growl, and Two Arrows stepped quickly +back behind the rock. He had never been in a +white man's village, but he had seen a fort and a +few houses around it, and he had seen the houses +of Mexican Indians and some others, built of +"adobe" or sunburnt brick. He was not, therefore, +a judge of such matters, and what he saw +filled him with astonishment. He was not exactly +alarmed, for a house could not chase him, +but he exclaimed,</p> + +<p>"Pale-face lodge. Good many. Very bad. +What can he do now?"</p> + +<p>He peered silently forth for several minutes, +but not a human being was in sight. There +were no signs of life, no curling smoke, no barking +dogs, no cattle, nothing but scattered structures +of stone. These must have been put there +by somebody, but it began to look as if whoever +had built them had gone to some other hunting-ground.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows noted everything with eyes that +grew more brilliant in their swift and searching +glances. There could hardly be any danger in +such a solitude as that, but the occasion required +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span>caution, and the young "brave" made his advances +from cover to cover as if there were +eyes in every stone of those houses. One-eye +crept at his side with his head and tail up, very +much as if there had been game ahead. It was +a curious piece of business. The nearer they +drew to the objects of their curiosity the safer +and lonelier became the appearance of all things. +Some of the stone walls had tumbled down, and +not one of them had a roof over it of any sort. +That was nothing to Two Arrows. For all he +knew there were tribes of cunning and wicked +pale-faces who built their lodges without roofs. +If the world contained anything cunning and +wicked and dangerous, in the mind of Two Arrows +it was a pale-face. He had been brought +up to look upon a white man as a being to be +watched, and as an evil to be avoided or destroyed, +as the case might be, and yet as a sort +of magician, capable of doing wonders, and of +bringing the richest presents in all the earth.</p> + +<p>He now at last felt confidence and courage to +actually crawl through an opening of one of +those walls and look around him. It was one +great, empty room, strewn with bits of stone, and +growing thickly, here and there, were grass and +tall weeds.</p> + +<p>"Nobody here for ever so long," had already +been his conclusion, and he was thoroughly satisfied +of it now. He arose and walked around +and looked at things in that and every other +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span>house. Some of them had windows so high up +as to prove that they must have had two or even +three stories in some old time when people +used them, but those were "signs" that Two +Arrows could not read. The main thing to him +was that he was still all alone and in perfect +safety. If the wisest white man in the world had +been there with him, he could not have formed +an idea by whom those houses were constructed. +Just such ruins have been found in many places +among the valleys of the western mountains, and +all that learned people can yet do is to guess +how they came to be there. The houses did not +come up like so many mushrooms, and beyond +that they have almost nothing to say for themselves. +Two Arrows had no further questions +to ask, and One-eye had searched nooks and +corners with an assiduity which had been duly +rewarded: he had captured a fine, fat rabbit, and +he brought it to his master as a sort of token. +No rabbit would have made a home in a place +infested by white men, for rabbits have the same +idea of them that Indians have and for somewhat +similar reasons. The rabbits get very +little good from them, however, and the Indians +a great deal—that is, unless the rabbits live near +a white man's farm and garden. In that case +they come up fully to the Indian standard and +help themselves to all they can get hold of.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows picked up the rabbit and walked +out to what had been the door of that house. It +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span>was nearly sunset, and there could be no more +exploring done that day. He looked away off +into the valley and saw another token that he was +alone in that part of it: no less than three gangs +of deer were feeding quietly between him and a +bit of forest not more than half a mile away.</p> + +<p>Right past the group of old ruins ran a dancing +brook of cool, pure water from the mountains, +and a better place to camp in could not +have been imagined. It was evidently safe to +build a fire and cook the rabbit, but for more +perfect safety Two Arrows made his blaze on a +spot where some old walls prevented the light of +it from being seen at too great a distance. After +his supper was eaten there came over him a feeling +that he had seen and done altogether too +much for one boy in one day. He had come out +into a sort of new world through a cleft in the +mountains, and he did not know that precisely +the same thing happens to every boy in the +world who makes up his mind to be something. +The boys who are contented not to be anything +do not have much of a world to live in, anyhow, +poor fellows; they only hang around and eat and +wear clothes.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter X</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">SILE'S POCKET</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>Na-tee-kah had all the load a girl of +her size could comfortably carry when +she set out with her people. So had all the rest +except the dignified warriors. For that reason +all the urging in the world could not get out +of that dispirited cavalcade one-half the speed +attained by Two Arrows and One-eye the previous +evening. Na-tee-kah thought continually +of her pony, between thoughts of her daring +brother and wonderings of what he had done +and seen. She knew very well that there is +nothing so disables a "plains Indian" as to dismount +him. It is not so bad as to break both his +legs, but he is so accustomed, from childhood, +to use a horse's legs instead of his own that he is +like a man lost when he is set on foot. He has +learned to hunt on horseback mostly, and all his +fighting has been done in the saddle. The old-time +Indians of the East and of Cooper's novels +had hardly any horses, and in their deep forests +could not have used them to advantage. What +the far Western tribes did in those days nobody +knows, but all the tribes which have migrated +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span>out of the woods into the prairie country have +become "pony-men."</p> + +<p>Na-tee-kah could not remember another time +when she, daughter of a chief, had been compelled +to carry so much, even for a short distance. +She knew how to pack a pony capitally +well, for that is one of the first arts of Nez Percé +house-keeping. When and where should they +ever get some more ponies? Her father was a +renowned horse-thief, and so were several others +of the best warriors in the band, and there was +hope in that thought; still there is a double difficulty +before a man who sets out to steal horses +without having one of his own to ride.</p> + +<p>"Two Arrows will steal horses some day," she +said to Ha-ha-pah-no, confidently.</p> + +<p>"Big chief: steal a heap. No boy any more. +Big Tongue find a horse; say he stole him. No +brave. Pony come somehow."</p> + +<p>Nobody else in that band could have guessed +how the mind of Long Bear himself was busy +with plans concerning that very matter. He +thought of all the horses of all the tribes at any +kind of difference with the Nez Percés, and he +thought of the white traders and their rich +droves of quadrupeds of all sorts. He had won +his rank fairly, as his son was likely to do after +him, and he had a great deal of courage and +ambition; just at present, however, he was a dismounted +horse-thief, and he felt the disgrace of +it even more than the inconvenience. It was a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span>sad thing to be afoot at his time of life, and he +brooded over it like some great white merchant +who had suddenly failed in business. He feared +that it would take some time to set up that band +again, without any four-footed capital to begin +on.</p> + +<p>It was pleasant to find the trail so good, at all +events, and before dark they made out to reach +the very spot where Two Arrows had camped. +They had been more than twice as long in getting +there, but the first brave who pushed on into +the open space found the dead embers of a fire +and began to study them. Not far behind him +were Na-tee-kah and Ha-ha-pah-no, and it was +hard to say which of them was the first to point at +the black coals and ashes, and exclaim, "Two +Arrows!"</p> + +<p>The word was echoed from lip to lip until it +came to Long Bear and his wife. For a wonder +he was walking beside her, which was as near as +he could come to carrying her load for her. She +was only the step-mother of Na-tee-kah and her +brother, and had a pappoose of her own as part of +her burden, but she took her full share of the +family pride when her husband drew himself +grimly up and shut off the strong temptation to +"whoop."</p> + +<p>"Young brave," he said to her with great calmness. +"Great chief some day. All like father. +Same. Go steal pony pretty soon."</p> + +<p>The camp was quickly made, and there was +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span>food for all in moderate allowance. They were +certain of resting in perfect security, and in the +morning they were as eager as Two Arrows had +been to push on out of such narrow quarters. +Nothing happened to any of them until late in +the day, and then the whole band went suddenly +into camp again.</p> + +<p>The Big Tongue had become almost a silent +Indian under the effects of hard walking, but he +had been stung again by remarks from Ha-ha-pah-no, +and he had gone ahead. He had not +gone far enough to make him look enterprising, +but all at once the cañon fairly rang with a +whoop he sent back, to let the rest know he had +found something. At the same moment three +great vultures, or buzzard-eagles, arose from a +prize they had found, and soared away. They +were wonderfully wide-winged birds, and each +carried off a good dinner, for they had nearly +finished the offal left upon the ground by the +carcasses of the cougar and the big-horn.</p> + +<p>The Big Tongue pointed proudly at the discovery +he had made, and was about to say something, +when he was once more overwhelmed. +His whooping had brought a swarm of the +braves around him, but of course no squaws had +presumed to push in. It was for that very cause +that the eyes of Na-tee-kah had been busy among +the rocks, and so she had discovered the charcoal +"token" scored upon one of them.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span>"Two Arrows!" she screamed, and in a moment +more there were warriors there, taking +away the stones which covered the meat and the +skins.</p> + +<p>It was time now for Long Bear to do all the +whooping there was in him. His son had slain +a cougar single-handed, and had killed a big-horn, +and here were the proofs of it. The whole +band could at once have another feast of fresh +meat, provided by the young hero, for whom +they were indebted to the great Long Bear.</p> + +<p>It was decided that they had travelled far +enough for one day, but that an early start +should be made the next morning. That had +also been an interesting day at the camp by the +spring.</p> + +<p>The over-wearied pale-faces slept well, but +Yellow Pine arose three times to go around +among the animals and see how they were doing. +He had them all fed and rubbed down most +carefully in the morning. It was a good thing +to do, and when Sile Parks awoke and stretched +himself, he felt as if he also wanted to be fed +and rubbed down. Almost everybody else was +already astir, and breakfast was soon ready for +him.</p> + +<p>Yellow Pine did a deal of exploring, before +and after he breakfasted, and Sile at once set out +to imitate him. He asked some question or +other of every one he saw, and believed that he +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span>had learned a great deal. At last he came to a +heap of stones and bushes that seemed to him to +have been piled up remarkably.</p> + +<p>"How could they ever have got there?" he +said, as he began to pull upon a bush with green +leaves yet clinging to its twigs. In five minutes +more he knew where the Nez Percés had made +their hasty "cache" for their lodges and other +treasures, and he went at once to report it to his +father and to Yellow Pine. The latter looked +at Sile with positive respect, and exclaimed,</p> + +<p>"There now, jedge; that settles it. I know +I'm right; them Indians had lost their ponies. +I couldn't find a hoof-mark on their trail this +morning; they dragged some lodge-poles along, +though. I say, we must leave their cache jest as +we found it. We must foller right along, too, +or we'll run short of fodder. They've taken my +old road. We needn't be afraid of 'em, only +we'd best keep a sharp lookout."</p> + +<p>Horses and mules and all felt as if a day's rest +would be as good as a treat; but after all was +said and done it was decided to keep moving. +The start made was not an early one, and there +was work for all hands here and there. The +herds of bisons had not prepared that road for +the passage of wagon wheels, and it needed the +axe in one place and the crow-bar in another before +the teams could pass. There was no sort of +danger that the Nez Percés would be caught +up with by the mining-party, and Yellow Pine +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span>seemed to breathe more freely at the end of +every mile.</p> + +<p>"No, jedge," he said; "we won't have to leave +the outfit anywhere. There'll be a heap of +hard work at some spots, but we can make our +way through, and we can come and go by this +track forever after it's well opened."</p> + +<p>Sile Parks learned a great deal that day about +the mysteries of road-making; he also learned +how much a really well-built wagon will stand +if it is not too heavily loaded. For all that, +however, the best part of his time was expended +in staring at the peaks, and in searching the +walls of the cañon for traces of gold and silver +ore.</p> + +<p>"Father," said he at last, at a place where the +wagons were "stuck" for a while, "I'm going +ahead to see what'll turn up."</p> + +<p>"Don't go too far, that's all."</p> + +<p>"Keep yer eye out for mines," shouted Yellow +Pine, with a laugh, and Sile took it seriously.</p> + +<p>"It's a gold country," he said to himself, "and +I might stumble upon some of it."</p> + +<p>That was precisely what he made out to do. +He was marching along, with his eyes on all the +rocky precipices, as if the mouth of a gold-mine +might open to him at any moment, and he was +not so careful of his feet as he should have been. +A loose stone shot away from under him, and +down he came upon a fairly level floor of sand +and gravel. It was so sudden and so sharp a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span>dropping that he sat still for a moment and +looked around him.</p> + +<p>"Halloo, what's that?" Something bright +and yellow had caught his eye, peering out at +him from the gravel his boot-heel had disturbed. +"Gold! gold! A chunk of gold!"</p> + +<p>Thousands upon thousands of "placer miners" +have raised precisely such a shout in just such +sandy gullies, but Sile felt as if he were the first +being on earth to whom such an experience had +ever happened. He at once began to dig and +sift among the gravel fiercely. He took out his +hunting-knife and plied it as a trowel. Little +bits of dull yellow metal rewarded him every +now and then until he worked along to where a +ledge (or the edge of one) of quartz came nearly +to the surface. On the upper side of that, and +lying closely against it, he pried out something +that made him shout "Hurrah!" and that then +gave him almost a sick feeling. It was a gathering +of golden nuggets and particles which +would nearly have filled his hat, and there were +others like it, only smaller, all along the edge +of that stone. For unknown centuries it had +been serving as a "bar" in the natural "washer" +made by that ravine, and had caught and kept +whatever the torrents had borne down from +crumbling quartz rocks above and had drifted +against it.</p> + +<p>Sile thought of Aladdin and his wonderful +lamp; then he thought of the California miners; +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span>then he shut his eyes for a moment. Then he +went on digging, and he was hard at it when a +tall form stooped over him and the voice of +Yellow Pine exclaimed,</p> + +<p>"I'd call it—If the youngster hasn't lighted +onto a placer and scooped the biggest kind of a +pocket! Sile, you've done it. You can jest ax +me all the fool questions you've a mind to after +this. You was really learnin' by 'em."</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XI</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">A TRAPPED BOY</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>When the light awoke Two Arrows, he +found One-eye standing guard as if he +did not like the look of things, but no danger +showed itself. It was a new country—too much +so, perhaps—and a dog with a high sense of +duty could not be too careful. Two Arrows also +had duties, and he felt that one of them was to +go back at once and tell his band what he had +discovered. He had no idea that they were already +on the march, or he might have been less +troubled in mind about them. His other duty, +not quite so plain, was to explore the valley a +little and see how many buffaloes and deer and +all that sort of thing were in it. He wondered +at the greenness of the grass, not knowing that +the mountain range east of it took care of that, +taking the water out of the winds from the west +so that they were often sponge-dry when they +passed over upon the parching plains beyond. +He had never heard of Eden and he could not +make any comparisons, but he roundly declared +that he had never been in a place that promised +better hunting. He did not even ask himself +how a herd of bisons should remember what +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span>their fathers had told them about that valley +and come hundreds of miles to find grass there. +He had not seen one yet, but he had caught a +glimpse of a gang of deer in rapid motion. +That fact set him to thinking and made him +cautious, for it was an hour when deer are feeding +unless they have been disturbed. He cooked +and ate his breakfast, providing liberally for +One-eye, but could hardly make up his mind in +which direction to go. There was the mouth of +the cañon, telling him one thing, and in all other +directions were the possible secrets of that +valley.</p> + +<p>His feet took him along, at last, and he wandered +for nearly a mile before he came to any +sort of adventure. Then he suddenly discovered +why the deer were in motion, and why it was +time for him and One-eye to wander back again. +It was almost as bad as a war-party of another +tribe or even a band of wicked pale-faces, for +at the edge of a little grove of wild plum-trees +One-eye broke out into something between a +howl and a bark, and turned, running towards +his master. Then Two Arrows himself turned +and ran, for his quick eyes caught the meaning +of it. The head of a grisly bear came out between +two bushes, and no idea of heroism called +for any waiting. The cañon, or the ruins, or almost +any other place, would have been better, +at that moment, than the spot where he was +when Bruin saw him.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span>The grisly may have had bad-luck that morning. +At all events, he was out after game, and +was in a bad temper. He hated all dogs, naturally, +and he had seen One-eye. He hated men, +as well, but his first rush was after the scared +quadruped. That was an excellent thing for +Two Arrows. He was the best runner of his +age in his band, and never before had he done +quite so well, but he stuck to his weapons. His +bag of provisions had been hidden among the +old houses, and he was glad of it as he bounded +away across the grass. Every jump counted, +for One-eye was doing the right thing. He was +not following his master too closely, he was only +thinking of getting away from that bear. He, +too, had been the best runner of his tribe, when +there had been other dogs to run with him, and +he certainly was now. He ran well, but so did +the bear, for a good horse does not too easily +overtake a grisly, and a man on foot can never +do it if the bear does his best.</p> + +<p>It was an exciting race, but Two Arrows knew +it must have an end some time. He longed for +a tree, and to be away up in the top of it, but +there were none near enough to be of any use. +He kept an eye on the other racers, and it was +not many minutes before he saw that One-eye +was doing almost too well. He was getting +away so fast that the grisly gave him up and +turned to his other chance for a breakfast. It +was as if he had said to himself,</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span>"Dogs are no good. They run too well. A +nice, tender, well-fed Indian boy, now, and I'll +get him in a moment."</p> + +<p>Two Arrows had gained a pretty good start, +and it led him towards the cañon. He tried to +calculate the distance, and how long it would +take him to get there, but his next thought was +that he had never heard of a grisly that could +gallop and rush like this one.</p> + +<p>"It'll all be over with me. I'd fight him, but +he's too much for me. Got to die now."</p> + +<p>It was an awful moment, and all the courage +in him did not make it any less so. The claws +and jaws and hug of a mountain grisly are a +terrible prospect to set before anybody's ambition.</p> + +<p>Just then another prospect and a ray of hope +dawned upon him. Away to the right he saw +a solitary bowlder of gray granite, with a round +top, nearly thirty feet above the grass.</p> + +<p>"If it isn't too smooth to climb," flashed +through the mind of Two Arrows, as he turned +and ran for it. He was running now for his +life, and the bear was rapidly gaining on him, +but it told well for his valor that he did not drop +lance or bow.</p> + +<p>Nearer, now, and he could see that the rock +was one of those bald-headed, smooth-cheeked +affairs that look as if they had been ground and +polished in a mill.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Other side, maybe," groaned Two +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span>Arrows, as he dodged around the hopeless side +he came to. Away around, and the same mocking +smoothness made his heart sink, while the +fierce growl of the huge wild beast behind him +thrilled him through and through.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! rough place! Climb."</p> + +<p>It was a mere crack at the surface of the +ground, but at a few feet above it the granite +surface was somewhat broken. A good spring, +aided by the tough shaft of his lance, and Two +Arrows managed to brace himself upon a tolerable +holding. If he should slip there would be +an end of it, for the grisly was close up now. +He clung like a fly, and found place after place +for his hands and feet. In a moment more he +was sitting upon the round top of the rock safe, +but a prisoner, with a guard set to keep him +secure. He had come out after adventures and +he had found one of the very largest kind. He +had never heard such tremendous roaring growls +as the disappointed grisly was now uttering. +Between these he could also hear, at no great +distance, the mournful howls of One-eye. The +sagacious animal had not self-conceit enough to +match his weight and size against a brute that +could have whipped a lion in five minutes, but +he could express his feelings concerning the +state of affairs.</p> + +<p>"He can't get up here," said Two Arrows, +but he said it doubtfully, for the grisly is a rock +bear, and is made for climbing. He was now +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span>studying the face of that rock at the cleft, and +it was not long before he made up his mind that +he could do something.</p> + +<p>"I won't waste any arrows on him," said the +boy on the top of the bowlder. "Besides, if I +don't get him too angry he may go off."</p> + +<p>Not without trying a climb for his human +game; and it was wonderful with what care and +consideration, as well as skill and strength, +Bruin made his effort.</p> + +<p>Two-Arrows lay down, bow in hand, and +watched him, as he raised his huge bulk against +the side of the rock. The long, strong, cruel-looking +claws took hold of crevices and roughnesses +much more powerfully than a human +hand or foot could have grasped them. A +grunt, a growl, a great lift, and the grisly was +off the ground.</p> + +<p>"He is coming. Let him come one length +nearer."</p> + +<p>Two Arrows did not know that he was testing +his quality as a warrior and chief to be. It +was a marvellous trial of cool courage to lie +there, with an arrow on the string, and bide his +time.</p> + +<p>"Now! Ugh!"</p> + +<p>The arrow went truly to its mark, but the hide +of a grisly is a tough shield, and the shaft did not +go as deeply as it might have gone into a deer or +bison. Arrow after arrow sped in swift, unerring +succession, and the bear received them with +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span>roars of fury, struggling upward as his wrath +and pain aroused him to greater efforts.</p> + +<p>"My last two arrows. One for that leg, just +above the claw."</p> + +<p>Cool and correct again, and the last brace of +shafts did their work to admiration. They did +not kill the grisly nor even loosen the gripe of +that great forearm and claw upon the rock, but +the next struggle of the bear brought him upon +smooth stone, gently rounding. He reached out +over it with his wounded limb, and the black +hooks at the end of it did not work well. His +game was within a length of him, but it was +game that held a long Mexican lance in its +ready hand. Under other circumstances Bruin +could have parried that thrust and closed with +its giver, but not now. It went through his other +forearm, and his gripe with that loosened for a +second or so—only for an instant, but that was +enough. Slip, slide, growl, tear, roar, and the +immense monster rolled heavily to the ground +below, full of rage and arrow-wounds, and altogether +unfitted for another steep climb.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows drew a great breath of relief, +but he well knew that he had not yet escaped. +There were oceans of hate and fight in the +wounded grisly, and there was no use whatever +in going down for a fair match with him upon +the grass. He was in his most dangerous state, +and the top of the rock would have to answer all +purposes for a season. There was no telling +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span>how long that would be, for even when the bear +arose and limped all the way around the bowlder, +his ferocious growls plainly declared his +purpose. He had not the least idea of letting +the matter stop there. He meant to stay and +watch it out. Perhaps more grislies would come +to help him and keep guard while he should +doctor himself. It was a most remarkable trap +for a young explorer to get caught in, and he +well knew that a grisly will take more killing +and die longer and harder than any other known +animal. Besides, he had no idea how much or +how seriously his shafts had touched the vitals +of his enemy.</p> + +<p>He must stay where he was, and now he felt +something like a sensation of mortification. +One-eye had deserted him. All the howling +had died away while the bear was climbing the +rock. The last dog of that band of Nez Percés +had turned tail and left his master on the top of +a bowlder to be starved out by a bear.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XII</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">THE ERRAND OF ONE-EYE</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>The wagons came slowly on down the pass, +but it was only a few moments before +everybody but the two drivers had dismounted +and stood gazing at Sile's remarkable "find." +There were old "placer miners" among them, +and they all declared that it was just the place +in which they would have expected a "bonanza." +Then they all added that without water to wash +the sand and gravel with, there would be little +use in doing anything more than to hunt for +"pockets." There might be "pay dirt" in all +directions, but a man might scratch and sift until +he starved and not get more than enough to +buy him a new hat. They had been through all +that sort of experience, and their heads were +not to be turned by it. Still, it was decided to +try that level again some day, and the whole +cañon, at a time of the year when water was to +be had. All that could now be done was to +carefully search for and gather up the odds and +ends of Sile's "luck." Even the necessity of +grass for the horses compelled the train to move +onward.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span>When they came to the rocky ledge, with the +precipice on one side and the mountain wall on +the other, Judge Parks turned to Yellow Pine +with a face full of doubt.</p> + +<p>"Don't you be skeered, jedge. I took a measure +of it at the narrerest p'int, and it'll let the +wheels go by and two feet to spare."</p> + +<p>That was close work, when they came to it, +and Sile shuddered all over as he saw how near +the wheels came to the edge of destruction. +A restive mule, a scared horse, a little backing +and plunging, and disaster was ready to come. +Not an animal shied, however, though some of +them trembled and sheered in towards the rock. +It was hardest when they had to hold back going +down and around some of the sharper curves. +Sile had several tremendous shudders at such +places and drew long breaths of relief afterwards, +as the wagons rolled on in safety. Then, +on the next level below, there was more axe and +crow-bar work to be done, and it was late in the +day when the train once more reached a deserted +camping-ground of the band of Indians they +seemed to be pursuing.</p> + +<p>"We'd better take a rest here, jedge. It's +been a hard day on the men and the hosses, and +we've struck gold a'ready."</p> + +<p>Sile had been strangely aware of that fact for +some hours, and it had dazed him a little. He +had walked on without asking a question of anybody. +He had a dim idea that the metal he had +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span>found was worth a great deal of money, but he +hardly cared to know how much. It was a new +and wonderful sensation. His father told him +there was enough of it to buy him a farm and +stock it, and when Yellow Pine had finished his +other duties, at going into camp, and had noted +all the signs the Nez Percés left behind, he said +to Sile,</p> + +<p>"Now, my boy, gather up all the charcoal you +can rake from those dead fires and I'll show +you something. Slugs are safer to carry than +dust and nuggets. I allers used to slug my finds, +first thing."</p> + +<p>That was Greek to Sile, but Yellow Pine rummaged +one of the wagons and brought out a long-nosed +bellows and a crucible and a sort of mould +that opened with two handles. He put the +crucible in among the coals, filled it from Sile's +yellow heap, covered it, and began to work +the bellows. Sile was astonished to find how +speedily what Pine called "bullion" would melt, +and how easy it was to run it into little bars. +There did not seem to be so much of it, but +there was less danger that any of the smaller +chunks and scales and particles could get +away.</p> + +<p>"There, Sile. There's your farm, cows, +hosses, hogs and all, and it only cost you a gitten' +thirsty."</p> + +<p>"They're wonderful," was all Sile could make +out to say, and his father put them in a bag and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span>locked them up in an iron-bound box in one of +the wagons.</p> + +<p>"You needn't scratch into all the sand you +come to after this," said Yellow Pine. "That's +what takes the tuck out of placer miners. One +good pocket'll most ginerally spile the eyes of +a green hand."</p> + +<p>He assured the judge that one more push +would bring them to good grass, and he added,</p> + +<p>"What's more, we ain't in any hurry to ketch +up with no redskins till we know what they are. +It's peace with most on 'em, but this 'ere isn't +a strong band, and I kinder want to feel my +way."</p> + +<p>There was sense in that, especially as he knew +that Indians without horses are also Indians on +the lookout for some. What he did not know +was the state of mind that band of Nez Percés +was in at that hour.</p> + +<p>They had set out very early that morning, and +were plodding on steadily down the winding +slopes of the cañon, when there came to them +an unexpected sensation. It was a dog.</p> + +<p>Right up the trail trotted One-eye, all alone, +and with an air of business anxiety. He neither +paused nor turned until he came to Long Bear +himself, and in front of the chief he sat +down, threw up his head, and let out the most +mournful howl he knew—and he knew a great +many.</p> + +<p>"Where Two Arrows?" asked the chief, as if +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span>the dog had been human, and he was answered +first by another howl and then by an eager look +and a tug at his deer-skin leggings. Then One-eye +trotted off a little distance along the trail +and looked back and barked, and the dullest +man in the world could have understood him. +It all plainly meant,</p> + +<p>"Come on. There's a fellow down this way +that's in need of help. Follow me and help +him."</p> + +<p>"Ugh!" exclaimed Long Bear, and he added +the names of half a dozen of the leading braves. +"Two Arrows send dog after warrior. Come."</p> + +<p>That was somewhat more than the truth, seeing +that all the credit belonged to One-eye, but +in a minute or so the old chief was leading his +men rapidly down the pass. There was nothing +whatever to be said, and One-eye kept well +ahead of them, every now and then trying to +express an idea he had that no time was to be +wasted.</p> + +<p>"Ugh!" was all the remark made by any brave +when the valley came in sight, and hardly more +was remarked upon the ruins of the ancient +village, but every grunt meant a great deal.</p> + +<p>"Not here. Dog go right on," said Long +Bear. "Follow. Find Two Arrows somewhere."</p> + +<p>They had not far to go now before they halted +as if with one accord. From the summit of a +granite bowlder, a hundred yards in advance of +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span>them, came a shrill whoop, and there stood the +object of their search, firmly erect and seemingly +unharmed.</p> + +<p>"Boy all right," said Big Tongue. "Better +come down."</p> + +<p>"Two Arrows no fool," said Long Bear. +"Go slow. Watch dog."</p> + +<p>One-eye still trotted on, but more slowly, until +he turned the corner of the rock. He reappeared +in a second, with a sharp, warning +yelp, followed by the fierce growling charge of +an uncommonly large grisly bear.</p> + +<p>"Ugh!" said Long Bear. "Stand still. Boy +been treed."</p> + +<p>He had not been "treed," he had been bowldered, +and the grisly had been arrowed and +lanced thoroughly. His angry charge had been +made with his last energies, and before he advanced +half-way he reeled and fell.</p> + +<p>There was no boy upon the rock now. Two +Arrows darted down from his perch, slipping, +sliding the instant the bear followed One-eye. +He had waited up there for hour after hour, +looking down at his half disabled enemy, and +he was tired of it. He had seen that the strength +of the bear was failing and that he bled freely, +and was not far behind him when he fell.</p> + +<p>"Whoop! whoop! whoop! I have killed a +grisly. My bear!" he shouted, and it was all in +vain that the Big Tongue ran faster than even +the Long Bear himself, for Two Arrows had +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span>the advantage of them. His lance was the first +to be plunged into the dying monster, and the +great brute tore up the sod around him for only +half a minute before he stretched himself out +and all was over. With the help of several +hours of quiet bleeding, which cannot always be +provided for in such cases, Two Arrows had +fought and killed a grisly single-handed, and +again Long Bear was the proudest man in the +whole Nez Percé nation. The steepness of the +rock had helped a good deal, and the bear had +hardly had a fair chance, but after all he had +been whipped by a boy of fifteen. It was a disgrace +to the grisly but it was a great honor to +the young hero, for by all Indian law he was +thenceforth entitled to wear the claws of that +bear on state occasions. Adding all things together, +bisons and big-horn and cougar and +grisly, Two Arrows was rapidly getting to be a +middle-aged warrior, and the other boys had no +hope of catching up with him. He might also +fairly be said to have led his band into that +valley, and now the pity of it was that they had +no ponies to eat such excellent grass.</p> + +<p>The remainder of the band came down the +pass remarkably, with Na-tee-kah well in advance +of everybody else.</p> + +<p>"Could anything terrible have happened to +Two Arrows?"</p> + +<p>Her heart beat hard with exertion and anxiety, +and when she reached the level she hurried +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span>right along upon the trail of the braves. It was +not many minutes before she could see them, +and a sort of mist came before her eyes. They +were all sitting upon the grass around something, +and she could hear her father's voice +chanting. It was a curious kind of song of +triumph, belonging especially to a case of large +grisly bear slaying, but Na-tee-kah could not +hear it clearly at first, and it might have been a +funeral song for all the music there was in it. +All out of breath she toiled on, as near as an +Indian girl might come to a party of warriors, +and then she understood it like a flash. Red or +white, she was only a girl, and she sat down on +the grass and began to cry. The Big Tongue +had risen as she came near, and he was polite +enough to say to her,</p> + +<p>"Squaw not cry. Boy all right. We have +killed a bear. Ugh!"</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XIII</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">GREAT SCOUTING</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>The quadrupeds of the mining expedition +showed many signs of the hard time they +had been having, and it was needful to get out +from among the rocks quickly. It was yet quite +shadowy in the deep cañon when the wagons +were set in motion, but not a great deal of "road +mending" was called for from that point onward. +Early in the day they came out upon the level, +and before noon the horses and mules were picking +the rich grass around the ancient ruins.</p> + +<p>It was a grand time, and Sile had a dim idea +that he only drew his breath now and then, the +great, long ones came so frequently. He had +felt one kind of awe in the cañon and in looking +at the mountain peaks. Now he felt quite another +kind of awe in looking at the rude mason-work +of those houses.</p> + +<p>"Father," he asked, "do you s'pose they were +people anything like us?"</p> + +<p>"They built three-story houses. No Indians +ever did that."</p> + +<p>"Is there nothing at all about them in +history?"</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span>"Yes, here are the ruins. Here are little +books like this."</p> + +<p>He handed Sile what looked for all the world +like a broken piece of an old pot, and Sile said +so.</p> + +<p>"That's it. If it is one, it shows that they +understood making pottery. Nobody has ever +found anything to prove that they were miners, +and all the stones of these houses are only broken. +None of them are cut or trimmed."</p> + +<p>It was a wonder of wonders to stand there and +talk about a lost and vanished people, but Yellow +Pine was thinking of a people who had vanished +without being lost. They were the Indians +whose camp-grounds he had moved into +and out of, and he had an idea that they might +be found again at any hour. He advised the +judge not to move on again until some exploring +and scouting should have been done. Meantime +the "critters," as he called them, did their feeding +under a strong guard and close watching.</p> + +<p>"Sile," he said, "as soon as your horse has had +a good feed, you and I will ride a circuit and +see what we can find."</p> + +<p>Sile's blood danced a little. Scouting after +Indians was a thing he had read about, and he +did not dwell too much upon the fact that he +was chosen to go with Pine rather because his +horse was a fast one and had not pulled wagons +than for any reason. Pine said to him,</p> + +<p>"Your eyes are pretty good ones, too. Who +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span>knows but what you might see something. +Jedge, I won't run him into any danger. Them +Indians is all on foot."</p> + +<p>Sile set to work at once upon his repeating-rifle, +his revolver, and the edge of his hunting-knife, +as if he had a battle with Pawnees on +hand. He gave up studying the ruins at once, +and even forgot how many nuggets his gold had +been run into. He had never before felt precisely +that kind of excitement, and was too young +to know that every entirely new enthusiasm is +worth a whole book in the way of education, if +it comes rightly. People who have never been +waked up are apt to be dull people.</p> + +<p>It was an old story to Yellow Pine, and when +at last they both were mounted and ready to ride +away, it was worth while to look at his cast-iron +face and then at that of Sile Parks.</p> + +<p>"Sile," said his father, as he looked at him, +"bring me in some Indians; not a whole tribe; +just a few."</p> + +<p>"Come on, Sile," said Pine. "We'll bring all +we find, I reckon."</p> + +<p>He showed no disposition to ride fast, but +cantered away to the right, skirting the edge of +the mountain slope, and seeming to study every +clump of trees and bushes they came to. It was +mostly grassy "open" for quite a distance from +the mouth of the cañon.</p> + +<p>"No smoke anywhere," said Pine. "They're +not camped hereaway."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span>"I walked out along their trail, at the ruins," +said Sile. "Why didn't you follow it?"</p> + +<p>"That's a fair question, Sile. It looks as if +I'd orter ha' done it, but you see, I don't want +to ketch up with 'em or let 'em know we're here. +I want to find 'em without telling 'em what road +I kem by."</p> + +<p>It was a sort of half-Indian cunning, but it +was not quite equal to the needs of the matter. +Full-blooded Indian cunning beat it all to +pieces, as they were to find out before morning. +It came to pass in a perfectly easy and natural +sort of way.</p> + +<p>When the entire band of Nez Percés had arrived, +and every soul in it had taken a look at +the dead grisly, they had no notion of walking +back a single rod. The braves had noted the +indications of running water in the distance, and +they pushed on until they found a camp-ground +on the border of a swift, bright stream, almost +alive with trout. It was bordered by a wide +band of forest, and the trees were magnificent. +Here at last they could all sit down in a kind +of peace and plenty, and mourn for their dogs +and ponies.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows had no mourning to do. What +he really needed was to be hooped, like a barrel, +for fear his pride and ambition might burst him. +He felt as if he were about ten feet high and +weighed more than a horse. All the other +Indians he had heard of were nothing at all to +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span>what he was or was pretty soon going to be. +He almost despised cougars and even grislies +until he recalled how he had felt when the open +jaws of the one which had hunted him came up +over the curve of the bowlder.</p> + +<p>It occurred to him that he had better have a +rock or something to help him next time, but his +vanity suggested that after all he had invented +that rock. The other Indian boys hardly felt +like speaking to him, and Na-tee-kah called +him to supper as respectfully as if he had been +a full-grown warrior. He felt like one, and as +if the camp were too small for him; so he +walked out of it after supper, and his feet carried +him farther. They seemed to have an idea of +their own that it would be good for him to take +another look at the bowlder where he had been +watched for by the grisly. A thorough understanding +of that matter might have taken him +down a little, but he was to have better medicine +yet before he again reached his father's lodge. +He had his bow and arrows with him but no +lance, and it was getting too dusky for hunting. +The ground he was walking over was pretty +level but it had its hollows, and as he came up +out of one of these he suddenly dropped flat upon +the grass. He had not been hurt, but he had +seen something that in a manner knocked him +down. It was the biggest surprise he had had +since he came through the cañon, for two pale-faces +on horseback were cantering along at no +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span>great distance. They had not seen him, he was +sure of that, although they were evidently looking +for something. He let them pass and go on +until he felt safe in following. Every nerve in +his body tingled with fierce excitement.</p> + +<p>"War-path!" he exclaimed. "Ugh! Two +Arrows a brave now. Get horse. Big warrior. +Grow a heap. Find pale-face camp."</p> + +<p>Running, walking, creeping, as the mists of +evening deepened, the young Nez Percé followed +those two horsemen, cunningly avoiding +all detection. He followed them to the edge +of the rocky ground at the foot of the mountain +slope, and there he saw them turn to the left.</p> + +<p>"Know now," he muttered. "Pale-face came +through cañon. Follow Nez Percé. Got plenty +horse. Two Arrows great brave. Ugh!"</p> + +<p>He should have gone for help and have performed +the rest of his task in older company, +but he was full to over-flowing with the vanity +of winning another "heap" of glory. He felt +entirely competent to deal with one band of +white men, and to carry all their horses into +his own camp. His rapid successes had been too +much for him, and it is sometimes very nearly +the same with young fellows of a different color.</p> + +<p>He lost sight of his human game several times, +and it was now pretty dark, but his keen eyes +caught the glow of camp-fires at last, and he +knew what that meant. What he did not know +was that Yellow Pine and Sile had ridden a wide +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span>circuit across that open and had discovered no +sign of danger.</p> + +<p>"Them Indians," said Pine, as they were riding +in, "have gone on to the timber. They can't +have the least idee that we're here, on the +ground they passed over. To-morrer we must +make another scout, though I sha'n't be easy till +I know jest what kind of neighbors we're to +have."</p> + +<p>That was common-sense, and so was the +extreme care with which the quadrupeds were +gathered and hobbled and "corralled" between +the protecting masses of the ruins. The members +of the mining party were already divided +into "watches," taking regular turns, and Sile +and a man named Jonas were in the first watch +with Yellow Pine. That gave him a chance +for an unbroken sleep when his work was done. +What was also good, it gave him a rest to get +sleepy in, and to let all the steam of his excitement +get away from his head. He ate well, and +he felt somewhat weary afterwards, but there +was a queer idea growing in his mind that he +was in the neighborhood of strange Indians, and +that nobody could tell what might turn up.</p> + +<p>"Pine," said he, "if I see an Indian shall I +kill him?"</p> + +<p>"Yell first, and get out of his way, unless he +holds out his hand and says 'How?' But you +won't have any chance this night."</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XIV</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">A WRESTLING MATCH</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>The moon was to come up late that night, +and all the first part of it would be lighted +only by stars and camp-fires. The mining party +had but two of these latter burning low, and the +Nez Percé band had not any, after they had +done their cooking, but the stars sent down +enough light to make things visible at short distances. +The two camps were not over four +miles apart.</p> + +<p>The only really wide-awake watchman in +one of them was One-eye, and he patrolled in +all directions as if he had an idea that matters +must be less secure in the absence of his wonderful +young master. Only one dog to do the barking +for a whole village was something very uncommon +in Indian history, but it was well to +have the great duty given to an entirely competent +dog.</p> + +<p>The boy whom One-eye considered the greatest +personage in all that valley had now crept +near enough to the mining camp to get a fair +idea of what it contained. He saw a wealth of +horse-flesh and mule-flesh, every quadruped of +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span>it worth half a dozen Indian ponies, and his +ambition almost lifted him up from the grass. +It stirred any amount of reckless daring, and it +made him remember all the stories he had ever +heard of famous chiefs who stole into camps and +then stripped them clean of everything. He +was already that kind of chief in his own estimation, +and did not know that within a hundred +yards of him there sat a white boy, of about his +own age, not so tall but broader in the shoulders, +who was at that moment recalling a long list +of just such stories.</p> + +<p>Sile had fairly read up on Indian fiction before +he left home, and his ideas of the way some +things could be done were a little misty. He +could hardly sit still for one moment, and preferred +to stroll around among the horses to make +sure no red man's hand was reaching out for one +of them. Old Pine smiled grimly now and then, +for he felt perfectly safe on the Indian question, +but at last he heard an unaccountable rustling +at one end of the corral, and then a loud hurrah +from Sile.</p> + +<p>The idea had been in Sile's head that his +proper course was to go about very much as if +he were himself about to steal the horses, and his +noiseless movements carried him to the outer +edge of the corral at exactly the right moment. +He was standing at the side of a tall mule, in +the shadow of it and completely hidden, when +he saw something darker than a shadow glide +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span>out from between two tall weeds and swiftly +writhe its way forward. His heart beat like a +trip-hammer. His first thought was to use his +rifle, but it was a new and dreadful thing to take +a human life, and he could not lift his weapon. +His eyes said, "Not a large Indian," and his +hands let go of the rifle. The next instant, and +just as Two Arrows rose to his feet, Sile sprang +forward and grappled with him.</p> + +<p>It was a most perilous thing to do, considering +that Two Arrows carried a knife; but the +young Nez Percé had also been thinking, and +had made up his mind that "war" was no part +of his errand. His tribe was at peace with the +pale-faces, except as to horse-flesh, and that fact +saved Sile's life. He had been accounted the +best wrestler in his set, at home and at school, +and his muscles were in capital order. It was +not by any means an uneven match, therefore, +and Two Arrows would have been glad enough +to get away. He had no clothing for Sile to +hold him by, and there was more and more +danger of losing him every moment, but the +shout of warning had hardly begun to rouse the +general camp before a pair of long, sinewy arms +wound around poor Two Arrows from behind.</p> + +<p>"I've got him," said Yellow Pine. "Run for +a rope. You're jest the luckiest youngster I +ever knowed."</p> + +<p>By the time the rope was there, every man in +camp was up and out, and the grass and weeds +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span>within sight had rifle muzzles pointed at everything +among them as big as a human head.</p> + +<p>"No whoopin' sounded," said Yellow Pine. +"This cub was alone. I say, you young coyote, +you jest answer my questions now, or I'll tan the +hide clean off ye."</p> + +<p>Two Arrows drew himself up proudly and +looked at him in silence, but Pine led his captive +on into the fire-light and picked up a heavy +"black-snake" whip, for he was justly angry.</p> + +<p>It was a terrible come-down for the ambition +of a young chief. Captured on his first raid +and threatened with a horsewhipping. He felt +ready to burst, but it was not with vanity this +time.</p> + +<p>"Where's yer band? Where's their camp?" +asked Pine, with a significant flourish of the +black-snake, but the Indian boy looked him unflinchingly +in the face without a sound or a +motion.</p> + +<p>"Speak, now," began Pine; but Sile had +finished answering some hurried questions from +his father, and he now asked one for himself.</p> + +<p>"I say, Yellow Pine, didn't I grab him first? +Isn't he my prisoner as much as he is yours?"</p> + +<p>"What do you mean?"</p> + +<p>"Well, now, I don't want him flogged. He +didn't use his knife. You always said it was +best to be friends with 'em."</p> + +<p>"I'd call it—— Jedge, it's jest so. Sile's right. +I'd kinder lost my head. Look a-here, redskin, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span>next time you come for hosses you won't get off +so easy. I'll unhitch ye now, and let ye up. +There now, Sile, shake hands with him."</p> + +<p>"How?" said Sile, as he held out his hand to +the loosened captive.</p> + +<p>"How?" said Two Arrows, and he said it a +little sullenly, but he had been glancing from +Pine's face to Sile's and understood pretty well +that the latter had stopped the proposed work of +the black-snake.</p> + +<p>"Make him a present of something, Sile," +said his father. "Here—give him this."</p> + +<p>It was a small round pocket-mirror, worth +twenty-five cents, but there was no telling what +it was worth in the estimation of such a boy as +Two Arrows—perhaps a pound or so of gold +nuggets, if he had them, or the skin of his grisly +bear, after the glory of killing it had worn a +little thin. At all events, he was a most astonished +Indian. Evidently these monsters in +human form were disposed to be friends with +him—particularly this red-headed young chief +who had proved himself so good a wrestler. +All he had ever heard of pale-faces was against +believing it, but there was no chance of escaping +from the ring of riflemen now gathered around +him, and he gave it up. He answered Yellow +Pine's questions by signs only, until something +he said brought an exclamation from the old +miner Jonas.</p> + +<p>"Nez Percé! He's a Nez Percé, Pine. I +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span>know their lingo. He can talk some English, +too. He needn't play 'possum any longer."</p> + +<p>Two Arrows felt that he was completely +beaten, and even pride failed to carry him any +farther. It came to his mind, also, with a peculiar +force, that he was by no means sure of the +approval of Long Bear and his warriors. They +had not sent him out to kill pale-faces and bring +upon them the vengeance of the terrible "brass-button +men" he had heard of. He had seen a +few of them, and had wondered at their great +knives, twice as long as his arm. He decided to +speak out now, and in a few moments Jonas had +pumped him thoroughly.</p> + +<p>"He isn't on any war-path," said Yellow Pine +to Judge Parks; "he's jest a fool of a boy. +We'll keep him till mornin' and carry him over +to his own camp. It's the best way in the world +to make friends with 'em."</p> + +<p>"All right," replied the judge; "we must get +out some presents. See that he doesn't get +away."</p> + +<p>"I'll look out for that—you bet I will."</p> + +<p>So he did, and Two Arrows had now no knife +with which to cut the rope whereby he was tied +to Yellow Pine's elbow when that "big brave" +lay down again. Sile rolled himself up in a +blanket, only a few feet from them, and hardly +slept a wink. He had captured a wild red Indian<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">and it beat all the novels he had ever seen.</span><br /> +He did not hear his father chuckle to himself, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span>nor could he read the thoughts of the old judge. +Long Bear himself was not prouder of Two +Arrows and his grisly than was Sile's father of +the manner in which his own boy had met and +grappled with a sudden peril.</p> + +<p>"He'll be at the head of something or other +some day," he muttered, as he was dropping +asleep.</p> + +<p>Not even Na-tee-kah knew anything of the +movements or whereabouts of Two Arrows this +time, and her father questioned her in vain. +His absence was "irregular," and when the +hours went by and he did not return, the Long +Bear's face put on an expression of stern displeasure.</p> + +<p>"Boy too big," he said; "grow too fast. Brave +too soon. Young chief, though. Great warrior +by-and-by, like father. Come back. Talk +hard to him."</p> + +<p>Na-tee-kah's thoughts followed her hero +brother so long as her eyes were open. She had +no doubt whatever that he would quickly turn up +again with a great heap of new glory. She +dreamed of his performing all sorts of marvellous +things. All the other boys in camp were +planning to catch up and get ahead of him, she +knew, for she had heard some of them say so. +The Big Tongue had told her of a large number +of bears belonging to his record, and he was +going on to tell of more when Ha-ha-pah-no +overheard and asked him,</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span>"Kill bear all with tongue? Shoot big lie +right through? Catch old bear and talk to him; +bear die!"</p> + +<p>Her tongue was sharp enough, and she +strongly sympathized with Na-tee-kah's enthusiasm +for Two Arrows. The Big Tongue got +away from her and the camp grew more and +more quiet.</p> + +<p>The spot chosen for it, in a curve of the +stream, was one of rare beauty, and the loop +formed by the long sweep of the rippling water +would have been just the place for a secure corral, +if that band of Nez Percés had had any four-footed +property to be anxious about. It was not +needful to keep a guard over their hope of stealing +some thereafter.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XV</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">A GREAT CAPTAIN</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>The band of Nez Percés had done very well +thus far, and so had the band of white +miners, but there had been one other band of +travellers which had accomplished a good deal +by reason of having an uncommonly good commander.</p> + +<p>The wicked old mule that had engineered the +stampede of the Nez Percé ponies had continued +to hold his position as captain. He +could out-kick and out-bray any other mule +there, and no mere pony would have dreamed +of disputing him. There was some grass to be +had, next day after the escape, and there was yet +a little water in the pools rapidly drying away, +but there was nothing anywhere to tempt to a +stoppage. On he went, and on went the rest after +him, and the reason why the warriors could not +find his trail was because he did not leave any. +He obeyed the strong instinct of all large animals, +and some smaller ones, to "follow a beaten +path and keep in a travelled road." He struck +the well-made buffalo trail and did not find any +reason for wandering from it. Multitudes of +men have a precisely similar instinct, and keep in +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span>any particular path in life mainly because they +are in it; they stick all the closer if they can see +anybody else doing the same thing. That was +what the wicked old mule saw, and he may have +imagined that the squad or rather string of bisons +ahead of him knew where they were going and +what for. At all events he led his band closely +behind them, and they plodded on in a way that +carried them ahead quite rapidly. It carried +them into the pass and through it, mule, ponies +and all, and there was no one to tell them of +what had happened there before or what was +about to occur.</p> + +<p>Something had happened—something that is +pretty sure to come to all bisons, sooner or later. +In due season their great bodies reel and fall, +and the wolves and buzzards are fed. But for +such things the wolves would all die, and they +have an unerring judgment as to the condition +of an ailing bison. They never attack a healthy +bull or cow unless they are in great force and +the animal is alone.</p> + +<p>The migration of bisons from the parching +plain to better pasture had been going on for +some time, and the coyotes had followed it as a +matter of course. The very day that the old +mule halted his runaways at the spring for all the +water they could hold, there should have been a +painter on the great ledge which was followed +by the trail in the middle of the pass. There +was a tragedy there worth sketching.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span>Herd after herd of bisons had gone along that +ledge road in clumsy safety, but right there now, +at the curve of the projecting rock, stood one who +could go no farther. A fragment of an arrow +still sticking through one of his hind-legs told +what had made him lame in the first place, and +the marks of wolf-teeth explained why he had +grown lamer and lamer until all he could do was +to turn his back to the rock and stand at bay.</p> + +<p>Mile after mile of weary walking and painful +struggling the poor old beast had contended +with the enemies now swarming around him; +they had assailed him always from behind, and +they had altogether crippled him. His great, +terrible head was lowered threateningly, and +his deep, sonorous bellow was thick with pain +and fury. The watching coyotes sat down or +walked around, barking, yelping, howling, +snapping their teeth like castanets, sure of a feast +to come and hungrily impatient for its beginning. +One, hungrier or bolder than the rest, +made a rush too soon, and the quick horn of the +old bison caught him. Up, up he went, whirling +over and over, and his last yelp went down +with him into the deep cañon. The head of the +bison sank again, and his bloodshot eyes grew +filmy; he was faint and sinking, and he swayed +staggeringly to and fro. He gave a great lurch +forward as his faintness grew upon him, and in +an instant he seemed to be all but covered with +wolves. They attacked every square foot of him +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span>at the same moment, climbing over each other, +yelling, tearing, and the bison's time had come. +The terror and agony stirred all his remaining +life for one last, blinded rush. His instinct was +to "charge" and he made one lumbering plunge. +The trail at that point afterwards but barely +passed the wagon-wheels, and there was no room +to spare for the bison's last effort. It bore him +heavily, helplessly over the sickening edge, and +half a dozen of clinging coyotes went down with +him. Hundreds of whirling feet the hunters +and the hunted-down bison fell together, to be +dashed to pieces upon the rocks at the bottom.</p> + +<p>A chorus of howls arose from the remaining +wolves, but it did not express pity or horror. +Only for a moment did they seem to be in doubt +as to what was best to be done. After that it +was a wolf-race as to which should first get back +to the point at which they could safely clamber +and tumble to the bottom of the pass. Their +feast had been provided for them, and they ate +every part of it, buffalo meat and wolf meat +alike, with the help of some buzzards, before +Two Arrows or any other human being entered +the cañon to disturb them. Then they followed +their prospect of further feasting, and it led them +on into the grassy valley.</p> + +<p>The wicked old mule knew nothing of all this. +No coyotes annoyed him or his command, but +not a mouthful to eat did they find until they +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span>came out where they could see the ancient ruins. +At sight of these, hinting of human presence, +they halted briefly and then sheered away so as +not to approach too nearly so very unpleasant a +suggestion. The bisons had led them well, +whether or not the mule got the credit of it. +Also, there was a fair degree of justification of +the instinct concerning beaten paths. New ones +may be better, and somebody must hunt them up +all the while, but the old roads will do very well +for most people until the new ones are fairly +mapped out. Christopher Columbus had a hard +time of it, and Captain Cook got himself eaten +up at last, after finding ever so many new things.</p> + +<p>It was a matter of course that the runaways +should feel their way farther and farther down +the valley, and all sorts of happiness seemed to +be before them. Grass, water, nice weather, no +masters, no responsibilities, and plenty of good +company among themselves. It was a time to +grow fat, and to think well of the world they +lived in.</p> + +<p>The wicked old mule had done his work, but +he had gained neither name nor fame by it. +He looked sidewise more slyly, whisked his +ropy tail more demurely, and kicked his nearest +neighbors more viciously than ever. Still, all +he or they had gained was a vacation; no work +to do for anybody but themselves, but with +winter only a few months ahead and with a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span>certainty +that wolves, buzzards, coyotes, cougars, +grislies, frost, snow-storms, and all the other unknown +possibilities of the mountain country +were only holding off for a season.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XVI</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">VISITING</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>Two Arrows was treated to an excellent +breakfast the morning after his capture. +He also saw a white man eat with a knife and +fork, and had all the sugar he wanted for the +first time. It was a wonderful morning, and a +very brilliant pair of eyes were drinking in its +marvels greedily.</p> + +<p>Rifles, pistols, and all that sort of thing were +familiar enough to the young Nez Percé, but he +saw new patterns of them and gained tremendous +notions of the wealth and skill of the pale-faces +who could make such weapons.</p> + +<p>"Father," said Sile, "I wish he could read. +He's a bright fellow."</p> + +<p>"Show him everything you have with a +picture in it."</p> + +<p>There was no fear that Two Arrows would try +to run away after that process began. The +printed matter of any sort did not convey to him +an idea; it was so much mud; it meant nothing +whatever. The pictures were another thing, and +Sile had provided himself well with illustrated +reading. Two Arrows almost gave up the sullen +pride that refused to be astonished, and Sile +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span>began to understand "sign language." At all +events he nearly twisted himself out of shape in +an effort to explain to his captive the nature of +ships, cannon, camels, and steam-engines. He +felt as if he were a sort of missionary. At last +Judge Parks himself handed Two Arrows a +photograph of an Indian chief, given him at one +of the frontier agencies a few weeks before.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Pawnee!" said Two Arrows.</p> + +<p>"I told you so," exclaimed Yellow Pine. "If +you showed him dogerrytypes of every tribe +there is, he'd name 'em at sight. Jedge, it's +about time we set out. I've got a mount ready +for him."</p> + +<p>Jonas more fully explained to Two Arrows +that a visit of peace was planned, and that he +was to be marched home again, but the face of +the young Indian clouded. That was the one +thing he stood in mortal dread of. He thought +of the jeers and derision sure to greet him from +all other Nez Percé boys when they should see +him come home without any glory, and he hung +back.</p> + +<p>"Mount now," shouted Yellow Pine, with a +motion towards the animal he had selected.</p> + +<p>A horse! To ride back, instead of returning +tired and on foot. That was quite another matter.</p> + +<p>"Whoop!" he could not have restrained that +yell of relief, and in an instant he was in the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span>saddle. He had been used to riding a barebacked +pony, and that made his present outfit +the more splendid. All his vanity and ambition +came pouring back upon him, and he almost +felt as if he had captured that squad of pale-faces +and was bringing them in as prisoners. He +dashed forward at once, with Sile on one side, +Yellow Pine on the other, and the rest following, +except a camp-guard of two miners.</p> + +<p>Less than an hour later all the Nez Percé band +came out under the trees to see what was coming.</p> + +<p>"Two Arrows!" almost breathlessly exclaimed +Na-tee-kah. "Caught some pale-faces +this time."</p> + +<p>"Got horse," said Ha-ha-pah-no.</p> + +<p>Long Bear and his warriors did not say a +word, for they were all but dumb with astonishment +from the moment that they recognized the +returning wanderer. What would not that remarkable +boy do next? Had he killed anybody? +Had he really stolen all those white +men, or had they stolen him? There he was, +anyway, and in a few moments more Yellow +Pine and Judge Parks had said "How?" to +Long Bear and his best men. Indian manners +required that Two Arrows should be silent before +his elders until spoken to, but Long Bear +almost instantly inquired,</p> + +<p>"Where find boy?"</p> + +<p>"In camp," said Yellow Pine. "Try to steal +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span>horse. Too many pale-face. Catch him. All +safe. Big thief some day. Boy now."</p> + +<p>All of Two Arrows's dream of glory went out +of sight before the grim smiles with which the +Nez Percé warriors heard that explanation. +They perfectly understood the matter, and that +the pale-faces before them wished to be good +friends. On their part, they were a good deal +more than willing, for they had much to gain +from peace and very little from war with +mounted riflemen.</p> + +<p>"Prisoner?" groaned Na-tee-kah.</p> + +<p>"Boy all right," grumbled Ha-ha-pah-no, +indignantly. "Find pale-face camp anyhow. +Go right in. Old brave all asleep. Never find +anything. Big chief by-and-by."</p> + +<p>There was some truth in that view of the matter, +and Long Bear made a remark that had a +little the same sound. At all events Two Arrows +was permitted to dismount and walk away, +while the conference with his captors went on. +In ten seconds he was exhibiting his little hand-mirror +to Na-tee-kah and a crowd of other +young people, and found his importance coming +back to him. None of them had ever ventured +to creep, all alone, into a white man's corral. +Not a boy or girl among them had such a treasure +as the mirror. He had made friends with +the pale-faces, at all events. In fact, his standing +in that community was rising with tremendous +rapidity, until somehow or other the story +of his wrestling match with Sile Parks began to +be whispered around, and it became necessary for +Two Arrows to point at Yellow Pine as the great +brave who had really pinioned him. There +was not a Nez Percé in the band, old or young, +who felt any longing for a grapple with the +sinewy, big-boned old miner and all would have +been right but for the fact that Two Arrows +had not at once escaped from Sile.</p> + +<div class="img"><a name="imagep120" id="imagep120"></a> +<a href="images/imagep120.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep120.jpg" width="60%" alt="NOT A BOY OR GIRL AMONG THEM HAD SUCH A TREASURE AS THAT MIRROR" /></a><br /> +<p class="cen" style="margin-top: .2em;">NOT A BOY OR GIRL AMONG THEM HAD SUCH A TREASURE AS THAT MIRROR<span class="totoi"><a href="#toi">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span>A good understanding was easily established +between the miners and the red men, and it was +not long before Sile was off his horse and was +going around among the young people. He +used his eyes as busily as Two Arrows had done, +but it is to be doubted if he saw as much, even +in what there was to see. It was not long before +Na-tee-kah had as good a looking-glass as +her brother, and a general distribution of small +presents sealed the arrangement that the miners +were not to be plundered by that particular +band.</p> + +<p>"Now, jedge," said Yellow Pine at last, "it's +time we moved. S'pose we fetch along that +young cub and his sister. Company for Sile. +Make the old chief feel fine."</p> + +<p>Long Bear gave several grunts of assent when +spoken to, and once more Two Arrows felt as +if he were growing very fast indeed.</p> + +<p>"We'll go back and move the wagons," said +Pine to Sile. "You and your young redskin +can scout on down the valley. You've got your +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span>directions 'bout finding us. Don't go too fast +nor too far. The Indian'll smell any danger +long before you will. He won't be roped in +by anybody in broad daylight, I can tell ye."</p> + +<p>He did not look like it as he rode proudly +away from the village. Jonas had mounted +Na-tee-kah behind him, but Ha-ha-pah-no was +to follow the wagons on foot, that the chief's +daughter might have somebody to superintend +her visit. When Ha-ha-pah-no set out in her +turn nearly half the village went with her uninvited, +and it took all the authority of Long +Bear to keep the other half from keeping them +company.</p> + +<p>"Come," said Two Arrows to Sile, after a +few minutes of silent riding. "We go. Ugh! +Shoot a heap."</p> + +<p>He had picked up more English words, somehow +or other, than he had at first acknowledged, +but Sile found it needful to work the sign language +pretty industriously for all that.</p> + +<p>Na-tee-kah had spent her life in the close retirement +of an Indian village. She had been +housed up among plains and mountains from +all the world, and knew nothing about it. She +had lived in a narrower prison than the smallest +country village in all the East. The idea of +visiting a white man's camp and seeing all there +was in it made her tremble all over. She knew +her father and ever so many others would be +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span>there in an hour or so, and that her wonderful +brother had gone on a hunt with the son of the +pale-face chief, but she was to enter a strange +place with only white warriors for company. +It was an awful thing to do, and she could not +have done it, nor would Long Bear have consented +to it, but for something they both saw +in the face of old Judge Parks when he patted +her on the head and said,</p> + +<p>"Be my daughter a little while. Make a +white girl of her for a week. Take good care +of her."</p> + +<p>Red men have keen eyes for character, and +Long Bear understood. So did Na-tee-kah, and +yet she would have run away and hidden but +for her curiosity, stirred up by what Two +Arrows had told her of the contents of that camp +and its wagons. An offer to a white girl of a +trip to Paris might be something like it, but it +would not be much more. Her eyes danced +and her fingers tingled as they drew near, and +yet the only thing she could see was a couple +of commonplace tilted wagons and a lot of horses +and mules. The moment she was on the ground +the old judge came to her assistance.</p> + +<p>"Now, Na-tee-kah, I'll show you something. +Come this way."</p> + +<p>She stood as straight as an arrow and walked +along courageously, but it required all her +strength of mind and will to do so. She watched +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span>him in silence, as he went into and came out of +one of those mysterious rolling tents full of all +unknown riches.</p> + +<p>"There, now. That'll keep you busy while +we're getting ready to move."</p> + +<p>She held out both her hands, and when Ha-ha-pah-no +at last put her own hand upon her +shoulder and said "Ugh!" Na-tee-kah started +as if she had been waked from a dream. She +had been looking at pictures that told her of +another world.</p> + +<p>"Heap lie," said Ha-ha-pah-no. "Pale-face +tell 'em. Make lie about squaw. There!"</p> + +<p>It was a picture of several ladies in evening +dress, and Na-tee-kah had been looking at it +for five minutes. No such woman as those +could possibly be, nor could any human beings +get themselves up so wonderfully. It was all +a lie, and any intelligent squaw could detect +the fraud at a glance.</p> + +<p>Na-tee-kah drew a long breath that sounded +like a sigh, and just then the shout of Yellow +Pine announced that all was ready for a move.</p> + +<p>"We'll reach that mine to-morrow night, +jedge, if we're lively. Everything's goin' prime +now."</p> + +<p>With or without an invitation the relatives of +Na-tee-kah trudged along with the wagons mile +after mile, and Long Bear gained an extra +pound of tobacco by sticking to Yellow Pine +until the train halted at noon.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span>Ha-ha-pah-no scolded Na-tee-kah pretty +nearly all the way for not knowing more about +pale-faces, but she broke down at the noon camp-fire. +She undertook to play cook, and in half +a minute Jonas discovered that she did not know +how to make coffee.</p> + +<p>"Wouldn't you have b'iled a black soup?" +he exclaimed.</p> + +<p>"Poor old squaw!" said Ha-ha-pah-no. +"Know all about him. Drink some once; bitter. +Put sweet in. Stir him up, so."</p> + +<p>"Ugh!" said Na-tee-kah. "Know so much. +Ask Two Arrows when he come."</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XVII</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">MORE FUN</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>Sile Parks and Two Arrows had the +whole valley before them and all the mountains +and valleys beyond, and one knew as much +about them as did the other. Neither had ever +been just there before, and yet the young Nez +Percé was at home, and Sile was in a new +country. Sile could ride well and he could +shoot well, but here at his side was a born hunter. +With all sorts of descriptive signs he asked him,</p> + +<p>"Did you ever kill a deer?"</p> + +<p>"Ugh! heap deer. Heap bear. Heap buffalo. +Big heap."</p> + +<p>And then all the pride of Two Arrows came +to help him explain that he had killed a cougar +all alone, and a big-horn and a grisly. By the +time he had succeeded in doing so Sile regarded +him as a red-skinned wonder, but had so interpreted +some of his signs as to include a big snake, +a land-turtle, and a kangaroo in the list of asserted +victories. It gave him some doubts as to +the others, for he said to himself,</p> + +<p>"No rabbit can jump as far as he says that +thing did. There are no kangaroos here, and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span>they have no horns. I give it up. Maybe he is +lying, but he doesn't look so."</p> + +<p>Two Arrows was boasting quite truthfully, +and the trouble was with Sile's translation.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! look. Rifle—"</p> + +<p>Sile's eyes followed the pointing finger in vain +for a moment. At first he saw nothing but a +clump of sumach bushes, but for once he asked +no questions. What could be among them? +One seemed to move a little. Could it be +possible? the horns of a buck!</p> + +<p>"Maybe I can hit him. I've heard of such +a thing. I'll aim below them; his body is there +somewhere."</p> + +<p>Two Arrows could have told him just how +that deer was standing, but Sile's guess-work was +pretty good. He let his rifle-muzzle sink on a +line with one of those antlers, and had lowered +it a little too much when he pulled the trigger. +The kicking of the rifle made the aim a good +one, for the sharp report was answered by a +great bound from the cover of the sumachs, and +in an instant a mortally-wounded buck was dashing +across the open, with One-eye close at his +heels.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! got him," said Two Arrows. "Heap +shoot. Bow not so good."</p> + +<p>Sile had offered to lend him a rifle at starting, +but Two Arrows had prudently refused +to disgrace himself. He had never owned one +and did not care to show his lack of skill.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span>That was a fine dash after One-eye and the +wounded buck, but it was a short one. The +bullet had done its work so thoroughly that there +was little trouble left for the dog when he seized +his victim's throat to pull him down.</p> + +<p>There had been some hunting done by the +mining party on their long journey, but Sile +could have told Two Arrows if he had chosen +to do so, that here lay the first deer he had ever +killed. He could also have told him that it +appeared to be the largest, fattest, finest, most +miraculous buck that anybody in the world had +ever killed; as it really was even Two Arrows +spoke well of the buck and thought well of the +shot which had brought it down.</p> + +<p>"If I knew where to find our train I'd take it +right in," said Sile, as they hoisted the buck to +his own saddle. "I'd just as lief walk."</p> + +<p>"Find him," said Two Arrows, understanding +the searching look Sile gave towards the +mountains. "Go so. Come. Get on horse; +ride."</p> + +<p>He took the lead at once, but it seemed to +Sile that he was going in the wrong direction. +He was not at all aware that his friend had skilfully +directed their hunt on a line nearly +parallel, at no great distance, from that which +the train must follow. He was therefore doubly +astonished when a brief ride brought them +within sight of the wagon-tilts. They had +halted, and Sile had double comfort: he could +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span>show his father his first deer and he could get +a hot dinner, for Ha-ha-pah-no could do very +well with a steak if not with coffee.</p> + +<p>"Which of you killed the deer?" asked the +judge, as they rode in.</p> + +<p>Sile was silent long enough for Two Arrows +to point at him and remark,</p> + +<p>"Heap shoot."</p> + +<p>"So I did, father, but he pointed him out. +I'd never have seen him if I'd been alone."</p> + +<p>"Jest so," said Yellow Pine. "There isn't +anything else on the earth like the eyesight of +an Indian. I've had 'em sight game more'n +once that I'd ha' missed sure."</p> + +<p>It puzzled Na-tee-kah somewhat that anybody +else should have won anything while her +wonderful brother was near by, but Ha-ha-pah-no +relieved her by remarking,</p> + +<p>"Ugh! The red-head kill deer. Two Arrows +show him how. Good."</p> + +<p>One of the miners had ridden out from the +line of march and returned with another deer, +so that fresh venison was plentiful in the camp. +Two Arrows felt no longing for any more hunting +that day, and he bluntly said so. It was ten +times more to his liking to ride along with the +train and keep his eyes busy. He was studying +white men, and all the world knows what a +curious study they are. One white boy was also +studying him and his sister, and could not understand +them at all. Sile's eyes and thoughts ran +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span>about over everything he heard or saw until he +almost had a headache.</p> + +<p>"Tell you what, father," he said to the judge, +"when we go into camp again I'm going to show +them my box."</p> + +<p>"It's a curiosity box. Show it to them."</p> + +<p>The road was necessarily somewhat rough, +and wagoning was slow work, and before sunset +a place was chosen for an all-night camp. Then +came Sile's experiment. He hauled a stoutly-made, +leather-covered trunk out of one of the +wagons, before the eyes of Two Arrows and Na-tee-kah, +and it was instantly evident that neither +had ever seen one, but that both understood its +use. He unstrapped it, but it did not open, +and he made them try it. Lock and key were +mysteries they had no thought of, and they almost +started back with surprise when Sile pushed +a thin bit of steel into one side of that contrivance +and all the upper part of it could be tipped +right over.</p> + +<p>Sile's "box" would have been first-rate rummaging +for any boy of his acquaintance, and it +was a mine of wonders to the two young savages. +He had put into it some things which could +hardly be useful to him, even if he should be +cast away upon a mountain, as Robinson Crusoe +was upon an island, and it was so much the +better fun for Two Arrows and Na-tee-kah. +The fishing-hooks, lines, reel, etc., made the eyes +of the former fairly dance, and Sile brought out +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span>a joint-rod and put it together, with a reel on, +to show him how the machine worked. Two +Arrows grew thoughtful over that affair.</p> + +<p>"Big fish break him."</p> + +<p>"No. Show you about that to-morrow morning."</p> + +<p>"Ugh! ugh!" suddenly exclaimed Ha-ha-pah-no. +"Red-head got squaw? Boy!"</p> + +<p>He did look young to be married, but she +was pointing straight at a brush and comb and +some other articles which, to her notion, did not +belong in the treasury of a young warrior. Sile +at once explained that he used them himself, +but there were several brushes and combs, and +she added,</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Beat squaw. Take 'em away from +her. What she do?"</p> + +<p>"Try it on," said Sile, handing a brush and +comb to Na-tee-kah, and a peal of laughter +announced the pleasure of the two Indian ladies, +old and young. Even Two Arrows dropped a +"spoon-hook" to take an interest in that proceeding.</p> + +<p>"Come," said Ha-ha-pah-no, with a long +string of merry gutturals of explanation that +she had seen a white lady at one of the forts +putting up the hair of another. She herself +could do it, and in twenty seconds more there +was a yell from Na-tee-kah and a tooth out of +the comb.</p> + +<p>"Let me show you," said Sile, and from that +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span>moment there was not one sound from the lips +of Na-tee-kah. Whether she was hurt or not +nobody knew, for if the comb had extracted hair +by the handful she would not have whimpered. +Ha-ha-pah-no insisted on having her hair +combed by Na-tee-kah. She must know how +now, it was evident, and she did, for the comb +lost another tooth in the very first tangles of +Ha-ha-pah-no's hair.</p> + +<p>"That's fun," said Yellow Pine. "Jest look +at them critters. That there squaw'll crack +that lookin'-glass, twistin' her face, 'fore her +combin' is done."</p> + +<p>She stood it pretty well, but the other contents +of the box had less interest now. She and +Na-tee-kah preferred to go on with the brush +and comb. Even Two Arrows looked at them +so enviously that Sile told him the white chiefs +did comb their hair. It was enough. Squaws +were made to serve braves, and they were both +commanded to take charge of his long, bushy, +and decidedly tangled barbering. Not for his +life would he have uttered a cry of pain, but he +made up his mind that a pale-face can endure a +great deal before they got through with him.</p> + +<p>Supper had to be eaten, and sharp appetites +helped them to get away long enough for that +duty, but then the brush and comb began again +under Sile's instruction.</p> + +<p>"That there comb won't last long," said <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span>Yellow +Pine. "Tell 'em to put on some grease, +Sile, and some ribbons. Ribbons, Sile, and +some beads, and—"</p> + +<p>"And some red flannel," said Jonas, "and +some tinware."</p> + +<p>"I'd forgotten all about that," exclaimed Sile, +springing up.</p> + +<p>In a few moments his visitors were in a new +state of excitement, for they were tying up their +now glossy locks with brilliant ribbons and strips +of gay cloth. To these were added some of the +brilliant white-metal ornaments that pass for +silver among the very youngest pale-face children. +Two Arrows put on his full share of all +that was offered and became a very gay-looking +young Indian. There was no danger that he +would stand on his head and spoil his ribbons, +but he felt almost too proud to stand on his feet. +He felt more and more sure that the world did +not contain quite such another hero, and longed +for the presence of his whole band, and of his +entire tribe, and of several other tribes, that he +might walk up and down in front of them and +be admired. No white boy with a new stovepipe +hat and a pair of yellow kid gloves ever +wanted to walk through so many streets or past +quite so many "boarding-schools" as did Two +Arrows—only that his showing-off places were +such as he was best acquainted with.</p> + +<p>Na-tee-kah was more quiet than even <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span>Ha-ha-pah-no, +for that highly respectable squaw had +done up her head remarkably.</p> + +<p>"All she wants to finish it off is two tin +dippers and a set of sleigh-bells. I saw a squaw +do that once. There's no telling what they +won't put on. But I say, jedge, that there littler +one is a born lady, and she's right down good-lookin' +too. All she needs is good dressin' and +she'd kind o' shine."</p> + +<p>There was not a doubt of it, and her highly-colored +ribbons had been put on with better +taste than those of Ha-ha-pah-no, and they +showed to good advantage her clear, dark complexion, +brilliant eyes, and regular features. +Old Long Bear had a right to be proud of both +his children.</p> + +<p>It was grand fun, but there came an end to +it at last. Two Arrows went out to share with +Sile his camp-watch, and Ha-ha-pah-no and +Na-tee-kah were shown to a small tent which +had been pitched for them. It was something +of a trial to take all that finery away from the +admiring blaze of the camp-fire and carry it +into the dark hiding-place of that tent, but it +had to be done. At all events they could rise +early in the morning and comb their hair again +and arrange the ribbons and things in some other +way.</p> + +<p>Na-tee-kah's new world was opening to her +wonderfully, and she lay for a long time wide +awake, staring into the darkness and trying to +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span>imagine pale-face squaws and their ways of +doing up their hair and painting themselves and +putting on whole heaps of blankets of the most +striking colors and patterns.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XIII</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">TWO WAR-PARTIES</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>That was a time of uncommon interest and +excitement to the entire Nez Percé hunting +village. They had plenty to eat and to +drink, and some of them had received presents, +and the prospect ahead seemed to brighten a +little. By nightfall all the warriors were returned +from accompanying the mining party, +and it was a time for a grand smoke. Some of +them had begged Yellow Pine for "fire-water," +but not a drop had been obtained. Instead of +it they had been informed,</p> + +<p>"We're not jest that kind of white men. +There isn't a pint of tangle-foot in this 'ere outfit. +Ef I want to murder a feller I'll take a +rifle to him and do the job clean. I won't go +around the bush and massacre him with a +whiskey-jug."</p> + +<p>The red men understood perfectly well that +there was no "fire-water," but that was all they +gathered. Plenty of smoking tobacco they did +obtain, and it was a grand addition to the +dignity of their "council," if every half-naked +brave with a pipe in his mouth had a right to +consider himself a councillor. They all smoked, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span>and they all wondered what it was best to do +next, and they all said so, and every brave among +them regretted that it was out of the question +for them to acquire possession of the quadrupeds +ridden and driven by Judge Parks and his men. +The Big Tongue and a few of the younger braves +even went so far as to "talk war," but the wiser +heads merely grunted at the suggestions volunteered. +The Big Tongue had much to say to +the smokers nearest him concerning a pale-face +warrior whose scalp was among his own treasures. +Ha-ha-pah-no was not there to make +any sly remarks as to how he actually obtained +such a trophy as that and some others on which +his reputation as a warrior mainly rested. They +sat up until they had smoked all the wisdom +out of several pipes of tobacco to each warrior, +but did not seem to be any nearer a conclusion. +The camp was under the special charge of One-eye, +but that dog was becoming quiet and +solemn. His especial master had departed, he +knew not whither. All the bones in camp now +belonged to him, and he had no time to bury +so much as one of them. He was not fond of +tobacco, and as soon as the smoking began he +walked out of camp to patrol the edge of the +woods and to keep all the eye left him on duty +against possible intruders. He had no faith +in a country which was evidently infested by +pale-faces.</p> + +<p>If he had known more about that valley and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span>the region into which it led, he would have had +an even worse opinion of it. The fact that it +contained a large stream of water had already +suggested many things to the experienced mind +of Long Bear. All such water, he well knew, +kept on running, no matter what might be its +crooks and turnings. If he and his braves could +have followed that stream far enough while +they were smoking and talking over plans, they +might have reached a place where it turned a +corner of the mountains and was joined by another +and larger stream. The two in partnership +were able to float a canoe. There was no +canoe afloat there, but there was something yet +more important away on down, a pretty long +way, below the fork made by the junction of the +two streams. There was a camp occupied by +red warriors only, without one squaw to be seen +in it, and it was therefore the camp of a "war-party." +It was accompanied by a large drove +of ponies, horses, and mules, and some of these +had saddles and others carried packs. These +were signs that the war-party had been successful +and that pale-faces had been the sufferers. +Every quadruped visible wore an air of being +more or less fatigued, in token of having been +driven or ridden both fast and far. From this +it might have been gathered that these red men, +however successful had been their expedition, +believed or feared that they were followed by +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span>somebody whom they preferred to get away +from. All these signs told the exact truth; it +was also true that some pains had been taken +to discover whether or not the supposed pursuit +continued.</p> + +<p>At the very hour when One-eye was making +the best use he could of the bright moonshine +in front of his own camp, and knew nothing at +all about this other, a tall man stood in the deep +shadow of a pine-tree, miles and miles down +stream from the resting-place of the war-party. +The bridle of a horse hung over his right arm, +but the animal stood as motionless as did his +master, and both were intently watching a dark +shape that rode nearer and could be seen more +and more clearly, and that paused at last upon +the river-bank within thirty yards. Just as it +did so there came from under the shadow of the +pine-tree a flash and a sharp report, and all the +upper part of the dark shape on the bank fell +suddenly to the earth, uttering a loud, fierce +yell.</p> + +<p>"Got him!" was shouted from under the pine-tree, +and the man walked out, leading his horse, +while instantly there could be heard the sound +of galloping hoofs beyond him. In a minute +or so more a stern, hoarse voice rang out.</p> + +<p>"Halt! What is it, Garry?"</p> + +<p>"Got him, captain. 'Nother of them 'Paches. +He won't carry back no news. Dead as a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span>mackerel. Reckon they can't be far away now."</p> + +<p>"We've taken pretty good care of their scouts, +anyhow."</p> + +<p>"Jest so many the less to fight when we come +up with 'em. They'll outnumber us bad enough, +I reckon, best we can make of it."</p> + +<p>"Back to camp, Garry. Corporal Peters, +take the same post, with two men. There may +be more of them."</p> + +<p>"All right, captain."</p> + +<p>There was a little more talking done, but +these seemed to be a somewhat quiet set of men. +There were six of them besides the captain. +They were all dressed in blue, and wore brass +buttons and carried short-barrelled carbines and +sabres. A good look at them would have recalled +to the mind of Two Arrows all the arguments +he had ever heard as to the wisdom of +keeping the peace with the pale-faces. When +they reached the camp, after "changing the +guard" at Garry's river-side post, it was easy +to see that their entire force consisted of several +times as many men of the same sort. Every +man was on his feet, wide awake and waiting +for orders. One squad of five stood with each +man's hand upon the bridle of a saddled horse, +ready to mount, just as the first squad must have +been, when it heard the warning report of +Garry's carbine. A company of United States +cavalry, veteran Indian fighters, following a +"hot trail," keeps itself wonderfully ready for +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span>action. It is not easy to take such men by +surprise. Now, however, at the word of command, +all was instantly quiet again. The actual +meaning of the alarm was rapidly told from +man to man, and several remarked:</p> + +<p>"Good for Garry! We'll catch 'em yet."</p> + +<p>All who had a right to go to sleep, did so as +unconcernedly as if they had been in a hotel. +On the whole, it looked as if something else than +peace were on its way into the valley where +One-eye was keeping watch for the smokers. +The last man to lie down was the captain, and +one of the wide-awake squad nodded at him and +said to another,</p> + +<p>"If there was forty alarms 'fore sun-up, old +Grover'd be the first man to turn out every +time."</p> + +<p>"Not much reg'lation 'bout him."</p> + +<p>"But there's lots of fight."</p> + +<p>"He can get more hard work out of men and +hosses, and he can do more himself, and he can +sleep less, and say less about it all, than any +other captain I ever served under."</p> + +<p>That, therefore, was the kind of soldiers from +whom the Apaches were wisely trying to get +away, and Garry's carbine had destroyed their +prospect of learning how very near he and his +might be. It looked very much as if two days +more of hard riding would bring them into a +sort of trap, with the mountains before and the +cavalry behind. Still, even then, there would be +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span>the pass, if they knew where to find it. There +also were One-eye and all of his men and Sile +Parks and his party; and the wicked old mule, +too, with his command, was in the valley somewhere. +Only a few days earlier the entire sweep +of forest and "open and mountain-side" had been +unoccupied by anything more dangerous or more +interesting than wild game and the wild animals +that fed on it. It is very curious how suddenly +immigrants will sometimes pour into a new +country if there is a good trail pointing out the +way.</p> + +<p>The spot chosen by Yellow Pine for the camp +of the mining party was by a dancing little +brook which came down from the mountain +to the right of them, and the path by which they +travelled that day had barely kept them outside +of the rocky slopes. Some coyotes came prowling +around, to yelp over the faint smell of roasted +meat that floated out to them from the camp-fires. +Once during the night the cry of a wandering +cougar came wailing through the silence +and was followed by that of a horned owl who +had noiselessly flapped near enough to blink his +great eyes at the blaze. For all that, it was the +loneliest kind of a place, and the hours went by +until sunrise without the smallest real disturbance +or hint of perils to come.</p> + +<p>Judge Parks himself was on the watch in the +first gray of dawn, and the camp was dim enough +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span>even after there were rosy tints upon the distant +mountain summits. He stood gazing at these +and leaning upon his rifle, when Yellow Pine +walked out to take his customary survey of matters.</p> + +<p>"We're going to have a fine day, jedge."</p> + +<p>"Splendid weather. Pine, just think of all +this magnificent country as it will be when it's +settled. Farms, towns, villages, mines, railways, +factories—"</p> + +<p>"There won't be any game, then, or any red +Indians, either."</p> + +<p>"There isn't a finer country in all the world. +The new time is coming, Pine."</p> + +<p>"Of course it is. Our mine's coming first +thing. We'll get there 'fore sundown. Wish I +knew what else was coming."</p> + +<p>"Afraid of anything?"</p> + +<p>"Got a curious feeling in my back. Always +have it when there's something up. It's as much +like the rheumatiz as it is like anything."</p> + +<p>"Guess that's what it is, then."</p> + +<p>"I dunno 'bout that. I've had all sorts of +things happen when I had this 'ere feeling onto +me."</p> + +<p>"Exactly, Pine. I've had dinner happen to +me a good many times just when I had a sort of +feeling it was coming. Soon as I got right +down hungry I knew it was a sure sign. I say, +look at those boys."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span>"Going a-fishing. I'd call it—Well, it's a +good thing for 'em to do. They can't miss +bringing in a good string. Sile, see here."</p> + +<p>"Halloo!"</p> + +<p>"Get back with some for breakfast if you can. +We'll be right here till the critters have done +feeding. Catch a heap."</p> + +<p>"All right," shouted Sile. "He says the +water's full of 'em."</p> + +<p>"Of course it is."</p> + +<p>"Sile," said his father, "don't throw away your +time on fly-fishing. Use bait, and pull 'em right +in. They'll bite."</p> + +<p>"I'm going to spoon for 'em. Can't find any +bait."</p> + +<p>"Never mind, jedge," said Pine. "I've seen +trout in some of these mountain streams jump +for a bare hook quick as it tetched the water. +There's too many on 'em, and they get the hungriest +kind."</p> + +<p>"They won't mind much what they jump at, +that's sure. I must say I'd like some for breakfast, +though."</p> + +<p>Yellow Pine and the judge had other matters +on hand, and the latter had a short nap to take, +after his "watch." The animals had to be cared +for, moreover, before any mere human being +had a right to be fed.</p> + +<p>The first noise that was made in camp +brought Na-tee-kah and Ha-ha-pah-no out of +their tent, comb and brush in hand. They both +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span>made sure of their ribbons and that all was in +order before they had a word to say to anybody. +It could not be denied that they were a very +bright looking and highly ornamented pair, Ha-ha-pah-no +being perhaps a little ahead.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XIX</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">WONDERFUL FISHING</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>There had been a good deal of discussion +of the fishing question between the two +young friends, for Two Arrows knew nothing +of the powers of a "spoon-hook." Sile had +them of several sizes, and Two Arrows admitted +to himself that anything so very bright and +pretty must have special effectiveness. Any of +those spoons was brilliant enough to have been +worn in the hat of a great chief, but the doubt +remaining was as to what the trout would think +of them. The gaudy assortment of artificial flies +Two Arrows quite turned up his nose at. The +fish of the western mountains were not in the +habit of biting at such things, and could not be +taught to do so. As to the hooks, however, large +and small, anybody could see their superiority +over such as he was accustomed to using, and the +lines were elegant. Sile provided him with a +rod, and when he marched away with it he felt +a strong desire to carry it to and through his own +camp, that everybody he knew might see what +an extraordinary thing he was doing. No Nez +Percé boy that he had ever heard of had been +able to go a-fishing with a joint-rod and a spoon-hook.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span>They had but a mile or so to walk in order to +reach the nearest bend of the little river, and +they startled more than one gang of deer on the +way. Sile had his rifle and Two Arrows had +his bow, but the morning had been given up to +fish, and they stuck to their original purpose in +spite of all temptation. On the bank of the +stream they paused for a moment and took a +survey of the situation. The water was not +more than fifty yards wide, and did not seem to +be deep, but it ran with rippling swiftness.</p> + +<p>"That'll do," said Sile. "It's plenty strong +enough to carry a spoon. You won't have to +skitter it a bit."</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Heap fish," said Two Arrows, but he +did not understand Sile's remark and wondered +what was to come next. During all his life +thus far he had never thought of the pale-faces +as fishermen, or that they really knew anything +valuable about such matters. The contents of +Sile's box had staggered him, and now he looked +on in silence while the "Red-head" (as Ha-ha-pah-no +had named him) put his rod together, +setting the reel firmly in its socket, and then +deftly fitted on the spoon-hook with its fine +wire "snell." Sile's father was an enthusiastic +fisherman and had given his son more than a +little good schooling. Up went the rod, and +the line swing lightly back for a second, and +then, with a perfect cast, the brilliant "spoon" +flew over the water and alighted among the swift +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span>ripples. The current caught it and whirled it +away, the polished silver glittering and dancing +near the surface, but it was visible only for an +instant. There came a rush and a plunge, and +away out of the water sprang a splendid trout +with Sile's hook fastened firmly in his too hasty +jaw.</p> + +<p>"Hurrah!" shouted Sile. "Got him!"</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Good," said Two Arrows. "Break!"</p> + +<p>"No, he won't break any line. See!"</p> + +<p>Two Arrows did see a great deal in a very +few moments. The tough rod bent, and Sile +gave a little line at first; but the trout made an +up-stream rush and was guided to the shore. +He was lying on the grass, quietly enough, just +after that. So was another and another, and +now Two Arrows had mastered the idea and was +at work with energy. It surprised Sile to see +how perfectly his red friend could handle his +new tools, but it was well that the rod was a +stout one, for the reel and its uses were as yet +an enigma. It was exciting sport, for there was +hardly any waiting for bites whatever. The +trout were on the lookout for their breakfasts, +and nobody had ever before offered them such +attractive little silvery fish as they now saw, +every now and then struggling through the +water, all ready to be seized upon.</p> + +<p>It was a great lesson to Two Arrows, and it +promised a capital breakfast to the mining +party.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span>"Guess we've got enough," said Sile at last. +"We'd better hurry back to camp."</p> + +<p>At that moment a strange and unexpected +sound came to his ears from some point lower +down the stream, and Two Arrows came near to +dropping his rod into the water.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Catch now!"</p> + +<p>"Yes, you've caught your fish, but what's +that? It sounds for all the world like a mule +braying."</p> + +<p>"Two Arrows know him. Heap bad mule. +Nez Percé lose all pony. Find 'em now. Red-head +come?"</p> + +<p>Sile looked with admiration upon the fiercely +excited face of the young Nez Percé. The dark +eyes fairly glittered with pleasure and expectation, +and he was striving, with all the words and +signs he was master of, to convey an idea of the +loss his band had sustained, and now once more, +and more sonorously, the "morning bugle" of +a mule in command of something came ringing +up the river.</p> + +<p>"I'll string the trout," said Sile, as he began to +do so, "then I'll go with you. It'll be grand if +we can really catch them."</p> + +<p>"Two Arrows catch 'em all, heap time. Get +one, get all tribe."</p> + +<p>"Wish we were mounted. Better go to camp +and get some horses."</p> + +<p>"Ugh! No wait. Find now."</p> + +<p>There was no such thing as resisting his eager +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span>urgency, and Sile himself began to get excited. +The trout made two magnificent "strings," but +were pretty heavy to carry, and it was decided +to hang them and the two rods upon the limb +of a tree until a visit should have been paid to +the owner of that bray. All this was quickly +attended to, and then the two fishermen were instantly +changed into pony-hunters.</p> + +<p>Not even his adventure with the grisly, or +his timely success with the two bisons when his +people were starving, had so aroused the ambition +of Two Arrows. The future fortunes +of his entire band seemed to him to depend once +more upon his own individual good-conduct. +Sile thought he had never seen so proud looking +a human being.</p> + +<p>The speckled beauties from the river swung +heavily from the high but bending branch as +the two boys hurried away, but these were almost +forgotten by both in the course of a few +minutes. They did not have to follow far the +windings of the stream before Two Arrows, +who was somewhat in the advance, dodged behind +a tree and beckoned eagerly to Sile:</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Look! Pony!"</p> + +<p>Just beyond him was a grassy glade glistening +with morning dew, and scattered over it was +the entire command of the wicked old mule, the +wealth and the comfort together of the Nez +Percé pony-riders. To have been seen by them +prematurely would have been a pretty sure way +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span>of stampeding them again, and the occasion +called for prudence and good management. +Some of the animals still had their long hide +lariats hanging and dragging from their necks +and some had not, but Two Arrows noted one of +the former, a very good-looking pony, feeding at +no great distance from a clump of hazel and willows +beyond him. He made Sile understand +his purpose of getting into that cover, and then +all that Sile had to do was to watch him. Down +dropped the young Nez Percé, and from that +moment there was little of him to be seen, except +when his gayly ribboned head now and +then showed itself, peering over the wet, luxuriant +grass and weeds. Then a slight movement +among the willows told of his safe arrival, +and still the runaways were feeding quietly, unaware +of the nearness of human beings or other +enemies. Sile peered from behind his tree and +watched the movements of the particular pony +his friend had pointed out. He was a brisk +sort of fellow, and he was working at his +breakfast busily. Nearer and nearer he fed his +way towards a projecting growth of the hazel-bushes +and Sile perceived a promising shake in +one of these. There was something more than +a shake hidden by them, for in about one minute +more a light, lithe, graceful human form sprang +suddenly out. A quick grasp at the trailing +lariat, a rapid twist of a loop of it around the +animal's face, a buoyant leap, and Two Arrows +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span>was a mounted Indian once more. Every beast +of the wicked old mule's startled command was +familiar with the tones of the whoop of triumph +which called them all away from their grass +and their freedom. They had many a time been +driven in from other pastures by that particular +yell, and it seemed now as if each of them took +a swift look around him and listened for the expected +voice of One-eye. It should naturally +have followed that whoop. After that it was +as if they had only been waiting for somebody +to come, and wished to say as much. Their +commander put out his head and brayed lustily, +and so did all the other mules, but the ponies +took the matter more soberly. Whether or not +they had already begun to discover warning +signs of cougars, wolves, grislies and other insecurities +of their situation, they actually felt +better to be once more in the company of a +human being whom they knew. Sile wondered +greatly to see how readily the whole drove +obeyed the shouts of Two Arrows, and permitted +themselves to be gathered and driven. He refused +the invitation given him to mount one of +the ponies, for he had doubts of his success in +managing it barebacked and with such a halter-bridle. +He explained as well as he could that +he preferred to carry the fish and the rods and +the news to his own camp, leaving Two Arrows +to handle his captives as best he could. That +was just what Two Arrows wanted. He was +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span>almost afraid lest the pale-faces should send +him some help and so take from him part of +the glory of his fresh achievement. There was +little danger of that, as Sile was soon to discover. +He hurried back after his fish in a state of such +excitement that he very nearly forgot that he +was in a new country. He would have forgotten +it more completely if it had not been for something +he heard as he drew nearer the spot where +he had left his speckled game.</p> + +<p>"What's that?" he suddenly exclaimed, stopping +short and listening. "What's all that +growling? I never heard a bear, but it might +be one."</p> + +<p>So it might be, indeed, in a country where +they were so plentiful, but it was not a grisly +this time. It was only a common black bear, +very fond of fish, and tremendously disgusted +at the failure of his efforts to get hold of some +which had plainly been caught and left expressly +for him. Standing upon his hind-feet, and +springing up as far as he was able, his paws just +reached the end of the longest string of trout +and set it a swinging. Two Arrows had wisely +insisted upon bending down a branch and hanging +the fish pretty high, Indian fashion, and +Sile now saw the reason of it.</p> + +<p>"He'd bring 'em all down as it is if I should +let him take his time to it. What shall I do +now? Oh, but ain't I glad I brought along my +rifle!"</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span>He was glad of it, very; but when he raised +it in the direction of that bear the sight seemed +to dance in all directions, and he could not get +a good aim, short as was the distance.</p> + +<p>Sile had the "buck ague."</p> + +<p>Even old hunters sometimes find their nerves +playing tricks on them. It would not do to +miss a shot then and there, and Sile lowered +his rifle.</p> + +<p>"I'll try a rest and see about this thing. I +must hit that bear in the head the first time, +sure." He stepped behind a tree and put his +rifle through the crotch of a projecting branch. +That tree had no shake in it; and the barrel +grew steady. "He is getting up on his hind-feet +again. Now for him."</p> + +<p>The bear poised himself, with uplifted head, +and, just as he lifted his paw for another scratch +at the fish, Sile pulled the trigger.</p> + +<p>The range was very short, the rest was a good +one, the sight was quick but careful, and the bit +of lead went straight to its intended place under +the ear of that black bear. He would need no +more fish from that time forth, and he pitched +heavily forward upon the ground.</p> + +<p>"Wait a moment, Sile! Never run in on a +b'ar till yer sure of him. Reckon he's dead, +though. Stand where you are, my boy!"</p> + +<p>"Why, father! Yellow Pine! You here? +I never expected to see you."</p> + +<p>"Well, my son," said the judge, "we thought +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span>we'd come over and see what luck you were +having. Where's Two Arrows?"</p> + +<p>"We watched ye jest a moment," said Pine. +"Allers take sight from a rest if you can get one. +You did that thing fine. There's the making +of a prime good shot in ye."</p> + +<p>"I shook all over at first," said Sile, walking +a little nearer the bear.</p> + +<p>"Buck ager. I've had it. He won't come to. +If he does it's no matter, now we've got here. +I'll come back after breakfast with a hoss and +fetch him in. Where's the redskin?"</p> + +<p>Sile rapidly explained the cause of his delay +in getting back to camp; but what he did not +know or explain was the fact that the Nez +Percés had had no idea that their drove of lost +ponies had wandered into that valley.</p> + +<p>"Glad they've got 'em," said Yellow Pine. +"Every hoof of ourn'll be safer from this time +on, treaty or no treaty, good Indians or bad."</p> + +<p>"Would they really steal from us, after all?" +asked Sile, soberly.</p> + +<p>"Steal hosses? Well, now, that isn't jest the +way it looks to them. They're brought up to +it. All hoss-flesh is fair game to a plains redskin. +The more they have of their own, the +easier it is to get 'em to keep their hands off +from them that you have and to make believe +good. These 'ere Nez Percés ain't a bad lot. +Hope we won't run afoul of any that's worse +than they are, and more of 'em."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span>Sile was proud of his fish, and tenfold prouder +of his bear, but the proudest person in the mining-camp +that morning was Na-tee-kah. Her +wonderful brother had earned some more glory. +The next proudest being was probably Ha-ha-pah-no, +and she asked, several times in succession, +of both herself and Na-tee-kah, and without +any satisfactory answer,</p> + +<p>"What Big Tongue say, now? Tell how he +caught pony?"</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XX</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">A FULL CORRAL</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>Two arrows was a born horseman. +About the earliest memory he had was of +riding rather than walking. The pony he was +now on was one which had carried him many +a time. As soon as he had cut and trimmed a +very long and serviceable tree-branch all the +other ponies and the mules perfectly understood +what it was for.</p> + +<p>He was in a serious hurry. It was the most +important affair of his life. So far as he could +see, the only ponies now missing from the drove +were the ones which had not been stampeded, +but had remained in camp to be eaten. All the +rest had been rescued and kept in good order +by the genius and generalship of the wicked old +mule. Two Arrows could but wish that a dozen +or so of the best dogs had been stampeded at the +same time. He rode busily hither and thither, +shouting vigorously and lashing his charges +away from every tuft of grass they lingered over. +He knew exactly where to find his people, and +he meant to find them quickly. The distance +was nearly the same that had been travelled the +day before by the mining party, but the loaded +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span>wagons had taken more time upon it than loose +ponies would, followed by an excited boy with +a long "gad."</p> + +<p>The fact that he had eaten no breakfast was +one which hardly occurred to Two Arrows, in +his eager determination to get his runaways +home in the shortest possible order. Once they +were headed in the right direction there was but +little difficulty in guiding them rightly, and +now the old mule took his accustomed place in +the advance. It was as if he had repented and +was even willing to get some credit for leading +his reformed command in the way they should +go.</p> + +<p>The Nez Percé community had all eaten a +good breakfast that morning; there had been +no vegetables, to be sure, but not a soul had +missed them. With plenty of fish and fresh +meat they had all that red Indians expect to be +provided with, and they asked for no more. +Their kind of human life can be kept a-going +upon a very narrow diet. The laziest brave in +camp was well fed, but for all that there was +a general air of dejection and despondency. +Long Bear himself sat in front of his lodge, +cross-legged and moody, all the forenoon: his +children were away from him, on a visit to the +pale-faces; his ponies were away upon another +visit, he could not guess with whom; his dogs, +with the solitary exception of One-eye, had all +visited the camp-kettles. His only remaining +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span>consolation seemed to be his pipe, and he was +rapidly and extravagantly using up all the tobacco +he had obtained from Yellow Pine. The +shadow of the mighty maple near him grew +shorter until it had little more left to lose and +could almost announce the arrival of midday. +Just then there arose, at the edge of the woods, +a long, ear-piercing howl, followed by such a +volley of yelps and barking as can only be fired +off by a very remarkable dog. One-eye was informing +the camp that something great was +drawing near, and was doing his best to make +up for the absence of the other dogs.</p> + +<p>The Nez Percé warriors went for their weapons +instinctively but somewhat listlessly, until +they heard a tremendous whoop join in with the +barking of One-eye and recognized the powerful +voice of the Big Tongue. He could out-whoop +any other brave he knew of, and he was +now doing his best. He had been strolling out +towards the open country when One-eye began, +and had found and seized upon a sudden heap +of unexpected glory.</p> + +<p>Away in advance of his command, farther +and farther, had wisely trotted the long-legged, +long-eared, long-absent wicked old mule. Not +another quadruped was in sight when One-eye +gave the alarm. The Big Tongue bounded forward +as if he were charging upon a beaten +enemy, and the mule did but whinny affectionately +when he caught the remains of the lariat +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span>at the place where it had been gnawed asunder, +and sprang triumphantly upon the back of the +recaptured mule.</p> + +<p>Whoop followed whoop as the happy warrior +rode his prize towards the camp, and the entire +band, squaws and children included, poured out +under the trees to rejoice that they now had a +mule as well as a dog. Long Bear came among +the rest. Ha-ha-pah-no was not there to make +unpleasant remarks, but the old chief knew that +mule very well and he knew that by no chance +had he returned to his owners of his own free will. +He would have remained more contentedly +with a man who had found or stolen him. +Long Bear was positive that he had not followed +his masters lovingly across the mountains, and +that he need not make any pretence of having +done so. He could hardly have believed that +the mule was there at all but that he could see +him, with the Big Tongue sitting upon him to +be admired.</p> + +<p>The old chief turned and looked keenly and +wistfully across the grassy rolls, and so did +several others of the wiser warriors. There was +quite a rise of ground at a little distance and +One-eye was making for it as fast as his legs +could carry him. Suddenly, as if by a common +impulse, all the woods rang with a full chorus +of whooping. Over the crest of that green +ridge came galloping pony after pony and mule +after mule, in a confused rush, and then a shrill +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span>shout arose beyond, and they could shortly see +Two Arrows, gayly ribboned, ornamented, +mounted, dashing madly back and forth and +lashing forward the rear-guard of that battalion.</p> + +<p>Long Bear folded his arms and stood erect +and still, as if he were trying to hold himself +in. His own boy, and therefore he himself, +had done another mighty deed.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Two Arrows! Young chief! Find +pony all alone."</p> + +<p>The Big Tongue tried hard to look as if he +had found the mule, but it did not seem to fit, +somehow, and twice he opened his mouth widely +and shut it again in silence; there was no whoop +ready to come. Every other brave had a score +or more quite ready, but Two Arrows grew +silent as he came nearer and rode more sedately. +There was almost an air of stateliness about him +when at last he followed the trail of his important +cavalcade in under the shadows of the +forest.</p> + +<p>It was not becoming for him to volunteer, in +boyish haste, an explanation of his utterly unlooked-for +exploit. Even the gray-heads felt +that he was entitled to a respectful and dignified +reception, and Long Bear himself stepped forward +and inquired, in due form, precisely how +that wonderful rescue had been accomplished. +Now that the question was asked of him, Two +Arrows was willing enough to tell the entire +story, and to point to all the animals as witnesses +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span>to the truth of it. As fast as he told it, the +more or less distorted facts went swiftly round +from lip to lip among the squaws and younger +people. It was almost unlucky for the Big +Tongue to remark, dignifiedly,</p> + +<p>"Boy find pony. Warrior ride him;" for a +half-grown warrior near him added,</p> + +<p>"Boy <i>there</i>. Big Tongue <i>here</i>. Same way +hunt buffalo."</p> + +<p>It sounded a little like Ha-ha-pah-no, and the +Big Tongue was silenced. He and the rest +now listened to the answers of Two Arrows as +to his visit, and he gave a full account of the +good treatment he had received. It looked as +if honors had fairly been heaped upon him and +Na-tee-kah, and, for their sakes, upon Ha-ha-pah-no. +Some of the older squaws shortly +picked up the annoying fact concerning the +latter that she had learned how to make coffee, +and that her hair was now brushed and combed +and made shiny. They knew what combs were. +She would probably wear one now. She would +never again be the same woman in her own +estimation, they were sure of that. She had +always held her head high enough, for her husband +was a renowned brave and her tongue was +always in good order.</p> + +<p>The drove of ponies and mules was the centre +of attraction, after Two Arrows had finished +his recital, and every Nez Percé searched it +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span>eagerly for his own. It was decided to send +off several braves at once, with some squaws and +pack-ponies, to bring through the pass the lodges +and other materials they had hidden near the +camp of their starvation. Two Arrows ate his +breakfast and dinner in one meal, and was then +bidden to mount a pony at once and ride away +after his pale-face friends, with the strongest +assurances that the Nez Percés regarded them +as so many brothers. Long Bear also sent a +handsome cougar-skin to Sile, as a proper acknowledgment +of the fact that he had been a +looker-on at the rescue of the quadrupeds from +the misguiding leadership of the bad old mule. +Two Arrows rode gladly away upon his errand, +and some of the braves set out at once after the +"left baggage." All whom they left behind +them had now abundant subject-matter for +conversation and for unlimited "Ughs!" The +entire future suddenly brightened up for that +band of Nez Percés, and they were entirely confident +of their ability to procure a new supply +of dogs. As for One-eye, that sagacious brute +wandered around the corral, from hoof to hoof, +until he knew the facts of the case thoroughly. +He would have followed Two Arrows, but for +the stern refusal of Long Bear. He was needed +at home all the more now that there would be +additional watching and barking to be done. +On the whole he was as well satisfied to have it +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span>so, for his accumulation of bone treasures was +becoming an affair for any dog to think about +seriously.</p> + +<p>Sile was not exactly a hero when he reached +camp, but he was an uncommonly hungry boy. +It seemed to him that he could eat as many +trout as Ha-ha-pah-no could broil for him, and +he certainly worked at it steadily for a long +time. Every other human being in camp did +the same, although some had already made a +fair beginning upon venison cuts and coffee. +All had room for some fresh trout, and all said +they would be glad of a little bear-meat for +a change. Sile was in the saddle promptly +enough after breakfast, to go and see his bear +brought in. He would not willingly have +missed that, and was only afraid lest it should +have been stolen in his absence, in spite of the +care taken by Yellow Pine to throw bushes over +it, and give any roving coyote an idea that a +trap was there. Said Pine, in answer to a +question,</p> + +<p>"Them critters is too cunnin' for their own +good. One on 'em'd sit down in front of that +there, and howl all day and all night before +he'd make up his mind to scratch at the brush."</p> + +<p>"How'd he guess at a trap?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, they're laid on kind o' reg'lar, and he'd +smell the b'ar too, and he'd know it was somethin' +more than ordinary. There's jest one +thing they ain't cunnin' enough for, and that's +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span>a rifle-bullet. They'd dodge that if they could +see it a comin'."</p> + +<p>The bear was found all safe and was brought +in and skinned, and Sile said to himself,</p> + +<p>"Now I've got something better than a deer +to tell of when Two Arrows gets back again."</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XXI</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">THE GOLD MINE</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>A proud girl was Na-tee-kah that bright +September day, and she took an extraordinary +amount of pains with her hair. So, for +that matter, did Ha-ha-pah-no, and Sile could +but discern that both treated him with much +more respect than at first. He had been with +Two Arrows at the recovery of the ponies, he +had killed a buck and a bear, and was evidently +able to use the weapons of grown-up white +braves. He was therefore not a boy to be +snubbed; and, if it had not been for his unfortunate +light complexion, he was almost good-looking. +At all events he was disposed to do his +best to be polite, and they were willing to meet +him as nearly half-way as was consistent with +dignity and propriety. They were under the +especial care of the judge himself, however, and +Na-tee-kah derived a vast amount of comfort +from an occasional look at his very fatherly +and benevolent face. Her obvious respect for +Yellow Pine was mingled with something like +fear as yet, and she would not have a word to +say to any of the miners. Horses were furnished +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span>to both of them when the camp broke up for +the day's travelling, and no man in the party +was more at home upon one, except that a side-saddle +was an invention that they had never +heard of and did not need.</p> + +<p>"We'll git to the mine afore night, jedge," +said Yellow Pine, when they halted for their +noon luncheon, and the further information he +added stimulated all hands to push forward. +Not one sign of peril or even of human presence, +other than their own, did they encounter, +and yet the other human beings of that region +were hourly drawing nearer.</p> + +<p>The camp of the Apache marauders broke up +at sunrise, with a considerable amount of discontented +grumbling. A man familiar with +their dialect, or with only a little of it, could +easily have gathered that they were eager for +news which did not come, and for scouts who +did not return. Not all of them, to say the +least, would ever again come into that or any +other camp, news or no news. In the absence +of any, it was plainly a due precaution to push +forward even farther beyond the supposed pursuit +of the men in blue.</p> + +<p>There was a good deal more than a mere supposition +about that pursuit, for Captain Grover +and his men were on the trail at as early an hour +as was consistent with a proper care of their +horses, and a hearty breakfast all around. They +were a fine looking lot of men, bronzed and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span>weather-beaten and soldierly. Their uniforms +were not exactly in "parade" condition, but +there was nothing slovenly about them, and their +weapons were in excellent order. They had +several "led-horses," to make good the places of +any that might become over-wearied, and every +animal in the troop showed signs of careful +grooming. A captain, a lieutenant, and thirty +men did not seem an overpowering force for a +hundred and more of Apache warriors to run +from, but neither of the two parties could have +a correct knowledge of the strength of the other. +Besides, the main object of an Indian raid is +never a hard fight, but rather to pick up scalps +and plunder and get away without serious loss. +Red men are courageous enough, but they have +a strong objection to being shot at or sabred, and +know that it does not take a great many hard-won +victories over cavalry, even if they should +win them, to about wipe out the fighting +strength of a tribe.</p> + +<p>As for Captain Grover, he had been ordered +to follow and "strike" that band of Apaches, and +compel them to return to their "reservation," +and he had no other purpose in mind than to +obey thoroughly.</p> + +<p>"I'll follow them," he remarked to the lieutenant, +"as far as they choose to go. We've +wiped out six of their scouts already."</p> + +<p>"Garry," said one of the men at the same +moment, "reckon them 'Paches'll begin to think +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span>this 'ere's an unhealthy crowd to creep in on."</p> + +<p>"The more on 'em we can pick off," said +Garry, "the fewer we'll have to fight at the +close."</p> + +<p>"Sharp work when that comes, or I'm mistaken, +but they can't take hoss plunder into the +mountains."</p> + +<p>As they rode along so cheerily and confidently, +it became plainer and plainer that those men +had small doubt of their ability to deal with +any ordinary band of red horse-thieves if they +could meet them fairly. It would hardly have +seemed so to an unprejudiced observer of the +Apache cavalcade that morning. Every warrior +was a perfect horseman, and was well mounted +and well armed. There were lances instead +of sabres, but the pistols and carbines, or rifles, +were just as good as those carried by the cavalry. +The red men were all trained and experienced +soldiers, under capable leaders, and it looked as +if all they had to do was to choose a good position +and wait for Captain Grover and his men, +and destroy them all. As it was, all they seemed +to think of was to urge their drove of stolen +quadrupeds forward. They could not make the +best of time so encumbered, and when they +again halted for the night, the men in blue were +several miles nearer without one Apache knowing +exactly where they were. The trail these +had made told Captain Grover all he as yet +needed to know, with the help of one used-up +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span>pony that the Indians had turned loose to shift +for himself.</p> + +<p>"Beginning to break down, are they?" said +the captain. "I'll strike them among the foothills +of the ranges within three days."</p> + +<p>All that exciting chase was as yet hidden from +the red and white men in the upper valley, and +it was quite possible that they would never know +anything about it. That depended, in fact, +upon whether the Apaches should turn to the +left or the right when they reached the "forks" +of the little river.</p> + +<p>It was pretty late when Two Arrows again +caught up with his pale-face friends, and his +pony showed signs of very hard riding. If he +had been a grown-up brave he could not possibly +have had so warm a reception, except from Na-tee-kah +and Ha-ha-pah-no. These two considered +him the tallest kind of a young chief already, +but all the rest regarded him very much +as Yellow Pine did, as "the likeliest young redskin +he'd ever come across."</p> + +<p>"I believe he is," said Judge Parks, and Sile +had added,</p> + +<p>"Father, what wouldn't he know pretty soon +if he could learn to read and write? He understands +everything he sees right away."</p> + +<p>"I'd like to try the experiment, Sile, but I +don't believe he would ever take kindly to +books. I'll talk about it some other time. +There is something else on my mind just now."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span>There was a good deal upon everybody's +mind, and even Sile ceased to admire Long +Bear's present when Yellow Pine rose in his +stirrups and pointed forward, shouting.</p> + +<p>"There she is, jedge—right back in that there +notch!"</p> + +<p>Away to the right of them the craggy mountain +arose against the sky, facing the valley with +an uncommonly precipitous wall. In this grim +face of granite could be seen what looked like +a mere indentation. When they came to it, +however, they discovered that Yellow Pine's +"notch" was much narrower at its mouth than +beyond it, owing to some ancient overturn and +"landslide" of great rocks and small, which almost +shut it in. Beyond this barrier, the opening +through which was a mere roadway, there +were several acres of good grass and trees. +There were springs of water also, and the whole +place was a good one to camp in, so long as no +more bowlders should break loose from the +slopes above and come crashing down into it. It +was plain that none had done so for a long time +past, and the wagons were hauled fearlessly in. +There was nobody with them but their drivers, +for every other human being had galloped on +after Yellow Pine and Judge Parks until the +old miner drew rein in front of a great mass of +shattered, ragged, dirty looking quartz rock. +In front of this a deep hole had been dug by +somebody, and near it were traces of old <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span>camp-fires, +bones of deer and buffalo, some rusty tin +cans, and a worn-out pickaxe.</p> + +<p>"That's the lode, jedge. It's all I ever told +ye it was. Safest place in the world, too, now +the 'Paches are gethered onto their reservation. +We can go right to work to-morrow mornin'."</p> + +<p>Judge Parks was at that moment examining +some bits of quartz he had picked up. He took +from his pocket a magnifying-glass and closely +inspected stone after stone.</p> + +<p>"It looks like it, Pine. I haven't a doubt of +the value of that vein. Look at that, Sile."</p> + +<p>Sile looked with a face more deeply flushed +than even his father's.</p> + +<p>"Why, it's exactly like Yellow Pine's old +specimens, so far as I can see; no more gold in +these than in them."</p> + +<p>"That's just the point, Sile. He brought me +fair specimens. There isn't any humbug or +delusion about it. It's all right, Pine, so far +as I can see. As for safety, the mouth of this +notch could be made a perfect fort of, if we +had to quit mining and go to fighting."</p> + +<p>"Guess we won't ever have to do that. +Game's plenty, and so is fish, and we won't have +to use up our provisions. Chance for you, +Sile. You can keep the camp-fires going. +Fetch in some fish, first thing in the morning, +and then go for all the fresh meat there is. +What we don't eat we can cure and put away."</p> + +<p>"I'll do the hunting!" shouted Sile. "What +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span>are the men all chopping for? There's plenty +of dry dead wood."</p> + +<p>"I'd call it!" exclaimed Yellow Pine. "If +they ain't struck with the mine-fever now. +Jest look at 'em, jedge."</p> + +<p>"Pine," shouted one of the men from a little +distance, "this 'ere shelf by the spring's the spot +you marked for the shelter, isn't it?"</p> + +<p>"All right, boys," he responded. "Thirty +feet by twelve, and an ell for cooking and an ell +for stowage."</p> + +<p>"Nine feet high to the front, and slope to +seven and a half, and lay on the mud as you +go?"</p> + +<p>"That's it. Pitch in, boys."</p> + +<p>"I declare," said the judge; "they haven't +eaten a mouthful and they've begun building."</p> + +<p>"They're old hands, and the sight of that +show of pay-rock has kind o' stirred 'em up. +It's all correct, though, jedge. We can look for +storms every now and then, and the shelter +won't be up any too soon if one of them busters +should happen to be on its way."</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XXII</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">A NEW SETTLEMENT</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>There is nothing else like enthusiasm. +That band of bearded miners went into +their work like a crowd of boys building a snow +fort. Ha-ha-pah-no and Na-tee-kah took full +possession of the camp-fires and cooked for +dear life. Judge Parks and Yellow Pine finished +their inspection of the hole in the rock +and of the ore which had been dug out of it, +and then they went to help Sile and Two Arrows +care for the horses and mules.</p> + +<p>"We won't unpack much till the house is up," +said the judge.</p> + +<p>"You're satisfied with the outcrop, are ye?" +asked Pine, a little proudly.</p> + +<p>"It's all you said it was, and that is all I +could ask for. We can run a tunnel right in +now, so we can work straight along, under cover, +in bad weather."</p> + +<p>"That's the thing to do. I believe it will pay +for itself from the very start."</p> + +<p>"If it does," said the judge, "it will be an uncommonly +good mine for a gold-mine. Not +one in ten but what empties the pocket of its +first owner."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span>"This one won't, then. It's as good a property +as there is, and we can cover all the ledge with +claims and get a good title to 'em. It's fresh +ground, and no kind of interference—"</p> + +<p>"Unless the Apaches interfere."</p> + +<p>"They don't often come east so far as this, +'specially now that most of 'em have been +cornered. Mining in these parts isn't the risky +kind of business it used to be. Must say, +though, that I felt kind o' streaked sometimes, +last year, when I was a prospectin'."</p> + +<p>"There was risk in it, all alone; but nine rifles +and a good breastwork will make a tremendous +difference."</p> + +<p>"They will that, and there's no sech thing as +takin' us in the rear. They can't climb over +that ridge, nor that one."</p> + +<p>It was later than usual when anybody lay +down that evening. Two Arrows and his sister +had heard of mines before, but they had never +seen one, and the whole matter was a great +curiosity.</p> + +<p>These uncommonly well-behaved pale-faces +meant to dig a hole into the side of that mountain +and get gold out of it, and they were going +to build a stone "lodge" and stay there. Sile explained +to them, as well as he could, a purpose +he had formed of making a great farm in that +valley, and raising all sorts of things to feed the +miners, and of having a town there, with schools +and churches for the Indians, and a public +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span>library and a saw-mill and a grist-mill and a +blacksmith-shop and a hotel. The main idea +obtained by Two Arrows was that in a little +while the valley would be full of horses of the +best kinds. Na-tee-kah went beyond that and +got a picture into her mind of a big stone lodge, +where a trader would live and have for sale a +wonderful heap of all such things as the white +squaws dressed themselves up with. She went +to sleep at last, with her black eyes half dazzled +by a vision of bright colors and glitterings, and +had a dream that the trader had come and was +ready to trade almost anything for the skin of a +grisly bear. As for Two Arrows, not all that +could be said about mines and farms could drive +from him one grand ambition, that had taken +deep root as he studied the many possessions of +those pale-faces. Somehow or other, he meant +to obtain a rifle. His father had a good one, +and so had each of the acknowledged warriors +of his band, but all the boys were as yet forced to +put up with bows and arrows. Some of the +braves even carried revolvers, and the hunting +had been so poor that they were well supplied +with ammunition. Two Arrows had learned +from Sile that there were extra rifles and pistols, +and no end of cartridges, in those wagons, but +everybody knew that all that sort of thing had +to be paid for, and Two Arrows lay awake a long +time, feverishly wondering what he could find +among those mountains to buy a rifle with, and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span>a revolver and some ammunition. He felt that +he should be a mere boy, after all, and not a +full-grown brave, until he could exchange his +bow and arrows for weapons which would kill +a bear at long range. He wished never to have +to wait for another on the top of any rock. It +was the only point in which he could see that +Sile had any real advantage over him to balance +the humiliation of being a pale-face instead of +the son of a Nez Percé chief. He was compelled +to admit one more in the morning, for he had +forgotten the fishing-rods and hooks and lines, +and Sile was up before it was light, ready to begin +his duty of keeping the camp supplied with +provisions.</p> + +<p>"We won't walk this time," he said, in a very +business-like way. "We'll just ride across to +the river and catch enough for breakfast and +hurry back. None of the men can be spared +from their work."</p> + +<p>The sun arose very grandly over the magnificent +mountain ranges, but he showed them +all that wonderful scenery in vain. Sile was +fishing for provisions for his father's men, and +Two Arrows thought of rifles and pistols every +time he pulled in a trout. He did not speak of +the weight upon his mind as yet, but he was +gradually forming a purpose of doing so at the +earliest opportunity. It was almost like going +to an open market for fish, except that there +was nothing to pay for them. As fast as a line +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span>could be thrown, and its little silvery trap set +a whirling, the hook was seized by some trout +or other, large or small. Some of them were +so heavy as to test the toughness of the upper +joints of the rods, and now Two Arrows made +a discovery. He had watched Sile work his +reel until he had caught the secret of it, and +could let a strong fish run a little before he +drew him in. It was an idea that suited him +exactly, and it made the fun more exciting.</p> + +<p>"I say," exclaimed Sile, before a great while, +"they're awful eaters, but they can't use up all +we've got now. Let's just string 'em, and ride +back to camp."</p> + +<p>The movements of his hands, along with his +words, explained his meaning, and Two Arrows +pulled in his last fish with an "Ugh! good," for +answer. He was doing one thing more rapidly +than anybody had an idea of. He was a born +"linguist," as many Indians are, and he was +gathering words of English at a great rate. +He was not sure he could yet utter correctly +quite a number that he fully understood on +hearing them, and his pride forbade him to +make blunders. His trouble was with his +tongue and not with his ears, as many an older +fellow has found when he undertook to make +a speech before critical people.</p> + +<p>The camp was all astir when they rode in, +and the coffee-pot was already upon the fire.</p> + +<p>"That's the checker, my boy," said Yellow +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span>Pine, when he saw the fish. "We sha'n't do +any starving. Let your horse feed a while, and +then you and he go for some fresh meat. Look +at <i>them!"</i></p> + +<p>There was a great grin upon his face as he +pointed at Judge Parks and the miners. The +judge had taken up a heavy hammer and was +busily breaking masses of quartz to examine +their quality, and the men had again gone at +their building.</p> + +<p>"Nary one of 'em's eaten a mouthful," said +Pine, just as a chopper rested from his work to +shout,</p> + +<p>"We'll have enough shingles rived for the +roof by the time them fellers gits their wall +up;" and another said,</p> + +<p>"Pine, that there clay-bank by the spring's +the very best kind. It's most as good as +mortar."</p> + +<p>"'Tis if you temper it well," said Pine. "Call +'em to breakfast. There'll be fish br'iled and +ready in no time."</p> + +<p>Ha-ha-pah-no and Na-tee-kah each had a +frying-pan, and the fish were put in as fast as +they were cleaned, but some of the men could +not wait for that. They insisted upon cleaning +and cooking for themselves, for, as Jonas remarked,</p> + +<p>"We can't git at the mine till the shelter's +done and the waggins are unpacked. We'll have +it up in short order."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span>As soon as he had finished his coffee and trout +and "army bread," Sile went to take a look at +what they were doing, and it made him open +his eyes. The ground they had chosen, near a +fine spring of water, was nearly level. They +had marked out the lines of the walls they meant +to build, and then along those lines they had dug +a trench about a foot deep and two feet wide. +No cellar was called for as yet, and the mason-work +began at once. There was plenty of broken +stone to be had, and it was rolled or carried with +busy eagerness to the men who were laying the +wall. One man at the clay-bank toiled zealously +at the important task of mixing and tempering +it, while another came and went with +pailfuls that were used up as fast as he could +bring them. The stones were laid with their +smooth faces inward, and there was not a minute +wasted in trimming anything for the sake of +appearances. Sile could hardly believe that so +much could have been done is so short a time, +and he was again astonished when the men returned +from breakfast. The wall grew at a +tremendous rate. He went from that work to +the place where the choppers were swinging +their axes. A tall pine-tree, four feet in +diameter at the base, was down shortly after +the men went at it the previous evening, and +now two sturdy fellows were making the chips +fly as if they were chopping for a wager. They +were evidently cutting the huge trunk into +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span>lengths of about three feet, and Sile was studying +the matter when Two Arrows touched him +on the elbow and pointed at the choppers.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! What for?"</p> + +<p>"Wait. Show him by-and-by," said Sile. +"Make shingles to cover house."</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Big lodge. Heap hard. No fall +down. Top?"</p> + +<p>"Yes. Make cover. Keep out rain."</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Pale-face do a heap. Go away and +leave him all," said Two Arrows.</p> + +<p>It was the longest sentence he had yet +attempted in English, and Sile looked at him +with some surprise, but he should have remembered +that Two Arrows had made a beginning +long before that, and was but adding to it. At +all events, he was correct in his conclusion that +such a lodge could not be carried away, as could +those for which Long Bear had sent his braves +and squaws through the pass. It was perfectly +certain that these would not loiter anywhere, +but would go straight on their errand and return, +and then the village would once more be +under as good a shelter as it knew anything +about or cared for.</p> + +<p>All that day the axes fell, the wall grew fast, +and Judge Parks and Yellow Pine went on with +their examinations and their other preparations +for "opening the mine;" and all day long some +other things went on without their knowing it.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XXIII</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">DANGER</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>The Apaches, in their encampment away +down the river, cooked fish for breakfast +at about the same hour that the miners did, but +their trout had not been caught anything like +so rapidly. It had required the work of several +men, up and down the bank, for hours of the +previous evening and for all the time since daylight, +with their imperfect tackle, to get in +enough for such a war-party. Nor had they +cleaned or cooked so perfectly, and the fish had +been eaten without pepper or salt. There was +not a plate or a fork in the band, and there was +not even a wish for coffee.</p> + +<p>It was a hasty meal, greedily devoured, and +then the marauders were once more in the +saddle, or riding barebacked, as the case might +be. All the while that the miners were so +enthusiastically raising their stone lodge a peril +they hardly thought of was pushing nearer and +nearer. They knew well enough that they were +in an Indian country, but were well assured that +as yet no hostile red men could be aware of their +arrival. It was also pretty sure that every +stroke of work they did added to their security, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span>for neither arrow nor bullet will go through a +wall of quartz and granite two feet in thickness. +Judge Parks had ideas of his own as to the +future protection of the "notch," but the time +had not yet come to say anything about them.</p> + +<p>It was not many hours after the Apaches got +in motion before they came to the forks of the +stream, and here they halted for a general consultation. +They already had well-mounted +scouts ahead in both directions, and neither side +had yet sent in any suggestion of danger discovered. +They were evidently familiarly acquainted +with the whole region, and there were +arguments in favor of both lines of advance, but +a gray-headed old warrior at last settled the +question. He had been sitting quietly and +listening to what others said until his turn +seemed to come, but now he arose, and all +seemed willing to listen. Pointing with his +long, naked arm up the right fork of the river, +he said, in his own harsh, gutteral tongue,</p> + +<p>"Mountains. When blue-coats come, lose +horses. Caught in big trap."</p> + +<p>Turning and pointing up the other fork, he +said,</p> + +<p>"Morning. Hole in mountains. Blue-coats +come. Go through hole. Get away. Come +back some day, when blue-coats go home sick. +Ugh!"</p> + +<p>It was not a long speech, and it could hardly +be described as "eloquent" but all the wiser and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span>more influential braves said "Ugh!" and the +road to the left was decided upon without any +more discussion. That also decided in advance +the course to be followed by Captain Grover +and his cavalry, when they in their turn should +reach the same point. Hour by hour they were +slowly gaining upon the dangerous horse-thieves +they were pursuing, and in due time they would +surely learn whether or not they had a right to +rejoice upon catching up with them. They +were acting as the police and constables of a +very disorderly community.</p> + +<p>As for Long Bear and his Nez Percés, they +had a very good reason for lazily hunting and +fishing around their present camp until the return +of the party which had gone for the hidden +lodges, and so forth. Very few Indians need +anything better than an excuse for not doing +anything.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows was not one of those Indians. +Na-tee-kah continually called his attention to +something new which she had discovered in the +ways or in the possessions of those pale-faces. +She was greatly interested in a curious wire +"broiler." It opened, and a fish or a steak was +put in, and it shut up and was put upon the coals, +and when the cooking was finished, the long +handles enabled you to take it off and not burn +your fingers. There were twenty other things +as wonderful as the broiler; and the judge had +shown her how to wash her hands with soap, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span>and had given her a pair of ear-rings and a +silver buckle for her new blanket. She hardly +knew what would come next, but she entirely +sympathized with her brother in his own dream +when he told her what it was.</p> + +<p>"Ask pale-face chief," she said.</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Laugh. Bow and arrows good +enough for boy."</p> + +<p>He said it almost bitterly, and Na-tee-kah +stamped on the ground sharply as she responded,</p> + +<p>"Two Arrows is a young chief. Big brave. +Not a boy any more. Kill grisly. Kill cougar +and big-horn. Bring back pony. Great chief +in a little while. Give him rifle."</p> + +<p>Two Arrows had a good enough opinion of +himself, but he perfectly understood the easy +good-nature with which he was treated by +Yellow Pine and the rest. They regarded Sile +as one bright boy and him as another, and had +no idea of wasting costly rifles and such things +upon him. He grew almost sullen over it, and +was glad to get away from the camp when Sile +came and asked him to go on a hunt with him.</p> + +<p>This time there was a little pride as well as +good-sense in his positive refusal to borrow a +rifle. He was determined to shoot with his own +weapons or none, and he rode away with no +better ones than had been used by his tribe before +they had ever heard of white men, and long +before gunpowder had been invented. They +were pretty good weapons yet, but there was +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span>one thing Two Arrows did not dream of. That +was that it was not such a great number of years +since the ancestors of these very pale-faces had +gone to war and to hunt with bows and arrows +vastly better than any ever carried by any red +Indian in the world. The English race were +bowmen once, just as they are riflemen now, +shooting closer to the bull's-eye than any other.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows felt that there was a sort of +fever upon him. It made him hot and restless, +and his eyes wandered searchingly in all +directions, longing for an opportunity to do +something which would bring him nearer to the +prizes he coveted. Sile also was watching +keenly the tops and branches of every clump of +bushes they came to, but it almost seemed as +if the game had suddenly migrated. It was +natural that none should linger near the smoke +and smell of camp-fires and cookery, but it was +queer that the two young hunters should canter +quietly on for mile after mile, and not so much +as get a shot at a deer.</p> + +<p>"We won't go back without something," said +Sile. "I told father so. I mean to go right +along. We can camp in the woods by ourselves +if we don't kill anything early enough to get +back to-night."</p> + +<p>He had some trouble in making his meaning +clear to Two Arrows, and the ambitious young +Nez Percé was in precisely the frame of mind +to agree with him. They even rode a little +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span>faster, and were hardly aware of the distance +they had travelled. Sile was beginning to grow +nervous about his reputation as a hunter and to +remember that the camp had only a three days' +supply of fresh meat, in spite of the fish. He +believed that he had seen everything there was +to be seen, but he was mistaken. Suddenly +Two Arrows uttered a loud, astonished "Ugh!" +sprang from his pony, and beckoned Sile to do +the same, leading him hurriedly towards the +nearest bushes.</p> + +<p>Sile imitated his friend, without any idea of +a reason for it, until Two Arrows took him by +the arm and pointed away to the right towards +the mountain range. They were on the crest +of a high roll of ground, and could see for miles +in some directions, except as the view was cut +off by patches and strips of forest.</p> + +<p>"Look! 'Pache!"</p> + +<p>All that at first appeared to Sile's eyes were +some moving black spots; but now he was able +to show Two Arrows another of the advantages +of a civilized man over a savage. Slung from +his left shoulder was a small leathern case, and +Two Arrows watched him closely while he +opened it, took out something silver-mounted +and handsome and put it to his eyes. Such +things had been much discussed in his hearing, +and he knew it was the "long eye of the pale-faces;" +but he had no faith in it until Sile made +him try it.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span>"There they are; six of 'em," said Sile. +"Then look away down yonder and you'll see +some more."</p> + +<p>"No see us," said Two Arrows. "Come! +Heap bad."</p> + +<p>So it was, for the dreaded strangers were between +them and the mountains. For all they +knew, they might have ridden past others unseen, +and these might intercept their return. +Sile was only a white boy, and in an instant he +understood that the young chief was the "captain" +of their squad of two.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows seemed to have the same notion +instinctively, for anybody could read the look +of blank uncertainty upon Sile's face. His +binocular spy-glass could help him see farther +and more accurately than the best pair of Indian +eyes in the world, but it could not tell him what +to do next.</p> + +<p>"Come!" said Two Arrows, as he led his pony +back down the slope and towards the forest that +skirted the river. This was less than half a +mile away, but the horses were not mounted +until both were well under cover of it. It +struck Sile that they might safely ride homeward +along the stream, but Nez Percé training +and caution forbade any such risk as that. +Even the operation of reaching the bank might +be full of peril, for nobody could guess at what +moment they might stumble upon Apache +warriors, and no others were at all likely to be +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span>there. It was most unlikely, however, that +their enemies were advancing upon both sides +of the water, and as soon as Two Arrows reached +it he rode in. It was a wide and therefore shallow +place, easily forded, and Sile breathed more +freely as soon as he was under the shade of the +woods beyond. His guide and captain pushed +right on until they were out in a comparatively +open reach of country, and then he turned to +Sile, his whole face gleaming with uncontrollable +excitement, and exclaimed,</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Ride now. Kill hoss. Save pale-face. +Save Nez Percé. Get there before +Apache. All scalp gone if 'Pache come first."</p> + +<p>He suppressed a whoop, but the next bound +of his pony explained his meaning, and Sile +galloped, stride by stride, with him. It was a +race for life and for the lives of many others; +for Two Arrows had briefly read that problem +when he said to Sile, as he handed him back his +glass,</p> + +<p>"No squaw. Braves on war-path. No hunt. +Kill. Take scalp."</p> + +<p>Both were well mounted, and Sile rode well, +although by no means so completely at home on +horseback as was his red friend. His rifle, too, +was more tiresome to carry than was a light +lance, and the bow and arrows were now tightly +"slung," and required no handling. It would +not do to wear out their horses in one rush, but +they kept on at the highest speed at all consistent +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span>with a long ride. It was much faster, at all +events, than the Apaches were likely to travel, +unless something new should stir them up. By +keeping well away from the stream, they were +not compelled to follow its windings, and could +ride more nearly in a straight line, only turning +out for clumps of trees and similar obstructions +and paying no attention to game, although +they now saw gang after gang of deer and a +respectable party of bisons.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XXIV</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">SILE'S VICTORY</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>There had been no anxiety at the mine on +account of the absent hunters. Judge +Parks and Yellow Pine had their hands very +full of an inspection of the cargoes of the two +wagons. The men toiled vigorously at the stone +wall and at the shingle riving. Ha-ha-pah-no +and Na-tee-kah were as busy as bees over the +lengthening list of marvels put before their eyes. +It seemed to Na-tee-kah as if Judge Parks must +be a kind of magician, or else that he had a +whole lodge full of "medicine-men" of a rare +breed at home, who could conjure up for him +almost anything he might chose to call for. It +was no use to try to understand such things as +he and Yellow Pine were examining. They +belonged to the great mystery of pale-face life, +and a Nez Percé girl could not be expected to +guess very nearly at their uses. She could comb +her hair more carefully, however, and discover a +new way of doing it up, and she did not know +how closely she was imitating many pale-face +young ladies of about her age, not to speak of +older ones.</p> + +<p>Noon came and went, and there were no signs +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span>of returning hunters or of game of any sort, but +there was no danger of famine in that camp for +days and days to come.</p> + +<p>Judge Parks would hardly have unpacked +mining-tools and "fixings," as Pine called them, +so composedly if he could have known what was +going forward farther down the valley and on +the other side of the little river.</p> + +<p>On, on rode Two Arrows and his companion, +and it almost seemed as if both were growing +older. It was no sort of boy-play to ride like +that, with such tremendous consequences depending +upon them. Sile's merry face put on +a tremendously sober and earnest expression, +while Two Arrows looked as if he were already +a chief in command of a war-party. So he was, +only that the party was a very small one.</p> + +<p>Mile after mile went by, and the horses held +out capitally; but at last Two Arrows slackened +his gait, seemed to make a silent calculation, +and halted.</p> + +<p>"Pale-face camp there," he said, emphatically, +pointing across towards the mountain range at +their left. "Red-head cross water. Tell his +people. Two Arrows ride. Tell Nez Percé. +Red-head go straight, find camp. Ugh!"</p> + +<p>"I can find it," said Sile. "I was thinking +we'd gone up river about far enough. We must +have got away ahead of the Apaches. Hope +I sha'n't meet any."</p> + +<p>"Shoot quick," said Two Arrows. "Kill. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span>Take 'calp. Be great brave. Two Arrows kill +grisly. Kill 'Pache some day. How!"</p> + +<p>He held out his hand, and Sile shook it hard +in token of good-bye, and the two boys separated, +each to carry his own tidings and face his own +dangers. Two Arrows rode on in a straight +line up the valley, and Sile wheeled towards the +line of forest which bordered the river. It +struck him that he was yet a little below the +precise neighborhood of the mine, and he was +correct, but as yet it was all guess-work. At +all events, he was sure that his remaining ride +could not be a long one; it could not fail to be +intensely exciting. Again he saw plenty of +game, and he was strangely tempted to try a +shot at a deer until the idea came to him,</p> + +<p>"I can't say what ears might hear the report +of my rifle."</p> + +<p>Deer did not seem to be of any account after +that idea took form, and he galloped on. In a +few minutes more his horse's feet were in the +water, and he was almost immediately aware +that he had not chosen a good ford. It grew +deep too fast, and he had to ride out again.</p> + +<p>"I won't go into another pool," he said to +himself. "I'll hunt for a wide place where it +ripples well."</p> + +<p>He had not the experience and the quick eyes +of Two Arrows, but he was learning fast, and +it was easy to find a better crossing. Once over, +he felt that the forest was itself a sort of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span>protection, +and there came a great thrill all over +him at the thought of riding out from under it. +What if the Apaches should be already there, +and what if they had found the camp and destroyed +it?</p> + +<p>"They haven't done that," said Sile, "unless +they managed to take it by surprise. Guess they +couldn't do that in broad daylight. Our men +are all old hands, and Yellow Pine keeps his +eyes about him. I'll get in a good while before +dark—that is, if I make out to get in. I +wish there was good cover all the way."</p> + +<p>He drew rein for a moment under the last +line of trees, and he looked earnestly in all +directions, but even his spy-glass could not reveal +to him a sign of danger. He had never +seen anything more absolutely quiet and peaceful +than was that stretch of open valley, with +its grass and its bushes, and its clusters of grand +old trees. It encouraged him a good deal to +see a buck and two does feeding within a quarter +of a mile of him, and he at once rode watchfully +onward. His horse was beginning to show +signs of hard riding, and he noted it regretfully. +There might yet be a race to run, for +all he knew.</p> + +<p>There was to be something very different from +a race, and the notice of it came to him very suddenly. +Just as he rode out through a patch of +willows in a long hollow, walking his horse +because of their being in his way a little, his +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span>heart seemed to stop beating and stand still. +Then it beat again, and like a trip-hammer, for +a moment. The bridle fell from his hand, and +he made ready his rifle as if by an instinctive +movement.</p> + +<p>Right before him and hardly a hundred yards +away, on the rising ground, sat an Indian brave, +in his war-paint, upon a very fine looking horse, +and Sile was sure at a glance that he could not +be one of his Nez Percé friends. They had no +such horses as that among all that he and Two +Arrows had found for them. The warrior +was looking in the opposite direction at the instant, +but he was also wheeling his horse, and in +a second or so more he caught sight of Sile. +He had a lance, but it was slung behind him, +and in his hands was as good a repeating-rifle as +Sile's own, and he raised it like a flash.</p> + +<p>It was as if he lifted two, for Sile's rifle also +came up with precisely the same quick, ready-handed +motion.</p> + +<p>It was an awful moment for Sile. He had +never before done as much real thinking in one +hour as he did between his first glimpse of that +redskin and the rising of the dark, threatening +line of that rifle-barrel.</p> + +<p>He had thought of the men at the mine, and +of their need of warning, and therefore of the +necessity that he should protect himself and get +to them alive. He had thought of his father +and his mother, and of some other people, and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span>he had also thought what a dreadful thing it +was to shoot straight at a man, and perhaps to +kill him. He had just said to himself,</p> + +<p>"I might just kill his horse, and then I could +get away from him."</p> + +<p>At that very instant the two rifles came to a +level, whether he would or not. He felt no +symptoms of "buck ague" this time, for every +nerve and muscle of his body was stiffening, +while his tired horse stood as still as a stone. +That was where he had a priceless advantage. +The spirited animal ridden by his enemy was a +trifle restive for some reason, and caused a shade +of delay that was just enough to give Sile his +only remaining chance.</p> + +<p>"If I hit his horse in the head," he was thinking +as he pulled the trigger: but that would +have been close shooting at a hundred yards, +and just beyond the head of the horse was the +naked breast of the warrior.</p> + +<p>There were two reports close together, and +Sile felt something prick him sharply on the +left arm near the shoulder. At the same +moment he saw the red man reel to and fro +upon his horse, and then pitch off head foremost +into the grass.</p> + +<p>"Oh, dear me, I've shot him!" he exclaimed, +and his first impulse was to ride away as fast +as he could.</p> + +<p>Then came a suggestion that the brave might +be only wounded, and that it was his duty to +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span>go and see if he could do anything for him. +With that, too, there came a great gush of curiosity +and a fierce and feverish sense of triumph. +He had fought a duel on horseback with an +Indian warrior, with rifles, and there were no +other white boys who could say that they had +done that. He sat still upon his horse for a +moment, and his breath came and went very +quickly, and then he somewhat cautiously rode +forward. The Indian's horse had bounded away +for a little distance when his master fell, but was +now standing and looking at him, as if in doubt +as to what he ought to do next. Not another +human being of any kind was to be seen, but +Sile looked around him anxiously enough to +make sure that he was alone. Not one sound +disturbed the peaceful silence of the valley +after those two rifles had spoken.</p> + +<p>All irresolution passed out of Sile's mind as +he rode forward, for he felt that he had behaved +rightly, and had done nothing for which he +could blame himself. He watched the fallen +man narrowly as he drew near him, but there +was no motion or any other sign of life.</p> + +<p>"I must have killed him outright!" He +sprang from his horse and bent over the prostrate +form, but he did not have to look more +than once. "That hole—that's where the bullet +went in. It must have gone right through +his heart. Well, he would have killed +me if I had not killed him. I would not +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span>have hurt him if I could have helped it."</p> + +<p>It seemed to Sile a matter of course that he +should pick up the red warrior's rifle, unbuckle +and take off the bead-worked belt that carried +his knife and revolver, take his lance, catch his +horse, and then ride onward, carrying with him +all as "spoils of war." He did it coolly and +steadily but rapidly, and without any idea how +very fast he was growing. He was learning +lessons in a great school, but any wise old man +could have told him that no two boys learn the +same lessons anywhere. A good deal more depends +upon the boy himself than upon the school +or the teacher.</p> + +<p>That tall, brawny Apache warrior had been +a distinguished brave, and he had been sent +upon a scouting trip away in advance of the rest +merely as a customary precaution. There had +been no expectation that he would discover anything +remarkable. In meeting a solitary pale-face, +he had undertaken to kill him very much +as a matter of course, for he was just then at +war with all white men. Sile had made the +better shot of the two, and that was about all +that could be said. As for Sile, he was in a +greater hurry than ever to get to the mine, and +again and again he wondered whether Two +Arrows had met any Apaches.</p> + +<p>"I do hope he hasn't," he said to himself, +"with only a bow and arrows. I wish he had +a rifle."</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XXV</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">A MIDNIGHT MARCH</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>When Two Arrows parted from Sile he +was well aware that the errand of the +Red-head had more real peril in it than his own, +and he would not have had him armed with +only a bow and arrows; but oh how he did long +for a repeating-rifle for his own use! He had +been hungry enough for one before; but now +that there was a promise of war it seemed to +him that the only thing in the world worth the +having, except a horse, was one of the white +man's terrible weapons. With such as he now +had he had killed wild animals and won for +himself a name and fame, but in spite of that +he almost despised them. What could he do +now, for instance, against an Apache well armed, +as all that warlike tribe were said to be?</p> + +<p>He also had a prejudiced idea that if Sile were +to meet one of them he would be in a manner +helpless—a mere ignorant, green, untaught, unready, +white boy, not the son of a Nez Percé +chief, nor skilled in the wiles and ways of +Western warfare. As for himself, he felt quite +confident that all he needed wherewith to meet +and overcome anything or anybody was just +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span>such a perfect "repeater" as Sile carried. He +somehow overlooked the fact that he had never +practised much with one, while Sile belonged to +the race that made them. He had been used +to a bow and arrows from the time he had +learned to ride, and almost from the time he had +learned to walk; so that, after all, they might be +his safest weapon.</p> + +<p>He rode on steadily for a few miles, and then +he crossed the stream and proceeded under +cover of the trees. It was time to travel more +slowly, for his pony had no gallop left in him. +The approach to the camp even was made with +some caution, but there was no need of any.</p> + +<p>The sun was going down, and the fires were +blazing brightly. The hunters had done well +that day, and there were preparations for much +eating. Two Arrows knew at a glance that all +things were working prosperously, and that his +people had no suspicion of any danger near +them. The vast importance of his errand filled +him very full, and he halted under the shadow +of the trees.</p> + +<p>Warriors were stalking around here and there, +or were lazily stretched upon the ground. +Squaws were busily dressing skins, or cooking or +chattering with one another, and children were +hungrily watching the cookery and wishing that +their turns to be fed might come pretty soon. +Old One-eye was at work upon a well-covered +bone before going out for his usual night-watch +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span>and patrol, but he was suddenly called upon to +drop it and to raise his head for a howl.</p> + +<p>Out of the growing darkness in the edge of +the woods there came a quick series of sharp, +threatening, warning whoops, uttered in a shrill +and youthful voice that the dog knew perfectly. +So did others, for Long Bear sprang to his feet, +exclaiming,</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Two Arrows!" and answered him +with a whoop of such volume and meaning that +every brave and boy who heard it understood +it as a command, and ran for his weapons first, +and then to the corral to see about his pony.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows dismounted and led his over-ridden +pony into camp. Long Bear stood silently +and dignifiedly in front of his lodge waiting +for him, and the older warriors were gathering +fast to hear the news. They knew very well +that no Indian boy would have dared to give +such a signal as that without good reason, and +their faces were clouding seriously.</p> + +<p>"Two Arrows speak quick," said his father. +"All hear him."</p> + +<p>The young scout felt deeply the pride of his +position. He pointed towards the lower valley +with all the dignity he could muster, and uttered +only the words,</p> + +<p>"'Pache! War-path!"</p> + +<p>There was a dismal chorus of "Ugh!" from +all who heard him, but there was not one war-whoop. +He was at once called upon for a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span>minute and careful account of the whole affair, +including the locality and condition of Judge +Parks and his party of miners. He made his +report with a fullness and keenness of observation +that stirred up the old chief's family pride +amazingly.</p> + +<p>"Young chief," he remarked. "Do something +more every time."</p> + +<p>It looked very much like it, and his return +as an intelligent and successful scout added +largely to all his other claims to distinction. +Not another boy in the band had ever announced +anything so very bad and so important.</p> + +<p>That was no time for anybody to spend a +thought upon the fame of Two Arrows, however. +All the old men said, one after another, +that they wished they knew just how many +Apaches there were in that war-party. Had +they known how very strong it was, they might +have been even worse puzzled, but Long Bear +was really a clear-headed leader, and he decided +the whole matter promptly and finally. He told +his gathering braves that the place where they +were was a bad one to fight in, while their pale-face +friends had selected a peculiarly good one. +They themselves had but twenty-three warriors +armed with rifles, and nearly as many more +young men and well-grown boys armed with +bows and arrows. That was no force with +which to meet Apaches, nobody knew how many, +and all sure to be riflemen. To go back through +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span>the pass was to die of sure starvation, even if +they were not followed and slaughtered among +the rocks. The Apaches were plainly making +for that very pass, he said; and he was only a +keen-eyed chief and not at all a prophet when +he read the matter correctly and said,</p> + +<p>"'Pache run away from blue-coats. All in a +hurry. Not stop. Nez Percé hide and let +them go by. Not fight. Keep pony. Keep +hair. Good. Ugh!"</p> + +<p>The party which had been sent back after the +lodges and things was a serious anxiety, and a +light-footed youngster was started off at once to +warn them. He would be sure to meet them on +their way, returning, and could tell them to be +on their guard, and very little more could be +done for them.</p> + +<p>Long Bear finished his speech of explanation, +and then, without a moment's pause, he gave +the order to break up camp and prepare to +march, carrying with them every pound of +provisions. Not one moment was to be lost in +gaining such protection as might be had from +the good position of the miners, and from the +fact that they were pale-faces of some importance, +and from the other great fact that they +were all good riflemen. There was hardly anybody +in the band, old enough to understand what +an Apache was, who did not fully appreciate +the force of the chief's argument, and every +squaw did her best to hasten the departure. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span>Lodges came down, ponies were packed, children +were gathered, warriors and braves and +boys completed their preparations for fighting; +the Big Tongue declared his readiness to kill a +large number of Apaches, and One-eye was compelled +to abandon forever all the bones he had +buried since the people he barked for had +settled upon the bank of that river.</p> + +<p>There was a good deal of quiet and sober +efficiency in spite of the excitement. Two Arrows +had further questions to answer from quite +a number of his elders. He was furnished with +one of the best ponies in the drove in acknowledgment +of his services. He was now, also, to +figure as a kind of guide, and he did not once +think of or mention the fatigue of his long, hard +ride. He very willingly ate, however, the whole +of a buffalo steak, broiled for him by one of the +squaws, and felt a good deal better afterwards. +He almost felt that he had earned a rifle, or at +least a pistol, but well knew that it was all in +vain to ask for one, when the supply was insufficient +to arm all the braves who were a full +head taller than himself.</p> + +<p>Still, it was a magnificent thing, at last, to +ride out at the head of the cavalcade, by the side +of a tall warrior, as the one boy of all that band +who was on first-rate terms with the pale-faces +and knew perfectly the trail leading to them. +As for that, any red man of them all could have +followed the tracks of the wagon-wheels, even +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span>at night, but Two Arrows had no idea of surrendering +that part of his growing importance. +It would have done Na-tee-kah's proud heart +good to have seen him in particular, and it +would have been well worth the while of almost +anybody else to have had a good look at +the whole affair, as the motley array poured +out into the moonlight from under the shadowy +cover of the primeval forest.</p> + +<p>There were no sleepy ones except the pappooses, +and they could sleep under the tightly-drawn +blankets upon the backs of their mothers +as well as anywhere else. All the rest were +more or less hardened to the quick changes and +migrations of the kind of life into which they +had been born. They were not likely to be injured +by being kept up pretty late for one night, +and there was no need that anybody should +walk, now that their four-footed wealth had +returned.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows thought of that, and he could +hardly help reminding some of his friends of +his share in so good a thing. He received a reply +from one gray-headed warrior which +sounded very much like a snub:</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Two Arrows. Red-head. Boys +find pony first. Pony there. Brave find next +day. Boy talk too much. Kill 'Pache like warrior. +Then talk a heap. Show scalp. Whoop. +Ugh!"</p> + +<p>As for war and that sort of thing, there was +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span>no need for anybody to stir the ambition of +Two Arrows up to a greater heat. He was +ready enough now to do the wildest and rashest +things he could think of. He felt as if he were +out upon his first war-path, and that there must +be somewhere a great heap of glory preparing +for him.</p> + +<p>The Nez Percé camp had been broken up +with great celerity, and no time had been lost, +but after all the summons to move had come +upon them most unexpectedly. There had been +a great deal to do and but a dim light to do it +by, and so it was pretty late before the picturesque +caravan was in motion. It took a line of +march towards the mountains until its head +struck the well-marked tracks of the loaded +wagons, and from that point forward its course +required little guiding. By a stern command +from Long Bear the utmost silence was maintained, +and, after the moon went down, the +movement might fairly be said to have been performed +in secret. There was no danger that +any small squad of Apache scouts would assail +so strong a party. Even the squaws and children +felt pretty safe, but it was very hard upon +the Big Tongue, for that great brave soon found +himself in an advanced party, commanded by +Long Bear himself, and after that he was under +an absolute necessity of not saying anything.</p> + +<div class="img"><a name="imagep206" id="imagep206"></a> +<a href="images/imagep206.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep206.jpg" width="95%" alt="THE MOONLIGHT MARCH OF NEZ PERCÉS" /></a><br /> +<p class="cen" style="margin-top: .2em;">THE MOONLIGHT MARCH OF NEZ PERCÉS<span class="totoi"><a href="#toi">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XXVI</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">PREPARING FOR AN ATTACK</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>A good while before Two Arrows reached +the camp of his people Judge Parks and +Yellow Pine discovered that they had done +about as much as they could at the mouth of +what was yet to be the mine until they should +have men to help them. The judge handed to +Na-tee-kah another book of pictures to wonder +over, and then he and Pine went upon a tour of +inspection. They found the choppers busy with +beetles and wedges upon the lengths of easily-cloven +pine, and the heap of long, wide slabs +or shingles for the roof was growing rapidly.</p> + +<p>"We can make it weather-tight with moss-packing," +said Pine, "and if we can't have sash +and glass we can make good solid doors and +shutters."</p> + +<p>"There will be storms," said the judge.</p> + +<p>"Yes, but the winters are never hard down +here. Even if we got snowed in it wouldn't +stay long, and the supply-train'll get here before +the end of next month. Can't lose its way."</p> + +<p>"I should say not. But now just look at that +wall."</p> + +<p>It was worth looking at, if only for the way +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span>in which it was rising. The mud and stones +went into place with a perfect rush. At that +rate there would quickly be a finished house +there, such as it was to be. All was well and +solidly laid, too, and the inner face was smooth +enough. That was more than could be said for +the outside, and Pine remarked,</p> + +<p>"Reckon nobody'll care to rub himself very +hard against the side of that shelter when it's +done."</p> + +<p>From the house they both strolled away for a +look at the animals, and then on down to the +mouth of the notch. They were noting with +care the several peculiarities of the rocky elevations +to the right and left, when the judge felt +his arm gripped very hard, and Yellow Pine exclaimed,</p> + +<p>"Look there, jedge! Something's happened +to the young redskin."</p> + +<p>Judge Parks carried a spy-glass as good as +Sile's and it was up instantly. "That's Sile, but +the horse he's leading isn't a pony. Look, +Pine."</p> + +<p>"I'd call it—How close this thing does +bring 'em. I could count his buttons. He's +carrying two rifles and a lance. Something +mighty queer has turned up, jedge, but you can +see that Sile's all right. What can have become +of Two Arrows? I hope he hasn't been wiped +out. He was the likeliest kind of a young +chap."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span>"We'll know when he gets here."</p> + +<p>Waiting was about all they could do, but they +grew more and more impatient until Sile came +within hail. After that the questions and answers +chased each other back and forth until +the entire account of Sile's hunt and its ending +was perfectly understood.</p> + +<p>Sile saw his father shudder and turn pale, +and then flush fiery red, while he described +his encounter with the Apache. He had dismounted +before he got to that, and the next thing +he felt was a pair of arms around him, and he +heard Yellow Pine exclaim,</p> + +<p>"I could a'most hug the young rooster myself. +It was jest the gamest kind of thing to +do. I say, Sile, he barked ye on yer left arm. +I'd call it, now, if that there wasn't close work. +Take yer jacket off."</p> + +<p>Sile had hardly paid any attention to that matter, +although his arm had felt a little stiff, and +there was really not much of a hurt. In another +instant his father was saying so, but he +said it with a peculiar look upon his face. The +Indian's bullet had been a "Minie-ball," of +course, and, as it grazed his arm, one of its +ragged edges had torn through the cloth and +touched the flesh only just enough to break the +skin and draw a little blood. Sile could fairly +say he was "wounded," and no more, and Yellow +Pine remarked,</p> + +<p>"Reckon we won't send ye to the hospital for +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span>that; but I'm all-fired glad it didn't go any +nigher. It's jest on a line to where it would ha' +knocked yer arm off, if it had struck onto the +bone. It's the narrerest kind of an escape."</p> + +<p>Judge Parks had nothing more to say, for +some reason, and seemed willing that Sile should +go right on with further particulars of the day.</p> + +<p>"Two Arrows is right," said Pine. "He'd +know a war-party, sure. It's war with us, anyhow, +and there isn't but one thing to be done. +The men must knock off from the house, and +come right down and block this 'ere opening +with logs and rocks. We can make the best +kind of a rifle-pit. Only leave room for one +man, or for one hoss at a time, to get in or out."</p> + +<p>"That's it," said the judge. "Now, Sile, +come along. You must let the men see what +you've been up to. They'll know exactly what +it means."</p> + +<p>Sile had a curious sense of bashfulness about +it, but he followed his father, and in a few minutes +more the rough, bearded, red-shirted fellows +were giving him three of the most ringing +cheers he had ever heard. Ha-ha-pah-no and +Na-tee-kah looked at him with something that +was half wonder. They could not have believed +it, but for the horse and the lance, and the rifle +and the belt. Here was the Red-head, a mere +pale-face boy, bringing in trophies of which a +great warrior might have been proud. Na-tee-kah +had a sort of notion that Two Arrows +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span>must have done it somehow, until well assured +that her brother had not been present, and that +the Red-head had not taken the scalp of the slain +Apache. She had heard that the pale-face warriors +sometimes neglected that duty, but could +not well understand why, even when Ha-ha-pah-no +explained to her that it was "bad medicine" +for a white man to scalp anybody.</p> + +<p>The situation called for something more than +cheers, however, and the miners hurried to the +mouth of the notch. To pack it breast-high +with fragments of wood and stone was no +great matter, and the breastwork was finished in +time for a late supper.</p> + +<p>"Tell ye what, jedge," remarked one of the +men, "if I was a redskin I wouldn't be in a hurry +to ride up to that there bar, with a half a dozen +rifles peepin' over it. Reckon it'd take the +cleanest kind of grit. A feller could stand behind +it and pepper away, and be a'most safe +agin anything short of cannon."</p> + +<p>The wagons and other things were left as they +were, and the entire notch was a perfectly safe +corral for the animals. All the human beings +moved their bivouac down towards the barrier +they had made, leaving the fires behind them.</p> + +<p>"They're all right, there," said Pine, "and +we needn't kindle any down hereaway to tell +jest where we are."</p> + +<p>There was sense in that, and one sentry was as +good as a dozen to keep watch at the narrow <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span>entrance +left, for even that was securely closed +until there should be a good reason for opening +it.</p> + +<p>Sile found himself the hero of the camp, and +that the scratch upon his arm excused him from +guard duty. At first he was well pleased to lie +down and go to sleep, after the severe fatigue +and excitement of his great ride. Never before +had he raced it after such a fashion, and +every bone and muscle felt the effects of the +long strain. He saw, too, that everybody else +was taking the matter with perfect coolness. +All those miners had been in tight places more +than once, and they had great faith in the prudence +of redskins about charging upon white +riflemen hidden behind rocks. Sile ate a hearty +supper. In fact, he was compelled at last to be +very positive with Ha-ha-pah-no. She would +have gone right on cooking for him until morning +if he had let her, and so would Na-tee-kah. +They were positively proud of the privilege of +bringing him his coffee. He was assured that +the horse and weapons of the Apache warrior +were his own personal property, and he examined +them again and again with a sense of +ownership that he had never felt for anything +else. He could not tell why, until Jonas remarked +to him,</p> + +<p>"If you hadn't pulled straight, your plunder'd +be in the 'Pache camp 'bout now, scalp and all. +It was jest a question of grit and shootin'. I'm +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span>powerful glad you made out to throw yer lead +to the right spot."</p> + +<p>So was Sile, but it was not easy, somehow, +for him to make up his mind that he had really +killed anybody. He found a queer idea in his +mind several times that before long that Apache +warrior would wake up and wonder what had +become of his horse and his weapons. Not long +after supper he curled up in his blanket at the +foot of a tree, and in a few minutes he was +soundly asleep. He did not hear his father say +to Yellow Pine, as the two bent over him,</p> + +<p>"My brave boy!"</p> + +<p>Nor did he hear Pine grumble,</p> + +<p>"If he hasn't earned a good snooze, then nobody +has. Tell ye what, jedge, that feller'll +be guv'ner of a State one of these days. I'd +vote for him. I'd like to have seen him 'changing +shots with that there redskin."</p> + +<p>They moved away, and the judge remarked,</p> + +<p>"We are safe enough for to-night, but they'll +find us to-morrow."</p> + +<p>"Maybe, maybe not. I can't quite make it +out as to what could bring 'em away up here. +Two Arrows told Sile they was a war-party, +and if that's so, they must have been licked somewhere. +They'd never have cut it for these +ranges without somebody was after 'em."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps so. We'll see. Anyhow, we can +keep a sharp lookout."</p> + +<p>There was no danger that any sentry would +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span>sleep on his post that night, but all the first +part and the middle of it went by as peacefully +as if the valley were uninhabited.</p> + +<p>Sile slept and slept, and when at last he opened +his eyes, he could not have told why he did so. +The stars were shining. The night air was crisp +and chilly, but he was warm under his blanket. +It took him almost a minute to gather his +thoughts and understand where he really was. +That was partly because he had been sleeping +heavily, and partly because, at the very last, he +had dreamed of being at home, and of leading +a remarkable horse into the sitting-room to show +it to his mother.</p> + +<p>It was a strange place to wake up in, and he +could dimly see the forms of other men, rolled +in blankets, lying near, each with a rifle lying +by him ready for prompt use.</p> + +<p>"They won't be taken by surprise," said Sile +to himself. "I'm going down for a look at the +barrier. I've lain still long enough."</p> + +<p>He felt a little stiff when he first rose to his +feet, but it passed away when he stretched himself +and began to walk. His left arm pained +him more than he had expected, and he found +it slightly swollen. It was not precisely like +the same scratch made in any other way, and he +was glad that there was no more of it. Still, +he hardly knew what he had that he valued more +highly than that light hurt upon his arm. It +had made a sort of soldier of him. It was a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span>promotion, and he vaguely hoped that it would +leave a scar. Then he half wished that the scar +might come out upon his face, where it would +not be forever covered up by his coat-sleeve.</p> + +<p>"My new horse is in the corral, and I couldn't +pick him out now. My lance and things are in +the wagon. I'll go and have a look at the +barrier. I'm feeling tip-top."</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XXVII</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">FROM BOW TO RIFLE</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>Leaning over the upper log of the barrier, +rifle in hand, and peering out upon the +starlit slope beyond him, stood the form of +Jonas, the miner. Not a sound came to him +from the mists and shadows of the valley, and +he was just remarking, aloud,</p> + +<p>"It's as quiet as a cornfield," when a voice +at his elbow explained,</p> + +<p>"Hist! Ha-ha-pah-no—sh-sh!" and Na-tee-kah +dropped upon the ground, and pressed her +little round ear against it. So, almost instantly, +did Ha-ha-pah-no, and he heard Sile saying,</p> + +<p>"Their ears are better than yours or mine if +they can hear anything."</p> + +<p>"Didn't know there was one of ye nigh me," +said Jonas. "That's the way for a feller to lose +his hair—looking too hard in one direction while +somebody comes up behind him. No, Sile, I +haven't heerd a thing."</p> + +<p>Na-tee-kah sprang to her feet.</p> + +<p>"Horse come. Ugh!" and she held up her +hand for silence, while Ha-ha-pah-no also arose, +listening intently.</p> + +<p>"Indian ears for it," said Jonas. "'Pears to +me I can hear something now myself."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span>"I can't, then," said another voice. It was +that of a sleepy miner, who had waked up to +follow Sile, just as he had been awakened by +even the noiseless movements of the squaws.</p> + +<p>"Hark!" exclaimed Jonas.</p> + +<p>It was the sound of galloping, and then a +shrill whoop.</p> + +<p>"Two Arrows!" screamed Na-tee-kah. +"'Pache get him!"</p> + +<p>Jonas had already thrown down the logs of +wood in the opening, and now he shouted,</p> + +<p>"Rifles, boys! Ready!"</p> + +<p>There was a great shout from the bivouac behind +them, but it seemed almost no time before +a pony and his rider dashed into dim view before +them, followed by a larger shadow, from +which came whoop after whoop.</p> + +<p>"Take the hind one. Give it to him," shouted +Jonas, as a streak of fire sprang from his own +rifle-muzzle. Two other shots followed, as if +there were any chance of hitting a galloping +horseman in such a half darkness as that. Hit +or no hit, one Apache warrior was so utterly +astounded that he drew rein, all but throwing +his horse upon his haunches, and the pony-rider +he was pursuing wheeled sharply to the right. +Half a minute later and all would have been +over with Two Arrows, in all probability, but, +as matters had now turned, it was his enemy +who had made a blunder. He sat for several +precious seconds almost motionless, although not +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span>a shot had touched him, and by so doing he put +himself up for a target at very short arrow range. +The next instant he was dashing wildly away +into the darkness, for the horse had an arrow +in his flank to spur him, and the brave himself +had a similar token of the skill of Two Arrows +projecting from his right thigh.</p> + +<p>"Sile," said Jonas, "he got it. You can tell +that by the yell he gave."</p> + +<p>"Come on in," shouted Sile. "There may +be more of 'em. We're all up and ready for +'em."</p> + +<p>It looked like it, as man after man came +hurrying forward, but Two Arrows quieted +them on that head. He had been sent forward +by Long Bear to announce the coming of the +Nez Percés, and he had encountered the Apache +less than half a mile from the notch. It had +been a close race, although he had a fresh pony +and a good start. Any hurt to his pride on account +of arriving in that precise manner, followed +instead of following, was more than cured +by the undoubted fact that he had sent an arrow +into his pursuer.</p> + +<p>"There wasn't really any show for bullet-work," +said Jonas, "but lead'll hurt jest as bad +in the dark, in case it gits there."</p> + +<p>"All come," said Na-tee-kah. "Good. Two +Arrows great brave now. Strike warrior. +Fight a heap."</p> + +<p>Judge Parks was not sorry to hear of such an +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span>addition to his little garrison, as the Nez Percé +warriors could be fully depended upon to fight +well for their ponies and lives. It was not a +great while before the head of their cavalcade +came out of the shadows, and deeper and more +sonorous whoops answered that of Two Arrows.</p> + +<p>"Big Tongue," said Ha-ha-pah-no. "Heap +mouth!"</p> + +<p>There surely was one whoop that seemed to +have swallowed several others, and Jonas remarked,</p> + +<p>"That feller could do all the loose yelling +for a small tribe. Hark to him, now."</p> + +<p>"Big Tongue great brave!" said Ha-ha-pah-no, +tartly. "'Pache hear him, 'Pache go dead. +Run."</p> + +<p>In a few minutes more the Nez Percé ponies +were squeezing their packs through the narrow +entrance of the notch, and a succession of +approving grunts from Long Bear testified the +satisfaction he felt at getting into so secure a +fort. He perfectly understood the value and +uses of that barrier. When daylight came he +again said "Ugh!" several times while he was +examining the stone wall and the other evidences +of the skill and zeal of his pale-face friends.</p> + +<p>There was no more sleeping done in the +notch, but there was an immense amount of very +early cooking and eating, not to speak of the +smoking and consultation, and the very general +expression of a bad opinion of the entire Apache +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span>nation. They and their works, past, present, +and to come, were condemned unsparingly. +At the same time their fighting qualities were +freely admitted, and with them the certainty +that no Apache war-party would turn away +from a bit of war so well begun as was this.</p> + +<p>The sun arose, but almost to the astonishment +of Sile, as well as the Nez Percés, the hardy +miners behaved very much as if they had no +war whatever on their hands.</p> + +<p>"Them 'Paches'll come and go," said Jonas, +"but we've got to have this 'ere wall finished."</p> + +<p>At it they went, well assured that the barrier +and all the land near it would be well watched, +and that it was an easy thing to do to pick up +a rifle if an alarm should come.</p> + +<p>Sile felt less interest in the mine, somehow. +The story of his exploit had been told, of course, +to his Indian friends, and he could but see that +it had made him an object of respectful admiration. +There was not a warrior among them +who would not have been proud of such a +feather as that victory, but the effect upon Two +Arrows was peculiar. He had regarded himself +as Sile's superior in all things which did +not belong especially to a young pale-face. It +had not occurred to him that Sile was or ever +could become a "great brave." Some of the +"blue-coats" were, he knew, but Sile was not +a blue-coat. He had heard stories of the +prowess of other pale-faces, but Sile was a mere +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span>boy, and dreadfully green to the ways of the +plains and mountains. He could not think of +one boy of his band who really knew less of the +things most important to be known, except rifle-shooting. +His pride was touched in a tender +spot, for although he was sure he had sent an arrow +into an Apache, he had nothing to show for +it. Na-tee-kah was enormously proud of that arrow, +and Ha-ha-pah-no was compelled to remind +her that her hero brother had brought in +neither scalp nor horse, and had saved his own +by the timely rifle practice of Sile and the men at +the gap. For all that, Na-tee-kah had a vivid +persuasion that, if the pale-faces had not interfered +and driven away the Apache, there would +have been more glory earned by the young +chief of the Nez Percés. She could not be dissatisfied +with Sile, however. After a brief +consultation with his father, the Red-head went +to the wagon and brought out the rifle he had +won and with it a box of cartridges. It was a +capital weapon, in good condition, and Sile +showed it to Two Arrows with a great glow on +his face and with a sense of standing up uncommonly +straight. Several braves gathered to +look at it and to declare it "heap good gun."</p> + +<p>Two Arrows held it for a moment, with a +look which did not need any interpreter. It +was intensely wistful, and had a quick flash of +keen jealousy in it. What was there that he +could not do with such a splendid tool of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span>destruction +as that, instead of his lance and bow? +He was nothing but a poor red youngster, after +all, compelled to wait, he could not guess how +long, before he could hope to be armed as a +complete brave. He held out the rifle to Sile +dejectedly, but then something like a shiver +went all over him, for Sile only pushed it back, +saying,</p> + +<p>"No; Two Arrows keep it. Take present. +Good friend." And then he held out the little +waterproof box of copper cartridges of the size +called for by that rifle.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows required a breath or so before +he could believe that the thing was a reality, +and then he broke out into a yell of delight.</p> + +<p>One-eye, standing behind him, began to bark +vociferously, although nobody had given him +anything except unlimited bones.</p> + +<p>Every Nez Percé brave present deemed it +his duty to shake hands with Sile, and Long +Bear was summoned at once to do the same. +Two Arrows found himself terribly short of +words to tell how he felt about it, but he flatly +refused to make a trial of that gun then and +there. He felt such a dancing in his head and +in his fingers that he was hardly sure he could +hit the side of the mountain, and he did not +care to disgrace his marksmanship before so +many crack shots. It even occurred to him that +he was not likely to come out of a duel on horseback +as well as Sile until he should have had +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span>some practice. He did not know how steadily +Sile had insisted on trying several shots every +day since the mining expedition started. At all +events he had mounted one round more in the +ladder of his ambition, and had a better prospect +for the next.</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XXVIII</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">THE APACHES HAVE COME</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>Just as the sun was rising that morning, an +altogether used-up horse came staggering +into the awaking camp of the Apache war-party. +On the horse was a warrior who had been sent +out, with others, on scouting duty the previous +day, and he now seemed nearly as fatigued as +did the animal he rode. He had strength for +a whoop whose meaning startled all who heard +it, and in a minute more it was understood by +most of them that the horse had been so badly +tired out by one arrow, and the brave by another; +but they did not know of whom they were +speaking when they gruffly remarked,</p> + +<p>"Two Arrows. Ugh! Nez Percé."</p> + +<p>The baffled scout was unable to testify to the +presence of white men, although he could aver +that he had retreated from several busy rifles. +He had deemed it his duty to ride back with his +news and for another horse. It would be a +good while before he could do much walking, +and the horse which had carried him in must be +abandoned, whether it should live or die.</p> + +<p>There was nothing to dispirit such a company +in the prospect of more plunder, many ponies +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span>and scalps, and an easy victory over a hunting +party trespassing upon their acknowledged +range. They did but eat breakfast more rapidly +and push forward at once. The idea was yet +strong upon them that they were pursued, but +not one of their rearward scouts had come in, +and a sense of false security had begun to creep +over all but the very grayest heads among them. +Even of these not one dreamed how dangerously +near was the steady advance of Captain +Grover and his blue-coats.</p> + +<p>It is an old proverb of sea-fighting that "a +stern chase is a long chase," and it is nearly as +true on land, but the cavalry had pushed along +with steady persistency, in a thoroughly business-like +and scientific economy of time and horses. +They were therefore in pretty good condition, +men and animals. As Captain Grover remarked +so it had been:</p> + +<p>"I know about how fast the redskins can +travel. They stole a whole grist of slow stock +and that measures their gait."</p> + +<p>However swift might be their best, the +Apaches had gone no farther any day than the +slowest half-dozen of their plunder. Captain +Grover was therefore almost justified in a firm +conviction he expressed that morning:</p> + +<p>"Now for it, boys. We shall be among 'em +before sunset."</p> + +<p>On pushed the cavalry with enthusiasm, but +at the same hour the Apaches were also <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span>pressing +forward with increasing eagerness. They +were no longer in one body. All their drove +of stolen quadrupeds and their own superfluous +ponies made up a sort of rear-guard, +driven and cared for by about a dozen of the +less distinguished braves, with orders to make +as good speed as possible. The remainder of +the force, full of whooping and yelling and a +great hunger for glory and ponies, rode forward +to find the Nez Percés. It could not be hard +to do that, with so clear an idea as to the locality +of at least several of them, but there was a surprise +ready.</p> + +<p>They had hardly ridden an hour when the +foremost warriors made the air ring with whoops +of wrath, and in a moment more the word +"pale-face" was passing from rider to rider. +They had found the victim of Sile's marksmanship, +and the fact that he had not been scalped +put away the idea that he had fallen before a +Nez Percé. The trail of the two horses leading +away to the left was plainly marked and +could be followed, and there was no reason for +special caution in so open a country. Still, the +onward movement from that point was made in +a more compact body and in something like +silence. The trail before them led in the precise +direction indicated by the brave shot by +Sile, and the presence of both Nez Percés and +pale-faces in that valley was of itself a sort of +enigma. Word was left for the rear-guard to +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span>halt at the spot where the body lay until rejoined +by the main force.</p> + +<p>The garrison at the notch was ignorant of all +this, but while the house-builders toiled at their +wall with undiminished energy Long Bear sent +out several of his best braves to scout around +as far as might seem safe, and there was no +danger of any surprise. There was one effect +of all this even now to be seen in the sides of +that stone wall. Windows had formed a part +of the original plan, of course, but not nearly +so many shot-holes.</p> + +<p>"You see," said Jonas to Yellow Pine, "if any +hostiles should ever make out to git inside the +notch, this 'ere'd be the best kind of fort. +Them holes are all big enough to poke a muzzle +through."</p> + +<p>"We'll have a stockade, some day," said Pine; +"and we'll put another down at the gap, reg'lar +fort fashion, with a gate and loop-holes."</p> + +<p>Just then a whoop rang out from the braves +at the gap and was followed by a chorus of them.</p> + +<p>"I'd call it!" said Pine. "Knock off work, +boys. Time's come."</p> + +<p>Not quite, but a brave had ridden swiftly in +with notice of the approach of the Apaches, +and all the other scouts were fast following his +good example. The first whoop had been given +by the Big Tongue from behind the largest +rocks of the barrier, but he was soon calmly +walking up and down outside, as if waiting for +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span>the whole Apache nation, and also ready to be +admired by somebody. One-eye was also beyond +the barrier, for some reason, but he came +in at the call of Two Arrows. There was no +danger but what the Big Tongue would come +in without any calling.</p> + +<p>Na-tee-kah and Ha-ha-pah-no had done very +little that morning but recite to their Nez +Percé friends and relatives the wonders of their +visit in the pale-face camp, and exhibit their +rich store of ornaments and other presents. +They had also combed and brushed each other's +hair in a way that excited no little envy. They +were yet busy at it when the voice of the Big +Tongue was first heard at the barrier, and every +squaw knew what it signified.</p> + +<p>"Two Arrows," exclaimed Na-tee-kah, "has +rifle now; kill heap."</p> + +<p>"Big Tongue great brave," said Ha-ha-pah-no. +"Shoot mouth; 'Pache heap die."</p> + +<p>The horses, mules, and ponies of both Nez +Percés and miners were all driven by the squaws +away up the notch, under some trees, to be as +secure as might be from stray bullets, if any +should be fired. The squaws themselves were +generally very willing to be as safe as were the +animals; but Na-tee-kah's dusky cheeks were almost +red with excitement. In spite of all prohibition, +she broke away from under the trees +and darted off towards the rocks on the side of +the notch opposite the mine. It was only a +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span>minute before Ha-ha-pah-no followed her, with +no idea of bringing her back, whatever she said +to the rest on starting.</p> + +<p>"See fight. Squaw shoot, too, sometime. +Na-tee-kah heap brave."</p> + +<p>Na-tee-kah did not utter a sound until she +had gained a spot behind a huge bowlder, from +which she could peer out and down, and see +what was going on at the barrier and beyond it. +She felt well paid for her trouble. The braves +of the Nez Percés were all there or behind the +rocky fragments on either side, and mingled with +them here and there were the red shirts and +slouched hats of the miners. The Big Tongue +was no longer parading over the slope in front +of the gap. He had even cut short an uncommonly +fine whoop in his retreat to a place as +safe as that occupied by Na-tee-kah or Ha-ha-pah-no.</p> + +<p>There were excellent reasons for such a retreat, +for several scores of Apaches were now +riding back and forth, just out of good rifle-range, +as if they were a little in doubt as to +what they had better do next. Not an Apache +among them had an idea how many might be +the rifles among those rocks, but all were sure +that they were there. It was just as Jonas had +said, and Yellow Pine. It required an immense +amount of courage to ride up to hidden sharpshooters, +and the Apaches were disposed to +whoop a good deal before they tried the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span>experiment. +Their head chief had commanded +that there should be no random firing, and now +he was disposed to try what could be done with +a "talk." One solitary brave rode forward a +distance in advance of his comrades, dismounted, +laid down his rifle and lance, took off his pistol-belt +ostentatiously, held up his hands wide open +to declare himself unarmed, reached out his +right hand with the palm up to say that he was +peaceful, and then walked slowly forward.</p> + +<p>"Wants to get near enough to see what he +can see," said Yellow Pine. "Snake trick. +I'll go out and meet him, jedge."</p> + +<p>"No, Pine, I don't want you to run any risk."</p> + +<p>"Risk? Not a bit of it. I say, Jonas, I'll +let him come into good fair range. Keep him +covered. If he tries any bad game I'll just +drop flat."</p> + +<p>"That's what he'll do next thing," said Jonas, +as he rested his rifle over the log in front of +him, and it seemed as if every other miner at +once followed his example.</p> + +<p>"Go ahead then, Pine," said the judge; "see +what he wants."</p> + +<p>"For that matter, jedge," said Pine, "I'd as +lief as not try a hand-to-hand fight with any redskin +in that lot."</p> + +<p>He left his weapons behind him as ostentatiously +as the Apache had done, handing them +back over the barrier after stepping out, and +walked forward rapidly, so that he did not let +his conference turn into too close an "examination."</p> + +<div class="img"><a name="imagep230" id="imagep230"></a> +<a href="images/imagep230.jpg"> +<img border="0" src="images/imagep230.jpg" width="50%" alt="HIS RIGHT HAND WITH THE PALM UP TO SHOW THAT HE WAS PEACEFUL" /></a><br /> +<p class="cen" style="margin-top: .2em;">HIS RIGHT HAND WITH THE PALM UP TO SHOW THAT HE WAS PEACEFUL<span class="totoi"><a href="#toi">ToList</a></span></p> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span>The keen eyes of the warrior were searching +every cranny of the rocks as well as they +could, when Yellow Pine drew near and held +out his hand.</p> + +<p>"How?" said Pine.</p> + +<p>"How? Where Nez Percé?"</p> + +<p>Pine answered by a sweep of his hand towards +the notch, and added,</p> + +<p>"'Pache chief want pony? want scalp? Go +other place. Too much heap shoot; kill 'em +all."</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XXIX</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">STIRRING TIMES</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>The idea of a great fight about to come off +had quite turned the heads of Sile and +Two Arrows, and the later was aching all over +with anxiety to try his new rifle. They had +found good places to shoot from. Even the +judge did not hesitate a moment about bidding +Sile to do his duty, although he had a pretty +strong conviction that there would not be much +to do right away. Na-tee-kah had singled out +that pair as the particular braves in whose +conduct she was interested, but had no doubt +that her brother would win more glory than the +Red-head, now that he had so good a rifle.</p> + +<p>The circumstances had even more completely +turned the hot heads of the young Apache +braves left in charge of their too numerous drove +of horses. Every soul of them was crazy to be at +the front and take part in whatever might turn +up. They all seemed to drift naturally a little +in that direction, and kept no kind of lookout, +leaving their precious charge to take care of itself. +The horses, therefore, at once began to +take advantage of the grass.</p> + +<p>This state of things continued, and grew +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span>worse and worse every minute, until a good long +hour after the main body had moved away +along Sile's trail towards the notch. Then, altogether +unexpectedly, but as by one impulse, +all the Apache horse-guard gave a sudden start +and turned their heads in one direction.</p> + +<p>Over the crest of the nearest knoll, stirring +and clear and sweet, came the sound of a cavalry +bugle. It was the signal to "charge," and was +followed by the swift rush of Captain Grover +and his men. In an instant they were between +the feeding quadrupeds and their astonished +keepers, and it was all in vain for the young +hot-heads in their amazement to attempt to +rally. One only wheeled his pony at once and +rode away at the top of his speed. The nine or +ten who dashed in the other direction suddenly +all drew rein as they discovered the odds against +them. A line of iron veterans, thirty strong, +was thundering forward, and not an Apache +was fool enough to fire a shot and be cut down +for it.</p> + +<p>There was just enough of bewildered, leaderless +indecision to settle the matter. The sabres +swept flashingly around the squad of redskins, +and all they had to do was to surrender. It is a +mere novelist's blunder to suppose and to write +that red men have not sense enough to give it +up when there is no use in fighting any more. +They can do it as readily as any white man in +the world, and the reason why they do not do it +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span>more frequently is because they generally keep +a good chance to run away, and make a treaty +afterwards as to what presents they are to have +for making peace. There was no time given +the young braves to strike a bargain. They +were all disarmed, and then, dreadfully to their +disgust, they were all dismounted and tied up.</p> + +<p>"The plunder'll do well enough where it is," +said Captain Grover, as he detailed Garry and +a guard of four men to watch the prisoners. +"If any of those chaps gets loose you'll have to +shoot him. Men, by fours, left! Forward!"</p> + +<p>The pony-rider who escaped was sure to +carry the news of the disaster, and of the arrival +of the blue-coats, but several things could happen +before the Apache chief received it. He had +no spy-glass, and he was eagerly waiting such +information as might be obtained by the brave +standing face to face with Yellow Pine.</p> + +<p>That very cunning Apache found himself +talking under difficulties. He could see distinctly +that there were more than a few rifles +at the barrier, but he could get no farther. The +tall pale-face in front of him kept back any +other information than that all the Apaches in +this world or any other would be killed in case +of an attack then and there. He even referred +to Sile's exploit as an example, and to the lesson +given by Two Arrows to the scout, and all the +wild blood in the Apache brave was set boiling +by that somewhat imprudent reference. He +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span>was a large, powerfully built warrior, and he +had been as truthful as could be expected when +he signified that he was unarmed. He kept up +the idea of a "flag of truce" talk until sure he +could gain no more by it, and then he uttered a +shrill whoop and stooped, quick as a flash, for +a long knife hidden in his leggings. He meant +to carry back the scalp of Yellow Pine as a +trophy of that conversation, but had not asked +anybody how well Pine could box. The latter +had no time to draw any weapon except his +fist, but that was a hard one, and it struck the +Apache on the side of his head as he was rising, +knife in hand. Over and over he rolled, while +Pine threw himself flat upon the earth, at the +same moment digging both hands into the +pockets of his pantaloons. His enemy recovered +himself instantly and sprang to his feet with +another whoop, lifting his long, glittering knife +for a rush upon the prostrate pale-face. It +might have been a perilous rush, for Pine's +hands came right out of his pockets, and each +held a short-barrelled "Derringer" pistol, ready +cocked. They are terrible weapons, but the +miner had no occasion to use either of them. +The line of the barrier and of the adjacent +rocks seemed to dance with blue flashes and with +puffs of white smoke. Within three seconds +not less than a score of rattling reports awoke +the echoes of the notch, and every blue tube they +came from had been aimed by a good marksman. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span>After all was over, the prevalent opinion was +that not one of them had missed. At all events +Yellow Pine was safe to jump up and run for +the barrier, followed by hasty shots from startled +and galloping horsemen, all as useless as so +many pebbles. His arrival was greeted by all +the shouting and whooping which could possibly +be performed by the red and white garrison +of the notch, aided by One-eye with a vigor +that shook him all over. Even then, however, +the voice of the Big Tongue could be distinguished +from the rest.</p> + +<p>If the volume of sound did nothing else it +deeply impressed the mind of the Apache chief +with an idea of the strength of the force opposed +to him. So had the promptness and number +and accuracy of the rifle-shots which had prevented +him from getting any report from his +too treacherous "flag of truce" brave. As for +him, Na-tee-kah had been watching Two Arrows +and had seen the Apache fall just as his +rifle went off. That was enough, and she was +again proud of her brother. It was in vain for +Ha-ha-pah-no to say,</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Heap shoot. All kill him. Go +dead a heap."</p> + +<p>She as well as Na-tee-kah was taking every +opportunity for practising all the small English +words she could pick up, and some of her greatest +successes would have puzzled a dictionary.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span>The Apaches were all but silent and drew +back a little at the end of their burst of angry +whooping and useless shooting. They drew +back still farther because of a steady whizzing +of bullets from the barrier. It was too far for +good marksmanship, but the rifles made nowadays +will send a piece of lead a mile and hurt +something with it.</p> + +<p>Suddenly a second burst of angry yells arose +among the baffled marauders as a pony-rider in +a great hurry dashed in among them, shouting +forth the news of the arrival of the blue-coats +and the loss of the drove and its protectors. +Here was a blow indeed, and the escaped brave's +estimate of the number of the cavalry he had +run away from was very liberal. The Apache +chief was necessarily a good captain, fully able +to understand how bad it would be for him to be +placed between two fires. The ground in front +of the notch was therefore no place for him to +fight in, and he did not know what precious +minutes he had already been wasting. He +threw away ten more in a sort of consultation +with his wisest warriors, and at the same time +his whole force rode up the valley a short distance. +That move gave them the cover of some +trees and took them out of range of bullets from +the barrier, and at that very moment Judge +Parks was startled by a yell from Sile.</p> + +<p>"What are you doing up there?" he shouted, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span>for Sile had clambered away up among the +rocks of the lodge and stood upon a sort of +pinnacle, spy-glass in hand.</p> + +<p>"Cavalry, father! They are coming. Cavalry—"</p> + +<p>"Come down!"</p> + +<p>"Right in this direction. Riding hard. +Hurrah!"</p> + +<p>The new rifle of Two Arrows could not have +won him the glory of that discovery and announcement. +Once more the peculiar advantages +of pale-faces over red men were forced +upon him, but somehow it did but stir up his +ambition, and with it a quick, daring impulse. +He sprang away up the valley for a horse. He +rushed in among the gathered animals of the +corral, and boldly picked out his father's best +and swiftest mustang, a beast that could run like +the wind. He asked for no saddle, and the +bridle went on as if by magic.</p> + +<p>Sile came down from his perch at a rate that +risked his neck, and made a report which drew +from Yellow Pine,</p> + +<p>"I'd call it—Jedge, if we could only let +them fellers know we're here, it would be wuth +a heap."</p> + +<p>Before all who echoed that wish had finished +speaking Two Arrows came dashing towards +the barrier, all ready for the errand.</p> + +<p>"Give the youngster three cheers!" shouted +Yellow Pine. "Hurrah for him!"</p> + +<br /> +<br /> +<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span> +<br /> + +<hr /> +<br /> +<h2><span class="smcap">Chapter XXX</span></h2> + +<h2><span class="smcap">A DARING RIDE</span></h2> +<br /> + +<p>For the moment there was not one Apache +horseman lingering within reach of the +sharpshooters at the gap, and it was possible to +get away from it unseen. All peril would come +afterwards, but there was a vast amount of it, +and the proposed errand of Two Arrows called +for unlimited courage. His light weight upon +a fresh racer gave him some advantage over +heavy warriors upon horses already hard ridden, +but this fact did not cover the whole question +by any means, for a bullet will travel faster than +the swiftest mustang. Sile did his best to communicate +every fact that his spy-glass had given +him; Long Bear said "Ugh!" with a deep and +expressive intonation; the logs were removed +from the entrance; and then Na-tee-kah's heart +beat terribly, for she saw her hero brother dash +forth all alone, she could not guess why nor +whither. Then there was another sudden commotion, +for Yellow Pine shouted, and Long +Bear echoed it in his own tongue,</p> + +<p>"Mount, men! Mount and be ready, every +mother's son of ye! I'm jest going to back that +there young catamount if it costs me my hair!"</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span>There was the swiftest kind of saddling and +mounting, and not a Nez Percé boy old enough +to draw a bow was willing to be left behind. +When, therefore, the whole force rode out upon +the slope in front of the notch, it looked a good +deal stronger than it really was. All that work +required many minutes, and during all of these +the daring young messenger had been doing +capitally.</p> + +<p>Leaving the gap, he wheeled his fleet mustang +to the right and dashed away until he deemed +himself within reach of a small grove of trees, +around which he could sweep back into the +right course to reach the cavalry. It was an +acute enough calculation, but out of that very +bit of bushy timber came first a brace of rifle-bullets +and then a pair of mounted Apaches, as +soon as these believed that they had let him go +far enough. That is, they rode out to cut off +his return, and they both failed to do him or +his horse any harm. It was a race now, with +the chances against the pursuers, and Two Arrows +sent back a derisive whoop as he struck +out straight for what he believed to be his mark. +He understood in an instant that he had escaped +the main body of his enemies, but there was no +telling when he might meet one of their smaller +squads. He felt in every fibre of his body that +he was now armed as a warrior, and was doing +the work of a warrior and of an uncommonly +daring brave. His heart beat with fierce <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span>delight +and hope, and his very mustang seemed to +feel the excitement, and went forward with long, +eager bounds. The wind was in his face, and +now it brought him something. It was a faint +sound, and far away, but it was the bugle-note +which bade Captain Grover's men to change +their trot to a gallop.</p> + +<p>The little force of cavalry had taken upon +them no small risk in dashing forward, now that +they had a better knowledge of the strength of +their opponents. It was almost rashness, but +it was such a facing of odds as our gallant soldiers +are all the while doing. There was nothing +exceptional about it, terrible as have been the +disasters now and then resulting. Captain +Grover determined to gain whatever might be +gained by promptly following up his first +success, and so he had well used all the minutes +the Apache chief was wasting. At about the +time when the latter had decided that there +must be an effort made to recover the lost +plunder, unless the cavalry should prove too +numerous, Captain Grover had ridden far +enough to make good the military plan of a +young Nez Percé chief. His own spy-glass was +at work from every rising ground he came to, +and now it brought an exclamation from him:</p> + +<p>"What's up now? One chased by two? Forward! +Gallop!"</p> + +<p>Two Apache braves, already very sure they +could not catch the rider they were chasing, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span>wheeled quickly and rode in the opposite +direction, and in a few moments more Two Arrows +was rapidly explaining the situation to +Captain Grover. It was a very plain one, and +not a second was wasted in considering it. +Again the word was "forward," and the remaining +distance to be travelled was not great. The +decision of the Apaches to advance was likely +to make it shorter, but that was an unpleasant +time for the chief in command of those unlucky +red men. Just as two of his braves came in to +inform him that a messenger from the men +among the rocks had reached the cavalry, another +announced that all the pale-faces and Nez +Percés had come out from the rocks to fight and +were "heap strong." Nor was that the whole +of it, for one of his scouts from the rear dashed +up with the news that yet another party of Nez +Percés was coming, he did not know how many. +These were the fellows sent through the pass +for the "cached" property, but what Apache +could say how many more might follow? or how +many more blue-coated veterans might be at +hand?</p> + +<p>It looked for all the world as if that enterprising +band of Apache "business men" were surrounded +and trapped. They had already lost +all the proceeds of their season's hard work, +and the rest of their stock in trade, of all sorts, +was pretty sure to follow. More consultation +was absolutely necessary, and before it was over +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span>Sile could announce, from his perch upon the +rock,</p> + +<p>"Coming! I can see Two Arrows."</p> + +<p>Then there was a cheering, and Na-tee-kah +felt all but proud of the noise made by the Big +Tongue—there was so very much of it.</p> + +<p>"Forward, men!" shouted Judge Parks. +"We must be on hand. Come down, Sile. +Keep near <i>me</i>."</p> + +<p>Sile was down and mounted in a moment, but +there was to be no great battle that day. The +Apache "council of war" lasted until it could +hear the cavalry bugle and the distant whoop +of the Big Tongue. It could not hear the howl +of One-eye, for that brave animal was sitting in +the very entrance of the barrier guarding the +notch, all alone except for the squaws. It was +better to go upon any reservation, and to promise +any amount and degree of good behavior, than +to spend the remainder of that fine day in being +shot and sabred. So the council decided, and +so, in due and dignified form, they announced +to Captain Grover, before he had an opportunity +to bid his veterans charge.</p> + +<p>The official duty of the captain, after that, was +to disarm his captives, the weapons to be all returned +upon reaching the reservation, and to +order them at once into a camp by themselves, +under a guard. Word was sent to Garry and +his men to move the quadrupeds down the river +as fast as possible, the prisoners there being +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span>untied and sent to their main body. Rapid +orders were given, and were mingled with as +rapid conversations with Judge Parks, Yellow +Pine, and Long Bear.</p> + +<p>"Where's that messenger?" suddenly exclaimed +Captain Grover, after he had listened +to the facts as to the sending of Two Arrows. +There was a glow upon the brave soldier's face, +and he was unbuckling the flap of one of his +holsters, for he was yet in the saddle.</p> + +<p>Two Arrows was summoned and came forward, +and a great many eyes were upon him.</p> + +<p>"Young brave!" said Captain Grover emphatically. +"I never heard of a pluckier +volunteer in all my life. Take that; keep your +head level, that's all. You've more courage +than you've any real need of."</p> + +<p>"That" was a handsome silver-mounted army +revolver. Given in that way it was a mark of +distinction for a great chief to be proud of, and +Long Bear, indeed, was nearly as proud as was +Two Arrows.</p> + +<p>"There, Sile," said his father; "see that you +do as well with your advantages as that Nez +Percé boy has done with his."</p> + +<p>"I will, father; but why could he not have +some more? What is to hinder him from going +to school? There's all my gold, now, in the +wagon; I'd spend a good deal of it."</p> + +<p>"Sile, my boy, I've been thinking of it. We +will do it. It's a good thing. The girl too."</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span>It was time now for Captain Grover to ride +in and see the notch and the mine, and to get +the best dinner the miners and Ha-ha-pah-no +could cook for him and his men. Then it was +time for Na-tee-kah to go nearly wild with +pride over her brother and his revolver. After +that there was a long consultation between Long +Bear and his children and Judge Parks and +Sile. Two Arrows seemed to be inclined to +say very little at first. He sat with his new +rifle across his lap, and his priceless revolver +resting upon that, and One-eye came and sat +down beside him. Long Bear himself seemed +to be in doubt as his pale-face friends urged +upon him the advantages of their offer. He +was hardly able to see what good there could +be in the learning of the white men for a red +horseman of the plains; but at last Two Arrows +motioned to Sile for his spy-glass, hanging at +his side. He took it and looked through it at +the distant mountains, and then turned to Long +Bear and pointed at them, saying,</p> + +<p>"Look! See!"</p> + +<p>"Ugh!" said the old chief, "see heap."</p> + +<p>"Now look. See," said Two Arrows, "see +big heap."</p> + +<p>"Ugh! Big medicine," said Long Bear, +handing the glass to Sile, but Two Arrows arose +and stood proudly erect, rifle in hand.</p> + +<p>"Will you go?" asked Sile.</p> + +<p>"Go," said Two Arrows. "Good friend. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span>Go. Got Nez Percé eye now; want pale-face +eye."</p> + +<p>"Ugh!" exclaimed Long Bear; "what Na-tee-kah +say?"</p> + +<p>The question was put to her, but it was hardly +needful, after she found that Two Arrows was +to go. She was willing to learn anything he +did, and she was not even daunted by quick +mental vision of a white lady with her bonnet +on. She would even wear the dress of a pale-face +squaw if Two Arrows would put on such +things as were worn by the Red-head. So it +was settled, although it would be a number of +weeks before the judge and Sile could set out +for their eastern home.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>At several points in the East there are schools +designed and maintained for the special education +of Indian girls and boys, only needing +greater help from men and women who have +money intrusted to them by the Giver.</p> + +<p>Among all the tribes of the West, and in every +band, Na-tee-kah and Two Arrows wait to be +found and enticed into a training that is for +their everlasting good and for that of their race.</p> +<br /> +<br /> + +<p class="cen">THE END</p> + +<br /> +<br /> + +<div class="tr"> +<p class="cen"><a name="TN" id="TN"></a>Transcriber's Note</p> +<br /> +Typographical errors corrected in the text:<br /> +<br /> +Page 6 pursuasive changed to persuasive<br /> +Page 12 acquainttance changed to acquaintance<br /> +Page 73 pappose changed to pappoose<br /> +Page 83 if changed to it<br /> +Page 109 wherebouts changed to whereabouts<br /> +Page 117 familar changed to familiar<br /> +Page 121 necesary chaged to necessary<br /> +Page 129 vension changed to venison<br /> +Page 164 vension changed to venison<br /> +Page 203 he changed to be<br /> +Page 220 condemmed changed to condemned +</div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Two Arrows, by William O. 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