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diff --git a/40480-8.txt b/40480-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index f94c4c9..0000000 --- a/40480-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13817 +0,0 @@ - THE QUEST OF THE FOUR - - - - -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 http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Title: The Quest of the Four - A Story of the Comanches and Buena Vista - -Author: Joseph A. Altsheler - -Release Date: August 11, 2012 [EBook #40480] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE QUEST OF THE FOUR *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines. - - - - -[Illustration: Cover] - - - -[Illustration: "The man spoke in a sharp whisper: 'You are John -Bedford?'" Page 303] - - - - - _The_ - QUEST OF THE FOUR - - _A STORY OF THE COMANCHES AND - BUENA VISTA_ - - - BY - - JOSEPH A. ALTSHELER - - - - AUTHOR OF "THE LAST OF THE CHIEFS," - "THE YOUNG TRAILERS," ETC. - - - - ILLUSTRATED - - - - - D. APPLETON AND COMPANY - NEW YORK AND LONDON: MCMXX - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY - D. APPLETON AND COMPANY - - - - Printed in the United States of America - - - - CONTENTS - - -CHAPTER - -I.--The Meeting of the Four -II.--The March of the Train -III.--At the Ford -IV.--On Watch -V.--The Comanche Village -VI.--The Medicine Lodge -VII.--The Great Sleep -VIII.--New Enemies -IX.--The Fiery Circle -X.--Phil's Letter -XI.--With the Army -XII.--The Pass of Angostura -XIII.--A Wind of the Desert -XIV.--Buena Vista -XV.--The Woman at the Well -XVI.--The Castle of Montevideo -XVII.--The Thread, the Key, and the Dagger -XVIII.--The Hut in the Cove -XIX.--Arenberg's Quest -XX.--The Silver Cup -XXI.--The Note of a Melody -XXII.--Breakstone's Quest - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - -"The man spoke in a sharp whisper: 'You are John Bedford?'" . . . -_Frontispiece_ - -"Putting his blanket beneath him, he lay before one of the fires" - -"A black, snakelike loop fell over Bill Breakstone's head" - -"The third boy from the rear stopped and listened" - - - - - THE QUEST OF THE FOUR - - - - CHAPTER I - - THE MEETING OF THE FOUR - - -A tall boy, dreaming dreams, was walking across the Place d'Armes in New -Orleans. It was a brilliant day in early spring, and a dazzling -sunlight fell over the city, gilding the wood or stone of the houses, -and turning the muddy current of the Mississippi into shimmering gold. -Under such a perfect blue sky, and bathed in such showers of shining -beams, New Orleans, a city of great and varied life, looked quaint, -picturesque, and beautiful. - -But the boy, at that moment, thought little of the houses or people -about him. His mind roamed into the vast Southwest, over mountains, -plains, and deserts that his feet had never trod, and he sought, almost -with the power of evocation, to produce regions that he had never seen, -but which he had often heard described. He had forgotten no detail of -the stories, but, despite them, the cloud of mystery and romance -remained, calling to him all the more strongly because he had come upon -a quest the most vital of his life, a quest that must lead him into the -great unknown land. - -He was not a native of New Orleans or Louisiana. Any one could have told -at a glance that the blue eyes, fair hair, and extreme whiteness of skin -did not belong to the Gulf coast. His build was that of the -Anglo-Saxon. The height, the breadth of shoulder and chest, and the -whole figure, muscled very powerfully for one so young, indicated birth -in a clime farther North--Kentucky or Virginia, perhaps. His dress, -neat and clean, showed that he was one who respected himself. - -Phil Bedford passed out of the Place d'Armes, and presently came to the -levee which ran far along the great river, and which was seething with -life. New Orleans was then approaching the zenith of its glory. Many, -not foreseeing the power of the railroad, thought that the city, seated -near the mouth of the longest river of the world, into which scores of -other navigable streams drained, was destined to become the first city -of America. The whole valley of the Mississippi, unequalled in extent -and richness, must find its market here, and beyond lay the vast domain, -once Spain's, for which New Orleans would be the port of entry. - -Romance, too, had seized the place. The Alamo and San Jacinto lay but a -few years behind. All the states resounded with the great story of the -Texan struggle for liberty. Everybody talked of Houston and Crockett -and Bowie and the others, and from this city most of the expeditions had -gone. New Orleans was the chief fountain from which flowed fresh -streams of men who steadily pushed the great Southwestern frontier -farther and farther into the Spanish lands. - -It seemed to Phil, looking through his own fresh, young eyes, that it -was a happy crowd along the levee. The basis of the city was France and -Spain, with an American superstructure, but all the materials had been -bound into a solid fabric by their great and united defense against the -British in 1815. Now other people came, too, called by the spirit of -trade or adventure. Every nation of Europe was there, and the states, -also, sent their share. They came fast on the steamers which trailed -their black smoke down the yellow river. - -The strong youth had been sad, when he came that morning from the dingy -little room in which he slept, and he had been sad when he was walking -across the Place d'Armes, but the scene was too bright and animated to -leave one so young in such a state of mind. He bought a cup of hot -coffee from one of the colored women who was selling it from immense -cans, drank it, exchanged a cheerful word or two of badinage, and, as he -turned away, he ran into a round man, short, rosy, and portly. Phil -sprang back, exclaiming: - -"Your pardon, sir! It was an accident! All my fault!" - -"No harm done where none iss meant," replied the stranger, speaking -excellent English, although with a German accent. It was obvious, even -without the accent, that he was of German birth. The Fatherland was -written all over his rotund figure, but he was dressed in the fashion of -the Southwest--light suit, light shoes, and a straw hat. - -It was a time when chance meetings led to long friendships. On the -border, a stranger spoke to another stranger if he felt like it. One -could ask questions if he chose. Partnerships were formed on the spur -of the moment in the vast army that was made up of the children of -adventure, formality was a commodity little in demand. The German -looked rather inquiringly at the boy. - -"From farther North, iss it not so?" he asked. "Answer or be silent. -Either iss your right." - -Bill laughed. He liked the man's quaint manner and friendly tone, and -he replied promptly: - -"I was born in Kentucky, my name is Philip Bedford, and I am alone in -New Orleans." - -"Then," said the German, "you must be here for some expedition. This -iss where they start. It iss so. I can see it in your face. Come, my -young friend, no harm iss done where none iss meant." - -Phil had taken no offense. He had merely started a little at the shrewd -guess. He replied frankly: - -"I'm thinking of the West, Texas and maybe New Mexico, or even beyond -that--California." - -"It iss a long journey to take alone," said the German, "two thousand, -three thousand miles, and not one mile of safe road. Indians, Mexicans, -buffaloes, bears, deserts, mountains, all things to keep you from -getting across." - -"But I mean to go," paid Phil firmly. - -The German looked at him searchingly. His interest in Phil seemed to -increase. - -"Something calls you," he said. - -Phil was silent. - -"No harm iss done where none iss meant," the German. "You have told me -who you are, Mr. Philip Bedford, and where you come from. It iss right -that I tell you as much about myself. My name iss Hans Arenberg, and I -am a Texan." - -Phil looked at him, his eyes full of unbelief, and the German laughed a -little. - -"It iss so," he said. "You do not think I look like a Texan, but I am -one by way of Germany. I--I live at New Braunfels." - -Arenberg's voice broke suddenly, and then Phil remembered vaguely--New -Braunfels, a settlement of German immigrants in Texas, raided by -Comanches, the men killed, and the women carried off! It was one of -those terrible incidents of the border, so numerous that the new fast -crowded the old out of place. - -"You come from New Braunfels! You are one of the survivors of the -massacre!" he exclaimed. - -"It iss so," said the German, his eyes growing sober, "and I, too, wish -to go far into the West. I, too, seek something, young Mr. Philip -Bedford, and my road would lie much where yours leads." - -The two looked at each other with inquiry that shaded into -understanding. Arenberg was the first to speak. - -"Yes, we could go together," he said. "I trust you, and you trust me. -But two are not strong enough. The chances are a thousand to one that -neither of us would find what he iss seeking. The Mexicans wish revenge -on the Texans, the Comanches raid to the outskirts of San Antonio. -Pouf! Our lives would not be worth that! It must be a strong party of -many men!" - -"I believe you are right," said Phil, "but I wish to go. I wish to go -very much." - -"So do I," said Arenberg. "It iss the same with both of us, but suppose -we wait. Where do you live?" - -Phil no longer hesitated to confide in this chance acquaintance, and he -replied that he was staying in a house near the Convent of the Ursuline -Nuns, where a little room sheltered him and his few belongings. - -"Suppose," said Arenberg, "that I join you there, and we save our -expenses. In union there iss strength. If you do not like my suggestion -say so. No harm iss done where none iss meant." - -"On the contrary, I do like it," said Phil heartily. "It seems to me -that we can help each other." - -"Then come," said Arenberg. "We will go first to my place, where I will -pay my own bill, take away what I have, and then we will join forces at -yours, iss it not so?" - -Arenberg was staying at one of the inns that abounded in New Orleans, -and it took him only a half hour to pack and move, carrying his baggage -in his hand. Phil's room was in a large, rambling old house, built of -cypress wood, with verandas all about it. There an American widow kept -boarders, and she had plenty of them, as New Orleans was overflowing -with strangers. The room was small and bare, but it was large enough, -as Phil's baggage, too, was limited. A cot was put in for Arenberg, and -the two were at home. - -The day was now drawing to a close, and the two ate supper with a -strange company in the large dining-room of the boarding house. Phil, a -close observer, noted that six languages were spoken around that more or -less hospitable board. He understood only his own, and a little French -and Spanish, but the difference in sound and intonation enabled him to -note the others. One of the men who sat opposite him was a big fellow -with glistening gold rings in his ears, evidently a West Indian of -somewhat doubtful color, but he was quiet, and ate dextrously and -skillfully with his knife. A sallow young Mexican with curling black -mustaches complained incessantly about his food, and a thin New -Englander spoke at times of the great opportunities for capital in the -Southwest. - -Phil and Arenberg, who sat side by side, said little, but both watched -all the other guests with interested eyes. The one who held Phil's gaze -the longest was a smoothly shaven young man on the other side of the -table. It was the difference between him and the others that aroused -Phil's curiosity. He sat very erect, with his square shoulders thrown -back, and he never spoke, except to accept or reject the food passed by -colored girls. His eyes were blue, and his face, cut clear and strong, -betokened perception and resolve. Phil believed that he could like him, -but his attention by and by wandered elsewhere. - -Philip Bedford had not felt so nearly content for many days. The making -of a new friend was a source of strength to the boy, and he felt that he -had taken a step forward in his great search. Fresh confidence flowed -like good wine into his veins. He had friendly feelings toward all -those around the table, and the room itself became picturesque. He ate -of strange dishes, French or Spanish, and liked them, careless what they -were. A mild breeze came through the open windows, and the outlines of -buildings were softened in the dusk. Within the room itself six candles -in tall candlesticks, placed at regular intervals on the table, cast a -sufficient light. Two young colored women in red calico dresses, and -with red turbans on their heads, kept off the flies and mosquitoes with -gorgeous fans of peacock feathers, which they waved gently over the -heads of the guests. Phil became deeply conscious of the South, of its -glow and its romance. - -The guests, having a sufficiency of food, left the table one by one. -The young man with the smooth face was among the first to go. Phil -noticed him again and admired his figure--tall, slender, and beautifully -erect. He walked with ease and grace, and his dress of plain brown was -uncommonly neat and well fitting. "I should like to know that man," was -Phil's thought. - -After dinner the boy and Arenberg sat on the veranda in the dusk, and -talked in low voices of their plans. They deemed it better to keep their -intentions to themselves. Many expeditions were fitting out in New -Orleans. Some were within the law, and some were not. Wise men talked -little of what was nearest to their hearts. - -"If we go into the West--and we are going," said Phil, "we shall need -weapons--rifles, pistols." - -"Time enough for that," said Arenberg. "If we have the money, we can -arm ourselves in a day. Weapons are a chief article of commerce in New -Orleans." - -An hour later they went up to their room and to bed. Phil carried his -money on his person, and most of his other belongings were in a stout -leather bag or valise, which was fastened with a brass lock. It was -necessary for him to open the bag to obtain some clean linen, and as -Arenberg's back was turned he took out, also, a small paper, yellow and -worn. He opened it for the thousandth time, choked a sigh, and put it -back. As he relocked the bag and turned, he noticed that Arenberg also -had been looking at something. It seemed to be a photograph, and the -German, after returning it to his own bag, gazed absently out of the -window. His face, which at other times was obviously made for smiles -and cheeriness, was heavy with grief. A flood of sympathy rushed over -Philip Bedford. "I wonder what it is he seeks out there," the boy -thought as he looked unconsciously toward the West. But he had too much -delicacy of mind to say anything, and presently Arenberg was himself -again, speaking hopefully of their plans as they prepared for bed. - -Phil slept soundly, except for one interval. Then he dreamed a dream, -and it was uncommonly vivid. He saw Hans Arenberg rise from his cot, -take from his bag the small object which was undoubtedly a photograph, -go to the window, where the moonlight fell, and look at it long and -earnestly. Presently his chest heaved, and tears ran down either cheek. -Then his head fell forward, and he dropped the photograph to his breast. -He stood in that stricken attitude for at least five minutes, then he -put the photograph back in the bag, and returned to his cot. In the -morning Phil's recollection of the dream was very vivid, but Arenberg -was cheery and bright. - -The boy and the man ate breakfast together in the dining-room, a -breakfast of oranges--Phil had never seen an orange until he came to New -Orleans--cakes and butter and coffee. Only a few of the diners of the -evening before were present when they went into the room, but among them -was the young man with the shaven face and the firm chin. Phil liked -him even better in the morning light. His seemed the kindly face of a -man with a strong and decided character. Their eyes met, and the -stranger smiled and nodded. Phil smiled and nodded back. After -breakfast Phil and Arenberg went out upon the veranda. The man was -already there, smoking a cigarette. - -"Fine morning," he observed easily. "One could not ask anything better -than these early spring days in New Orleans. In the North we are still -in the grasp of snow and ice." - -Phil and Arenberg also sat down, as the way was now opened for -conversation. - -"Then you are from the North, I suppose," said Phil. - -"Yes," replied the stranger, "from the State of New York, but I am -traveling now, as you see. My name is Middleton, George Middleton." - -He paused, meditatively blew a whiff of smoke from the little Spanish -cigarrito, and added: - -"I'm not for long in New Orleans. I'm thinking of a journey in the -West." - -"Nobody goes there unless he has a very good reason for going. Iss it -not so? No harm iss done where none iss meant," said Arenberg, in a -tone half of apology and half of inquiry. - -Middleton laughed and took another puff at his cigarrito. - -"Certainly no harm has been done," he replied. "You are right, also, in -saying that no one goes into the West unless he has an excellent reason. -I have such a reason. I want to look for something there." - -Phil and the German exchanged glances. They, too, wished to look for -something there. So! Here was a third man seeking to embark upon the -great journey. But it was no business of theirs what he sought, however -curious they might feel about it. Phil took another look at Middleton. -Surely his was a good face, a face to inspire trust and courage. - -"We wish to go across Texas and New Mexico, also," he said, "but we've -been delaying until we could form a party." - -"You've two at least," said Middleton, "and you now have the chance to -make it three. Why not do so?" - -"We will," said Arenberg. "It iss a case where three are company, and -two are not so much. Our firm is now Middleton, Bedford, Arenberg & -Co." - -"Do not put me first," said Middleton. "We must all be on exactly the -same plane. But I hope, friends, that you trust me as much as I trust -you. I think I know truth and honesty when I see them." - -"We do!" said Phil and Arenberg together and emphatically. - -The three shook hands, and that single act bound them into a solemn -compact to stand by one another through all things. They did not waste -words. Then the three went into the town, walking about among the inns -and on the levee to hear the gossip of New Orleans, and to learn what -chance there was of a large party going into the West. On the way -Middleton told them of some things that he had learned. He was not -sure, but a large wagon train might start soon for Santa Fé, in the far -Mexican land of New Mexico. It was to be a trading expedition, carrying -much cloth, metal goods, and other articles of value to this, the -greatest of Mexico's outlying posts. - -"It will be a numerous train," said Middleton, "perhaps too numerous, as -it may arouse the suspicion of the Mexicans. The relations of the -States and Mexico are none too good. There is trouble over Texas, and -who can tell what will happen a thousand miles in the depths of the -wilderness?" - -"Nobody," said Arenberg. "Who should know better than I?" - -He spoke with such sudden emphasis that Middleton opened his mouth as if -he would ask a question, but changed his mind and was silent. - -"Then it is your opinion, Mr. Middleton," said Phil, "that we should -join this train?" - -"If nothing better offers. All such expeditions are loosely organized. -If we should wish to leave it we can do so." - -"It iss well to keep it in mind," said Arenberg. "No harm can be done -where none iss meant." - -They entered a large inn kept by a Frenchman. Many men were sitting -about drinking or smoking. Middleton ordered lemonade for the three, -and they sat at a small table in the corner, observing the life of the -place. Phil's attention was presently attracted to another small table -near them, at which a single man sat. His gaze would not have lingered -there, had it not been for this man's peculiar appearance. His age -might have been thirty-five, more or less, and his figure was powerful. -His face was burned almost black by a sun that could not have been -anything but ardent, but his features and his blue eyes showed him to be -American of a fair race. His clothes were poor, and he looked -depressed. Yet the stranger was not without a certain distinction, an -air as of one who did not belong there in an inn. Something in the blue -eyes told of wild freedom and great spaces. He interested Phil more than -anybody else in the room. He felt that here was another man whom he -could like. - -The talk about them drifted quite naturally upon the subject of the -West, what Texas was going to do, what Mexico was going to do, the great -trail toward the Pacific, and the prospect of trouble between the United -States and Mexico. The shabby man raised his head and showed interest. -His eyes began to glow. He was not more than three feet away, and Phil, -prompted by a sort of instinct, spoke to him. - -"It seems that all eyes turn toward the West now," he said. - -"Yes," replied the stranger, "and they're right. It's out there that -the great things lie." - -He moved his hand with a slight but significant gesture toward the -setting sun. - -"I've been there once," he said, "and I want to go back." - -"A man takes his life in his hands when he travels that way," said Phil. - -"I know," replied the stranger, "but I'm willing to risk it. I must go -back there. I want to look for something, something very particular." - -Phil started. Here was a fourth who sought some darling wish of his -heart in that far mysterious West. He felt a strange influence. It -seemed to him a sign, or rather a command that must be obeyed. He -glanced at Middleton and Arenberg, who had been listening, and, -understanding him perfectly, they nodded. - -"We three are going into the West, also, on errands of our own," said -Phil. "Why not join us? Three are good, but four are better." - -"It iss a fair proposition," added Arenberg. "No harm iss done where -none iss meant." - -"We make the offer," said Middleton, "because on such a journey one -needs friends. If you do not think you can trust us, as our -acquaintance is so short, say so." - -The man examined them keenly, one by one. Phil, looking with equal -keenness at him, saw that, despite shabbiness of dress and despondency -of manner, he was not a common man. In truth, as he looked, the -depression seemed to be passing away. The stranger raised his head, -threw back his shoulders, and the blue eyes began to glow. - -"You look all right to me," he said. "A man has got to make friends, -and if you trust me I don't see why I can't trust you. Besides, I'm -terribly anxious to go back out there, and my reason is mighty good." - -"Then shall we consider it a bargain?" said Middleton. - -"You may count me one of the band as long as you will have me," said the -stranger with hearty emphasis, "and I suppose I oughtn't to come in as -an unknown. My name is Breakstone, William Breakstone, though I am -always called Bill Breakstone by those who know me. Bill Breakstone -seems to run off smoother." - -He smiled in the most ingratiating manner. The sudden acquisition of -friends seemed to have clothed him about with sunlight. All the others -felt that they had made no mistake. - -"I'm a rover," said Bill Breakstone in round, cheerful tones. "I've -been roaming all my life, though I'm bound to say it hasn't been to much -purpose. As you see me now, I haven't got nearly enough to buy either a -rifle or a horse for this big trip on which you're asking me to go, and -on which I'm wanting to go terrible bad." - -"Never mind, Mr. Breakstone--" began Middleton, but he was interrupted. - -"I'm Breakstone or Bill to those that feed with me," said the new man, -"and I'm Mr. Breakstone to those that don't like me or suspect me." - -"All right," said Middleton with a laugh, "it's Breakstone for the -present. By and by we may call you Bill. I was going to tell you, -Breakstone, that we four go in together. We furnish you what you need, -and later on you pay us back if you can. It's the usual thing in the -West." - -"You're right, my lord," said Bill Breakstone, "and I accept. It gives -me pleasure to be enrolled in your most gallant company, and, by my -troth, I will serve you right well." - -Middleton looked at him in amazement, and Bill Breakstone broke into a -mellow, infectious laugh. - -"I don't talk that way all the time," he said. "It merely bursts out in -spots. You may not believe it, when you look at me, but I studied for -the stage once, and I've been an actor. Now and then the old scraps -come to the end of my tongue. All's well that end's well, and may that -be the fate of our expedition." - -"Come," said Middleton, after telling his own name and that of his -friends to Breakstone, "we'll go to our quarters and make a place for -you. Phil and Arenberg are in a room together, and you shall share -mine." - -"Lead on!" said Bill Breakstone. - -The four left the inn. Bill Breakstone was as poor as he described -himself to be. He owned only the worn suit of clothes in which he -stood, a pistol, and a pair of saddle bags, seeming to contain some -linen, of which he took good care. - -"Prithee, young sir," he said to Phil, "I would fain guard well the -little that I have, because if I lose the little that I have, then what -I have shall be nothing. Do I argue well, Sir Ivanhoe?" - -"It's conclusive," said Phil. He took greatly to this man who had -become in an hour the life of their little band, a constant source of -cheerful patter that invigorated them all. Middleton bought him a new -suit of clothes, gave him some money, which he promised earnestly to -return a hundredfold, and then they went forth to inquire further into -the matter of the trading expedition for Santa Fé. But their attention -was diverted by the arrival of a large steamboat that had come all the -way from Pittsburgh loaded with passengers. A particular group among -the arrivals soon became the center of their interest. - -The members of the group were Mexicans, and they were evidently people -of distinction, or, at least, position. The first among them was -middle-aged, fat, and yellow, and dressed in garments much brighter in -color than Americans wear. Indeed, as a wind somewhat chill swept over -the river, he threw around his shoulders a red serape with a magnificent -border of gold fringe. But a young man who walked by his side made no -acknowledgment to the wind. It was he whom Phil watched most. Some -people inspire us at once with hostility, and Phil had this feeling -about the stranger, who bore himself in a manner that had more than a -tinge of sneering arrogance. - -The young man was obviously of the Spanish race, although his blood -might run back to Northern Spain, as he was tall and very strongly -built, and his complexion inclined to fairness, but Phil believed him to -be of Mexican birth, as he showed the shade of change that the New World -always made in the old. He wore the uniform of a captain in the Mexican -army. Mexican uniforms were not popular in the States, but he bore -himself as if he preferred the hostility of the crowd to its friendship. -His insolent gaze met Phil's for an instant, and the boy gave it back -with interest. For a few moments these two who had never met before, -who did not know the names of each other, and who might never meet -again, stared with immediate hostility. Eye plumbed the depths of eye, -but it was the Mexican who looked away first, although he let his lips -curl slightly into a gesture with which he meant to convey contempt. - -Middleton had observed this silent drama of a few moments, and he said -quietly: - -"You do not know, Philip, who these men are?" - -"No," replied the boy, "but I should like to know." - -"The stout, elderly man is Don August Xavier Hernando Zucorra y Palite, -who is at the head of a special Mexican embassy that has been at -Washington to treat with our government about the boundary of Texas--you -know there has been trouble between the States and Mexico over the Texan -boundary--and the younger is Pedro de Armijo, his nephew, and the -nephew, also, of Armijo, the governor of New Mexico, where we are -planning to go." - -"I fancied from his manner," said Bill Breakstone, "that young Armijo -was the President of Old Mexico and New Mexico both. I have called you -Sir Knight, and My Lord Phil, but our young Mexican is both His Grace -and His Royal Highness. By my halidome, we are indeed proud and far -above that vile herd, the populace." - -"Well, he will not bother us," said Arenberg. "If you run after trouble -you will find it coming to meet you." - -Middleton watched the Mexicans with uncommon interest until they passed -out of sight. Arenberg, a shrewd and penetrating man himself, said: - -"You are interested in them, Mr. Middleton?" - -"I am," replied Middleton frankly, "and I know, too, that the errand of -Zucorra to Washington has been a failure. The relations of the United -States and Mexico are no better." - -"But that won't keep us from going across to the Pacific, will it, Cap?" -said Bill Breakstone briskly. "You don't mind if I call you Cap, do you, -Mr. Middleton? You are, in a way, our leader, because you are most fit, -and the title seems to suit you." - -"Call me Cap if you wish," replied Middleton, "but we are all on equal -terms. Now, as we have seen the Mexicans, and, as there is nothing more -here to attract us, we might go on up the levee." - -"Prithee, we will suit the deed to the word," said Bill Breakstone, "but -do not run into that drunken Indian there, Phil. I would not have thy -garments soiled by contact with this degraded specimen of a race once -proud and noble." - -Phil turned a little to one side to avoid the Indian of whom Breakstone -spoke. The levee was littered with freight, and the red man huddled -against a hogshead of tobacco from far Kentucky. His dress was partly -savage and partly civilized, and he was sodden with dirt and drink. -But, as Breakstone spoke, he raised his head and flashed him a look from -fiery, glowing eyes. Then his head sank back, but the single glance -made Breakstone shiver. - -"I felt as if I had received a bullet," he said. "Now what did the -noble savage mean by giving me such a look? He must have understood what -I said. Ah, well, it mattereth not. He looked like a Comanche. It has -been wisely said, let the cobbler stick to his last, and there is no -last in New Orleans for Mr. Cobbler Comanche." - -"You didn't suppose he understood you," said Arenberg, "and no harm iss -done where none iss meant." - -Phil looked back at the Comanche, but there was nothing heroic about -him. He was huddled lower than ever against the tobacco hogshead. -Certainly there was no suggestion of the dauntless warrior, of the wild -horseman. Phil felt a curious little thrill of disappointment. - -He looked in the same place the next day for the Comanche, but he did -not see him, and then, in the excitement of great preparations, he -forgot the Indian. The New Mexico expedition was about to become a fact, -and the little band of four were promptly received as members. On all -such perilous trips strong and well-armed men were welcome. - -The outfit would embrace about sixty wagons and two hundred men, and the -goods they carried would be of great value. Phil and his comrades paid -for the right to put their extra supplies in one of the wagons, and then -they equipped themselves with great care. They bought four good horses, -four fine rifles, made by the famous Dickson, of Louisville, four -double-barreled pistols of long range, knives and hatchets, a large -quantity of ammunition, an extra suit apiece of stout deerskin, four -small pocket compasses, and many other things which seem trifles in a -town, but which are important in the wilderness. - -It took them but a few days to make their purchases, but it was at least -three weeks before the train started. The Mexicans, meanwhile, had -stayed about a week at the chief hotel, and then had left on a steamer -for their own country. Phil heard that there had been much talk about -the high-handed manner of young Armijo, and that he had been extremely -disagreeable to all about him. The older man, Zucorra, who was milder -and more diplomatic, had sought to restrain him, but with no success. -It was a relief when they were gone. - -The boy, still curious about the Comanche, looked for him once more on -the levee. More hogsheads of tobacco and sugar were there, but the -Indian was not leaning against any of them. At last he found him in one -of the inns or taverns frequented by sailors and roustabouts, a rough -place at any time, and crowded then with men from the ships and boats. -The Indian was sitting in a corner, huddled down in a chair, in much the -same attitude of sloth and indifference that he had shown when leaning -against the hogshead. Phil saw that when he stood up he would be a tall -man, and his figure, if it were not flabby, would be powerful. - -Phil was intensely interested. The Indian had always appealed to his -romantic imagination, and, now that he saw one of the race close at -hand, he wished to learn more. He sat down near the man, and, not -knowing what else to say, remarked that it was a fine day. The Comanche -raised his head a little, and bent upon Phil a look like that he had -given to Breakstone. It was a piercing glance, full of anger and -hatred. Then the glowing eyes were veiled, and his head dropped back on -his arms. He did not utter a word in reply. - -The innkeeper, who had noticed the brief incident, laughed. - -"Don't you try to get up a conversation with Black Panther, my boy," he -said. "He ain't what you would call a pow'ful talker." - -"No, I suppose he wouldn't talk anybody to death," said Phil. "What is -he?" - -"He's a tame Comanche, an' he's been loafing around New Orleans for two -or three months--learnin' the white man's vices, 'specially the drinkin' -of fire water, which he keeps first on the list. You can see what it's -done for him--taken all the pith right out of him, same as you would -take it out of a length of elder to make a pop gun. I reckon New Orleans -ain't no place for an Indian. Hello, what's the matter with Black -Panther?" - -The Indian uttered a short, savage exclamation that startled every one -in the place, and sprang to his feet. His long coal black hair was -thrown back from his face, and he seemed to be alive in every fiber. -The eyes were like two points of fire. - -"Black Panther was a great warrior and a chief," he said. "He has been -a dog in the white man's town, and he has burned his brain with fire -water until it is like that of a little child. But he will be a great -warrior and a chief again. Now, I go." - -He gathered a tattered old blanket around his shoulders, and, holding -himself erect, stalked in savage dignity out of the place. - -"Now, what in thunder did he mean?" exclaimed the astonished innkeeper. - -"I think he meant just what he said," replied Phil. "He is going away -from New Orleans. He certainly looked it." - -So far as he knew, the assertion was true, because, as long as he -remained in the city, he neither saw nor heard anything further of the -Comanche. But the time for his own departure was soon at hand, and in -the excitement of it he forgot all about the Comanche. - - - - - CHAPTER II - - THE MARCH OF THE TRAIN - - -The train made an imposing appearance with its sixty wagons and its -horsemen, numerous and well armed. It was commanded by a middle-aged -trader of experience, Thomas Woodfall, who had already made several -trips to Santa Fé, and the hopes of all were high. They carried, among -other things, goods that the seńoras and seńoritas of Santa Fé would be -eager to buy, and much gain might be obtained. But every one of the -four who rode so closely together thought most in his heart of that for -which he sought, and in no instance was the object of search the same. - -But they were cheerful. Whatever were past griefs or whatever might be -those to come, the present was propitious and fair. The Southern spring -was not yet advanced far enough to drive the cool tang out of the air by -daylight, while at night fires were needed. It rained but little, and -they marched steadily on through crisp sunshine. - -"I trust that the good Sir Roland is pleased," said Bill Breakstone to -Phil. "Fresh air in the lungs of youth produces exhilaration." - -"It's fine," said Phil, with emphasis. - -"But we may yet come to our Pass of Roncesvalles. Bethink you of that, -Sir Roland. They say that it's an ill wind that blows nobody good, and -I say that it's a good wind that blows nobody ill. The rain will rain, -the snow will snow, the wind will blow, and what will poor rabbit do -then?" - -"Get into his little nest, cover himself up warm and dry, and wait until -it passes," replied Phil. - -"Right, Master Philip. Go up to the head of the class," said Bill -Breakstone in his usual joyous tones--Phil always thought that Bill had -the cheeriest voice in the world--"I'm glad to see you taking thought -for the future. Now our good friend Hans, here, would not have made -such an apt reply." - -"Perhaps not, and I do not mind your saying so, Herr Bill Breakstone," -said Arenberg, smiling broadly. "No harm iss done where none iss meant." - -"A fit answer from a loyal representative of the Hohenstauffens, the -Hohenzollerns, and the Katzenellenbogens," chanted Bill Breakstone. - -"Ah, Herr Breakstone, it iss that you are one happy man," said Arenberg. -"I wonder that you go to find something, when you have the joy of living -anywhere." - -"But I do go to find something," said Breakstone, suddenly becoming -grave. Phil noticed that he puckered up his eyes and gazed far into the -West, as if he would see already that for which he sought. - -They traveled for several days among plantations in a low damp country, -and then they passed suddenly beyond the line of cultivation into a -drier region of low hills and small prairies. Phil was pleased with the -change. If they were going into the wilderness, he was anxious to reach -it as soon as possible, and this, beyond a doubt, was the edge of the -unknown. The first night that he heard the scream of a panther in the -woods he felt that they were leaving all civilization behind, and that, -save for the train, the world of men was blotted out. - -Yet it was very pleasant as long as the weather remained dry, and the -early spring was certainly doing its best. It was a succession of crisp -days and cool nights, and Phil liked the steady advance by day through -new lands, and the rest in the evening, when they built fires for the -cooking and to fend off the chill. They usually drew the wagons up in a -circle in one of the little prairies, and then went to the forest near -by for wood that belonged to whomsoever took it. Phil and Bill -Breakstone were always active in this work. - -"It gives me an appetite for supper," said Breakstone. "I would have you -to know, Sir Philip of the Forest, that sitting long hours on a horse -which carries me luxuriously along, the horse doing all the work and I -doing none, tends to laziness and fat. I need this exercise to put me -in proper trim for the luscious repast that awaits us." - -"I don't need anything to whet my appetite," replied Phil, as he -laughed. "To tell you the truth, Bill, I'm always hungry." - -"Do not grieve or have fears for the larder, Sir Philip of the Hungry -Countenance. There is an abundance of food in the wagons, and we also -shall soon be in a good game country. Unless my eye and hand have lost -their cunning, a fat deer shall speedily be roasting over the coals." - -The four kept close together, and they usually gathered around the fire -at which Thomas Woodfall, the leader, sat. Woodfall had shown a decided -respect and liking for Middleton, and, following the custom which -Breakstone had established, always addressed him as Cap, short for -Captain. Phil and Breakstone had been particularly active gathering -wood that evening, and it had been Phil's task and pleasure, when it was -all put in a heap, to light it. Now he was watching the little flames -grow into big ones, and the yellow light turn to blazing red. He -listened, also, as the flames hissed a little before the wind, and the -dry boughs snapped and crackled under the fiery torch. Middleton -regarded him with kindly approval. - -"A good boy," he said to Woodfall. "A lad with fine instincts and a -brave spirit." - -"And a mighty handy one, too," said Woodfall. "I've noticed how he -works. He's as big and strong as a man, and I never saw anybody else -who was just prized down like a hogshead of tobacco, crowded full of -zeal." - -"I think it likely he will need it all before our journey is over," said -Middleton. - -"It's probable," repeated Woodfall, "but I'll ask you, Cap, not to speak -it. It may be that this expedition was begun at the wrong time. I had -heard, and the owners had heard, that the troubles with Mexico were -quieting down, but it seems that, instead of doing so, they are getting -livelier." - -"I shall certainly say nothing about it to our people here," replied -Middleton. "Cheerful hearts are the best, and we may have trouble with -neither Mexicans nor Indians." - -Phil himself was not thinking at that moment of either yellow or red -foes. His fire had grown into a mighty pyramid, and, as the dead wood -burned fast, it soon sank down into a great mass of glowing coals. Then -he, Breakstone, and Arenberg boiled coffee in big iron pots, and cooked -bread and many slices of bacon. The night was cool and nipping, but the -coals threw out an abundance of heat. A delicious aroma arose and -spread far. Everybody came forward with tin cup and tin plate, and -helped himself. Phil took his filled plate in one hand, his filled cup -in the other, and sat down on a fallen log with Breakstone and Arenberg. - -"In my time, and as an ornament to the stage," said Bill Breakstone, "I -have eaten some bountiful repasts. I have feasted as a prince, a duke, -or some other lordling. I have been the wrestler in the Forest of Arden -with _Rosalind_ and _Celia_. I have had my head deep in the mug of -sack, as _Sir John Falstaff_, but most of those magnificent repasts -depended largely upon the imagination. Here I am neither prince nor -duke, but the food is real, and the air is so good that one might even -bite a chip with a certain pleasure. Excuse me, Sir Philip of the -Forest, while I even drain the coffee-cup." - -He took it all down at one draught, and a beatific glow overspread his -face. Arenberg regarded him with admiration. - -"Ach, Mein Herr Breakstone, but you are one cheerful man!" he said. -"You never do any harm, because none iss meant. When you drink the -coffee you make me think of the German in the old country drinking beer, -and you like it as well." - -"I snatch the joys of the flying day, or, rather, night, and think not -of the ills of the morrow," replied Breakstone. "Somebody somewhere -said something like that, and, whoever he was, he was a good talker. -To-morrow, Phil, I think I may get a chance to show you how to shoot a -deer." - -"I hope so," said Phil eagerly. He, too, was luxuriating, and he was -fully as cheerful as Bill Breakstone. The great beds of coal threw a -warm, luminous glow over all the circle enveloped by the wagons. -Everybody ate and felt good. The pleasant hum of pleasant talk arose. -Outside the wagons the tethered horses cropped the short young grass, -and they, too, were content. Not far away the forest of magnolia, -poplar, and many kinds of oak rustled before the slight wind, and the -note that came from it was also of content. - -Phil, after he had eaten and drunk all that he wished, and it was much, -lay on the ground with his back against the log and listened to the -talk. He heard wonderful tales of adventure in the West Indies and on -the South American coast, of fights in Mexico and Texas, when the little -bands of Texans won their independence, of encounters with raiding -Comanches, and of strange stone ruins left by vanished races in the -deserts of the Far West. He was fascinated as he listened. The spirit -of romance was developed strongly within him. It was, indeed, a most -adventurous search upon which he was embarked, and this spirit, strong, -enduring, hardened to meet all things, was what he needed most. - -As the fires died down, and the warmth decreased, he wrapped his blanket -around himself, and now and then dozed a little. But he still felt very -content. It seemed to him that it was uncommon fortune to have joined -such an expedition, and it was a good omen. He must succeed in his -great search. - -"Well, Sir Roland, what is it?" said Bill Breakstone at last. "Do you -want to sleep in the wagon or on the ground here? The good Knight -Orlando, who for the present is myself, means to choose the ground." - -"No stuffy wagon for me on a night like this," rejoined Phil sleepily. -"I am going to sleep just where I lie." - -He settled back more comfortably, put his arm under his head, and in a -few moments was in the deep, dreamless sleep of youth and health. Bill -Breakstone quickly followed him to that pleasant land of Nowhere. Then -Arenberg and the Captain were soon entering the same region. The fires -sank lower and lower, the sound of breathing from many men arose, the -horses outside became quiet, and peace settled over the wilderness camp. - -Phil slept far into the night, he never knew how far, but he believed it -was about half way between midnight and morning. When he awoke it was -very dark, and there was no noise but that of the breathing men and the -rustling wind. Just why he, a sound sleeper, had awakened at that time -he could not say. But he had eaten largely, and he was conscious of -thirst, a thirst that could be quenched easily at a little spring in the -wood. - -The boy rose, letting his blanket drop to the ground, and glanced over -the sleeping camp. Despite the darkness, he saw the forms of recumbent -men, and some coals that yet glimmered faintly. Around them was the -dark circling line of the wagons. No regular watch was kept as they -were yet far from dangerous country, and, passing between two of the -wagons, Phil went toward the spring, which was about three hundred yards -away. - -It was a nice cold spring, rising at the base of a rock, and running -away in a tiny stream among the poplars. Phil knelt and drank, and then -sat upon an upthrust root. The desire for sleep had left him, and his -mind turned upon his great search. He took the paper from the inside -pocket of his coat, unfolded it, and smoothed it out with his fingers. -It was too dark for him to read it, but he held it there a little while, -then folded it up again, and returned it to its resting place. He was -about to rise again and return to the camp, but something moved in the -thicket. It might have been a lizard, or it might have been the wind, -but he was sure it was neither. The sound was wholly out of harmony -with the note of the night. - -Phil remained sitting on the upthrust root, but leaned against the trunk -to which the root belonged. His figure blended darkly against the bark. -Only an eye of uncommon acuteness would note him. The slight stirring, -so much out of tune with all the wilderness noises, came again, and, -despite his strength and will, both of which were great, Phil felt ice -pass along his spine, and his hair rose slightly. That uncanny hour at -which evil deeds happen held him in its spell. But he did not move, -except for the slipping of his hand to the pistol in his belt, and he -waited. - -Slowly a dark face formed itself in the bushes, and beneath it was the -faint outline of a human figure. The face was malignant and cruel, a -reddish copper in color, with a sharp, strong chin, high cheek-bones, -and black glowing eyes. These eyes were bent in a fierce gaze upon the -circle of wagons. They did not turn in Phil's direction at all, but the -face held him fascinated. - -It seemed to Phil that he had seen that countenance before, and as he -gazed he remembered. It was surely that of Black Panther, the Comanche, -but what a startling change. The crouching, fuddled lump of a man in -tattered clothes, whom he had seen in New Orleans, had been transformed -when the breath of the wilderness poured into his lungs. He fitted -thoroughly into this dark and weird scene, and the hair on Phil's head -rose a little more. Then the head, and the figure with it, suddenly -melted away and were gone. There was no strange stirring in the -thicket, nothing that was not in accord with the night. - -The ice left Phil's spine, the hair lay down peacefully once more on his -head, and his hand moved away from the pistol at his belt. It was like -a dream in the dark, the sudden appearance of that Medusa head in the -bushes, and he was impressed with all the weight of conviction that it -was an omen of bad days to come. The wind whispered it, and the quiver -in his blood answered. But the men in the train might laugh at him if -he told that he had merely seen an Indian's face in the bushes. The -thing itself would be slight enough in the telling, and he did not wish -to be ridiculed as a boy whose fears had painted a picture of that which -was not. But he walked warily back, and he was glad enough when he -repassed between two of the wagons, and resumed his old place. -Middleton, Arenberg, and Bill Breakstone all slept soundly, and Phil, -wrapped in his blanket, sought to imitate them. But he could not. He -lay there thinking until the low band of scarlet in the east -foreshadowed the day. He rose and looked once more over the camp. The -last coal had died, and the dark forms, wrapped in their blankets, -looked chill and cold. But the red dawn was advancing, and warmth came -with it. One by one the men awoke. The horses stirred. Phil stood up -and stretched his arms. Middleton, Bill Breakstone, and Arenberg awoke. -They had slept soundly and pleasantly all through the night. - -"'Tis a fine couch, this Mother Earth," said Bill Breakstone, "finer -than cloth of gold, if it be not raining or snowing, or the winds be not -nipping. Then, in such event, I should take the cloth of gold, with a -snug tent over it." - -"I have slept well, and I awake strong and refreshed," said Arenberg -simply. "It iss all I ask of a night." - -"I have not slept well," said Phil, "at least I did not during the -latter part of the night." - -There was a certain significance in his tone, and the others looked at -him. Only they were near, and Phil said in a low tone: - -"I awoke in the night, and I was restless. I walked down to the spring -for a drink, and I saw a face in the bushes, the face of a man who was -watching us." - -"Ah!" said Middleton, a single monosyllable, long drawn. But his tone -expressed interest, not surprise. He looked at the boy as if he expected -to hear more. - -"I saw the face clearly," continued Phil. "It was changed, wonderfully -changed in expression, but I knew it. I could not be mistaken. It was -that Comanche, called Black Panther, whom we saw in New Orleans. He was -dirty and degraded there, but he did not seem so last night." - -"I am glad that you told this, Phil," said Middleton. "It was a lucky -chance that awakened you and sent you to the spring." - -"Once I thought I would not speak of it at all," said the boy. "I was -afraid they would say it was only a dream or a creation of my fancy." - -"I'm sure that you really saw it," said Middleton, "and I will speak -with Mr. Woodfall. The time has come when we must be cautious." - -The camp was now wholly awake, and the men began to light the fires -anew, and take their breakfasts. Middleton talked with Mr. Woodfall, -and, as the latter kept it no secret, the news soon spread throughout -the train. Philip Bedford, prowling about in the dark, had seen an -Indian in the woods near by, an Indian who seemed to be watching them. - -The news was variously received, because there were many kinds of men in -this train. Some took it seriously; others were disposed to laugh, and -to hint, as Phil had feared, that it was fancy or a dream; and others -cared nothing about it. What was a single wandering warrior to them? -But the leader compelled a more careful advance. Scouts were sent -ahead, and others rode on the flanks. Phil and his comrades shared in -this duty, and that very day he and Bill Breakstone and Arenberg were -among those who rode ahead. - -It was not an easy duty, because they were now in thick forest, with -much swampy ground about. Dark funereal cypresses abounded in the -marshy soil, and gloomy moss hung from the live oaks. A deer sprang up, -and Phil pulled down his rifle, but Breakstone would not let him shoot. - -"Not now, Phil," he said. "We must not shoot at chance game when we are -scouting. My talk may not sound like it, but I know something of -wilderness life. One can never be too cautious, whether on the plains or -in the woods. Things may happen. Wait for them. As the poet saith, -'One crowded hour of glorious life is worth a world without a name.'" - -"Say that again," said Arenberg. - -"One crowded hour of glorious life is worth a world without a name." - -"It sounds good. It iss good. I will remember it," said the German. - -But as two or three days passed with no sign of trouble, the face that -Phil had seen in the bushes was forgotten or ignored. It was a -light-hearted crowd, used to wild life and adventure, and these men, -drawn from different parts of the globe, occupied with to-day, took -little thought of to-morrow's dangers. The weather remained beautiful. -Days and nights were dry, and they were again on good firm earth, which -made the way of the wagons easy. Phil, instructed by Bill Breakstone, -stalked and shot a deer, a fine, fat buck, which gave a slice for -everybody in the train, and which brought him compliments. In fact, he -was already a general favorite, and he did not mind when they jested now -and then about the face in the bushes, and told him that he was a seer -of visions. He was rapidly becoming an adept in the forest life, to -which he took naturally, and in Bill Breakstone he had no mean tutor. -Breakstone soon showed that he was a scout and trailer of the first -quality, although he did not explain why he had spent so many years in -the wilds. - -"It's partly gift, and partly training, Sir Philip of the Youthful -Countenance and of the Good Blue Eye," he said. "If you just teach -yourself to see everything and to hear everything about you, and never -forget it, you've got most of the lesson. And you, Phil, with good -eyes, good ears, a quick mind, and a willing heart, ought to come fast -toward the head of the class." - -Phil flushed with pleasure. In the task that he had set for himself he -greatly needed forest lore, and it was a keen satisfaction to know that -he was acquiring it. He redoubled his efforts. He always noted -carefully the country through which they passed, the configuration of -the earth, and the various kinds of trees and bushes. At night he would -often ask Bill Breakstone to question him, and from his superior -knowledge and longer training to point out a mistake whenever he might -make it. Bill was a severe teacher, and he criticised freely whenever -Phil was wrong. But he admitted that his pupil was making progress. -Arenberg was smoking his pipe at one of their sittings, and, taking it -out of his mouth, he remarked: - -"No harm iss done where none iss meant. Now what I wish to ask you, -Herr Breakstone, and you, young Herr Philip, would you remember all your -lessons if you were on foot on the prairie, unarmed, and a wild Comanche -warrior were riding at you, ready to run his lance through you?" - -"I don't know," replied Phil frankly, "but I hope such a time will never -come." - -"That's the rub," said Arenberg meditatively. "It iss good to know all -the rules, to do all you can before, but it iss better to think fast, -and act right when the great emergency comes. It iss only then that you -are of the first class. I say so, and I say so because I know." - -Only Phil noticed the faint tone of sadness with which his words ended, -and he glanced quickly at the German. But Arenberg's face expressed -nothing. Once more he was pulling calmly at his pipe. Bill Breakstone -gave his words hearty indorsement. - -"You're right," he said. "The Grand Duke of Germany speaks the truth. -I've embodied that piece of wisdom in a little poem, which I will quote -to you: - - "You may lead a horse to the water, - But you cannot make him drink. - You may stuff a man with knowledge, - But you cannot make him think. - - -"Part of that is borrowed, and part of it is original, but, combining -the two parts, I think it is a little masterpiece." - -Arenberg took out his pipe again, and regarded Bill Breakstone with -admiration. - -"It iss one great man, this Herr Bill Breakstone," he said. "He makes -poetry and tells the truth at the same time." - -"Thanks, most puissant lord," said Breakstone, "and now, the lesson -being over, Phil, I think we might all of us go to sleep and knit up a -few raveled sleeves of care." - -"We might take to the wagon," said Middleton. "If I'm any judge of -weather, Phil, the beautiful spell that we've had is coming to an end." - -"You're right, Cap," said Breakstone. "I noticed that when the sun set -to-day it looked redder than usual through a cloud of mist, and that -means rain. Therefore, Orlando deserts his little Forest of Arden, and -betakes himself to the shelter of the curved canvas." - -Phil deemed it wise to imitate him, and the four found places in the -large wagon among their goods, where they had the shelter of the canvas -roof, although the cover was open at either end to allow the clean sweep -of the air. Phil, as usual, slept well. Five minutes was about all he -needed for the preparatory stage, and to-night was no exception. But he -awoke again in the middle of the night. Now he knew full well the -cause. Low thunder was rumbling far off at the edge of the earth, and a -stroke of lightning made him wink his sleepy eyes. Then came a rush of -cold air, and after it the rain. The big drops rattled on the curving -canvas roof, but they could not penetrate the thick cloth. Phil raised -himself a little, and looked out at the open ends, but he saw only -darkness. - -Meanwhile the rain increased and beat harder upon the roof, which shed -it like shingles. Phil drew his blanket up to his chin, rested his head -and shoulders a little more easily against a bag of meal, and never had -a greater sense of luxury in his life. The beat of the rain on the -canvas was like the patter of the rain on the roof of the old home, when -he was a little boy and lay snug under the eaves. He had the same -pleasant sense of warmth and shelter now. The storm might beat about -him, but it could not touch him. He heard the even breathing of his -comrades, who had not awakened. He heard the low thunder still -grumbling far off in the south-west, and the lightning came again at -intervals, but he sank gently back to slumber. - -When he awoke the next morning the rain was still falling, and the whole -world was a sodden gray. The air, too, was full of raw chill, despite -the southern latitude, and Phil shivered. It was his first impulse to -draw the blanket more tightly, but he resolutely put the impulse down. -He threw the blanket aside, slipped on his coat and boots, the only -apparel that he had removed for the night's rest, and sprang out into -the rain, leaving his comrade still asleep. - -Not many of the men were yet up, and Phil went at once into the forest -in search of fallen wood, which was always abundant. It was not a -pleasant task. For the first time he felt the work hard and -disagreeable. Mists and vapors were rising from the wet earth, and the -sun did not show. The rain came down steadily, and it was cold to the -touch. It soaked through the boy's clothing, but he stuck to his task, -and brought in the dead wood by the armful. At the third load he met -Bill Breakstone, who hailed him cheerily. - -"Well, you do make me ashamed of myself, Sir Knight of the Dripping -Forest," he said. "When we awoke and found you already up and at work, -we concluded that it was time for us to imitate so good an example. -Ugh, how cold this rain is, and we five hundred miles from an umbrella!" - -Phil was compelled to laugh, and then the laugh made him feel better. -But it was a morning that might well oppress the bravest. The wet wood -was lighted with extreme difficulty, and then it smoked greatly under -the rain. It was hard to do the cooking, and breakfast was not -satisfying. But Phil refused to make any complaint. With the rain in -his face, he spoke cheerfully of sunshine and warm dry plains. - -"We ought to strike the plains of Texas to-morrow or the next day," said -Bill Breakstone. "I've been through this region before, and I don't -think I'm mistaken. Then we'll get out of this. If it's a long lane -that has no turning, it's one just as long that has no end." - -They started late, and deep depression hung over the train. The men no -longer sang or made jokes at the expense of one another, but crouched -upon their horses or the wagon seats, and maintained a sullen silence. -Phil was on horseback, but he dried himself at one of the fires, and -with the blanket wrapped around his body he was now fairly well -protected. It was hard to maintain a pleasant face, but he did it, and -Middleton, whom all now usually called Cap, looked his approval. - -They advanced very slowly through thickets and across email streams, -with mists and vapors so dense that they could see but little ahead. -They did not make more than seven or eight miles that day, and, wet and -miserable, they camped for the night. The guard was still maintained, -and Phil was on duty that night until twelve. When midnight came he -crawled into the wagon, depressed and thoroughly exhausted. But he -slept well, and the next morning the rain was over. The mists and -vapors were gone, and a beautiful sun was shining. All of Phil's good -spirits came back as he sprang out of the wagon and looked at the drying -earth. - -The whole camp was transformed. The cooking fires burned ruddily and -with a merry crackle. The men sang their little songs and made their -little jokes. They told one another joyously that they would be out of -the forest soon and upon the open prairies. They would be in -Texas--Texas, that wonderful land of mystery and charm; Texas, already -famous for the Alamo and San Jacinto. The fact that this Texas was -filled with dangers took nothing from the glow at their hearts. Phil -shared in the general enthusiasm, and cried with the others, "Ho for -Texas!" - -Arenberg's face became very grave. - -"Do not be carried away with the high feelings that run to the head," he -said. "No harm iss done where none iss meant, but it iss a long road -across Texas, and there iss no mile of it which does not have its -dangers. Who should know better than I?" - -"You speak the truth," said Middleton. "I often think of that Comanche, -Black Panther, whose face Phil saw in the thicket." - -"You are right to speak of it," said Bill Breakstone. "I have been in -the West. I have spent years there. I have been in places that no -other white man has ever seen, and just when you think this West, beyond -the white man's frontier, is most peaceful, then it is most dangerous. -_Hamlet_, Prince of Denmark, was a dreamy kind of fellow, but when the -time came he was a holy terror." - -Phil was impressed, but in a little while it seemed to him that it could -scarcely be so. The threat contained in Black Panther's face was fading -fast from his mind, and danger seemed to him very far. His exuberance -of spirit was heightened by the easy journey that they now had through a -forest without any undergrowth. The wagons rolled easily over short, -young grass, and the thick boughs of the trees overhead protected them -from the sun. - -"Do you know the country, Bill?" asked Middleton. - -"I think so," replied Breakstone. "Unless I'm mightily mistaken, and I -don't think I am, this forest ends in four or five miles. Then we come -right out on the genuine Texas plain, rolling straight; away for -hundreds of miles. I think I'll take Phil here and ride forward and see -if I'm not right. Come, Phil!" - -The two galloped away straight toward the West, and, as the forest -offered no difficulties, they were not compelled to check their speed. -But in less than an hour Breakstone, who was in advance, pulled his -horse back sharply, and Phil did the same. - -"Look, Phil!" exclaimed Breakstone, making a wide sweep with his hands, -while face and eyes were glowing, "See, it is Texas!" - -Phil looked. None could have been more eager than he was. The hill -seemed to drop down before them sheer, like a cliff, but beyond lay a -great gray-green waving sea, an expanse of earth that passed under the -horizon, and that seemed to have no limit. It was treeless, and the -young grass had touched the gray of winter with fresh green. - -"The great plains!" exclaimed Phil. He felt an intense thrill. He had -at last reached the edge of this vast region of mystery, and to-morrow -they would enter it. - -"Yes, the great plains," said Bill Breakstone. "And down here, I think, -is where our wagons will have to pass." He turned to the left and -followed a gentle slope that led to the edge of the plains. Thus, by an -easy descent, they left the forest, but when they turned back Phil's eye -was caught by a glittering object: - -"Look, Bill!" he exclaimed. "See the arrow! What does it mean?" - -An arrow with a deeply feathered shaft had been planted deep in an oak -tree. Evidently it had been fired from a bow by some one standing on -the plain, and it was equally evident that a powerful hand had drawn the -string. It stood out straight and stark as if it would stay there -forever. Bill Breakstone rode up to it and examined it critically. - -"It's a Comanche arrow, Phil," he said, "and, between you and me, I -think it means something: - - "An arrow I see - Stuck in a tree, - But what it does mean - Has not yet been seen-- - - -"Especially when it's coupled with the fact that you saw Black Panther's -face in the thicket. I may have an imaginative mind, Sir Philip of the -Forest, soon to be Sir Philip of the Plain, but this arrow I take to be -our first warning. It tells us to turn back, and it may have been fired -by Black Panther himself, late Knight of the Levee and of Strong Drink." - -"Will we turn back?" asked Phil somewhat anxiously. - -Bill Breakstone laughed scornfully. - -"Do you think a crowd like ours would turn back for a sign?" he asked. -"Why, Phil, that arrow, if it is meant as a threat, is the very thing to -draw them on. It would make them anxious to go ahead and meet those who -say they must stop. If they were not that kind of men, they wouldn't be -here." - -"I suppose so," said Phil. "I, for one, would not want to turn back." - -He rode up to the tree, took the arrow by the shaft, and pulled with all -his might. He was a strong youth, but he could not loosen it. Unless -broken off, it was to stay there, a sign that a Comanche warning had -been given. - -"I knew you couldn't move it," said Bill Breakstone. "The Indians have -short bows, and you wouldn't think they could get so much power with -them, but they do. It's no uncommon thing for a buck at close range to -send an arrow clear through a big bull buffalo, and it takes powerful -speed to do that." - -They rode back, met the advancing line of wagons, and told what they had -seen, to which the men themselves, as they came to the edge of the -prairie, were able to bear witness. Yet they were not greatly -impressed. Those who believed that it meant a challenge gayly accepted -it as Breakstone had predicted. - -"Let the Comanches attack, if they will," they said, shaking their -rifles. Even the face of the quiet Middleton kindled. - -"It's a good spirit our men show," he said to the three who were his -chosen comrades, "but I knew that they would never turn back because of -an Indian threat." - -The train advanced slowly down into the plain, and then began its march -across the vast, grayish-green expanse. The traveling was very easy -here, and they made seven or eight miles over the rolling earth before -they stopped at sunset. Phil, looking back, could still see the dark -line of the hilly country and the forest, but before him the prairie -rolled away, more than ever, as the twilight came, like an unknown sea. - -The camp was beside a shallow stream running between low banks. They -built their fires of cottonwood and stunted oaks that grew on either -side, and then Phil saw the darkness suddenly fall like the fall of a -great blanket over the plains. With the night came a low, moaning sound -which Bill Breakstone told him was merely the wind blowing a thousand -miles without a break. - -Phil took his turn at guard duty the latter half of that night, walking -about at some distance from the camp, now and then meeting his comrades -on the same duty, and exchanging a word or two. It was very dark, and -the other sentinels were not in the best of humor, thinking there was -little need for such a watch, and Phil by and by confined himself -strictly to his own territory. - -Although his eyes grew used to the darkness, it was so heavy that they -could not penetrate it far, and he extended his beat a little farther -from the camp. He thought once that he heard a light sound, as of -footsteps, perhaps those of a horse, and in order to be certain, -remembering an old method, he lay down and put his ear to the ground. -Then he was quite sure that he heard a sound very much like the tread of -hoofs, but in a moment or two it ceased. He rose, shaking his head -doubtfully, and advanced a little farther. He neither saw nor heard -anything more, and he became convinced that the footsteps had been those -of some wild animal. Perhaps a lone buffalo, an outlaw from the herd, -had been wandering about, and had turned away when the human odor met -his nostrils. - -He returned toward the camp, and something cold passed his face. There -was a slight whistling sound directly in his ear, and he sprang to one -side, as if he had narrowly missed the fangs of a rattlesnake. He heard -almost in the same instant a slight, thudding sound directly in front of -him, and he knew instinctively what had made it. He ran forward, and -there was an arrow sticking half its length in the ground. The impulse -of caution succeeded that of curiosity. Remembering Bill Breakstone's -teachings, he threw himself flat upon the ground, letting his figure -blend with the darkness, and lay there, perfectly still. But no other -arrow came. Nothing stirred. He could not make out among the shadows -anything that resembled a human figure, although his eyes were good and -were now trained to the work of a sentinel. Once when he put his ear to -the earth he thought he heard the faint beat of retreating hoofs, but -the sound was so brief and so far away that he was not sure. - -Phil felt shivers, more after he lay down than when the arrow passed his -cheek. It was the first time that a deadly weapon or missile had passed -so close to him, fired perhaps with the intent of slaying him, and no -boy could pass through such an experience without quivers and an icy -feeling along the spine. - -But when he lay still awhile and could not detect the presence of any -enemy, he rose and examined the arrow again. There was enough light for -him to see that the feathered shaft was exactly like that of the arrow -they had found in the tree. - -He pulled the weapon out of the ground and examined it with care. It -had a triangular head of iron, with extremely sharp edges, and he -shuddered again. If it had struck him, it would have gone through him -as Bill Breakstone said the Comanche arrows sometimes went entirely -through the body of a buffalo. - -He took the arrow at once to the camp, and showed it to the men who were -on guard there, telling how this feathered messenger--and he could not -doubt that it was a messenger--had come. Woodfall and Middleton were -awakened, and both looked serious. It could not be any play of fancy on -the part of an imaginative boy. Here was the arrow to speak for itself. - -"It must have been the deed of a daring Comanche," said Middleton with -conviction. "Perhaps he did not intend to kill Phil, and I am sure that -this arrow, like the first, was intended as a threat." - -"Then it's wasted, just as others will be," said Woodfall. "My men do -not fear Comanches." - -"I know that," said Middleton. "It is a strong train, but we must -realize, Mr. Woodfall, that the Comanches are numerous and powerful. We -must make every preparation, all must stay close by the train, and there -must be a strict night watch." - -He spoke in a tone of authority, but it fitted so well upon him, and -seemed so natural that Woodfall did not resent it. On the contrary, he -nodded, and then added his emphatic acquiescence in words. - -"You are surely right," he said. "We must tighten up everything." - -This little conference was held beside some coals of a cooking fire that -had not yet died, and Phil was permitted to stand by and listen, as it -was he who had brought in the significant arrow. The coals did not give -much light, and the men were half in shadow, but the boy was impressed -anew by the decision and firmness shown by Middleton. He seemed to have -an absolutely clear mind, and to know exactly what he wanted. Phil -wondered once more what a man of that type might be seeking in the vast -and vague West. - -"I'll double the guard," said Woodfall, "and no man shall go out of -sight of the train. Now, Bedford, my boy, you might go to sleep, as you -have done your part of a night's work." - -Phil lay down, and, despite the arrow so vivid in memory, he slept until -day. - - - - - CHAPTER III - - AT THE FORD - - -As Phil had foreseen, his latest story of warning found universal -credence in the camp, as the arrow was here, visible to all, and it was -passed from hand to hand. He was compelled to tell many times how it -had whizzed by his face, and how he had found it afterward sticking in -the earth. All the fighting qualities of the train rose. Many hoped -that the Comanches would make good the threat, because threat it must -be, and attack. The Indians would get all they wanted and plenty more. - - "The Comanche arrow has been shot, - For us it has no terror; - He can attack our train or not, - If he does, it's his error," - -chanted Bill Breakstone in a mellow voice, and a dozen men took up the -refrain: "He can attack our train or not, if he does, it's his error." - -The drivers cracked their whips, the wagons, in a double line, moved -slowly on over the gray-green plains. A strong band of scouts preceded -it, and another, equally as strong, formed the rear-guard. Horsemen -armed with rifle and pistol rode on either flank. The sun shone, and a -crisp wind blew. Mellow snatches of song floated away over the swells. -All was courage and confidence. Deeper and deeper they went into the -great plains, and the line of hills and forest behind them became dimmer -and dimmer. They saw both buffalo and antelope grazing, a mile or two -away, and there was much grumbling because Woodfall would not let any of -the marksmen go in pursuit. Here was game and fresh meat to be had for -the taking, they said, but Woodfall, at the urgent insistence of -Middleton, was inflexible. Men who wandered from the main body even a -short distance might never come back again. It had happened too often -on former expeditions. - - "Our leader's right. - A luckless wight - Trusting his might - Might find a fight, - And then good night," - -chanted Bill Breakstone, and he added triumphantly: - -"That's surely good poetry, Phil! Five lines all rhyming together, when -most poets have trouble to make two rhyme. But, as I have said before, -these plains that look so quiet and lonely have their dangers. We must -pass by the buffalo, the deer, and the antelope, unless we go after them -in strong parties. Ah, look there! What is that?" - -The head of the train was just topping a swell, and beyond the dip that -followed was another swell, rather higher than usual, and upon the -utmost crest of the second swell sat an Indian on his horse, Indian and -horse alike motionless, but facing the train with a fixed gaze. The -Indian was large, with powerful shoulders and chest, and with an erect -head and an eagle beak. He was of a bright copper color. His lips were -thin, his eyes black, and he had no beard. His long back hair fell down -on his back and was ornamented with silver coins and beads. He wore -deerskin leggins and moccasins, sewed with beads, and a blue cloth -around his loins. The rest of his body was naked and the great muscles -could be seen. - -The warrior carried in his right hand a bow about one half the length of -the old English long bow, made of the tough bois d'arc or osage orange, -strengthened and reinforced with sinews of deer wrapped firmly about it. -The cord of the bow was also of deer sinews. Over his shoulder was a -quiver filled with arrows about twenty inches in length, feathered and -with barbs of triangular iron. On his left arm he carried a circular -shield made of two thicknesses of hard, undressed buffalo hide, -separated by an inch of space tightly packed with hair. His shield was -fastened by two bands in such a manner that it would not interfere with -the use of the arm, and it was so hard that it would often turn a rifle -shot. Hanging at his horse's mane was a war club which had been made by -bending a withe around a hard stone, weighing about two pounds, and with -a groove in it. Its handle of wood, about fourteen inches in length, -was bound with buffalo hide. - -Apparently the warrior carried no firearms, using only the ancient -weapons of his tribe. His horse was a magnificent coal black, far -larger than the ordinary Indian pony, and he stood with his neck arched -as if he were proud of his owner. The Indian's gaze and manner were -haughty and defiant. It was obvious to every one, and a low murmur ran -among the men of the train. Phil recognized the warrior instantly. It -was Black Panther, no longer the sodden haunter of the levee in the -white man's town, but a great chief on his native plains. Phil looked -at Middleton, who nodded. - -"Yes," he said, "I know him. He has, of course, been watching us, and -knows every mile of our march. Unless I am greatly mistaken, Phil, this -is the third warning." - -Woodfall had ridden up by the side of Middleton, and the latter said -that Black Panther would probably speak with them. - -"Then," said Woodfall, "you and I, Mr. Middleton, will ride forward and -see what he has to say." - -Phil begged to be allowed to go, too, and they consented. Woodfall -hoisted a piece of white cloth on the end of his rifle, and the Indian -raised his shield in a gesture of understanding. Then the three rode -forward. The whole of the wagon train was massed on the swell behind -them, and scores of eyes were watching intently for every detail that -might happen. - -The Indian, after the affirmative gesture with the shield, did not move, -but he sat erect and motionless like a great bronze equestrian statue. -The blazing sunlight beat down upon horse and man. Every line of the -warrior's face was revealed--the high cheek-bone, the massive jaw, the -pointed chin, and, as Phil drew nearer, the expression of hate and -defiance that was the dominant note of his countenance. Truly, this -Black Panther of the slums had undergone a prairie change, a wonderful -change that was complete. - -Woodfall, Middleton, and Phil rode slowly up the second swell, and -approached the chief, for such they could not doubt now that he was. -Still he did not move, but sat upon his horse, gravely regarding them. -Phil was quite sure that Black Panther remembered him, but he was not -sure that he would admit it. - -"You wish to speak with us," said Middleton, who in such a moment -naturally assumed the position of leader. - -"To give you a message," replied Black Panther in good English. "I have -given you two messages already, and this is the third." - -"The arrows," said Middleton. - -"Yes, the Comanche arrows," continued the chief. "I thought that the -white men would read the signs, and perhaps they did." - -"What do you wish of us?" said Middleton. "What is this message which -you say you now deliver for the third time?" - -The chief drew himself up with a magnificent gesture, and, turning a -little, moved his shield arm with a wide sweeping gesture toward the -West. - -"I say, and I say it in behalf of the great Comanche nation, 'Go back.' -The country upon which you come belongs to the Comanches. It is ours, -and the buffalo and the deer and the antelope are ours. I say to you -turn back with your wagons and your men." - -The words were arrogant and menacing to the last degree. A spark leaped -up in Middleton's eye, but he restrained himself. - -"We are but peaceful traders going to Santa Fé," he said. - -"Peaceful traders to-day, seizers of the land to-morrow," said the -Comanche chief. "Go back. The way over the Comanche country is -closed." - -"The plains are vast," said Middleton mildly. "One can ride hundreds of -miles, and yet not come to the end. Many parts of them have never felt -the hoof of a Comanche pony. The plains do not belong to the Comanches -or to anybody else." - -"They are ours," repeated the chief. "We tell you to go back. The -third warning is the last." - -"If we still come on, what would you do?" said Middleton. - -"It is war," replied Black Panther. "You will not reach Santa Fé, and -you will not go back to New Orleans. The Comanches will welcome you to -their plains with the arrows from their bows and the bullets from their -rifles." - -"Be it so," said Middleton, continuing his calm, even tone. "We have -not come so far merely to turn back. The Comanche welcome of bullets and -arrows may greet us, but we are strong men, and for any welcome that may -be given to us we shall always repay. Is it not so, Mr. Woodfall?" - -Woodfall nodded. - -"Give that answer to your tribe," said Middleton, speaking in firm -tones, and looking the chief squarely in the eyes. "We have started to -Santa Fé, and there we go. The Comanche nation has not enough warriors -to turn us back." - -A spark of fire seemed to leap from the chief's eye, but he made no -other demonstration. - -"I have given you the third and last warning," he said. "Now I go." - -He raised the shield in a sort of salute, and, without a word, turned -and rode away. The three sat on their horses, looking at him. When he -had gone about two hundred yards he paused a moment, fitted an arrow to -his bow, shot it almost straight up into the air, and then, uttering a -long fierce whoop, galloped away over the plain. - -The Indian's cry was sinister, ominous of great dangers, and its meaning -sank deeply on Phil's heart. A peculiar shiver ran down his backbone, -and the little pulses in his temples began to beat. He did not doubt -for a moment that the warning of the Comanche was black with storm. He -watched the sinister figure becoming smaller and smaller, until it -turned into a dark blur, then a dot, and then was seen no more in the -vast, gray-green expanse. - -The incident seemed to have sunk deep into the minds of the other two, -also, and they rode gravely and in silence back to the train, which was -now drawn up in one great group on the crest of the swell. The men, -keen borderers most of them, had divined the significance of what they -saw, but they crowded around the three for more definite information. -Woodfall told them briefly. He knew their temper, but he thought it best -to put the question and to put it fairly. - -"Men," he said, "we are undoubtedly threatened with an attack. The -Comanches are numerous, brave, and cunning. I will not conceal from you -those facts. A fight with them will mean loss to us, and, even if we win -that fight, as I am sure we will, they will attack again. Now, if any -want to turn back, let them do so. All who wish to go back, say 'I'." - -He paused. There was a dead silence throughout the train. The corners -of Woodfall's lips curved a little into a slow smile. - -"Those who wish to go on, Comanche or no Comanche, say 'Yes,'" he cried. - -A single "Yes" was thundered out from scores of throats, and many of the -more enthusiastic raised their rifles and shook them. - -"I thought so," said Woodfall quietly, and then he added in a louder -voice: "Forward!" - -Fifty whips cracked like so many rifle shots. The wagons creaked and -moved forward again, and by their side rode the armed horsemen. They -descended the slope, rose to the crest of the next swell, where the -Comanche horseman had stood, and then passed on, over wave after wave -into the unbroken gray-green expanse of the West. There was nothing -before them but the plains, with a bunch of buffalo grazing far off to -the right, and a herd of antelope grazing far off to the left. The -ominous spell that the Indian had cast seemed to have vanished with him -so far as the great majority of the men were concerned. But Phil and -his immediate comrades did not forget. - -"The words of that Indian, as you have delivered them to me, linger in -my mind, young Sir Philip of the Plains," said Bill Breakstone, "but I -am glad he took the trouble to give us a warning. A stitch in time may -save the lives of nine good men. - - "Give me the word - That harm you mean, - Then my good sword - I take, I ween. - - -"At least that poem is short and to the point, Sir Philip. And now I -think me that to-morrow about the noon hour, if we should maintain our -present pace, we cross a river known variously to the different Indian -tribes, but muddy, deep, and flowing between high banks. The crossing -will be difficult, and I ought to tell Woodfall about it." - -"By all means," said Middleton, "and I can tell you, Breakstone, that I -already wish we were safely on the other side of that river." - -They camped that night in the open plain. There was a good moonlight, -but the watch was doubled, the most experienced frontiersmen being -posted as sentinels. Yet the watchers saw nothing. They continuously -made wide circles about the camp, but the footprint of neither man nor -horse was to be seen. The day dawned, cold and gray with lowering -skies, and, before the obscure sun was an hour above the plain, the -train resumed its march, Woodfall, Middleton, Breakstone, Phil, and -Arenberg riding in a little group at the head. - -"How far on do you say is this river?" asked Woodfall. - -"We should strike it about noon," replied Breakstone, repeating his -statement of the day before. "It is narrow and deep, and everywhere -that I have seen it the banks are high, but we ought to find somewhere a -slope for a crossing." - -"Is it wooded?" asked Middleton. - -"Yes, there are cottonwoods, scrub oaks, bushes, and tall grass along -either bank." - -"I'm sorry for that," said Woodfall. - -Phil knew perfectly well what they meant, but he kept, silent, although -his heart began to throb. The other three also fell silent, and under -the gray, lowering sky the spirits of the train seemed to sink. The men -ceased to joke with one another, and no songs were sung. Phil heard -only the tread of the horses and the creak of the wagons. - -An hour or two later they saw a dim black line cutting across the plain. - -"The trees along the banks of the river," said Bill Breakstone. - -"And they are still two or three miles away," said Woodfall. - -The leader rode among his men and spoke with them. The train moved -forward at the same speed, drawing itself like a great serpent over the -plain, but there was a closing up of the ranks. The wagons moved more -closely together, and every driver had a rifle under his feet. The -horsemen rode toward the head of the train, held their rifles across the -pommels of their saddles, and loosened the pistols in their holsters. -Phil was conscious of a deep, suppressed excitement, an intensity of -expectation, attached to the dark line of trees that now rose steadily -higher and higher out of the plain. - -An old buffalo hunter in the train now recalled the river, also, and, -after studying the lay of the land carefully, said that they would find -a ford about two miles north of the point toward which the head of the -train was directed. The course was changed at once, and they advanced -toward the northwest. - -"Do you think anything is going to happen, Bill?" asked Phil, speaking -for the first time. - -"Do you feel kind of tingly in your blood?" asked Breakstone, not -replying directly. - -"I tingle all over," said Phil frankly. - -"I'm tingling a bit myself," said Breakstone, "and I've spent a good -many years in the wilderness. Yes, Phil, I think something is going to -happen, and I think you and me and the Cap and Arenberg ought to stick -together." - -"That is well spoken," said Middleton. "We are chosen comrades, and we -must stand by one another. See how the trees are drawing nearer." - -The black line now stood up level with the earth, and the trees became -detached from one another. They could also see the thick undergrowth -hiding the river, which seemed to flow in a deep gash across the plain. -Middleton took from his saddlebags a pair of strong glasses, and, as -they rode on, examined the double line of trees with the minutest -scrutiny. Then he lowered the glasses, shaking his head. - -"I can't make out anything," he said. "Nothing moves that I can see. -There is no sign of human life." - -"The Comanche iss cunning," said Arenberg. "Harm iss done where harm -iss meant, but I for one am willing to meet him." - -The mild German spoke in such a tone of passion that Phil was startled -and looked at him. Arenberg's blue eyes shone with a sort of blue fire, -and he was unconsciously pressing his horse ahead of the others. It was -evident, even to one as young as Phil, that he was stirred to his utmost -depths. The boy leaned over and whispered to Breakstone: - -"He must have some special cause to hate the Comanches. You know he was -in that massacre at New Braunfels." - -"That's so," said Breakstone, - - "When you feel the savage knife, - You remember it all your life." - - -"These mild men like Arenberg are terrible when they are stirred up, -Phil. 'Still waters run deep,' which sounds to me rather Irish, because -if they are still they don't run at all. But it's good all the same, -and, between you and me, Phil, I'd give a lot if we were on the other -side of this river, which has no name in the geographies, which rises I -don't know where, which empties into I don't know what, and which -belongs to I don't know whom. But, be that as it may, lay on, Macduff, -and I won't be the first to cry 'Hold, enough!'" - -The train took another curve to the northward, approaching the ford, of -which the old scouts told. The swells dipped down, indicating a point -at which the banks of the river were low, but they could still see the -double line of trees lining either shore, and the masses of bushes and -weeds that extended along the stream. But nothing stirred them. No -wind blew. The boughs of the cottonwoods, live oaks, and willows hung -lifeless under the somber sky. There was still no sign of human -presence or of anything that lived. - -But the men of the train did not relax their caution. They were -approaching now up a sort of shallow trough containing a dry sandy bed, -down which water evidently flowed during the wet season into the river. -It, also, for the last half mile before it reached the main stream, had -trees and bushes on either shore. Middleton suggested that they beat up -this narrow strip of forest, lest they walk straight into an ambush. -Woodfall thought the idea good, and twenty men scouted the thickets. -They found nothing, and many in the train began to feel incredulous. -That Comanche had been a mere boaster. He was probably still galloping -away over the prairie, putting as much distance as he could between -himself and the Santa Fé train. But Middleton yet distrusted. He -seemed now to be in every sense the leader of the train, and he did it -so quietly and with such indirection that Woodfall took him to be an -assistant, and felt no offense. At his prompting, strong bodies of -skirmishers were thrown forward on either bank of the dry creek bed, and -now, increasing their pace somewhat, they rapidly drew near the river. - -It still seemed to Phil that nothing could happen. It was true that the -skies were gray and somber, but there was no suggestion of an active and -hostile presence, and now the river was only a hundred yards away. From -his horse's back he could see the surface of the stream--narrow, muddy, -and apparently deep. But on the hither shore there was a gradual slope -to its waters, and another of the same kind on the farther bank seemed -to lead up among the trees. - -"It ain't so deep as it looks," said an old frontiersman. "'Bout four -feet, I should say. It'll just 'bout hit the bottoms o' our wagon -beds." - -The stream itself was not more than twenty yards wide. One could pass -it in a few minutes, if nothing was thrown across the way, and Phil now -began to feel that the unspoken alarm was false. But just when the -feeling became a conviction and the wagons were not more than twenty -yards from the river, he saw something gleaming in the brush on the far -shore. It was the dyed feather of an eagle, and it made a blood red -spot against the green bushes. Looking closely Phil saw beneath the -feather the light copper face of an Indian, and then he knew that the -Comanches were there. - -Scarcely a second after he saw the coppery face, a hurricane of arrows -whistled from the covert on the far shore. The short shafts of the -Comanches filled the air. Mingled with them was the sharp crashing of -rifles, and bullets and arrows whistled together. Then came the long -yell of the Comanches, from scores of throats, high pitched, fierce, -defiant, like the scream of a savage beast about to leap upon its prey. -In spite of all his resolution, Phil felt that strong shiver in every -nerve from head to heel. Some of the shafts were buried to the feather -in the bodies of the horses and mules, and a terrible tumult arose as -the animals uttered their screaming neigh and fought and kicked in pain -and terror. Nor did the men escape. One, pierced through the throat by -a deadly barb, fell lifeless from his horse. Another was stricken in -the breast, and a dozen were wounded by either arrows or bullets. - -The train was thrown into confusion, and the drivers pulled back on -their lines. Sure death seemed to hover in front of them. The greatest -danger arose from the wounded and frightened horses, which plunged and -struggled and tried to break from their harness, but the hands on the -lines were strong, and gradually they were reduced to order. The -wagons, also, were driven back a little, and then the triumphant -Comanches sent forth their war whoop again and again. The short shafts -once more flew in showers, mingled as before with the whistling of the -bullets, but most of the missiles, both arrows and bullets, fell short. -Now the Comanches appeared thickly among the bushes, chiefly on foot, -their horses left at the edge of the timber, and began to make derisive -gestures. - -It seemed to Phil that the crossing of the river was impossible in the -face of such a fierce and numerous foe, but Middleton and Woodfall had -been conferring, and suddenly the Cap, to use his more familiar name -among the men, whirled off to the south at the head of a hundred -horsemen. He waved his hand to his three partners, and they galloped -with the band. - -"There must be another crossing, not as good as this, but still a -crossing," said Bill Breakstone. "If at first you don't succeed, then -try, try again." - -This flanking movement was hidden from the Comanches on the other shore -by the belt of timber on the side of the train, and the horsemen -galloped along rapidly in search of a declivity. Phil's heart was -thumping, and specks floated before his eyes, but he was well among the -foremost, and he rode with them, stride for stride. Behind him he heard -the crackle of rifle shots, the shouts of the Comanches, and the defiant -replies of the white men. - -"Keep a good hold on your rifle, Phil!" shouted Bill Breakstone in his -ear. "If the gods whisper truly to me, we will be in the water soon, -and, by my faith, you'll need it." - -The Captain uttered a shout of joy. They had come to a place where the -bank sloped down to the river and the opposite shore was capable of -ascent by horses. - -"Into the river, men, into the river!" he shouted. "The horses may have -to swim, but we can cross it! We must cross it before the main Indian -force comes up!" - -The whole troop galloped into the water. Middleton shouted to them to -keep their rifles dry, and every man held his above his head or on his -shoulder. The muddy water splashed in Phil's face, but he kept by the -side of Breakstone, and in a few moments both their horses were -swimming. - -"Let the horse have his head, Phil," said Breakstone. "He'll make for -the nearest land, and you can use both your hands for the work that we -now have to do." - -Phil dropped the rein, and the horse swam steadily. They were now about -the middle of the stream, which was wider here than at the ford. Two or -three brown faces suddenly appeared in the brash on the bank in front of -them, and the savage cry arose. Comanche skirmishers had discovered the -flank movement, but the white troop was already more than half way -across. Bullets were fired at the swimming men and horses. Some struck -in flesh, but others dashed up jets of yellow foam. - -"On! On!" cried Middleton. "We must gain the bank!" - -"On! On!" cried Phil, borne on by excitement. "We must gain the bank!" - -He was carried away so much by the fire and movement of the moment that -he did not feel fear. His blood was tingling in every vein. Myriads of -red specks danced before him. The yellow water splashed all about him, -but he did not notice it. An arrow whizzed by his cheek, and two -bullets struck near, but he continued to urge his horse, which, gallant -animal, was already doing his best. Some of the white men, even from -the unsteady position of a swimming horse's back, had begun to fire at -the Indians in the brush. Phil heard Bill Breakstone utter a deep sigh -of satisfaction as he lowered the muzzle of his rifle. - -"Got one," said Bill. "It's good to be zealous, but that Comanche ought -to have known more than to run square against a rifle bullet." - -The feet of Phil's horse touched earth, and he began to wade. -Everything now depended upon an instant or two. If they could gallop up -the declivity before the Comanches could arrive in force they would -secure a great advantage. But the Comanches were coming rapidly, and -the fire from their bows and rifles increased. The white men, now that -their position was steadier, also fired more rapidly. Phil sent a -bullet at a bronze figure that he saw darting about in the undergrowth, -but he could not tell whether or not he had hit. - -"On!" shouted Middleton. "Give them no chance! Rush the slope!" - -They were out of the river now, and in among the bushes and weeds. But -they did not stop there. Dripping with the yellow water, streaked -sometimes with red, they rode straight at the Comanches, shouting and -firing with both rifles and pistols. The Indian skirmishers gave way, -and, jumping upon their ponies, galloped down the stream to the main -ford. The white men uttered a cry of exultation. They were now on the -western bank, and the flank movement was a complete success. - -"Follow them!" shouted Middleton. "We must press home the attack upon -the main body!" - -Ahead of them the Comanches, bent low on their mustangs, were galloping -over the plain. Behind came the white men, hot with the fire of battle -and urging on their horses. Phil, Bill Breakstone, and Arenberg rode -knee to knee, the boy between. He was wet from head to foot with -splashed water, but he did not know it. A bullet had touched the tip of -one ear, covering it with blood, but he did not know that, either. -There was no cruelty in his nature, but just now it thrilled with -battle. He sought a shot at the flying Comanches, but they were too far -away. - -"Hold your fire,"' said Bill Breakstone. "The battle is not over yet by -any means. A job that's half finished isn't finished at all." - -They heard now the shots at the ford above them and a tremendous -shouting. Evidently the two forces were firing at each other across the -stream, and the wagons did not yet dare the passage. A few moments -later they saw the smoke of the rifles and brown figures darting about -the thickets. - -"Now, boys!" shouted Middleton. "All together! A great cheer!" - -A mighty shout was poured forth from three score throats, and Middleton -waved his felt hat about his head. From the eastern bank came an -answering cry, and the signal was complete. Woodfall and the others -with the train knew that their comrades were across, and now was the -time for them to force the passage. Phil saw the white tops of the -wagons shake. Then the wagons themselves rolled slowly forward into the -water, with horsemen in front of them and on the flanks, firing at the -Indians on the bank. The Comanches sent a shower of bullets and arrows -upon the advancing line, but in another instant they were compelled to -turn and defend themselves. Middleton and his victorious troop were -thundering down upon them. - -The attack upon their flank came so swiftly that the Comanches were -taken by surprise. As their own skirmishers fled, the white force -galloped in upon their heels. Yet these bold warriors, kings of the -plains, victors in many a battle over other tribes and Mexicans, fought -with a courage and tenacity worthy of their race and traditions. They -were marshaled, too, by a chief who had returned to his own, the great -Black Panther, and by able assistants. - -Middleton's daring men met a storm of arrows am bullets, but they -charged on, although some saddles were emptied. They were at the edge -of the timber now, the mounted white men poured in a deadly fire. The -sound of the shots became a steady, incessant crackle Puffs of smoke -arose, and, uniting, formed a canopy of vapor. The odor of gunpowder -spread and filled the nostrils of the combatants. Shots, the trampling -of hoofs, the cries of the wounded and dying rung upon the drums of -their ears. - -It was a terrific medley, seemingly all confusion, but really fought -with order by skilled leaders. Black Panther had one half of his -warriors to face the wagons and horsemen in the river and the other half -faced south to beat off Middleton's troop, if it could. He himself -passed from one to another, encouraging them by every art that he knew, -and they were many. - -But it was Middleton's men who gave the deathblow. They struck so hard -and so often that it was continually necessary for Black Panther to send -more of his warriors to the defense of his flank. The firing upon the -wagons and horsemen in the river slackened, and they rushed forward. -The horsemen gained the bank, and, at the same time, Middleton's men -charged with greater fire than ever. Then the horsemen from the ford -rushed up the ascent and joined in the attack. Compressed between the -two arms of a vise, the Comanches, despite every effort of Black Panther -and his chiefs, gave way. Yet they did not break into any panic. -Springing on their horses, they retired slowly, sending back flights of -arrows and bullets, and now and then uttering the defiant war whoop. - -Meanwhile, the last of the wagons emerged from the river, and was -dragged up the ascent. Although the Comanches might yet shout in the -distance, the crossing was won, and everybody in the train felt a mighty -sense of relief. - - - - - CHAPTER IV - - ON WATCH - - -The wagons drew up in a great square on the open plain, but just at the -edge of the timber, and the men, breathless, perspiring, but victorious, -dropped from their horses. The Comanches still galloped to and fro and -shouted in the distance, but they kept well out of rifle shot, and Phil, -although it was his first battle, knew that they would not attack again, -at least not for the present. They had been driven out of an extremely -strong position, ground of their own choosing, and nothing remained to -them but to retire. - -The boy stood by the side of his horse, holding the bridle in one hand -and the rifle in the other. He was still trembling from the excitement -of forcing the ford and the battle among the trees, but the reddish mist -before his eyes was gradually clearing away. He let the bridle rein -drop, and put his hand to his face. It came away damp and sticky. He -looked at it in an incurious way to see if he were wounded, but it was -only dust and the smoke of burned gunpowder, kneaded together by -perspiration. Then he felt cautiously of his body. No bullet or arrow -had entered. - -"Unhurt, Phil?" boomed out the voice of Bill Breakstone beside him. "So -am I, and so is Middleton. Arenberg got a scratch, but he's forgotten it -already. But, I trow, Sir Philip of the River, that was indeed a combat -while it lasted! - - "The Comanches shot - With spirit hot, - But now, they're not. - - -"You can't say anything against that poem, Phil; it's short and to the -point. It's true that the Comanches are not entirely gone, but they -might as well be. Let 'em shout out there in the plain as much as they -choose, they're going to keep out of rifle range. And I congratulate -you, Phil, on the way you bore yourself through your first 'baptism of -fire.'" - -"I thank you, Bill," said Phil, "but the fact is, I don't know just how -I bore myself. It's been more like a dream than anything else." - -"That's likely to happen to a man the first time under fire, and the -second time, too, but here we are on the right side of the river and -ready for a breathing spell." - -Phil threw the reins over his horse's neck, knowing that the latter -would not leave the camp, and set to work, helping to put everything in -order, ready for fight or rest, whichever the Comanches chose to make -it. The wagons were already in a hollow square, and the wounded, at -least twenty in number, laid comfortably in the wagons, were receiving -the rude but effective treatment of the border. Seven or eight had been -killed, and three or four bodies had been lost in the current of the -stream. They were now digging graves for the others. Little was known -of the slain. They were wandering, restless spirits, and they may or -may not have been buried under their own names. They had fallen in an -unknown land beside an unknown river, but their comrades gave all due -honor as they put them beneath the earth. Middleton said a few words -over the body of each, while others stood by with their hats off. Then -they smoothed out the soil above them as completely as possible, in -order that their graves might be lost. They took this precaution lest -the Comanches come after they had gone, take up the bodies, and mutilate -them. - -When the solemn task was done, the men turned away to other duties. -They were not discouraged; on the contrary, their spirits were sanguine. -The gloom of the burial was quickly dispelled, and these wild spirits, -their fighting blood fully up, were more than half willing for the -Comanches to give them a new battle. It was such as these, really -loving adventure and danger more than profit, who steadily pushed -forward the southwestern frontier in the face of obstacles seemingly -insuperable. - -Their position at the edge of the wood, with the strong fortification of -the wagons, was excellent, and Middleton and Woodfall, after a short -consultation, decided to remain there until morning, for the sake of the -wounded men and for rest for all. Phil worked in the timber, gathering -up fallen fuel for fires, which were built in the center of the hollow -square, and he found the work a relief. Such a familiar task steadied -his nerves. Gradually the little pulses ceased to beat so hard, and his -head grew cool. When enough dead wood had been brought in, he took -another look at the western horizon. Comanches could still be seen -there, but they no longer galloped about and shouted. A half dozen sat -motionless on their ponies, apparently looking at the white camp, their -figures, horse and rider, outlined in black tracery against the -blood-red western sun. Phil had a feeling that, although beaten at the -ford, they were not beaten for good and all, and that the spirit of -Black Panther, far from being crushed, would be influenced to new -passions and new attack. But, as he looked, the Comanche horsemen -seemed to ride directly into the low sun and disappear. The hard work -that had kept him up now over, he felt limp, and sank down near one of -the fires. - -"Here, Phil, drink this," said Bill Breakstone, handing him a cup of hot -coffee. "It has been a pretty hard day on the nerves, and you need a -stimulant." - -Phil swallowed it all, almost at a draught--never had coffee tasted -better--and his strength came back rapidly. Breakstone, also, drank a -cup and sat down beside the boy. - -"Here comes Arenberg," he said in a low tone to Phil. "That German was a -very demon to-day. He got right into the front of the charge, and after -his rifle was empty he clubbed it and brought down one of the -Comanches." - -Phil looked up. Arenberg's face was still set in a stern, pitiless -mask, but when his eyes caught the boy's he relaxed. - -"It iss a good day well spent," he said, throwing himself down by the -side of the two. "We never could have forced the ford if we had not -made that flank movement. Harm wass meant by both sides and harm wass -done. But it iss over now. How does the young Herr Philip feel?" - -"Pretty good now," replied Phil, "but I've had my ups and downs, I can -tell you. A little while ago I felt as if there were no backbone in me -at all." - -Food was now cooked, and, after eating, the three relapsed into silence. -Presently Middleton, also, joined them, and told them that very thorough -preparations had been made to guard against a surprise. Sentinels on -horseback were already far out on the plain, riding a watchful round -which would be continued all through the night. - -"It is easy to guard against surprise on that side," said Middleton, -"but snipers may creep down the river bank in the timber. We must keep -our best watch there." - -"I'll go on duty," said Philip promptly. - -"Not yet," replied Middleton. "You may be needed late in the night, in -which case we'll call on you, but our most experienced borderers don't -think the Comanches will come back." - -"You can never trust them," said Arenberg earnestly. - -"We don't mean to," said Middleton. "Now, Phil, I'd advise you to wrap -yourself in your blanket and go to sleep. On a campaign it's always -advisable to sleep when you're off duty, because you never know when you -will get the chance again." - -It seemed to Phil that it was impossible to sleep, after so much -excitement and danger, but he knew that Middleton was speaking wise -words, and he resolved to try. There were yet hours of daylight, but, -putting his blanket beneath him, he lay before one of the fires with his -arm under his head and closed his eyes. He would open them now and then -to see the yellow flames, the figures of the men moving back and forth, -and the circle of wagons beyond. He could not make himself feel sleepy, -but he knew that his nerves were relaxing. Physically he felt a -soothing languor, and with it came a mental satisfaction. He had helped -to win his first battle, and, like the older and seasoned men around -him, the victory encouraged him to bid further defiance to the Comanches -or anything else that threatened. - -[Illustration: "Putting his blanket beneath him, he lay before one of -the fires"] - -These reflections were so grateful that he found himself able to keep -his eyes shut longer. It was not so much of an effort to pull the -eyelids down, and when, at intervals steadily growing more distant, he -opened his eyes, it was to find the fires and figures of the men -becoming dim, while the circling line of the wagons beyond was quite -lost. At last the eyelids stayed down of their own accord, and he -floated away into a sleep that was deep, sweet, and refreshing. - -Others in the camp slept, also, some in the wagons and some on the -ground, with saddles for pillows. Those whose duty it was to watch paid -no attention to them, but beat up the brush incessantly, and kept up -their endless circles on the plains. The somber clouds that had -obscured the morning floated away, driven back by a late afternoon sun -of uncommon splendor. The gray-green plains turned to a brilliant red -and gold; the willows, cottonwoods, and oaks seemed sheathed in gold, -every bough and twig; the muddy river took on rich gleaming tints, and -then suddenly the sun was gone, leaving all in darkness, save for the -smoldering fires. - -Phil slept soundly hour after hour. He was so exhausted physically and -mentally that the relaxation was complete. No dream good or bad came to -trouble him, and Breakstone, who observed his peaceful face, said to -Middleton: - -"Talk about knitting up the raveled sleeve of care. That boy is knitting -up both sleeves at the same time, and he is knitting them fast." - -"He is a good lad," said Middleton, "and a brave one, too. It was his -first battle, but he certainly bore himself well. Now I wonder what -search is bringing him out here into the wilderness." - -"And I guess he, too, often wonders the same about us." - -"Just as I have wondered it about you, and as you have wondered it about -me." - -"But we find it best--every one of us--to keep our search to ourselves -for the present." - -"It is surely best." - -The two men looked at each other rather significantly, and then talked -of other things. - -Phil was awakened at midnight to take his turn at the watch. The night, -as it is so often on the plains of Texas, even in summer, was cold, and -he shivered a little when he drew himself out of his warm blankets. The -fires were nearly out, leaving only a few coals that did not warm, and -few figures were moving except outside the circle. His body told Phil -that he would much rather sleep on, but his mind told him with greater -force that he must go ahead and do his duty with a willing heart, a -steady hand, and a quick eye. So he shook himself thoroughly, and was -ready for action. His orders were to go in the timber a little to the -northward and watch for snipers. Three others were going with him, but -they were to separate and take regular beats. - -Phil shouldered his rifle and marched with his comrades. They passed -outside the circles of wagons, and stood for a few moments on the bare -plain. Afar off they saw their own mounted sentinels who watched to the -westward, riding back and forth. The moon was cold, and a chill wind -swept over the swells, moaning dismally. Phil shivered and was glad -that he had a watch on foot in the timber. His comrades were willing to -hasten with him to that shelter, and there they arranged their beats. -The belt of timber was about a hundred yards wide, with a considerable -undergrowth of bushes and tall weeds. They cut the hundred yards into -about four equal spaces, and Phil took the quarter next to the river. -He walked steadily back and forth over the twenty-five yards, and at the -western end of his beat he regularly met the next sentinel, a young -Mississippian named Welby, whom Phil liked. They exchanged a few words -now and then, but, save their low tones, the monotonous moaning of the -wind among the trees, and an occasional sigh made by the current of the -river, which here flowed rather swiftly, there was no sound. On the -opposite bank the trees and bushes reared themselves, a wall of dark -green. - -The chill of the night grew, but the steady walking back and forth had -increased the circulation and warmed the blood in Phil's veins, and he -did not feel it. His long sleep, too, had brought back all his strength, -and he was full of courage and zeal. He had suffered a reaction after -the battle, but now the second reaction came. The young victor, -refreshed in mind and body, feared nothing. Neither was he lonely nor -awed by the vast darkness of night in the wilderness. The words that he -spoke with Welby every few minutes were enough to keep him in touch with -the human race, and he really felt content with himself and the world. -He had done his duty under fire, and now he was doing his duty again. - -He paused a little longer every time he came to the river, and forcing -his mind now to note every detail, he was impressed by the change that -the stream had undergone. There was a fine full moon, and the muddy -torrent of the day was turned into silver, sparkling more brightly where -the bubbles formed and broke. The stream, swollen doubtless by rains -about its source, flowed rapidly with a slight swishing noise. Phil -looked up and down it, having a straight sweep of several hundred yards -either way. Now and then the silver of its surface was broken by pieces -of floating debris, brought doubtless from some far point. He watched -these fragments as they passed, a bough, a weed, or a stump, or the -entire trunk of a tree, wrenched by a swollen current from some caving -bank. He was glad that he had the watch next to the river, because it -was more interesting. The river was a live thing, changing in color, -and moving swiftly. Its surface, with the objects that at times swept -by on it, was a panorama of varied interest. - -Besides Welby he saw no living creature. The camp was hidden from him -completely by the trees and bushes, and they were so quiet within the -circle of the wagons that no sound came from them. An hour passed. It -became two, then three. Vaporous clouds floated by the moon. The -silver light on the river waned. The current became dark yellow again, -but flowing as ever with that soft, swishing sound. The change affected -Phil. The weird quality of the wilderness, clothed in dark, made itself -felt. He was glad when he met Welby, and they lingered a few seconds -longer, talking a little. He came back once more to the river, now -flowing in a torrent almost black between its high banks. - -He took his usual long survey of the river, both up and down stream. -Phil was resolved to do his full duty, and already he had some -experience, allied with faculties naturally keen. He examined the -opposite bank with questioning eyes. At first it had seemed a solid -wall of dark green, but attention and the habit of the darkness now -enabled him to separate it into individual trees and bushes. Comanches -ambushed there could easily shoot across the narrow stream and pick off -a white sentinel, but he had always kept himself well back in his own -bushes, where he could see and yet be hidden. - -His gaze turned to the river. Darker substances, drift from far banks, -still floated on its surface. The wind had died. The branches of the -trees did not move at all, and, in the absence of all other sound, the -slight swishing made by the flowing of the river grew louder. His -wandering eyes fastened on a small stump that was coming from the curve -above, and that floated easily on the surface. Its motion was so -regular that his glance stayed, and he watched it with interested eyes. -It was an independent sort of stump, less at the mercy of the current -than the others had been. It came on, bearing in toward the western -bank, and Phil judged that if it kept its present course it would strike -the shore beneath him. - -The black stump was certainly interesting. He looked farther. Four -feet behind it was floating another stump of about the same size, and -preserving the same direction, which was a diagonal line with the -current. That was a coincidence. Yet farther was a third stump, -showing all the characteristics of the other two. That was remarkable. -And lo! when a fourth, and then a fifth, and then a sixth came, a -floating line, black and silent, it was a prodigy. - -The first black stump struck lightly against the bank. Then a Comanche -warrior, immersed hitherto to the chin, rose from the stream. The water -ran in black bubbles from his naked body. In his right hand he held a -long knife. The face was sinister, savage, and terrible beyond -expression. Another of the stumps was just rising from the stream, but -Phil fired instantly at the first face, and then sprang back, shouting, -"The Comanches." He did not run. He merely sheltered himself behind a -tree, and began to reload rapidly. Welby came running through the -bushes, and then the others, drawn by the shout. In a minute the timber -was filled with armed men. - -"What is it? What is it? What did you shoot at?" they cried, although -the same thought was in the minds of every one of them. - -"The Comanches!" replied Phil. "They came swimming in a line down the -river. Their heads looked like black stumps on the water! I fired at -the first the moment he rose from the stream! I think it was their plan -to ambush and kill the sentinels!" - -Bill Breakstone was among those who had come, and he cried: - -"Then we must beat them off at once! We must not give them a chance to -get a footing on the bank!" - -They rushed forward, Phil with them, his rifle now reloaded, and gazed -down at the river. They heard no noise, but that slight swishing sound -made by the current, and the surface of the stream was bare. The river -flowed as if no foreign body had ever vexed its current. Fifty pairs of -eyes used to the wilderness studied the stream and the thickets. They -saw nothing. Fifty pairs of ears trained to hear the approach of danger -listened. They heard nothing but the faint swishing sound that never -ceased. A murmur not pleasant to Phil, arose. - -"I've no doubt it was a stump, a real stump," one of the older men said. - -A deep flush overspread Phil's face. - -"I saw a Comanche with long black hair rise from the water," he said. - -The man who had spoken grinned a little, but the expression of his face -showed that doubt had solidified into certainty. - -"A case of nerves," he said, "but I don't blame you so much, bein' only -a boy." - -Phil felt his blood grow hot, but he tried to restrain his temper. - -"I certainly saw a Comanche," he said, "and there were others behind -him!" - -"Then what's become of all this terrible attack?"! asked the man -ironically. - -"Come! Come!" said Woodfall. "We can't have such talk. The boy may -have made a mistake, but the incident showed that he was watching well, -just what we want our sentinels to do." - -Phil flushed again. Woodfall's tone was kindly, but he was hurt by the -implication of possible doubt and mistake. Yet Woodfall and the others -had ample excuse for such doubts. There was not the remotest sign of an -enemy. Could he really have been mistaken? Could it have been -something like a waking dream? Could his nerves have been so upset that -they made his eyes see that which was not? He stared for a full minute -at the empty face of the river, and then a voice called: - -"Oh, you men, come down here! I've something to show you!" - -It was Bill Breakstone, who had slipped away from them and gone down the -bank. His voice came from a point at least a hundred yards down the -stream, and the men in a group followed the sound of it, descending the -slope with the aid of weeds and bushes. Bill was standing at the edge -of a little cove which the water had hollowed out of the soft soil, and -something dark lay at his feet. - -"I dragged this out of the water," he said. "It was floating along, -when an eddy brought it into this cove." - -They looked down, and Phil shut off a cry with his closed teeth. The -body, a Comanche warrior, entirely naked, lay upon its back. There was -a bullet hole in the center of the forehead. The features, even in -death, were exactly those that the boy had seen rising from the water, -sinister, savage, terrible beyond expression. Phil felt a cold horror -creeping through all his bones, but it was the look of this dead face -more than the fact that he had killed a man. He shuddered to think what -so much malignant cruelty could have done had it gained the chance. - -"Well, men," said Bill Breakstone quietly, "was the story our young -friend here told such stuff as dreams are made on, or did it really -happen?" - -"The boy told the truth, and he was watching well," said a half dozen -together. - -The old frontiersman who had so plainly expressed his disbelief in -Phil--Gard was his name--extended his hand and said to the lad: - -"I take it all back. You've saved us from an ambush that would have -cost us a lot of men. I was a fool. Shake hands." - -Phil, with a great leap of pride, took the proffered hand and shook it -heartily. - -"I don't blame you, Mr. Gard," he said. "Things certainly looked -against me." - -"The Comanches naturally took to flight when their leader was killed," -said Woodfall. "They could not carry through such an attempt without -surprise, but good eyes stopped them." - -Phil's heart leaped again with pride, but he said nothing. They climbed -back up the slope, and the guard in the timber was tripled for the short -time until day. Phil was told that, as he had already done so much, he -might go off duty now. - -He was glad enough to seek rest, and so rapidly was he becoming used to -danger that he lay down calmly before one of the fires and went to sleep -again. He awoke two or three hours later to a crisp fresh morning, and -to the news that the train would promptly resume its advance, whether or -not Comanches tried to bar the way. With the intoxicating odor of -victory still in their nostrils, the hardy frontiersmen were as willing -as ever for another combat. But the enemy had disappeared completely. -A brilliant sun rose over the gray-green swells, disclosing nothing but -a herd of antelope that grazed far to the right. - -"The antelope mean that no Comanches are near," said Arenberg. "The -warriors will now wait patiently and a long time for a good opportunity. -Sometimes much harm iss done where much iss intended." - -"That is so," chanted Bill Breakstone. - - "Over the plains we go, - Our rifles clear the way. - The Indians would say no. - Our band they cannot stay. - - -"As I have often remarked before, Phil, my poetry may be defective in -meter and some other small technicalities, but it comes to the point. -That, I believe, was the characteristic of Shakespeare, also. I agree, -too, with Arenberg, that the Comanches will not trouble us again for -some time. So, I pray thee, be of good cheer, Sir Philip of the Merry -Countenance, Knight of the Battle beside the Unknown River, Slayer of -Comanches in the Dark, Guardian of the Public Weal, et cetera, et -cetera." - -"I am cheerful," said Phil, to whom Breakstone was always a tonic, "and -I believe that we can beat off the Comanches any time and every time." - -"Jump on your horse," said Breakstone, a little later; "we're all -ready." - -Phil leaped into the saddle with one bound. The train moved forward, -and he and Breakstone joined Middleton and Arenberg at its head. -Middleton had powerful glasses, and he swept the plain far ahead, and to -right and left. His gaze finally settled on a point to the south-west. -The others followed his look with great interest, but the naked eye -could see nothing but the rolling gray-green plains and the dim blue -horizon beyond. Middleton looked so long that at last Bill Breakstone -asked: - -"What do you see?" - -"I do not see anything that I can really call living," replied -Middleton, "but I do see a knoll or slight elevation on the plain--what -would be called farther north a butte--and on that knoll is a black -blur, shapeless and unnamable at this distance." - -"Does the black blur move?" asked Bill Breakstone. - -"I cannot tell. It is too far even for that, but from it comes a beam -of brilliant light that shifts here and there over the plain. Take a -look, Bill." - -Breakstone eagerly put the glasses to his eyes, and turned them upon the -knoll. - -"Ah, I see it!" he exclaimed. "It's like a ball of light! There it -goes to the right! There it goes to the left! Now it falls in our -direction! What in the name of Shakespeare's thirty-five or forty plays -is it, Cap?" - -"Let me have the glasses, I want another look," replied Middleton. - -His second look was a long one taken in silence. At last he replied: - -"It's a signal, lads. I've seen the Comanches talk to one another in -this way before. A Comanche chief is sitting on his horse on top of -that knoll. He holds a rounded piece of looking-glass in the hollow of -his hand, and he turns it in such a way that he catches the very -concentrated essence of the sun's rays, throwing a beam a tremendous -distance. The beam, like molten gold, now strikes the grass on top of a -swell off toward the north. It's a secret just how they do it, for not -yet has any white man learned the system of signals which they make with -such a glass. Ah!" - -The "Ah!" came forth, so deep, so long drawn, and so full of meaning -that Phil, Arenberg, and Bill Breakstone exclaimed together: - -"What is it?" - -"I would not have known that the black blur on top of the knoll was a -chief on horseback if I had not been on the Texas plains before," -replied Middleton, "but now I can make out the figures of horse and man, -as he is riding around and around in a circle and riding very rapidly." - -"What does that mean?" asked Phil. - -"It means danger, not to us, but to the Comanches. The warrior is -probably signaling to a band of his tribe who are meditating attack upon -us that we are too strong." - -"Then it must be some fresh band," said Bill Breakstone, "because the -one that had the little encounter with us yesterday knew that already." - -"I take it that you're right," said Middleton, smiling and closing the -glasses. "The second band won't molest us--not to-day." - -"That seems to be a very effective way of signaling," remarked Phil. - -"On the plains, yes," said Middleton. "It is astonishing how far such a -vivid beam of light will carry, as the crest of the knoll was too high -for it to be intercepted by the swells." - -Middleton told Woodfall what they had seen. The leader's chin stiffened -a little more, and the wagons went on at the same pace, trailing their -brown length across the prairie. - -About ten o'clock the march became difficult, as they entered a town, -but such a town! Its inhabitants were prairie dogs, queer little -animals, which darted down into their burrows at the approach of the -horsemen and wagons, often sharing the home with a rattlesnake. But the -horsemen were now compelled to proceed with exceeding care, as the -horses' feet often sank deep down in the dens. Stumbles were frequent -and there were several falls. Wagon wheels, also, sank, and the advance -became so difficult that Woodfall halted the train and sent Phil and -some others to find a way around the town. - -They rode five or six miles to the south, and still the singular town -stretched away, apparently endless. Then they came back and rode five -or six miles to the north with the same result. Acting upon the advice -of Middleton, Woodfall, after hearing these reports, decided to go -straight on through the town. It was known that such towns had been -found twenty-five miles long, and this might be as large. So they went -directly ahead. The riders dismounted and led their horses. Three -times Phil killed coiling rattlesnakes with the butt of his rifle, but -he did not seek to molest any of the prairie dogs. - -They moved very slowly, and it was three hours before they crossed the -prairie dog town, leaving behind them some destruction, but not more -than they could help. - -"Well, Sir Philip of the Prairie Dogs, what name are you going to give -to the populous community through which we have just passed?" asked -Breakstone. - -"I suppose Canine Center will do as well as any other," replied Phil. - -"A wise selection, my gay youth," replied Bill Breakstone. "But these -animals, properly speaking, are not dogs, they are more like rats. I'm -glad we've passed 'em. It isn't pleasant to have your horse put his -foot in one of their dens and shoot you over his head. The good hard -plain for me." - -He cantered forward, and Phil cantered with him, raising his head and -breathing the pure air that blew over such vast reaches of clean earth. -He felt the blood leaping in his veins again from mere physical -happiness. He began to whistle gayly, and then to sing "Open thy -lattice, love," a song just coming into favor, written by the man who -became yet more famous with "Old Kentucky Home" and "Suwanee River." -Phil had a fine, fresh, youthful voice, and Breakstone listened to him -as he sang through two verses. Then he held up his hand, and Phil -stopped. - -"What's the trouble?" asked the boy. - -"I don't object to your song, Phil, and I don't object to your singing, -but it won't be a good time for love to open the lattice; it will be -better to close it tight. Don't you feel a change in the air, Phil? -Just turn your face to the northwest, and you'll notice it." - -Phil obeyed, and it seemed to him now that the air striking upon his -cheek was colder, but he imagined that it was due to the increasing -strength of the wind. - -"I do not care if the wind is a little cold," he said. "I like it." - - "The wind is cold, - And you are bold; - The sky turns gray - You're not so gay; - And by and by - For sun you'll sigh," - -chanted Bill Breakstone, and then he added: - -"See that gray mist forming in a circle about the sun, and look at that -vapor off there in the northwest. By George, how fast it spreads! The -whole sky is becoming overcast! Unroll your blanket, Phil, and have it -ready to wrap around you I The whole train must stop and prepare!" - -Bill Breakstone turned to give his warning, but others, too, had noticed -the signals of danger. The command stop was given. The wagons were -drawn rapidly into circle, and just as when the danger was Indians, -instead of that which now threatened, all the horses and mules were put -inside the circle. But now all the men, also, took their station -inside, none remaining outside as guard. The wind meanwhile rose fast, -and the temperature fell with startling rapidity. The edge of the blast -seemed to be ice itself. Phil, who was helping with the corral of -wagons, felt as if it cut him to the bone. He fully appreciated Bill -Breakstone's advice about the blanket. The day also was swiftly turning -dark. The sun was quite gone out. Heavy clouds and masses of vapor -formed an impenetrable veil over all the sky. Now, besides the cold, -Phil felt his face struck by fine particles that stung. It was the sand -picked up by the wind, perhaps hundreds of miles away, and hurled upon -them in an enveloping storm. - -Phil pulled down his cap-brim and also sheltered his eyes as much as he -could with his left arm. - -"It's the Norther," cried Breakstone. "Listen to it!" - -The wind was now shrieking and howling over the plains with a voice that -was truly human, only it was like the shout of ten thousand human beings -combined. But it was a voice full of malice and cruelty, and Phil was -glad of the companionship of his kind. - -The cold was now becoming intense, and he rapidly drew the blanket about -his body. Then he suddenly bent his head lower and completely covered -his eyes with his arm. It was hailing fiercely. Showers of white -pellets, large enough to be dangerous, pounded him, and, as the darkness -had now increased to that of night, he groped for shelter. Bill -Breakstone seized him by the arm and cried: - -"Jump into the wagon there, Phil! And I'll jump after you!" - -Phil obeyed with the quickness of necessity, and Breakstone came in on -top of him. Middleton and Arenberg were already there. - -"Welcome to our wagon," said Arenberg, as Phil and Breakstone -disentangled themselves. "You landed on one of my feet, Phil, and you -landed on the other, Bill, but no harm iss done where none iss meant." - -Phil cowered down and drew his blanket more closely around him, while -the hail beat fiercely on the arched canvas cover, and the cold wind -shrieked and moaned more wildly than ever. He peeped out at the front -of the wagon and beheld a scene indescribable in its wild and chilling -grandeur. The darkness endured. The hail was driven in an almost -horizontal line like a sheet of sleet. The wagons showed but dimly in -all this dusk. The animals, fortunately, had been tethered close to the -wagons, where they were, in a measure, protected, but many of them -reared and neighed in terror and suffering. One look satisfied Phil, and -he drew back well under cover. - -"How often does this sort of thing happen in Texas?" he asked Arenberg. - -"Not so often," replied the German, "and this Norther, I think, is the -worst I ever saw. The cold wind certainly blows like der Teufel. These -storms must start on the great mountains far, far to the north, and I -think they get stronger as they come. Iss it not so, Herr Breakstone?" - -"Your words sound true to me, Sir Hans of the Beer Barrel," replied -Breakstone. "I've seen a few Northers in my time, and I've felt 'em, -but this seems to me to be about the most grown-up, all-around, healthy -and frisky specimen of the kind that I ever met." - -Phil thought that the Norther would blow itself out in an hour or two, -but he was mistaken. Several hours passed and the wind was as strong -and as cold as ever. The four ate some cold food that was in the wagon, -and then settled back into their places. No attempt would be made to -cook that day. But Phil grew so warm and snug in his blanket among the -baggage, and the beating of the rain on the stout canvas cover was so -soothing, that he fell asleep after awhile. He did not know how long he -slept, because when he awoke it was still dark, the wind was still -shrieking, and the other three, as he could tell by their regular -breathing, were asleep, also. He felt so good that he stretched himself -a little, turned on the other side, and went to sleep again. - - - - - CHAPTER V - - THE COMANCHE VILLAGE - - -The Norther did not blow itself out until noon of the next day. Then it -ceased almost as abruptly as it had begun. The wind stopped its -shrieking and howling so suddenly that the silence, after so long a -period of noise, was for awhile impressive. The clouds fell apart as if -cut down the middle by a saber, and the sun poured through the rift. - -It was like a fairy transformation scene. The rift widened so fast that -soon all the clouds were gone beyond the horizon. The sky was a solid -blue, shot through with the gold of the warm sun. The hail melted, and -the ground dried. It was spring again, and the world was beautiful. -Phil saw, felt, and admired. Bill Breakstone burst into song: - - "The Norther came, - The Norther went. - It suits its name, - Its rage is spent. - - -"From the looks of things now," he continued, "you wouldn't think it had -been whistling and groaning around us for about twenty-four hours, -trying to shoot us to death with showers of hail, but I'd have you to -know, Sir Philip of the Untimely Cold and the Hateful Storm, that I have -recorded it upon the tablets of my memory. I wouldn't like to meet such -a Norther when I was alone on the plains, on foot, and clad in sandals, -a linen suit, and a straw hat." - -"Nor I," said Phil with emphasis. - -Now they lighted fires of buffalo chips which were abundant everywhere, -and ate the first warm food that they had had since the day before at -noon. Then they advanced four or five miles and encamped on the banks -of a creek, a small stream of water flowing in a broad, sandy bed. Phil -and some of the others scouted in a wide circle for Comanches, but saw -no signs, and, as he had slept so late that day, the boy remained awake -most of the night. There was a good moonlight, and he saw dusky -slinking forms on the plain. - -"Coyotes," said Bill Breakstone. "At least, most of them are, though I -think from their size that two or three of those figures out there must -be timber wolves. If I'm right about 'em, it means that we're not far -from a belt of forest country." - -"I hope you're right," said Phil. "I'm getting tired of plains now, and -I'd like to see trees and hills again, and also water that runs faster -and that's less muddy than these sluggish and sandy creeks." - -Bill Breakstone threw back his head and laughed with unction. - -"That's the way with fellows who were born in the hills," he said. -"Wherever you go, sooner or later you'll pine for 'em again. I'm one of -that lot, too." - -"Yes, it's so," admitted Phil. "I like the great plains, the vastness, -the mystery, and the wonderful air which must be the purest in the -world, that's always blowing over them, but for a real snug, homey -feeling give me a little valley in the hills, with a brook of -green-white water about six inches deep running down it, and plenty of -fine trees--oak, beech, hickory, elm, walnut, and chestnut--growing on -the slopes and tops of the hills." - -"A pretty picture, Sir Philip of the Brook, the Hill, the Valley, and -the Tree," said Bill Breakstone, "and maybe we will see it soon. As I -told you, timber wolves indicate trees not far off." - -But the chief event that day was buffaloes and not timber. They ran -into a vast herd, traveling north with the spring, and killed with ease -all they wanted. The bodies were cut up, and the wagons were filled -with fresh meat. There was a momentary quandary about the hides, which -they wished to save, a process that required immediate curing, but they -were unwilling to stop for that purpose on the plain. Two of the scouts -came in at sundown with news that the timber was only three or four -miles ahead, and the whole train pushed forward, reaching it shortly -after nightfall. - -The wagons stopped just within the edge of the timber, but Phil, -Breakstone, Arenberg, and Middleton rode on, the night being so clear -and bright that they could see almost as well as by day. The first -range of hills was low, but beyond lay others, rising perhaps two -hundred feet above the level of the plain. The timber on all the hills -and the valleys between was dense and heavy, embracing many varieties of -hard wood, elm, hackberry, overcup, ash, pecan, and wild china. There -were also the bushes and vines of the blackberry, gooseberry, raspberry, -currant, and of a small fox grape, plentiful throughout the mountains of -Texas. The fox grape grew on a little bush like that of the currant, -and growing in abundance was another bush, from two to six feet in -height, that would produce wild plums in the autumn. - -"It's a good country, a fine country," said Bill Breakstone. "A man -could live all the year around on the food that he would find in this -region, buffalo and antelope on the plains, deer and maybe beaver in -here, and all sorts of wild fruits." - -Phil nodded. He was reveling in the hills and timber. The moonlight -fell in a vast sheet of silver, but the foliage remained a solid mass of -dark green beneath it. A tremulous little wind blew, and the soft sound -of fresh young leaves rubbing together came pleasantly. A faint noise -like a sigh told of a tiny stream somewhere trickling over the pebbles. -Phil opened his eyes as wide as he could and drew in great gulps of the -scented air. Big bronze birds, roused by the tread of the horsemen, -rose from a bough, and flew away among the trees. They were wild -turkeys, but the lad and his comrades were not seeking game just then. -Bill Breakstone, who was in advance, stopped suddenly. - -"Come here, Sir Philip of the Hilly Forest," he cried, "and see what -uncle has found for his little boy." - -Phil rode up by his side and uttered a little gasp of admiration. As he -sat on his horse, he looked into a ravine about two hundred feet deep. -Down the center of the ravine dashed a little mountain river of -absolutely clear water. It was not more than twenty feet wide, but very -deep. As Breakstone said, "it ran on its side," but it ran along with -much murmur and splash and laughter of waters. Often as the swift -current struck the stony sides of the ravine it threw up little cascades -of foam like snow. The banks themselves, although of stone, were -covered most of the way with clustering vines and short green bushes. -The crest of the farther bank was wooded so heavily with great trees -that they were like a wall. Farther down, the stream descended with -increased swiftness, and a steady murmuring noise that came to them -indicated a waterfall. The brilliant moonlight bathed the river, the -hills, and the forest, and the great silence brooded over them all. -Middleton and Arenberg also came, and the four side by side on their -horses sat for awhile, saying nothing, but rejoicing in a scene so vivid -and splendid to them, after coming from the monotony of the great -plains. - -"I'd like to drop off my horse after a hot day's ride," said Bill -Breakstone, "and have some of that river run over me. Wouldn't that be -a shower-bath for a tired and dusty man!" - -"It's likely to be ice-cold," said Middleton. - -"Why so?" asked Phil. - -"Because it rises somewhere high up. There must be mountains to the -northward, and probably it is fed most of the year by melting snows. I -think Bill would have enough of his bath very quickly." - -"If I get a chance, and there is any way to get down to that stream, I -may try it to-morrow," said Bill threateningly. - -"Meanwhile, we'll ride back and tell what we've seen," said Middleton. - -"Isn't there any danger of Indian ambush in the timber?" asked Phil. - -"I don't think so," replied Middleton. "The Comanches are horse -Indians, and keep entirely to the plains. The other tribes are too much -afraid of the Comanches to remain near them, and in consequence the edge -of a hilly stretch such as this is likely to be deserted." - -They rode back to the wagons and found that the cooking fires were -already lighted, and their cheerful blaze was gleaming among the trees. -Everybody else, also, was delighted at being in the timber, where clear -water flowed past, and most of the wounded were able to get out of the -wagons and sit on the grass with their comrades. Woodfall decided that -it was a good place in which to spend a few days for rest, repairs, and -the hunting of game, as they wanted other fresh meat besides that of the -buffalo. - -The next morning they began to cure the buffalo hides that they had -already obtained. A smooth piece of ground, exposed all day to the rays -of the sun, was chosen. Upon this the skin was stretched and pegged -down. Then every particle of the flesh was scraped off. After that, it -was left about three days under the rays of the sun, and then it was -cured. Twenty-five skins were saved in this manner, and, also, by the -same method of drying in the sun, they jerked great quantities of the -buffalo meat. - -But Middleton, Arenberg, Breakstone, and Phil turned hunters for the -time. They found that the hill region was very extensive, timbered -heavily, and abundant in game. They hunted wholly on foot, and found -several places where the ravine opened out, at which they could cross -the little river by walking, although the water rose to their waists. - -They had great luck with the game, shooting a half dozen splendid -black-tailed deer, a score of wild turkeys, and many partridges, quail, -and grouse. Bill Breakstone, according to his promise, bathed in the -river, and he did it more than once. He was also joined by his -comrades, and, as Middleton had predicted, they found the water -ice-cold. No one could stand it more than five minutes, but the effect -was invigorating. - -A great deal of work was done at the camp. The axles of wagons were -greased, canvas ripped by wind or hail was sewed up again, clothing was -patched, and the wounded basked in sun or shade. Two of these had died, -but the rest were now nearly well. All except two or three would be fit -to resume their duties when they started again. - -Woodfall, knowing the benefit of a complete rest, still lingered, and -Phil and his friends had much time for exploration. They combined this -duty with that of the scouting, and penetrated deep into the hills, -watching for any Comanches who might stray in there, or for the mountain -tribes. Once they came upon several abandoned lodges, made partly of -skins and partly of brush, but they were falling in ruins, and Bill -Breakstone reckoned they were at least two years old. - -"Wichitas, Wacos, Kechies, and Quapaws live around in the hills and -mountains," he said, "and this, I take it, was a little camp of Kechies, -from the looks of the lodges. Two or three groups of them may be -lingering yet in this region, but we haven't much to fear from them." - -Woodfall, intending at first to make the stay only four or five days, -decided now to protract it to ten or twelve. The journey to Santa Fé -was one of tremendous length and hardship. Moreover, a buffalo hunter, -straying in, told them that the Comanches were very active all over the -Texas plains. Hence the Santa Fé train would need all its strength, and -Woodfall was anxious that every one of the wounded should be in fighting -condition when they left the timber. Therefore the delay. - -Phil was glad of the added stay in the hills. He was developing great -skill as a hunter and a trailer, and he and his comrades wandered -farther and farther every day into the broken forest region toward the -north. Oftenest he and Bill Breakstone were together. Despite the -difference in years, they had become brothers of the wilderness. In -their scoutings they found available pathways for horses over the hills -and among the great trees, and, starting, one morning, they rode far to -the north, covering thirty or forty miles. Phil was interested in some -high mountains which showed a dim blue ahead, and Breakstone was -carefully examining the rock formations. But as night came on they -found that the hills were dropping down, and the mountains seemed to be -about as blue and as far ahead as ever. - -"I should judge from these signs," said Breakstone, "that there is a -valley or narrow plain ahead, between us and the mountains. But we'll -look into that to-morrow. It isn't good to be riding around in the dark -over hills and through thickets." - -They found a little grassy open space, where they tethered their horses, -leaving them to graze as long as they wished, and, lighting no fire, -they ate jerked buffalo meat. Then they crept into snug coverts under -the bushes, wrapped their blankets about them, and fell asleep. Phil -opened his eyes at daylight to find Breakstone already awake. The -horses were grazing contentedly. The trees and bushes were already -tipped with fire by the gorgeous Texas sun. - -"Sir Philip of the Bushes," said Bill Breakstone, "you just lie here and -chew up a buffalo or two, while I go ahead and take a look. As I said -last night, these hills certainly drop down into a plain, and I want to -see that plain." - -"All right," said Phil, "I'll stay where I am. It's so snug in this -blanket on a cool morning that I don't care to move anyhow, and I can -eat my breakfast lying down." - -He drew out a freshly jerked strip of buffalo meat, and another very -tender portion of a black-tailed deer that he himself had shot, and fell -to it. Bill Breakstone, his rifle held conveniently at his side, slid -away among the bushes. Phil ate contentedly. The sun rose higher. The -morning was absolutely still. The horses seemed to have had enough -grass, and lay down placidly on their sides. It occurred to Phil that -he, too, had eaten enough, and he put the remainder of the food back in -his hunter's knapsack. Then he began to get drowsy again. It was so -very still. He thought once of rising and walking about, but he -remembered Breakstone's advice to lie still, and, against his will, he -kept it. Then his drowsiness increased, and, before he was aware of it -he was asleep again. - -When Phil awoke the second time, he threw off his blanket and sprang to -his feet in surprise. The sun was high up in the blue arch. It must be -at least ten o'clock in the morning, and Bill Breakstone had not come -back. The horses were on their feet and were grazing again. They were -proof that nothing had disturbed the glade. But Bill Breakstone was not -there. Nor had he come back and gone away again. If he had done so, he -would have awakened the boy. He had been absent three or four hours, -and Phil was alarmed. - -The boy stood up, holding his hand on the hammer of his rifle. This -beautiful day, with its blue skies above and its green forest below, -oppressed him. It was so still, so silent, and Bill Breakstone had -vanished so utterly, just as if he had been turned into thin air by the -wave of a magician's wand! The boy was alone in the wilderness for the -first time. Moreover, he felt the presence of danger, and the queer -little shiver which often comes at such moments ran through his blood. -But the shiver passed, and his courage rose. He had no thought of going -back to the camp to report that Bill Breakstone was missing. No, he -would find him himself. That was his duty to his comrade. - -The boy waited a little longer, standing there in the shade with his -rifle ready, and eyes and ears intent. He stood thus for a quarter of -an hour, scarcely moving. The brilliant sunshine poured down upon him, -bringing out every line of the strong young figure, illuminating the -face which was thrown a little forward, as the blue eyes, gazing -intently through the undergrowth, sought some evidence of a hostile -presence. Finally the eyes turned to the horses which were grazing -calmly in the full circle of their long lariats. Phil decided that such -calm on their part signified the absence of any enemy. If either man or -beast came near they would raise their heads. - -Then Phil moved forward through the bushes, putting into use all his new -skill and caution. The bushes closed softly behind him, and he entered -a slope covered with great trees without undergrowth. His eyes could -range forward several hundred yards, but he saw nothing. He advanced -for a few minutes, steadily descending, and he was tempted to shout his -loudest or fire off his rifle as a signal to the derelict Bill -Breakstone that it was time for him to come back. But he resisted both -temptations, and soon he was glad that he had done so. The slope was -very gradual, and he traveled a full two miles before he came to the -edge of the woods and saw before him the plain that Bill Breakstone had -predicted. He took one look, and then, springing back, sank down in the -covert of the bushes. - -Before Phil lay a fairly level plain about a mile in width and of -unknown length, as in either direction it parsed out of sight among the -hills. In the center of it was a shallow but wide creek which perhaps -flowed into the nameless river. The valley was very fertile, as the -grass was already rich and high, despite the earliness of spring. - -At the widest point of the valley stood a large Indian village, two -hundred lodges at least, and Phil could not doubt that it was a village -of the Comanches. Hundreds of ponies, grazing in the meadows to the -north, and guarded by boys, proved that they were horse Indians, and no -other tribe dared to ride where the Comanches roamed. - -Phil could see far in the dazzling sunlight, and all the normal -activities of human life, that is, of wild life, seemed to prevail in -the Comanche village. Evidently the warriors had been on a great -buffalo hunt. Perhaps they had struck at another point the same herd -into which the train had run. Over a wide space buffalo hides were -pegged down. Old squaws were scraping the flesh from some with little -knives, while others, already cleaned, were drying in the sun. Vast -quantities of buffalo meat were being jerked on temporary platforms. -Little Indian boys and girls carried in their hand bones of buffalo or -deer, from which they ate whenever they felt hungry. Everywhere it was -a scene of savage plenty and enjoyment, although signs of industry were -not wholly lacking, even among the warriors. Many of these, sitting on -the grass, were cleaning their rifles or making new bows and arrows. -Now and then one would make a test, sending into the air an arrow which -some little boy was glad to run after and bring back. At another point -a number of boys were practicing at a target with small bows and -blunt-headed arrows. Two warriors on their ponies came up the valley, -each carrying before him the body of a black-tailed deer. They were -received with shouts, but soon disappeared with their spoils among the -lodges, which were made universally of the skin of the buffalo. Down at -the end of the village some warriors, naked to the breech cloth, danced -monotonously back and forth, while an old man blew an equally monotonous -tune on a whistle made of the bone of an eagle. - -Phil, lying close in his covert, watched with absorbed eyes, and with -mind and vision alike quick and keen, he took in every detail. The -warriors were tall men, with intelligent faces, aquiline noses, thin -lips, black eyes and hair, and but little beard. The hair grew very -long, as they never cut it, and in many cases it was ornamented with -bright beads and little pieces of silver. They wore deerskin leggins or -moccasins, and a cloth of some bright color, bought from American -Mexican traders, wrapped around the loins. The body from the loin cloth -upward was naked, but in winter was covered with a buffalo robe. The -women were physically very much inferior to the men. They were short -and with crooked legs. Moreover, they wore their hair cut close, being -compelled to do so by tribal law, the long-haired Comanche men and the -short-haired Comanche women thus reversing the custom of civilization. -Both men and women wore amulets. The Comanches, like most Indian -tribes, were great believers in dreams, and the amulets were supposed to -protect them from such as were bad. - -Phil's roving eye lighted upon a small frame structure built of slight -poles, the only one in the village not of hides. Such a building was -always to be found in every Comanche village, but he did not know until -later that it was a combined medicine lodge and vapor bath house. It was -spherical in shape, and securely covered with buffalo hides. When a -warrior fell seriously ill, he was seated in this lodge, beside several -heated stone ovens, on which water was thrown in profusion. Then, while -a dense, hot vapor arose, the shaman, or medicine man, practiced -incantations, while men outside made music on whistles or the Indian -drums. The hot bath was often effective, but the Comanche ascribed at -least a part of the cure to the medicine man's incantations. Young -Comanche men, also, often took a vapor bath before going on the war -path, thinking that it had power to protect them from wounds. - -Then Philip saw to the right a far larger building than that of the -vapor bath, although it was made of dressed skins with just enough poles -to support it. This was the medicine lodge of the Comanche village, a -building used for important purposes, some of which Phil was to learn -soon. - -The boy did not doubt that his comrade had been taken, and, unless -killed, was even now a captive in the Comanche village. He might be -held in that huge medicine lodge, and the boy's resolution strengthened -to the temper of steel. He could not go back to the train without Bill -Breakstone; so he would rescue him. He did not yet have any idea how, -but he would find a way. There were depths of courage in his nature of -which he himself did not know, and springing from this courage was the -belief that he would succeed. - -While he yet lay in the covert he saw a band of Indians, about a dozen -in number, riding up the valley. They were apparently visitors, but they -were welcomed with loud cries. The leader of the band, a large man with -brilliant feathers in his hair, replied with a shout. I Then a horseman -rode forth to meet him. Even at the distance Phil recognized the -horseman as Black Panther. He, too, was arrayed in his finest, and, as a -great crowd gathered, the two chiefs slowly approached each other. When -their horses were side by side, Black Panther leaned over in his saddle, -put his head on the other's shoulder, clasped his arms around his chest, -and gave him a tremendous squeeze. The stranger returned the salute in -kind, and then the two, amid great shouts of approval, rode among the -lodges, disappearing from Phil's sight. - -Phil watched awhile longer, but he saw nothing except the ordinary life -of the village. Then he went back to the glen in which the horses were -tethered. They were still grazing, and Bill Breakstone had not -returned. Phil led them down to a little brook, let them drink, and -then, after some thought, took off the lariats, coiled them around the -saddles, and turned the animals loose. He believed they would stay in -the glen or near it, as the pasturage was good, and the water plentiful, -and that they could be found when needed. - -Having attended to the horses, he returned to the edge of the forest and -sat himself down to think out the plan of his great adventure. - -It was his intention to enter the Comanche village without detection, -and, hard as such a task seemed to him, it was even harder in reality. -No race more wary than the Comanches ever lived. Besides the boys who -habitually watched the ponies, they had regular details of warriors as -herdsmen. Other details served as sentries about the village, and the -adjacent heights were always occupied by scouts. All these guards were -maintained night and day. Phil could see some of them now patrolling, -and, knowing that any attempt of his would be impossible in the -daylight, he waited patiently for night. He had with him enough food to -last for a day or two, and, choosing a place in the dense covert, he lay -down. He called up now all the wilderness lore of Breakstone, Arenberg, -Middleton, and the others in the train. He knew that he must restrain -all impulsiveness until the appointed time, and that he must lie without -motion lest the keen eyes of wandering warriors should see the bushes -above him moving in a direction other than that of the wind. He also -laid his rifle parallel with his body, in the position in which it could -be used most quickly, and loaded the pistol. It was hardest of all to -lie perfectly still. He wished to turn over, to crawl to a new place, -and his bones fairly ached, but he restrained himself. Naturally a youth -of strength and determination, his mind took the mastery over his body, -and held it fast and motionless among the bushes. - -It was well that he controlled himself so completely. Indians came near -the edge of the woods, and once some boys passed, driving a herd of -ponies. But he crouched a little closer, and they went on. The day was -fearfully long. The high sun poured down a shower of vertical beams -that reached him even in the shelter of the bushes. The perspiration -stood out on his brow, and his collar clung to his neck. He envied the -freedom of the Comanches in the villages and the easy way in which they -went about the pleasure of savage life. More warriors, evidently -hunters, came in. Some bore portions of the buffalo, and others were -loaded with wild turkeys. - -In these hard hours the boy learned much. He had passed safely through -battle. But there one was borne up by the thrill and excitement of the -charge, the firing and shouting and the comradeship of his fellows. -Here he was alone, silent and waiting. Enduring such as that, his will -achieved new powers. A single day saw the mental growth of a year or -two. - -The sun passed the zenith and crept slowly down the western heavens. -Welcome shadows appeared in the east, and the far lodges of the -Comanches grew misty. Phil thought now that the village would sink into -quiet, but he noticed instead a great bustle, and many people going -about. Squaws bore torches which made a bright core of flame in the -increasing dusk, and Phil was quite sure now that something unusual was -going to occur. It seemed to him that the whole population of the -village was gathering about the great medicine lodge. It must be the -beginning of some important ceremony, and the time to enter the Comanche -village was propitious. He inferred that on such an occasion the guard -would be relaxed, at least in part, and as he heard the sound of -hundreds of voices chanting monotonously he prepared for his great -adventure. - -The twilight faded, and the night came in its place, thick and dark. -The sound of many voices, some singing, some talking, came clearly -through the crisp, dry air. The core of light before the medicine lodge -increased, and, by its radiance, he saw dusky figures hastening toward -it to join the great group gathered there. - -Phil took off his cap and hid it in the bushes. He would be bareheaded -like the Comanches, wishing to look as much like them as possible. -Fortunately his hair had grown somewhat long, and his face was deeply -tanned. Once he thought of stripping to the waist in Comanche fashion, -but his body, protected from the sun, was white, and he would be -detected instantly. - -He spent a little time flexing and stretching his muscles, because, when -he first rose to his feet, he could scarcely stand, and the blood, -choked up in the arteries and veins, tingled for lack of circulation. -But the stiffness and pain soon departed, and he felt stronger than ever -before in his life. Then he started. - -He advanced boldly into the plain, bent very low, stopping at times to -look and listen, and, also, to rest himself. More than once he lay flat -upon the ground and allowed his muscles to relax. Once he saw upon his -right two Indian warriors standing upon a knoll. They were a part of -the night guard, and their figures were outlined duskily against the -dusky sky. Their faces were not disclosed. But Phil knew that they -were watching--watching with all the effectiveness of eye and ear for -which the Indian is famous. At this point he crawled, and, in his -crawling, he was so nearly flat upon his stomach that his advance was -more like a serpent's than that of anything else. - -He left the patrol behind, and then he saw another on his left, and much -nearer to him, two more warriors, who did not occupy any knoll, but who -merely walked back and forth on the flat plain. They were between him -and the great fire, and he saw them very distinctly, tall men of light -copper color, with high cheek-bones and long black hair. Both were -armed with rifles, of which the Comanches were beginning to obtain a -supply, and their faces in the glow of the firelight seemed very savage -and very cruel to Phil. Now he flattened himself out entirely, and -moved forward in a slow series of writhings, until he had passed them. -There was an icy rim around his heart until he left these two behind, -but when they were gone in the darkness his courage leaped up anew. - -He now reached the eastern end of the village and crept among the -lodges. They were all deserted. Their occupants had gone to witness -the ceremony that was now at hand, whatever it might be. Not a woman, -not a child was left. Phil stood up straight, and it was an immense -relief to him to do so. It was a relief to the spirit as well as the -body. He felt like a human being again, and not some creeping animal, a -human being who stands upon his two feet, a human being who has a brain -with which he thinks before he acts. It was strange, but this mere -physical change gave him a further supply of courage and hope, as if he -had already achieved his victory. - -He passed between two lodges and saw a gleam beyond. It was the surface -of the wide but shallow creek, showing through the dusk. The banks were -five or six feet high, and there was a broad bed of sand extending on -either side of the water. - -Phil glanced up the stream, and saw that it flowed very close to the -medicine lodge. An idea sprang up at once in his alert brain. Here was -his line of approach. He dropped softly down the bank, taking his chance -of quicksand, but finding instead that it was fairly firm to the feet. -Then, hugging the bank, he advanced with noiseless tread toward the -medicine lodge. Chance and his own quick mind served him well. His -feet did not sink more than a few inches in the sand, and the bank -continued at its uniform height of about six feet. He continued slowly, -pausing on occasion to listen, because he could see nothing in the -village. But occasional stray beams from the fires, passing over his -head, fell upon the creek, lingering there for a moment or two in a red -glow. Above him on the bank, but some distance back, the fires seemed to -grow, and the monotonous beat of the singing grew louder. Phil knew -that he was now very near the medicine lodge, and he paused a little -longer than usual, leaning hard against the sandy bank with a sort of -involuntary impulse, as if he would press his body into it to escape -observation. - -He looked up and saw two or three boughs projecting over the bank. Then -the medicine lodge was some distance away, perhaps fifteen or twenty -yards, and, therefore, the adventure would increase in peril! Another -glance at the boughs reassured him. Perhaps there was a little grove -between the creek and the medicine lodge, and it would afford him -hiding! The largest of the boughs, amply able to support his weight, -was not more than three or four feet above the bank, and, climbing -cautiously the sandy slope, he grasped it and drew himself up. Then he -slid along it until he came to the crotch of the tree, where he -crouched, holding his rifle in one hand. - -He was right in his surmise about the grove, although it was narrower -than he had supposed, not more than seven or eight yards across at the -utmost. But the trees were oak, heavy-limbed and heavy-trunked, and -they grew close together. Nevertheless, the light from some of the -fires showed through them, and at one side loomed the dark mass of the -medicine lodge. As nearly as he could see, it was built directly -against some of the trees. He crawled from his tree to the one next to -it, and then to a third. There he stopped, and a violent fit of -shuddering seized him. The trees were occupied already. - -On boughs so near that he could touch them rested a platform of poles -about eight feet long and four feet wide. The poles were tied tightly -together with rawhide thongs, and over them were spread leaves, grass, -and small boughs. Upon these couches rested two long figures wrapped -tightly in buffalo hide. They were the bodies of the dead. Farther on -were other platforms and other bodies. Phil knew what the dark objects -were. He had read and heard too much about Indian life to be mistaken, -and, despite his power of will over self, he shuddered again and again. -He surmised that these might be temporary burial platforms, as they were -usually put in isolated places away from the village, but here they -were, and now it occurred to him that their presence would be to his -advantage. Superstition is strong among the Comanches, and they would -not walk under the trees that supported the burial platforms on their -boughs. - -He advanced from bough to bough until he came directly against the skin -walls of the great medicine lodge. There he lay along a strong and -horizontal bough with his body pressed close to the wall, and a human -eye ten feet away would not have seen him. Just above Phil's head was a -place where two of the buffalo hides had not been sewn closely together, -and the light from within shone out. He raised his head, widened the -place with his knife, and looked down into the medicine lodge. - -The boy beheld an extraordinary scene. From the roof of the lodge hung -a joss or image, with the profile of a man, rudely carved from a split -log. One side of the face was painted white, and the other black. -Beneath it was a circular space about twenty feet in diameter, roped off -and surrounded by a great crowd of people. Old squaws held aloft -torches of pine or other wood that cast a ruddy light over eager and -intense faces. - -A great medicine dance was about to be held; and now the shaman, or -chief medicine man, an old, dark Indian named Okapa, who for the present -took precedence over both Black Panther and his visitor, who was the -great chief Santana, was preparing to begin. Phil could see Okapa -clearly as he stood alone in the center of the cleared circular space, -carrying in his hands a short, carved stick, like a baton. It is hard -to judge an Indian's age, but Phil Bedford believed that this man must -be at least seventy. Nevertheless, despite his deeply lined and seamed -face, he was erect and strong. But it was, a cruel face, with thin, -compressed lips, a large hooked nose, and jet black eyes that smoldered -with dark fire. It was a face to inspire fear, and it was all the more -ominous when the light of many torches fell upon it, tinting it a deeper -and darker red. - -Okapa raised his hand. Save for the tense breathing of the multitude -there was silence in the lodge. Phil, forgetful of all danger, pressed -more closely against the buffalo skin to see. - - - - - CHAPTER VI - - THE MEDICINE LODGE - - -Okapa uttered a name. A young warrior, bare to the waist, stepped -forward, entering the circular space within the ropes. He called a -second name, and a second warrior responded in like manner, then a third -and fourth, and so on until his list was complete with twelve. These -were to be the dancers. One was chosen for every one hundred -persons--men, women, and children--in the band. Therefore, this village -had a population of twelve hundred. - -The dancers, all young men, stood close together, awaiting the signal. -They had been taking strange compounds, like drugs, that the Indians -make from plants, and their eyes were shining with wild light. Their -bodies already moved in short, convulsive jerks. Any dancer who did not -respond to his name would have been disgraced for life. - -After a few moments Okapa called six more names, with a short delay -after every one. Six powerful warriors, fully armed with rifle, -tomahawk, and knife, responded, and took their position beside the -ropes, but outside the ring. They were the guard, and the guard was -always half the number of the dancers. - -Now the breathing of the multitude became more intense and heavy, like a -great murmur, and Okapa handed to every one of the dancers a small -whistle made of wood or bone, in the lower end of which was fastened a -single tail feather of the chaparral cock or road runner, known to the -Indians as the medicine bird. The dancers put the little whistles in -their mouths, then the shaman arranged them in a circle facing the -center. The crowd in the medicine lodge now pressed forward, uttering -short gasps of excitement, but the guards kept them back from the ropes. - -To the boy at the slit between the buffalo skins it was wild, unreal, -and fantastic beyond degree, some strange, mysterious ceremony out of an -old world that had passed. He saw the bare chests of the warriors rising -and falling, the women as eager as the men, a great mass of light -coppery faces, all intense and bent forward to see better. He knew that -the air in the medicine lodge was heavy, and that its fumes were -exciting, like those of gunpowder. Parallel with the dancers, and -exactly in the center of their circle, hung the hideously carved and -painted joss or wooden image. The twelve looked fixedly at it. - -The shaman, standing on one side but within the circle, uttered a short, -sharp cry. Instantly the twelve dancers began to blow shrilly and -continuously upon their whistles, and they moved slowly in a circle -around and around toward the right, their eyes always fixed upon the -joss. The multitude broke into a wild chant, keeping time to the -whistles, and around and around the dancers went. The shaman, stark -naked, his whole body painted in symbols and hieroglyphics, never ceased -to watch them. To Philip's eyes he became at once the figure of -Mephistopheles. - -It was difficult for Phil afterward to account for the influence this -scene had over him. He was not within the medicine lodge. Where he lay -outside the fresh cool air of the night blew over him. But he was -unconscious of it. He saw only the savage phantasmagoria within, and by -and by he began to have some touch of the feeling that animated the -dancers and the crowd. An hour, two hours went by. Not one of the men -had ceased for an instant to blow upon his whistle, nor to move slowly -around and around the wooden image, always to the right. The dance, -like the music, was monotonous, merely a sort of leaping motion, but no -warrior staggered. He kept his even place in the living circle, and on -and on they went. Perspiration appeared on their faces and gleamed on -their naked bodies. Their eyes, wild and fanatical, showed souls -steeped in superstition and the intoxication of the dance. - -Many of those in the crowd shared in the fierce paroxysm of the hour, -and pressed forward upon the ropes, as if to join the dancers, but the -armed guard thrust them back. The dancers, their eyes fixed on the -joss, continued, apparently intending to go around the circle forever. -The air in the lodge, heavy with dust and the odors of oil and paint and -human beings, would have been intolerable to one just coming from the -outside, but it only excited those within all the more. - -Phil's muscles stiffened as he lay on the bough, but his position -against one of the wooden scantlings that held the buffalo skins in -place was easy, and he did not stir. His eyes were always at the slit -and he became oppressed with a strange curiosity. How long could the -men maintain the dancing and singing? He was conscious that quite a -long time had passed, three or four hours, but there was yet no -faltering. Nor did the chant of the crowd cease. Their song, as Phil -learned later, ran something like this: - - "The Comanche goes forth to war, - His arrow and bow he takes, - The shaman's blessing is on his head. - His eye is keen and his arm is strong; - He rides the plain like the wind; - His spirit is hot as the touch of fire. - The foeman fights but his strength fails; - His scalp hangs at the Comanche's belt." - -There were four or five verses of this, but as soon as they were all -sung, the singers went back to the beginning and sang them again and -again in endless repetition, while the twelve little whistles shrilled -out their piercing accompaniment. The wind began to blow outside, but -Phil did not feel it. Heavy clouds and vapors were drifting past, but -he did not notice them, either. Would this incantation, for now it was -nothing else, go on forever? Certainly the shaman, naked and hideously -painted, presided with undiminished zest at this dance of the imps. He -moved now and then about the circle of dancers, noting them sharply, his -eye ready for any sign of wavering, whether of the spirit or the body. - -Phil observed presently some shifting in the crowd of spectators, and -then a new face appeared in the copper-colored mass. It was the face of -a white man, and with a little start the boy recognized it as that of -Bill Breakstone. It may seem singular, but he felt a certain joy at -seeing him there. He had felt sure all the while that Breakstone was a -prisoner, and now he had found him. Certainly he was in the midst of -enemies. Nevertheless, the boy had gone a step forward in his search. - -Breakstone was not bound--there was no need of it, a single white man in -such a crowd--and Phil thought he could see pallor showing through his -tan, but the captive bore himself bravely. Evidently he was brought -forward as a trophy, as the chant was broken for a moment or two, and a -great shout went up when he approached, except from the dancers, who -circled on and on, blowing their whistles, without ceasing. Okapa -walked over to Breakstone and brandished a tomahawk before his face, -making the sharp blade whistle in front of his nose and then beside -either cheek. Phil held his breath, but Bill Breakstone folded his arms -and stood immovable, looking the ferocious shaman squarely in the face. -It was at once the best thing and the hardest thing to do, never to -flinch while a razor edge of steel flashed so close to one's face that -it felt cold as it passed. - -Two or three minutes of such amusement satisfied the shaman, and, going -back inside the ropes, he turned his attention again to the dancers. It -was now much past midnight, and the slenderest and youngest of the -warriors was beginning to show some signs of weakness. The shaman -watched him keenly. He would last a long time yet, and if he gave up it -would not occur until he fell unconscious. Then he would be dragged -out, water would be thrown over him, and, when he recovered, he would be -compelled to resume dancing if the shaman ordered it. Sometimes the -dancers died of exhaustion. It was well to be in the good graces of the -shaman. - -But Phil was now watching Bill Breakstone, who was pressing back in the -crowd, getting as far as possible from the ropes that enclosed the -dancers. Once or twice he saw Breakstone's face, and it seemed to him -that he read there an intention, a summoning of his faculties and -resolution for some great attempt. The mind of a man at such a time -could hold only one purpose, and that would be the desire to escape. -Yet he could not escape single-handed, despite the absorption of the -Comanches in the medicine dance. There was only one door to the great -lodge, and it was guarded. But Phil was there. He felt that the hand of -Providence itself had sent him at this critical moment, and that Bill -Breakstone, with his help, might escape. - -He watched for a long time. It must have been three or four o'clock in -the morning. The whistling, shrill, penetrating, now and then getting -horribly upon his nerves, still went on. The wavering warrior seemed to -have got his second wind, and around and around the warriors went, their -eyes fixed steadily upon the hideous wooden face of the joss. Phil -believed that it must be alive to them now. It was alive to him even -with its ghastly cheek of black and its ghastly cheek of white, and its -thick, red lips, grinning down at the fearful strain that was put upon -men for its sake. - -Phil's eyes again sought Breakstone. The captive had now pushed himself -back against the buffalo skin wall and stood there, as if he had reached -the end of his effort. He, too, was now watching the dancers. Phil -noted his position, with his shoulder against one of the wooden pieces -that supported the buffalo hide, and the lad now saw the way. Courage, -resolution, and endurance had brought him to the second step on the -stairway of success. - -Phil sat on the bough and stretched his limbs again and again to bring -back the circulation. Then he became conscious of something that he had -not noticed before in his absorption. It was raining lightly. Drops -fell from the boughs and leaves, but his rifle, sheltered against his -coat, was dry, and the rain might serve the useful purpose of hiding the -traces of footsteps from trailers so skilled as the Comanches. - -He dropped to the ground and moved softly by the side of the lodge, -which was circular in shape, until he came to the point at which he -believed Bill Breakstone rested. There was the wooden scantling, and, -unless he had made a great mistake, the shoulder of the captive was -pressed against the buffalo hide on the left of it. He deliberated a -moment or two, but he knew that he must take a risk, a big risk. No -success was possible without it, and he drew forth his hunting-knife. -Phil was proud of this hunting-knife. It was long, and large of blade, -and keen of edge. He carried it in a leather scabbard, and he had used -it but little. He put the sharp point against the buffalo hide at a -place about the height of a man, and next to the scantling on the left. -Then he pressed upon the blade, and endeavored to cut through the skin. -It was no easy task. Buffalo hide is heavy and tough, but he gradually -made a small slit, without noise, and then, resting his hand and arm, -looked through it. - -Phil saw little definite, only a confused mass of heads and bodies, the -light of torches gleaming beyond them, and close by, almost against his -eyes, a thatch of hair. That hair was brown and curling slightly, such -hair as never grew on the head of an Indian. It could clothe the head -of Bill Breakstone and none other. Phil's heart throbbed once more. -Courage and decision had won again. He put his mouth to the slit and -whispered softly: - -"Bill! Bill! Don't move! It is I, Phil Bedford!" - -The thatch of brown hair, curling slightly at the ends, turned gently, -and back came the whisper, so soft that it could not have been heard -more than a foot away: - -"Phil, good old Phil! You've come for me! I might have known it!" - -"Are they still looking at the dance?" - -"Yes, they can't keep their eyes off it." - -"Then now is your only chance. You must get out of this medicine lodge, -and I will help you. I'm going to cut through the buffalo hide low -down, then you must stoop and push your way out at the slash, when -they're not looking." - -"All right," said Bill Breakstone, and Phil detected the thrill of joy -in his tone. Phil stooped and bearing hard upon the knife, cut a slash -through the hide from the height of his waist to the ground. - -"Now, Bill," he whispered, "when you think the time has come, press -through." - -"All right," again came the answer with that leaping tone in it. - -Phil put the knife back in its scabbard, and, pressing closely against -the hide beside the slash, waited. Bill did not come. A minute, -another, and a third passed. He heard the monotonous whistling, the -steady chant, and the ceaseless beat of the dancer's feet, but -Breakstone made no sound. Once more he pressed his lips to the slit, -and said in the softest of tones: - -"Are you coming, Bill?" - -No answer, and again he waited interminable minutes. Then the lips of -the buffalo skin parted, and a shoulder appeared at the opening. It was -thrust farther, and a head and face, the head and face of Bill -Breakstone, followed. Then he slipped entirely out, and the tough -buffalo hide closed up behind him. Phil seized his hand, and the two -palms closed in a strong grasp. - -"I had to wait until nobody was looking my way," whispered Breakstone, -"and then it was necessary to make it a kind of sleight-of-hand -performance. I slipped through so quick that any one looking could only -see the place where I had been." - -Then he added in tones of irrepressible admiration: - -"It was well done, it was nobly done, it was grandly done, Sir Philip of -the Night and the Knife." - -"Hark to that!" said Phil, "they miss you already!" - -A shout, sharp, shrill, wholly different from all the other sounds, came -from within the great medicine lodge. It was the signal of alarm. It -was not repeated, and the whistling and wailing went on, but Phil and -Breakstone knew that warriors would be out in an instant, seeking the -lost captive. - -"We must run for it," whispered Breakstone, as they stood among the -trees. - -"It's too late," said Phil. Warriors with torches had already appeared -at either end of the grove, but the light did not yet reach where the -two stood in the thick darkness, with the gentle rain sifting through -the leaves upon them. Phil saw no chance to escape, because the light -of the torches reached into the river bed, and then, like lightning, the -idea came to him. - -"Look over your head, Bill," he said. "You stand under an Indian -platform for the dead, and I under another! Jump up on yours and lie -down between the mummies, and I'll do the same here. Take this pistol -for the last crisis, if it should come!" - -He thrust his pistol into his companion's hand, seized a bough, and drew -himself up. Bill Breakstone was quick of comprehension, and in an -instant he did likewise. Two bodies tightly wrapped in deerskin were -about three feet apart, and Phil, not without a shudder, lay down -between them. Bill Breakstone on his platform did the same. They were -completely hidden, but the soft rain seeped through the trees and fell -upon their faces. Phil stretched his rifle by his side and scarcely -breathed. - -The medicine dance continued unbroken inside. Okapa, greatest shaman of -the Comanches, still stood in the ring watching the circling twelve. -The symbols and hieroglyphics painted on his naked body gleamed ruddily -in the light of the torches, but the war chief, Black Panther, and the -other great war chief, Santana, had gone forth with many good warriors. -The single cry had warned them. Sharp eyes had quickly detected the -slit in the wall of buffalo skin, and even the littlest Indian boy knew -that this was the door by which the captive had passed. He knew, too, -that he must have had a confederate who had helped from the outside, but -the warriors were sure that they could yet retake the captive and his -friend also. - -Black Panther, Santana, and a dozen warriors, some carrying torches, -rushed into the grove. They ran by the side of the medicine lodge until -they came to the slit. There they stopped and examined it, pulling it -open widely. They noticed the powerful slash of the knife that had cut -through the tough buffalo hide four feet to the ground. Then they knelt -down and examined the ground for traces of footsteps. But the rain, the -beneficent, intervening rain, had done its work. It had pushed down the -grass with gentle insistence and flooded the ground until nothing was -left from which the keenest Comanche could derive a clue. They ran -about like dogs in the brake, seeking the scent, but they found nothing. -Warriors from the river had reported, also, that they saw nobody. - -It was marvelous, incomprehensible, this sudden vanishing of the captive -and his friend, and the two chiefs were troubled. They glanced up at -the dark platforms of the dead and shivered a little. Perhaps the -spirits of those who had passed were not favorable to them. It was well -that Okapa made medicine within to avert disaster from the tribe. But -Black Panther and Santana were brave men, else they would not have been -great chiefs, and they still searched in this grove, which was more or -less sacred, examining behind every tree, prowling among the bushes, and -searching the grass again and again for footsteps. - -Phil lay flat upon his back, and those moments were as vivid in his -memory years afterward as if they were passing again. Either elbow -almost touched the shrouded form of some warrior who had lived intensely -in his time. They did not inspire any terror in him now. His enemies -alive, they had become, through no will of their own, his protectors -dead. He did not dare even to turn on his side for fear of making a -noise that might be heard by the keen watchers below. He merely looked -up at the heavens, which were somber, full of drifting clouds, and -without stars or moon. The rain was gradually soaking through his -clothing, and now and then drops struck him in the eyes, but he did not -notice them. - -He heard the Comanches walking about beneath him, and the guttural notes -of their words that he did not understand, but he knew that neither he -nor Bill Breakstone could expect much mercy if they were found. After -one escape they would be lucky if they met quick death and not torture -at the hands of the Comanches. He saw now and then the reflection of the -torch-lights high up on the walls of the medicine lodge, but generally -he saw only the clouds and vapors above him. - -Despite the voices and footsteps, Phil felt that they would not be seen. -No one would ever think of looking in such places for him and -Breakstone. But the wait was terribly long, and the suspense was an -acute physical strain. He felt his breath growing shorter, and the -strength seemed to depart from his arms and legs. He was glad that he -was lying down, as it would have been hard to stand upon one's feet and -wait, helpless and in silence, while one's fate was being decided. -There was even a fear lest his breathing should turn to a gasp, and be -heard by those ruthless searchers, the Comanches. Then he fell to -calculating how long it would be until dawn. The night could not last -more than two or three hours longer, and if they were compelled to -remain there until day, the chance of being seen by the Comanches would -become tenfold greater. - -He longed, also, to see or hear his comrade who lay not ten feet away, -but he dared not try the lowest of whispers. If he turned a little on -his side to see, the mummy of some famous Comanche would shut out the -view; so he remained perfectly still, which was the wisest thing to do, -and waited through interminable time. The rain still dripped through -the foliage, and by and by the wind rose, the rain increasing with it. -The wet leaves matted together, but above wind and rain came the sound -from the medicine lodge, that ceaseless whistling and beating of the -dancers' feet. He wondered when it would stop. He did not know that -Comanche warriors had been known to go around and around in their dance -three days and three nights, without stopping for a moment, and without -food or water. - -After a long silence without, he heard the Comanches moving again -through the grove, and the reflection from the flare of a torch struck -high on the wall of the medicine lodge. They had come back for a second -search! He felt for a few moments a great apprehension lest they invade -the platforms themselves, but this thought was quickly succeeded by -confidence in the invisibility of Breakstone and himself, and the -superstition of the Indians. - -The tread of the Comanches and their occasional talk died away, the -lights disappeared from the creek bed, and the regions, outside the -medicine lodge and the other lodges, were left to the darkness and the -rain. Phil felt deep satisfaction, but he yet remained motionless and -silent. He longed to call to Breakstone, but he dreaded lest he might -do something rash. Bill Breakstone was older than he, and had spent -many years in the wilderness. It was for him to act first. Phil, -despite an overwhelming desire to move and to speak, held himself rigid -and voiceless. In a half hour came the soft, whispering question: - -"Phil, are you there?" - -It was Breakstone from the next tree, and never was sound more welcome. -He raised himself a little, and drops of rain fell from his face. - -"Yes, I'm here, Bill, but I'm mighty anxious to move," he replied in the -same low tone. - -"I'm tired of having my home in a graveyard, too," said Bill Breakstone, -"though I'll own that for the time and circumstances it was about the -best home that could be found this wide world over. It won't be more -than an hour till day, Phil, and if we make the break at all we must -make it now." - -"I'm with you," said Phil. "The sooner we start, the better it will -please me." - -"Better stretch yourself first about twenty times," said Bill -Breakstone. "Lying so long in one position with the rain coming down on -top of you may stiffen you up quite a lot." - -Phil obeyed, flexing himself thoroughly. He sat up and gently touched -the mummy on either side of him. He had no awe, no fear of these dead -warriors. They had served him well. Then, swinging from a bough, he -dropped lightly to the ground, and he heard the soft noise of some one -alighting near him. The form of Bill Breakstone showed duskily. - -"Back from the tombs," came the cheerful whisper. "Phil, you're the -greatest boy that ever was, and you've done a job that the oldest and -boldest scout might envy. - - "I was a captive, - The Indians had me; - Phil was adaptive, - Now they've lost me. - - -"I composed that rhyme while I was lying on the death platform up there. -I certainly had plenty of time--and now which way did you come, Phil?" - -"Under the shelter of the creek bank. The woods run down to it, and it -is high enough to hide a man." - -"Then that is the way we will go, and we will not linger in the going. -Let the Comanches sing and dance if they will. They can enjoy -themselves that way, but we can enjoy ourselves more by running down the -dark bed of a creek." - -They slipped among the wet trees and bushes, and silently lowered -themselves down the bank into the sand of the creek bottom. There they -took a parting look at the medicine lodge. It showed through a rift in -the trees, huge and dark, and on either side of it the two saw faint -lights in the village. Above the soft swishing of the rain rose the -steady whistling sound from the lodge, which had never been broken for a -moment, not even by the escape of the prisoner and the search. - -"I was never before so glad to tell a place good-by," whispered Bill -Breakstone. - -"It's time to go," said Phil. "I'll lead the way, as I've been over it -once." - -He walked swiftly along the sand, keeping well under cover of the bank, -and Bill Breakstone was close behind him. They heard the rain pattering -on the surface of the water, and both were wet through and through, but -joy thrilled in every vein of the two. Bill Breakstone had escaped -death and torture; Phil Bedford, a boy, had rescued him in face of the -impossible, and they certainly had full cause for rejoicing. - -"How far down the creek bed do you think we ought to go?" asked -Breakstone. - -"A quarter of a mile anyway," replied Phil, "and then we can cut across -the plain and enter the forest." - -Everything had been so distinct and vivid that he remembered the very -place at which he had dropped down into the creek bed, when he -approached the medicine lodge, and when he came to it again, he said: -"Here we are," springing up at one bound. Breakstone promptly followed -him. Then a figure appeared in the dusk immediately in front of Phil, -the figure of a tall man, naked save the breech cloth, a great crown of -brightly colored feathers upon his head. It was a Comanche warrior, -probably the last of those returning from the fruitless search for the -captive. - -The Comanche uttered the whoop of alarm, and Phil, acting solely on -impulse, struck madly with the butt of his rifle. But he struck true. -The fierce cry was suddenly cut short. The boy, with a shuddering -effect, felt something crush beneath his rifle stock. Then he and Bill -Breakstone leaped over the fallen body and ran with all their might -across the plain toward the woods. - -"It was well that you hit so quick and hard," breathed Breakstone, "but -his single yell has alarmed the warriors. Look back, they are getting -ready to pursue." - -Phil cast one hurried glance over his shoulder. He saw lights twinkling -among the Comanche lodges, and then he heard a long, deep, full-throated -cry, uttered by perhaps a hundred throats. - -"Hark to them!" exclaimed Breakstone. "They know the direction from -which that cry came, and you and I, Phil, will have to make tracks -faster than we ever did before in our lives." - -"At any rate, we've got a good start," said Phil. - -They ran with all speed toward the woods, but behind them and in other -directions they heard presently the beat of hoofs, and both felt a -thrill of alarm. - -"They are on their ponies, and they are galloping all over the plain," -said Bill Breakstone. "Some of them are bound to find us, but you've -the rifle, and I've the pistol!" - -They ran with all their might, but from two or three points the ominous -beat of hoofs came closer. They were devoutly glad now of the rain and -the shadowed moon that hid them from all eyes except those very near. -Both Phil and Breakstone stumbled at intervals, but they would recover -quickly, and continue at undiminished, speed for the woods, which were -now showing in a blacker line against the black sky. - -There was a sudden swift beat of hoofs, and two warriors galloped almost -upon them. Both the warriors uttered shouts at sight of the fugitives, -and fired. But in the darkness and hurry they missed. Breakstone fired -in return, and one of the Indians fell from his pony. Phil was about to -fire at the other, but the Comanche made his pony circle so rapidly that -in the faint light he could not get any kind of aim. Then he saw -something dark shoot out from the warrior's hand and uncoil in the air. -A black, snakelike loop fell over Bill Breakstone's head, settled down -on his shoulders, and was suddenly drawn taut, as the mustang settled -back on his haunches. Bill Breakstone, caught in the lasso, was thrown -to the ground by the violent jerk, but with the stopping of the horse -came Phil's chance. He fired promptly, and the Comanche fell from the -saddle. The frightened mustang ran away, just as Breakstone staggered -dizzily to his feet. Phil seized him by the arm. - -[Illustration: "A black, snakelike loop fell over Bill Breakstone's -head"] - -"Come, Bill, come!" he cried. "The woods are not thirty yards away!" - -"Once more unto the breach, or rather the woods!" exclaimed the -half-unconscious man. "Lead on, Prince Hal, and I follow! That's -mixed, but I mean well!" - -They ran for the protecting woods, Breakstone half supported by Phil, -and behind them they now heard many cries and the tread of many hoofs. -A long, black, snake-like object followed Bill Breakstone, trailing -through the grass and weeds. They had gone half way before Phil noticed -it. Then he snatched out his knife and severed the lasso. It fell -quivering, as if it were a live thing, and lay in a wavy line across the -grass. But the fugitives were now at the edge of the woods, and Bill -Breakstone's senses came back to him in full. - -"Well done again, Sir Philip of the Knife and the Ready Mind," he -whispered. "I now owe two lives to you. I suppose that if I were a cat -I would in the end owe you nine. But suppose we turn off here at an -angle to the right, and then farther on we'll take another angle. I -think we're saved. They can't follow us on horses in these dense woods, -and in all this darkness." - -They stepped lightly now, but drew their breaths in deep gasps, their -hearts throbbing painfully, and the blood pounding in their ears. But -they thanked God again for the clouds and the moonless, starless sky. -It could not be long until day, but it would be long enough to save -them. - -They went nearly a quarter of a mile to the right, and then they took -another angle, all the while bearing deeper into the hills. From time -to time they heard the war cries of the Comanches coming from different -points, evidently signals to one another, but there was no sound of -footsteps near them. - -"Let's stop and rest a little," said Bill Breakstone. "These woods are -so thick and there is so much undergrowth that they cannot penetrate -here with horses, and, as they know that at least one of us is armed, -they will be a little wary about coming here on foot. They know we'd -fight like tigers to save ourselves. 'Thrice armed is he who hath his -quarrel just,' and if a man who is trying to save his life hasn't got a -just quarrel, I don't know who has. Here's a good place." - -They had come to a great oak which grew by the side of a rock projecting -from a hill. The rain had been gentle, and the little alcove, formed by -the rock above and the great trunk of the tree on one side, was -sheltered and dry. Moreover, it contained many dead leaves of the -preceding autumn, which had been caught there when whirled before the -winds. It was large enough for two, and they crept into it, not -uttering but feeling deep thanks. - - - - - CHAPTER VII - - THE GREAT SLEEP - - -When Phil drew the warm leaves about him he felt a mighty sensation of -relief, accompanied by a complete mental and physical relaxation. The -supreme tension of the spirit that had borne him up so long was gone -now, when it was needed no longer, and he uttered a deep sigh of -content. Bill Breakstone put a hand upon his shoulder. - -"Phil," he said simply, "I owe you so much that I can't ever repay it." - -"Your chance will come," replied the boy. "You'll probably do more for -me than I've ever done for you." - -"We'll see," said Bill Breakstone. "I'm thinking, Phil, that this is -about the best hiding place we could have found, so we'll just lie -quiet, as we'll see the edge of the day inside of half an hour." - -The two remained perfectly still. Yet they could hear for awhile their -own strained breathing, and Phil felt his heart constrict painfully -after his long flight. But the breathing of both grew easier. In a -short while it was normal again. Then they saw a touch of gray in the -east, the rain ceased like a dissolving mist, a silver light fell over -the forest, turning presently to gold, and it was day in the east. - -Some of the sunbeams entered the thick jungle of forest where they lay, -touching the leaves and grass here and there with gold, but in most -places the shadows still hovered. Phil and Breakstone looked at their -surroundings. They had left no trail in coming there, and the bushes -about them were so dense that even Indian eyes ten feet away could not -have seen them. - -The sunlight was deepening. Birds in the trees began to sing. All the -beings of the wilderness, little and big, awoke to life. Trees and -grass dried swiftly under the strong fresh wind. Bill Breakstone -glanced at his youthful comrade. - -"Phil," he said, "I'll take the rifle, and you go to sleep. You've had -a harder time than I have, and, when you wake up, I'll tell you how I -was captured." - -"I think I'll do it, Bill," said the boy, putting his. arm under his -head and closing his eyes. The strain was gone from his nerves now, and -sleep came readily. In three minutes he was oblivious of Comanches and -all else that the world contained. Bill Breakstone could have slept if -he had tried, but he did not try. Under a manner nearly always light -and apparently superficial he concealed a strong nature and much depth -of feeling. It seemed to him that at the last moment a hand had been -stretched out to save him from the worst of fates. It seemed to him, -also, that it must have been a sort of inspiration, the direction of a -supreme will, for Phil to have come to him at such a time. It was a -brave deed, a wonderful deed, and it had been brilliantly successful. - -The light was strong, and Bill Breakstone looked down at the boy who was -a younger brother to him now. He saw that the strain upon Phil had been -great. Even while he slept his face was very white, except where -fatigue and suspense had painted it black beneath the eyes. Phil -Bedford had done more than his share, and it was now for him, Bill -Breakstone, to do the rest. He slipped the muzzle of the rifle forward -in order that it might command the mouth of the hollow, and waited. He -would have pulled more leaves and brush before the entrance, but he knew -that any disturbance of nature would attract the eye of a passing -Comanche, and he allowed everything to remain exactly as it had been. - -He lay comfortably among the leaves, and for a long time he did not -stir. Phil breathed regularly and easily, and Bill saw that he would be -fully restored when he awoke. Bill himself thought neither of hunger -nor thirst, the tension was too great for that, but he never ceased to -watch the sweep of trees and brush. It was half way toward noon when he -saw some bushes about ten yards in front of him trembling slightly. He -became at once alert and suspicious. He drew himself up in the attitude -of one who is ready for instant action, slipping the muzzle of the rifle -a little farther forward. - -The bushes moved again, and something came into view. Bill Breakstone -sank back, and his apprehension departed. It was a timber wolf, gray -and long. A dangerous enough beast, if a man alone and unarmed met a -group of them, but Bill, with the rifle, had no fear. The wolf sniffed -the odor of flesh, sniffed again, knew that it was the odor of human -flesh, and his blood became afraid within him. Bill Breakstone laughed -quietly, but the boy slept placidly on. The incident amused Bill, and, -therefore, it was welcome. It broke the monotony of the long quiet, -and, just when he was laughing noiselessly for the fourth time over the -wolf's discomfiture, the bushes moved again. Bill, as before, slipped -the muzzle of his rifle farther forward and waited. A slight pungent -odor came to his nostrils. The bushes moved more than before, although -without noise, and a great yellow body came into view. The eyes were -green, the claws sharp and long, and the body lithe and powerful. It was -a splendid specimen of the southwestern puma, a great cat that could -pull down a deer. But Bill Breakstone was still unafraid. He raised -the rifle and aimed it at the puma, although he did not press the -trigger. - -"I can kill you, my friend, with a single bullet," he murmured, "but the -report of that rifle would probably bring the Comanches upon us. -Therefore, I will look you down." - -The puma paused in doubt and indecision, restlessly moving his tail, and -staring with his great green eyes until they met the gray eyes of the -human creature, looking down the sights of the rifle barrel. That -steady, steel-like gaze troubled the puma. He was large and powerful. -He could have struck down the man at a single blow, but the heart within -that mass of bone and muscle became afraid. The green eyes looked -fearfully into the gray ones, and at last turned aside. The great beast -turned stealthily, and slid into the thicket, at first slowly, and then -in a run, as the terror that he could not see crowded upon his heels. - -Bill Breakstone had laughed several times that morning, but now he -laughed with a deep unction. - -"I'm proud of myself," he murmured. "It's something to outlook a -panther, but I don't know that I'd have looked so straight and hard if I -hadn't had the rifle ready, in case the eyes failed. Now I wonder who -or what will be the next invader of our premises." - -His wonder lasted only until noon, when the sun was poised directly -overhead, and the open spaces were full of its rays. Then, as light as -the beasts themselves had been, two Comanches walked into full view. -Bill Breakstone was as still as ever, but his hand lay upon the trigger -of the rifle. - -The Comanches were not a pleasant sight to eyes that did not wish to see -them. They were powerful men, naked save for the waist cloth, their -bodies painted with many strange symbols and figures. Although most of -their tribe were yet armed with bows and arrows, each carried a fine -rifle. Their faces were wary, cunning, and cruel. They were far more -to be dreaded than wolf or panther. Yet Bill Breakstone at that moment -felt but little fear of either. He was upheld by a great stimulus. The -boy who slept so peacefully by his side had saved him in the face of -everything, and, if the time had come, he would do as much for Phil. He -felt himself, with the rifle and pistol, a match for both warriors, and -his breathing was steady and regular. - -The warriors stopped and stood in the bush, talking and pointing toward -the east. Bill Breakstone surmised that they were talking about him and -Phil, and it was likely from their pointing fingers that they believed -the fugitives had gone toward the east. As Bill watched them, his -suspense was mingled with a sort of curiosity. Would some instinct warn -them that Phil and he lay not ten yards away? The woods were vast, and -they and all their comrades could not search every spot. Would this be -one of the spots over which they must pass? - -It took two minutes to decide the question, and then the warriors walked -on toward the east, their brown bodies disappearing in the foliage. -Bill drew a mighty breath that came from every crevice and cranny of his -lungs. He did not know until then how great his suspense had been. He -sank back a little and let the rifle rest softly on the leaves beside -him. He glanced at Phil. His face was less drawn now, and much of the -color had come back. While Bill awaited the crisis, his finger on the -trigger, the sleeping boy had grown stronger. Bill decided that he would -let him sleep on. - -Bill Breakstone had been through much. He, too, began to feel sleepy. -The dangers of animal and man had come and passed, leaving his comrade -and him untouched. His nerves were now subdued and relaxed, and he felt -a great physical and mental peace. The day, too, was one calculated to -soothe. The air was filled with; the mildness of early spring. A -gentle wind blew, and the boughs and bushes rustled together, forming a -sound that was strangely like a song of peace. - -But Bill Breakstone was a man watchful, alert, a sentinel full of -strength and resolution. He would not sleep, no, not he, not while so -much depended upon him, yet the song among the leaves was growing -sweeter and gentler all the time. He had never felt such a soothing -quiet in all his life. The complete relaxation after so much danger and -tension was at hand, and it was hard for one to watch the forest and be -troubled about foes who would no longer come. Yet he would remain awake -and keep faithful guard, and, as he murmured his resolution for the -fifth time, his drooping eyelids shut down entirely, and he slept as -soundly as the boy who lay by his side, his chest rising and falling as -he breathed long and regularly. - -Phil Bedford and Bill Breakstone slept all that afternoon. It was a -mighty sleep, the great sleep following complete mental and physical -exhaustion, the sleep that comes at such times to strong, healthy -beings, in whom the co-ordination of brain, muscle, and nerve is -complete. By some unconscious method of keeping time they breathed in -perfect unison, and the gentle wind, which all the while was blowing -through the leaves, kept time with them, too. Thus the evening -shortened. Hour by hour dropped into the sandglass of time. The two, -rivals of the ancient seven of famous memory, slept on. Both the wolf -and the puma, driven by curiosity, came back. They crept a little -nearer than before, but not too near. They felt instinctively that the -mighty sleepers, mightily as they slept, could yet be awakened, and the -smell of man contained a quality that was terrifying. So they went -away, and, an hour after they were gone, the same two Comanches, naked -to the waist, painted hideously in many symbols and decorations, and -savage and cruel of countenance, came back in their places. But Bill -Breakstone and Phil lay safe in the leaves under the bank, sleeping -peacefully without dreams. So far as the Comanches were concerned, they -were a thousand miles away, and presently the two warriors disappeared -again in the depths of the forest, this time not to return. - -Time went on. The two slept the great sleep so quietly that all the -normal life of the woods about them was resumed. Woodpeckers drummed -upon the sides of the hollow trees, a red bird in a flash of flame shot -among the boughs, quail scuttled in the grass, and a rabbit hopped near. -Midafternoon of a cloudless day came. The sun shot down its most -brilliant beams, the whole forest was luminous with light. The -Comanches ceased their search, confident that the fugitives were gone -now beyond their overtaking, and returned to their villages and other -enterprises, but Breakstone and Phil slept their great sleep. - -Twilight came, and they were still sleeping. Neither had stirred an -inch from his place. The little animals that hopped about in the -thickets believed them dead, they were so quiet, and came nearer. Night -came on, thick and dark. An owl in a tree hooted mournfully, and an owl -in another tree a half mile away hooted a mournful answer. Phil and his -comrade did not hear, because they still lay in their great sleep, and -the doings of the world, great or small, did not concern them. - -Phil awoke first. It was then about midnight, and so dark in the alcove -that he could not see. His eyes still heavy with sleep and his senses -confused, he sat up. He shook his head once or twice, and recollection -began to come back. Surely the daylight had come when he went to sleep! -And where was Bill Breakstone? He heard a regular breathing, and, -reaching out his hands, touched the figure of his comrade. Both had -slept, and no harm had come to them. That was evident because he also -touched the rifle and pistol, and they would have been the first objects -taken by a creeping enemy. But surely it could not have been a dream -about his going to sleep in the daylight! He remembered very well that -the sun was rising and that there were golden beams on the bushes. Now -it was so dark that he could see only a few faint stars in the sky, and -the bashful rim of a moon. He sat up and gave Bill Breakstone a -vigorous shake. - -"Bill," he said, "wake up! It's night, but what night I don't know!" - -Bill Breakstone yawned tremendously, stretched himself as much as the -narrow space would allow, and then slowly and with dignity sat up. He, -too, was somewhat confused, but he pretended wisdom while he was trying -to collect his senses. The two could barely see each other, and each -felt rather than saw the wonder in the other's eyes. - -"Well," said Bill Breakstone at last, "I'd have you to know, Sir Philip -of the Dream and the Snore, though I can't prove that you've done either -any more than I can prove that I haven't done both, that we're the -genuine and true Babes in the Wood, only we've waked up. Here we've -been asleep, maybe a week, maybe a month, and the pitying little birds -have come and covered us up with leaves, and we've been warm and snug, -and the wild animals haven't eaten us up, and the bad men, that is to -say the Comanches, haven't found us. How do you feel, Phil?" - -"Fine, never better in my life." - -"That describes me, also, with beautiful accuracy. We'll never know, -maybe, how long we've slept, whether one day, two days, or three days, -but a good spirit has been watching over us; of that I'm sure. - - "Phil and Bill, - To sleep they went; - Phil and Bill - From sleep they came. - Phil and Bill, - They had no tent; - But Phil and Bill, - They are true game. - Phil and Bill, - The leaves, a bed, - Phil and Bill, - They took no ill. - That's Phil and Bill. - - -"I don't think that's a bad poem, Phil, considering the short time I've -had for its composition, and you'll observe that, with a modesty not -common among poets, I've put you first." - -"It's all right for the time," said Phil, "but don't do it too often. -But, Bill, I'd trade a whole slab of poetry for an equal weight in beef -or venison. I'm beginning to feel terribly hungry." - -"I'd make the trade, too," said Bill Breakstone, "and that's not holding -poetry so cheap, either. It's pleasant for the Babes in the Wood to -wake up again, but there's a disadvantage; you've got to eat, and to eat -you've got to find something that can be eaten. I'm like King Richard, -'A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!' But I wouldn't ride that -horse; I'd eat him." - -"What time o' night would you say it is, Bill?" - -Bill Breakstone attentively studied the few stars to be seen in the -extremely dusky heavens. - -"I'd say it was somewhere between six o'clock in the evening and six -o'clock in the morning, with the emphasis on the 'somewhere.' I wonder -what's happened around in these woods since we went to sleep last week, -Phil; but I suppose we'll never know." - -Bill stood up, and with his fingers combed the leaves out of his hair. - -"Phil," he said, "I'll tell you the story of my life for the last day or -two. It doesn't make a long narrative, but while it was happening it -was tremendously moving to me. When I left you I skipped along through -the edge of the woods and came to the plain. Then I saw the Indian -village and the Indian horses grazing on the meadows. I looked them -over pretty thoroughly, concluded I didn't like 'em, and started back to -tell you about 'em. I thought I was mighty smart, but I wasn't smart -enough by half." - -"What happened?" - -"Just as I turned around to start upon my worthy mission, three large, -unclothed Comanches laid rude hands upon me. I didn't have much chance, -one against three, and surprise on their side, too. They soon had me by -the neck and heels, and carried me off to their village, where they gave -me the welcome due to a distinguished stranger. Black Panther was -especially effusive. He wanted to know all about me and my friends, if -any, perchance, were near by. It was the same band that had attacked -our wagon train and that was beaten off. Their scouts had warned them -that we were on the other side of the big forest, but they were afraid -to attack again. I gathered from what Black Panther said--he understands -English, and I understand some Comanche--that they believed me to be -lost, strayed, or stolen--that is, I had wandered away in some manner, -or had been left behind. The chief tried to get all sorts of information -out of me, but I didn't have any to tell. Finding that I was born dumb, -he began to talk about punishments." - -"What were they going to do to you, Bill?" - -"There was a lot of lurid talk. I say 'lurid' because I seem to -remember something about flames. Anyway, it was to be unpleasant, and I -suppose if you hadn't come, Phil, at the right time, I shouldn't ever -have had the great sleep that I've enjoyed so much, at least not that -particular kind of sleep. Phil, it looks to me as if you came when I -called, and I'm not joking, either." - -"We'll put that aside," said Phil, "and hunt something to eat." - -"Yes, it's our first duty to provision this army of two," said Bill -Breakstone, "and I think we can do it. The woods are full of game, but -we'll have to wait till morning for a shot. As for the Indians hearing -the reports of our rifles, we must take the chance of that, but I don't -think they'll roam very far from the village, and we'll spend the rest -of the night going toward the point where we left the wagon train, which -is directly away from the Comanches. Toward morning we'll sit down by -the bank of a stream if we can find one, and wait for the game to come -to drink." - -"That seems to me to be our best plan," said Phil. - -Both had a good idea of direction, and, despite the darkness, they -advanced in a fairly straight line toward the point they sought. But -they found it rough traveling through the thick undergrowth, among -briers and across ravines and gulleys. Meanwhile, old King Hunger, -bristling and fearsome, seized them and rent them with his fangs. There -was no resisting. They must even suffer and stand it as best they -could. - -"I think it's at least a thousand hours until day," said Bill Breakstone -at last. "Do you know, Phil, I've got to the point where I'd enjoy one -of those stage banquets that I've often had. You don't really eat -anything. The plates are empty, the glasses are empty, and, empty as -they all are, they're generally whisked away before you can get a good -long look at them. But there's something soothing and filling about -them anyway. Maybe it's an illusion, but if an illusion is of the right -kind, it's just the right kind of thing that you ought to have." - -"An illusion may be all right for you, Bill," returned Phil, "but what -about some of those dinners you can get in New Orleans. Oyster soup, -Bill; fish fresh from the gulf, Bill; nice old Virginia ham, Bill; -stuffed Louisiana: turkey, Bill; a haunch of venison, Bill; fried -chicken, Bill; lamb chops, Bill; and a lot of other things that money -can buy in New Orleans, Bill?" - -"If you weren't my best friend, Phil, and if you hadn't just saved my -life, I might make an attack upon you with the intent of bodily harm. -You surely make me sour with your talk about the whole provision train -that can be bought in New Orleans with money. Hear that old owl -hooting! He's just laughing at us. I'd stop and shoot him if we had -light enough for a shot." - -"Never mind the owl, Bill," said Phil. "Perhaps when we get that good -juicy deer we're looking for we can hoot back at him, if we feel like -it." - -"That's so," said Bill, although he said it gloomily. - -They advanced in silence another hour, and then Phil, who was a little -in advance, stopped suddenly. He had seen the gleam of water, and he -pointed it out to his comrade. - -"A spring," said Bill Breakstone, "and it's been trampled around the -edges by many hoofs and paws." - -He stooped and tasted the water. Then he uttered a mighty sigh of -satisfaction. - -"A salt spring, too," he said. "We're in luck, Phil. I see our -breakfast coming straight toward us at this spring, walking briskly on -four legs. The wild animals always haunt such places, and if we don't -have savory steaks before the sun is an hour high, then I'm willing to -starve to death. We must find an ambush. Here it is! Luck's a funny -thing, Phil. It goes right against you for awhile, and nothing seems -able to break it. Then it turns right around and favors you, and no -fool thing that you do seems to change it. But I guess it evens up in -the long run." - -They found a dense clump of bushes about twenty yards from the salt -spring, and sat down among them. - -"There's no wind at all," whispered Bill Breakstone, "so I don't think -that any animal eager for his salt drink will notice us. I've got my -heart set on deer, Phil, and deer we must have. Now which of us shall -take the rifle and make the shot? The rifle is yours, you know, and you -have first choice." - -But Phil insisted upon the older and more experienced man taking the -weapon, and Breakstone consented. Then they lay quiet, eagerly watching -every side of the spring. The darkness soon thinned away, and the -bushes and trees became luminous in the early morning light. - -"Something will come soon," said Breakstone. - -They waited a little longer, and then they heard a rustling among the -bushes on the far side of the spring. The bushes moved, and a -black-tailed deer, a splendid buck, stepped into the opening. He paused -to sniff the air, but nothing strange or hostile came to his nostrils. -The deadly figure, crouching in the bushes with the loaded rifle at his -cheek, might have been a thousand miles away, for all the deer knew. - -Phil and Bill Breakstone might have admired the deer at another time, -but now other emotions urged them on. The deer stepped down to the -water. Breakstone looked down the sights, and Phil trembled lest he -should miss. He tried to look along the barrel himself and see what spot -Bill had picked out on the animal's body. Then he watched the -marksman's finger curl around the trigger and at last press hard upon -it. The flash of flame leaped forth, the report sounded startlingly -loud in the clear morning, and the deer jumped high in the air. - -But when the big buck came down he ran into the forest as if he had not -been touched. Phil uttered a gasp of despair, but Bill Breakstone only -laughed. - -"Don't you fret, Phil," he said. "My heart was in my mouth, but my -bullet didn't miss. He's hit hard, and we've got nothing to do but -follow him by the plain trail he'll leave. We'll come to our breakfast -in less than ten minutes." - -Phil soon saw that Breakstone was right. The trail on the other side of -the salt spring was plain and red, and presently they found the great -stag in a thicket, lying upon his side, stone dead, Bill Breakstone was -an adept at cleaning and dressing, and soon the ugly work was over. -They always carried matches, and Phil quickly lighted a fire of dry -sticks that burned up rapidly and that soon made a fine heap of glowing -coals. - -"Now," said Breakstone, "we'll cook and eat, then we'll cook and eat -again, then we'll cook and eat once more." - -"And I don't care very much whether Comanches heard the rifle shot or -not," said Phil. "It seems to me that when I eat as much as I want I -can whip the whole Comanche nation." - -"I feel that way, too," said Bill Breakstone, "but the Comanches didn't -hear. I know it in my bones. Didn't I tell you about that streak of -luck? Luck's coming our way now, and the streak will last for awhile." - -They cut long twigs, sharpened them at the ends, and fried over the -coals strips of the deer, which gave out such a rich aroma as they -sputtered that the two could scarcely restrain themselves. Yet they did -it, they remained white men and gentlemen, and did not guzzle. - -"Phil," said Bill, before he took a single bite, "I remember about that -dinner in New Orleans you were talking of so long ago. I remember about -those beautiful oysters, those splendid fish from the gulf, the gorgeous -Virginia ham, the magnificent Louisiana turkey; yes, I remember all -those magnificent fripperies and frummeries, but it seems to me if they -were all set down before us, spread on a service of golden plate, they -wouldn't be finer than what is now awaiting us." - -"Bill," said Phil with deep emphasis and unction, "you never spoke truer -words in your life." - -"Then lay on, Macduff, and the first who cries 'hold, enough'--well, he -won't be much of a trencherman." - -They fell to. They did not eat greedily, but they ate long and -perseveringly. Strip after strip was fried over the coals, gave out its -savory odor, and disappeared. Phil occasionally replenished the fire, -adding to the bed of coals, but keeping down the smoke. Bill, -stretching his long body on the ground and then propping himself up on -his elbow, concluded that it was a beautiful world. - -"Didn't I tell you our luck would hold for awhile?" he repeated. "Since -we got into the woods, things have come easy. A good bed put itself -right in our way, then a deer walked up and asked to be eaten. - - "The deer - It was here. - One shot-- - In our pot. - - -"We haven't any pot, but you can use things in a metaphorical sense in -order to get your rhyme. That's what poetry is for." - -"I'm beginning to feel satiated," said Phil. - -"'Satiated' is a good word," said Bill Breakstone, "but it isn't used -much on the plains. Still, I'm beginning to feel that way myself, too, -and I think we'd better begin to consider the future, which is always so -much bigger than the present." - -"We must find our horses." - -"Of course, and after that we must find the train, which will be our -chief problem. It may be where we left it or it may have gone on, -thinking that we had been killed by some outlying party of Comanches. -But I don't believe Middleton and Arenberg would move without us. They -may now be somewhere in these woods looking for us." - -"Can you figure out the direction of the valley in which we left our -horses?" - -Breakstone studied the sun attentively. - -"It's southeast from here," he replied, "and I fancy it's not more than -three or four miles. Two likely lads like you and me ought to find it -pretty soon, and, nine chances out of ten, the horses will be there. -We'll take some of the best portions of the deer with us, and start at -once." - -They chose the choicest pieces of the meat and started, now strong of -body and light of heart. Phil's own judgment about the direction agreed -with Breakstone's, and in less than an hour they saw familiar ground. - -"I'm a good prophet to-day," said Breakstone. "I've got the gift for a -few hours at least. I predicted truly about the deer, and now I am -going to predict truly about the horses. We'll have them by the bridle -inside of half an hour." - -In fifteen minutes they were in the little valley, in three minutes they -found the horses grazing peacefully, and in two more minutes they caught -them. - -"We've done the work and with ten minutes to spare," said Bill -Breakstone, triumphantly, "and now, Phil, another wonderful change in -our fortunes has come. If a camel is the ship of the desert, then a -horse is the boat of the plains, the long boat, the jolly boat, the row -boat, and all the rest of them. Now for the wagon train!" - -"Now for the wagon train!" repeated Phil. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - - NEW ENEMIES - - -The two were in splendid spirits. They had escaped great dangers, and -they were on horseback once more. It is true, they were somewhat short -on armament, but Breakstone took Phil's pistol, while the latter kept -the rifle, and they were confident that they could find game enough on -the plains until they overtook the wagon train. The horses themselves -seemed glad of the companionship of their old masters, and went forward -readily and at an easy pace through the woods. They soon found the path -by which they had come, and followed it until they crossed the river and -reached the site of the camp. But the trail toward the plain lay before -them broad and easy. - -"They can't have gone long," said Breakstone. "They may have thought -that we were merely loitering behind for some purpose of our own and -would soon overtake them. A whole train isn't going to linger about for -two fellows well mounted and well armed who are supposed to know how to -take care of themselves. But, Sir Philip of the Youthful Countenance, I -don't think that Middleton and Arenberg would go ahead without us." - -"Neither do I," said Phil with emphasis. "I as good as know that -they're looking for us in these woods, and we've got to stay behind and -find them, taking the risk of Comanches." - -"Wherein I do heartily agree with you, and I'm going to take a chance -right now. It is likely that the two, after fruitless searches for us, -would return here at intervals, and, in a region like this, the sound of -a shot will travel far. Fire the rifle, Phil, and it may bring them. -It's often used as a signal. If it brings the Comanches instead, we're -on our horses, and they're strong and swift." - -Phil fired a shot, but there was no response. He waited half an hour -and fired a second time, with the same result. After another half hour, -the third shot was fired, and, four or five minutes later, Breakstone -announced that he heard the tread of hoofs. It was a faint, distant -sound, but Phil, too, heard it, and he was confident that it was made by -hoofs. The two looked at each other, and each read the question in the -other's eye. Who were coming in reply to the call of that third rifle -shot, red men or white? - -"We'll just draw back a little behind this clump of bushes," said -Breakstone. "We can see a long way through their tops, and not be seen -until the riders come very close. Then, if the visitors to this Forest -of Arden of ours, Sir Philip, are not those whom we wish to see, it's up -and away with us." - -They waited in strained eagerness. The sounds grew louder. It was -certain, moreover, that the riders were coming straight toward the point -at which the rifle had been fired. - -"Judging from the hoof beats, how many would you say they are?" asked -Phil. - -"Not many. Maybe three or four, certainly not more. But I'm hoping that -it's two, neither more nor less." - -On came the horsemen, the hoofbeats steadily growing louder. Phil rose -in his stirrups and gained a further view. He saw the top of a soft hat -and then the top of another. In a half minute the faces beneath came -into view. He knew them both, and he uttered a cry of joy. - -"Middleton and Arenberg!" he exclaimed. "Here they come!" - -"Our luck still holds good," said Bill Breakstone. He and Phil galloped -from behind the bushes and shouted as warm a welcome as men ever had. -They received one equally warm in return, as Middleton and the German -urged their horses forward. Then there was a mighty shaking of hands -and mutual congratulations. - -"The train left yesterday morning," said Middleton, "but we couldn't -give you up. We scouted all the way across the forest and saw the -Comanches on the other side. There was nothing to indicate anything -unusual among them, such as a sacrifice of prisoners, and we hoped that -if you had been taken by them you had escaped, and we came back here to -see, knowing that if you were able you would return to this place. We -were right in one part of our guess, because here you are." - -"And mighty glad we are to be here," said Bill Breakstone, "and I want -to say to you that I, Bill Breakstone, who may not be of so much -importance to the world, but who is of vast importance to himself, would -not be here at all, or anywhere else, for that matter, if it were not -for this valiant and skillful youth, Sir Philip Bedford, Knight of the -Texas plains." - -"Stop, Bill," exclaimed Phil blushing. "Don't talk that way." - -"Talk that way! Of course I will! And I'll pile it up, too! And after -I pile it up and keep on piling it up, it won't be the whole truth. -Cap, and you, Hans, old fellow, Phil and I were not taken together, -because Phil was never taken at all. It was I alone who sat still, shut -my eyes, and closed my ears while I let three of the ugliest Comanche -warriors that were ever born walk up, lay violent hands on me, harness -me up in all sorts of thongs and withes, and carry me off to their -village, where they would have had some red sport with me if Phil hadn't -come, when they were all mad with a great dance, and taken me away." - -Then he told the story in detail, and Phil, shy and blushing, was -compelled to receive their compliments, which were many and sincere. -But he insisted that he merely succeeded through good luck, which Bill -Breakstone warmly denied. - -"Well, between the two of you, you have certainly got out of it well," -said Middleton, "and, as we are reunited, we must plan for the next -step. We can easily overtake the train by to-morrow, but I'm of the -opinion that we'll have to be very careful, and that we must do some -scouting, also. Arenberg and I have discovered that the Comanche -warriors are on the move again. Their whole force of warriors seemed to -be getting ready to leave the village, and they may be planning, after -all, a second attack upon the train, a night surprise, or something of -that kind. We, too, will have to be careful lest we run into them." - -"Then it maybe for the good of the train that we were left back here," -said Phil, "because we will return with a warning." - -"It may be the hand of Providence," said Arenberg, "since the Comanches -did no harm where much was intended." - -As both Middleton and Arenberg were firmly convinced that the plain -would be thick with Comanche scouts, making their passage by daylight -impossible, or at least extremely hazardous, they decided to remain in -the woods until nightfall. They rode a couple of miles from the camp, -tethered their horses in thick bushes, and, sitting near them, waited -placidly. Phil Breakstone, and Arenberg talked in low tones, but -Middleton sat silent. Phil noticed presently that "The Cap" was -preoccupied. Little lines of thought ran down from his eyes to the -corners of his nose. - -Phil began to wonder again about the nature of Middleton's mission. -Every one of the four was engaged upon some great quest, and none of -them knew the secret of any of the others. Nor, in the rush of events, -had they been left much time to think about such matters. - -Now Phil again studied Middleton more closely. There was something in -the unaccustomed lines of his face and his thoughtful eye indicating a -belief that for him, at least, the object of the quest might be drawing -nigh. At least, it seemed so to the boy. He studied, too, Middleton's -clean cut face, and the sharp line of his strong chin. Phil had noticed -before that this man was uncommonly neat in his personal appearance. It -was a neatness altogether beyond what one usually saw on the plains. -His clothing was always clean and in order, he carried a razor, and he -shaved every day. Nor did he ever walk with a slovenly, lounging gait. - -Phil decided that something very uncommon must have sent him with the -Santa Fé train, but he would not ask; he had far too much delicacy to -pry into the secret of another, who did not pry into his own. - -Middleton and Arenberg had ample food in their saddlebags and Phil and -Breakstone combined with it their stock of deer meat. Nothing disturbed -them in the thicket, and at nightfall they mounted and rode out into the -plain. - -"I know something about this country before us," said Breakstone. "It -runs on in rolling swells for a march of many days, without any streams -except shallow creeks, and without any timber except the fringes of -cottonwoods along these creeks." - -"And I know which way to go in order to overtake the train," said -Middleton. "Woodfall said that they would head straight west, and we -are certainly good enough plainsmen to keep our noses pointed that way." - -"We are, we surely are," said Bill Breakstone, "but we must keep a good -watch for those Comanche scouts. They hide behind the swells on their -ponies, and they blend so well with the dusky earth that you'd never -notice 'em until they had passed the signal on to others that you were -coming and that it was a good time to form an ambush." - -There was a fair sky, with a moon and some clear stars, and they could -see several hundred yards, but beyond that the whole horizon fused into -a dusky wall. They rode at a long, swinging pace, and the hoofs of their -horses made little noise on the new spring turf. The wind of the -plains, which seldom ceases, blew gently in their faces and brought with -it a soft crooning sound. Its note was very pleasant in the ears of -Philip Bedford. In the saddle and with his best friends again, he felt -that he could defy anything. He felt, too, and perhaps the feeling was -due to his physical well-being and recovered safety, that he, also, was -coming nearer to the object of his quest. Involuntarily he put his left -hand on his coat, where the paper which he had read so often lay -securely in a little inside pocket. He knew every word of it by heart, -but when the time came, and he was alone, he would take it out and read -it again. It was this paper that was always calling to him. - -They rode on, crossing swell after swell, and, after the first hour, the -four did not talk. It was likely that every one was thinking of his own -secret. - -They came about midnight to a prairie creek, a stream of water two or -three yards wide and a few inches deep, flowing in a bed of sand perhaps -fifteen yards across. A thin fringe of low cottonwoods and some willows -grew on either shore. They approached warily, knowing that such a place -offered a good ambush, and realizing that four would not have much -chance against a large Comanche war band. - -"But I don't think there is much danger," said Bill Breakstone. "If the -Comanches are up to mischief again, they're not looking for stray -parties; their mind is on the train, and, by the way, the train has -passed along here. Look down, and in this moonlight you can see plainly -enough the tracks of a hundred wheels." - -"The horses are confident," said Middleton, "and I think we can be so, -too." - -The horses were advancing without hesitation, and it soon became evident -that nothing was concealed among the scanty lines of trees and bushes. - -"Look out for quicksands," said Arenberg. "It iss not pleasant to be -swallowed up in one of them and feel that you have died such a useless -death." - -"There is no danger," said Phil, whose quick eye was following the trail -of the wagons. "Here is where the train crossed, and if the wagons -didn't sink we won't." - -The water being cold and entirely free from alkali, the horses drank -eagerly, and their riders, also, took the chance to refill their -canteens, which they always carried strapped to their saddle bows. They -also rested awhile, but, when they remounted and rode on, Middleton -noticed a light to the northward. On the plains then, no man would pass -a light without giving it particular attention, and the four sat on -their horses for some minutes studying it closely. They thought at -first that it might be a signal light of the Comanches, but, as it did -not waver, they concluded that it must be a camp fire. - -"Now I'm thinking," said Bill Breakstone, "that we oughtn't to leave a -camp fire burning away here on the plains, and we not knowing anything -about it. It won't take us long to ride up and inspect it." - -"That is a truth," said Middleton. "It is not a difficult matter for -four horsemen to overtake a wagon train, but we'll first see what that -fire means." - -"It iss our duty to do so," said the phlegmatic German. - -They rode straight toward the light, and their belief that it was a camp -fire was soon confirmed. They saw the red blaze rising and quivering, -and then dusky figures passing and repassing before it. - -"We're yet too far away to tell exactly what those figures are," said -Bill Breakstone, "but I don't see any sign of long hair or war bonnets, -and so I take it that they are not Comanches, nor any other kind of -Indians, for that matter. No warriors would build so careless a fire or -wander so carelessly about it. - -"They are white men," said Middleton with conviction, as he increased -his horse's pace. "Ah, I see now! Mexicans! Look at the shadows of -their great conical hats as they pass before the fire." - -"Now I wonder what they're doing here on Texas soil," said Bill -Breakstone. - -Middleton did not answer, but Phil noticed that the look in his eyes was -singularly tense and eager. As they drew near the fire, which was a -large one, and the hoof-beats of their horses were heard, two men in -Mexican. dress, tall conical broad-brimmed hats, embroidered coats and -trousers and riding boots, bearing great spurs, came forward to meet -them. Phil saw another figure, which had been lying on a blanket by the -fire, rise and stand at attention. He instantly perceived, even then, -something familiar in the figure. - -The four rode boldly forward, and Middleton called out: - -"We are friends!" - -The two Mexicans who were in advance, rifle in hand, stood irresolutely, -and glanced at the man behind them, who had just risen from his blanket. - -"You are welcome," said this man in good English but with a strong -Mexican accent. "We are glad for anybody to share with us our camp fire -in this wilderness. Dismount, Seńores." - -Then Phil knew him well. It was Pedro de Armijo, the young Mexican whom -he had seen with the Mexican envoy, Zucorra, in New Orleans, one whom he -had instinctively disliked, one whom he was exceedingly astonished to -see at such a time and place. Middleton also recognized him, because he -raised his cap and said politely: - -"This is a pleasant meeting. You are Captain Pedro de Armijo, who came -to our capital with His Excellency Don Augustin Xavier Hernando Zucorra -on a mission, intended to be of benefit to both our countries. My name -is Middleton, George Middleton, and these are my friends, Mr. -Breakstone, Mr. Arenberg, and Mr. Bedford." - -De Armijo gave every one in turn a quick scrutinizing look, and, with -flowing compliment, bade them welcome to his fireside. It seemed that -he did not remember Middleton, but that he took for granted their former -meeting in Washington. Phil liked him none the more because of the -polite words he used. He was not one to hold prejudice because of race, -but this Mexican had a manner supercilious and conceited that inspired -resentment. - -"It seems strange, Seńor Middleton," said de Armijo, "that we should -meet again in such a place on these vast plains, so far from a house or -any other human beings, plains that were once Mexican, but which you now -call yours." - -De Armijo glided over the last words smoothly, but the blood leaped in -Phil's temples. Middleton apparently took no notice, but said that he -and his comrades were riding across the plains mainly on an exploring -expedition. As there was some danger from Comanches, they were -traveling partly by night, and, having seen the camp fire, they had come -to investigate it, after the custom of the wilderness. - -"And, now that you have found us," said de Armijo with elaborate -courtesy, "I have reason to believe that you would run into Comanche -horsemen a little farther on. They would not harm us Mexicans, with -whom they are at peace, but for you Americans they would have little -mercy. Stay with us for the remainder of the night." - -He smiled, showing his white teeth, and Middleton smiled back as he -replied: - -"Your courtesy is appreciated, Captain de Armijo. We shall stay. It is -pleasant, too, to welcome a gallant Mexican officer like yourself to -American soil." - -The eyes of de Armijo snapped in the firelight, and the white teeth were -bared again. Phil knew that he resented the expression "American soil." -Mexico still maintained a claim to Texas--which it could not make -good--and he felt equally confident that Middleton had used it -purposely. It seemed to him that some sort of duel was in progress -between the two, and he watched it with overwhelming curiosity. But de -Armijo quickly returned to his polite manner. - -"You speak the truth," he said. "It is I who am your guest, not you who -are mine. It was Mexican soil once, and before that Spanish--three -centuries under our race--but now gone, I suppose, forever." - -Middleton did not reply, but approached the fire and warmed his hands -over the blaze. The night was cold and the flames looked cheerful. The -others tethered their horses, and all except the two who had met the -Americans took their places by the fire. The Mexicans were six in -number. Only de Armijo seemed to be a man of any distinction. The -others, although stalwart and well armed, were evidently of the peon -class. Phil wondered what this little party was doing here, and the -conviction grew upon him that the meeting had something to do with -Middleton's mission. - -"I am sorry," said de Armijo, "that we do not even have a tent to offer -you, but doubtless you are accustomed to sleeping under the open sky, -and the air of these plains is dry and healthy." - -"A blanket and a few coals to warm one's feet are sufficient," said -Middleton. "We will avail ourselves of your courtesy and not keep you -awake any longer." - -Both Breakstone and Arenberg glanced at Middleton, but they said -nothing, wrapping themselves in their blankets, and lying down, with -their feet to the fire. Phil did the same, but he thought it a strange -proceeding, this apparently unguarded camping with Mexicans, who at the -best were not friends, with the possibility of Comanches who were, at -all times, the bitterest and most dangerous of enemies. Yet Middleton -must have some good reason, he was not a man to do anything rash or -foolish, and Phil awaited the issue with confidence. - -Phil could not sleep. The meeting had stirred him too much, and his -nerves would not relax. He lay before the fire, his feet within a yard -of the coals, and his head in the crook of his arm. Now and then he -heard a horse move or stamp his hoofs, but all the men were silent. De -Armijo, lying on a blanket and with a fine blue cavalry cloak spread -over him, seemed to be asleep, but as he was on the other side of the -fire Phil could not see his eyes. Middleton was nearer, and he saw his -chest rising and falling with the regularity of one who sleeps. - -It all seemed very peaceful, very restful. Perhaps de Armijo's -hospitality was real, and he had wronged him with his suspicions. But -reason with himself as he would, Phil could not overcome his dislike and -distrust. Something was wrong, and something was going to happen, yet -much time passed and nothing happened. De Armijo's eyes were still -shaded by his cloak, but his long figure lay motionless. Only a few -live coals remained from the fire, and beyond a radius of twenty feet -lay the encircling rim of the darkness. At the line where light and -dark met, crouched the two peons with their rifles across their knees. -It was Phil's opinion that they, too, slept in this sitting posture. -Surely de Armijo and his men had great confidence in their security, and -must be on the best of terms with the Comanches! If so, it might -increase the safety of the little American party, also, but the boy yet -wondered why Middleton had stopped when they were all so eager to reach -the wagon train and warn it of the new danger. - -Phil stirred once or twice, but only to ease his position, and he did it -without noise. His eyes were shaded by the brim of his soft hat, but he -watched the circle about the fire, and most of all he watched de Armijo. -An interminable period of time passed, every second growing to ten times -its proper length. Phil was as wakeful as ever, but so much watching -made the figures about the fire dim and uncertain. They seemed to shift -their places, but the boy was still resolved to keep awake, although -everybody else slept through the night. His premonition was yet with -him, his heart expanded, and his pulse beat faster. - -The remaining coals died one by one. The circle of light, already -small, contracted still more, became a point, and then vanished. -Everything now lay in the dark, and the figures were merely blacker -shapes against the blackness. Then, after that long waiting, with every -second and minute drawn out tenfold, Phil's premonition came true. -Something happened. - -De Armijo moved. He moved ever so slightly, but Phil saw him, and, -lying perfectly still himself, he watched him with an absorbed -attention, and a heart that had increased its beating still further. De -Armijo's body itself had not moved, it was merely one hand that had come -slowly from under the covering of the cloak, and that now lay white -against the blue cloth. A man might move his hand thus in sleep, but it -seemed to Phil that the action was guided by a conscious mind. Intent, -he watched, and presently his reward came. The other hand also slid -from beneath the cloak, and, like its fellow, lay white against the blue -cloth. Now both hands were still, but Phil yet waited, confident that -more would come. It was all very quiet and slow, like the craft and -cunning of the Indian, but Phil was willing to match it with a patience -and craft of his own. - -At last the whole figure of de Armijo stirred. Phil saw the blue cloak -tremble slightly. Then the man raised his head ever so little and -looked about the dark circle. Slowly he let the head fall back, and the -figure became still again. But the boy was not deceived. Already every -suspicion had been verified in his mind, and his premonition was proved -absolutely true. - -Pedro de Armijo raised himself again, but a little higher this time, and -he did not let his head and body drop back. He looked about the circle -with a gaze that Phil knew must be sharp and scrutinizing, although it -was too dark for him to see the expression of his eyes. The Mexican -seemed satisfied with his second examination, and then, dropping softly -on his hands and knees, he crept toward Middleton. It occurred to Phil -afterward that this approach toward Middleton did not surprise him. In -reality, it was just what he had expected de Armijo to do. - -The boy was uncertain about his own course, and, like one under a spell, -he waited. The dusky figure of de Armijo creeping toward Middleton had -a sinuous motion like that of a great snake, and Phil's hand slipped -down to the hammer of his rifle, but he would not fire. He noticed that -de Armijo had drawn no weapon, and he did not believe that murder was -his intention. - -Middleton did not move. He lay easily upon his right side, and Phil -judged that he was in a sound sleep. De Armijo, absorbed in his task, -did not look back. Hence he did not see the boy who rose slowly to a -sitting posture, a ready rifle in his hands. - -Phil saw de Armijo reach Middleton's side and pause there a moment or -two. He still drew no weapon, and this was further proof that murder -was not in the Mexican's mind, but Phil believed that whatever lay -between these two was now at the edge of the crisis. He saw de Armijo -raise his hand and put it to Middleton's breast with the evident -intention of opening his coat. So he was a thief! But the fingers -stopped there as Phil leveled his rifle and called sharply: - -"Hands up, de Armijo, or I shoot!" - -The startled Mexican would have thrown up his hands, but he did not have -time. They were seized in the powerful grasp of Middleton, and he was -pulled downward upon his face. - -"Ah, would you, de Armijo!" cried Middleton in exultant tones. "We have -caught you! Good boy, Phil, you were watching, too!" - -"All the others were up in an instant, but Breakstone and Arenberg were -too quick for the Mexicans. They covered them with their rifle muzzles -before their antagonists could raise their weapons. - -"Throw down every gun and pistol!" said Breakstone sternly. "There, by -the log, and we'll see what's going forward!" - -Sullenly the Mexicans complied, and then stood in a little huddled -group, looking at their fallen leader, whom Middleton still held upon -the ground, but who was pouring out muffled oaths from a face that was -in the dirt. - -"Take his pistols, Phil," said Middleton, and the boy promptly removed -them. Then Middleton released him, and de Armijo sat up, his face black -as night, his heart raging with anger, hate, and humiliation. - -"How dare you attack me in my own camp! You whom we received as -guests!" he cried. - -"We did not attack you," replied Middleton calmly. He had risen to his -feet, and he towered over the Mexican like an accusing judge. "It is -you who attacked us, or me, rather, and you intended, if you did not get -what you wanted with smooth fingers, to use violence. You cannot deny -that, Captain Pedro de Armijo of the Mexican army; there were at least -two witnesses of your act, Philip Bedford and myself." - -De Armijo looked down at the ground, and seemed to commune with himself -for a few moments. Then he stood at his full height, brushed the traces -of dirt from his clothes, and gave Middleton a look of uncompromising -defiance and hostility. All at once it struck Phil that this was a man -of ability and energy, one who could be a bitter and dangerous enemy. - -"You are right in part, Captain Middleton," said de Armijo slowly. "I -was seeking to take the maps, letters, and instructions that you carry -inside your tunic, next, perhaps, to your very flesh. They would be -valuable possessions to us, and it was my duty, as a captain in the -Mexican army, to take them if I could, from you, a captain in the -American army." - -Phil started and looked anew at Middleton. A captain in the American -army! This was why he had walked with that upright carriage! This was -why he had been so particular about his personal appearance! He began -to see a little way. - -"We, too, have our channels of information," said de Armijo, "and I knew -that you had embarked upon a mission in the West to learn our movements -and forces upon the border, and our temper and disposition with regard -to great matters that are agitating both Mexico and America." - -"It is true, all that you say," replied Middleton tranquilly. "I am -Captain George Middleton of the American regular troops, and, at the -request of our War Department, I undertook the hazardous mission of -which you speak." - -"You will go no farther with it," said de Armijo. - -"How can you keep me from it?" - -"I cannot--perhaps, but events can--events have. You do not know, but I -do, Captain Middleton, that there is war between your country and mine." - -"Ah!" exclaimed Middleton, and, despite the darkness, Phil saw a sudden -flush spring into his face. - -"It is not only war," continued de Armijo, "but there has been a heavy -battle, two of them, in fact. Your troops met ours at Palo Alto on May -eighth, and again on the following day at Resaca de la Palma." - -"Ah!" exclaimed Middleton again, the exclamation being drawn up from the -very depths of his being, while the flush on his face deepened. "And -you know, I suppose, which won?" - -It was a peculiar coincidence that the moon's rays made their way at -that moment through clouds, and a bright beam fell on the face of Pedro -de Armijo. Phil saw the Mexican's face fall a little, despite all his -efforts at self-control. De Armijo himself felt this change in his -countenance, and, knowing what it indicated to the man who asked the -question, he replied without evasion: - -"I regret to say that the fortunes of war were against the deserving. -Our brave general, Ampudia, and our gallant troops were compelled to -retire before your general, Taylor. At least, so say my hasty advices; -perhaps they are wrong." - -But Phil could see that de Armijo had no such hope. The news was -correct, and the boy's heart thrilled with joy because the first -victories had fallen to his own people. - -"I would not have told you this," continued de Armijo, "had you not -caught me in an attempt to take your papers. Had it been peace, 'steal' -would have been the word, but since it is war 'steal' turns to -enterprise and zeal. Had I not believed you ignorant that the war has -begun, and that I might make more profit out of you in our hands than as -a fugitive, or at least as one who might have escaped, I should have -opened fire upon you as you approached. Perhaps I made a mistake." - -"All of us do at times," said Middleton thoughtfully. - -"Well spoken," said de Armijo. He lighted a cigarette and took a few -easy puffs. - -"Well, Captain Middleton," he said at length, "the problem is now yours, -not ours. You have taken it out of our hands. What are you going to do -with us?" - -"It seems to me," said Captain Middleton, "that this problem, like most -others, admits of only one solution. You are our prisoners, but we -cannot hold you. Our own situation prevents it. We could kill you, but -God forbid a single thought of such a crime. We will take your arms and -let you go. You will not suffer without your arms, as your Comanche -friends are near, a fact which you know very well." - -"We accept your terms," said de Armijo, "since we must, and with your -permission we will mount our horses and ride away. But it is to be -understood, Captain Middleton, and you, young Mr. Bedford, and the rest -of you, that we part as enemies and not as friends." - -"As you will," said Middleton. "I recognize the fact that you have no -cause to love us, and perhaps the sooner we both depart from this spot -the better it will be for all." - -"But we may meet again on the battlefield; is it not so?" said de -Armijo. - -"That, I cannot tell," replied Middleton, "but it is not unlikely." - -Breakstone and Arenberg still stood by the captured arms, but, without -casting a glance at either the arms or their guardians, de Armijo -signaled to his men, and they mounted and rode away. - -"Adios!" he called back in Spanish, although he did not turn his face. - -"Adios!" said Middleton in the same tone. - -They did not move or speak until they heard the hoof-beats die away, and -then it was Bill Breakstone who first broke the silence. - -"That certainly came out well," he said. "The curtain came down on a -finer finish than the first act indicated. I confess that I didn't know -your plan, Captain--I don't call you Cap any more--but I trusted you, -and I confess, also, that I fell asleep. It was you and Sir Philip of -the Active Mind and the Watchful Eye who did most of the work. - - "It was in Tex. - We met the Mex. - They spoke so high, - But now they cry. - -Or, at least, they ought to cry when they think how we turned the tables -on them. Now, Captain, I suppose we must be up and doing, for those -fellows, as you said, will go straight to the Comanches, and if we -linger here our scalps will be of less value to ourselves than to -anybody else." - -"It is quite true," said Captain Middleton. "We must reach the train as -soon as possible, because the danger to it has increased with our own. -But even more important than that is the great change that must be made. -Woodfall cannot go on now, since the whole Southwest will be swept by -bands of Mexican and Indian horsemen." - -"What must the train do?" asked Phil in anxiety, because this concerned -him very nearly. - -"It must turn south and join the American army on the Rio Grande. Most -of the things that it carries will be of value to our troops, and -Woodfall will clear as much profit there as at Santa Fé, which is now a -city in arms against us. In this case the path of comparative safety -and honor is also the path of profit. What more could Woodfall ask?" - -"He's a brave man, and brave men are with him," said Bill Breakstone. -"You won't have to ask him twice." - -Phil's heart had throbbed with joy at Middleton's answer. His quest was -always in his mind. He had feared that they might turn back, but now it -suited him as well to join the American army as to go on toward Santa -Fé. The quest was a wide one. But Arenberg suppressed a sigh. - -"Let's be starting," said Middleton. "We'll take their arms with us. -They're of value, and Bill, moreover, is without a rifle or musket." - -Breakstone, who had been examining the weapons, uttered a cry of joy. - -"Here is a fine rifle," he said, "one of the best American make. I -wonder how that Mexican got it! The rest are not so good." - -"Take the fine one, Bill," said Middleton, "and we will pack up the rest -and ride." - -They were out of the woods in a few minutes, and again rode rapidly -toward the west. It was an easy task to pick up the great wagon trail -again, even in the dark of the night, as the grass and soil were trodden -or pressed down over a width of fully two hundred yards. The country -rolled lightly. Bill Breakstone thought that a range of hills lay -toward the north, but in the night they could not see. - -"I hope that we'll overtake Woodfall before day," said Middleton, -"because I've an idea that de Armijo and the little band with him are -not the only Mexicans hereabouts. He would not come so far North -without a considerable force, and I suspect that it is his intention to -capture our train, with the aid of the Comanches." - -"We can beat them off," said Breakstone confidently. - -"If our people are warned in time," said Middleton. - -"Much harm iss meant," said Arenberg, speaking for the first time, "but -we may keep much from being done. Our most dangerous enemies before the -daylight comes are the Comanches. They have already learned from de -Armijo that we are here, and it iss like as not that they are now -between us and the train." - -Middleton looked at his watch, holding it in the moon's rays. - -"It is two hours until day," he said, "and the trail is rapidly growing -fresher. We may yet get through before the ring closes. Ah, there they -are now!" - -A hand's breadth of fire suddenly leaped up in the north, and burned -there like a steady torch. Far in the east, another but fainter -appeared and burned, and a third leaped up in the south. But when they -looked back in the west they saw none. - -"Fortune rides on our cruppers so far," said Middleton. "We are on the -side of the circle which yet has the open segment. Push on, my boys!" - -Phil's knees involuntarily pressed against the side of his horse, and -that strange sensation, like icy water running down the spine, came -again. Those three lights speaking to one another in the darkness and -across great distances were full of mystery and awe. But he rode -without speech, and he looked most of the time at the lights, which -remained fixed, as if what they said could not be changed. - -Middleton, who was in advance, suddenly reined in his horse, and the -others, stopping, also, noticed that just in front of them a depression -ran across the plain. - -"It's an arroyo or something like it," said Bill Breakstone, "but the -wagons have crossed it anyhow." - -They followed the trail to the other side and then saw that it continued -almost parallel with the broad gully. - -"Why shouldn't we take to the gully?" said Phil. "It has a smooth -bottom, it is wide enough for us, riding two abreast, and it will give -us shelter." - -"A good idea," said Middleton. - -They turned back into the arroyo, and found an easy road there. The -banks were several feet high, and, as the dusk still hung on the plain, -they increased their speed, counting each moment worth one man's life. -They came soon to a place where the gully was shallower than usual, and -then they saw two or three faint lights in the plain before them, -apparently about a half mile away. Middleton raised a warning hand, and -they stopped. - -"Those are the lights of the train," he said. "They undoubtedly have -scouts out, and of course they have seen the signals of the Comanches -and the Mexicans, just as we have, but they do not know as much as we -do. I think we had better go down the arroyo as far as we can, and -then, if the alarm is sounded by our enemies, gallop for it." - -"It iss our choice because there iss none other," said Arenberg. - -They continued, but more slowly, in order to make as little noise as -possible. They had covered more than half the distance when Phil saw a -faint line of gray on the horizon line in the east. The next moment -against the background of gray appeared a horseman, a man of olive skin, -clad in sombrero, bright jacket, embroidered trousers, and boots with -great spurs. He carried a weapon like a spear, and Phil knew at once -that he was a Mexican lancer, no doubt a sentinel. - -The man saw them, and, instead of attempting to use his lance, snatched -a pistol from his belt and fired point blank. The bullet passed by -Middleton's face, and, like a flash, Bill Breakstone replied with a -bullet from his rifle. The Mexican went down, but from three points of -the compass came cries, the shouts of the Mexicans and the long war -whoop of the Comanches. - -"Forward for your lives!" cried Middleton, and, dashing out of the -arroyo, they galloped at full speed toward the wagon train. - - - - - CHAPTER IX - - THE FIERY CIRCLE - - -The thin gray light in the east broadened into a bar as the hoofbeats of -the four thundered over the plain. From left to right came shouts, the -yells of the Indians and the fierce cries of the Mexicans. - -"Bend low," cried Middleton, "and we may escape their bullets!" - -Phil lay almost upon his horse's neck, but it was an unconscious act. -He was thrilling with excitement, as the four horsemen almost clove the -morning mist, and rode on swift hoofs straight toward the wagon train. -Then came the rattling of rifles and whistling of arrows from either -side. "Ping!" the bullets sang in his ear and "Ping!" the arrows sang, -also. He remembered afterward that he wished, if he were hit at all, to -be hit by a bullet instead of an arrow; an arrow sticking in one's flesh -would be very cumbersome and painful. But neither arrow nor bullet -struck true. Their ride was too sudden and swift, and the light too -faint to permit good aim to the Mexicans and Comanches. Yet Phil heard -confused sounds, shouted commands, and the noise of hurrying feet. He -saw dark faces appearing in the mist on either side, and he also saw the -outlines of wagons through the same mist in front. Then he saw men, -rifle in hand, who seemed to rise out of the plain in front of the -wagons. Two of the men raised their rifles and took aim at the -galloping horsemen. - -"We are friends, and we bring you warning!" shouted Middleton in a -tremendous voice. "Don't fire upon us!" - -But the men and three others who appeared near them pulled the trigger. -Phil did not hear the ping of the bullets, and now he realized that they -fired not at his comrades and himself but at those who pursued. A -death-cry and yells of rage came from behind them, but in another minute -they were within the line of sentinels and were springing from their -horses, ready to take their part in the combat that they expected. - -All the morning mists were driven away at that moment by the sun, as if -a veil had been lifted, and the whole plain stood out clear and distinct -under a brilliant sky. Before them were the wagons, drawn up in a -circle in the customary fashion of a camp, the horses and mules in the -center, and the men, arms in hand, forming an outer ring for the wagons. -But from the northeast and the southeast two lines were converging upon -them, and Phil's heart kindled at the sight. - -The line in the northeast was made up of red horsemen, four hundred -Comanches, naked to the waist, horribly painted, and riding knee to -knee, the redoubtable chiefs, Santana and Black Panther, at their head. -The line in the southeast was composed of Mexican cavalry, lancers -splendidly mounted, the blades of their lances and their embroidered -jackets glittering in the sun. They made their horses prance and -cavort, and many in the first rank whirled lariats in derision. - -A tall figure strolled forward and welcomed Middleton and his comrades. -It was Woodfall, his face flushed somewhat, but his manner undaunted. - -"I'm glad to welcome you back, Mr. Middleton," he said, "and with your -comrades, all of them alive and well. But what does this mean? Why do -those men ride to attack, when this is the soil of Texas?" - -He waved his hand toward the advancing Mexican column. - -"They advance against us," replied Middleton, "because this is war, war -between the United States and Mexico--we learned that last night from -one of their own officers--and there have been two heavy battles on the -Rio Grande, both victorious for us." - -It was not strange that a sudden cheer burst from the men who heard -these words. Woodfall listened to it grimly, and, when it died, he -said: - -"Then if these Mexicans attack, we'll soon have a third victory to our -credit. The Indian bow and the Mexican lance can't break through a -circle of riflemen, entrenched behind wagons--riflemen who know how to -shoot." - -Again that defiant, even exultant cheer rose from the men who heard, -and, passing on like a fire in dry grass, it rolled all around the -circle of wagons. The Mexicans heard it. They detected the defiant -note in it, and, wisely, they checked their speed. The column of Indian -warriors also came more slowly. Philip Bedford, hardened in so brief a -space to danger and war, did not feel any great fear, but the scene -thrilled him like a great picture painted in living types and colors -against the background of the earth. There were the red horsemen, the -sun deepening the tints of their coppery faces and bringing out the -glowing colors of their war bonnets. To the southeast the Mexican -column, also, was a great ribbon of light lying across the plain, the -broad blades of the lances catching the sun's rays and throwing them -back in golden beams. - -"A fine show," said Woodfall, "and if those Mexicans had two or three -cannon they might wipe us out, but they haven't, and so we're lucky." - -"I think I ought to tell you, Mr. Woodfall," said Middleton, "that I'm a -captain in the regular army, Captain Middleton, and that I've been -making use of your hospitality to find what forces the enemy had in -these parts, and what movements he was making. I was sent by our -government, and, as you see, I'm finding what I was sent to find." - -"I thought there was something military about your cut, Captain," said -Woodfall, "and it seems to me to be a good thing that you are with us. -If we've helped you without knowing, then you, knowing it, can help us -now." - -The hands of the two men met in the strong clasp of friendship and -trust. - -"They're about to move," said Middleton, who practically took command. -"I suggest that we go inside the circle of wagons now, and that at least -two-thirds of our men devote their attention to the lancers. The -Mexicans are brave; we must not forget that." - -They went inside at once, where a few men were detailed to see that the -horses and mules did not make too great a turmoil, while the rest posted -themselves for defense. The wagons were in reality a formidable barrier -for an attacking force that did not have artillery. The majority of the -Americans lay down under the wagons between the wheels. Phil was under -one of them with Bill Breakstone on one side of him and Arenberg on the -other. Middleton was elsewhere with Woodfall. - -"Much harm iss meant," said Arenberg, "and I would say to you, Philip, -although little advice iss needed by you now, not to fire too soon, and -to remember, when you take aim, to allow for the fact that they are -coming toward us at a gallop." - -"That's right," said Bill Breakstone. "Old Hans, here, knows." - -"Ach," said Arenberg, uttering a sigh, "I love peace, and I never -thought to have a part in cruel Indian and Mexican battles." - -It occurred to Phil that the sigh had no reference to the coming combat. -The German's face showed sadness, but not a trace of fear. He turned -his gaze from Arenberg and fixed it upon the Mexican column which they -were facing. He thought that he saw de Armijo in the front rank among -the officers in brilliant dress, but he was not sure. The distance was -too great. He wondered whether he would shoot at him, if he saw him -later in the charge. - -The sunlight was intensely bright, such as one sees only on great upland -plains, and the Mexican lancers with their horses stood out, like -carving, against the background of gold and blue. Phil saw the column -suddenly quiver, as if a single movement ran through all. The lances -were lifted a little higher, and their blades cast broader beams. A -flag fluttered in the front rank and unfolded in the slight wind. - -The notes of a trumpet sounded high and clear, the Mexicans uttered a -long, fierce shout, the colors shifted and changed, like water flowing -swiftly, as the column broke into a gallop and came straight toward the -wagons, the plain thundering with the beat of their hoofs. From another -part of the compass came a second cry, higher pitched, longer drawn, and -with more of the whine of the wolf in it. Phil knew that it came from -the Comanches, who were also charging, led by Black Panther and Santana, -but he did not take his eyes from the Mexicans. - -The two attacking columns began to fire scattering shots, but the -defenders of the wagons had not yet pulled a trigger, although many a -forefinger was trembling with eagerness. - -"It's pretty, but it's a waste, a dead waste," said Bill Breakstone. "I -hate to shoot at them, because I've no doubt many a brave young fellow -is out there, but we've got to let them have it. Steady, Phil, steady! -They're coming close now." - -Suddenly they heard the loud shout, "Fire!" It was Middleton who -uttered it, and everybody obeyed. A sheet of flame seemed to spurt from -the wagons, and the air was filled with singing lead. The entire head -of the Mexican column was burnt away. The ground was strewn with the -fallen. Riderless horses, some wounded and screaming with pain, -galloped here and there. The column stopped and seemed to be wavering. -Several officers, sword in hand--and now Phil was sure that he saw de -Armijo among them--were trying to urge the lancers on. All the -Americans were reloading as fast as they could, and while the Mexicans -yet wavered, they poured in a second volley. Unable to withstand it, -the lancers broke and fled, bearing the officers away with them in their -panic. - -Phil, Bill Breakstone, and Arenberg crawled from under the wagon and -stood on the outside, erect again. There they contemplated for a few -moments the wreck that they and their comrades had made. From the -Indian point of attack came the sound of retiring shots, and they knew -that the Comanches had been quickly repulsed, also. - -"It was one of the most foolish things I ever saw," said Bill -Breakstone, "to ride right into the mouths of long-barreled, well-aimed -rifles like ours. Their numbers didn't help them. What say you, Sir -Philip of the Rifle and the Wagon?" - -"It seems to me that you're right," replied the boy. "I don't think -they'll charge again, nor will the Comanches." - -"You're right, too; they've had enough." - -The Mexicans and Comanches, having gathered up their wounded, united and -remained in a dark cloud beyond rifle shot, apparently intending neither -to charge again nor to go away. But the defenders of the train were -cheerful. They had suffered no loss, being protected so well, and they -were willing enough to meet a second attack delivered in the same -fashion. But Middleton and Woodfall had hot coffee and tea served, and -then with strong field glasses they observed the enemy. - -"I believe they are in great doubt," said Middleton. "They may think -they can starve us out, but the Mexicans will not want to wait for so -long a process; it is likely that they will prefer going southward to -join their main army." - -He said these words aloud, where many could hear, but a little while -afterward he and Woodfall drew to one side and talked a long time in low -tones. Phil could tell by their faces that they were very earnest, and -he felt sure that a proposition would be made before long. He called -Breakstone's attention to them. - -"You're right," said Bill, "they'll have something to say soon, and it -will concern all of us. Ah, there comes the Cap--I mean the -Captain--now, and he's going to make a speech." - -Middleton sprang upon a wagon tongue, and, standing very quiet, looked -slowly around the circle of defenders, all of whom bent their eyes upon -him. They were a motley group, Americans mostly, but with a scattering -of a dozen European nationalities among them. The majority of them were -bareheaded, with necks and chests uncovered, and all were stained black -or brown with a mixture of perspiration, dust, and burnt gunpowder. The -majority of them were young, some but little older than Phil himself. -They looked very curiously at Middleton as he stood upon the wagon pole. -Already all knew that he was an officer in the regular army. In the -distance hung the dark fringe of Mexicans and Comanches, but, for the -moment, only the sentinels paid any attention to them. - -"Men," cried Middleton, "you have beaten off the attack of the Mexicans -and the Comanches, and you can do it again as often as they come! I -know that, and so do you!" - -He was stopped for a few seconds by a great cheer, and then he resumed: - -"We can beat them off, but the road to Santa Fé has now become -impossible. Moreover, the nation with which we are at war holds Santa -Fé, and to go there would be merely to march into prison or worse. We -can't turn back. You are not willing to go back to New Orleans, are -you?" - -"Never!" they cried in one voice. - -Middleton smiled. He was appealing deftly to the pride of these men, -and he had known the response before it came. - -"Then if we can neither go on to Santa Fé nor turn back to New Orleans," -he said, "we must either start to the north or to the south." - -He was speaking now with the greatest fervor. His face flushed deeply, -and they hung upon his words. - -"To the north lies the wilderness," he said, "stretching away for -thousands of miles to the Arctic Ocean. To the south there are plains -reaching down to a river, broad, shallow, and yellow, and somewhere -along that river armies are fighting, armies of our own people and -armies of the Mexicans with whom we are now at war. Which way shall we -go, north or south?" - -"South!" was roared forth in one tremendous voice. Again Middleton -smiled. Again he had known before it came the response that would be -spoken. - -"Then south it is," he said, "and we make for Taylor's army on the Rio -Grande. You will find there a better market for what you carry in your -wagons than you would have found at Santa Fé, and you're likely to find -something else, also, that I know you won't shirk." - -"Fighting!" roared forth that tremendous voice once more. - -"Yes, fighting," said Middleton, as he sprang down from the pole and -rejoined Woodfall. - -"That was clever talk," said Bill Breakstone, "but he knew his ground -before he sowed the seed. These are just the sort of lads who will be -glad to go south to Taylor, breaking their way through any Mexicans or -Indians who may get across their path. - - "He said north - He said south, - What's the choice? - We spoke forth, - It was south, - With one voice. - -And now, unless I'm mightily mistaken, we'll fare forth upon our -journey, as the knights of old would say. This is a good camp for -defense, but not for siege. It lacks water. You just watch, Phil, and -you'll see a wrinkle or two in plains work worth knowing." - -The men began to hitch the horses to the wagons, but they were -interrupted in the task by a horseman who rode forth from the Mexican -column, carrying a white handkerchief on the point of a lance. He was -joined by two Indian chiefs riding on either side of him. Phil -instantly recognized all three. The white man was Pedro de Armijo, and -the Indians were Black Panther and Santana. - -"They want a big talk," said Bill Breakstone. "I fear the Greeks -bearing gifts, and also a lot of other people who smile at you while -they hold daggers behind their backs, but I suppose our side will hear -what they have to say." - -Middleton and Woodfall were already mounting to ride forth, and -Middleton beckoned to Phil. - -"Come, Phil," he said. "They are three, and we should be three, also. -You can call yourself the secretary of the meeting if you like." - -Phil sprang eagerly upon his horse, proud of the privilege and the -honor, and rode forth with them. The Mexican and the two Comanches were -coming on slowly and gravely. Four hundred yards behind them, Mexicans -and Indians, all on horseback, were now gathered in a broad dark line, -sitting motionless and watching. Their three envoys sat on their horses -midway between the hostile forces, and the three Americans, meeting them -there, stopped face to face. De Armijo looked at Middleton and smiled -slightly, ironically. His bearing was proud, and was evidently meant to -be disdainful. One would have thought that he was a victor, receiving -an embassy about to sue for peace. Middleton returned his gaze -steadfastly, but his face expressed nothing. He looked once at Phil, -and the boy thought he saw something singular in the glance, as if he -impinged somehow upon the mind of the Mexican, but in a moment the look -of de Armijo passed. - -"I have come, Captain Middleton," said the young Mexican, "to save -bloodshed, if you are willing to listen to reason. You will observe -what forces have come against you. We have here a numerous body of -Mexican cavalry, the finest in the world, and we have also the flower of -the Comanche nation, the bravest of the Indian warriors. In victory, -the Mexicans are humane and merciful, but the Indian nature is -different. Excited and impassioned, it finds vent in terrible deeds. -Therefore, as you are surrounded and cannot escape, we ask you to -surrender now, and save the lives of your men." - -It was hard for Phil to restrain an exclamation at this piece of -presumption, but Middleton received it gravely. His face was still -without expression. Nevertheless, his reply was barbed. - -"Your demand seems inopportune, Lieutenant de Armijo," he replied. "You -can scarcely have forgotten, since it occurred less than an hour ago, -the defeat of both your cavalry and your Comanche allies. Perhaps we -are unduly confident, but we feel that we can do so again, as often as -needed." - -De Armijo frowned. He glanced at his Indian comrades. Phil wondered if -he had been deceiving them with promises of what the invincible Mexican -lancers could and would do. But the two savages made no response. -Their coppery faces did not move. - -"Thus, then, is your final answer, Captain Middleton," said de Armijo. - -"It is," replied Middleton. "It is not the custom for victors to -surrender. So we bid you good day, Lieutenant de Armijo." - -As he spoke, he saluted and turned his horse. Woodfall and Phil saluted -and turned with him. The Mexican returned the salute with a gloved -hand, but the Indians turned stolidly without a sign. Then the two -parties rode away in opposite directions, each to its own men. Phil -dismounted at the wagons, and was met by Breakstone and Arenberg with -eager questions. - -"What did that yellow Mex. want, Sir Philip of the Council?" asked -Breakstone. - -"As he has just given us such a severe thrashing," replied Phil, "he -demanded our immediate and unconditional surrender. He said that if we -acceded to this demand only one-tenth of us would be shot, but he made -it a special condition that a renowned scout, sharpshooter, white -warrior, and talker, one William Breakstone, be shot first and at once, -as a terrible example, in the presence of both victor and vanquished. -Immediately after him one Hans Arenberg, a very dangerous and -blood-thirsty man, was to share the same fate. If we refused this -gentle alternative, we were all to be killed, and then scalped by the -savages." - -"Of course, Sir Philip," said Bill Breakstone, "they've put a just value -on me, but I surmise that the jest doth leap from your nimble tongue. -Now the truth!" - -"De Armijo and the Indian chiefs did really demand our surrender," said -Phil. "They said we could not escape. They talked as if they were the -victors and we the beaten." - -"Now, by my troth, that is a merry jest!" exclaimed Bill Breakstone. -"When do we lay down our arms? Is it within the next five minutes, or -do we even take fifteen?" - -"You can surrender if you want to, Bill," said Phil, "but nobody else -has any notion of doing so. The rest, I think, are going to march -southward at once, Mexicans or no Mexicans, Comanches or no Comanches." - -"Well spoken," said Bill Breakstone, "and I will even help in the -march." - -A roar that might easily have been called a shout of defiance came from -the men of the train, when the story of the council was told. Then, -with increased zeal, they fell to the work of girding up for the march -and battle. The insolent demand of de Armijo added new fire to their -courage. Cheerful voices arose, the rattle of bridle-bits, the -occasional neigh of a horse, men singing snatches of song, generally -lines from sentimental ballads, and the clink of bullets as they were -counted and dropped into their pouches. Some of these sounds were of -war, but Phil found the whole effect buoyant and encouraging. He caught -the spirit, and whistled a lilting air as he, too, worked by the side of -Bill Breakstone. - -The boy soon saw the plan. Gradually the circle of wagons formed itself -into two parallel lines, the noses of the horses or mules almost -touching the rear of the wagon in front of them. Outside and on either -side, but close to the wagons, rode the armed horsemen, two formidable -lines, who, if hard pressed, could take refuge and shelter between the -parallel rows of wagons. Moreover, the wagons handled by such cool and -skillful men could be turned in a crisis, and even under fire, into a -circle again, with the animals in the center. Phil understood the -arrangement thoroughly, admired it tremendously, and was sure that the -master mind of Middleton had directed everything. He glanced at the -Mexicans and Comanches. They were still hovering in a great dark mass -about a thousand yards away, and Phil knew that they were watching every -movement of the Americans with the most intense curiosity. - -Middleton and Woodfall rode to the head of the train. The loud command: -"March!" was given. Every driver cracked his whip at the same time, the -whole making a report like the sudden crash of many rifles, and the -train began to move slowly across the plain, every armed man on either -side holding his finger on the trigger of his rifle. - -Phil was just behind Bill Breakstone, and both of them looked back at -the enemy. Phil wondered what the Mexicans and Comanches would do, but -he did not believe they would allow the train to depart unmolested, -despite the fact that their face had already been well burned. He saw -the hostile columns advance at about an even pace with the train, but he -judged that there was uncertainty in their ranks. The Americans bore a -certain resemblance to a modern armored train, and such men as de -Armijo, Black Panther, and Santana were wary, despite their great excess -of numbers. - -The train moved forward at a slow but steady pace, but now its head was -turned almost due south instead of west. Before them rolled the plains -as usual, green with a grass not yet dried by the summer suns. Here and -there appeared strange flowering shrubs, peculiar to the Texas uplands, -but no trees broke the view. The plains rolled away until they died -under the horizon of reddish gold that seemed an interminable distance -away. There was little sound now but that of the turning wheels, the -creaking of the axles, and the hoofbeats of many scores of horses and -mules. The men were almost completely silent, and this silence, in -itself, was strange, because the very atmosphere was impregnated with -war. At any moment they might be in deadly conflict; yet they rode on, -saying nothing. - -Behind them came the Mexicans and Comanches in a double column, -preserving the same distance of about a thousand yards, they, too, -riding in silence, save for their hoofbeats. The dead evidently had -been left as they fell or put in hasty graves, while the wounded were -carried on horses in the rear. Phil looked back again and again at this -singular pursuit, which, for the present, seemed no pursuit at all--at -least, not hostile. It reminded him of the silent but tenacious manner -in which wolves followed a great deer. While fearing his antlers and -sharp hoofs, they would hang on and hang on, and in the end would drag -down the quarry. Would that be the fate of the train? - -"It's pretty good country for traveling," said Bill Breakstone cheerily, -"and I don't see that anything is interrupting us. Except that we pass -over one swell after another, the road is smooth and easy. What fine -grassy plains these are, Phil, and look! yonder are antelopes grazing to -the north of us. They've raised their heads to see, if they can, what -we are, and what is that crowd behind us. They're just eaten up with -curiosity." - -Phil saw the herd of antelope come nearer. They were on a swell, in -black silhouette against a red sun, and they were exaggerated to three -or four times their real size. Phil was something of a philosopher, and -he reflected that they were safe in the presence of so many men, because -the men were not seeking game, but one another. The train moved on, and -the herd of antelope dropped behind and out of sight. Still there was -no demonstration from the enemy, who yet came on, in two columns, at the -same distance of about a thousand yards, the sunlight gleaming on the -lances of both Mexicans and Comanches. It began to seem to Phil as if -they would always continue thus. Nevertheless, it was hard on the -nerves, this incessant watching, as if one were guarding against a beast -that might spring at any moment. Moreover, their force looked so large. -But Phil glanced at the long-barreled rifles that the men of the train -carried. They had proved far more than a match for muskets and lances. - -"Will they attack us?" he asked Arenberg. - -"Much harm iss meant," replied the German, "but they will not seek to do -it until they think they see a chance. It iss time only that will -tell." - -The extraordinary march lasted all day. Neither side committed a single -hostile act, and the silence, so far as the men were concerned, was -unbroken. The distance of about a thousand yards was preserved, but the -Mexicans and Comanches were still there, and it seemed that they did not -intend to be shaken off. About sunset they came to one of the shallow -prairie streams, this time a mere brook, but with plenty of water for -their animals. - -"Here we camp," said Bill Breakstone, and almost as he spoke Middleton -gave the word. One line of wagons went forward, the other stopped, the -two ends joined, and then they swung around in a circle, with the stream -flowing down the center of the enclosure. It was all done with so much -celerity and so little trouble that the Mexicans and Comanches seemed to -be taken by surprise. A few of them rode nearer, and some of the -Comanches fired arrows, but they fell far short, and the Americans paid -no attention to them. - -"We'll take a bite and a drink, Phil," said Bill Breakstone, "a bite of -cold meat and a drink of cold water." - -"It iss good," said Arenberg. "That iss what we will do." - -They had no fuel with which to light fires, but there were lanterns -carrying candles in the train, and these were hung on the sides of the -wagons facing the inner ring, casting a pleasant light on the men as -they passed. But Phil and his two comrades, food in hand, went outside. - -"Hope it won't come on too dark," said Breakstone. "A thick night is -what we've got to dread. If our friends out there mean to do anything, -they'll try it to-night, or I'm mightily fooled." - -In the east, where the enemy hung, the twilight had come already and now -both Mexicans and Comanches were blurring with the darkness. A lance -blade or two gave back a last flash of fire from the setting sun, but in -a few more instants the rays ceased to reach them, and they sank into -the night of the eastern plain. - -"Feels damp, and that's bad," said Bill Breakstone. "Clouds mean a thick -night, and a thick night means a lot of stalking and sniping by those -rascals out there. Well, well, lay on, Macduff, and it won't be we who -will first cry, 'Hold, enough!'" - -The twilight soon deepened into dark, the wind rose a little, and, as -Breakstone had feared, it brought with it shifts of rain, light showers -only, but cold and very unpleasant. Only a few of the most hardened -slept. All the others kept vigilant watch about the wagons. Phil, -Breakstone, and Arenberg remained together, and nothing happened until -nearly midnight. Then the mixed force of the enemy, creeping near, -opened fire from every side, but the American sharpshooters lying down -on the ground replied, firing at the flashes. This combat lasted nearly -half an hour, and it was more spectacular than dangerous to the -defenders. - -"This is drawn out rather long and produces nothing, Sir Philip of the -Midnight, the Wilderness, and the Rain," said Bill Breakstone, "and with -our long range rifles we have the advantage. They're merely wasting -good lead. Ah, I think I must have got that fellow! I hope it was one -of those sneaking Comanches, and, if so, he deserves it for keeping me -here on the ground in the rain, when I ought to be snoozing comfortably -in a wagon." - -He had fired at a flash about a hundred yards away, and his own fire -drew shots from different points. Phil heard bullets whistling over his -head, but, as they were hugging the earth very closely, he did not feel -any great alarm over such blind shooting. - -The firing increased a little presently, and now its effect upon the boy -was wholly spectacular. He watched for the points of flame as one would -for fireworks. Sometimes the flashes looked blue, sometimes yellow, and -sometimes red. At other times they showed variations and new -combinations of all three colors. - -"Since one has to watch, it's rather pretty, and it breaks the -monotony," said Bill Breakstone. "Now, I think our little display of -fireworks is ceasing." - -Bill was a good prophet, because the firing quickly sank to a few -scattered shots, and then to nothing. After that, they lay in the -darkness and silence for a long time. Phil was wet and cold, and he -longed for a warm blanket and the shelter of a wagon, but he was not one -to flinch. As long as those two skilled plainsmen, Breakstone and -Arenberg, thought it necessary to remain, he would remain without a -complaint. He also expected that some other hostile movement would be -made. - -At some late hour of the night the boy heard the rapid beat of many -hoofs, and then a mass of horsemen showed dimly in the dusk, dark -squadrons galloping down upon the train. But the riflemen were ready. -The train became at once a living circle of fire. A storm of bullets -beat upon the charging horsemen, and fifty yards from the barrier they -halted. There they wavered a few moments, while wounded horses screamed -with pain, then turned and galloped back as fast as they had come. - -"That's the fall of the curtain on the last act," said Bill Breakstone. -"They thought to catch us napping, to stampede our horses, or to do -something else unpleasant to us that depended on surprise." - -Nevertheless, they watched all the remainder of the night, and Phil was -devoutly glad when he saw the first touch of rose in the east, the -herald of the new day. Before them the plain lay clear, except a fallen -horse near by, and there was no sign of the enemy. - -"They have had enough," said Bill Breakstone. "The darkness offered them -their only chance, and now the sunrise has put them to flight. - - "Night, - Fight. - Sun, - Done. - - -"That's a short poem, Phil, one of the shortest that I've ever composed, -but it's highly descriptive, and it's true." - -_It was_ true. Middleton and Woodfall, even when they searched the -entire circle of the horizon with powerful field glasses, could find no -trace of the enemy. - - - - - CHAPTER X - - PHIL'S LETTER - - -Now began the great march. The whole train was filled with an -extraordinary animation. South to Taylor! South to the Rio Grande! -South to join the forlorn hope against the Mexican masses! It appealed -to them more than Santa Fé had ever appealed. Wild spirits, thrilling -with the love of adventure and the hope of battle, they had before them -the story of Texas and its gallant and victorious stand against -overwhelming numbers. They knew every detail of that desperate and -successful struggle, and they felt that they could do as well. Indeed, -among them were some who had been mere boys at San Jacinto, and they -began to talk of Sam Houston and that glorious war, of Goliad and of the -Alamo, when the last man fell. - -But while they talked they worked. In their zeal and enthusiasm they -forgot that not one man in ten had closed his eyes the night before, -and, a half hour after the brief breakfast was finished, they started -again. It was a long journey, but they were prepared for it, and they -moved steadily onward all through the day. Two or three times single -horsemen were seen through the field glasses, but they were so far away -none could tell whether they were Indians or Mexicans. Middleton, -however, was firmly convinced that they would not be attacked again, at -least not by the same forces which had been making so much trouble for -them. - -"There isn't much profit in hunting us," he said, "we are too difficult -game, and the hunter has suffered more damage than the hunted. -Moreover, de Armijo will want to join the main Mexican army near the Rio -Grande. More glory is to be won there, and, if I mistake not, he is an -exceedingly ambitious man. But the Comanches will leave so formidable a -foe to snap up wandering hunters or small parties." - -Middleton's theory seemed probable, but they did not relax the watch. -That night half the men stood guard until midnight, and the other half -until morning. The whole night passed in complete peace. There was not -a single shot at the sentinels. The only sounds they heard were the -lonesome howls of coyotes far out on the plain. Phil, Breakstone, and -Arenberg were in the first watch, and they walked back and forth -together in a little segment of the circle about thirty yards from the -wagons. They talked more than usual, as they shared in the general -belief that there would be no further attack, at least, not yet. - -The night, in truth, was in sharp contrast with the one that had -preceded it. There was no rain and no wind, the sky was just a peaceful -blue, cut by the white belt of the Milky Way, and with the great stars -dancing in myriad pools of light. Strife and battle seemed far away and -forgotten. - -"It will take us a long time to reach General Taylor on the Rio Grande -or beyond, where he iss likely to be," said Arenberg. - -"A couple of months, maybe," said Breakstone. - -"And then," continued Arenberg, "we do not know how long we will have to -stay there. We do not know what great battles we will have to fight, -and if we live through it all it may be a year, two years, until we can -come back into the North." - -"Not so long as that, I think," replied Breakstone. - -Phil noticed Arenberg's melancholy tone, and once more he wondered what -this man's quest might be. Evidently it did not lie to the south, for to -him alone the turning from the old course had caused pain. He could not -keep from showing sympathy. - -"I feel that all of us will come back sooner or later, Mr. Arenberg," he -said, "and we will go on in the way we chose first, and to success." - -The German put his hand affectionately on the boy's shoulder. - -"There are no prophets in these days," he said, "but now and then there -iss a prophecy that comes true, and it may be that our God puts it in -the mouth of a boy like you, instead of that of an older man. You -strengthen my weak faith, Philip." - -His tone was so solemn and heartfelt that the other two were silent. -Surely the motive that drew Arenberg into the wilderness was a most -powerful one! They could not doubt it. They walked without saying more -until it was twelve when Bill Breakstone dropped his rifle from his -shoulder with a great sigh of relief. - -"It's just occurred to me that I haven't slept a wink for thirty-six -hours," he said, "and I'm going to make up for lost time as soon as I -can." - -"Me, too," said Phil. - -"Much sleep iss meant by me, also," said Arenberg. - -Phil concluded to sleep in a wagon that night, and, in order to enjoy -the full luxury of rest, he undressed for the first time in several -days. Then he found a soft place in some bags of meal, covered himself -with a blanket, and shut his eyes. - -He had a wonderful sense of safety and comfort. After so much hardship -and danger, this was like a king's bed, and the royal guards were -outside to keep away harm. It was extraordinary how some sacks of flour -and an army blanket could lull one's senses into golden ease. - -He heard a few noises outside, a sentinel exchanging a word with -another, the stamp of a restless horse's hoof, and then, for the last -time, the long, lonesome howl of the coyote. A minute after that he was -asleep. When he awoke the next day he felt that he was moving. He -heard the cracking of whips and the sound of many voices. He sprang up, -lifted the edge of the wagon cover, and looked out. There was the whole -train, moving along at its steady, even pace, and a yellow sun, at least -four hours high, was sailing peacefully in blue heavens. Phil, ashamed -of himself, hurried on his clothes and sprang out of his wagon at the -rear. The first man he saw was Bill Breakstone, who was walking instead -of riding. - -"Bill," he exclaimed indignantly, "here I've been sleeping all the -morning, while the rest of you fellows have been up and doing!" - -"Don't you worry yourself, Sir Philip of the Wagon and the Great Sleep," -replied Bill Breakstone grinning. "A good wilderness rover rests when he -can, and doesn't rest when he can't. Now you could rest, and it was the -right thing for you to do. I haven't been up myself more than half an -hour, while Captain Middleton and Arenberg are still asleep. Now, my -merry young sir, I hope that will satisfy you." - -"It does," replied Phil, his conscience satisfied, "and between you and -me, Bill, it seems to me that we have come out of our troubles so far -mighty well." - -"We have," replied Bill Breakstone emphatically. "The curtain has gone -down on act one, with honest and deserving fellows like you and myself -on top. Act two hasn't begun yet, but meanwhile the winds blow softly, -the air is pure, and we'll enjoy ourselves." - -"Have you seen anything of our Comanche and Mexican friends?" - -"Not a peep. We're marching in looser order now, because if they came -we'd have ample time to form in battle array after we saw them." - -But no enemy appeared that day nor the next day, and they rode south for -many days in peace. Although eager to reach the Rio Grande as soon as -possible, they were too wise to hurry the animals. The steady, measured -pace was never broken, and they took full rest at night. They stopped -sometimes to kill game and replenish their supplies of food. They found -plenty of buffalo, and the most skillful of the hunters also secured all -the antelope that they wished. Now and then they crossed a river that -contained fish, and they added to their stores from these, also. - -They were now far into the summer, but the grass was still green, -although the heat at times was great, and rain fell but seldom. The -character of the vegetation changed as they went south. Bill Breakstone -defined it as an increase of thorns. The cactus stood up in strange -shapes on the plain, but along the banks of the creeks they found many -berries that were good to the taste. Four weeks after the turn to the -south they met two messengers coming from the direction of Santa Fé and -bound for the mouth of the Rio Grande. They were American soldiers in -civilian dress whom Middleton knew, and with whom it had evidently been -a part of his plan to communicate. He received from them important -news, over which he pondered long, but, some time after the two men had -disappeared under the horizon to the eastward, he spoke of it to Phil, -Breakstone, and Arenberg. - -"They have heard much," he said, "but it comes largely through Mexican -channels. It is said that an American force from one of the Western -States is moving on Santa Fé, and that it is likely to fall into our -hands. It is said, also, that Taylor's advance into Mexico has been -stopped, and that another army under Scott is to go by sea to Vera Cruz, -and thence attempt to capture the City of Mexico. I don't know! I -don't know what it all means! Can it be possible that Taylor has been -beaten and driven back? But we shall see!" - -"I know Taylor can't have been beaten," said Phil; "but I'll be mighty -glad when we reach the Rio Grande and find out for sure everything that -is going on." - -"That's so," said Bill Breakstone. - - "News is contrary, - But we'll go; - Our views vary, - But we'll know. - -Although we'll have to wait a long time about it, as Texas runs on -forever." - -The tenor of the messages soon spread through the train, and increased -the desire to push on; yet neither Middleton nor Woodfall deemed it wise -to give the animals too great a task for fear of breaking them down. -Instead, they resolutely maintained their even pace, and bearing now to -the eastward, still sought that Great River of the North which is -greater in history and political importance than it is in water. - -The time, despite the anxieties that they all shared, was not unpleasant -to Phil. He enjoyed the free life of the wilderness and the vast -plains. He saw how men were knitted together by common hardship and -common danger. He knew every man and liked them all; hence, all liked -him. He could never meet one of them in after life without a throb of -emotion, a sense of great fellowship, and a sudden vivid picture of -those days rising before him. He also learned many things that were of -value. He knew how to mend any part of a wagon, he understood the -troubles of horses, and he could handle a mule with a tact and skill -that were almost uncanny. - -"I suppose that mules, being by nature contrary animals, _like_ Phil," -said Bill Breakstone. "I've always behaved decently toward them, but I -never knew one yet to like me." - -"You want to treat a mule not like an animal but like a human being," -said Arenberg. "They know more than most men, anyhow. It iss all in -the way you approach them. I know how it ought to be done, although I -can't always do it." - -Many such talks beguiled the way. Meanwhile Phil could fairly feel -himself growing in size and strength, and he longed like the others for -the sight of Taylor and his army. The idea of taking part in a great -war thrilled him, and it might also help him in his search. Meanwhile, -the summer waned, and they were still in Texas. It seemed that they -might ride on forever and yet not reach that famous Rio Grande. The -grass turned brown on the plains, the nights grew cooler, and two -northers chilled them to the bone. Several times they saw Comanches -hovering like tiny black figures against the horizon, but they never -came near enough for a rifle shot. Twice they met hunters and scouts who -confirmed the earlier news obtained from the two messengers from the -westward. Taylor, beyond a doubt, had halted a hundred and fifty or two -hundred miles beyond the Rio Grande. There was even a rumor that he had -been captured. This might or might not be true, but there was no doubt -of the fact that an advance on the City of Mexico, due southward by -land, was no longer intended. The report that Scott was to lead the army -by way of Vera Cruz was confirmed. Middleton was troubled greatly, as -Phil could see. - -"I don't like the looks of this," he confided to his three most intimate -associates, who, of course, were Phil, Bill Breakstone, and Arenberg. -"I can't believe that Taylor has been taken--he isn't that kind of a -man--but this stripping him of his forces to strengthen Scott will leave -him almost unarmed before a powerful enemy." - -Phil saw the cogency of his reasoning. Deeply patriotic, his private -motives could not rule him wholly in the face of such an emergency. He -longed with a most intense longing now for a sight of the Rio Grande. A -great battle often hung in such an even balance that a few men might -turn the scale. The brave and resolute two hundred with the train were -a force not to be despised, even where thousands were gathered. The -leaders, also felt the impulse. Despite caution and calculation, the -speed of the train was increased. They started a little earlier every -morning, and they stopped a little later every evening. Yet there were -delays. Once they had a smart skirmish with Mexican guerillas, and once -a Comanche force, which did little but distant firing, held them three -days. Then a large number of their animals, spent by the long march, -fell sick, and they were compelled to delay again. - -The summer waned and passed. The grass was quite dead above ground, -although the roots flourished below. The cactus increased in quantity. -Often it pointed long melancholy arms southward as if to indicate that -misfortune lay that way. The great silence settled about them again. -There were no Indians, no Mexicans, no scouts, no hunters. Phil's -thoughts reverted to his original quest. One day as he sat in the wagon -he took the worn paper from the inside pocket of his waistcoat and read -it for the thousandth time. He was about to hold it up and put it back -in its resting place, when Bill Breakstone, seeking an hour or so of -rest, sprang into the wagon, also. It was Phil's first impulse to -thrust the paper quickly out of sight, and Bill Breakstone, with innate -delicacy, pretended not to see, merely settling himself, with a cheerful -word or two, into a comfortable seat. But Phil's second thought was the -exact opposite. He withheld his hand and opened the worn and soiled -paper. - -"This is a letter, Bill," he said, "and you've seen it." - -"At a distance," replied Bill Breakstone with assumed carelessness. -"Too far for me to read a word of it. Love letter of yours, Phil? -You're rather young for that sort of thing. Still, I suppose I'll have -to call you Sir Philip of the Lost Lady and the Broken Heart." - -"It's not that," said Phil. "This letter tells why I came into the -Southwest. Somehow, I've wanted to keep it to myself, but I don't now. -Will you read it, Bill? It's hard to make out some of the words, but if -you look close you can tell." - -He reached out the worn piece of paper. - -"Not unless you feel that you really want me to read it," said -Breakstone. - -"I really want you to do so," said Phil. - -Breakstone took the paper in his hands and smoothed it out. Then he -held it up to the light, because the writing was faded and indistinct, -and deciphered: - - -"I'm here, Phil, in this stone prison--it must be some sort of an old -Spanish castle, I think, in the Mexican mountains. We were blindfolded -and we traveled for days, so I can't tell you where I am. But I do know -that we went upward and upward, and, when my shoes wore out, rocks sharp -like steel cut into my feet. We also crossed many deep gulleys and -ravines. I think we went through a pass. Then we came down into ground -more nearly level. My feet were bleeding. We passed through a town and -we stopped by a well. Then a woman gave me a cup of water. My throat -was parched with dust. I knew it was a woman by her voice and her words -of pity, spoken in Mexican. Then we came here. I have been shut up in a -cell. I don't know how long, because I've lost count of time. But I'm -here, Phil, between four narrow walls, with a narrow window that looks -out on a mountainside, where I can see scrub pines and the thorny -cactus. You're growing up now, Phil, and you may be able to come with -friends for me. There's one here that's kind to me, the old woman who -brings me my food, and she's loaned me a pencil and paper to write this. -I've written the letter, and she's going to smuggle it away somehow -northward into Texas, and then it may be passed on to you. I'm hoping, -Phil, that it will reach you, wherever you are. If it does I know that -you will try to come. JOHN BEDFORD." - - -"Look on the other side," said Phil. - -Bill Breakstone turned it over and read the inscription: - - -"_To Philip Bedford, Esquire,_ - "_Paris,_ - "_Kentucky._" - - -Tears stood in the boy's eyes, and his hands were trembling. Breakstone -waited quietly. - -"As you see," said Phil, when he felt that his voice was steady, "the -letter came. It's my brother, John, who wrote it. A man riding across -the country from Frankfort gave it to me in Paris last year. A -flatboatman had brought it up the Kentucky River from its mouth at the -Ohio, and when he came to Frankfort he asked if anybody would take it to -Paris. A dozen were ready to do it. The flatboatman--his name was -Simmons, a mountaineer--knew nothing about the letter. He said it had -been given to him at the mouth of the Ohio by a man on a steamer from -New Orleans. The other man said it had been dropped in front of him on -his table at an inn in New Orleans by a fellow who looked like a -Mexican. He thought at first it was just a scrap of paper, but when he -read it and looked around for the man, he was gone. He resolved to send -the letter on to me if he could, but he doesn't know how many hands it -had passed through before it reached him. But it's John's handwriting. -I could never mistake it." - -The boy's voice trembled now, and the tears rose in his eyes again. -Breakstone looked at the paper, turning it over and over. - -"The old woman that your brother writes about was faithful," he said at -last. "Likely a dozen men or women had it before it was dropped on that -table in New Orleans. What was your brother doing in Texas, Phil?" - -"He was older than I, and he went to Texas to help in the fighting -against Mexico. You know there were raids on both sides long after San -Jacinto. You remember the Mier expedition of the Texans, and there were -others like it. John and his comrades were taken in one of these, but I -don't know exactly which. I have written letters to all the Texas -officials, but none of them know anything." - -"And of course you started at once," said Bill Breakstone. - -"Of course. There was nothing to keep me. We were only two, and I sold -what we had, came down the Kentucky into the Ohio, and then down the -Mississippi to New Orleans, where I met you and the others. I had an -idea that John had been carried westward, and that I might learn -something about him at Santa Fé, or at least that Santa Fé might be a -good point from which to undertake a search. It's all guesswork anyway, -that is, mostly, but when de Armijo told us that war had come I wasn't -altogether sorry, because I knew that would take us down into Mexico, -where I would have a better chance to look for John. What do you think -of it, Bill?" - -"Let me look at the letter again," said Breakstone. - -Phil handed it back to him, and he read and reread it, turned it over -and over again, looked at the inscription, "To Philip Bedford, Paris, -Kentucky," and then tried to see writing where none was. - -"It's the old business of a needle in a haystack, Phil," he said. -"We're bound to confess that. We don't know where this letter was -written nor when. Your brother, as he says, had lost count of time, but -he might have made a stagger at a date." - -"If he had put down any," said Phil, "it was rubbed out before it -reached me. But I don't think it likely that he even made a guess. Do -you know, Bill, I'm afraid that maybe, being shut up in a place like -that, it might, after a long time--well, touch his head just a little. -To be shut up in a cell all by yourself for a year, maybe two years, or -even more, is a terrible thing, they say." - -"Don't think that! Don't think it!" said Bill Breakstone hastily. "The -letter doesn't sound as if it were written by one who was getting just a -little bit out of tune. Besides, I'm thinking it's a wonderful thing -that letter got to you." - -"I've thought of that often, myself," exclaimed Phil, a sudden light -shining in his eyes. "This is a message, a call for help. It comes out -of nowhere, so to speak, out of a hidden stone castle or prison, and in -some way it reaches me, for whom it was intended. It seems to me that -the chances were a million to one against its coming, but it came. It -came! That's the wonderful, the unforgettable thing! It's an omen, -Bill, an omen and a sign. If this little paper with the few words on it -came to me through stone walls and over thousands of miles, well, I can -go back with it to the one who sent it!" - -His face was transfigured, and for the time absolute confidence shone in -his eyes. Bill Breakstone, a man of sympathetic heart, caught the -enthusiasm. - -"We'll find him, Phil! We'll find him," he exclaimed. - -Philip Bedford, so long silent about this which lay nearest to his -heart, felt that a torrent of words was rushing to his lips. - -"I can't tell you, Bill," he said, "how I felt when that letter was -handed to me. Jim Harrington, a farmer who knew us, brought it over -from Frankfort. He was on his horse when he met me coming down the -street, and he leaned over and handed it to me. Of course he had read -it, as it wasn't in an envelope, and he sat there on his horse looking -at me, while I read it, although I didn't know that until afterward. - -"Bill, I was so glad I couldn't speak for awhile. We hadn't heard from -John in two or three years, and we were all sure that he was dead. -After I read the letter through, I just stood there, holding it out in -my hand and looking at it. Then I remember coming back to earth, when -Jim Harrington leaned over to me from his saddle and said: 'Phil, is it -genuine?' - -"'It's real,' I replied, 'I'd know his handwriting anywhere in the -world.' - -"'What are you going to do, Phil?' he asked. - -"'I'm going to start for Mexico to-morrow,' I said. - -"'It's a powerful risky undertaking,' he said. - -"'I'm going to start for Mexico to-morrow,' I said again. - -"Then from his height on the horse he put his hand on my head for a -moment and said: 'I knew you'd go, Phil. I know the breed. I was in -the War of 1812 with your father, when we were boys together. You're -only a boy yourself, but you go to Mexico, and I believe you'll find -John.' - -"So you see, Bill, even at the very start there was one who believed -that I would succeed." - -"The signs do point that way," admitted Bill Breakstone. "Every fact is -against you, but feeling isn't. I've lived long enough, Phil, to know -that the impossible happens sometimes, particularly when a fellow is -striving all his might and main to make it happen. What kind of a fellow -was this brother of yours, Phil?" - -"The finest in the world," replied Phil. "He raised me, Bill, as they -say up there in Kentucky. He is four years older than I am, and we were -left orphans, young. He taught me about everything I know, helped me at -school, and then, when I got big enough, we made traps together, and in -the fall and winter caught rabbits. Then I had a little gun, and he -showed me how to shoot squirrels. We went fishing in the Kentucky -often, and he taught me to ride, too. He was big and strong. Although -only a boy himself, he could throw anybody in all the towns about there, -but he was so good-natured about it that the men he threw liked him. -Then we began to hear about Texas. Everybody was talking about Texas. -Many were going there, too. It seemed to us the most wonderful country -on earth. John caught the fever. He was going to make fortunes for -both of us. I don't know how, but he meant to do it. I wasn't big -enough to go with him, but he would send for me later. He went down the -river to New Orleans. I had a letter from him there, and another from -San Antonio, but nothing ever came after that until this dirty, greasy -little piece of paper dropped out of the skies. It was four years -between." - -"Four years between!" repeated Bill Breakstone, "and we don't know what -has happened in all that time. But it seems to me, Phil, that you're -right. If this little piece of paper has come straight out of the dark -thousands of miles to you, then it's going to be a guide to us back to -the place where it started, because, Phil, I'm going to help you in -this. I've got a secret errand of my own, and I'm not going to tell it -to you just yet, but it can wait. I'm going to see you through, Phil, -and we're going to find that brother John of yours, if we have to rip -open every prison in Mexico." - -His own eyes were bright now with the light of enthusiasm, and he held -out his hand, which Phil seized. The fingers of the two were compressed -in a strong clasp. - -"It's mighty good of you, Bill," said the boy, "to help me, because this -isn't going to be any easy search." - -"It won't be any search at all for awhile," said Bill Breakstone, -"because a great war is shoving in between. We are approaching the Rio -Grande now, Phil." - -The summer was now gone, and they were well into autumn. The train had -come a great distance, more miles than any of them could tell. Cool -winds blew across the Texas uplands, and the nights were often sharp -with cold. Then the fires of cottonwood, dry cactus, or buffalo chips -were very welcome, and it was pleasant to sit before them and speculate -upon what awaited them on the other side of the Rio Grande. They had -passed beyond the domain of the Comanches, and they were skirting along -the edge of a country that contained scattered houses of adobe or log -cabins--Mexicans in the former, and Americans in the latter. These were -not combatants, but they were full of news and gossip. - -There had been a revolution or something like it in Mexico. The report -of the American successes, at the beginning, was true. Taylor had -defeated greatly superior numbers along the Rio Grande, and, after a -severe battle, had taken Monterey by storm. Then the Mexicans, wild -with rage, partly at their own leaders, had turned out Paredes, their -president, and the famous Santa Anna had seized the power. Santa Anna, -full of energy and Latin eloquence, was arousing the Mexican nation -against invasion, and great numbers were gathering to repel the little -American armies that had marched across the vast wilderness to the -Mexican border. This news made Middleton very serious, particularly -that about Santa Anna. - -"He's been called a charlatan, a trickster, cruel, unscrupulous, and -many other things not good," he said one evening as they sat about a -fire, "and probably all the charges are true, but at the same time he is -a man of great ability. He has intuition, the power to divine the plans -of an opponent, something almost Napoleonic, and he also has fire and -energy. He will be a very dangerous man to us. He hates us all the -more because the Texans took him at San Jacinto. If I remember rightly, -two boys looking for stray mules found him hiding in the grass the day -after the battle, and brought him in a prisoner. Such a man as he is not -likely to forget such a humiliation as that." - -"I have seen him with my own eyes," said Arenberg. "He iss a cruel man -but an able one. Much harm iss meant, and much may be done." - -That ended the German's comment, and, taking his pipe, he smoked and -listened. But his face, lighted up by the flames, was sad. It was -habitually sad, although Phil believed that the man was by nature cheery -and optimistic. But Arenberg still kept his secret. - -They learned, also, that there had been an armistice between the -Americans and the Mexicans, but that Santa Anna had used all the time -for preparations. Then the negotiations were broken off, and the war -was to pass into a newer and fiercer phase. Taylor was at Saltillo, -about two hundred miles beyond the line, but Scott, who had been on the -Rio Grande some time earlier, had taken most of his good officers and -troops for the invasion by way of Vera Cruz, and Taylor, with his small -remaining force, was expected to stand on the defensive, even to retreat -to the Rio Grande. Instead of that, he had advanced boldly into the -mountains. Politics, it was said, had intervened, and Taylor was to be -shelved. Middleton, usually reserved, commented on this to Phil, -Breakstone, and Arenberg, who, he knew, would not repeat his words. - -"I've no doubt that this news is true," he said, "and it must be a -bitter blow to old Rough and Ready--that's what we call Taylor in the -army. He's served all his life with zeal and efficiency, and now he's -to be put aside, after beginning a successful and glorious campaign. -It's a great wrong that they're doing to Zachary Taylor." - -"But we're going to join him anyhow, are we not?" asked Phil. - -"Yes, that's our objective. I should have to do so, because my original -instructions were to report to him, and they have not been changed. -And, with Santa Anna leading the Mexicans, what our Government expects -to happen at one place may happen at another." - -The train itself was now in splendid condition. All the wounded men had -fully recovered. The sick horses and mules were well again. The -weather had been good, game was plentiful, their diet was varied and -excellent, and there was no illness. Moreover, their zeal increased as -they drew near the seat of war, and the reports, some true, some false, -and all lurid, came thick and fast. It was hard to keep some of them -from leaving the train and going on ahead, but Middleton and Woodfall, -by strenuous efforts, held them in hand. - -They shifted back now toward the east, and came at last to the Rio -Grande. Phil was riding ahead of the train, when he caught the first -view of it--low banks, an immense channel, mostly of sand, with water, -looking yellow and dangerous, flowing here and there in two or three -streams. The banks were fringed but sparsely with trees, and beyond lay -Mexico, the Mexico of Cortez and the Aztecs, the Mexico of gold and -romance, and the Mexico of the lost one whom he had come so far to find. - -It was one of the most momentous events in Philip Bedford's life, this -view of Mexico, to which he had come over such a long trail. It was not -beautiful, there across the Rio Grande; it was bare, dark, and dusty, -with rolling hills and the suggestion of mountains far off to the right. -The scant foliage was deep in autumn brown. Human life there was none. -Nothing stirred in the vast expanse of desolation. The train was so far -behind him that he did not hear the rumbling of the wagon wheels, and he -sat there, horse and rider alike motionless, gazing into the misty -depths of this Mexico which held so much of mystery and which attracted -and repelled at the same time. Question after question throbbed through -his mind. Would the Americans succeed in penetrating the mountains that -lay beyond? And if so, in what direction was he to go? Which way -should he look! It seemed so vast, so inscrutable, that he was -appalled. For the first time since he had left that little Paris in -Kentucky he felt despair. Such a search as his was hopeless, doomed in -the beginning. His face turned gray, his chin sank upon his chest, but -then Bill Breakstone rode up beside him, and his loud, cheery voice -sounded in his ear. - -"Well, here we are at last, Phil," he exclaimed. "We've ridden all the -way across Texas, and it must have been a hundred thousand miles. Now -we stand, or rather sit, on the shores of the Rio Grande. - - "Behold the river! - But I don't quiver. - They call it grand. - It's mostly sand. - -It's no Mississippi, Phil, but it's a hard stream for an outfit like -ours to cross. I'm glad that Taylor has already cleared the way. You -remember what a fight we had with the Comanches back at the crossing of -that other and smaller river." - -"I do," said Phil, "but there is nothing here to oppose us, and -doubtless we can make the crossing in peace." - - - - - CHAPTER XI - - WITH THE ARMY - - -The crossing of the Rio Grande was a formidable task, and the train -could never have accomplished it in the face of a foe, even small in -numbers, but no Mexicans were present, and they went about their task -unhindered. One of the streams was too deep to be forded, but they cut -down the larger trees and constructed a strong raft, which they managed -to steer over with long poles. The reluctant horses and mules were -forced upon it, and thus the train was carried in safety over the deep -water. Nor was the task then ended. It usually took six horses and ten -or twelve men to drag a wagon through the sand and carry it up the bank -to the solid earth beyond, the way having been carefully examined in -advance in order to avoid quicksand. - -It took three days to build the raft and complete the passage. Phil had -never worked so hard in his life before. He pushed at wagon wheels and -pulled at the bridles of mules and horses until every bone in him ached, -and he felt as if he never could get his strength again. But the train -was safely across, without the loss of a weapon or an animal. They were -in Mexico, and they did not deceive themselves about the greatness and -danger of the task that lay before them. Phil felt the curious effect -which the passage over the border from one country to another usually -has on people, especially the young. It seemed to him that in passing -that strip of muddy river he had come upon a new soil, and into a new -climate--into a new world, in fact. Yet the Texas shore, in reality, -looked exactly like the Mexican, and was like it. - -"Well, Phil," said Bill Breakstone, "here we are in Mexico. I'm covered -with mud, so are you, and so is Arenberg. I think it's Texas and Mexico -mud mixed, so suppose we go down, find a clear place in the water, and -get rid of it." - -They found a cool little pool, an eddy or backwater, where the water -standing over white sand was fairly clear, and the three, stripping, -sprang in. The water was deep, and Bill plunged and dived and -spluttered with great delight. Phil and Arenberg were not so noisy, but -they found the bath an equal pleasure. It was an overwhelming luxury to -get the sand out of their eyes and ears and hair, and to feel the cool -water on bodies hot with the ache and grime of three days' hard work. - -"You'd better make the best of it, Phil," said Breakstone. "The part of -Mexico that we are going into isn't very strong on water, and maybe you -won't get another bath for a year." - -"I'm doing it," said the boy. - -"And don't you mind the fact," said Bill Breakstone, "that the -alligators of the Rio Grande, famous for their size and appetite, like -to lie around in lovely cool pools like this and bite the bare legs of -careless boys who come down to bathe." - -Phil felt something grasp his right leg and pull hard. He uttered a -yell, and then, putting his hand on Breakstone's brown head, which was -rising to the surface, convulsively thrust him back under. But -Breakstone came up three yards away, pushed the hair out of his eyes, -and laughed. - -"I'm the only alligator that's in the stream," he said, "but I did give -you a scare for a moment. You are bound to admit that, Sir Philip, Duke -of Texas and Prince of Mexico." - -"I admit it readily," replied Phil, and, noticing that Breakstone was -now looking the other way, he dived quietly and ran his finger nails -sharply along his comrade's bare calf. Breakstone leaped almost wholly -out of the water and cried: - -"Great Heavens, a shark is eating me up!" - -Phil came up and said quietly: - -"There are no sharks in the Rio Grande, Mr. William Breakstone. You -never find sharks up a river hundreds of miles from the ocean. Now, I -did give you a scare for a moment, you will admit that, will you not, -Sir William of the Shout, the Shark, and the Fright?" - -"I admit it, of course, and now we are even," said Breakstone. "Give me -your hand on it." - -Phil promptly reached out his hand, and Breakstone, seizing it, dragged -him under. But Phil, although surprised, pulled down on Breakstone's -hand with all his might, and Breakstone went under with him. Both came -up spluttering, laughing, and enjoying themselves hugely, while Arenberg -swam calmly to a safe distance. - -"You are a big boy, Herr Bill Breakstone," he said. "You will never grow -up." - -"I don't want to," replied Bill Breakstone calmly. "When it makes me -happy all through and through just to be swimming around in a pool of -nice cool water, what's the use of growing up? Answer me that, Hans -Arenberg." - -"I can't," replied the German. "It isn't in me to give an answer to -such a question." - -"I suppose we've got to go out at last, dress again, and go back to -work," said Breakstone lugubriously. "It's a hard world for us men, -Phil." - -"One iss not a fish, and, being not a fish," said Arenberg, "one must go -out on dry land some time or other to rest, and the some time has now -come." - -They swam to land, but Bill Breakstone began to plead. - -"Let's lie here on the sand and luxuriate for a space, Sir Philip of the -Rio Grande and Count Hans of the Llano Estacado, which is Spanish for -the Staked Plain, which I have seen more than once," said Bill -Breakstone. "The sand is white, it is clean, and it has been waiting a -long time for us to lie upon it, close our eyes, and forget everything -except that we are happy." - -"It iss a good idea," said Arenberg. "There are times when it iss well -to be lazy, only most men think it iss all the time." - -They stretched themselves out on the white sand and let the warm sun -play upon them, permeating their bodies and soothing and relaxing every -muscle. Phil had not felt so peaceful in a long time. It had relieved -him to tell the secret of his quest to Breakstone, who, with his -permission, had told it in turn to Middleton and Arenberg, and now that -he was really in Mexico with strong friends around him he felt that the -first great step had been accomplished. The warm sun felt exceedingly -good, his eyes were closed, and a pleasant darkness veiled them, a faint -murmur, the flowing of the river, came to his ears, and he floated away -with the current. - -"Here! here! Sir Philip of the Sleepy Head, wake up. It isn't your -first duty to go to sleep when you arrive in Mexico! Besides, it's time -we were back at the camp, or they'll think Santa Anna has got us -already! Also, you need more clothes than you've got on just now!" - -Phil sprang up embarrassed, but he saw Arenberg looking sheepish, also. - -"You had good company, Sir Philip of the Sleepy Head," exclaimed -Breakstone joyously. "Count Hans, of the Snore was traveling with you -into that unknown land to which millions have gone and returned, and of -which not one can tell anything." - -"It iss so," said Arenberg. "I confess my weakness." - -They dressed rapidly, and, refreshed and young again, ran back to the -train. The twilight was now coming, and the wagons were drawn up in the -usual circular formation, with the animals in the middle, and, outside -the circle, were burning several fires of dry cactus and cottonwood, -around which men were cooking. - -"Just in time for supper," said Bill Breakstone. "I was a great rover -when I was a boy, but my mother said I took care never to get out of -sound of the dinner-bell. It may be funny, but my appetite is just as -good in Mexico as it was in Texas." - -They ate strips of bacon, venison, and jerked buffalo, with a great -appetite. They drank coffee and felt themselves becoming giants in -strength. The twilight passed, and a brilliant moon came out, flooding -the plain with silvery light. Then they saw a horseman coming toward -them, riding directly through the silver flood, black, gigantic, and -sinister. - -"Now what under the sun can that be?" exclaimed Bill Breakstone. - -"You should say what under the moon. It iss more correct," said -Arenberg. "I can tell you, also, that it iss a white man, although the -figure looks black here--I know by the shape. It iss also an American -officer in uniform. I know it because I saw just then a gleam of -moonlight on his epaulets. He iss coming to inspect us." - -The approach of the stranger aroused, of course, the deepest curiosity -in everybody, and in a few moments a crowd gathered to gaze at this man -who came on with such steadiness and assurance. His figure, still -magnified by the moon, out of which he seemed to be riding, showed now -in perfect outline. He carried no rifle, but they could see the hilt of -a sword on his thigh. He wore a military cap, and the least experienced -could no longer doubt that he was an army officer. - -"He knows that we are friends," said Middleton, "or he would not come on -so boldly. Unless I mistake much, he sits his horse like a regular -officer of the United States cavalry. That seat was learned only at -West Point." - -The stranger rode out of the magnifying rays. His horse and himself -shrank to their real size. He came straight to the group, leaped to the -ground, and, holding the bridle in one hand, lifted his cap with the -other in salute. Middleton sprang forward. - -"Edgeworth," he exclaimed, "when you came near I thought it was you, but -I scarcely dared to hope." - -The officer, tall and striking of appearance, with penetrating gray -eyes, seized Middleton's hand. - -"And it is you, Middleton," he said. "What a meeting for two who have -not seen each other since they were at West Point together." - -"But it's where we both want to be," said Middleton. - -"That is so," said Edgeworth with emphasis, "but I had heard, George, -that you were sent on an errand of uncommon danger, and I had feared--I -will not hesitate to say it to you now--that you would never come back." - -Middleton laughed. He was obviously delighted with this meeting of the -comrade of his cadetship. Then he introduced Woodfall and the others, -after which he asked: - -"How did you know we were friends, Tom? You came on as if you were -riding to a garden-party." - -"A scout brought news of you," he replied. "We have a small force about -twenty miles ahead, and I rode back to meet you, and see what was here." - -"We have some good men," said Woodfall, "and they are willing to fight. -We've come a good many hundreds of miles for that purpose." - -"I believe you," said Edgeworth, running his trained eyes over the -crowd. "A finer body of men I never saw, and we need you, every one of -you." - -"What news?" asked Middleton eagerly. - -"Much of it, and all bad. Our government has mixed the situation badly. -We've been steadily strengthening Scott, and, in the same proportion, -we've been weakening Taylor. There are rumors, I don't know how -authentic--perhaps you have heard them--that Santa Anna is coming north -with a great force to destroy us. Taylor is expected to retreat -rapidly, but he hasn't done it. You know old Rough and Ready, George." - -"I hope to Heaven he won't retreat!" exclaimed Middleton. - -"He hasn't. So far he has advanced," said Edgeworth. "But I ride back -with you in the morning, boys, and I think great things are going to -happen before long. Besides the men with you, Middleton, we've use for -everything you've got in the wagons. You won't suffer, Mr. Woodfall." - -The train moved the next morning an hour earlier than usual. Wheels -were turning before daylight. Hearts were beating high, and they pushed -on at great speed now, for wagons, until past sunset. In the middle of -the day it was hot, in the evening chill winds blew down from the crests -of distant mountains, but at all times, morning, noon, and evening, they -marched in a cloud of dust, much of it impregnated with alkali. It -annoyed Phil and his comrades terribly, sifting into nose, mouth, ears, -and eyes, putting a bitter taste on the palate, and making them long for -the sweet waters of the pool in which they had bathed so luxuriously. - -The next day was the same; more dust, more alkali, and the deadly -monotony of a treeless and sandy plain. But that night it was extremely -cold. They were approaching the mountains, the spurs of the Sierra -Madre, and the winds were sharp with the touch of ice and snow. Winter, -also, had come, and in the night ice formed in the infrequent rivulets -on the plain. Now and then they passed little Mexican villages, mostly -of the adobe huts, with dirt and children strewed about in great -quantities. The children were friendly enough, but the women scowled, -and the men were away. Phil did not find the villages picturesque or -attractive in any sense, and he was disappointed. - -"I hope this isn't the best Mexico has to show," he said. - -"It isn't very inviting," said Bill Breakstone, "you wouldn't look -around here for a Forest of Arden or a Vale of Vallombrosa, but this is -only the introduction to Mexico. Monterey, which General Taylor took, -is a fine city, and so are others farther down. I've seen a lot of them -myself. Don't you worry, Phil, you'll find enough to interest you -before you get through." - -They also picked up some wandering scouts and hunters, who joined them -in their march. Several of these brought news. Taylor was at Saltillo, -and his force was small. The Mexicans were raiding to the very -outskirts of the city, and they looked upon Taylor's army as already -destroyed. The American force of about four thousand five hundred men -contained less than five hundred regular troops. The others, although -good material, were raw volunteers, very few of whom had been under -fire. - -Phil saw Middleton and Edgeworth talking together very anxiously, and he -knew that they were full of apprehensions. It seemed as if Fate itself -were playing into the hands of Santa Anna. Occasionally they saw bands -of Mexican guerillas hovering on the horizon, but they did not bother -with them, keeping straight on for Taylor and Saltillo. The cold still -increased, both day and night, and the winds that came from the peaks of -the Sierra Madre, now plainly in view, cut to the bone. Phil was glad -to take to the wagons for sleep, and to wrap himself in double blankets. -It was now well into December, but in two more days they expected to -reach Taylor at Saltillo. - -The last day of the march came, and every heart in the train beat high -with expectancy. Even the army officers, Middleton and Edgeworth, -trained to suppression of their emotions, could not restrain their -eagerness, and they, with Woodfall and others, rode on ahead of the -train. Phil, Bill Breakstone, and Arenberg were in this little group, -but the three were at the rear. - -"Phil, you were right when you called it a strange looking land," said -Bill Breakstone, "and I'm of the opinion that we're going to see strange -things in it. Our military friends look none too happy, and as I've -eyes and ears of my own I know we're likely to have lively times after -Christmas. Did you know that Christmas was not far away, Phil?" - -"No, I had forgotten all about it," replied Phil, "but, since you -mention it, I remember that it is December. Ah, what is that shining in -the sun straight ahead of us, Bill?" - -He pointed with his finger and showed the faintest red tint under the -horizon. - -"That," replied Breakstone, "is a red tile roof on a house in Saltillo, -and you're the first to see the town. Good eye, my boy. Now, the others -have seen it, also! Look how they quicken the steps of their horses!" - -They broke into a gallop as they came into a shallow, pleasant valley, -with green grass, the Northern palms, clear, flowing water, and many a -neat stone house with its piazzas and patios. The domes of several fine -churches rose into view, and then men in uniforms, rifle in hand, stood -across the road. Phil knew their faces; these men were never bred in -Mexico. Brown they were with the wind and sun of many days, but the -features beneath the brown were those of the Anglo-Saxons, the Americans -of the North, his own people. - -"Halt!" came the sharp order from the commander of the patrol. - -Middleton replied for them all, but, as Phil rode past, he leaned over -and said to the bronzed leader of the patrol: - -"I'm here, Jim Harrington. I told you in Paris that I was coming to -Mexico. It's a long road, and you're ahead of me, but I'm here." - -The leader, a thick-set, powerful man of fifty-five, looked up in -amazement. At first he had not recognized Phil under his tan and layer -of dust, but now he knew his voice. - -"Phil Bedford, by all that's wonderful!" he exclaimed. "I didn't think -that you and I would ever meet in Mexico, but when the call came I -couldn't keep away!" - -Then he lowered his tone and asked: - -"Any news of John?" - -Phil shook his head sadly. - -"Not a thing," he replied, "but I'm going to find him!" - -"I believe you will," said Harrington, "but your search is going to be -delayed, Phil. You'll have to wait for something else that none of us -will ever forget. But, Phil, you've landed among friends. Lots of the -boys that you used to know in Paris and around there are here." - -As Phil rode on, the truth of Harrington's words was confirmed. Tan and -dust did not keep strong, hearty voices from hailing him. - -"Hey, you, Phil Bedford, where did you come from?" - -"Is that old Phil Bedford? Did he drop from the clouds?" - -"Here, Phil, shake hands with an old friend!" - -He saw more than a score of familiar faces. A number of these soldiers -were almost as young as himself, and two or three of them were related -to him by blood. He had a great sensation of home, an overpowering -feeling of delight. Despite strangeness and distance, old friends and -kindred were around him. But old friends did not make him forget his -new friends, or think any less of them. He introduced Middleton, Bill -Breakstone, and Arenberg. Middleton was compelled to hurry to General -Taylor with his report, but the other two remained and affiliated -thoroughly. - -"You camp with us," said Dick Grayson, a distant cousin of Phil's. -"We've got a fine place over here, just back of the plaza. Lots of -Kentuckians here, Phil--in fact, more from our state than any other. -The rest are mostly from Illinois, Indiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and -Louisiana. We haven't got many regulars, but we've got mighty good -artillery, and we're ready to give a good account of ourselves against -anybody. You ought to see old Rough and Ready. He's as grim as you -please. Just as soon bite a ten-penny nail in two as not. Mad clean -through, and I don't blame him, because he's been robbed to strengthen -Scott." - -Phil and his comrades went readily with Grayson. The wagon train was -already scattering through the encampment, the volunteers taking their -places here and there, while Woodfall and his associates were arranging -for the sale of their available supplies. Phil, Breakstone, and -Arenberg owned their horses, and, leading them with the bridles over -their arms, they walked along with their new friends. Phil noticed that -the town was well built in the Mexican style, with many handsome houses -and signs of prosperity. The American invaders had harmed nothing, but -their encampment was spread throughout the city. - -The group walked by a green little park in which a small fountain was -playing. A young Mexican in sombrero, gaudy jacket and trousers sat on -a stone bench and idly thrummed a guitar. Several thick-set Mexican -women, balancing on their heads heavy jars of water, passed placidly by. -A small train of burros loaded with wool walked down another street. -There was nothing save the presence of the soldiers to tell of war. It -all looked like play. Phil spoke of the peaceful appearance of -everything to Dick Grayson. Grayson shrugged his shoulders. - -"You cannot tell a thing by its looks in this country," he said. -"Mexicans seem nearly always to be asleep, but, as a rule, they are not. -You don't see many men about, and it means that they are off with the -guerillas, or that they've gone south to join Santa Anna. We haven't -done any harm here. We've treated the people in Saltillo a good deal -better than their own rulers often treat them, and we're friendly with -the inhabitants, but Mexicans are bound to stand with Mexicans, just as -Americans stand with Americans. It's natural, and I don't blame 'em for -it." - -"I'd wager that many a message is carried off to the enemy by these -stolid looking women," said Bill Breakstone. - -Yet the town itself showed little hostility. Nevertheless, Phil could -not keep from feeling that it was thoroughly the enemy of the invader, -as was natural. As Bill Breakstone truly said, information concerning -the Americans was certainly sent to the Mexican leaders. Everything that -the Americans might do in the town would quickly become known to the -enemy, while a veil always hung before the Mexican troops and -preparations. Nevertheless, the life of the city, save for the -reduction in the number of its adult inhabitants, went on as usual. - -Some of the officers occupied houses, but all the men and younger -officers were in tents, either in the open places of the town or on the -outskirts. Phil, Arenberg, and Breakstone spent that night with Dick -Grayson and others in a little park, where about twenty tents stood. -These were to be their regular quarters for the present, and, as -Middleton had foreseen, the reinforcement was welcomed eagerly. They -ate an abundant supper, and, the night being cold, afire was built -within the ring of the tents. Here they sat and talked. Besides Dick -Grayson, there were "Tobe" Wentworth, Elijah Jones, Sam Parsons, and -other old friends of Phil. - -As they sat before the cheerful blaze and put their blankets over their -backs to shield themselves from the bitter mountain winds, they -discussed the war and, after the manner of young troopers, settled it, -every one in his own way and to his own perfect satisfaction. "Tobe" -Wentworth was not an educated youth, but he was a great talker. - -"I could a-planned this war," he said, "an' carried it right out without -a break to a finish." - -"Why didn't you do it, then?" asked Dick Grayson. - -"I did think o' writin' to Washin'ton once," said Tobe calmly, "an' -tellin' them how it ought to be done, but I reckoned them old fellows -would be mighty set in their ways an' wouldn't take it right. Old men -don't like to be told by us youngsters that they don't know much." - -"I've got a plan, too," said an Indiana youth named Forsythe. - -"What is it?" asked Wentworth scornfully. - -"It's a secret. I ain't ever goin' to tell it to anybody," said -Forsythe. "I've drawed up my will, an' I've provided that when I die -it's to be buried with me, still unread, folded right over my heart." - -All laughed, but "Tobe" rejoined: - -"Sech modesty is becomin' in Hoosiers, all the more so because it's the -first time I ever knowed one of them to display it." - -"Did you ever hear about that gentleman from Injiany that went out in -the Kentucky Mountains once, drivin' a fine buggy?" asked Forsythe. "He -noticed some big boys runnin' along behind him. He didn't think much of -it at first, but they kept right behind him mile after mile, but sayin' -nothin' an' offerin' no harm. At last his curiosity got the better of -him, an' he leaned back and asked: 'Boys, why are you followin' me this -way?' Then the biggest of them boys, a long, lean fellow, bare-footed -and with only one suspender, up and answers: 'Why, stranger, we reckoned -we'd run behind an' see how long it would take for your hind wheels to -ketch up with your front wheels.'" - -"Tobe" Wentworth sat calm and unsmiling until the laughter died. Then -he said: - -"Any of you fellers know how the people of Injiany got the name of -Hoosiers? No? Well, I'll tell you. It's so wild and rough over there, -an' them people are so teetotally ignorant an' so full of curiosity -that, whenever a gentleman from Kentucky crosses the Ohio and goes along -one of their rough roads, up they pop everywhere, and call out to him: -'Who's yer?' meaning 'Who are you?' and that started the word Hoosier, -which all over the world to-day means the people from Injiany." - -When the second laugh died, Bill Breakstone rubbed his hands together. - -"I see that I've fallen upon a merry crowd," he said, "and it is well. -The spirit of youth is always delightful, and it leads to the doing of -great things." - -"You talk like an actor," said Dick Grayson, not as a criticism, but in -tones of admiration. - -"I talk like an actor," replied Bill Breakstone with majesty, "because I -am one." - -"You don't say so! You don't mean it!" exclaimed a dozen voices at -once. - -"I am, or, rather, was," replied Bill with dignity, "although I will -admit that I am now engaged in other pursuits." - -Most of them still looked at him doubtfully, and Bill, his honor at -stake, became the subject of a sudden inspiration. - -"I see that some of you suspect my veracity, which is natural under the -circumstances," he said. "Now, I said I was an actor, and I'll prove -that I'm an actor by acting." - -"You don't mean it!" they cried again. - -"I will," said Bill Breakstone firmly. "Moreover, I will act from a -play by the greatest of all writers. Throw the wood together there and -let the blaze spring up. I want you to see me." - -A dozen willing hands tossed together the logs which sent up a swift, -high flame. The whole circle was lighted brightly, and Bill Breakstone -stood up. Phil had never taken seriously his assertion that he had been -an actor, but now he suddenly changed his opinion. He stood for a few -moments in the full blaze of the light, a tall, slender figure, his face -lean and shaven smoothly. His expression changed absolutely. He seemed -wholly unconscious of the young soldiers about him, of the palms, or of -the stone or adobe houses of the town. - -Then, in a tone of martial fervor he began to recite scraps from -Shakespeare dealing with war and battle, Macbeth's defiance to Macduff, -Richard on the battlefield, and other of the old familiar passages. But -they were new to most of those about him, and Breakstone himself, as he -afterward said, was stirred that night by an uncommon fire and spirit. -Something greater than he, perhaps the effect of time and place, seemed -to have laid hold of him. The fire and spirit were communicated to his -audience, which rapidly increased in numbers, although he did not see -it, so deeply was he filled with his own words, carrying him far back -into other lands among the scenes that he described. The applause rose -again and again, and always he was urged to go on. As he recited for -the sixth time, a thick-set, strong figure appeared at the edge of the -throng, and men at once made way for it. The figure was that of a man -with gray hair, and with a deep line down either cheek. Breakstone's -passing glance caught the face and divined in an instant his identity. -The applause, the demand for more, rose again, and after a little -hesitation the actor began: - - "'My people are with sickness much encumbered - My numbers lessened, and these few I have, - Almost no better than so many French; - Who, when they were in health, I tell the herald, - I thought upon one pair of English legs - Did walk three Frenchmen, yet - Forgive me, God, - That I do brag thus. This poor air of France - Hath blown that voice in me. I must repent, - Go, therefore, tell thy master here I am; - My ransom is this frail and worthless trunk, - My army but a weak and sickly guard--'" - - -He paused a moment, but the man with the gray hair and lined cheeks -still stood in an attitude of deep attention, and, skipping some of the -lines, he continued: - - "'If we may pass we will; if we be hindered - We shall your tawny ground with your red blood - Discolor; and so, Montjoy, fare you well, - The sum of all our answer is but this: - We would not seek a battle as we are; - Nor as we are, we say we will not shun it, - So tell your master.'" - - -He sat down amid roars of applause and universal approval. Did they not -know? Mexicans were boasting already that Taylor would have to -surrender to Santa Anna without a battle. Bill Breakstone stole a -glance toward the place where the gray-haired man had stood, but he was -gone now. - -"Did you know that old Rough and Ready himself was listening to you -there toward the last?" asked Grayson. - -"Is that so?" replied Breakstone. "Well, I'm not ashamed of anything -that I said, and now, if I've entertained you boys a little, I'd like to -rest awhile. You don't know how hard that kind of work is, whether your -work be good or bad." - -Rest he certainly should have. They had found too great a treasure, -these fighting men in a far land, to let him be spoiled by overwork, and -they brought him an abundance of refreshment, also. - -Breakstone drank a cup of light wine made in Saltillo, as he lay back -luxuriously on a pallet in one of the tents. He felt that he had reason -to be satisfied with himself, and perhaps, he, playing the actor, had -seized an opportunity, and had made it do what might be an important -service in a great campaign. - -"What was the last piece that you recited?" asked Grayson. "Somehow it -seemed to fit in with our own situation here." - -"That," replied Breakstone, "was a speech from King Henry V. He is in -France with a small army, and the French have sent to him to demand his -surrender. He makes the reply that I have just quoted to you." - -There was a thoughtful silence, although they had known his meaning -already, and presently Phil and his comrades, making themselves -comfortable in their tents, went to sleep. They were formally enrolled -among the Kentucky volunteers the next day, and began their duties, -which consisted chiefly of patrolling. Phil was among the sentinels -stationed the next night on the outskirts of the city. - - - - - CHAPTER XII - - THE PASS OF ANGOSTURA - - -It was almost midwinter now in Mexico, and here, in the northern part of -the republic, on the great plateau, it was cold. Phil more than once -had seen the snow flying, and far away it lay in white sheets on the -peaks of the Sierra Madre. He had obtained a heavy blanket coat or -overcoat from the stores, and he was glad enough now to pull it closely -around him and turn its collar up about his neck, as he walked back and -forth in the chilly blasts. At each end of his beat he met another -sentinel, a young Kentuckian like himself, and, for the sake of company, -they would exchange a friendly word or two before they parted. - -The night was dark, and, with the icy winds cutting him, Phil, after the -other sentinel had turned away, felt more lonesome in this far strange -land than he had ever been before in his life. Everything about him was -unfriendly, the hard volcanic soil upon which he trod, the shapeless -figures of the adobe huts on the outskirts of the town, and the moaning -winds from the Sierra Madre, which seemed to be more hostile and -penetrating than those of his own country. It was largely imagination, -the effect of his position, but it contained something of reality, also. -It certainly was not fancy alone that peopled the country about with -enemies. An invader is seldom loved, and it was not fancy at all that -created the night and the cold. - -Phil's beat was at the edge of open country, and he could see a little -distance upon a plain. He thought, at times, that shadowy figures with -soundless tread passed there, but he was never sure. He spoke about it -to the sentinel on his right, and then to the sentinel on his left. Each -in turn watched with him, but then the shadows did not pass, and he -concluded that his fancy was playing him tricks. Yet he was troubled, -and he resolved to watch with the utmost vigilance. His beat covered a -path leading into the town, while to right and left of him was very -difficult country. It occurred to him that anybody who wanted to pass -would come his way, and he was resolved that nobody should pass. He -examined every shadow, even if it might be that of a tree moved by the -wind, and he listened to every sound, although it might be made by some -strange Mexican animal. - -Thus the time passed, and the fleeting shadows resolved themselves into -a figure that had substance and that remained. It took the shape of a -man in conical hat and long Mexican serape. He also carried a large -basket on one arm, and he approached with an appearance of timidity and -hesitation. Phil stepped forward at once, held up his rifle, and -called: "Halt!" The man obeyed promptly and pointed to the basket, -saying something in Spanish. When Phil looked, he pulled back the cover -and disclosed eggs and dressed chickens. - -"To sell to the soldiers?" asked the boy. - -The man nodded. Phil could not see his face, which was hidden by the -broad brim of his hat and the folds of his serape, drawn up around his -chin, evidently to fend off the cold. His surmise was likely enough. -The Americans had made a good market at Saltillo, and the peons were -ready to sell. But he did not like the hour or the man's stealthy -approach. - -"No come in," he said, trying to use the simplest words of his language -to a foreigner. "Orders! Orders must be obeyed!" - -The man pointed again to his basket, as if, being in doubt, he would -urge the value of a welcome. - -"No come in," repeated Phil. "Go back," and he pointed toward the woods -from which the Mexican had come. - -The man hesitated, but he did not go. He turned again toward Phil, and -at that moment the wind lifted a segment of his wide hat-brim. Phil -sprang back in amazement. Despite the dark, he recognized the features -of de Armijo, who could have come there for no good, who must have come -as a spy or worse. - -"De Armijo!" he cried, and sprang for him. But the Mexican was as quick -as lightning. He leaped backward, dropped his basket, and the long -blade of a knife flashed in the air. It cut through the sleeve of -Phil's coat, and the sharp point, with a touch like fire, ran along his -arm. It was well for him that he had put on the heavy blanket coat that -night, or the blade would have grated on the bone. - -The pain did not keep Phil from throwing up his rifle, and de Armijo, -seeing that his stroke had not disabled the boy, wheeled and ran. Phil -fired instantly, and saw de Armijo stagger a little. But in a moment -the Mexican recovered himself and quickly disappeared in the darkness, -although Phil rushed after him. He would have followed across the -plain, but he knew it was his duty to go no farther, and he came back to -meet the other sentinels, who were running toward him at the sound of -the shot. Phil quickly explained what had occurred, telling the -identity of the man, and adding that he was crafty and dangerous. - -"A Mexican officer," said one of them. "No doubt he was trying to enter -the town in order to get more complete information about us and our -plans than they have yet obtained. He would have remained hidden by day -in some house, and he would have slipped out again at night when he had -learned all that he wanted. You did a good job, Bedford, when you -stopped him." - -"You did more than stop him," said another, who had brought a small -lantern. "You nicked him before he got away. See, here's a drop of -blood, and here's another, and there's another." - -They followed the trail of the drops, but it did not lead far. -Evidently the effusion of blood had not been great. Then one of the -men, glancing at Phil rather curiously, said: - -"He seems to have touched you up, Bedford. Do you know that a little -stream of blood is running down your left sleeve?" - -Phil was not conscious until then that something moist and warm was -dripping upon his hand. In the excitement of the moment he had -forgotten all about the slash of the knife, but, now that he remembered -it, he felt a sudden weakness. But he hid it from the others, and it -passed in a minute or so. - -The chief of the patrol ordered him to go back and report to an officer, -and this officer happened to be Middleton, who was sitting with -Edgeworth in one of the open camps before a small fire. Phil's arm -meanwhile had been bound up, although he found that the cut was not -deep, and would not incapacitate him. Phil saluted in the new military -style that he was acquiring, and of which he was very proud, and said, -in reply to Middleton's look of inquiry: - -"I have the honor to report, sir, that a spy, a Mexican officer, tried -to pass our lines at the point where I was stationed. He was disguised -as a peon, coming to sell provisions in our camp. When I stopped him he -slashed at me with his knife, although the wound he inflicted was but -slight, and I, in return, fired at him as he ran. I hit him, as drops of -blood on the ground showed, although I think his wound, like mine, was -slight." - -Captain Middleton smiled. - -"Come, Phil," he said, "you've done a good deed, so hop down off your -high horse, and tell it in your old, easy way. Remember that we are -still comrades of the plains." - -Phil smiled, too. The official manner was rather hard and stiff, and it -was easier to do as Middleton suggested. - -"Captain," he said, "I recognized the man, and it was one that we've met -more than once. It was de Armijo." - -"Ah, de Armijo!" exclaimed the Captain. "He was trying to spy upon us. -He is high in the Mexican councils, and his coming here means much. It -is lucky, Phil, that you were the one to stop him, and that you -recognized him. But he did not love you much before, and he will not -love you any more, since you have spilled some of his blood with a -bullet." - -"I know it," replied Phil confidently, "but I feel able to take care of -myself as far as de Armijo is concerned." - -"You go to your tent and sleep," said Middleton, "and I'll put another -man in your place. You must not get too much stiffness and soreness in -that arm of yours. You will be likely to need it soon--also, every other -arm that you have." - -Phil, not loth, returned to his tent, which he shared with Breakstone -and two or three others. Bill awoke, and, after listening to a -narrative of the occurrence, dressed and rebound the arm carefully. - -"I agree with the Captain that things are coming to a head," he said. -"When you see a storm bird like de Armijo around, the storm itself can't -be far behind. I'm glad he didn't get a good whack at you, Phil, but, -as it is, you're so young and so healthy, and your blood is so pure that -it won't give you any trouble. I'll dress it again to-morrow, and in a -few days it will be well." - -Bill Breakstone's prediction was a good one. In three or four days -Phil's wound was entirely healed, and two or three days later he could -use his arm as well as ever. The boy, meanwhile, was getting better -acquainted with the troops, and, like his comrades, was becoming -thoroughly a member of the little army. It was reduced now, by the -steady drains to strengthen Scott, to 4,610 men, of whom less than five -hundred were regular troops. But the volunteers, nearly all from the -west and south, little trained though they might be, were young, hardy, -used to life in the open air, and full of zeal. They had all the fire -and courage of youth, and they did not fear any number of Mexicans. - -But the New Year had come, January in its turn had passed, and the news -drifting in from a thousand sources, like dust from the desert, grew -more alarming. The army organized by Santa Anna at San Luis Potosi was -the largest that had ever been gathered in Mexico, with powerful -artillery and a numerous cavalry. Santa Anna himself was at his best, -drilling, planning, and filling his officers with his own enthusiasm. -In Saltillo itself the people grew bolder. They openly said that it was -time for the Americans to run if they would save themselves from the -invincible Mexican commander and president. It seemed to many of the -Americans even that it would be wise to retreat all the way to the Rio -Grande, but the old general, his heart full of bitterness, gave no such -order. He had begun the campaign in victorious fashion, and then he had -been ordered to stop. He had asked to be allowed to serve as second to -Scott in the great campaign that would go forward from Vera Cruz, and -that had been refused. Then he had asked that more of his troops, -especially the regulars, be left to him, and that, too, had been -refused. He was expected to yield the ground that he had gained, and -retreat in the face of an overwhelming enemy. - -Phil saw General Taylor many times in those days. Any one could see him -as he passed about the city and camp, a gray, silent man, with little -military form, a product of the West and the frontier, to which Phil -himself belonged. It was for that reason, perhaps, that Phil could -enter so thoroughly into the feelings of the general, a simple, -straightforward soldier who believed himself the victim of politics, a -man who felt within him not the facility for easy and graceful speech -and manners, but the rugged power to do great things. He was very -gentle and kind to his men in these days. The soldier who had spent a -lifetime on the frontier, fighting Indians and dealing with the roughest -of his kind, was now more like the head of a great family, a band -knitted all the more closely together because they were in a foreign -land confronted by a great danger. - -Phil was picking up Spanish fast, and his youth, perhaps, caused the -people about the city to make more hints, or maybe threats, to him than -they would have made to an older man. Santa Anna had with him the whole -might of Mexico. He would be before Saltillo in three days, in two -days, to-morrow perhaps. The very air seemed to the boy to be charged -with gunpowder, and he had his moments of despondency. But he had been -through too much danger already to despair, and he allowed no one to -think that at any time he was apprehensive. - -Bill Breakstone was, for the present, the best man in the army. No -other made acquaintances so fast, no other had such a wonderful flow of -cheering words, and he was--or had been--an actor. To many of these -youths who had never seen a play he must certainly have been the -greatest actor in the world. Nor was he like a prima donna, to be -coaxed, and then to refuse four times out of five. He recited nearly -every evening in front of his tent, and he did more than any other man -to keep the army in good heart. General Taylor and his second, General -Wool, said nothing, but the younger officers commented openly and -favorably. Thus the last days of January went by, and they were deep -into February. The menacing reports still came out of the south, and -now it was known definitely that Washington expected Taylor to fall -back. Gloom overspread the young volunteers. They had not fought their -way so far merely to go back, but orders were orders, and they must be -obeyed. - -Early in the evening Bill Breakstone was reciting again in front of his -tent, and at least two hundred stood about listening. This time he was -reciting with great fire and vigor his favorite: "Once more unto the -breach, dear friends," and, when he had said it once, there was a -vigorous call for it again. Obligingly he began the repetition, but -when he was midway in it Middleton strode into the circle and held up -his hand. His attitude was so tense, and his air and manner showed so -much suppressed excitement that every one turned at once from Breakstone -to him. Breakstone himself stopped so short that his mouth was left -wide open, and he, too, gazed at Middleton. - -"My lads," said Middleton, "an order, an important order has just been -issued by the commander-in-chief. You are to prepare at once for -breaking camp, and you are to march at daylight in the morning." - -Some one uttered a groan, and a bold voice spoke up: - -"Do we retreat all the way to the Rio Grande, or do we hide somewhere on -the way?" - -The speaker could not be seen from the place where Middleton stood, nor -would the comrades around him have betrayed him. But Middleton looked -in the direction of the voice, and his figure seemed to swell. Phil, -who was standing near, thought he saw his eyes flicker with light. - -"My lads," said Middleton, and his voice was full and thrilling, "we do -not retreat all the way to the Rio Grande, nor do we hide on the way. -We do not retreat at all. We march forward, southward, through the -mountains to meet the enemy." - -A cheer, sudden, tremendous, and straight from the heart, burst forth, -and it was joined with other cheers that came from other points in the -camp. - -"Now make it three times three for old Rough and Ready!" cried Phil in -his enthusiasm, and they did it with zeal and powerful vocal organs. -Middleton smiled and walked on. Immediately everything was haste and -excitement. The men began to pack. Arms and ammunition were made ready -for the march. Youth looked forward only to victory, thinking little of -the risks and dangers. Breakstone smiled to himself and said under his -breath the words: - - "We would not seek a battle as we are, - Nor as we are, we say we will not shun it. - So tell your master. - - -"Old Rough and Ready perhaps does not seek a battle, but he is willing -to go forward and meet it. Ah! these brave boys! these brave boys!" - -Then he turned to Phil and Arenberg, who were among his tent-mates. - -"We three must stick together through everything," he said. "We've lost -Middleton for the time, because he's got to return to his duties as an -officer." - -"What you say iss good," said Arenberg. - -"It's a bargain," said Phil. - -They looked to the horses--they were in the cavalry--and at midnight -went to sleep. But they were up before dawn, still full of energy and -enthusiasm. As the sun cast its first rays on the cold peaks of the -Sierra Madre, they mounted, fully armed and equipped, and marched out of -Saltillo, although Taylor left a strong guard in the city, wishing to -preserve it as a base. - -Phil rode knee to knee with Arenberg and Breakstone, and the thrill that -he had felt the night before, when Middleton told the news, he felt -again this morning. Horse, foot, and artillery, they were only between -four and five thousand men, but the whole seemed a great army to the -boy. He had never seen so many men under arms before. Breakstone saw -his eye kindling. - -"They are stained by travel and tanned by weather, but it's fine crowd, -just as you think it is, Sir Philip of Saltillo. Don't you agree with -me, Hans, Duke of the Sierra Madre?" - -"It can fight," said Arenberg briefly. - -"And that's what it has come out to do." - -Phil saw the people of Saltillo watching them as the army left the -suburbs and moved on toward the mountains. But the spectators seemed to -be silent. Even the children had little to say. Phil wondered what -they thought in their hearts. He did not doubt that most of them were -sure that this army, or what was left of it, would come back prisoners -of Santa Anna. He was glad when they left them behind, and henceforth -he looked toward the mountains, which upreared cold peaks in the chilly -sunshine of winter. But the air was dazzlingly clear and crisp. Pure -and fresh, it filled all on that high plateau with life, and Phil's mood -was one that expected only the best. - -"We are not going to ride straight over those mountains, are we?" he -said to Bill Breakstone. - -"No," replied Bill, "we feel pretty nearly good enough for anything, but -we will not try any such high jumping as that. There's a pass. You -can't see it from here, because it's a sort of knife-cut going down deep -into the mountains, and they call it the Pass of Angostura. We'll be -there soon." - -There was much noise as the army began its march, friend calling to -friend, the exchange of joke and comment, wagon drivers and cannon -drivers shouting to their horses, and the clanking of arms. But they -soon settled down into a steady sound, all noises fusing into one made -by an army that continued to march but that had ceased to talk. - -Phil studied the mountains as they came nearer. They were dark and -somber. Their outlines were jagged, and they had but little forest or -verdure. The peaks seemed to him volcanic, presenting a multitude of -sharp edges. - -As the sun rose higher, the day grew somewhat warmer, but it was still -full of chill. The horses blew smoke from their nostrils. Scouts -coming out of the passes met them and repeated that Santa Anna was now -advancing from San Luis Potosi. Nor had rumor exaggerated his forces. -He outnumbered the American army at least five to one, and his front was -covered by a great body of cavalry under General Minon, one of the best -Mexican leaders. - -This news quickly traveled through the columns, and Phil and his friends -were among the first to hear it. Breakstone gazed anxiously at the -peaks. - -"They don't know just how far Santa Anna has come," he said, "but it's -mighty important for us going to the south to get through that pass -before he, coming to the north, can get through it." - -"We'll make it," said Phil, with the sanguine faith of youth. "I don't -believe that Santa Anna is yet near enough to dispute the pass with us." - -"Likely you are right, Sir Philip of the Brave Heart and the Cheerful -Countenance," replied Bill Breakstone. "But we shall soon see for -certain. In another hour we will enter the defiles." - -Phil said nothing, but rode on with his comrades. The city had now -dropped behind them and was far out of sight. On their flanks rode -scouts who would be skirmishers if need be. They marched on a level and -good road, and about six miles from Saltillo they passed a hacienda and -tiny village. - -"What village is that?" asked Phil of some one. - -"Buena Vista," was the reply. - -Phil heard it almost without noticing, although it was a reply to his -own question. Yet it was a name that he was destined soon to recall and -never to forget. How often for years and years afterward that name came -back to him at night, syllable by syllable and letter by letter! Now he -rode on, taking no thought of it, and the little village and hacienda -lay behind him, sleeping peacefully in the sun. His attention was for -the mountains, because they were now entering the defile, the pass of -Angostura, which cuts through the spur thrown out by the Sierra Madre. -This is lofty, and the way narrowed fast. Nor did the sunlight fall so -plentifully there, and the winds grew colder as they whistled through -the pass. After the brilliant opalescent air of the plain, they seemed -to be riding in a sort of twilight, and Phil felt his spirits droop. -Deeper and deeper they went into the cut. Above him loomed the -mountains, dark and menacing. Shrub and dwarfed plants clung here and -there in the crannies, but the range was bare, and often it was -distorted into strange shapes, sometimes like that of the human -countenance. The sky showed in a ribbon above, but it had turned gray, -and was somber and depressing. Behind came the long line of the army, -the wheels of the artillery clanking over the stones. - -Once or twice Phil thought he saw figures in sombreros and serapes far -up the mountainside, watching them. Mexicans, no doubt, ready to report -to Santa Anna the advance of the American army. He expected that some -stray shots might be fired down into the pass by these spies or -guerillas, but evidently they had other business than merely to annoy, -and no bullets came. - -Phil's horse stumbled, and the boy saved him from a fall with a quick -pull. Arenberg's horse stumbled, also, and Phil noticed that his own -was now walking gingerly over a path of solid but dark stone, corrugated -and broken into sharp edges. Well might a horse, even one steel-shod, -be careful here! Phil knew it was volcanic rock, lava that had flowed -down ages ago from the crests of the peaks about them, once volcanoes -but extinct long since. - -His horse stumbled again, but recovered himself quickly. It certainly -was dangerous rock, sometimes sharp almost like a knifeblade, and the -shoes of the infantry would be cut badly. Cut badly! A sudden thought -sprang up in his brain and refused to be dislodged. It was one of those -lightning ideas, based on little things, that carry conviction with them -through their very force and swiftness. His free hand went up to the -breast of his coat and clutched the spot beneath which his brother's -letter lay. He had read a hundred times the words of the captive, -telling how his feet had beer cut by the sharp stone. Lava might be -found at many places in Mexico, but it was along these trails in -Northern Mexico that the fighting bands of Mexicans and Texans passed. -He reasoned with himself for a few moments, saying that he was foolish, -and hoping that he was not, but the idea remained in his head, and he -knew that it was fixed there. He leaned over and said, in a husky -whisper to Bill Breakstone: - -"Bill, have you noticed it! The rock! The lava! How it cuts! How it -would quickly slice the sole from the shoe of a captive who had marched -far! Bill! Bill, I say, have you noticed it?" - -Bill Breakstone looked in astonishment at his young comrade, but he was -a man of uncommonly quick perceptions, and in a moment he comprehended. - -"I understand," he said. "Your brother's letter and the passage in -which he tells of his shoes being cut by the sharp stone while he was -led along blindfolded. He may have passed along this very road, Phil. -It may be. It may be. I won't say you are wrong." - -"What if we are near him now!" continued Phil. "I've often heard you -quote those lines, Bill, saying there are more things in heaven and -earth than we dream of in our philosophy. I told you before that if the -letter could reach me so far away in Kentucky it could also bring mo to -the place where it was written! I believed it then, Bill, and I believe -it now. What if John is here in these mountains, within forty or fifty -miles of us, or maybe twenty!" - -"Steady, boy, steady!" said Bill Breakstone soothingly. "Your guess may -be right. God knows I'm not the one to deny it, but we've got to fight -a battle first. At least, I think so, and for the present we must put -our minds on it." - -Phil was silent, but his idea possessed him. Often we dwell upon things -so long and we seek so hard to have them happen in a certain way that -the slightest indication becomes proof. He could not think now of -Taylor or Santa Anna, or of a coming battle, but only of his brother -between four narrow stone walls, sitting at a narrow window that looked -out upon a bleak mountainside. His horse no longer felt the guiding hand -upon the bridle rein, but guided himself. Breakstone noticed that the -boy's mind was far away, and, his heart full of sympathy, he said -nothing for a long time. - -They passed after awhile into a narrow valley, down the center of which -ran a dry arroyo, fully twenty feet deep, with perpendicular banks. The -rest of the valley was crisscrossed with countless gullies worn by -winter storms and floods, and the army was compelled to march in a -slender file in the bed of the arroyo. Here many of the cavalrymen -dismounted and led their horses. The cannon wheels clanked louder than -ever. - -"I'll be glad when we're through this," said Bill Breakstone. "Seems to -me the place was built for a trap, and it's mighty lucky for us that -there's nobody here to spring it. Look out, Phil, you'd better watch -your horse now! Some of these turnings are pretty rough, and you don't -want a thousand pounds or so of horseflesh tumbling down upon you." - -Phil came back from his visions and devoted himself to the task before -them, one that required the full attention of every man. An entire -battery became stuck in a gully that intersected the arroyo. He and -other cavalrymen hitched their horses to the guns and helped pull them -out. The whole army was now stumbling and struggling over the fearful -ground. Every effort was made to save artillery and horses alike from -injury. But as they approached its lower end the Pass of Angostura -became still more difficult. The gullies increased in number, and many -of the deep intersecting ravines ran far back into the mountains. A -swarm of sure-footed skirmishers on either flank could have done great -damage here to the Americans, but the peaks and the lava slopes on -either side presented only silence and desolation. - -It was a long journey, difficult in the extreme, and attended by -thousands of falls, cuts, and bruises, but the army came through the -Pass of Angostura at last, marching out upon a series of promontories or -ridges, each about a mile long and perhaps a third of a mile across. -From these the exhausted troops looked back at the frowning mountains -and the deep defile through which they had come. - -"That was certainly a job," said Bill Breakstone. - -"Yes," said Middleton, who stood near, "but what a place for a defense, -the plateau and these promontories running out from it, and all the -ravine and gullies behind!" - -It is a matter of chronicle that at least fifty officers were saying the -same words at almost the same time, and even Phil, without military -training, could see the truth of it. Taylor pushed on to Agua Neva, -arriving there in the evening. But the next morning the reports of -Santa Anna's advance in overwhelming force became so numerous that he -fell back with the main army to the mouth of the Pass of Angostura, -leaving Marshall with his brave Kentuckians as a rear guard at Agua -Neva, and with instructions to make the utmost resistance if they were -attacked. - -The next night came on somber and cold. It was the evening of February -21, 1847, and the next day would be the birthday of the great -Washington, a fact not forgotten by these young volunteers so far from -the states in which they were born. This was a land totally unlike -their own. Cold black peaks showed in the growing twilight. Around -them were the gullies, the ravines, and the arroyos, with the sheets of -the ancient black lava. It was like a region that belonged in the far -beginning of time. - -A great force under Wool, the second in command, was throwing up -intrenchments of earth and rock and fortifying the heads of the ravines. -Lieutenant Washington, with five heavy guns, was planted in the roadway, -or rather trail, in front of all. Other guns were placed on the plateau -and promontories, and behind guns and parapets the army went into camp -for the night. - -"This doesn't look much like Kentucky and the Bluegrass, does it, Phil?" -said Grayson, as they drank their coffee. - -Phil glanced at the mountains, the crests of which were now hidden in -the darkness, and listened to the cold wind moaning through the narrow -pass by which they had come. Then he replied: - -"It doesn't, by a long sight, and I can tell you that I'm mighty glad -I've lots of company here. If I were alone, I'd feel that the ghosts of -the old Aztecs and Toltecs were surrounding me in the darkness. It's -good to see the fires." - -Many fires had been lighted, mostly in the ravines, where they were -sheltered from the wind, but Phil had no doubt that the scouts of Santa -Anna saw points of light at the mouth of the pass. After his supper he -stood upon one of the promontories and strove to pierce the darkness to -the south. But he could see nothing. The night hung an opaque veil -over the lower country. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - - A WIND OF THE DESERT - - -Although many of the soldiers, the more hardened, had lain down to -sleep, Phil did not feel that he could close his eyes. Too many deep -emotions stirred his soul. He felt that he was at the verge of a great -event, one in which he was to take a part to the full extent of his -strength and courage, and there, too, was the sign of the lava, always -coming back, always persisting. He might reason with himself and call -himself foolish, but he could not dispossess his mind of the idea that -it was an omen to show him that he was upon the trail by which that -letter had come so vast a distance to him in the little town of Paris. - -Every nerve in the boy was astir. He walked back and forth on one of -the promontories, looking at the mountains which now in the darkness had -become black and full of threats, and trying in vain to soothe and quiet -himself so he could lie down like the others and take the rest and -forgetfulness that all men need before going into battle. While he was -there, Middleton called to him: - -"Come, Phil," he said, reverting to his old manner of comradeship, "you -ride with us to-night." - -"Ride to-night!" replied Phil. "Where?" - -"To the south, to meet Santa Anna. I am ordered to take thirty men and -keep going until I come into touch with the enemy. I am to have thirty -men of my choice, and you, Breakstone, and Arenberg were the first three -that I named. You don't have to go unless you wish." - -"But I wish!" exclaimed Phil earnestly. "Don't think I'm unwilling, -Captain! Don't think it!" - -Middleton laughed. - -"I don't," he said. "I knew that you would be keen for it. Saddle your -horse and look to your arms. We ride in five minutes." - -Phil was ready in three, and the thirty troopers rode silently down one -of the ravines and into the lower country. Phil looked back and saw the -fires of the camp, mere red, yellow, and pink dots of flame. The -mountains themselves were fused into a solid mass of black. The troop, -arrow headed in shape, with Middleton at the point of the shaft, and -Phil, Breakstone, and Arenberg close behind him, rode in silence save -for the beat of their horses' hoofs. The wind here did not moan like -that in the pass, but it seemed to Phil to be colder, and it had an edge -of fine particles that stung his cheeks and eyes. - -The night was bright enough to allow of fairly swift riding, and the -ground was no longer cut and gullied as at the mouth of the pass. Hence -the troopers were not compelled to devote their whole attention to their -horses and they could watch the country for sign of an enemy. But they -did not yet see any such sign. Phil knew that they were on the road, -leading southward to Santa Anna, and he felt sure that if they kept upon -it they must soon come upon the Mexican army. Yet the silence and -desolation were complete here. The pass had been weird and somber to -the full, but there they had thousands of comrades, and the fires in the -ravines had been cheering. Now the unlit darkness was all about them, -and it still had that surcharged quality that it had borne for Phil when -in the pass. Nor did the fine dust cease to sting his face. - -"What is it, Bill?" he asked. "Where does it come from, this dust?" - -"It's a wind of the desert that stings us, Phil," replied Breakstone. -"It comes vast distances, and I think, too, that it brings some of the -fine dust ground off the surface of the lava. Its effect is curious. -It's like burnt gunpowder in the nostrils. It seems to heat the inside, -too." - -"It makes me feel that way," said Phil, "and it seems to be always -urging us on." - -"An irritant, as it were," said Breakstone, "but I don't think we need -it. The event itself is enough to keep us all on edge. Feel cold, -Phil?" - -"No, I've got a pair of buckskin gauntlets. Fine thing for riding on -nights like this." - -"So have I. But the night is cold, though. Now we're always thinking -of warm weather in Mexico, but we never find a country what we expect it -to be. Ah, we're leaving the road. The Captain must think there is -something not far ahead." - -They turned at a sharp angle from the road, and entered a thin forest. -Phil looked back toward the mouth of the pass from which they had come. -Everything there was behind an impenetrable black veil. The last point -of fire had died, and the mountains themselves were hidden. But he took -only a single backward look. The wind of the desert was still stinging -his face, and it seemed to arouse him to uncommon fire and energy. His -whole attention was concentrated upon their task, and he was eager to -distinguish himself in some way. But he neither heard nor saw anything -unusual. - -They proceeded slowly through the forest, seeking to prevent all but the -least possible noise, and came presently to a field in which Indian corn -seemed to have grown. But it was bare now, save for the dead stalks -that lay upon the ground, and here the troop spread out, riding almost -in a single line. - -It was Phil, keen of eye and watchful, who first saw a dim red tint -under the far southern horizon, and he at once called Middleton's -attention. The Captain halted them instantly, and his gaze followed the -line of Phil's pointing finger. - -"It is Santa Anna's army," he said, "and you, Phil, have the honor of -locating it first. The dim band of light which you pointed out is made -by their camp fires, which are many. We need not try to conceal that -fact from ourselves." - -"We take a nearer view, do we not, Captain?" asked Bill Breakstone. - -"Of course," replied Middleton, "but be cautious, all of you. It is -important to see, but it is equally important to get back to General -Taylor with the tale our eyes may tell." - -They rode forward again in a long and silent line. Phil's heart began to -throb. The desert wind was still stinging his face with the fine -impalpable dust that seemed to excite every nerve. As they advanced, -the red tint on the southern horizon broadened and deepened. It was -apparent that it stretched far to east and west. - -"It iss a great army, and it means much harm," said Arenberg softly, -more to himself than to anybody else. - -Nearer and nearer rode the bold horsemen, stopping often to watch for -the Mexican lancers who would surely be in advance of the army, beating -up the country, despite the darkness, but they did not yet see any. -They rode on so far that they heard the occasional sound of a trumpet in -the Mexican camp, and the fires no longer presented a solid line. - -"Captain," asked Bill Breakstone, "what do you think the sound of those -trumpets means at an hour like this?" - -"I'm not sure, Bill," replied Middleton, "but it must signify some -movement. The Mexicans, like many other people, love color and parade -and sound, but they would scarcely be indulging in such things at -midnight just for their own sakes. It is some plan. Santa Anna is a -man of great energy and initiative. But we must discover what it is. -That is what we came for." - -The advance was renewed, although they went slowly, guarding as well as -they could against the least possible sound from their horses. They -were now so near that they could see figures passing before the fires, -and the dark outline of tents. They also heard the hum of many voices, -the tread of hoofs by hundreds, and the jingling of many, spurs and -bridle bits. Phil watched almost breathless, and the desert wind still -blew on his face, stirring him with its fine, impalpable powder, and -adding new fire to the fire that already burned in his veins. And Phil -saw that Middleton shared in this excited interest. The officer's gloved -hand on his bridle rein quivered with eagerness. - -"Yet a little nearer, my lads," he whispered. "We must risk everything -to find out what Santa Anna is intending at so late an hour." - -Screened by a narrow thicket of strange, cactuslike plants, they rode so -close that they could see between the leaves and thorns directly into -the camp. Here they sat on motionless horses, but Phil heard a deep -"Ah!" pass between Middleton's closed teeth. The boy himself had -experience and judgment enough to know now what was going forward. All -this jingling of bits and spurs meant the gathering of the Mexican -cavalry. The Mexican camp fires burned along a front that seemed -interminable, and also scores of torches were held aloft to guide in the -work that was now being done. - -Phil saw the Mexican horsemen wheel out by hundreds, until there was a -great compact body of perhaps two thousand men, gaudily dressed, well -mounted, and riding splendidly. Many carried rifles or muskets, but -there were at least a thousand lancers, the blades of their long weapons -gleaming in the firelight. Officers in gorgeous uniforms were at their -head. Presently the trumpet blew again, and the great force of cavalry -under General Minon began to move. - -"An advance at midnight," breathed Middleton, but Phil heard him. "And -there go infantry behind them. It is an attack in force. I have it! I -have it! They are going toward Agua Neva. Santa Anna thinks that our -whole army is there, and probably he believes he can get in our rear and -cut us off. Then he'll compress us between his vast numbers as if we -were in the jaws of a vise." - -Then he added, in a slightly louder tone: - -"Come, my lads, we ride to Agua Neva, but we must be as careful as ever. -We know now what our task is, and we will do it." - -They turned and rode away. Fortune was with them. No horse neighed. -Perhaps the sound of their hoofs might have been heard now, had it not -been for the great Mexican column marching toward Agua Neva, where the -rear guard under Marshall was hurrying the stores, that had been left -there, northward to Taylor. Middleton swung his little troop to one -side, until they were well beyond the hearing of Minon's cavalry. - -"There can no longer be any doubt that they are heading for Agua Neva," -he said, "and we must beat them there, no matter what happens. Ride, -boys, ride!" - -They broke into a gallop, sweeping in a long line across some open -fields, riding straight for a few points of light behind which they knew -was Agua Neva. They were now well ahead of the great column, and -Middleton took the chance of meeting any stray band of Mexican scouts -and skirmishers. They did meet such a band, but it was small, and, when -the Mexican hail was answered with a shout in a foreign tongue, it -quickly scattered and gave the Americans free passage. A few shots were -fired, but nobody in Middleton's troop was touched, and none in the -other. Without breaking line the Americans rode on. The lights grew -clearer and increased in number. In a few moments they clattered down -on Agua Neva, and ready sentinels, rifle in hand, halted them. - -"Friends!" cried Middleton. "I am Captain Middleton, with scouts from -General Taylor. I must see your commander at once!" - -But Marshall was there as he spoke, and Middleton exclaimed in short -words, surcharged with emphasis and earnestness: - -"Santa Anna is coming down upon you! We have seen his cavalry marching, -and the infantry are behind them! They will soon be here! They must -think that our whole army is in Agua Neva, and evidently they intend to -surround it." - -"All right," said Marshall calmly. "Most of the wagons are already on -the way to the pass. We cover their retreat, and the General told us to -hold on here as long as we could. We mean to do it. Are you with us, -Captain?" - -"Certainly," replied Captain Middleton briefly. "You can depend on us to -the last." - -"Minon's cavalry must be coming now," said Marshall. "It seems to me -that I hear the tread of many horsemen." - -"It is they," said Middleton. Marshall's men and his then fell back -toward the little town. They were only a few hundred in number, but -they had no idea of retreating without a fight. They were posted behind -some stone walls, hedges, and a few scattered houses. The last of the -wagons loaded with stores were rumbling away northward toward the Pass -of Angostura. - -Phil sat on his horse behind a stone wall, and all was silence along the -line. The wind still blew, and stung his face with the dust of the -desert. His heart throbbed and throbbed. He saw Middleton open his -watch, hold it close to his face in order that he might see the hands in -the moonlight, and then shut it with a little snap. - -"Midnight exactly," he said, "and here they come!" - -The heavy tread of many men was now in their ears, and the lances -gleamed in the moonlight, as the great Mexican force swung into the open -space about the little town. They came on swiftly and full of ardor, -but a sheet of fire blazed in their faces. The long rifles of the -Americans were well aimed, despite the night--they could scarcely miss -such a mass--and horses and riders went down together. - -While they were still in confusion, Marshall's little force loaded and -fired again. A terrible uproar ensued. Men groaned or shouted, horses -neighed with fright or screamed with pain. Many of them ran riderless -between the combatants. Phil heard the Mexican officers shouting orders -and many strange curses. Smoke arose and permeated the night air -already charged with the dust of the desert. The Mexicans fired almost -at random in the darkness, but they were many, and the bullets flying in -showers were bound to strike somebody. Two or three Americans dropped -slain from their horses, or, on foot, died where they were struck, -behind the walls. The Mexicans in a vast half circle still advanced. -Marshall and Middleton conferred briefly. - -"How many men have you?" asked Marshall. - -"Thirty." - -"I have about fifty more cavalrymen. Take them and charge with all your -might. They may think in the darkness that you have a thousand." - -"Come!" said Middleton to his men, and he and the eighty rode out into -the open. They paused there only an instant, because the great half -circle of the Mexicans was still advancing. Phil, in the moonlight, saw -the enemy very distinctly, the lances and escopetas, the tall conical -hats with wide brims, and the dark faces under them. Then, at the -command of Middleton, they fired their rifles and galloped straight at -the foe. - -Phil could never give any details of that wild moment. He was conscious -of a sudden surge of the blood, the thudding of hoofs, the blades of -lances almost in his face, fierce, dark eyes glaring into his own, and -then they struck. The impact was accompanied by the flashing of sabers, -the falling of men and horses, shouts and groans, while the smoke from -the firing to the right and left of them drifted in their faces. - -Phil felt a shock as his horse struck that of a Mexican lancer. The -lance-blade flashed past his face, and it felt cold on his cheek as it -passed, but it did not touch him. The Mexican's horse went down before -the impact of his, and he saw that the whole troop, although a few -saddles were emptied, had crashed through the Mexican line. They had cut -it apart like a knife through cheese. While the Mexicans were yet -reeling from the shock, Middleton, a born cavalry leader, wheeled his -men about, and they charged back through the Mexican line at another -point. The second passage was easier than the first, because Minon's men -had been thrown into disorder, yet it was not made without wounds. Phil -was slightly grazed in the side by a bullet, and a lance had torn his -coat on his shoulder. If the cloth had not given way he would have been -thrown from the saddle. As it was, he nearly dropped his rifle, but he -managed to retain both seat and weapon. - -"All right!" shouted a voice in his ear. It was that of Breakstone, who -was watching over him like a father. - -"All right," returned Phil confidently, and then they were back with -Marshall's men, all but a dozen, who would ride no more. - -"Good work," said Marshall to Middleton. "That startled them. They -will ride back a little, and our riflemen, too, are doing almost as good -work in the moonlight as they could in the sunlight." - -The blood was pounding so heavily in Phil's ears after the double charge -that he did not realize until then that the heavy firing had never -ceased. The little American force reloaded and pulled the trigger so -quickly that the volume of their firing gave the effect of numbers three -or four times that of the real. The darkness, too, helped the illusion, -and the Southerners and Westerners replied to the shouts of the Mexicans -with resounding cheers of their own. An officer galloped up, and Phil -heard him shout to Marshall above the crash of the firing: - -"The last of the wagons is beyond the range of fire!" - -"Good," said Marshall. "Now we, too, must fall back. The moment they -discover how few we are they can wrap us in a coil that we cannot break. -But we'll fight them while they follow us." - -The little force was drawn in skillfully, and the horsemen on either -flank began to retire from Agua Neva. The Mexicans, urged by Minon, -Torrejon, Ampudia, and Santa Anna himself, pushed hard against the -retiring force, seeking either to capture or destroy it. More than once -they threatened to enfold it with their long columns, but here the -horsemen, spreading out, held them off, and the long range rifles of the -Americans were weapons that the Mexicans dreaded. As on many another -battlefield, the Westerners and Southerners, trained from their boyhood -to marksmanship, fired with terrible accuracy. The moonlight, now that -their eyes had grown used to it, was enough for them. Their firing, as -the slow retreat northward toward the Pass of Angostura went on, never -ceased, and their path was marked by a long trail of their fallen foes. -Santa Anna and his generals sought in vain to flank them, but the -darkness was against the greater force. It was not easy to combine and -make use of numbers when only moonlight served. Regiments were likely -to fire into one another, but the small compact body of the Americans -kept easily in touch, and they retreated practically in one great hollow -square blazing with fire on every side. "Hold on as long as you can," -Taylor had said to Marshall, but Marshall, in the face of twenty to one, -held on longer than any one had dreamed. - -Santa Anna had expected to get his great cavalry force in the rear of -Taylor at Agua Neva, but at midnight, finding Taylor not there and only -a small detachment left, he had hoped to capture or destroy that in a -few minutes. Instead, half his army was fighting a most desperate rear -guard action with a few hundred men, and every second Marshall saved was -precious to the commander back there at the Pass of Angostura. - -Phil was grazed by another bullet, and his horse was stung once. -Arenberg was slightly wounded, but Breakstone was untouched, and the -three still kept close together. The boy could not take note of the -passage of time. It seemed to him that they had been fighting for hours -as they gave way slowly before the huge mass of the Mexican army. Great -clouds of smoke from the firing had turned the moonlight to a darker -quality. Now and then it drifted in such quantities that the moon was -wholly obscured, and then it was to the advantage of the Americans, who -could fire from their hollow square in every direction, and be sure that -they hit no friend. - -They had now left the town far behind and were well on the way to the -Pass. Phil noticed that the fire of the Mexicans was slackening. -Evidently Santa Anna had begun to believe that it would not pay to -follow up any longer a rear guard that stung so hard and so often. This -certainly was the belief of Bill Breakstone. - -"The pursuit is dying," he said, "not because they don't want us, but -because our price is too high. - - It is not right - To fight at night - Unless you know - Right well your foe. - The darkness cumbers - Him with numbers; - The few steal away, - And are gone at day. - - -"My verse is a little ragged this time, Phil, but it is made in the heat -of action, and it at least tells a true tale. See how their fire is -sinking! The flashes stop to the right, they stop to the left, and they -will soon stop in the center. It's a great night, Phil, for Marshall -and his men. They were ordered to do big things, and they've filled the -order twice over. And we came into it, too, Phil, don't forget that! -There, they've stopped entirely, as I told you they would!" - -The firing along Santa Anna's front ceased abruptly, and as the retreat -continued slowly the columns of the Mexican army were lost in the -darkness. No lance heads glittered, and the bugles no longer called the -men to action. Bill Breakstone had spoken truly. Santa Anna found the -rear guard too tough for him to handle in the darkness, and stopped for -the rest of the night. When assured of this, Marshall ordered his -little force to halt, while they took stock of the wounded and dressed -their hurts as best they could at such a hurried moment. Then they -resumed their march for the pass, with the wagons that they had defended -so well lumbering on ahead. - -After the exertion of so much physical or mental energy the men rode or -walked in silence. Phil was surprised to find that his hands and face -were wet with perspiration, and he knew then that his face must be black -with burnt gunpowder. But he felt cold presently, as the chill night -wind penetrated a body relaxed after so great an effort. Then he took -the blanket roll from his saddle and wrapped it around him. Breakstone -and Arenberg had already done the same. Looking back, Phil saw a few -lights twinkling where the Mexicans had lighted their new camp fires, -but no sound came from that point. Yet, as of old, the desert wind blew, -and the fine dust borne on its edge stung his face, and brought to his -nostrils an odor like that of battle. Under its influence he was still -ready for combat. He gloried in the achievement of this little division -in which he had a part, and it gave him strength and courage for the -greater struggle, by far, that was coming. Breakstone shared in his -pleasure, and talked lightly in his usual fashion, but Arenberg was -sober and very thoughtful. - -"Well, we burnt old Santa Anna's face for him, if we did do it in the -dark," said Bill, "and we can do it in daylight, too." - -"But did you see his numbers?" said Arenberg. "Remember how vast was his -camp, and with what a great force he attacked us at Agua Neva. Ach, I -fear me for the boys who are so far from their home, the lads of -Kentucky and Illinois and the others!" - -"Don't be downhearted, Hans, old boy," said Breakstone with genuine -feeling. "I know you have things on your mind--though I don't ask you -what they are--that keep you from being cheerful, but don't forget that -we've the habit of victory. Our boys are Bonaparte's soldiers in the -campaign of Italy, they don't mean to be beaten, and they don't get -beaten. And you can put that in your pipe, too, and smoke it, Sir -Philip of the Horse Battle and the Night Retreat. Look, we're -approaching the Pass. See the lights come out one by one. Don't the -lights of a friend look good?" - -Phil agreed with him. It was a satisfying thing to come safely out of a -battle in which they had done what they had wanted to do, and return to -their own army. It was now nearly morning, but the troops still marched, -while the last wagons rumbled on ahead. Scouts came forward to hail -them and to greet them warmly when they found that they were friends. -There was exultation, too, when they heard the news of the fine fight -that the little division had given to Santa Anna. Lieutenant -Washington, who was in charge of the division that commanded the road, -met Middleton and Marshall a hundred yards from the mouths of his guns, -and Phil heard them talking. General Taylor had not yet returned from -Saltillo, where he had gone to strengthen and fortify the division at -that place, as he greatly feared a flank movement of Santa Anna around -the mountain to seize the town and cut him off. - -Wool, meanwhile, was in command, and he listened to the reports of -Marshall and Middleton, commending them highly for the splendid -resistance that they had offered to overwhelming numbers. Phil gathered -from their tone, although it was only confirmation of a fact that he -knew already, that their little force was in desperate case, indeed. -Never before had the omens seemed so dark for an American army. For in -a desolate and gloomy country, with every inhabitant an enemy and spy -upon them, with an army outnumbering them five to one approaching, brave -men might well despair. - -It struck Phil with sudden force that the odds could be too great after -all, and that he might never finish his quest. In another hour or two -he might see his last sunrise. He shook himself fiercely, told himself -that he was foolish and weak, and then rode toward the pass. They -tethered their horses on the edge of the plateau, and at the advice of -Middleton all sought sleep. - -But the boy's nerves were yet keyed too highly for relaxation. His -weary body was resting, but his heart still throbbed. He saw the -sentinels walking back and forth. He saw the dark shapes of cannon -posted on the promontories, and above them the mountains darker and yet -more somber. Several fires still burned in the ravines, and the -officers sat about them talking, but most of the army slept. As Phil lay -on the earth he heard the wind moaning behind him as it swept up the -pass, but it still touched his face with the fine impalpable dust that -stung like hot sand, and that seemed to him to be an omen and a presage. -He lay a long time staring into the blackness in the direction in which -Santa Anna's army now lay, where he and his comrades had fought such a -good fight at midnight. He saw nothing there with his real eye, but -with his mind's eye he beheld the vast preparations, the advance of the -horsemen, and the flashing of thousands of lances in the brilliant -light. - -When the morning sun was showing over the ridges and peaks of the Sierra -Madre, and pouring its light into the nooks and crannies of the ravines, -he fell asleep. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - - BUENA VISTA - - -Phil did not sleep long, only an hour perhaps, and then it was -Breakstone's arm on his shoulder that awakened him. He had laid down -fully clothed, and he sprang at once to his feet. His nerves, too, had -been so thoroughly keyed for action that every faculty responded at once -to the call, and he was never more wide awake in his life. Quickly he -looked about him and saw that it was a most brilliant morning. The sun -was swinging upward with a splendor that he had not before seen in these -gorges of the Sierra Madre. The mountains were bathed in light. The -bare ridges and peaks stood out like carving, and the sunbeams danced -along the black lava. - -"It is Washington's Birthday, and the sun is doing him honor," said -Breakstone. "But look there, Phil." - -He pointed a long straight finger into the south. - -"See that tiny cloud of dust," he said, "there where rock and sky meet. -I'll wager everything against nothing that it was raised by the hoofs of -Minon's cavalry. Santa Anna and his whole army are surely advancing. -Watch it grow." - -Phil looked with eager eyes, and he saw everything that Bill Breakstone -had predicted come to pass. The cloud of dust, so small at first that -he could scarcely see it, grew in height, and began to spread in a -yellow line along the whole horizon. By and by it grew so high that the -wind lifted the upper part of it and sent it whirling off in spirals and -coils. Then through the dust they saw flashes, the steel of weapons -giving back the rays of the sun like a mirror. - -The American scouts and sentinels had been drawn in--no need for them -now--and the whole army was crouched at the mouth of the pass. Almost -every soldier could watch Santa Anna unroll before them the vast and -glittering panorama of his army. But Taylor himself did not see this -first appearance. He had not come from Saltillo, and Wool, the second -in command, waited, troubled and uneasy. - -Phil was still dismounted, and he stood with his friends on one of the -promontories watching the most thrilling of all dramas unfold itself, -the drama in which victory or defeat, life or death are the stakes. It -was at best a bare and sterile country, and now, in the finish of the -winter, the scanty vegetation itself was dead. The dust from the dead -earth and the dust from the surface of the lava, ground off by iron-shod -hoofs, rose in clouds that always increased, and that seemed to thicken -as well as to rise and broaden. To Philip's mind occurred the likeness -of a vast simoon, coming, though slowly, toward the American lines. But -he knew that the heart of the simoon was a great army which considered -victory absolutely sure. - -"Looks as if Santa Anna had a million down there in the dust," said -Breakstone. "Dost thou remember, Sir Philip of the Mountain, the -Ravine, and the Lava, that passage in Macbeth in which Birnam Wood doth -come to Dunsinane? It is in my mind now because the dust of New Leon -seems coming to the Pass of Angostura." - -"They are at least as well hid as Macduff's army was by the wood," said -Phil. "That huge cloud seems to roll over the ground, and we can't see -anything in it but the flashes of light on the weapons." - -They waited awhile longer in silence. The whole American army was -watching. All the preparations had been made, and soldiers and officers -now had little to do but bide the time. Presently the great wall of -dust split apart, then a sudden shift of wind lifted it high, and -whirled it over the plain. As if revealed by the sudden lifting of a -curtain, the whole magnificent army of Santa Anna stood forth, -stretching along a front of two miles, and more than twenty thousand -strong. A deep breath, more like a murmur, rose from the soldiers in -the pass. They had known long before that they were far outnumbered. The -officers had never concealed from them this fact, but here was the -actual and visible presence. - -"Five to one," said Bill Breakstone, softly and under his breath. - -"But they haven't beaten us," said Phil. - -The Mexican army now halted, the cavalry of Minon in front and on the -flanks, and, seen from the pass, it was certainly an array of which -Mexico could be proud. Everything stained or worn was hidden. Only the -splendor and glory appeared. The watchers saw the bright uniforms, the -generals riding here and there, the numerous batteries, and the -brilliant flags waving. Evidently they were making a camp, as if they -held the rat in their trap, and would take their time about settling his -fate. The sound of bugles, and then of a band playing military airs, -came up, and to those in the pass these sounds were like a taunt. -Arenberg, a man of few words, uttered a low guttural sound like a growl. - -"They are too sure," he said. "It iss never well to be too sure." - -"That's the talk, Old Dutch," said Breakstone. "First catch your army." - -They waited awhile longer, watching, and then they heard a cheer behind -them in the pass. It was General Taylor, returning from Saltillo and -riding hard. He emerged upon the plateau and sat there on his horse, -overlooking the plain, and the great curve of Santa Anna's army. Phil -was near enough to see his face, and he watched him intently. - -There was nothing romantic about old Zachary Taylor. He had neither -youth nor distinction of appearance. He was lined and seamed by forty -years of service, mostly in the backwoods, and the white hair was thick -around his temples. Nor was anything splendid about his uniform. It was -dusty and stained by time and use. But within that rugged old frame -beat the heart of a lion. He had not retreated when he heard the rumors -that Santa Anna was coming, and he would not retreat now that Santa Anna -was here with five to his one. Perhaps he recognized that in his -sixty-two years of life his one moment for greatness had come, and he -would make the most of it for himself and his country. - -Long the general sat there on his horse, looking down into the plain, -and the more important officers clustered in a group a short distance -behind him. The brightness of the day increased. It seemed bound to -make itself worthy of the great anniversary. The colors of the sunlight -shifted and changed on the ridges and peaks, and the thin, luminous air -seemed to bring Santa Anna's army nearer. A breeze sprang up presently, -and it felt crisp and fresh on the faces of the soldiers. It also blew -out the folds of a large and beautiful American flag, which had been -hoisted on one of the promontories, and as the fluttering and vivid -colors glowed in the sun's rays, a cry of defiance, not loud, but -suppressed and rolling, passed through the army. - -"Santa Anna will not come to any picnic," said Bill Breakstone. - -"He means much harm, and he will suffer much," said Arenberg. - -"Our army is not frightened," said Breakstone. "I have been among the -troops, and they are cheerful, even confident." - -Phil saw that the officers had been watching something intently with -their glasses, and now he was able to see it himself with the naked eye. - -"A messenger with a white flag is coming from Santa Anna," he announced. -"Now what can he want?" - -"He can want only one thing," said Breakstone; "but we'll wait and let -him tell it himself." - -The herald, holding his white flag aloft, rode straight toward the -American army. When within three hundred yards of the American line he -was met by skirmishers, who brought him forward. - -"Don't you see something familiar in that figure and face, Phil?" asked -Bill Breakstone. - -"Yes, I know him," replied Phil. "I thought I knew him when he rode -over the first ridge, but there can be no doubt now. It is our old -friend de Armijo." - -"It is he," said Breakstone, "and it is a safe thing to say that no man -was ever more stuffed with pride, vanity, and conceit than he is now. -Let's press forward and see him as he passes. Maybe, too, we can hear -what he and General Taylor say." - -De Armijo rode up the ravine at the edge of which Phil and his comrades -stood. He saw them, and his look was not one of friendship. - -"Good morning, Seńor de Armijo," said the irreverent Bill Breakstone, -"have you come to announce the surrender of Santa Anna's army?" - -The Mexican glared, but he made no answer, riding on in silence toward -General Taylor. He was magnificently mounted, his uniform was heavy -with gold lace, and a small gold-hilted sword hung at his side. -Evidently the nephew of the governor of New Mexico was not ashamed of -himself. It was also evident that the wound Phil had given him was very -slight. An officer met de Armijo, and they saluted each other with -punctilious courtesy. The Mexican produced a note which was handed to -General Taylor. - -Old Rough and Ready did not dismount, but rested the note on his -saddle-horn and read it. This note, signed by General Antonio Lopez de -Santa Anna, President of the Mexican Republic and Commander-in-Chief of -its armies, was written in rounded sentences. It stated that the -American army was surrounded by twenty thousand men and could not -possibly escape. Hence Santa Anna demanded General Taylor's immediate -and unconditional surrender. "I will treat you well," he added in -generous conclusion. - -Phil thought that he could see the white hair around old Rough and -Ready's temples fairly bristle with defiance. He did see him lean over -and say to de Armijo: "Tell him to come and take me." But the next -instant he called to Middleton and dictated to him a short answer, more -polite but of the same tenor. He looked over it once, folded it, and -handed it to de Armijo. - -"Take that to your master." - -De Armijo saluted with all the pride and haughtiness of his race. He -would have liked well a few minutes to look about and take note of the -enemy's army for his general, but they had brought him up a narrow -ravine, and they allowed him no chance. Now Middleton rode back with -him that the Americans might not be lacking in courtesy, and Phil and -his comrades again stood by as they passed. De Armijo merely gave them -a malignant glance, but as he entered the plain that low rolling sound, -almost like a roar, burst forth again from the army. Nearly every -soldier had divined the nature of the errand, and nearly every one also -had divined the nature, of old Rough and Ready's reply. - -Phil watched de Armijo and Middleton riding onward under the white flag -toward the gorgeous tent where Santa Anna and his generals were -gathered. He saw Middleton disappear and, after awhile, come riding -back again. All these demands and refusals, ridings and returns took -time, and the two armies meanwhile rested on their arms. The afternoon -came, and the sun still blazed on on a scene of peace. For awhile it -reminded Phil in many of its aspects of a vast spectacle, a panorama. -Then he saw clouds of dust rise on both the east and west wings of the -Mexican army. Horsemen moved in columns, fluid sunlight shifting and -changing in colors flowing over lances and escopetas. He also saw -horses drawing cannon forward, and the bronze and steel of the guns -glittered. - -A little after noon a heavy force of cavalry, led by Ampudia, moved -forward toward an advanced knoll held by some of Taylor's pickets. Phil -thought it was the herald of the battle, but the pickets retired after a -few shots, and the Mexicans took the knoll, making no attempt to pursue -the pickets who fell back quietly on the main army. - -Then the silence was resumed, although they could see much motion in the -Mexican army, the constant movement of horsemen and the shifting of -regiments and guns. A multitude of brilliant flags carried here and -there fluttered in the wind. But the American army remained motionless, -and the soldiers, when they talked, talked mostly in low tones. - -"Phil, you didn't eat any breakfast," said Bill Breakstone, "and if I -didn't remind you of it, you would skip dinner. A soldier fights best -on a full stomach, and as they're serving out coffee and bacon and other -good things now's your time." - -"To tell you the truth, I hadn't thought of it," said the boy. - -"Well, think of it, Sir Philip of the Spectacle and the Panorama. It -isn't often that you'll have a chance to sit on a front seat in an open -air theater like this, and see deploying before you an army of twenty -thousand men, meaning business." - -Phil ate and drank mechanically almost, although the food gave him new -strength without his being conscious of it, and he still watched. The -long afternoon waned, the sun passed the zenith, and the colors still -shifted and changed on the bare peaks and ridges, but, save for the -seizing of the lone knoll, the army of Santa Anna did not yet advance, -although in its place it was still fluid with motion, like the colors of -a kaleidoscope. It seemed to Phil that Bill Breakstone's theatrical -allusions applied with peculiar force. Apparently they were setting the -scenes down below, this color here, this color there, so many flags at -this point, and so many at that point, bands and trumpets to the right, -and bands and trumpets to the left. It was a spectacle full of life, -color, and movement, but the boy grew very impatient. Great armies did -not march forward for that purpose, and for that purpose alone. - -"Why don't they attack?" he exclaimed. - -"Having the rat in the trap, I suppose that Santa Anna means to play -with it a little," replied Bill Breakstone. "There's nothing like -playing with a delicious mouse a little while before you eat it." - -"Did you ever see anything more hateful than the manner of that fellow -de Armijo?" asked Phil. "He bore himself as if we were already in their -hands." - -"Doubtless he thought so," said Breakstone, "and it is equally likely -that his thought is also the thought of Santa Anna, Minon, Torrejon, -Pacheco, Lombardini, and all the rest. But states of mind are queer -things, Phil. You can change your mind, it may change itself, or others -may change it for you. Any one of these things can happen to Santa Anna -or to your genial young friend, de Armijo." - -"It iss well to be patient," said Arenberg. - -The sun went on down the heavens. The light came more obliquely, but it -was as brilliant as ever. In two more hours the sun would be gone -behind the mountains, when Phil, still watching the Mexican army, saw a -flash of fire near the center of the line. A shell rose, flashed -through the air, and burst on the plateau held by the Americans. Phil, -despite himself, uttered a shout, and so did many other youthful -soldiers. They thought the battle would now begin. A battery of -Mexican howitzers also opened fire, and the smoke rolled toward the -north. The Mexican general, Mejia, on the American right, began to press -in, and Ampudia, on the left, threatened with great force. But there -was not yet any reply from the American line. Old Rough and Ready rode -along the whole battle front, saw that all was in order, and at times -surveyed the Mexican advance through powerful glasses. - -But the Mexican movements were still very slow, and Phil fairly quivered -with impatience. If they were going to fight, he was anxious for the -fighting to begin, and to have it over. Up from the plain came the -calls of many bugles, the distant playing of bands, and the beat of -drums, broken now and then by the irregular discharges of the cannon and -the crackling of rifle shots. - -But it was not yet a battle, and the sun was very low, threatening to -disappear soon behind the mountains. Its parting rays lighted up the -plateau, the ravines and promontories, and the pass with a vivid red -light. Phil saw the general turn his horse away from the edge of the -plateau, as if convinced that there would be no battle, and then -suddenly turn him back again, as a great burst of cannon and rifle fire -came from the left. Ampudia, having attained a spur of the mountain, -was making a fierce attack, pushing forward both horse and foot and -trying to get around the American flank. The firing for a little while -was rapid. The rifle flashes ran in a continuous blaze along both -lines, and the boom of the cannon came back in hollow echoes from the -gorges of the Sierra Madre. The black smoke floated in coils and eddies -along the ridges and peaks. - -Phil and his comrades had nothing to do with this combat except to sit -still and listen. - -"They are merely feeling for a position," said Bill Breakstone. "They -want a good place from which they can crash down on our left flank in -the morning, but I don't think they'll get it." - -Already the sun was gone in the east, and its rays were dying on the -mountains. Then the night itself came down, with the rush of the south, -and the firing from both cannon and rifles ceased. Ampudia had failed -to secure the coveted position, but presently the two armies, face to -face in the darkness, lay down to rest, save for the thick lines of -pickets almost within rifle shot of one another. Once more the night -was heavy with chill, but Phil did not feel it now. He and his comrades -looked to their horses and secured places for rest. The General, still -deeply anxious about his rear guard at Saltillo and fearing a flanking -movement by Santa Anna, around the mountain, rode back once more to the -town, under the escort of Jefferson Davis, leaving the army, as before, -under command of Wool. In this emergency an officer past three score -showed all the physical energy and endurance of a young man, spending -two days and two nights in the saddle. - -Phil slept several hours, but he awoke after midnight, and did not go to -sleep again. He, Arenberg, and Breakstone were under the immediate -command of Middleton, who allowed them much latitude, and they used it -for purposes of scouting. They crept through gullies and ravines and -along the edges of the ridges, the darkness and the stone projections -giving them shelter. They passed beyond the outermost American pickets, -and then stopped, crouching among some bushes. All three had heard at -the same time low voices of command, the clank of heavy wheels, and the -rasping of hoofs over stones. The three also divined the cause, but -Breakstone alone spoke of it in a whisper: - -"They are dragging artillery up the side of the mountain in order that -they may rake us to-morrow. That Santa Anna calls himself the Napoleon -of Mexico, and he's got some of the quality of the real Napoleon." - -By raising up a little they could see the men and horses with the guns, -and they crept back to their own camp with the news. The American force -was too small to attempt any checking movement in the darkness, and that -night Santa Anna dragged five whole batteries up the mountainside. - -It was about 4 o'clock in the morning when the three returned from their -scout, and they sat down in one of the ravines about a small fire of -smoldering coals. Some of the Kentuckians were with them, including -Grayson, and now and then a brisk word of the coming day was said. In -those cold dark hours, when vitality was at its lowest, they were not as -confident as they had been. The numbers of the Mexicans weighed upon -them, and Phil had not liked the sight of all those cannon taken up the -side of the mountain. Their talk ceased entirely after awhile, and they -sat motionless with their blankets wrapped around their bodies, because -the blasts were very chill now in the Pass of Angostura. The moaning of -the wind through the gorges was a familiar sound, but to-night it got -upon one's nerves. - -Those last few hours were five times their rightful length, but all -things come to an end, and Phil saw in the east the first narrow band of -silver that betokened the dawn. Day, like night, in that southern -region came fast. The sun shot above the mountain rim, its splendor -came again in a flood, and up rose the two armies. - -There was no delay now. On the left the heavy brigades of Ampudia -opened fire at once with cannon, muskets, and rifles. They pressed -forward, and at that point the American front, also, blazed with fire. - -"It's here, Phil," cried Breakstone. "This is the battle at last!" - -Cool as he usually was, he had lost his calm now, and his eyes glowed -with excitement. The rosy face of Arenberg was also flushed a deeper -hue than usual. - -"They come!" he exclaimed. - -The whole Mexican army seemed to lift itself up and advance in a vast -enfolding curve, but Ampudia still pressed the hardest, endeavoring to -crush in the American left, and the five batteries that had been taken -up the mountainside in the night poured in a heavy fire. In five -minutes a great cloud of smoke from the cannon, rifles, and muskets -floated over the field. The Mexicans advanced with courage and -confidence. At dawn Santa Anna had made a great address, riding up and -down the lines, and they deemed victory a matter of certainty. - -Phil, Breakstone, and Arenberg had left their horses in the rear, and at -this moment Middleton appeared also dismounted. - -"Stay with the Kentuckians there," he said, pointing to the ravine. -"They will need every man. You can be cavalrymen later if the chance -comes." - -The three at once fell into line with Grayson and the others who had -welcomed them to their camp, and they saw the truth of Middleton's -words. Ampudia had accumulated a great force on the ridge above the -plateau, during the night, and now they were coming down in heavy masses -upon the thin lines of the Kentuckians. - -"It's not just five to one. It's eight to one," muttered Bill -Breakstone, as he looked at the long and deep columns which they were so -soon to meet. - -Phil felt his muscles quivering again, while a red light danced before -his eyes. But it was not fear. The time for that had passed. The -Kentuckians in the front rank kneeled down, with their hands on the -triggers of their rifles. Clouds of dust and smoke floated over them -and stung their eyes, and the deepening roar of the battle swelled from -right and left. Phil knew that this great force of Mexicans was coming -forward to crush them in order that another large division might pass -along the plateau and flank the American army. He was good enough -soldier to know that if they succeeded the trap would indeed close down -so firmly upon the defenders that they could not burst from it. - -The boy never took his eyes from the advancing Mexican column. He saw, -or thought he saw, the dark faces, the glowing eyes, and he was quite -sure that he heard the heavy tread of the approaching thousands. Some -one gave the order to fire, and, with a mechanical impulse, he pulled -the trigger. All the Kentuckians fired together, aiming with their -usual coolness and precision, and the front rank of the Mexican advance -was blown away. The Mexicans wavered, the Americans reloaded and fired -again with the same deadly precision, and then from their right came the -flash of cannon fire, sending the shells and heavy balls into the thick -ranks of Ampudia's men. The hesitation of the Mexicans turned into -retreat, and, hurrying back, they sought refuge along the slopes of the -mountains, while the Kentuckians uttered a derisive shout. - -"Draw an extra breath or two, Phil," said Bill Breakstone, "because you -won't have another chance for some time. We've driven back the flank, -but the main army of the Mexicans will be on us in a few minutes." - -Phil did as he was bid. He was glad to see those Mexicans gone from -their front, and, for the moment at least, he felt the thrill of -victory. Yet, while there was rest for him, at that instant the battle -was going on all about him. He seemed to hear somewhere the distant -notes of a band playing, cheering the soldiers on to death. Now and then -came the call of a bugle, shrill and piercing, and the rifles crashed -incessantly. The air quivered with the roar of the cannon, and the -echoes came rolling back from the gorges. - -Now that he was really in the great battle, Phil felt an abnormal -calmness. His heart ceased to beat so fast, and his blood cooled a -little. He saw that the main army of the Mexicans was advancing in -three columns. Two of these columns, one under Lombardini, and the -other under Pacheco, came straight toward the little plateau by the side -of the pass, upon which most of the American army now stood. The front -of each column was a mass of lancers, and rumbling batteries of -twelve-pounders came behind. The third column advanced toward the pass. - -It was now about nine o'clock in the morning. General Taylor had not -yet arrived from Saltillo, but General Wool, his second, had thrown the -whole American force in a line across the plateau and the pass, where, -less than forty-five hundred in number, it awaited the full impact of -twenty thousand Mexican troops. The moment was more than critical. It -was terrible. It required stout hearts among the young volunteers, not -trained regulars at all, as they watched the Mexican masses heave -forward. Lucky it was for them that they had been born in new countries, -where every boy, as a matter of course, learned the use of the rifle. -And it was lucky, too, that the battery of O'Brien, a most daring and -skillful officer, was on their flank to help them. - -"Have you drawn those easy breaths yet, Phil?" asked Breakstone. - -"Yes." - -"Good, because the chance is gone now. Hark, there go our cannon! -Look, how the balls are smashing into them!" - -The American battery opened at a range of only two hundred yards, and -the balls and shells tore through the Mexican lines, but the Mexicans -are no cowards, and they were well led that day. Their ranks closed up, -and they marched past the fallen, their flags still flying, coming with -steady step toward the plateau. Now their own artillery opened, and -their numerous guns swept the plateau with a perfect hurricane of shot -and shell. The volunteers began to fall fast. The Mexican gunners were -doing deadly work, and the Kentuckians where Phil stood raised their -rifles again. - -"Fire, Phil! Fire as fast as you can reload and pull trigger. It's now -or never!" - -Phil again did as he was bid, and the others did the same, but this was -a far more formidable attack than the one that they had driven back -earlier. The Mexicans never ceased to come. The fire from their cannon -grew heavier and more deadly, and the lancers were already charging upon -the front lines, thrusting with their long weapons. It was only inborn -courage and tenacity that saved them now. Phil saw the glittering -squadrons wheeling down upon them. - -"Kneel and fire as they come close," shouted Middleton, "and receive -them on the bayonet!" - -It seemed to Phil that the lances were almost in their faces before they -fired. He saw the foam on the nostrils of the horses, their great, -bloodshot eyes, and their necks wet with sweat. He saw the faces of the -riders wet, too, with sweat, but glowing with triumph, and he saw them, -also, brandishing the long lances with the glittering steel shafts. -Then the rifles crashed so close together that they were blended in one -volley, and the lancers who did not fall reeled. But they quickly came -on again to ride directly upon a hedge of bayonets which hurled them -back. Once more the triumphant shout of the Kentuckians rose, but it -was quickly followed by a groan. At different points the volunteers -from another state, daunted by their great losses and the overwhelming -numbers that continually pressed upon them, were giving way. Their -retreat became a panic, and the helpful battery was left uncovered. The -brave O'Brien was compelled to unlimber and retreat with his guns. The -flying regiment ran into another that was coming up and carried it along -in its panic of the moment. - -Phil and his comrades had full cause for the groan that they uttered. -The day seemed lost. The column of Lombardini was on the southern edge -of the plateau and was pressing forward in masses that seemed -irresistible. The lancers had recovered themselves and were slaying the -fugitives, while the Mexican cannon also hailed shot and shell upon -them. - -Burning tears rose to Phil's eyes--he could not help it, he was only a -boy--and he turned appealingly to the faithful Breakstone. - -"Shall we, too, have to retreat?" he shouted. - -"Not yet! Not yet, I hope!" Breakstone shouted back. "No, we don't -retreat at all! See the brave Illinois boys turning the current!" - -An entire Illinois regiment had thrown itself in the path of pursuers -and pursued, and two fresh cannon began to cut through the Mexican -masses. The fugitives were protected and saved from wholesale -slaughter, but Bill Breakstone claimed too much. It was impossible for -a single regiment and two guns to withstand so many thousands crowded at -that point, and the Illinois lads did retreat. But they retreated -slowly and in perfect order, sending volley after volley into the -advancing masses. Nor did they go far. They halted soon in a good -position and stood there, firing steadily into the Mexican columns. Yet -they seemed lost. The Mexicans in vast numbers were pouring down upon -the plateau, and the Illinois men were now attacked in the flank as well -as in the front. - -"Time for us to be doing something," said Breakstone, and at that moment -the order came. The Kentuckians, also, retreated, turning, as fast as -they reloaded, to fire a volley, aiming particularly at the lancers, -whose weapons were so terrible at close quarters. Phil looked more than -once through all the fire and smoke for de Armijo, but he didn't see him -until the battle was a full hour old. Then it was only a passing -glimpse, and he knew that his shot had missed--he had fired without -remorse, as he now regarded de Armijo as so much venom. After the single -shot the columns of smoke floated in between, and he saw him no more. - -Phil knew that the battle was at a most critical stage, that it was even -worse, that all the chances now favored the Mexicans. An inexperienced -boy even could not doubt it. The charge of the lancers had driven back -a small detachment of mounted volunteers, the American riflemen posted -on the slopes of the mountain were forced out of their positions, and -the great columns of infantry were still pressing on the left, cutting -their way to the rear of the army. - -It seemed to Phil that they were completely surrounded, and, in fact, -they nearly were, but the men of Illinois and Kentucky redoubled their -efforts. The barrels of their rifles grew hot with so much firing. The -mingled reek of dust and sweat, of smoke and burned gunpowder, stung -their nostrils and filled their eyes, half blinding them. The shell and -grape and bullets of the Mexicans now reached the Kentuckians, too. -Phil, as the smoke lifted now and then, saw many a comrade go down. He, -Arenberg, and Breakstone were all wounded slightly, though they were not -conscious then of their hurts. - -Worse came. The great enclosing circle of the Mexicans drove them into -a mass. The regiment that had broken in panic could not yet be rallied, -although their officers strove like brave men to get them back in line, -and, like brave men, died trying. Phil saw officers falling all around -him, although Middleton was still erect, sword in hand, encouraging the -men to fight on. - -"It can't be that we are beaten! It can't be!" cried the boy in -despair. - -"No," said Breakstone, "it's not a beating, but it's a darned fine -imitation. Come on, boys! Come on, all of you! We'll drive them back -yet!" - -Phil felt some one strike against him in the smoke. It was Dick Grayson, -of Paris. - -"Looks hot, Phil!" said that ingenuous youth. There was a tremendous -discharge of artillery, and Grayson went down. But he promptly sprang -up. - -"It is hot," he shouted, "hotter than I thought. But I'm not hurt. It -was only the wind from a cannon-ball. Look out, here come the lancers -again, and our rifles are unloaded!" - -The long glittering line of lancers appeared through the smoke, and Phil -thought that their day was done. It seemed to him that he could not -resist any more, but, at that moment a mighty crash of artillery came -from the pass. The third column of Mexicans had just come within range -of Washington's guns, and the gunners, restrained hitherto, were pouring -shot and shell, grape and canister, as fast as they could fire, into the -Mexican mass. The column was hurled back by the sudden and terrific -impact, and, breaking, it fled in a panic. The Mexicans on the plateau -were affected by the flight of their comrades, and they, too, lancers -and all, wavered. The Illinois troops came pouring back. With them were -more Kentuckians and Bragg's battery, and then Sherman's battery, too. -Never were cannon better served than were the American guns on that day. -When the guns began to thunder in front of them and between them and the -enemy, the fugitives were rallied and were brought back into the battle. - -Both batteries were now cutting down the Mexicans at the foot of the -mountain, but Breakstone, cool as always, pointed to the columns of -Ampudia's infantry, which were still pressing hard on the flank, seeking -to reach the rear of the American army. - -"If they get there we are lost," he said. - -"There is dust behind us now," exclaimed Phil. "See that column of it -coming fast!" - -"Good God, can they have got there already!" cried Breakstone, despair -breaking at last through his armor of courage. - -The cloud of dust rose like a tower and came fast. Then a shout of joy -burst from the Americans. Through that cloud of dust showed the red -face and white hair of Old Rough and Ready, their commander, returning -from Saltillo, and with him were Davis's Mississippians and May's -mounted men. Wool galloped forward to meet his chief, who rode upon the -plateau and looked at the whole wide curve of the battle as much as the -dust and smoke would allow. - -"The battle is lost," said Wool. - -"That is for me to say," said Taylor. - -Yet it seemed that Wool, a brave and resolute leader, was right. A -great percentage of the American army was already killed or wounded. -Many of its best officers had fallen, and everywhere the Mexicans -continually pressed forward in columns that grew heavier and heavier. -Santa Anna worthily proved that day that, whatever he may have been -otherwise he possessed devouring energy, great courage, and a spark of -military genius. And the generals around him, Lombardini, Pacheco, -Villamil, Torrejon, Ampudia, Minon, Juvera, Andrade, and the rest were -full of the Latin fire which has triumphed more than once over the cold -courage and order of the North. - -The crisis was visible to every one. Ampudia and his infantry passing -to the rear of the American army must be stopped. Davis gathered his -Mississippians and hurled them upon Ampudia's men, who outnumbered them -five to one. They fired, then rushed down one slope of a ravine that -separated them from the enemy, and up the other slope directly into the -ranks of the Mexicans; firing another volley almost face to face. So -great was their impact that the head of the Mexican column was -shattered, and the whole of it was driven back. Ampudia's men, by -regiments, sought shelter along the slopes of the mountain. - -The battle was saved for the moment, but for the moment only. Few -battles have swung in the balance oftener than this combat at Buena -Vista, when it seemed as if the weight of a hair might decide it. - -"We can breathe again, Phil," cried Breakstone. "They haven't flanked us -there, but I don't think we'll have time for more than two breaths." - -The battle, just in front of them, paused for an instant or two, but it -went on with undiminished fury elsewhere. While Phil let his heated -rifle cool, he watched this terrible conflict at the mouth of the grim -pass, a combat that swung to and fro and that refused to be decided in -favor of either. But, as he rested, all his courage came back anew. -The little army, the boy volunteers, had already achieved the -impossible. For hours they had held off the best of the Mexican troops, -five to their one. More than once they had been near to the verge, but -nobody could say that they had been beaten. - -Phil's feeling of awe came again, as he looked at the great stage -picture, set with all the terrible effects of reality. The smoke rose -always, banking up against the sides of the mountain, but dotted with -red and pink spots, the flame from the rifles of the sharpshooters who -lurked among the crags. From the mouth of the pass came a steady -roaring where the cannon of Washington were fired so fast. The smoke -banked up there, too, but it was split continually by the flash of the -great guns. Out of the smoke came the unbroken crash of rifles, -resembling, but on a much larger scale, the ripping of a heavy cloth. -Now and then both sides shouted and cheered. - -Bill Breakstone was a shrewd judge of a battle that day. The crisis had -passed, but in a few minutes a new crisis came. For in their rear began -another fierce conflict. Torrejon's splendid brigade of lancers made -its way around the mountain and fell upon the small force of Arkansas -and Kentucky volunteers under Yell and Marshall at the hacienda of Buena -Vista. Yell was killed almost instantly, many other men went down, but -the volunteers held fast. Some, their horses slain or wounded, reached -the roofs of houses, and with their long rifles emptied saddle after -saddle among the lancers. It was a confused and terrible struggle, but, -in an instant or two, American dragoons came to the rescue. The lancers -gave way and fled, bearing with them their leader, the brave Torrejon, -who was wounded badly. Again the army was saved by courage and quick -action. If Torrejon and his men had been able to hold Buena Vista, the -American force would have been destroyed. - -Phil knew nothing of the conflict at Buena Vista itself until the day -was done, because he was soon in the very thickest of it again himself. -He and his comrades stood among the decimated squares on the plateau, -where the battle had shifted for a moment, and where the smoke was -rising. Looking over the field, littered with men and horses, it seemed -that half of his countrymen had fallen. Everywhere lay the dead, and -the wounded crawled painfully to the rear. Yet the unhurt could give -little aid to the hurt, because the Mexican battle front seemed as -massive and formidable as ever. - -"Load, Phil, load!" whispered Bill Breakstone. "See, they're coming -again!" - -Masses of lancers were gathering anew on the plateau, among them many of -Torrejon's men, who had come back from the other side of the mountain, -and the lifting smoke enabled Phil and his comrades to see them clearly. -The defenders--they were not many now--were more closely packed. The -men of the West and South were mingled together, but with desperate -energy the officers soon drew them out in a line facing the lancers. -Sherman with his cannon also joined them. In the shifting fortunes of -the day, another critical moment came. If the charge of the lancers -passed over their line, the Americans were beaten. - -The battle elsewhere sank and died for the time. All looked toward the -two forces on the plateau, the heavy squadrons of cavalry advancing, and -the thin line of infantry silent and waiting. The Mexican bugles ceased -to sound, and the firing stopped. Phil and the men with him in the -front rank knelt again. Arenberg, as usual, was on one side of him, and -Breakstone on the other. Middleton was not far away. Phil glanced up -and down the American line and, as he saw how few they were, his heart, -after a period of high courage, sank like a plummet in a pool. It did -not seem possible to stop the horsemen. Then his courage rose again. -They had done a half dozen wonders that day, they could do another half -dozen. - -It was one of the most vivid moments of Phil's life, fairly burnt into -his soul. The smoke, lifting higher and higher, disclosed more and more -of the field, with its dead and dying everywhere. The mountains were -coming out of the mists and vapors, and showing their bare crags and -peaks. There was no sound but the hoofbeats of the horsemen and an -occasional cry from the wounded, but Phil did not even hear these. -There was to him only an awful and ominous silence, as the heavy columns -drew nearer and nearer and he saw the menacing faces and ready weapons. -The blood quivered in his veins, but he did not give back. Nor did the -others, most of whom were boys not much older than he. - -"I think this will tell the tale," whispered Bill Breakstone. "Look how -steady our lads are! Veteran regulars could not bear themselves better -in the face of five to one." - -Nearer and nearer came the lancers. Something in the aspect of the -steady troops that awaited the shock must have daunted them, because -already on that day they had shown themselves brave men more than once. -The hoofbeats ceased, their line stopped and wavered, and at that -instant the American rifles fired, pouring forth a stream of lead, a -deadly volley. - -Phil saw the blaze from a long line of muzzles, the puff of rifle smoke, -and then as it lifted he tried to shut his eyes but could not. The -whole front of the Mexican column was destroyed. Men and horses lay in -a heap, and other riderless horses galloped wildly over the plateau. The -second line of the lancers stood for a moment, but when the cannon, -following up the rifles, hurled shot and shell among them, they, too, -broke and fled, while the bullets from the reloaded rifles pelted them -and drove them to greater speed. - -A shout arose from the scanty ranks of the defense. Another critical -moment had passed, and for the first time fortune shifted to the -American side. Now the defenders followed up their advantage. They -pressed forward, pushing the Mexicans before them, attacking them on two -sides and driving them against the base of the mountain. - -The whole battle now surged back toward the direction whence Santa Anna -had come. The scanty division of the Americans, after so long a -defense, a defense that seemed again and again to be hopeless, massed -themselves anew and attacked the Mexican army with redoubled vigor. -Phil felt the song of victory singing in his ears, the blood leaped in -his veins, and a great new store of strength came from somewhere, as he, -with Breakstone and Arenberg yet on either side of him, marched forward -now, not backward. - -The great division of Ampudia which had threatened to surround the -American force was now penned in at the foot of the mountain. This -single division alone greatly outnumbered the whole American army, but -panic and terror were in its ranks. The Southern and Western riflemen -were advancing on three sides, sending in showers of bullets that could -not miss. Nine cannon, manned by gunners as good as the world could -furnish, cut down rank after rank. - -Earlier in the day Phil would have thrilled with horror at the scene -before him, but in such a long and furious battle his faculties had -become blunted. It was nothing to see men fall, dead or wounded. The -struggle for life at the expense of another's life, the most terrible -phase of war, had now come. His only conscious thought at that moment -was to destroy the mass of Mexicans pressed against the mountain, and he -loaded and fired with a zeal and rapidity not inferior to that of -anybody. - -The Mexican mass seemed to shrink and draw in upon itself. The officers -encouraged the men to return the terrible fire that was cutting them -down. Some did so, but it was too feeble a reply to check Taylor's -advance. Santa Anna, farther down, saw the terrible emergency. Vain, -bombastic, and treacherous, he was, nevertheless, a great general, and -now the spark of genius hidden in such a shell blazed up. In the height -of the battle, and with five thousand of his best men being cut to -pieces before him, a singular expedient occurred to him. He knew the -character of the general opposed to him; he knew that Taylor was -merciful and humane, and suddenly he sent forward a messenger under a -white flag. Taylor, amazed, nevertheless received the messenger and -ordered the firing on the trapped Mexicans to cease. He was still more -amazed when he read the Mexican commander's note. Santa Anna wished to -know in rhetorical phraseology what General Taylor wanted. While Taylor -was considering and preparing the reply to so strange a question at such -a time, and the messenger was riding back with it, Ampudia's whole -division escaped from the trap up the base of the mountain. Then the -Mexicans at the other points instantly reopened fire. It was a singular -and treacherous expedient, but it succeeded. - -A cry of rage rose from Phil's company, and it was uttered by others -everywhere. The boy had seen the herald under the white flag, and, all -the rest, too, had wondered at the nature of the message he brought. He -did not yet know what was in Santa Anna's note, but he knew that a -successful trick had been played. The blood in his veins seemed to turn -to its hottest. His pulses were beating the double quick, and he felt -relief only when Taylor, enraged at Santa Anna's ruse, ordered the -Kentucky and Illinois men to pursue Ampudia's fleeing division. - -Forward they went, scarcely a thousand, because very many comrades had -fallen around them that day, but they had never been more eager for the -charge. The smoke thinned out before them and they advanced swiftly -with leveled rifles. They reached the southern edge of the plateau, and -then they recoiled in horror. Santa Anna had not only saved a division -by a trick, but he had used the same opportunity to draw in his columns -and mass the heaviest force that had yet converged upon a single point. -Ten thousand men appeared over the uneven ground and approached the -single thousand. To face such numbers advancing with great guns was -impossible. Again it seemed that the day, after a brilliant success, was -lost. - -The Americans at once turned and rushed into a gorge for shelter and -defense. - -The side of the gorge was so steep that Phil slipped and rolled to the -bottom. But he quickly sprang up, unconscious of his bruises. -Breakstone and Arenberg, with pale faces, were at his side. The gorge -was not as much of a shelter and defense as it had seemed. It was -instead a trap, the worst into which they had come that day. From the -cliffs on both sides of the gorge the Mexicans sent down a continuous -rain of bullets and shell. Santa Anna, exulting in his success, urged -them on and, his seconds, Ampudia, Pacheco, Lombardini and the others, -ran from point to point, encouraging their troops and crying that the -battle was now won. - -The Americans fired upward at their enemies, but they were pressed -together in great confusion. Men and officers went down so fast that it -looked to Phil like hay falling before the scythe. Here fell the brave -Colonel Clay, the son of the great Henry Clay, and with him McKee and -Hardin and many other gallant sons of Kentucky and Illinois. - -A great horror seized Phil. Penned in that awful gorge, with that -continuous shower of steel and lead from above, he felt as if he were -choking. He and others rushed for the mouth of the gorge, but the wary -Santa Anna had closed it with a great body of lancers, who were now -advancing to assist in the complete destruction of the Americans. - -The defenders reeled back, and Santa Anna, thinking the time had come to -deliver the final blow, sent the Mexican infantry in thousands down the -sides of the gorge, where they attacked with the bayonet the few -hundreds that yet fought. Phil was quite sure that no hope was left. -Before, at every critical moment there had always been a slender chance -of some kind or other, but now he could see absolutely none. A million -red motes danced before him, and he struck almost blindly with his -clubbed rifle at a Mexican who was trying to bayonet him. - -But from a point above, not yet taken by the Mexicans, the brave O'Brien -and Thomas, as brave, were still firing their cannon and sending the -shot and shell into the Mexican masses, where they were not mingled with -the Americans. But they themselves were exposed to a deadly fire. One -by one their gunners fell. They were compelled to fall back step by -step. Not enough men were left to load and fire the pieces. Soon all -the gunners were killed or wounded except O'Brien himself. Presently he, -too, was wounded, and the guns were silent. Now, truly, it seemed that -the last moment had come! - -Phil, when he struck with his clubbed rifle, knew that he hit something, -because the Mexican with the eager bayonet was no longer there. He saw -Breakstone and Arenberg yet beside him, both wounded, but both erect and -defiant. He saw Grayson a little distance away, still alive, and -farther on a little group of Kentuckians and Illinoisans, fighting to -the last. He had an instant's vision of the whole awful gorge, filled -with men driven on by the rage of battle, the dead and wounded strewed -all about, the smoke hovering above like a roof, and the masses of -Mexicans who completely encircled them now closing in for the final -blow. - -It was all a real panorama, passing in an instant, and then from above, -and at a new point, came the crash of great guns, the shot and shell -striking among the Mexicans, not among the Americans. Not even at this, -the last crisis, when the battle seemed lost beyond redemption, had -fortune, or rather courage and energy, failed. Bragg, coming on a run -with his battery, suddenly opened at short range, and with awful effect, -into the Mexican masses. In another minute Sherman arrived with his -guns, and close behind, coming as fast as breath would allow, were -infantry with the rifle, and, to make the surprise complete, -Washington's guns suddenly appeared on the right and began to sweep away -the lancers who held the mouth of the gorge. - -Never had fortune made a quicker and more complete change. The Mexicans -who had suddenly trapped the Kentuckians and Illinoisans had been -entrapped themselves with equal suddenness. - -The fire now rose to the greatest height of the day. They had been -fighting on the plateau, in the ravines, on the slopes, and through the -pass for hours. Vast quantities of smoke still hung about and lay like -a blanket against the side of the mountain. The sun was far down the -western slope. - -The Kentucky and Illinois men drew themselves into a close body near the -upper end of the gorge. There they fired as fast as exhaustion would -allow, but salvation was coming from above, and now they knew it. -Closer and closer crept the American artillery. Heavier and heavier -grew its fire. The riflemen, also, sent in the bullets like hail. -Taylor himself, a half dozen bullets through his clothing, stood on the -brink directing the attack. The gorge where the Mexicans stood was -swept by a storm of death. Santa Anna, from the other side, watched in -dismay. Lancers and infantry alike, unable to stand such a sleet, -rushed for the mouth of the gorge. Few of the lancers, who made the -larger target, escaped, and the infantry suffered almost as much. - -The gorge was cleared, and the Americans held the plateau. Everywhere -the Mexicans fell back, leaving the whole field in possession of the -little force that had fought so long and so fiercely to hold it. The -Mexican bugle sounded again, but now it was the command to retire. The -sun dipped down behind the mountains, and the shadows began to gather in -the Pass of Angostura. The impossible had happened. Mexico's finest -army, five to one, led by her greatest general, had broken in vain -against the farmer lads of the South and West, and the little band of -regulars. The victory was won over the greatest odds ever faced by -Americans in a pitched battle. - - - - - CHAPTER XV - - THE WOMAN AT THE WELL - - -Phil was still in a daze. He and those around him, exhausted by such -long and desperate efforts, such a continuous roar in their ears, and -such a variation of intense emotions from the highest to the lowest, -were scarcely conscious that the battle was over. They knew, indeed, -that night was falling on the mountains and the pass, that the Mexicans -had withdrawn from the field, that their flags and lances were fading in -the twilight, but it was all, for a little while, dim and vague to them. -The night and the silence coming together contained a great awe. Phil -felt the blood pounding in his ears, and he looked around with wonder. -It was Breakstone who first came to himself. - -"We've won! We've won!" he cried. "As sure as there is a sun behind -those mountains, we've beat all Mexico!" - -Then Phil, too, saw, and he had to believe. - -"The victory is ours!" he cried. - -"It is ours, but harm has been done," said Arenberg in a low voice. -Then he sank forward softly on his face. Phil and Breakstone quickly -raised him up. He had fainted from loss of blood, but as his wounds -were only of the flesh he was soon revived. Breakstone had three slight -wounds of his own, and these were bound up, also. Phil, meanwhile, was -hunting in the gorge for other friends. Grayson was alive and well, but -some that he had known were gone. He was weak, mind and body alike, -with the relaxation from the long battle and all those terrible -emotions, but he helped with the wounded. Below them lay the army of -Santa Anna, its lights shining again in the darkness, and, for all Phil -knew, it might attack again on the morrow, but he gave little attention -to it now. His whole concern was for his comrades. The victory had -been won, but they had been compelled to purchase it at a great price. -The losses were heavy. Twenty-eight officers of rank were among the -killed, regiments were decimated, and even the unhurt were so exhausted -that they could scarcely stand. - -Phil sat down at the edge of the gorge. He was yet faint and dizzy. It -seemed to him that he would never be able to exert himself again. -Everything swam before him in a sort of confused glare. He was -conscious that his clothing was stained red in two or three places, but -when he looked, in a mechanical way, at the wounds, he saw they were -scratches, closed already by the processes of nature. Then his -attention wandered again to the field. He was full of the joy of -victory, but it was a vague, uncertain feeling, not attaching itself to -any particular thing. - -The twilight had already sunk into the night, and the black wind, heavy -with chill, moaned in the Pass of Angostura. It was a veritable dirge -for the dead. Phil felt it all through his relaxed frame, and shivered -both with cold and with awe. Smoke and vapor from so much firing still -floated about the plateau, the pass, and the slopes, but there was a -burning touch on his face which he knew did not come from any of them. -It was the dust of the desert again stinging him after the battle as it -had done before it. He obeyed its call, summoned anew all his strength, -both of body and mind, and climbed out of the gorge, where friend and -foe still lay in hundreds, mingled and peaceful in death. - -He found more light and cheer on the plateau and in the pass. Here the -unhurt and those hurt slightly were building fires, and they had begun -to cook food and boil coffee. Phil suddenly perceived that he was -hungry. He had not tasted food since morning. He joined one of the -groups, ate and drank, and more vigor returned. Then he thought of the -horse which he had left tethered in an alcove, and which he had not used -at all that day. The horse was there unharmed, although a large -cannon-ball lay near his feet. It was evidently a spent ball which had -rolled down the side of the mountain, as it was not buried at all. - -The horse recognized Phil and neighed. Phil put his hand upon his mane -and stroked it. He was very glad that this comrade of his had escaped -unhurt. He wondered in a dim way what his terror must have been tied in -one place, while the battle raged all day about him. "Poor old horse," -he said, stroking his mane again. Then he led him away, gave him food -and water, and returned to his comrades and the field. He knew that his -duty lay there, as the Mexican army was still at hand. Many thought that -it would attack again in the morning, and disposition for defense must -be made. He did not see either Breakstone or Arenberg, but he met -Middleton, to whom he reported. - -"Scout down at the mouth of the pass and along the mountain slopes, -Phil," he said, and the boy, replenishing his ammunition, obeyed. It -was not quite dark, and the wind was exceedingly cold. The mercury that -night went below the freezing point, and the sufferings of the wounded -were intense. Phil kept well among the ravines and crags. He believed -that the Mexican lancers would be prowling in front of their camp, and -he would not have much chance if he were attacked by a group of them. -Moreover, he was tired of fighting. He did not wish to hurt anybody. -Never had his soul inclined more fervently to peace. - -He passed again into the gorge which had witnessed the climax and -deadliest part of the battle. Here he saw dark-robed figures passing -back and forth among the wounded. He looked more closely and saw that -they were Mexican nuns from a convent near Buena Vista, helping the -wounded, Americans and Mexicans alike. Something rose in his throat, but -he went on, crossing the pass and climbing the slopes of the Sierra -Madre. Here there was yet smoke lingering in the nooks and crannies, but -all the riflemen seemed to have gone. - -He climbed higher. The wind there was very cold, but the moonlight was -brighter. He saw the peaks and ridges of the Sierra Madre, like a -confused sea, and he looked down upon the two camps, the small American -one on the plateau and in the pass and the larger, still far larger, -Mexican one below. He could trace it by the lights in the Mexican camp, -forming a great half circle, and he would have given much to know what -was going on there. If Santa Anna and his men possessed the courage and -tenacity of the defenders, they would attack again on the morrow. - -He moved forward a little to get a better view, and then sank down -behind an outcropping of rock. A Mexican, a tall man, rifle on -shoulder, was passing. He, too, was looking down at the two camps, and -Phil believed that he was a scout like himself. The Mexican, not -suspecting the presence of an enemy, was only a dozen feet away, and -Phil could easily have shot him without danger to himself, but every -impulse was against the deed. He could not fire from ambush, and he had -seen enough of death. The Mexican was going toward his own camp, and -presently, he went on, disappearing behind a curve of the mountain, and -leaving Phil without a shadow of remorse. But he soon followed, -creeping on down the mountainside toward the camp of Santa Anna. - -The rocks and gullies enabled him to come so near that he could see -within the range of light. He beheld figures as they passed now and -then, dark shadows before the blaze, but the camp of Santa Anna did not -show the life and animation that he had witnessed in it when he spied -upon it once before. No bugles were blowing, no bodies of lancers, with -the firelight shining on glittering steel, rode forth to prepare for the -morrow and victory. Everything was slack and relaxed. He even saw men -lying in hundreds upon the ground, fast asleep from exhaustion. As far -as he could determine, no scouting parties of large size were abroad, -and he inferred from what he saw that the Mexican army was worn out. - -He could not go among those men, but the general effect produced upon -him at the distance was of gloom and despair among them. An army -preparing for battle in the morning would be awake and active. The -longer he looked, the greater became his own hope and confidence, and -then he slowly made his way back to his own camp with his report. -Lights still burned there, but it was very silent. After he passed the -ring of sentinels he saw nothing but men stretched out, almost as still -as the dead around them. They slept deeply, heavily, a sleep so intense -that a blow would not arouse. Many had lain down where they were -standing when the battle ceased, and would lie there in dreamless -slumber until the next morning. Phil stepped over them, and near one of -the fires he saw Breakstone and Arenberg, each with his head on his arm, -deep in slumber. - -He made his report to Middleton, describing with vivid detail everything -that he had seen. - -"It agrees with the reports of the other scouts," said Middleton. "I -think the enemy is so shattered that he cannot move upon us again, and -now, Phil, you must rest. It will be midnight in an hour, and you have -passed through much." - -"It was a great battle!" said Phil, with a look of pride. - -"And a great victory!" said Middleton, he, too, although older, feeling -that flash of pride. - -Phil was glad enough now to seek sleep. The nervous excitement that -kept him awake and alert was all gone. He remembered the fire beside -which Bill Breakstone and Arenberg slept, and made his way back there. -Neither had moved a particle. They still lay with their heads on their -elbows, and they drew long, deep breaths with such steadiness and -regularity that apparently they had made up their minds to sleep for -years to come. Four other men lay near them in the same happy -condition. - -"Six," said Phil. "Well, the fable tells of the Seven Sleepers, so I -might as well complete the number." - -He chose the best place that was left, secured his blanket from his -saddlebow, wrapped himself thoroughly in it, and lay down with his feet -to the fire. How glorious it felt! It was certainly very cold in the -Pass of Angostura. Ice was forming, and the wind cut, but there was the -fire at his feet and the thick blanket around him. His body felt warm -through and through, and the hard earth was like down after such a day. -Now victory came, too, with its pleasantest aroma. Lying there under -the stars, he could realize, in its great sense, all that they had done. -And he had borne his manly part in it. He was a boy, and he had reason -for pride. - -Phil stared up for a little while at the cold stars which danced in the -sky, myriads of miles away, but after awhile his glance turned again -toward the earth. The other six of the seven sleepers slept on, not -stirring at all, save for the rising and falling of their chests, and -Phil decided that he was neglecting his duty by failing to join them at -once in that vague and delightful land to which they had gone. - -He shut his eyes, opened them once a minute or two later, but found the -task of holding up the lids too heavy. They shut down again, stayed -down, and in two minutes the six sleepers had become the seven. - -Phil slept the remainder of the night as heavily as if he had been -steeped in some eastern drug. He, too, neither moved hand nor foot -after he had once gone to oblivion. The fire burned out, but he did not -awake. He was warm in his blanket, and sleep was bringing back the -strength that body and mind had wasted in the day. It was quiet, too, on -the battlefield. The surgeons still worked with the wounded, but they -had been taken back in the shelter of the pass, and the sounds did not -come to those on the plateau. Only the wind moaned incessantly, and the -cold was raw and bitter. - -About half way between midnight and morning Bill Breakstone awoke. He -merely opened his eyes, not moving his body, but he stared about him in -a dim wonder. His awakening had interrupted a most extraordinary dream. -He had been dreaming that he was in a battle that had lasted at least a -month, and was not yet finished. Red strife and its fierce emotions -were still before him when he awoke. Now he gazed all around, and saw -only blackness, with a few points of light here and there. - -His eyes, growing used to the darkness, came back, and he saw six stiff -figures stretched on the ground in a row, three on each side of him. He -looked at them fixedly and saw that they were the figures of human -beings. Moreover, he recognized two of them, and they were his best -friends. Then he remembered all about the battle, the great struggle, -how the terrible crisis came again and again, how the victory finally -was won, and he was glad that these two friends of his were alive, -though they seemed to be sleeping as men never slept before. - -Breakstone sat up and looked at the six sleepers. The blankets of two -of them had shifted a little, and he pulled them back around their -necks. Then he glanced down the valley where the lights of Santa Anna's -army flickered, and it all seemed wonderful, unbelievable to him. Yet it -was true. They had beaten off an army of more than twenty thousand men, -and had inflicted upon Santa Anna a loss far greater than their own. He -murmured very softly: - - "Dreadful was the fight, - Welcome is the night; - Fiercely came the foe, - Many we laid low; - Backward he is sent, - But we, too, are spent. - -I believe that's about as true a poem as I ever composed," he said, -"whatever others may think about the rhyme and meter, and to be true is -to be right. That work well done, I'll go back to sleep again." - -He lay down once more and, within a minute, he kept his word. Phil and -his comrades were awakened just at the break of day by Middleton. Only -a narrow streak of light was to be seen over the eastern ridges, but the -Captain explained that he wanted them to go on a little scout toward the -Mexican army. They joined him with willingness and went down the -southern edge of the plateau. A few lights could be seen at the points -that Phil had marked during the night, and they approached very -cautiously. But they saw no signs of life. There were no patrols, no -cavalry, none of the stir of a great army, nothing to indicate any human -presence, until they came upon wounded men, abandoned upon the rugged -ground where they lay. When Phil and his comrades, belief turned into -certainty, rushed forward, Santa Anna and his whole army were gone, -leaving behind them their dead and desperately wounded. Tents, -supplies, and some arms were abandoned in the swift retreat, but the -army itself had already disappeared under the southern horizon, leaving -the field of Buena Vista to the victors. - -They hurried back with the news. It spread like fire through the army. -Every man who could stand was on his feet. A mighty cheer rolled -through the Pass of Angostura, and the dark gorges and ravines of the -Sierra Madre gave it back in many echoes. - -The victory, purchased at so great a price, was complete. Mounted -scouts, sent out, returned in the course of the day with the information -that Santa Anna had not stopped at Agua Neva. He was marching southward -as fast as he could, and there was no doubt that he would not stop until -he reached the City of Mexico, where he would prepare to meet the army -of Scott, which was to come by the way of Vera Cruz. The greatness of -their victory did not dawn upon the Americans until then. Not only had -they beaten back a force that outnumbered them manifold, but all -Northern Mexico lay at the feet of Taylor. The war there was ended, and -it was for Scott to finish it in the Valley of Mexico. - -The following night the fires were built high on the plateau and in the -Pass of Angostura. Nearly everybody rested except the surgeons, who -still worked. Hundreds of the Mexican wounded had been left on the -field, and they received the same attention that was bestowed upon the -Americans. Nevertheless, the boy soldiers were cheerful. They knew -that the news of their wonderful victory was speeding north, and they -felt that they had served their country well. - -Phil did not know until long afterward that at home the army of Taylor -had been given up as lost. News that Santa Anna was in front of him -with an overwhelming force had filtered through, and then had come the -long blank. Nothing was heard. It was supposed that Taylor had been -destroyed or captured. It was known that his force was composed almost -wholly of young volunteers, boys, and no chance of escape seemed -possible. - -In the West and South, in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Arkansas, and -Mississippi, the anxiety was most tense and painful. There, nearly -every district had sent some one to Buena Vista, and they sought in vain -for news. There were dark memories of the Alamo and Goliad, especially -in the Southwest, and these people thought of the disaster as in early -days they thought of a defeat by the Indians, when there were no wounded -or prisoners, only slain. - -But even the nearest states were separated from Mexico by a vast -wilderness, and, as time passed and nothing came, belief settled into -certainty. The force of Taylor had been destroyed. Then the messenger -arrived literally from the black depths with the news of the -unbelievable victory. Taylor was not destroyed. He had beaten an army -that outnumbered him five to one. The little American force held the -Pass of Angostura, and Santa Anna, with his shattered army, was flying -southward. At first it was not believed. It was incredible, but other -messengers came with the same news, and then one could doubt no longer. -The victory struck so powerfully upon the imagination of the American -people that it carried Taylor into the White House. - -Meanwhile, Phil, in the Pass of Angostura, sitting by a great fire on -the second night after the battle, was thinking little of his native -land. After the tremendous interruption of Buena Vista, his mind turned -again to the object of his search. He read and reread his letter. He -thought often of the lava that had cut his brother's feet and his own. -John was sure that they had gone through a pass, and he knew that a -woman at a well had given him water. The belief that they were on the -trail of those forlorn prisoners was strong within him. And Bill -Breakstone and Arenberg believed it, too. - -"Our army, I understand, will go into quarters in this region," he said, -"and will make no further advance by land into Mexico. We enlisted only -for this campaign, and I am free to depart. I mean to go at once, -boys." - -"We go with you, of course," said Bill Breakstone. "Good old Hans and I -here have already talked it over. There will be no more campaigning in -Northern Mexico, and we've done our duty. Besides, we've got quests of -our own that do not lead toward the valley of Mexico." - -Phil grasped a hand of each and gave it a strong squeeze. - -"I knew that you would go with me, as I'll go with you when the time -comes," he said. - -They received their discharge the next morning, and were thanked by -General Taylor himself for bravery in battle. Old Rough and Ready put -his hand affectionately on Phil's shoulder. - -"May good fortune follow you wherever you may be going," he said. "It -was such boys as you who won this battle." - -He also caused them to be furnished with large supplies of ammunition. -Middleton could go no farther. He and some other officers were to hurry -to Tampico and join Scott for the invasion of Mexico by the way of Vera -Cruz. - -"But boys," he said, "we may meet again. We've been good comrades, I -think, and circumstances may bring us together a second time when this -war is over." - -"It rests upon the knees of the gods," said Arenberg. - -"I know it will come true," said the more sanguine Breakstone. - -"So do I," said Phil. - -Middleton rode away with his brother officers and a small body of -regulars, and Phil, Arenberg, and Breakstone rode southward to Agua -Neva. When they had gone some distance they stopped and looked back at -the plateau and the pass. - -"How did we ever do it?" said Phil. - -"By refusing to stay whipped," replied Arenberg. - -"By making up our minds to die rather than give up," replied Bill -Breakstone. - -They rode on to the little Mexican town, where Phil had an errand to do. -He had talked it over with the other two, and the three had agreed that -it was of the utmost importance. All the time a sentence from the -letter was running in Phil's head. Some one murmuring words of pity in -Mexican had given him water to drink, and the voice was that of a woman. - -"It must have been from a well," said Phil, "this is a dry country with -water mostly from wells, and around these wells villages usually grow. -Bill, we must be on the right track. I can't believe that we're going -wrong." - -"The signs certainly point the way we're thinking," said Bill -Breakstone. "The lava, the dust, and the water. We've passed the lava -and the dust, and we know that the water is before us." - -They came presently to Agua Neva, a somber little town, now reoccupied -by a detachment from Taylor's army. The people were singularly quiet -and subdued. The defeat of Santa Anna by so small a force and his -precipitate flight made an immense impression upon them, and, as they -suffered no ill treatment from the conquerors, they did not seek to make -trouble. There was no sharpshooting in the dark, no waylaying of a few -horsemen by guerillas, and the three could pursue without hesitation the -inquiry upon which they were bent. - -Wells! Wells! Of course there were wells in Agua Neva. Several of -them, and the water was very fine. Would the seńors taste it? They -would, and they passed from one well to another until they drank from -them all. Breakstone could speak Spanish, and its Mexican variations, -and he began to ask questions--chance ones at first, something about the -town and its age, and the things that he had seen. Doubtless in the -long guerilla war between Texas and Mexico, captives, the fierce Texans, -had passed through there on their way to strong prisons in the south. -Such men had passed more than once, but the people of Agua Neva did not -remember any particular one among them. They spent a day thus in vain, -and Phil, gloomy and discouraged, rode back to the quarters of the -American detachment. - -"Don't be downhearted, Phil," said Breakstone. "In a little place like -this one must soon pick up the trail. It will not be hard to get at the -gossip. We'll try again to-morrow." - -They did not go horseback the next morning, not wishing to attract too -much attention, but strolled about the wells again, Breakstone talking -to the women in the most ingratiating manner. He was a handsome fellow, -this Breakstone, and he had a smile that women liked. They did not -frown upon him at Agua Neva because he belonged to the enemy, but -exchanged a gay word or two with him, Spanish or Mexican banter as he -passed on. - -They came to a well at which three women were drawing water for the -large jars that they carried on their heads, and these were somewhat -unlike the others. They were undoubtedly of Indian blood, Aztec -perhaps, or more likely Toltec. They were tall for Mexican women, and -it seemed to Phil that they bore themselves with a certain erectness and -pride. Their faces were noble and good. - -Phil and his comrades drew near. He saw the women glance at them, and -he saw the youngest of them look at him several times. She stared with -a vague sort of wonder in her eyes, and Phil's heart suddenly began to -pound so hard that he grew dizzy. Since the letter, coming out of the -unknown and traveling such a vast distance, had found him in the little -town of Paris, Kentucky, he had felt at times the power of intuition. -Truths burst suddenly upon him, and for the moment he had the conviction -that this was the woman. Moreover, she was still looking at him. - -"Speak to her, Bill! Speak to her!" he exclaimed. "Don't let her go -until you ask her." - -But Breakstone had already noticed the curious glances the woman was -casting at Phil, and in the Spanish patois of the region he bade them a -light and courteous good morning. Here all the charm of Breakstone's -manner showed at its very best. No one could take offense at it, and -the three women, smiling, replied in a similar vein. Breakstone -understood Phil's agitation. The boy might be right, but he did not -intend to be too headlong. He must fence and approach the subject -gradually. So he spoke of the little things that make conversation, but -presently he said to the youngest of the women: - -"I see that you notice my comrade, the one who is not yet a man in -years, though a man in size. Does it chance that you have seen some one -like him?" - -"I do not know," replied the woman. "I am looking into my memory that I -may see." - -"Perhaps," said Breakstone smoothly, "it was one of the Texan prisoners -whom they brought through here two or three years ago. A boy, tall and -fair like this boy, but dusty with the march, bent with weariness, his -feet cut and bleeding by the lava over which he had been forced to -march, stood here at this well. He was blindfolded that he might not -see which way he had come, but you, the Holy Virgin filling your heart -with pity, took the cup of cool water and gave it to him to drink." - -Comprehension filled the eyes of the woman, and she gazed at Breakstone -with growing wonder. - -"It is so!" she exclaimed. "I remember now. It was three years ago. -There was a band of prisoners, twelve or fifteen, maybe, but he was the -youngest of them all, and so worn, so weak! I could not see his eyes, -but he had the figure and manner of the youth who stands there! It was -why I looked, and then looked again, the resemblance that I could not -remember." - -"It is his brother who is with me," said Breakstone. "Can you tell where -these prisoners were taken?" - -"I do not know, but I have heard that they were carried into the -mountains to the south and west, where they were to be held until Texas -was brought back to Mexico, or to be put to death as outlaws." - -"What prisons lie in these mountains to the south and west?" - -"I do not know how many, but we have heard most of the Castle of -Montevideo. Some of our own people have gone there, never to come -back." - -She and her companions shuddered at the name of the Castle of -Montevideo. It seemed to have some vague, mysterious terror for them. -It was now Bill Breakstone who had the intuition. The Castle of -Montevideo was the place. It was there that they had taken John -Bedford. He translated clearly for Phil, who became very pale. - -"It is the place, Phil," he said. "We must go to the Castle of -Montevideo to find him." - -He drew from his pocket a large octagonal gold piece, worth fifty -dollars, then coined by the United States. - -"Give this to her, Bill," he said, "and tell her it is for the drink of -water that she gave to the blindfolded boy three years ago." - -Bill Breakstone translated literally, and he added: - -"You must take it. It comes from his heart. It is not only worth much -money, but it will be a bringer of luck to you." - -She took it, hesitated a moment, then hid it under her red reboso, and, -the jars being filled, she and her two companions walked away, balancing -the great weights beautifully on their heads. - -"To-night," said Phil, "we ride for the Castle of Montevideo." - - - - - CHAPTER XVI - - THE CASTLE OF MONTEVIDEO - - -The Castle of Montevideo, as its name indicates, commanded a magnificent -view. Set in a niche of a mountain which towered far above, it looked -down upon and commanded one of the great roads that led to the heart of -Mexico, the city that stood in the vale of Tenochtitlan, the capital, in -turn, of the Toltecs, the Aztecs, the Spaniards, and the Mexicans, and, -for all that men yet knew, of races older than the Toltecs. But the -Spaniards had built it, completing it nearly a hundred and fifty years -ago, when their hold upon the greater part of the New World seemed -secure, and the name of Spain was filled with the suggestion of power. - -It was a gloomy and tremendous fortress, standing seven thousand feet -above the level of the sea, and having about it, despite its latitude, -no indication of the tropics. - -Spain had lavished here enormous sums of money dug for her by the slaves -of Mexico and Peru. It was built of volcanic pumice stone, very hard, -and of the color of dark honey. Its main walls formed an equilateral -triangle, eight hundred feet square on the inside, and sixty feet from -the top of the wall to the bottom of the enclosing moat. There was a -bastion at each corner of the main rampart, and the moat that enveloped -the main walls and bastions was two hundred feet wide and twenty feet -deep. Fifty feet beyond the outside wall of the moat rose a _chevaux de -frise_ built of squared cedar logs twelve feet long, set in the ground -and fastened together by longitudinal timbers. Beyond the _chevaux de -frise_ was another ditch, fourteen feet wide, of which the outer bank -was a high earthwork. The whole square enclosed by the outermost work -was twenty-six acres, and on the principal rampart were mounted eighty -cannon, commanding the road to the Valley of Tenochtitlan. - -Few fortresses, even in the Old World, were more powerful or complete. -It enclosed armories, magazines, workshops, and cells; cells in rows, -all of which were duly numbered when Montevideo was completed in the -eighteenth century. And, to give it the last and happiest touch, the -picture of Ferdinand VII., King of Spain, Lord of the Indies and the New -World, was painted over the doorway of every cell, and they were many. - -Nor is this the full tale of Montevideo. On the inner side of each -angle, broad wooden stairways ascended to the top, the stairways -themselves being enclosed at intervals by wooden gates twelve feet high. -The real fortifications enclosed a square of nearly five hundred feet, -and inside this square were the buildings of the officers and the -barracks of the soldiers. The floor of the square was paved with thick -cement, and deep down under the cement were immense water tanks, holding -millions of gallons, fed by subterranean springs of pure cold water. By -means of underground tunnels the moats could be flooded with water from -the tanks or springs. - -It has been said that the Spaniards are massive builders, the most -massive since the Romans, and they have left their mark with many a huge -stone structure in the southern part of the New World. What Montevideo -cost the kings of Spain no one has ever known, and, although they -probably paid twice for every stick and stone in it, Peru and Mexico -were still pouring forth their floods of treasure, and there was the -fortress, honey colored, lofty, undeniably majestic and powerful. - -When Mexico displaced Spain, she added to the defenses of Montevideo, -and now, on this spring day in 1847, it lowered, dark and sinister, over -the road. It was occupied by a strong garrison under that alert and -valiant soldier, Captain Pedro de Armijo, raised recently to that rank, -but still stinging with the memories of Buena Vista, he was anxious that -the Americans should come and attack him in Montevideo. He stood on the -rampart at a point where it was seventy feet wide, and he looked with -pride and satisfaction at the row of eighty guns. Pedro de Armijo, -swelling with pride, felt that he could hold the castle of Montevideo -against twenty thousand men. Time had made no impression upon those -massive walls, and the moat was filled with water. The castle, -medićval, but grim and formidable, sat in its narrow mountain valley -with the Cofre de Montevideo (Trunk of Montevideo) behind it on the -north. This peak was frequently covered with snow and at all times was -gloomy and forbidding. Even on bright days the sun reached it for only -a few hours. - -While Pedro de Armijo walked on the parapet, looking out at the range of -mountain and valley and enjoying the sunlight, which would soon be gone, -a young man stood at the window of cell No. 87, also looking out at the -mountain, although no sunlight reached him there. He gazed through a -slit four inches wide and twelve inches high, and the solid wall of -masonry through which this slit was cut was twelve feet thick. The -young man's ankles were tied together with a chain which, although long -enough to allow him to walk, weighed twenty-five pounds. Once he had -been chained with another man. Formerly the prisoners who had been -brought with him to the Castle of Montevideo had been chained in pairs, -the chain in no case weighing less than twenty pounds, but, since only -John Bedford was left, Pedro de Armijo concluded that it was his duty to -carry the chain alone. - -John Bedford was white with prison pallor. Although as tall, he weighed -many pounds less than his younger brother, Philip. His cheeks were -sunken, and his eyes were set in deep hollows. The careless observer -would have taken him for ten years more than his real age. He had -shuffled painfully to the slit in the wall, where he wished to see the -last rays of the daylight falling on the mountainside. The depth of the -slit made the section of the mountain that he could see very narrow, and -he knew every inch of it. There was the big projection of volcanic -rock, the tall, malformed cactus that put out a white flower, the little -bunch of stunted cedars or pines--he could never tell which--in the -shelter of the rock, and the yard or two of gully down which he had seen -the water roaring after the big rains or at the melting of the snows on -the Cofre de Montevideo. - -How often he had looked upon these things! What a little slice of the -world it was! Only a few yards long and fewer yards broad, but what a -mighty thing it was to him! Even with the slit closed, he could have -drawn all of it upon a map to the last twig and pebble. He would have -suffered intensely had that little view been withdrawn, but it -tantalized him, too, with the sight of the freedom that was denied him. -Three years, they told him, he had been gazing out at that narrow slit -at the mountainside, and he only at the beginning of life, strong of -mind and body--or at least he was. Never in that time had he been -outside the inner walls or even in the court yard. He knew nothing of -what had happened in the world. Sometimes they told him that Texas had -been overrun and retaken by the Mexicans, and he feared that it was -true. - -They did not always put the chains upon him, but lately he had been -refractory. He was easily caught in an attempt to escape, and a new -governor of the castle, lately come, a young man extremely arrogant, had -demanded his promise that he make no other such attempt. He had -refused, and so the chains were ordered. He had worn them many times -before, and now they oppressed him far less than his loneliness. He -alone of that expedition was left a prisoner in the castle. How all the -others had gone he did not know, but he knew that some had escaped. -Both he and his comrade of the chains were too ill to walk when the -escape was made, and there was nothing to do but leave them behind. His -comrade died, and he recovered after weeks, mainly through the efforts -of old Catarina, the Indian woman who sometimes brought him his food. - -John Bedford's spirits were at the bottom of the depths that afternoon. -How could human beings be so cruel as to shut up one of their kind in -such a manner, one who was no criminal? It seemed to him that lately -the watch in the castle had become more vigilant than ever. More -soldiers were about, and he heard vaguely of comings and goings. His -mind ran back for the thousandth time over the capture of himself and -his comrades. - -When taken by an overwhelming force they were one hundred and seventy in -number, and there were great rejoicings in Mexico when they were brought -southward. They had been blindfolded at some points, once when he walked -for a long time on sharp volcanic rock, and once, when, as he was -fainting from heat and thirst, a woman with a kind voice had given him a -cup of water at a well. He remembered these things very vividly, and he -remembered with equal vividness how, when they were not blindfolded, -they were led in triumph through the Mexican towns, exactly as prisoners -were led to celebrate the glory of a general through the streets of old -Rome. They, the "Terrible Texans," as they were called, had passed -through triumphal arches decorated with the bright garments of women. -Boys and girls, brilliant handkerchiefs bound around their heads, and -shaking decorated gourds with pebbles in them, had danced before the -captives to the great delight of the spectators. Sometimes women -themselves in these triumphal processions had done the zopilote or -buzzard dance. At night the prisoners had been forced to sleep in foul -cattle sheds. - -Then had come the Day of the Beans. One hundred and fifty-three white -beans and seventeen black beans were placed in a bowl, and every -prisoner, blindfolded, was forced to draw one. The seventeen who drew -the black beans were promptly shot, and the others were compelled to -march on. He remembered how lightly they had taken it, even when it was -known who had drawn the black beans. These men, mostly young like -himself, had jested about their bad luck, and had gone to their death -smiling. He did not know how they could do it, but it was so, because -he had seen it with his own eyes. - -Then they had marched on until they came to the Castle of Montevideo. -There the world ended. There was nothing but time, divided into -alternations of night and day. He had seen nobody but soldiers, except -the old woman Catarina, who seemed to be a sort of scullion. After he -recovered from the prison fever of which his comrade of the chains died, -the old woman had shown a sort of pity for him; perhaps she liked him as -one often likes those upon whom one has conferred benefits. She yielded -to his entreaties for a pencil for an hour or so, and some paper, just a -sheet or two. She smuggled them to him, and she smuggled away the -letter that he wrote. She did not know what would happen, but she would -give it to her son Porfirio, who was a vaquero. Porfirio would give it -to his friend Antonio Vaquez, who was leading a burro train north to -Monterey. After that was the unknown, but who could tell? Antonio -Vaquez was a kind man, and the Holy Virgin sometimes worked miracles for -the good. As for the poor lad, the prisoner, he must rest now. He had -been _muy malo_ (very sick), and it was not good to worry. - -John tried not to worry. It was such easy advice to give and so very -hard for one to take who had been buried alive through a time that -seemed eternity, and who had been forgotten by all the world, except his -jailers. That letter had gone more than a year ago, and, of course, it -had not reached its destination. He ought never to have thought such a -thing possible. Very likely it had been destroyed by Porfirio, the -vaquero, old Catarina's son. He had not seen old Catarina herself in a -long time. Doubtless they had sent her away because she had been kind -to him, or they may have found out about the letter. He was very sorry. -She was far from young, and she was far from beautiful, but her brief -presence at intervals had been cheering. - -He watched the last rays of the sun fade on the volcanic slope. A -single beam, livid and splendid, lingered for a moment, and then was -gone. After it came the dark, with all the chilling power of great -elevation. The cold even penetrated the deep slit that led through -twelve feet of solid masonry, and John Bedford shivered. It was partly -the dark that made him shiver. He rose from the stool and made his way -slowly and painfully to his cot against the wall, his chains rattling -heavily over the floor. - -He heard a key turning in the lock and the door opening, but he did not -look around. They usually came with his food at this hour, and the food -was always the same. There was no cause for curiosity. But when he -heard the steps of two men instead of one he did look around. There was -the same soldier bringing his supper of frijoles and tortillas on a tin -plate, and a cup of very bad coffee, but he was accompanied by the new -governor of the castle, Captain Pedro de Armijo, whom John did not like -at all. The soldier drew up the stool, put the food on it, and also a -candle that he carried. - -John began to eat and drink, taking not the slightest notice of de -Armijo. The man from the first had given him the impression of cold, -malignant cruelty. John Bedford had often thought that his own spirit -was crushed, but it was far from being so. Pride was strong within him, -and he resolved that de Armijo should speak first. - -De Armijo stood in silence for some time, looking down at the prisoner. -He was not in a good humor, he had seldom been so since that fatal day -when the whole army of Santa Anna was hurled back by the little force -from the North. He knew many things of which the prisoner did not -dream, and he had no thought of giving him even the slightest hint of -them. In him was the venomous disposition of the cat that likes to play -with the rat it has caught. A curious piece of mockery, or perhaps it -was not wholly mockery, had occurred to him. - -"Bedford," he said, speaking good English, "you have been a prisoner -here a long time, and no one loves captivity." - -"I have not heard that any one does," replied John, taking another drink -of the bad coffee. - -"You cannot escape. You see the impossibility of any such attempt." - -"It does not look probable, I admit. Still, few things are impossible." - -De Armijo smiled, showing even white teeth. He rather liked this game -of playing with the rat in the trap. So much was in favor of the cat. - -"It is not a possibility with which one can reckon," he said, "and I -should think that the desire to be free would be overpowering in one so -young as you." - -"Have you come here to make sport of me?" said John, with ominous -inflection. "Because if you have I shall not answer another question." - -"Not at all," said de Armijo. "I come on business. You have been here, -as I said, a long time, and in that time many changes have occurred in -the world." - -"What changes?" asked John sharply. - -"The most important of them is the growth in power of Mexico," said de -Armijo smoothly. "We triumph over all our enemies." - -"Do you mean that you have really retaken Texas?" asked John, with a -sudden falling of the heart. - -De Armijo smiled again, then lighted a cigarette and took a puff or two -before he gave an answer which was really no answer at all, so far as -the words themselves were concerned. - -"I said that Mexico had triumphed over her enemies everywhere," he -replied, "and so she has, but I give you no details. It has been the -order that you know nothing. You have been contumacious and obstinate, -and, free, you would be dangerous. So the world was to be closed to -you, and it has been done. You know nothing of it except these four -walls and the little strip of a mountain that you can see from the -window there. You are as one dead." - -John Bedford winced. What the Mexican said was true, and he had long -known it to be true, but he did not like for de Armijo to say it to him -now. His lonesomeness in his long imprisonment had been awful, but not -more so than his absolute ignorance of everything beyond his four walls. -This policy with him had been pursued persistently. Old Catarina, -before her departure, had not dared to tell him anything, and now the -soldier who served him would not answer any question at all. He had -felt at times that this would reduce him to mental incompetency, to -childishness, but he had fought against it, and he had felt at other -times that the isolation, instead of weakening his faculties, had -sharpened them. But he replied without any show of emotion in his voice: - -"What you say is true in the main, but why do you say it." - -"In order to lay before you both sides of a proposition. You are -practically forgotten here. You can spend the rest of your life in this -cell, perish, perhaps, on the very bed where you are now sitting, but -you can also release yourself. Take the oath of fealty to Mexico, -become a Mexican citizen, join her army and fight her enemies. You -might have a career there, you might rise." - -It was a fiendish suggestion to one who knew nothing of what was -passing, and de Armijo prided himself upon his finesse. To compel -brother to fight against brother would indeed be a master stroke. He -did not notice the rising blood in the face before him, that had so long -borne the prison pallor. - -"Have you reconquered Texas?" asked John sharply. - -"What has that to do with it?" - -"Do you think I would join you and fight against the Texans? Do you -think I would join you anyhow, after I've been fighting against you? -I'd rather rot here than do such a thing, and it seems strange that you, -an officer and the governor of this castle, should make such an offer. -It's dishonest!" - -Blood flashed through de Armijo's dark face, and he raised his hand in -menace. John Bedford instantly struck at him with all his might, which -was not great, wasted as he was by prison confinement. De Armijo -stepped back a little, drew his sword, and, with the flat of it, struck -the prisoner a severe blow across the forehead. John had attempted to -spring forward, but twenty-five pounds of iron chain confining his -ankles held him. He could not ward off the blow, and he dropped back -against the cot, bleeding and unconscious. - -When John Bedford recovered his senses he was lying on the cot, and it -was pitch dark, save for a slender shaft of moonlight that entered at -the slit, and that lay like a sword-blade across the floor. His head -throbbed, and when he put his hand to it he found that it was swathed in -bandages. He remembered the blow perfectly, and he moved his feet, but -the chains had been taken off. They had had the grace to do that much. -He strove to rise, but he was very weak, and the throbbing in his head -increased. Then he lay still for a long time, watching the moonbeam -that fell across the floor. He was in a state of mind far from -pleasant. To be shut up so long is inevitably to grow bitter, and to be -struck down thus by de Armijo, while he was chained and helpless, was an -injury to both body and mind that he could never forgive. He had -nothing to do in his cell to distract his mind from grievous wrongs, and -there was no chance for them to fade from his memory. His very soul -rose in wrath against de Armijo. - -He judged that it was far in the night, and, after lying perfectly still -for about an hour, he rose from the bed. His strength had increased, -and the throbbing in his head was not so painful. He staggered across -the floor and put his face to the slit in the wall. The cold air, as it -rushed against his eyes and cheeks, felt very good. It was spring in -the lowlands, but there was snow yet on the peak behind the Castle of -Montevideo, and winter had not yet wholly left the valley in which the -castle itself stood. But the air was not too cold for John, whose brain -at this moment was hotter than his blood. - -The night was uncommonly clear. One could see almost as well as by day, -and he began to look over, one by one, the little objects that his view -commanded on the mountainside. He looked at every intimate friend, the -various rocks, the cactus, the gully, and the dwarfed shrubs--he still -wished to know whether they were pines or cedars, the problem had long -annoyed him greatly. He surveyed his little landscape with great care. -It seemed to him that he saw touches of spring there, and then he was -quite sure that he saw the figure of a man, dark and shadowy, but, -nevertheless, a human figure, pass across the little space. It was -followed in a moment by a second, and then by a third. It caused him -surprise and interest. His tiny landscape was steep, and he had never -before seen men cross it. Hunters, or perhaps goat herders, but it was -strange that they should be traveling along such a steep mountainside at -such an hour. - -A person under ordinary conditions would have forgotten the incident in -five minutes, but this was an event in the life of the lonely captive. -Save his encounter with de Armijo, he could not recall another of so -much importance in many months. He stayed at the loophole a long time, -but he did not see the figures again nor anything else living. Once, -about a month before, he had caught a glimpse of a deer there, and it -had filled him with excitement, because to see even a deer was a great -thing, but this was a greater. He remained at the loophole until the -rocks began to redden with the morning sun, but his little landscape -remained as it had ever been, the same rocks, the same pines or -cedars--which, in Heaven's name, were they?--and the same cactus. - -Then he walked slowly back to his cot. The chains were lying on the -floor beside it, and he knew that, in time, they would be put on him -again, but he was resolved not to abate his independence a particle. -Nor would he defer in any way to de Armijo. If he came again he would -speak his opinion of him to his face, let him do what he would. - -There was proud and stubborn blood in every vein of the Bedfords. John -Bedford's grandfather had been one of the most noted of Kentucky's -pioneers and Indian fighters, and on his mother's side, too, there was a -strain of tenacious New England. By some possible chance he might be -able to return de Armijo's blow. He drew the cover over his body and -fell into a sleep from which he was awakened by the slovenly soldier -with his breakfast. The man did not speak while John ate, and John was -glad of it. He, too, had nothing to say, and he wished to be left to -himself. When the man left he lay down on the cot again and slept until -nearly noon. Then de Armijo came a second time. He had no apologies -whatever for the manner in which he had struck down an unarmed prisoner, -but was hard and sneering. - -"I merely tell you," he said, "that you lost your last chance yesterday. -The offer will not be repeated." - -John said not a word, but gazed at him so steadily that the Mexican's -swarthy face flushed a little. He hesitated, as if he would say -something, but evidently thought better of it, and went out. That night -he had a fever from his wounded head and the exertion that he had made -in standing so long at the loophole. He became delirious, and when he -emerged from his delirium a little weazened old Indian woman was sitting -by the side of his cot. She had kindly and pitying eyes, and John -exclaimed, in a weak but joyous voice: - -"Catarina!" - -"Poor boy," she said, "I have watched you one day and one night." - -"Where have you been all the time before?" he asked in the Mexican -dialect that he had learned. - -"I have been one of the cooks," she said. "The officers, they eat so -much, tortillas, frijoles, everything, and they drink so much, mescal, -pulque, wine, everything. Many busy months for Catarina, and I ask for -you, but I cannot see you. They say you bad, very bad. Then they say -you try to kill the governor, Captain de Armijo, but he strike you on -the head with the flat of his sword to save his own life. You have -fever, and at last they send me to nurse you as I did that other time." - -"Do you believe, Catarina, that I tried to kill de Armijo?" asked John. - -She looked about her fearfully, drew the reboso closely across her -shrunken shoulders, and answered in a frightened tone as if the thick -walls themselves could hear: - -"How should I know? It is what they say. If I should say otherwise -they would lash me with the whip, even me, old Catarina." - -The captive sighed. Nothing could break the awful wall of mystery that -enveloped him. Catarina even did not dare to speak, although no one but -himself could possibly hear. - -"You mind I smoke?" said Catarina. - -"No," replied John with a wan smile. "Any lady can smoke in my -presence." - -She whipped out a cigarrito, lighted it with a match, held it for a -moment between the middle and fore finger, then inserted it between her -aged lips. She took two or three long, easy whiffs, letting the smoke -come out through her nose. John had never learned to smoke, but he said -to her: - -"Does it do you good, Catarina?" - -"Whether it does me good, I know not," replied the Indian woman, "but it -gives me pleasure, so I do it. I have to tell you, Seńor John, that my -son, Porfirio, has returned from the north. He has been at Monterey and -the country about it." - -John at once was all eagerness. - -"And Antonio Vaquez, the leader of the burro train?" he exclaimed. "Has -he heard from him? Does he know if the letter went on beyond the Rio -Grande?" - -"My son Porfirio has not seen Antonio Vaquez," replied Catarina, "and so -he does not know from Antonio Vaquez whether the letter has crossed the -Rio Grande or not. But it is a time of change." - -"De Armijo told me that." - -The old woman looked at him very keenly, and drove more smoke of the -cigarrito through her nose. Her next words made no reference to de -Armijo, but they startled John: - -"You look through the loophole to-night, about midnight," she said, "You -see something on the mountain side, fire, a torch, it may mean much. -Who can tell?" - -Excitement flamed up again in John's veins. - -"What do you mean, Catarina?" he exclaimed. - -"Last night I crawled to the loophole for air. It was bright moonlight, -and while I was standing there I thought three human beings passed on -the little patch of the mountainside that I can see." - -"It is all I know," said Catarina. "I can tell you no more. Now I am -_concinero_ (cook) again. Now I go. But watch. There have been many -changes. Diego, the soldier, will bring you your food as before. Watch -that, too." - -"Poison!" exclaimed John aghast. - -"No! No! No! _Hai Dios_ (my God), no! But do as I say!" - -She snuffed out the end of the cigarrito, picked up the dishes, and -promptly left the cell. She also left the captive much excited and -wondering. De Armijo had said there were changes! Truly there had been -changes, said Catarina, but she had not told what they were. He made -many surmises, and one was as good as another, even to himself. Let a -man cut three years out of his life and see if he can span the gulf -between. But he was sure, despite his ignorance of their nature, that -Catarina's words were full of meaning, and, perhaps among all the great -changes that had come, one was coming for him, too. - -He slept that afternoon in order that he might be sure to keep awake at -night, and long before midnight he was on watch at the loophole. There -was still soreness in his head, where the flat of the heavy steel blade -had struck, but it was passing away, and his strength was returning. It -is hard to crush youth. It was now easier for him, too, as the chains -had not been put back upon his ankles. - -He waited with great impatience, and, as his impatience increased, time -became slower. He began to feel that he was foolish. But Catarina had -been good to him. She would not make him keep an idle quest in the long -cold hours of the night. And he had seen the three shadows pass the -night before. He was sure now from what Catarina had said that they -were the shadows of human beings, and their presence there had been -significant. - -The night was not so bright as the one before, but, by long looking, he -could trace the details of his landscape, all the well known objects, -every one in its proper place, with the dusky moonlight falling upon -them. He stared so long that his eyes ached. Surely Catarina had been -talking foolish talk! No, she had not! His heart stopped beating for a -few moments, because, as certainly as he was at that loophole, a light -had appeared on his bit of landscape. It was but a spark. A spark only -at first, but in a moment or two it blazed up like a torch. It showed a -vivid red streak against the mountainside, and the heart of the captive, -that had stood still for a few moments, now bounded rapidly. The words -of Catarina had come true, and he had had a sign. But what did the sign -mean? It must be connected in some way with him, and nothing could be -worse than that which he now endured. It must mean good. - -It was a veritable flame of hope to John Bedford, the prisoner of the -Castle of Montevideo. New strength suffused his whole body. Courage -came back to him in a full tide. A sign had been promised to him, and -it had come. - -The light burned for about half an hour, and then went out suddenly. -John Bedford returned to his cot, a new hope in his heart. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII - - THE THREAD, THE KEY, AND THE DAGGER - - -When John Bedford rose the next morning he was several years younger. -He held himself erect, as became his youth, a little color had crept -into the pallid face, and his heart was still full of hope. He had seen -the light that Catarina had promised. Surely the world was making a -great change for him, and he reasoned again that, his present state -being so low, any possible change must be for the better. - -But the day passed and nothing happened. Diego, the slouching soldier, -brought him his food, and, bearing in mind the vague words of Catarina, -he noticed it carefully while he ate. There was nothing unusual. It -was the same at his supper. The rosy cloud in which his hopes swam -faded somewhat, but he was still hopeful. No light had been promised for -the second night, but he watched for long hours, nevertheless, and he -could not restrain a sense of disappointment when he turned away. - -A second day passed without event, and a third, and then a fourth. John -Bedford was overcome by a terrible depression. Catarina was old and -foolish, or perhaps she, too, had shown at last the cunning and trickery -that he began to ascribe to all these people. He would stay in that -cell all his life, fairly buried alive. A fierce, unreasoning anger -took hold of him. He would have flared out at stolid Diego who brought -the food, but he did not want those heavy chains put back on his ankles. -His head was now healed enough for the removal of the bandage, but a red -streak would remain for some time under the hair. Doubtless the hair -had saved him from a fracture of the skull. Every time he put his hand -to the wound, which was often, his anger against de Armijo rose. It was -that cold, silent anger which is the most terrible and lasting of all. - -Although he was back in the depths, John felt that the brief spell of -hope had been of help to him. His wound had healed more rapidly, and he -was sure that he was physically stronger. Yet the black depression -remained. It was even painful for him to look through the slit at his -piece of the slope, which he sometimes called his mountain garden. He -avoided it, as a place of hope that had failed. On the sixth day, Diego -brought him his dinner a little after the dinner hour. He was sitting -on the edge of his cot and he bit into a tamale. His teeth encountered -something tough and fibrous, and he was about to throw it down in -disgust. Then the words of Catarina, those words which he had begun to -despise, came suddenly back to him. He put the tamale down and began to -eat a tortilla, keeping his eye on Diego, who slouched by the wall in -the attitude of a Mexican of the lower classes, that lazy, dreaming -attitude that they can maintain, for hours. - -Presently Diego glanced at the loophole, and in an instant John whipped -the tamale off the plate and thrust it under the cover of the cot. Then -he went on calmly with his eating, and drank the usual amount of bad -coffee. Diego, who had noticed nothing, took the empty tray and went -out, carefully locking the heavy door behind him. Then John Bedford did -something that showed his wonderful power of self-restraint. He did not -rush to the bed, eager to read what the tamale might contain, but -strolled to the loophole and looked out for at least a quarter of an -hour. He did not wish any trick to be played upon him by a sudden -return of Diego. Yet he was quivering in every nerve with impatience. - -When he felt that he was safe, he returned to the cot and took out the -tamale. He carefully pulled it open, and in the middle he found the -tough, fibrous substance that his teeth had met. He had half expected a -paper of some kind, rolled closely together, that the writing might not -perish, and what he really did find caused a disappointment so keen that -he uttered a low cry of pain. - -He held it up in his hand. It was nothing more than a small package of -thread, such as might have been put in a thimble. What could it mean? -Of what possible use was a coil of fifty yards or so of thread that -would not sustain the weight of half a pound? Was he to escape through -the loophole on that as a rope? He looked at the loophole four inches -broad, and then at the tiny thread, and it seemed to him such a pitiful -joke that he sat down on the cot and laughed, not at the joke itself, -but at any one who was foolish enough to perpetrate such a thing. - -He tested the thread. It was stronger than he had thought. Then he put -it on his knee, took his head in his two hands, and sat staring at the -thread for a long time, concentrating his thoughts and trying to evolve -something from this riddle. It did mean something. No one would go to -so much trouble to play a miserable joke on a helpless captive like -himself. Catarina certainly would not do it, and she had given him the -hint about the food, a hint that had come true. He kept his mind upon -the one point so steadily and with so much force that his brain grew -hot, and the wound, so nearly cured, began to ache again. Yet he kept -at it, studying out every possible twist and turn of the riddle. At -last he tested the thread again. It was undeniably strong, and then he -looked at the loophole. Only one guess savored of possibility. He must -hang the thread out of the loophole. - -He ate the rest of the tamale, hid the little package under his -clothing, and at night, after supper, when the darkness was heavy, he -threw the end of the thread through the long slot, a cast in which he -did not succeed until about the twelfth attempt. Then he let the thread -drop down. He knew about how many feet it was to the pavement below, -and he let out enough with three or four yards for good count. Then he -found that he had several yards left, which he tied around one of the -iron bars at the edge of the loophole. It was a black thread, and, -although some one might see it by daylight, there was not one chance in -a thousand that any one would see it at night. - -"Fishing," he said to himself, as he lay down on his cot, intending to -sleep awhile, but to draw in the thread before the day came. It might -be an idle guess, he could not even know that the thread was not -clinging to the stone wall, instead of reaching the ground, but there -was relief in action, in trying something. He fell asleep finally, and -when he awoke he sprang in an instant to the floor. The fear came with -his waking senses that he might have slept too long, and that it was -broad daylight. The fear was false. It was still night, with only the -moon shining at the loophole. But he judged that most of the night had -passed, and his impatience told him that if anything was going to happen -it had happened already. He went to the window. His thread was there, -tied to the bar and, like a fisherman, he began to pull it in. He felt -this simile himself. "Drawing in the line," he murmured. "Now I wonder -if I have got a bite." - -Although he spoke lightly to himself, as if a calm man would soothe an -excitable one, he felt the cold chill that runs down one's spine in -moments of intense excitement. The moonlight was good, and he watched -the black thread come in, inch by inch, while the hand that drew it -trembled. But he soon saw that there was no weight at the other end, -and down his heart went again into the blackest depths of black despair. -Nevertheless, he continued to pull on the thread, and, as it emerged -from the darkness into the far end of the loophole, he thought he saw -something tied on the end, although he was not sure, it looked so small -and dim. Here he paused and leaned against the wall, because he -suddenly felt weak in both mind and body. These alternations between -hope and despair were shattering to one who had been confined so long -between four walls. The very strength of his desire for it might make -him see something at the end of the thread when nothing was really -there. - -He recovered himself and pulled in the thread, and now hope surged up in -a full tide. Something was on the end of the thread. It was a little -piece of paper not more than an inch long, rolled closely and tied -tightly around the center with the thread. He drew up his stool and sat -down on it by the loophole, where the moonlight fell. Then he carefully -picked loose the knot and unrolled the paper. The light was good -enough, and he read these amazing words: - - "Don't give up hope. - Your brother is here. - He received your letter. - Put out the thread - Again to-morrow night. - Read and destroy this." - - -John leaned against the wall. His surprise and joy were so great that -he was overpowered. He realized now that his hope had merely been a -forlorn one, an effort of the will against spontaneous despair. And yet -the miracle had been wrought. His letter, in some mysterious manner, -had got through to Phil, and Phil had come. He must have friends, too, -because the letter had not been written by Phil. It was in a strange -handwriting. But this could be no joke of fate. It was too powerful, -too convincing. Everything fitted too well together. It must have -started somehow with Catarina, because all her presages had come true. -She was the cook, she had put the thread in the tamale. How had the -others reached her? - -But it was true. His letter had gone through, and the brave young boy -whom he had left behind had come. He was somewhere about the Castle of -Montevideo, and since such wonders had been achieved already, others -could be done. From that moment John Bedford never despaired. After -reading the letter many times, he tore it into minute fragments, and, -lest they should be seen below and create suspicion, he ate them all and -with a good appetite. Then he rolled up the thread, put it next to his -body, and, for the first time in many nights, slept so soundly that he -did not awake until Diego brought him his breakfast. Then he ate with a -remarkable appetite, and after Diego had gone he began to walk up and -down the cell with vigorous steps. He also did many other things which -an observer, had one been possible, would have thought strange. - -John not only walked back and forth in his cell, but he went through as -many exercises as his lack of gymnastic equipment permitted, and he -continued his work at least an hour. He wished to get back his strength -as much as possible for some great test that he felt sure was coming. -If he were to escape with the help of Phil and unknown others, he must -be strong and active. A weakling would have a poor chance, no matter -how numerous his friends. He had maintained this form of exercise for a -long period after his imprisonment, but lately he had become so much -depressed that he had discontinued it. - -He felt so good that he chaffed Diego when he came back with his food at -dinner and supper. Diego had long been a source of wonder to John. It -was evident that he breathed and walked, because John had seen him do -both, and he could speak, because at rare intervals John had heard him -utter a word or two, but this power of speech seemed to be merely -spasmodic. Now, while John bantered him, he was as stolid as any wooden -image of Aztecs or Toltecs, although John spoke in Spanish, which, bad -as it was, Diego could understand. - -He devoted the last hours of the afternoon to watching his distant -garden. It had always been a pleasant landscape to him, but now it was -friendlier than ever. That was a fine cactus, and it was a noble forest -of dwarf pine or cedar--he wished he did know which. An hour after the -dark had fully come he let the thread out again. - -"This beats any other fishing I ever did," he murmured. "Well, it ought -to. It's fishing for one's life." - -He was calmer than on the night before, and fell asleep earlier, but he -had fixed his mind so resolutely on a waking time at least an hour -before daylight that he awoke almost at the appointed minute. Then he -tiptoed across the cold floor to the thread. Nobody could have heard -him through those solid walls, but the desire for secrecy was so strong -that he unconsciously tiptoed, nevertheless. He pulled the thread, and -he felt at once that something heavy had been fastened to the other end. -Then he pulled more slowly. The thread was very slender, and the weight -seemed great for so slight a line. If it were to break, the tragedy -would be genuinely terrible. He had heard of the sword suspended by a -single hair, and it seemed to him that he was in some such case. But the -thread was stronger than John realized--it had been chosen so on -purpose--and it did not break. - -As the far end of the thread approached the loophole, he was conscious -of a slight metallic ring against the stone wall. His interest grew in -intensity. Phil and these unknown friends of his were sending him -something more than a note. He pulled with exceeding slowness and care -now, lest the metallic object hook against the far edge of the loophole. -But it came in safely, slid across the stone, and reached his hand. It -was a large iron key, with a small piece of paper tied around it. He -tore off the paper, and read, in a handwriting the same as that on the -first one: - -"This is the key to your cell, No. 37, but do not use it. Do not even -put it in the lock until the fourth night from to-night. Then at -midnight, as nearly as you can judge, unlock and go out. Let out the -thread for the last time to-morrow night." - -John looked at the key and glanced longingly at the lock. He had no -doubt that it would fit. But he obeyed orders and did not try it. -Instead he thrust it into the old ragged mattress of his cot. He -resumed his physical exercises the next day, giving an hour to them in -the morning and another hour in the afternoon. They helped, but the -breath of hope was doing more for him, both mind and body, than anything -else. He felt so strong and active that he did not chaff Diego any more -lest the Mexican, stolid and wooden though he was, might suspect -something. - -He let out the thread according to orders, and, at the usual time, drew -in a dagger, slender and very light, but long and keen as a razor. He -read readily the purpose of this. There would be much danger when he -opened the door to go out, and he must have a weapon. He ran his finger -along the keen edge and saw that it would be truly formidable at close -quarters. Then he hid it in his mattress with the key, wound up the -thread, and put it in the same place. All had now come to pass as -promised, and he felt that the remainder would depend greatly upon -himself. So he settled down as best he could to three days and nights -of almost intolerable waiting. Dull and heavy as the time was, and -surely every second was a minute, many fears also came with it. They -might take it into their heads to change that ragged old mattress of -his, and then the knife, the thread, and the key would be found. He -would dismiss such apprehensions with the power of reason, but the power -of fear would bring them back again. Too much now depended upon his -freedom from examination and search to allow of a calm mind. - -Yet time passed, no matter how slow, and he was helped greatly by his -physical exercises, which gave him occupation, besides preparing him for -an expected ordeal. Hope, too, was doing its great work. He could -fairly feel the strength flowing back into his veins, and his nerves -becoming tougher and more supple. Every night he looked out at the -mountain slope and itemized his little garden there that he had never -touched, shrub by shrub, stone by stone, not forgetting the great -cactus. He told himself that he did not expect to see any light there -again, because the unknown sender of messages had not spoken of another, -but, deep down at the bottom of his heart, he was hoping to behold the -torch once more, and he felt disappointment when it did not appear. - -He tried to imagine how Phil looked. He knew that he must be a great, -strong boy, as big as a man. He knew that his spirit was bold and -enterprising, yet he must have had uncommon skill and fortune to have -penetrated so deep into Mexico, and to preserve a hiding-place so near -to the great Castle of Montevideo. And the friends with him must be -molded of the finest steel. Who were they? He recalled daring and -adventurous spirits among his own comrades in the fatal expedition, but -as he ran over every one in his mind he shook his head. It could not -be. - -It is the truth that, during all this period, inflicting such a -tremendous strain upon the captive, John never once tried the key in the -door. It was the supreme test of his character, of his restraint, of -his power of will, and he passed it successfully. The thread, the -dagger, and the key lay together untouched in the bottom of the old -mattress, and he waited in all the outward seeming of patience. - -The first night was very clear, on the second it rained for six or seven -hours. The entire mountainside was veiled in sheets of water or vapor, -and John saw nothing beyond his window but the black blur. The third -night was clear, but when the morning of the fourth day dawned, John -thought, from the clouds that were floating along the mountain slope, it -would be rainy again. He hoped that the promise would come true. -Darkness and rain favor an escaping prisoner. - -The last day was the most terrible of all. Now and then he found his -heart pounding as if it would rack itself to pieces. It was difficult -to go through with the exercises, and it was still more difficult to -preserve calmness of manner in the presence of Diego. Yet he did both. -Moreover, his natural steadiness seemed to come back to him as the hour -drew near. His was one of those rare and fortunate natures which may be -nervous and apprehensive some time before the event, but which become -hard and firm when it is at hand. Now John found himself singularly -calm. The eternity of waiting had passed, and he was strong and ready. - -Diego brought him his supper early, and then, through his loophole, he -watched the twilight deepen into the night. And with the night came the -rain that the morning and afternoon clouds had predicted. It was a cold -rain, driven by a wind that shrieked down the valley, and drops of it, -hurled like shot the full width of the slit, struck John in the face. -But he liked the cool sharp touch, and he felt sure that the rain would -continue all through the night. So much the better. - -John's clothing was old and ragged, and he wore a pair of heelless -Mexican shoes. He had no hat or cap. But a prisoner of three lonely -years seeking to escape was not likely to think of such things. - -He waited patiently through these last hours. He was compelled to judge -for himself when midnight had come, but he believed that he had made a -close calculation. Then he took a final look through the loophole. The -wind, with a mighty groaning and shrieking, was still driving the rain -down the slopes, and nothing was visible. Then, with a firm hand, he -took from the bed the thread, the knife, and the key. It was not likely -that he would have any further use for the thread, but for the sake of -precaution he put it in his pocket. He also slipped the dagger into the -back of his coat at the neck, after a southwestern fashion which allowed -a man to draw and strike with a single motion. - -Then, key in hand, he boldly approached the door. Some throbbings of -doubt appeared, but he sternly repressed them. Giving himself no time -for hesitation, he put the key in the lock and turned his hand toward -the right. The key, without any creaking or scraping, turned with it. -His heart gave a great leap. He did not know until now that he had -really doubted. His joy at the fact showed it. But the miracles were -coming true, one after another. - -He turned the key around the proper distance, and he heard the heavy -bolt slide back. He knew that he would have nothing to do now but pull -on the door, yet he paused a few moments as one lingers over a great -pleasure, in order to make it greater. He pulled, and the door came -back with the same familiar slight creak that he had heard it make so -often when Diego entered or left. With an involuntary gesture of one -hand, he bade farewell to his cell and stepped into the long, dark -corridor upon which the row of cells opened. But for the sake of -precaution he locked the cell door again and put the key in his pocket. - -Then he drew the slender dagger, clutched it firmly in his right hand, -and stepped softly back against the wall, which was in heavy shadow, no -light entering it from the narrow barred window at either end. John's -heart beat painfully, but he did not believe that the miracles which -were being done in his behalf had yet ended. With his back still toward -the wall, and his hand on the hilt of the dagger, he slipped soundlessly -along for a few feet. His eyes, growing used to the darkness, made out -the posts at the head of a stairway. - -Evidently this was the way he should go, and he paused again. Then his -blood slowly chilled within him. A human figure was standing beside one -of the posts. He saw it distinctly. It was the figure of a tall man in -a long black serape, with a dark handkerchief tied around mouth and chin -after the frequent Mexican fashion, and a great sombrero which nearly -met the handkerchief. He could see nothing but the narrowest strip of -dark face, and in the dusk the man rose to the size of a giant. He was -truly a formidable figure to one who had been three years a captive, to -one who was armed only with a slender knife. - -But the crisis in John Bedford's life was so great that he advanced -straight toward the ominous presence in his path. The man said nothing, -but John felt as he approached that the stranger was regarding him -steadily. Moreover, he made no motion to draw a weapon. John saw now -that one of his hands rested on the post at the stairhead, and the other -hung straight down by his side. Surely this was not the attitude of a -foe! Perhaps here was merely another in the chain of miracles that had -begun to work in his behalf. He advanced a step or two nearer, and the -stranger was yet motionless. Another step, and the man spoke in a sharp -whisper: - -"You are John Bedford?" - -"I am," replied John. - -"I've been waiting for you. Come. But first take this." - -He drew a double-barreled pistol from his pocket and handed it to John, -who did as he was told. The stranger then produced from under his -capacious serape another serape and a Mexican hat, which John, acting -under his instructions, also put on. - -"Now," said the man, "follow me, and do what I do or what I tell you. - - "It is the midnight hour, - They wait us at the gate. - May Heaven its favors pour, - Then easy is our fate. - -You seem to be a brave fellow like your brother; then now is the time to -show your courage, and remember, also, that I can do all the talking for -both of us. Talking is my great specialty." - -It seemed to John that the stranger spoke in an odd manner, but he liked -the sound of his voice, which was at once strong and kind. Why should -he not like a man who had come through every imaginable danger to save -him from a living death! - -"My brother?" whispered John in his eagerness. "Is he still near?" - -"I told you I was to do all the talking," replied the man. "You just -follow and step as lightly as you can." - -John obeyed, and, after a descent of a few steps, they came to one of -the heavy wooden doors, twelve feet high, but the stranger unlocked it -with a key taken from the folds of that invaluable Mexican garment, the -serape. - -"You didn't think I'd come on such a trip as this without making full -preparations?" said the man with a slight humorous inflection. Then he -added: "You're just a plain, common Mexican, some servant or other, -employed about the castle, and you continue to slouch along behind me, -who may be an officer for all one knows in this darkness. But first -push with me on this door. Push hard and push slowly." - -The heavy door moved back a foot or two, but that was all the stranger -wanted. He slipped through the opening, and John came after him. Then -the man closed and locked the door again. - -"A wise burglar leaves no trail behind him," he said, "and, although it -is too dark for me to see you very well, I want to tell you, Sir John of -the Cell, that your figure and walk remind me a great deal of your -brother, Sir Philip of the Mountain, the River, and the Plain, as -gallant a lad as one may meet in many a long day." - -A question, a half dozen of them leaped to John's lips, but, remembering -his orders, he checked them all there. - -"Ah, I see," said the stranger. "That would certainly tempt any man to -ask questions, but, remembering what I told you, you did not ask them. -You are of the true metal. - - "Though in prison he lay, - His spirit was strong, - He sought a better day, - And now it's come along. - -At least it's a better night, which, for the uses of poetry, is the same -as day. This stairway, John, leads into the great inner court, and then -our troubles begin, although we ought to return thanks all the rest of -our days for the rain and the heavy darkness. The Mexican officers will -see no reason why they shouldn't remain under shelter, and the Mexican -soldiers, in this case, will be glad enough to do as their officers do." - -John now followed his guide with absolute faith. The man spoke more -queerly than anybody else that he had ever heard, but everything that he -did or said inspired confidence. - -They came to the bottom of the stairway and reached the great paved -central court, with the buildings of the officers scattered here and -there. They stepped into the court, and John fairly shrank within -himself when the cold rain lashed into his face. He did not know until -then how three years within massive walls had softened and weakened him. -But he held himself erect and tautened his nerves, resolved that his -comrade should not see that he had shivered. - -They saw lights shining from the windows of some of the low buildings, -but no human being was visible within the square. - -"They've all sought cover," said his rescuer, "and now is our best -chance to get through one of the gates. After that there are other walls -and ditches to be passed, but, Sir John of the Night, the Wall, the -Rain, and the Moat, we'll pass them. This little plan of ours has been -too well laid to go astray. Just the same, you keep that pistol handy." - -John drew the serape about his thin body. It was useful for other -things than disguise. Without it the cold would have struck him to the -bone. His rescuer led the way across the court until they came to one -of the great gates in the wall. The sentinel then was pacing back and -forth, his musket on his shoulder, and at intervals he called: -"Sentinela alerte!" that his comrades at other gates might hear, and out -of the wind and rain came at intervals, though faintly, the responding -cry, "Sentinela alerte!" John and the stranger were almost upon this -man when the cry "Sentinela alerte!" came from the next gate. He turned -quickly as the two dark figures emerged from the darker gloom, but the -stranger, with extraordinary dexterity, threw his serape over his face, -checking any cry, while his powerful hands choked him into -insensibility. At the same time the stranger uttered the answering cry, -"Sentinela alerte!" - -"You haven't killed him?" exclaimed John, aghast, as his rescuer let the -Mexican slide to the wet earth. - -"Not at all," replied this resourceful man. "The cold rain will bring -him back to his senses in five minutes and in ten minutes he will be as -well as ever, but in ten minutes we should play our hand, if we ever -play it." - -He drew an enormous key from the pocket of the Mexican, unlocked the -gate, and, after they had passed out, locked it behind them. Then they -stood on the edge of the great moat, two hundred feet wide, twenty feet -deep and bank full. The man dropped the key into the water. - -"Now, Sir John of the Escape," he said, "the drawbridge is up, and if it -were down it would be too well guarded for us to pass. We must swim. I -don't know how strong you are after a long life in prison, but swim you -must. Life is dear, and I think you'll swim. We'll take off most of -our clothes and tie them with our weapons on our heads. What a wild -night! But how good it is for us!" - -Crouching in the shadow of the wall they took off most of their clothes, -and then each tied them in a package containing his weapons, also, on -his head. They were secured with strips torn from John's rags. -Meanwhile, the night was increasing in wildness. John would have viewed -it with awe, had not his escape absorbed every thought. The wind -groaned through the gorges of the great Sierra, and the cold rain lashed -like a whip. The rumblings of thunder came from far and deep valleys -between the ridges. - -"Now," said the man, "we'll drop into the moat together. But let -yourself down by your hands as gently as you can, and make no splash -when you strike. Now, over we go!" - -The two dropped into the water, taking care not to go under, and then -began to swim toward the far edge of the moat. John had been a good -swimmer, but the water was very cold to his thin body. Nevertheless, he -swam with a fairly steady stroke, until they were about half-way across, -when he felt cramps creeping over him. But the stranger, who kept close -by his side, had been watching, and he put one hand under John's body. -In water the light support became a strong one, and now John swam -easily. - -They reached the far edge and climbed up on the wall. Here John lay a -little while, gasping, while the stranger, who now seemed a very god to -him, rubbed his cold body to bring back the warmth. From a point down -the bank came the cry "Sentinela alerte!" and from a point in the other -direction came the answering cry, "Sentinela alerte!" - -"Lie flat," whispered his rescuer to John, "and we'll wriggle across -fifty feet of ground here until we come to a wooden wall. We're lost if -we stand up, because I think lightning is coming with that thunder." - -He spoke with knowledge, as the thunder suddenly grew louder and the air -around them was tinted with phosphorescent light. It was not a flare of -lightning, merely its distant reflection, but it was enough to have -disclosed them, if they had been standing, to any one ten paces distant. -The danger itself gave them new strength, and they quickly crossed the -ground to the _chevaux de frise_, where they crouched against the tall -cedar posts. They lay almost flat upon the ground, and they were very -glad of the shelter, because the lightning was coming nearer. Now, when -the lightning flashed along the mountain slopes, they saw not far away -the dim figure of a soldier, and they heard distinctly his cry: -"Sentinela alerte!" - -"Wait until he goes back," whispered the stranger. "Then we must climb -the wall and climb it quickly. It's fastened with cross timbers which -will give us hold for both hand and foot." - -The lightning tinted the sky once more with its phosphorescent gleam, -and they did not see the soldier. - -"Now for it!" said the man in a sharp, commanding whisper. "Up with you -and over the wall!" - -John seized the crosspiece, and in another instant was on the top of a -wall of cedar posts twelve feet high. He did not know until afterward -that the strong hand of his rescuer had helped him up. In another -instant the man was beside him, and then the lightning flared brightly, -showing vividly the huge castle, the stone ramparts, the moats and the -two figures, naked to the waist, sitting on top of the cedar wall. - -"Sentinela alerte!" was shouted far louder than usual, and "Sentinela -alerte!" came the reply in the same tone. Two musket shots were fired, -and the two figures, one with a red stain on his side, sprang outward -from the cedar fence into the second and smaller moat, which was only -fourteen feet wide, although its outer wall was an earthwork rising very -high above the water. Two or three strong strokes carried them across, -and with desperate efforts they climbed up the high bank. They heard -shouts, and they knew that when the lightning flared again more shots -would be fired at them. It was then that John noticed the red stain on -the side of his comrade, and all the reserves of mental strength that -made him so much like his brother, Philip, came to his aid. He snatched -the package from his head, tore it apart, threw the serape around his -body and stood up, erect and defiant, pistol in hand. He would do -something for this man who had done so much for him. - -The lightning flared again, a long quivering stroke, and the heads of -half a dozen men appeared at the crest of the _chevaux de frise_, not -twenty feet away. But John Bedford looked at only one of them. He saw -the swarthy, angry face of de Armijo. He seemed to be beckoning with -his sword to his men, but a flash like that of the lightning seared -John's whole brain. He remembered how this man had struck him down, -when he was chained and helpless, and he fired point blank at the angry -face. De Armijo fell back with a terrible cry. He was not dead, but the -bullet had plowed full length across his cheek, and he would bear there -a terrible red weal all the rest of his life. - -The lightning passed, and they were in complete darkness, but John felt -a hand on his arm. - -"Come," whispered his rescuer. "You did that well. Prison hasn't taken -any of the manhood from you. We're outside everything now, and the -others are waiting for us." - -They fled away together in the darkness. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII - - THE HUT IN THE COVE - - -John Bedford forgot everything in those moments of wild exultation save -the fact that he was free. The miracles had begun, and the whole chain -was now complete. After three years in one cell he had left behind him -forever, as he believed, the Castle of Montevideo, and he was going -straight to his brother and powerful friends. He cast back only a -single look, and then he saw the huge dim bulk of the castle showing -through the mists and the rain. But presently the woods shut it from -view, and he could not have seen it had he looked again. John's -exultation, the vast rebound, grew. He had escaped, and he had struck -down the enemy who had struck him. He felt equal to anything, and he -forgot for the moment that the man who had rescued him in such an -extraordinary way was wounded. But the man himself stopped soon. - -"We'll wait here, Sir John of the Fleet Foot," he said. "Our friends -who are frolicking in this thorny Forest of Arden were to come if they -heard the sound of firing, and we must not go far away lest we miss -them. Truly that was a fine and timely shot of yours, Sir John of the -Bold Escape, and I judged by the look of your face that you had no love -for the man at whom you fired." - -"I did not," replied John. "He beat me, when I was in chains." - -The other man uttered a low whistle. - -"That was a nasty thing to do, but you are even. If he's still alive -he'll have a face that will scare a dog. - - "Whate'er you do - Unto another, - Some day that other - Will do unto you. - - -"Bear that in mind, young sir. In the hour of triumph do not rejoice -too much in the fall of the man who has failed, because when he achieves -his triumph and you have failed, which is likely to come to pass some -time or other, he may make some moments exceedingly bitter unto thee. -And now I shall dress myself, as I think I hear the footsteps of -visitors." - -John remembered that he, too, was clad lightly, and hastily put on his -upper garments, while his friend did likewise. He now heard the steps, -also, and they were rapidly coming nearer. - -"Shouldn't we move?" he whispered. "Those must be Mexicans." - -"No, we shouldn't move, because those are not the footsteps of Mexicans. -Those sounds are made by the hardy feet of just two persons. One of -them is a large brave German man, whose tread I would know a mile away, -and the other, the lighter tread of whom is drowned in the volume of -sound made by his comrade, is a boy, a strong, healthy boy who comes -from a little town in Kentucky, which has the same name as a big town in -France." - -John began to tremble all over. He knew what these words meant. His -friend uttered a low whistle, and quickly a low whistle in reply came -from a point not twenty feet away. There was a moment of silence, then -the approaching footsteps were resumed, the bushes were parted, and, as -the lightning flared once more across the sky, John Bedford and Philip -Bedford looked into the faces of each other. - -They wrung hands in the darkness that followed the lightning flash, and, -after the Anglo-Saxon fashion, said brief, inconsequential words. Yet -the hearts of the two were full, and both Bill Breakstone, who had done -the last miracle, and Hans Arenberg were moved deeply. - -"Your letter came, John," said Phil simply, "and we are here. These are -the best friends I ever had or that anybody ever could have. The man -who brought you out of the castle was Bill Breakstone, and the one with -me is Hans Arenberg. Without them I never could have reached you in the -castle." - -"You talk too much, young sir," said Bill Breakstone. - -Then John suddenly remembered. - -"Mr. Breakstone is wounded," he exclaimed. "We took off most of our -clothes to swim the moat and I remember seeing a red spot on his side." - -"Like your brother, you talk too much," said Bill Breakstone. "It seems -to be a family failing with the Bedfords. It's a mere scratch." - -"No harm iss done where none iss meant," said Arenberg sententiously. -"It iss also well for us soon to be away from where we now are." - -"That is true," said Breakstone. "The Mexicans undoubtedly will make -some sort of a search and pursuit, though I don't think they'll carry it -far on such a night. Come on boys, I'll lead, and the reunited family -will bring up the rear. But no talking is best. You can't tell what we -might stir up." - -He led the way, and the others followed in silence. They crossed a -valley, reached a mountain slope and began to climb. Up they went for -at least two hours, pausing at times for John to take breath and rest. -Meanwhile the storm continued, with cold rain, an alternate groaning and -whistling of the wind through the valley, deep rumblings of thunder, and -now and then a bright flare of lightning. John caught only one other -glimpse of the huge, ominous bulk of the Castle of Montevideo, but it -was far below him now. He knew, too, that it was impossible for anybody -to follow a mountain trail in such darkness and storm. But, despite his -great joy, he was feeling an exceeding weariness of the body. The long -confinement had told heavily, but he would utter no complaint. - -A half hour more, and they turned into a deep cove which led three or -four hundred yards into the Sierra. At its end stood a small cabin, -built of logs and almost hidden under the overhang of the cliff. - -"Welcome to our home, Sir John," said Bill Breakstone, "we have no title -to it, and it probably belonged to some Mexican sheep herder or hunter, -but since our arrival none has appeared to claim it." - -He threw open the door, and all went inside into the dry dark. John -heard the door close behind him, a bar fell into place, and then the -striking of a match came to his ear. A little blue flame appeared and -grew. Arenberg, who had struck the match, lighted a pine torch, which he -stuck at an angle in a hole in the wall, and a fine red flame lighted up -the whole interior of the little cabin. Cabin! It was no cabin to John -Bedford. It was a gorgeous palace, the finest that he had ever seen, -and he was surrounded by the most devoted and daring friends that man -ever had. Had they not just proved it? - -The little torch disclosed a hard earthen floor, upon which the skins of -wild animals had been spread, log walls with wooden hooks and pins -inserted here and there, evidently within recent days, a strong board -roof, rafters from which skins and some tools hung, a fireplace with a -stone hearth, and four narrow skin couches, three of which had been -often occupied, the fourth never. Outside, the wind still wailed, and -the cold rain still beat upon the logs, but here it was warm, dry, and -light. The greatness of it all suddenly overwhelmed John, and he sank -forward in a faint. - -Phil instantly seized his brother and raised him up, but Breakstone and -Arenberg told him not to be alarmed, that it was merely the collapse of -a weakened frame after tremendous tension, both physical and mental. -Breakstone brought water in a gourd from a pail that stood in the -corner, and soon John sat up again, very much ashamed of himself, and -offering many apologies, at all of which the others laughed. - -"Considering all you've been through to-night," said Bill Breakstone, -"it's a wonder that you held out so long. I wouldn't have believed that -you could do it, if I hadn't known your brother so well. Good thing I -learned to be an actor. I was always strong in those Spanish parts. -Wide hat brim, big black cloak coming up to meet the hat brim, terrible -sword at my thigh, and terrible frown behind the cloak and the hat brim. -Now, Hans, I think you can light the fire on the hearth there. No -chance that anybody will see the smoke on a night like this, and there's -no reason why we shouldn't dry our clothes and have a gay party. We've -carried through our great adventure, and we'll just royster over it -awhile." - -Arenberg, without another word, took down the pine torch from its hole -in the wall and ignited the heap of dry pine boughs that lay in the -fireplace. They caught at once, crackled, and blazed pleasantly. Warm -red shadows were soon cast across the floor, and a generous heat reached -them all. They basked in it, and turned about and about, drying all -their clothing and driving the last sign of chill from their bones. -Arenberg also made coffee over the coals, and cooked venison, which they -had in abundance. When John ate and drank in plenty, he felt that life -did not have much more to offer. He sat on one of the skins, leaned -comfortably against the wall, and contemplated his younger brother. - -"You have grown a lot, Phil," he said. - -"You didn't expect him to stand still, just because you were away locked -up in a castle?" asked Bill Breakstone. "He had to grow up, so he could -come and rescue you. Such tasks are too big for little children." - -John Bedford smiled indulgently. - -"It was certainly a big job," he said. "I am the one who ought to -appreciate most its size and danger. It was a big thing to get through -Texas even. Of course I learned while I was a prisoner in the castle -that the Mexicans had retaken it. It made me feel mighty bad for a long -time." - -Phil and Bill Breakstone looked at each other. Arenberg pushed one of -the pine-knots back into the fire. For a little while there was -silence. Then Breakstone said: - -"You tell him, Phil." - -John Bedford looked in wonder at the three, one by one. Their silence -impressed him as ominous, and he, too, was silent. - -"The Mexicans have not retaken Texas, John," said Philip Bedford. "They -will never retake Texas. They could never beat the Texans alone, and -the Texans are not alone. There has been war between the United States -and Mexico for a year. An American army under General Taylor beat the -Mexican army at Palo Alto, at Resaca de la Palma, and took the city of -Monterey by storm. Then most of his army were drawn off to help General -Scott, who is invading Mexico by the way of Vera Cruz. General Taylor, -with the rest of his force, between four and five thousand men, nearly -all volunteers, many from our own state, John, and some you knew, -advanced to Saltillo and beyond. He was attacked in the Pass of -Angostura by Santa Anna, the President of Mexico, with more than twenty -thousand men, the best of the Mexican troops, but, John, he won the -victory over odds of five to one. It was long and hard and desperate, -and a half dozen times we were within an inch of losing the battle, but -we won at last, John! We won at last! And we know, because we three -were there, all through it! all day long! Bill Breakstone, Hans -Arenberg, and I!" - -John looked at them and gasped. It had all been poured upon him so -suddenly that he was overpowered. - -"War between Mexico and the United States!" he exclaimed, "and we've -been winning battle after battle! Why, they never said a word to me -about it in the castle. De Armijo made me think that the Mexicans had -retaken Texas." - -"I forgot to tell you," said Bill Breakstone to the others, "that de -Armijo knocked John down, when he was chained, but John got back at him -to-night when he plowed his face with a bullet. In fact, I think John -has the better of the bargain: - - "A blow-- - He'll rue it. - A bullet-- - That pays it. - - -"Now, I propose, as it's pretty near toward morning, and this is about -the snuggest hotel I know of anywhere in the Sierras, that John and I, -who have been through a lot, go to sleep. Phil, you and Arenberg can -toss coins, or decide in any other way you choose, who's to keep watch. -There's your bed, John; it's been waiting for you quite awhile." - -He pointed to the skin couch that had never been occupied, and John lay -down upon it. Complete relaxation of both mind and body had now come. -The room was warm and dry, his friends were near, and, in two minutes, -he was buried in a deep and dreamless sleep. Phil rose and looked at -him. His neck and wrists were thin, his face was wasted wofully. -Arenberg watched Philip with sympathy. - -"Much harm has been done to him," he said, "but he will overcome it all -in a month. You have fared wonderfully well in your quest, Herr Philip, -and I take it as an omen that we shall do as well in mine. I come next, -you know, Philip." - -"It is true," said Phil, with a great stirring of the heart. "Nobody -ever had such help as you and Breakstone have given to me, and now I -will help you, and John, too, as soon as he is strong enough, to our -utmost power in whatever task you may have." - -He held out his hand, and Arenberg took it in a powerful grasp. - -"Now you sleep! I will watch," he said. "No, I will not let you stay -awake, because I wish to do so instead. I intend to think much with -myself." - -Phil saw that the German was in earnest, and he took his place on his -own couch. Soon he was asleep. Arenberg sat on a piece of wood before -the coals which were now almost dead. He clasped his knees in his -hands, and his rifle, which was between his knees, projected above his -shoulder. So long as the light from the coals endured he cast a black -and almost shapeless shadow on the wall. But the last coal went out by -and by, and he sat there in the darkness, never stirring. He watched -automatically through the faculty of hearing, but his thoughts were not -on that little cabin nor any of its occupants. In the darkness his -chest heaved, and a big tear from either eye rolled down his cheek. But -he did not move. After awhile he felt the dawn, and went to the single -shuttered window, which he opened slightly. - -The rain and wind had ceased, but drops of water, turned into a myriad -of glittering beads by the rising sun, hung from trees and bushes. The -air of the mountains at that early hour was crisp and cold, and it felt -good to Arenberg's face. He glanced at his three comrades. They were -still absorbed by that absolute sleep which is the mortal Nirvana. Then -Arenberg took from the inside of his coat something small, which he -looked at for a long time. Again a big tear from either eye rolled down -his cheek and fell on the floor. But the face of Hans Arenberg, in that -brilliant Mexican sun which now shone straight upon it, was curiously -transformed. For the first time in many days it was illumined with -hope. - -"It's my turn now! It's my turn!" he murmured. "We have succeeded in -everything so far, and we will succeed again. I feel it. All the omens -are good." - -There is something mystic in the German nature, a feeling derived, -perhaps, from the unknown ages passed by the Teutonic tribes in the dark -forests of the Baltic. They were as prolific as the Greeks in seers and -priestesses, and some of this feeling was in Arenberg now, as he gazed -at the dripping forest and the blazing sun rising over a peak ten -thousand feet high. Below him he knew lay the Castle of Montevideo, but -before him the mountains were unrolled, peak after peak, and ridge after -ridge. To his German mind came visions of Valhalla and the great gods -that were. - -Hans Arenberg yet felt the great uplift of the spirit. The premonition -of success, of a triumphant end to his quest was very strong within him. -He kissed the little package and replaced it within the inside of his -waistcoat. Then he looked again at his comrades. They were still in -Valhalla. - -The German was very kindly and very pitiful. He had noticed the wasted -frame of John Bedford, and he knew how much he needed sleep. Bill -Breakstone, too, had gone through a tremendous ordeal, and Phil Bedford -was but a boy, who had waited, tense and strained, all through the -night. - -"Let them sleep," murmured Hans Arenberg. "I will still watch." - -He left the window open a little so that the fresh air might come in, -and resumed his seat. The other three slept on soundly. An hour or two -later he opened the door softly and went out into the cove, which he -scouted carefully. It was as silent and desolate as if man had never -been there. At forty yards the cabin itself was invisible in the -foliage and against the dark, volcanic cliff. The German was quite sure -that no one would come, but, for precaution, he examined every bush and -projection of rock. Then he climbed one of the cliffs, and, sheltering -himself well, looked down the valley. There, far below, was the huge, -honey-colored Castle of Montevideo, seeming singularly vivid and near in -the intense sunlight. Arenberg thought that he could make out a figure -or two on its walls, but he was not sure. He also examined the slopes, -but he could not detect human life. Then he returned to the cabin and -found his comrades still sound asleep. Arenberg smiled. - -"Let them sleep on," he murmured, "until the sleep that is in them is -exhausted." He opened the door a little in order that he might let in -more fresh air, and also because it gave him a complete view down the -valley. No one could approach the cabin without being seen by Hans -Arenberg, who had uncommonly good eyes. - -The German sat there all the morning and listened to the hours as they -ticked themselves away. He listened literally, and he heard the ticking -literally, because he carried a large silver watch in his waistcoat -pocket, and in the dead silence, he could hear it very well. His -comrades slept on, each on his couch. Once Arenberg rose and looked at -John Bedford. - -"A fine young man," he murmured. "He iss worthy of his brother." - -It was fully an hour after noon when Bill Breakstone began to squirm -about on his couch and yawn mightily. - -Then he opened his eyes, sat up, and stared at Hans Arenberg, who sat -placidly by the fireplace, looking down the valley. - -"Hans!" said Bill Breakstone. - -Arenberg looked at him and smiled. - -"I'm thinking," said Bill Breakstone, "that we've overslept ourselves a -bit. I guess from the looks of the light there at the door that the sun -must be up at least an hour." - -"It has been up seven hours," replied Arenberg. - -"Then we're that much ahead," said Bill Breakstone calmly, "and at least -one of those two has needed it badly." - -He looked at the sleeping brothers. - -"It iss so," said Arenberg. "The captive who iss a captive no longer -iss, I take it, a good youth, like his brother." - -"He surely is," said Breakstone with emphasis, "and I have given him the -honor of knighthood, along with Phil. Besides, he's as smart as a steel -trap. He read the meaning of the thread that we sent him, and he did -everything else exactly as we wished. It's all the more wonderful -because so long a time in prison is apt to make one dull and stupid in -some ways. Anything happen on your long watch, Hans?" - -"Nothing. I made a scout all the way up the cove. I am sure there iss -no human being except ourselves on this mountain." - -"I move that we boil a little coffee and fry a little venison for the -youngsters. John, in particular, needs it, because he's got to be built -up. I don't think there's any danger." - -"Then we'll light the fire and let the cooking wake them up." - -John Bedford, in a dream, as it were, felt a delicious aroma in his -nostrils. It was singularly pleasant to a poor prisoner in a bleak -stone cell in the Castle of Montevideo, and he did not wish to destroy -the illusion. In the early morning the air that came through the -loophole was very cold, and there was no reason why he should rise. -Perhaps he was really dreaming, and, since it was such a pleasant dream, -he would let it run on. But that odor in his nostrils grew more and -more powerful, and it was not like the odor of the frijoles and -tortillas that Diego brought him. He also heard, or thought he heard, -the voices of men, and not one of them bore any resemblance to the harsh -Mexican tones of Diego. Then he remembered it all, and the truth came -in such a sudden flood of delight that he sat up abruptly and looked -around that wonderful cabin, the finest cabin in the world. - -Arenberg had just brought the coffee to a boiling point, the strips of -venison, under the deft handling of Bill Breakstone, were just becoming -crisp. Phil was coming in with a canteen of fresh water, and at the -wide-open door, through which he might pass as he pleased, the sunshine -was entering like a golden shower. - -"Morning, Sir John the Sleeper," said Bill Breakstone cheerily. "It's -well along in the afternoon, but, if you were to ask me, I'd tell you -that you hadn't slept a minute too long. Phil here has been up only -five minutes before you, but, by running for the water, he's trying to -make you believe that he's an early riser." - -John said not a word, but rose to his feet--they had all lain down fully -dressed--and looked at the open door with a gaze so fixed and -concentrated that all stared curiously at him. Something was working in -John's mind, something deep and vital. He walked in a perfectly -straight line across the cabin floor until he came within a foot of the -open door. Then he stood there for a little space, gazing out. - -The curiosity of the others deepened. What was passing in his mind? -But John said never a word. Instead, he stepped out in the sunshine and -crisp air, went two or three yards, and then came back again into the -cabin. But he did not stay there. He went out once, came back once -more, and repeated the round trip four more times. All the while he said -never a word, and, at each successive trip, the look of pleasure on his -face grew. At the sixth that look was complete, and he turned to the -three who were staring at him open-eyed and open-mouthed. - -"I'm not crazy, as you think, not the least bit of it," he said. "It's -been three years since I could go out of a door and come in at it as I -pleased. I wanted to prove to myself that it was no dream, and to enjoy -it at the same time. I'll never have such an acute joy again in this -world, I suppose. As you haven't been where I've been, you'll never -know what it is to go in and come out when you like." - -"We don't know, but we can guess," said Phil. - -A little lump came into the throat of Bill Breakstone. - -"I was never cooped up like that," he said, "but if I were, I guess I -couldn't stand it. But the coffee and the venison are ready, and while -we set to and keep at it, Phil, you tell your brother how it all came -about." - -Phil was willing. He was so full of the story himself that he was -anxious John should hear it all. He recounted how the letter had -reached him at Paris in Kentucky, his journey to New Orleans, and his -successive meetings there with Arenberg, Middleton, and Bill Breakstone; -how they had joined the Santa Fé train and their encounter with the -Comanches, led by Santana and Black Panther, the deeds of de Armijo, -their long trail southward to join Taylor's army, and a description, as -far as he saw it amid the flame and smoke, of the great battle of Buena -Vista. He told of the sharp lava, the pass, and of the woman at the -well who had given the cup of water to the weary prisoner who was but a -boy. - -"I remember her, I remember her well," said John, a thrill of gratitude -showing in his tone. "I believe I'd have died if it hadn't been for -that water, the finest that anybody ever tasted. I knew from the voice -that it was a woman." - -"We felt sure then," continued Phil, "that we were on the right trail, -and we believed that, with patience and method, we'd be sure to find you -if you were living. We knew that the letter had been brought to the -Texas frontier by Antonio Vaquez, a driver who had received it in turn -from one Porfirio, a vaquero, and we knew from your letter that you were -confined in some great stone prison or castle. We learned of -Montevideo, which is perhaps the greatest castle in Mexico, and -everything pointed to it as the place. - -"The Mexican army retreated in great haste southward after Buena Vista, -in order to meet Scott, who was advancing on Mexico by the way of Vera -Cruz. That left the country comparatively clear for us, and we came -through the mountains, until we saw the Castle of Montevideo. When we -saw it, we believed still more strongly that this was the place, but we -knew that the biggest part of our work was before us. We would have to -spy, and spy, and keep on spying before we could act. Any mule driver -or sheepherder might carry news of us, and we must have a secure -hiding-place as a basis. After a long search we found this cabin, which -I don't think had been occupied for several years. We soon fixed it up -so it was comfortable, as you can now see. There's a little spring at -the west edge of the cove, and on the other side of the ridge there's a -little valley with water and grass, but with walls so steep that a horse -won't climb 'em unless he's led. Our horses are there now, having -perhaps the best time of their lives. - -"When we were located, good and snug, we began to spy. I believed after -we met the woman at the well that fortune was favoring us. Arenberg -here talked a lot about the spirits of the forest and the stream, some -old heathen mythology of his, to which Bill and I didn't pay any -attention. But anyway, we had luck. We scouted about the castle for -weeks, but we didn't learn a thing, except that de Armijo was now -governor there. We could find no more trace of you than if you had been -on the moon. - -"At last our lucky day came. We ran squarely upon a good-looking young -Mexican, a vaquero. There wasn't time for us to get away or for him to -get away. So we, being the more numerous, seized him. I suppose he -thought he was going to be killed at once, as we were Americans, looking -pretty tough from exposure and hardships, and so to make a play on our -good feelings--Bill Breakstone could understand his Spanish--he said -that once he'd tried to help a Gringo, a prisoner, in the great castle -in the valley. He said he'd carried a letter from him, asking for help, -and that the prisoner was not much more than a boy, taken in a raid from -Texas three years ago. - -"It flashed over us all at once that we had found the right man. -Everything fitted too well together to permit of a mistake, and you can -believe that we treated Porfirio, the vaquero, the finest we knew how, -and made him feel that he had fallen into the hands of the best friends -in the world. Were you still alive? We waited without drawing breath -for the answer. You were still alive he answered, and well, so far as a -prisoner could be. He knew that positively from his mother, Catarina, -who was a cook at the castle, although he himself would not stay there, -as, like a sensible man, he liked the mountains and the plains and the -free life. He did not tell us of the blow that de Armijo had given you, -perhaps because Catarina had said nothing of it to him, but we learned -that he hated de Armijo, who had once struck him when he was at the -castle, for some trifle or other--it seems that de Armijo had the -striking habit--and after that we soon made our little plot. Catarina, -of course, was the center of it, and her duties as a cook gave her the -chance. - -"It was Catarina who put the thread in the tamale. She might have put -the letter there, but the writing on it would have been effaced, and -even if it could have remained she did not dare. If the paper had been -discovered by the Mexicans, she, of course, would have been declared -guilty, but thread, even a package of it, might have found its way into -the loose Mexican cooking, and if it had been discovered none of the -sentinels or officers could have made anything out of such a slender -thing. We trusted to your shrewdness that you would drop the thread out -of the window, because there was nothing else to do with it, and you -didn't fail us." - -"But who tied the note on it?" asked John. - -"Catarina, again--that is, she was at the end of the chain, Porfirio was -in the middle, and we were at the other or far end. He passed the -letter in to her--he works about the castle at times--and she tied it on -the end of the thread. The key and the dagger reached you by the same -route. Then we knew that, although you might unlock the door of your -cell, you could never go outside the castle without the aid of some one -within. For that reason we told you the night on which to unlock it, and -the very hour, in order that the right man might be waiting for you at -the head of the stairway. Bill Breakstone had to be that man, because -he can speak Spanish and the Mexican dialects, and because, lucky for -you, he's been an actor; often to amuse others he has played parts like -the one that he played last night in such deadly earnest. - -"Catarina got the keys--there are duplicates to all the cells--so we -sent that up early, and on the day before your escape she stole the one -to the big gate that guards the stairway. It was easy enough to steal -the clothes for Breakstone, take him in as a servant, and his nerve and -yours did the rest. But we must never forget Catarina and her son -Porfirio, the vaquero. Without them we could have done nothing." - -"I'm prouder of it than of any other thing in which I ever took part," -said Bill Breakstone. - -"It was not one miracle, it was a chain of them," said John Bedford. - -"Whatever it was, here we all are," said Phil. - - - - - CHAPTER XIX - - ARENBERG'S QUEST - - -It was necessary for several reasons to remain some days in the cove. -John Bedford's strength must be restored. After the long confinement -and the great excitement of his escape, he suffered from a little fever, -and it was deemed best that he should lie quiet in the cabin. Phil -stayed with him most of the time, while Breakstone and Arenberg hunted -cautiously among the mountains, bringing in several deer. They incurred -little risk in their pursuit, because the mountaineers, few in number at -any time, were all drawn off by the war. - -John had a splendid constitution, and, with this as a basis, good and -abundant food and the delight of being free built him up very fast. On -the fourth day Bill Breakstone came in with news received through the -Porfirio-Catarina telegraph that the escape of John had caused a great -stir at the castle. Nobody could account for it, and nobody was -suspected. De Armijo was suffering from a very painful wound in the -face, and would leave on the following day for the capital to receive -surgical treatment. - -"I'm going to see Porfirio for the last time to-morrow," said -Breakstone, "and as we have some gold left among us, I suggest that we -make a purse of half of it and give it to him. Money can't repay him -and his mother for all they've done, but it may serve as an instalment." - -All were willing, and Breakstone departed with a hundred dollars. He -reported on the day following that Porfirio had received it with great -gratitude, and that, as they were now rich, he and his mother were going -to buy a little house of their own among the hills. - -"And now," said Breakstone, "as John here has been gaining about five -pounds a day, and is as frisky as a two year old just turned out to -pasture, I think we'd better start." - -It was late in the afternoon when he said these words, and they were all -present in the cabin. Three pairs of eyes turned toward Arenberg. A -sigh swelled the chest of the German, but he checked it at the lips. -Without saying a word he drew a little packet from the inside of his -waistcoat and handed it to Phil, who was nearest. - -Phil looked at it long and attentively. It was the portrait of a little -boy, about seven, with yellow hair and blue eyes, a fair little lad who -looked out from the picture with eyes of mirth and confidence. The -resemblance to Arenberg was unmistakable. Phil passed it to Breakstone, -who, after a look, passed it on to John, who in his turn, after a -similar look, gave it back to Arenberg. - -"Your boy?" said Breakstone. - -Arenberg nodded. The others, sympathetic and feeling that they were in -the presence of a great grief, waited until he should choose to speak. - -"It iss the picture of my boy," said Arenberg at last. "Hiss name is -William--Billy we called him. I came to this country and settled in -Texas, which was then a part of Mexico. I married an American girl, and -this iss our boy. We lived at New Braunfels in Texas with the people -from Germany. She died. Perhaps it iss as well that she did. It -sounds strange to hear me say it, but it iss true. The Comanches came, -they surprised and raided the town, they killed many, and they carried -away many women and children. Ah, the poor women who have never been -heard of again! My little boy was among those carried off. I fought, I -was wounded three times, I was in a delirium for days afterward. - -"As soon as I could ride a horse again I tried to follow the Comanches. -They had gone to the Northwest, and I was sure that they had not killed -Billy. They take such little boys and turn them into savage warriors, -training them through the years. I followed alone toward the western -Comanche villages for a long time, and then I lost the trail. I -searched again and again. I nearly died of thirst in the desert; -another time only luck kept me from freezing in a Norther. I saw, alas! -that I could not do anything alone. I went all the way to New Orleans, -whence, I learned, a great train for Santa Fé was going to start. -Perhaps among the fearless spirits that gather for such an expedition I -could find friends who would help me in my hunt. I have found them." - -Arenberg stopped, his tale told, his chest heaving with emotion, but no -word passing his lips. Bill Breakstone was the first to speak. - -"Hans," he said, "you have had to turn aside from your quest to help in -Phil's, which is now finished, and you have done a big part; now we -swear one and all to help you to the extent of our lives in yours, and -here's my hand on it." - -He solemnly gave his hand to Arenberg, who gave it a convulsive grasp in -his own big palm. Phil and John pledged their faith in the same manner, -and moisture dimmed Arenberg's honest eyes. - -"It will be all right, Hans, old man," said Breakstone. "We'll get your -boy sure. About how old is he now?" - -"Ten." - -"Then the Comanches have certainly adopted him. They'd take a boy at -just about the age he was captured, six or seven, because he would soon -be old enough to ride and take care of himself, and he's not too old to -forget all about his white life and to become a thorough Indian. That -logic is good. You can rely on it, Hans." - -"It iss so! I feel it iss so!" said Arenberg. "I feel that my boy iss -out there somewhere with the Comanche riders, and that we will find -him." - -"Of course we will," said Breakstone cheerfully. "Phil, you see that a -place is registered in this company for one William Arenberg, blue eyes, -light hair, fair complexion, age ten years. Meanwhile I want to tell -you, John Bedford, that we were so certain of getting you, in spite of -the impossible, that we brought along an extra rifle, pistol, and -ammunition, and that we also have a horse for you over in the valley -with the others." - -"It's like all that you have done for me," said John, "thorough and -complete." - -They went over into the valley the next day, saddled and bridled the -horses, and, well provided with food and ammunition, started for the -vast plains of Northwestern Texas, on what would have seemed to others a -hopeless quest, distance and space alike were so great. When they came -out upon one of the early ridges John had a sudden and distinct view of -the Castle of Montevideo lying below, honey-colored, huge, and -threatening. A shudder that had in it an actual tinge of physical pain -passed through him. One cannot forget in a moment three years between -stone walls. But the shudder was quickly gone, and, in its place, came -a thrill of pure joy. Freedom, freedom itself, irrespective of all other -good things, still sparkled so gloriously in his veins that it alone -could make him wholly happy. - -They rode on over the ridge. John looked back. The Castle of -Montevideo was shut from his view now forever, although he never ceased -to remember the minutest detail of Cell 87 and the little patch of -mountainside that could be seen from the deep loophole of a window. - -But they were all joyous, Phil because he had found and rescued his -brother, John because he had been found and rescued, Bill Breakstone -because he had helped in great deeds ending in triumph, and Hans -Arenberg because they were now engaged upon his own quest, the quest -that lay next to his heart, and these comrades of his were the best and -most loyal that a man could ever have for such a service. Three or four -years rolled away from Hans Arenberg, the blue eyes grew brighter, the -pink in his cheeks deepened, and Phil, looking at him, saw that he was -really a young man. Before, he had always made upon his mind the -impression of middle age. - -They rode steadily toward the northwest for many days without serious -adventure. Once or twice they encountered small bands of Mexican -guerillas, with whom they exchanged distant shots without harm, but the -war was now south of them, and soon they passed entirely beyond its -fringe, leaving the mountains also behind them. They met various -American scouts and trappers, from whom they bought a couple of pack -horses, two good rifles, and a large supply of fresh ammunition. It was -explained by Bill Breakstone, who said: - - "More than enough - Merely makes weight, - Leas than enough, - You're doomed by fate." - - -The two extra horses were trained to follow, and they caused no trouble. -They carried the supplies of spare arms and ammunition and also of dried -venison for the intervals in which they might find no game. They also -found it wise to take skin bags of water, buying the bags at a village -occupied by American troops, which they passed. They found Northern -Mexico almost at peace. Resistance to the Americans there had ceased -practically, and in the towns buying and selling, living and dying went -on as usual. They had nothing to guard against but sudden ambushes by -little bands of guerillas, and they were now all so experienced and so -skilled with the rifle that they feared no such trap. - -It was wonderful at this time to watch John Bedford grow. He had -already reached the stature and frame of a man, but when he came from -the Castle of Montevideo he was a frame, and not much more. Now the -flesh formed fast upon this frame, cords and knots of muscle grew upon -his arms, his cheeks filled out, the prison pallor disappeared and gave -way to a fine healthy brown, the creation of the Southern sun, his -breath came deep and regular from strong lungs, and he duly notified -Bill Breakstone that within another month he would challenge him to a -match at leaping, wrestling, jumping, boxing, or any other contest he -wished. They had also bought good clothes for him at one of the -villages, and he was now a stalwart young man, anxious to live intensely -and to make up the three years that he had lost. - -Meantime, leaving the Mexican mountains and the alkali desert of the -plateau behind them, they came to the Rio Grande, though farther west -than their first passage. Here they stopped and looked awhile at the -stream, a large volume of water flowing in its wide channel of sand. -Phil felt emotion. Many and great events had happened since he saw that -water flowing by the year before, and the miracle for which he hoped had -been accomplished. To-day they were upon a quest other than his own, -but they pursued it with an equal zeal, and he believed that all the -omens and presages were in their favor. - -They found a safe passage through the sandy approaches, swam the river -upon their horses, and stood once more upon the soil of Texas. Phil -felt that they would have little more to do with Mexicans, but that they -must dare the formidable power of the Comanches, which now lay before -them. - -They camped that night in chaparral, where they were well concealed and -built no fire. The weather was quite warm again, save for those sudden -but usually brief changes of temperature that often occur in West Texas. -But there was no sign of storm in the air, and they felt that their -blankets would be sufficient for the night--however hot the day might -be, the nights were always cool. Bill Breakstone had first beaten up -the chaparral for rattlesnakes, and, feeling safe from any unpleasant -interruption from that source, they spread out their blankets and lay -comfortably upon them while they discussed the plan of their further -march. - -They felt quite sure that, with the passage of American troops south, -the Comanches had gone far to the westward. The Indians had already -suffered too much from these formidable invaders to oppose their -southward march. Besides, they had received definite information that -both Santana and Black Panther with their bands had gone almost to the -border of New Mexico. The sole question with the four was whether to -search over a wide belt of territory at once, or to go straight westward -until they struck the Rio Grande again. - -"I favor the long trip before we begin the hunt," said Bill Breakstone. -"The chances are all in favor of the Comanches being out there. The -buffalo herds, which will soon be drifting southward, are thickest in -that part of the country." - -Breakstone's logic seemed good to the others, and the next morning they -began the long march through a region mostly bare but full of interest -for them all. They passed a river which flowed for many miles on a bed -of sand a half mile wide, and this sand everywhere was thick with salt. -From the bluffs farther back salt springs gushed forth and flowed down -to the river. - -Then they came upon the southern edge of the Great Staked Plain of -Texas, known long ago to the Spaniards and Mexicans as the Llano -Estacado. John Bedford, who was a little in advance, was the first to -see the southern belt of timber. It had been discovered very soon that -John's eyes were the keenest of them all. He believed himself that they -had been strengthened by his long staring through the loophole at the -castle in order to make out every detail of his little landscape on the -far mountainside. Now he saw a faint dark line running along the -horizon until it passed out of sight both to east and west. He called -Breakstone's attention to it at once, and the wise Bill soon announced -that it was the southern belt of the Cross Timbers, the two parallel -strips of forest growing out of an otherwise treeless country which for -hundreds of miles enclose a vast plain. - -"It's the first belt," said Bill Breakstone, "and, while it's not as -near as it looks, we're covering ground pretty fast, and we'll strike -the timber before nightfall. How good it looks to see forest again." - -Even the horses seemed to understand, as they raised their heads, -neighed, and then, without any urging from their masters, increased -their pace. Phil rode up by the side of his brother John, and watched -the belt of timber rise from the plain. He had often heard of this -strange feature of the Texas wilds, but he had never expected to see it. - -A little before nightfall they rode out of a plain, perfectly bare -behind them for hundreds of miles, into the timber, which grew up in an -arid country without any apparent cause, watered by no rivers or creeks -and by no melting snows from mountains. Phil and John looked around -with the greatest interest. The timber was of oak, ash, and other -varieties common in the Southwest, but the oak predominated. The trees -were not of great size, but they were trees, and they looked magnificent -after the sparse cottonwoods and bushes along the shallow prairie -streams that they had passed. - -The foliage had already turned brown under the summer sun, but there was -fresh grass within the shadow of the trees, upon which the horses grazed -eagerly when they were turned loose. The four meanwhile rejoiced, and -looked around, seeking a place for a camp. - -"How long is this belt, Bill?" asked Phil of Breakstone. - -"I don't know, but maybe it's a thousand miles. There's two of them, you -know. That's the reason they call them the Cross Timbers. After you -pass through this belt you cross about fifteen miles of perfectly bare -plain, and then you come to the second belt, which is timbered exactly -like this. One belt is about eight miles wide, the other about twelve -miles wide, and, keeping an average distance of about fifteen miles -apart, they run all the way from the far western edge of these plains in -a southeasterly direction clean down to the Brazos and Trinity River -bottoms, where they come together and merge in the heavy timber. It's a -most wonderful thing, Sir Philip of Buena Vista and Sir John of -Montevideo, and it's worthy of any man's attention." - -"It has mine, that's sure," said Phil, as he walked about through the -forest. "It's an extraordinary freak of nature, but the roots of the -two belts of timber must be fed by subterranean water, though it's -strange that they should run parallel so many hundreds of miles, always -separated by that strip of dry country fifteen miles wide, as you say, -Bill." - -"I can't account for it, Phil," replied Breakstone, "and I don't try. -The people who don't believe in queer things are those who stay at home -and sit by the fire. I've roamed all my life, and I've had experience -enough to believe that anything is possible." - -"Look!" exclaimed Phil in delight. "Here's our camp, just made for us!" - -He pointed to a tiny spring oozing from beneath the roots of a large -oak, flowing perhaps thirty yards and then losing itself beneath the -roots of another large oak. It looked clear and fresh, and Phil, -kneeling down and drinking, found it cold and delightful. Bill -Breakstone did the same, with results equally happy. - -"Yes, this was made for us," he said, confirming Phil's words. "There -are not many such springs that I ever heard of in the Cross Timbers, and -our luck holds good." - -They called the others, who drank, and after them the horses. It was an -ideal place for a camp, and they felt so secure that they lighted a fire -and cooked food, venison, and steaks of antelope and deer that they had -shot by the way. - -"It might be a good idea," said Breakstone, "to rest here in the shade a -part of to-morrow. All of us have been riding pretty hard, and you -know, Hans, old man, that if you go too fast you are not strong enough -to do what you must do when you get there." - -It was Arenberg whose feelings were now consulted most, and, when they -looked at him for an answer, he nodded assent. - -Hence they took some of their supplies from the pack horses, and made -themselves more comfortable on the grass about the little spring. -Lengthy scouting, done by Arenberg and Breakstone, showed that there was -no danger from Comanche, Lipan, or any other Indian tribes, and they -could take their rest without apprehension. They also dared to build a -fire for the cooking, a luxury which they enjoyed much, but which was -usually dangerous in the Indian country. Fallen and dry timber was -abundant, and when they had cooked a plentiful supply of venison and -buffalo strips they fell to and ate with the appetite which only life -under the stars can give. By and by Bill Breakstone gazed at John in -admiration. But John took no notice. He ate steadily on, varying the -course with an occasional tin cup of water. - -"Sir John Falstaff," said Bill Breakstone, "I've read a lot about you in -Shakespeare, and on two or three memorable occasions I have played you. -You have been renowned two hundred and fifty years for your appetite, -and I want to tell you right now that your fame isn't up to the real -thing by half. Say, Sir John, they didn't give you much to eat in that -Castle of Montevideo, did they?" - -"Tortillas, frijoles, tamales, tortillas, frijoles, tamales," replied -John in a muffled voice, as he reached for another delicate piece of -fried deer. - -"Go right on," said Bill Breakstone, "I've no wish to stop you. Make up -for all the three years that you lost." - -John, taking his advice, stuck to his task. Although imprisonment had -greatly wasted him, it had never impaired his powerful and healthy -constitution. Now he could fairly feel his muscles and sinews growing -and the new life pouring into heart and lungs. - -After supper they lay upon their blankets in a circle, with their feet -to the fire, and spoke of the land that stretched beyond the two belts -of trees, the Great Staked Plain. - -"We'll find it hot," said Breakstone, "and parts of it are sandy and -without water, but we should get through to the Rio Grande, especially -as we have, besides the sand, a big region of buffalo grass; and then -the land of gramma grass, in both of which we can find plenty of game. -Game and water are the things for which we must look. But we won't talk -of trouble now. It's too fine here." - -They spent the next day and the following night among the trees, and -were fortunate enough to find in the oaks a number of fine wild turkeys -which abounded in all parts of the Southwest. They secured four, and -added them to their larder. The next day they rode through the belt, -and across the twelve miles of bare country into the second belt, which -was exactly like the first, with the oak predominating. - -"Makes me think of the rings of Saturn," said Phil, as they entered the -timber once more. - -But they passed the night only in the inner belt, and emerged the next -morning upon the great plain that ran to the Rocky Mountains. - -"Now," said Bill Breakstone, "we leave home and its comforts behind." - -Phil felt the truth of his words. He understood now why the Bible put -so much value upon wood and water. To leave the belt of trees was like -going away from a wooded park about one's house in order to enter a -bleak wilderness. It was very hot after they passed from the shade, and -before them stretched the rolling plains once more, without trees, -reaching the sky-line, and rolling on beyond it without limit. The sun -was pouring down from a high sky that flamed like brass. Bill -Breakstone caught the look on Phil's face and laughed. - -"You hate to give up an easy place, don't you, Phil?" he said. "Don't -deny it, because I hate it just as much as you do. Arenberg alone -forgets what lies before us, because he has so much to draw him on." - -Arenberg was too far ahead to hear them. He always rode in advance now, -and the place was conceded to him as a right. They passed through a -region of gramma grass which stood about three feet in height, and -entered a stretch of buffalo grass, where little clumps of the grass -were scattered over the brown plain. - -"It doesn't look as if great buffalo herds could be fed on tufts like -that," said Phil. - -"But they can be," said Bill Breakstone. "It looks scanty, but it's got -some powerfully good property in it, because cattle as well as buffalo -thrive on it as they do on nothing else. We ought to see buffalo -hereabouts." - -But for two days after entering this short grass region they saw not a -single buffalo. Antelope, also, were invisible, and they began to be -worried about their supplies of food. Both Breakstone and Arenberg -believed that there were hunting parties of Indians farther westward, -and they kept a sharp watch for such dangerous horsemen, Fortunately -they had been able to find enough water for their horses in little pools -and an occasional spring, and the animals retained their strength. -Finally they encamped one evening by the side of a prairie stream so -slender that it was a mere trickle over the sand. It also contained a -slight taste of salt, but not enough to keep both men and horses from -drinking eagerly. - -After supper Phil took his rifle and walked up the little stream. It -had become a habit with the four, whenever they camped, to look about -for game. But they had been disappointed so often that Phil's quest now -was purely mechanical. Still he was alert and ready. The training of -the wilderness compelled any one with wisdom to acquire such quantities -quickly. He walked perhaps half a mile along the brook, which was edged -here and there with straggling bushes, and at other points with nothing -at all. It was twilight now, and suddenly something huge and brown rose -up among a cluster of the dwarf bushes directly in Phil's path. In the -fading light it loomed monstrous and misshapen, but Phil knew that it -was a lone bull buffalo, probably an old and evil-tempered outcast from -the herd. He saw that the big brute was angry, but he was a cool hunter -now, and, taking careful aim, he planted a bullet near the vital spot. -The buffalo, head down, charged directly at him, but he leaped to one -side and, as the mortally stricken beast ran on, he reloaded and sent in -a second bullet, which promptly brought him to earth. - -Still practicing that wilderness caution which never allows a man's -rifle to remain unloaded, he rammed home a third bullet, and then -contemplated his quarry, an enormous bull, scarred from fights and -undoubtedly tough eating. But Phil was very happy. It was in this case -not the pride of the hunter, but the joy of the commissary. Tough though -this bull might be, there was enough of him to feed the four many a long -day. - -While he was standing there he heard the sound of running feet, and he -knew that it was the others coming to the report of his shots. Bill -Breakstone first hove into view. - -"What is it, Phil?" he cried, not yet seeing the mountain of buffalo -that lay upon the ground. - -"Nothing much," replied Phil carelessly, "only I've killed a whole -buffalo herd while you three lazy fellows were lying upon the ground -playing mumble peg, or doing something else trivial. I'll get you -trained to work after awhile." - -Breakstone saw the buffalo and whistled with delight. The four set to -work, skinned him, and then began to cut off the tenderest parts of the -meat for drying. This was a task that took them a long time, but -fortunately the night was clear, with a bright moon. Before they -finished they heard the howling of wolves from distant points, and Phil -occasionally caught slight glimpses of slender dark forms on the plain, -but he knew they were prairie wolves that would not dare to attack, and -he went on with his work. - -"They'll have a great feast here when we leave with what we want," said -Bill Breakstone. "They're not inviting creatures, but I'm sorry for 'em -sometimes, they seem so eternally hungry." - -After the task was finished, three went back for the horses to carry -their food supply, and Phil was left to guard it. He was tired now, and -he sat down on the ground with his rifle across his knee. The moon came -out more brightly, and he saw well across the prairie. The slender, -shadowy forms there increased in numbers, and they whined with -eagerness, but the boy did not have the slightest fear. Nevertheless, -he was glad they were not the great timber wolves of the North. That -would have been another matter. At last he took a piece of the buffalo -that his comrades and he would not use and flung it as far as he could -upon the prairie. - -There was a rush of feet, a confused snarling and fighting, and then a -long death howl. In the rush some wolf had been bitten, and, at the -sight of the blood, the others had leaped upon him and devoured him. - -Phil, who understood the sounds, shuddered. He had not meant to cause -cannibalism, and he was glad when his comrades returned with the horses. -They spent two days jerking the buffalo meat, as best they could in the -time and under the conditions, and they soon found the precaution one of -great wisdom, as they did not see any more game, and, on the second day -afterward, entered a region of sand. The buffalo grass disappeared -entirely, and there was nothing to sustain life. This was genuine -desert, and it rolled before them in swells like the grassy prairie. - -The four, after going a mile or so over the hot sand, stopped and -regarded the gloomy waste with some apprehension. It seemed to stretch -to infinity. They did not see a single stalk or blade of vegetation, -and the sand looked so fine, or of such small grain, to Phil that he -dismounted, picked up a handful of it, and threw it into the air. The -sand seemingly did not fall back, but disappeared like white smoke. He -tried it a second and a third time, with the same result in each case. - -"It's not sand," he said, "it's just dust." - -"Dust or sand," said Bill Breakstone, "we must rush our way through it, -and I'm thinking that we've got to make every drop of water we have in -the bags last as long as possible." - -They rode on for several hours, and the very softness of the sand made -the going the worst that they had ever encountered. The feet of the -horses sank deep in it, and they began to pant with weariness, but there -was no relief. The vertical sun blazed down with a fiery splendor that -Phil hitherto would have believed impossible. The whole earth shimmered -in the red glare, and the rays seemed to penetrate. All of them had -broad brimmed hats, and they protected their eyes as much as possible. -The weariness of the horses became so great that after awhile the riders -dismounted and walked by the side of them. Two hours of this, and they -stopped in order that Breakstone might take the direction with a little -compass that he carried in a brass box about two inches in diameter. He -had made the others buy the same kind, but they had not yet used them. - -"This is the best kind of compass to put in your baggage on such a trip -as this," he said, "and it says that we re going straight on in the way -we want to go. Come boys, the more sand we pass the less we have in -front of us." - -They staggered bravely on, but the glare seemed to grow. The whole sky -was like a hot, brassy cover that held them prisoners below. It -scarcely seemed possible to Phil that trees, green grass, and running -water had ever existed anywhere. A light wind arose, but, unlike other -winds that cool, this wind merely sent the heat against their faces in -streams and currents that were hotter than ever. It also whirled the -fine sand over them in blinding showers. Acting on the advice of -Breakstone, they drew up their horses in a little circle, and stood in -the center shielding their eyes with their hands. Peering over his -horse's back, Phil saw hills of sand four or five feet high picked up -and carried away, while hills equally high were formed elsewhere. -Ridges disappeared, and new ridges were formed. The wind blew for about -two hours, and then the four, covered with sand, resumed their march -noting with joy that the sun was now sinking and the heat decreasing. -The very first shadows brought relief, but the greatest solace was to -the eye. Despite the protection of hand and hat-brims, they were so -burnt by the sand and glare that it was a pain to see. Yet the four -were so weary of mind and body that they said nothing, as they trudged -on until the edge of the sun cut into the western plain on the horizon. -Phil had never before seen such a sun. He had not believed it could be -so big, so glaring, and so hot. He was so glad now that the earth was -revolving away from it that he raised his clenched hand and shook his -fist in its very eye. - -"Good-by to you," he exclaimed. "And I was never before so glad to see -you go!" - -Phil spoke in such deadly earnest that Bill Breakstone, despite his -aching muscles and burning throat, broke into laughter. - -"You talk as you feel, Phil," he said, "but it's no good to threaten the -sun. It's just gone for a little while, and it will be back again -to-morrow as bright and hot as ever." - -"But while it iss gone we will be glad," said Arenberg. - -Down dropped the shadows, deeper and deeper, and a delicious coolness -stole over the earth. It was like a dew on their hot eyeballs, and the -pain there went swiftly away. A light wind blew, and they took the -fresh air in long, deep breaths. They had been old three or four hours -ago, now they were young again. The horses, feeling the same influence, -raised their lowered heads and walked more briskly. - -The shadows merged into the night, and now it was actually cold. But -they went on an hour or more in order to find a suitable place for a -camp. They chose at last a hollow just beyond a ridge of sand that -seemed more solid than usual. On the slope grew a huge cactus with -giant arms, the first that they had seen in a long time. - -"Here we rest," said Bill Breakstone. "What more could a man ask? -Plenty of sand for all to sleep on. No crowding. Regular king's -palace. Water in the water-bags, and firewood ready for us." - -"Firewood," said John Bedford. "I fail to see it." - -Breakstone pointed scornfully to the huge cactus. - -"There it is, a whole forest of it," he said. "We break down that -cactus, which is old and dry, and it burns like powder. But it will -burn long enough to boil our coffee, which we need." - -But they took a good drink of water first, and gave another to every one -of the horses. Then they chopped down the giant cactus and cut it into -lengths. As Breakstone had said, it burned with a light flame and was -rapidly consumed, leaving nothing but thin ashes. But they were able to -boil their coffee, which refreshed them even more than the food, and -then they lay on their blankets, taking a deep, long rest. The contrast -between night and day was extraordinary. The sun seemed to have taken -all heat with it, and the wind blew. They could put on coats again, -draw blankets over their bodies, and get ready for delicious sleep. -They knew that the sun with all its terrors would come back the next -day, but they resolved to enjoy the night and its coolness to the full. - -The wind rose, and dust and sand were blown across the plain, but it -passed over the heads of the four who lay in the narrow dip between the -swells, and they soon fell into a sleep that built up brain and muscle -anew for the next day's struggle. - - - - - CHAPTER XX - - THE SILVER CUP - - -They awoke at the coming dawn, which began swiftly to drive away the -coolness of the night, and, using what was left of the giant cactus, -they boiled coffee and heated their food again. This was a brief task, -but by the time it was finished the whole world was enveloped once more -in a reddish glare. All that day they advanced, alternately riding and -walking through an absolutely desolate land. The single cactus that -they had burned loomed in Phil's memory like a forest. The water was -doled out with yet more sparingness, and, a few minutes after they drank -it, throat, tongue, and lips began to feel as parched as ever. - -Phil did not see a living thing besides themselves. No rattlesnake, no -lizard, no scorpion dwelled in this burning sand. Two or three of the -horses began to show signs of weakness. - -"If we only had a tent to shelter us from this awful glare," said -Breakstone, "we could camp for the day, and then travel at night, but it -will be worse standing still than going on. And get on we must. The -horses have had no food, and they cannot stand it much longer." - -They slept on the sand that night until a little past twelve o'clock, -and then, to save time, resumed the march once more. The air was cool -and pleasant at that time, but the desert looked infinitely weird and -menacing under the starlight. The next day they entered upon a region -of harder sand and in one or two places found a patch of scanty herbage, -upon which the horses fed eagerly, but there was not a sign of water to -ward off the new and formidable danger that was threatening them, as the -canteens and water-bags were now almost empty. - -"To-morrow they will be empty," said Bill Breakstone. - -His dismal prophecy came true. At noon of the following day the last -drop was gone, and John and Phil looked at each other in dismay. But -Bill Breakstone was a man of infinite resource. - -"I mean to find water before night," he said. "Not any of your -Mississippis or Missouris, nor even a beautiful creek or brook, not -anything flowing or pretty to the eye, but water all the same. You just -wait and see." - -He spoke with great emphasis and confidence, but the others were too -much depressed to believe. Nevertheless, Bill Breakstone was watching -the ground critically. He noticed that the depressions between the -swells had deepened, and that the whole surface seemed to have a general -downward slope. Toward the twilight they came to a deeper depression -than any that they had seen before. Two or three slender trees, almost -leafless grew in it. The trees themselves seemed to cry aloud: "I -thirst! I thirst!" But Bill Breakstone was all cheeriness. - -"Here is our water!" he cried briskly. "Get ready all!" - -He himself took out a stout shovel from the baggage on his horse, and -began to dig, with great vigor, in the lowest part of the bowl. - -"I see," said Phil, "you're going to dig a well." - -"I am, and you're going to help me do it, too." - -"But will we find anything at the bottom of it?" - -"We will. Many a man has died of thirst in the desert, with plenty of -water not twenty feet away. Some men are born without brains, Phil. -Others have brains, but never use them, but I am egotistical enough to -think that I have some brains, at least, and some will and capacity to -use them. Now I've thrown up a pretty good pile of sand there, and I'm -growing tired. You take that shovel and see what you can do, but make -it a wide hole. You don't want a ton of sand caving in on you." - -Phil took the shovel and worked with energy. John and Arenberg with tin -cups also leaped down into the hole and helped as much as they could. -As the sand was soft they descended fast, and Phil suddenly uttered a -shout. He drew up a shovelful of wet sand, and, after that, sand yet -wetter. - -"That will do," said Breakstone a minute or two later. "Stand aside now -and watch the water come into our well." - -They had reached an underground seepage or soakage, draining from the -higher ground above, and slowly a pool of water gathered at the bottom. -The four uttered a shout of joy, entirely pardonable at such a time. -The water was muddy, and it was warm, but it was pure water without any -alkali, and, as such it meant life, life to men and beasts in the -desert. - -"The horses first," said Breakstone, "or they'll be tumbling in here on -our heads, and they are entitled to it, anyhow." - -They filled their kettles and pans with water, climbing out again and -again. The horses drank greedily and uttered deep sighs of -satisfaction. It took a long time to give them enough by this method, -but when they were satisfied the men took their tin cups and drank. - -"Slowly now," said Breakstone. "Don't you be too eager there, John, you -escaped convict! Phil, you accidental buffalo killer, just hold that -cup of yours steady, or you'll be dashing its contents into your mouth -before the rest of us. Now then, you sun-scorched scamps, drink!" - -The four drank together and at the same pace. Never in his life had -anything more delicious trickled down Philip Bedford's throat. That -yellow, muddy water must have been the nectar that Jupiter and the rest -of the gods drank, when they were lounging about Olympus. Four empty -cups came back, and four heartfelt sighs of satisfaction were uttered. -The cups were filled again, but Bill Breakstone held up a warning -finger. - -"I know you want it bad," he said, "because I want it myself just as bad -as any of you, but remember that it's never good for the health to drink -too fast, especially when you're nearly dead of thirst." - -Phil appreciated the wisdom of his words. Yet he was terribly thirsty. -On the burning desert the evaporation was so rapid that his system was -already dry again through and through. - -"Now," said Bill Breakstone, "fill again, gentlemen, and drink. Not -quite so fast as before. Just let it linger a little, like an epicure -over his wine, while the delicious taste tickles your palate, and the -delicate aroma fills your nostrils." - -The yellow water was all of these things to them, and they did as Bill -bade while they drank. After that, they took more cups of it from time -to time, and noted with satisfaction that, as they dipped the water out -of the pit, more trickled back in again. Toward night they watered the -horses a second time, and Arenberg suggested that they spend both the -night and the day there, since the water seemed to be plentiful. In the -day they could at least sit in the shadow of their horses, and, if -pushed hard by the sun, they could sit in their well. As the suggestion -came from Arenberg, who had the most reason for haste, it was adopted -unanimously and quickly. - -In the night, when it was cool and work was easy, they deepened the well -considerably, securing a much stronger and purer flow of water. They -also gave a greater slope to the sides, and then they went to sleep, -very well contented with themselves. The next day, either in reality or -imagination, was hotter than any of the others, and they felt devoutly -thankful for the well, by which they could stay as long as they chose. -When the sun was at its hottest they literally took refuge in it, -sheltering themselves against the sandy bank and putting their hands in -the water. - -"My hands must be conductors," said Bill Breakstone, "because, when I -hold them in the water, I can feel the damp coolness running all through -my system. Now, Sir John, you escaped convict, without the striped -clothes, did you ever see such a fine well as this before?" - -John laughed. - -"I'd rather have this well and freedom," he said, "than my cell in the -Castle of Montevideo and all the beautiful mountain springs about -there." - -"Spoken like a man," said Bill Breakstone; "but this well is a beauty on -its own account, and not merely by comparison. Look at the flowers all -around its brink. Look at the beautiful white stone with which it is -walled up. Look at the clearness of the water, like silver, in which my -lily white hand now laves itself. - - "Our thirst rages; - Water is found; - Out of Hades - At one bound. - - -"Can you better that descriptive poem, Phil?" - -Phil shook his head. - -"No, Bill," he replied, "I can't. We're all of us poets at heart, but -you're the only one that can give his poetry expression. One poet is -enough, another is too many." - -At sundown they watered all the horses again, filled every canteen and -skin bag with water, bade farewell to the well that they had digged and -loved, and again marched westward over the sand. But they were now -vigorous and full of hope, the sand was harder, and in the long cool -night hours they traveled fast. Their most pressing need now was to -secure food for the horses, which were relatively weaker than their -masters, and by the moonlight they watched anxiously for some dim line -which would indicate the approach of forests or mountains. They saw no -such line, but the country was undoubtedly growing hillier. The sand -was also packed much harder. At times it seemed to resemble soil, but -as yet there was neither grass nor bushes. - -They plodded along in silence, but hopeful. All the horses were weak -from the lack of food, and the four walked by the side of them -throughout the night. But the night itself was beautiful, a dusky blue -sky sprinkled with a myriad of silver stars. The weakness of the horses -increased, and the four human beings were much alarmed for their brute -comrades, who were so important to them. But toward morning all the -horses raised their heads, thrust out their noses, and began to sniff. - -"Now what can the matter be?" exclaimed John Bedford. - -"They smell water," replied Bill Breakstone. "They can smell it a long -way off, and, as it's bound to be surface water, that means grass. I'm -of the opinion, boys, that we're saved." - -The horses, despite their weakness, advanced so rapidly now that the -four ran in order to keep up. - -"Jump on their backs," exclaimed Bill Breakstone, when they had gone -about a quarter of a mile. "It's water sure, and they won't mind a -little extra weight now." - -They sprang into the saddles, and the horses, seeming to take it as a -hint, broke into a run. They ascended a slope and saw a dark outline -before them. - -"Trees! Pines! Fine, good pines!" exclaimed Arenberg. "The sight iss -much good!" - -They galloped among the pines, which were without undergrowth, and then -down the other slope. Phil caught a glimpse of something that set all -his pulses beating. It was a surface of dark blue water. - -"Yes, the pines are good," he said, "but this is better! A lake, boys! -A lake of pure cold water, a precious jewel of a lake, set here among -the hills of the desert, and just waiting for us!" - -Phil was right. It was a little lake set down among hills, with a rim -of tall forest. It was almost circular, and about a hundred yards in -diameter. They rode into it until their horses were up to their bodies. -They let them drink copiously, and then rode back to the bank, after -which they were out with the tin cups again and took their fill, finding -the water not only pure but cold. Then Philip Bedford sat down on the -grass and looked at the lake. A light wind was making silver lacework -of its surface. Beyond it, and apparently for some distance, fine, tall -trees stood. Abundant grass, sheltered by the hills, grew in the open -places. At the far edge of the lake a dozen wild ducks swam, evidently -not yet understanding human presence. The silver of the water and the -green of the grass were like a lotion to the boy's eyes, used so long to -the brazen sun and the hot sand. He looked and looked, and then he -cried: - -"I think this must be heaven!" - -Nobody laughed. Every one had the same feeling. They had come from the -desert, and the power of contrast was so great that the little lake with -its trees and grass was, in truth, like a foretaste of heaven. They -took everything from the horses, even the bridles, and turned them -loose. There was no danger that they would wander from such a place. -Then John Bedford began to take off his clothes. - -"I'm going to have a swim," he said. "I haven't had a real bath in more -than three years, and, after this last march of ours, I think I'm -carrying at least a hundred pounds of unpleasant desert about my body." - -"Me, too," said Phil. "Bet you ten thousand acres of desert that I beat -you into the water." - -"Go ahead, boys," said Breakstone, "and Hans and I will watch and -decide. Remember that you mustn't have on a single garment when you -jump, or you'll be disqualified." - -Breakstone had scarcely finished the words when two white bodies flashed -through the air and struck the water with two splashes that were one in -sound. Both disappeared beneath the surface and then came up, -spluttering and splashing and swimming with bold strokes. - -"A tie," said Bill Breakstone. - -Hans Arenberg nodded. - -The brothers found the water much colder than they had expected, but -they swam so vigorously that they were soon in a fine glow. Bill -Breakstone looked at Hans Arenberg. Hans Arenberg looked at Bill -Breakstone. - -"Why not?" said Bill. - -"It iss what we ought to do," said Arenberg. - -In two minutes they also were in the lake, enjoying a greater luxury -than any Roman ever found in his marble and perfumed bath. All the dust -and dirt of the desert were quickly swept from them, and the cold water -infused new life into their veins and muscles. Toward the center they -found by diving that the lake had a depth of at least twenty feet. As -they saw no stream flowing into it, they were of the opinion that it was -fed by underground springs, probably the snow water from distant -mountains, which accounted for its coldness. At the far side they found -the outlet, a rivulet that flowed between rocks and then descended -swiftly toward the plain. They marked its course by the rows of trees -on either side, and they knew that after its passage from the hilly -country it would enter the desert, there to be lost among the sands. To -the north of them the country seemed to rise considerably, and -Breakstone believed that the faint blue haze just under the horizon -indicated mountains. - -"If so," he said, "we're not likely to suffer much more from the desert, -because the mountains in this part of the Southwest generally mean trees -and water. Meanwhile, we'll take the goods the gods provide us, while -the lovely lake is here beside us; which bears a little resemblance to -more famous lines, and which fits the case just now." - -After a splendid swim they lay on the grass and let the sun dry them, -while they soothed their eyes with the view of the lakes and the woods -and the horses grazed in peace near the water's edge. It was idyllic, -sylvan, and at this moment they felt at peace with everybody, all except -Arenberg, who rarely let his boy and the Comanches go out of his -thoughts. - -"Maybe we're the first white people who have ever seen this lake," said -John Bedford. - -"Not likely," replied Breakstone. "Hunters and trappers have roved -through this region a lot. People of that kind generally see things -before the discoverers come along and name 'em." - -"At any rate," said Phil, "we've never seen it before, and since it's -the color of silver, and it's set here in this bowl, I propose that we -call it 'The Silver Cup." - -"Good," said Breakstone, and the others, also, approved. They were -silent for awhile longer, enjoying their rest, and then Hans Arenberg -spoke gravely: - -"It iss likely," he said, "that the Comanches know of this lake, and -that warriors in time may come here. We are sure that their bands went -westward to avoid the American troops. Wherever there iss good water -they will come sooner or later, and this water iss the best. It may be -that it will pay us to stay here awhile and seek some clue." - -"I think you're right," said Bill Breakstone, speaking for all the -others. "We don't know just where we are going, and we've got to stop -and catch hold to something somewhere. And, as you say, in this part of -the world good water is bound to draw people." - -Now that they were thoroughly refreshed they dressed and made a very -careful inspection of the country. On all sides of "The Silver Cup" but -the north the belt of wood was narrow, but northward it seemed to extend -to a considerable distance. Looking from an elevation there, they were -positive that the blue haze under the horizon meant mountains. There -was timber as far as they could see in that direction, and this view -confirmed them in their resolution to stay where they were for awhile. - -They also took into account another consideration. It had been many -months since the battle of Buena Vista. Much had happened since then, -and the summer was waning. With winter approaching, it was more than -likely that the Comanches would either hug the warm plains or return -toward them. It was an additional reason why warriors might come to The -Silver Cup. Such coming, of course, brought danger, but the likelihood -of success increased with the danger. - -They found a sheltered place on the north side of the lake, but about -forty yards distant. It was a kind of rocky alcove, sloping down toward -the water, with great trees growing very thickly on every side. They -put their supplies in here and made beds of dry leaves. Just above them -was a fine open space richly grassed, into which they turned the horses. - -"Those four-footed friends of ours will be our sentinels to-night," said -Bill Breakstone. "I don't think any creeping Comanche could pass them -without an alarm being raised, and, as we all need rest, we'll leave the -watching to them and take the chances." - -They did not light any fire, but ate their supper cold, and quickly -betook themselves to The Dip, as they called this shelter. There, -wrapped in their blankets, they lay down on the soft beds of leaves, and -deemed themselves fortunate. Phil could just see between two great -tree-trunks a narrow strip of The Silver Cup, which flashing in the -moonlight with a luminous glow, looked like a wonderful gem. The water -rippled and moved softly. Beyond was the fringe of trees, and beyond -that the vast blue sky with a host of friendly stars. Then Phil fell -into the sleep of the just, and so did all his comrades. The only one of -them who awoke in the night was Hans Arenberg. He looked at his -friends, saw they were sleeping so soundly that they did not move, and -he arose very gently. Then he stepped out of The Dip and walked down to -the edge of The Silver Cup. There he stood looking at the waters which -still shifted and moved like molten metal under the wind. - -There was a spell upon Hans Arenberg that night. The soul of the old -Teuton was alive within him, of the Teuton who lived in the great -forests of Germany far back of the Christian era. It was his -inheritance, like that of the Americans who, also, grew up in the shadow -of the vast wilderness. The forest and lake were alive to him with the -spirits of his primitive ancestors, but they were good spirits. They -whispered in chorus that he, too, would succeed, and he began to whistle -softly a quaint melody, some old German folk song that he had whistled -to his boy. His mood grew upon him. All things were mystic. The seen -were the unseen, and the things around him had no place. Even the lake -vanished as he softly whistled the little melody, and it seemed to him -after awhile that an answer to it came out of the forest, the same -melody whistled more softly yet, and from childish lips. Arenberg knew -that he was dreaming awake, but from that moment he never doubted. - -He came from the spell, slipped back into The Dip, and was the first -next morning to awake. But he built the fire and did all the cooking, -and he was uncommonly cheerful, whistling at times a peculiar but -beautiful melody that none of them had ever heard before. - -"Arenberg must have had a fine dream last night," said John Bedford to -Phil. - -"Looks so," replied Phil, "but I'm not going to ask him about it." - -Arenberg and John remained and watched at the lake that day, devoting -themselves at the same time, to the improvement of their camp, by means -of a roof of bark and poles at the upper edge of The Dip, which would -protect them from the infrequent rains. Phil and Bill Breakstone -mounted the best of the horses and made a great scout northward. They -found that the thick woods extended four or five miles. Beyond that the -timber became scattering, and they also saw patches of open country with -the succulent buffalo grass. Farther on lay the great mountains, -clearly visible now. - -"That's our water supply," said Bill, pointing to the blue range. "As -we guessed, The Silver Cup is certainly fed from them, and I think that -we've seen enough for the present. We've established the fact that -we've got about the best base to be found in this country, and these -woods will surely contain game." - -Their luck continued high, for within fifteen minutes they flushed a -black-tailed deer, which Phil, from his horse's back, brought down with -a fine running shot. It was a fat doe, and, skinning and cleaning it -there, they put it upon one of the horses and carried it back to camp. -They did not arrive until nearly sundown, and their spoils made them -doubly welcome to their comrades. - -"You have done good work," said Hans Arenberg, "and this deer is very -welcome. There are more where it came from, and to-morrow I think, -also, that I will shoot some of the foolish ducks that are swimming -around on the lake." - -Arenberg was as good as his word; the next day they added a half dozen -fine ducks to their larder. On the following day Arenberg and John rode -northward, making the great scout. They had resolved to do this day by -day, two to ride for enemies, and two to watch and work at the camp -until something happened. Thus nearly two weeks passed and The Silver -Cup remained untouched by any human beings save themselves. It was so -peaceful that apparently it would remain forever so. Nor did they find -anything in the forest except game, although they threshed up the -country at least thirty miles to the north. Still they clung to their -camp, knowing that they must have patience. - -The hot days passed fast, and the coolness of autumn came upon them. -One night it rained heavily, but the thatched roof did its duty, and -they did not surfer. The waters of the lake grew colder, but they -rarely missed their daily swim. Breakstone thought it likely that it -was already snowing on the distant mountains. - -They continued to beat up the country in circles that widened steadily, -still without any sign of Comanches or any other Indian tribe, but -Arenberg was resolute in his desire to stay, and the others thought it -right to defer to him in the matter that concerned him most. The German -held to the theory that sooner or later Comanches would pass that way, -since water, wood, and game, the three requisites of savage life, were -found there. - -Hence they made ready for winter. They had two axes in their baggage, -and they built a strong shack in The Dip, one quite sufficient to -protect them from the winter storms which were likely to occur here, as -they were at a great elevation above the sea. They made rude fish -traps, with which they caught excellent fish in the lake, and they could -increase the supply indefinitely. The black-tailed deer were numerous in -the forest. They also found wild turkeys, and they shot two buffaloes -on the plains below. The horses grazed in a sheltered little valley, -and they judged that grass could be found there all through the winter. - -There would be no trouble about living. Beyond a doubt, they could find -ample supplies of food, and so long a time passed without the appearance -of an enemy that they began to feel quite safe at their home in The Dip -and in the region about it. As they sat there late one afternoon and -watched the twilight come over The Silver Cup, Hans Arenberg spoke the -thoughts that had been heavy in his mind that day. - -"See what a misty twilight it iss," he said. "It iss too cold for rain, -and so I think it means snow. The Comanches will come with the snow. -While the weather was warm, and they could sleep on the open plain, they -rode there, hunting the buffalo. Now the western bands will seek -shelter and they will come here." - -He walked from the hut and stood looking down at the lake, the surface -of which had turned from silver to gray. The three followed him with a -gaze which was of blended curiosity and sympathy. - -"I more than half believe him," said Breakstone in a whisper to the -others. - -"It seems to me that sometimes he talks like a prophet," said John -Bedford. - -"He is a prophet sometimes," said Bill Breakstone, "or at least he's got -second sight. Now he's looking at that lake, but he doesn't see it at -all. He sees the Comanches, riding, riding, always riding toward this -place, and maybe they have with them some one for whom he is looking. -Maybe, and maybe not, but we'll see, don't you forget that, Phil, you -and John, and somehow I'm thinking that he sees true." - -It rapidly grew colder, and they were glad enough, when they came back -from hunting and scouting, to seek the shelter of the thatched hut in -The Dip. There, while the coals glowed on the stone hearth that they -had made, and the smoke passed out through the vent in the wall, they -speculated much on what was passing far to the southward of them. The -great battle at the mouth of the Pass of Angostura was still so vivid in -the minds of Phil, Breakstone, and Arenberg that they did not have to -shut their eyes to see it again, and John often dreamed that he was -still in the Castle of Montevideo, sitting by that deep loophole, -looking out upon his mountain landscape. - -"I guess they're closing in on the City of Mexico," said Bill -Breakstone. "It's in a rough and mountainous country, easy to defend, -but after the battle of Buena Vista I don't believe anything in Mexico -can defeat our soldiers, no matter what the odds." - -"And Middleton is with them," said Phil. "I'd like to see the Captain -again. He was a fine man." - -"Maybe we will," said Breakstone. "The West is a mighty big place, but -there are not many white men in it, and when you shuffle them around -some you are likely to meet them more than once." - -The next morning The Silver Cup had a cover, a beautiful clear cover of -ice an eighth of an inch thick. The following morning the cover was a -little thicker, and it thickened perceptibly every succeeding morning, -until it would bear the weight of Phil or John. The trees were heavy -with frost, and the wind sometimes blew so sharply from the mountain -that they made rude ear-muffs of deerskin and helped out their clothing -as skillfully as possible with skins and furs. - -Then the snow came. Looking northward, they saw a whitish mist over the -forest. The mist gradually turned to dark blue clouds hanging very low. -The snow fell, at first, in slow, solemn flakes, and then swiftly. They -filled the air, all the forest was hidden, and nothing marked the -presence of The Silver Cup but the level expanse of the snow. It fell -to the depth of six or seven inches, then the skies cleared away, became -crystal blue, and the cold increased, promising no more snow for the -present, but a long continuance of that which lay on the ground. They -visited the horses the next morning and found them well protected in -their valley. Large spaces there were but thinly covered with the snow, -and the horses could easily get at the grass. Assured on this point, -John and Breakstone returned to The Dip, while Phil and Arenberg, -mounting the strongest two horses, rode northward. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI - - THE NOTE OF A MELODY - - -Phil and Arenberg were undertaking this journey because they wished to -make one of their usual thorough scouts. It merely happened to be their -day, as John and Breakstone had gone on the day preceding. They were -well wrapped up, with their ear-muffs on and with big moccasins that -they had made to go over their shoes. The snow was very light and dry, -and offered little obstacle to the horses, which were fat and strong -with good feeding. - -"We certainly leave a fine trail, Hans," said Phil, looking back at the -impressions made by their horse's hoofs. - -"It iss so," said Arenberg, "but since we hunt people it iss not our -object to hide ourselves. Do you notice how beautiful iss the forest, -Herr Philip? All the trees are white with the snow. It iss a great -tracery, silver sometimes and gold sometimes as the sun falls, and it -extends farther than we can see. It must often have been such as this -in the great Teutonic forest where my ancestors dwelled thousands of -years ago. Here in these woods I have this feeling at times, as if the -centuries were rolled back, and last night I dreamed a strange dream." - -"What was the dream?" - -"I don't know. That was the strange part of it. I awoke and I knew -that I had dreamed a strange dream which was not unpleasant, but, try as -hard as I would, I could not remember anything about it. What do you -think that portends, Herr Philip?" - -"I do not know. Perhaps when we want a thing so much and think about it -so much the imagination, while we are asleep and the will is dead, forms -a picture of it that remains in our possession when we awake. But it's -just surmise. I don't know anything about it." - -"Nor do I," said Arenberg, "but sometimes I believe. Now I suggest that -we ride toward the northwest. I believe that good hunting grounds are -in that direction beyond this forest, and perhaps the Comanches may have -been on the plain there, and may now be seeking shelter in this -wilderness." - -"It's as good a theory as any," said Phil, "and we'll try it." - -They rode for several hours toward the northwest, passing from the -region of heavy forest into that of the scrub timber, and again into -heavy forest as they approached the slopes of the higher mountains. -They were now at least twenty miles from The Silver Cup, and it was past -midday. They had brought jerked venison with them, and they ate their -noon meal on horseback. But Phil wanted water, and he saw a clear white -line leading among the trees, which he thought might indicate a brook -flowing under the ice and snow. He dismounted, scraped away the snow -and found that he was right. He broke the ice, took a good drink, and -then noticed a trail on the far side of the brook. It was unmistakably -that of a single horse, and he called excitedly to Arenberg. - -"Look, Hans," he said. "Doesn't this show that an Indian pony has -passed here?" - -Arenberg came at once, and when he looked down at the trail his eyes -sparkled with a kind of exultant joy. But he showed no excitement -otherwise. - -"It iss the trail of a single Indian pony," he said. "We will follow it. -It iss not likely that a lone warrior rides in this region. He goes to -join others." - -Phil looked closely at Arenberg. He was quite sure that his comrade -considered this a sign, the first sign that had come in the long, long -search. He knew how the stout heart must be throbbing within the -German's powerful chest. - -"Lead on, Hans," he said. "I think you're right." - -The two followed the trail at a good walk. It lay before them in the -snow as plain as a railroad track. There was but little undergrowth -here, and they saw far among the stems of the trees. They were quite -sure that danger lay before them, since they might ride at any moment -into an ambush, but they kept on without hesitation, although they -watched well with two pairs of unusually keen eyes. In this manner they -rode about five miles, and then Arenberg's eyes began to scintillate -again. The pony's trail was merged into that of three or four more -coming from the north. - -"It iss so! It iss so!" he said softly, although excitement now showed -in his tone. "The Comanches have come! Presently more riders will -enter the trail, and beyond will lie their camp. Now, young Herr -Philip, it iss for us to go with great care." - -A mile farther the trail was merged with that of at least twenty -horsemen. Phil himself did not doubt that the new Indian camp lay -before them. The forest was now heavy with undergrowth here and there, -for which he was thankful, since it afforded hiding for Arenberg and -himself, while the trail was so broad that they could not possibly miss -it. There was another fortunate circumstance. They had been longer on -the trail than they had realized, and the twilight was now coming fast. -It already lay in deep shadows over the vast, lonely wilderness. -Although he was very near, Phil saw Arenberg's figure enveloped in a -sort of black mist, and the horse's feet made but little sound on the -soft snow. At intervals the two stopped to listen, because there was no -doubt now in the mind of either that they were close to a large Indian -camp. A half hour of this, and they stopped longer than usual. Both -distinctly heard a low chant. Arenberg knew that it was the song of -Indian women at work. - -"Phil," he said, "we are close by. Let us leave our horses here and -steal forward. We may lose the horses or we may not, but we cannot -scout on horseback close up to the Indian camp." - -Phil did not hesitate. They fastened the horses to swinging boughs in -dense thickets, trusting them to the fortune that had been kind thus -far, and then crept through the snow and among the frees toward the low -sound of the chant. At the edge of a thicket of scrub cedar they knelt -down and looked through the snow-laden branches into an Indian village -that lay in the valley beyond. - -It was a broad valley, with a creek now frozen over running through it, -and the village, a large one, was evidently not more than a day or two -old, as many of the lodges were not yet finished. All these lodges were -of buffalo skin on poles, and the squaws were still at work on some of -them. Others were beating buffalo meat or deer meat before the cooking -fires, and yet others dragged from the snow the dead wood that lay about -plentifully. Many warriors were visible here and there amid the -background of flame, but they merely lounged, leaving the work to the -squaws. - -"It may be the band of Black Panther," said Phil. - -"I think it iss," said Arenberg, "but I also think it has been swollen -by the addition of another band or two." - -The two were lying so close under the dwarf pines that Phil's arm was -pressed against Arenberg's side, and he could feel the German trembling -all over. Phil knew perfectly that it was not fear, but a powerful -emotion that could thus shake the strong soul of his friend. Evidently -the Indians had no thought of a foreign presence in a region so far from -any settlement. A feeling of good-humor seemed to pervade the village. -It was obvious that they had found game in abundance, and thus the -Indian's greatest want was filled. - -Some of the Indian women continued the low humming chant that Phil and -Arenberg had first heard, and others chattered as they worked about the -fires. But Arenberg's eyes were for neither men nor women. He was -watching a group of children at the outskirts. They were mostly boys, -ranging in years from eight to thirteen, and, despite the darkness and -the distance, he followed them with a gaze so intense, so full of -longing, that it was painful to Phil who saw it. But it was impossible -to distinguish. It was merely a group of Indian lads, half at play, -half at work, and it would have been folly for the two to go closer. - -But only hope was in the soul of Arenberg. The mystic spell of the -great woods was on him, and he did not believe that he had come so far -merely to lose at last. Phil suddenly felt his great frame shake under a -stronger quiver of emotion than before. About a third of the Indian -boys, carrying tin pails or stone jars, moved up the creek. - -"Come," whispered Arenberg, in intense excitement. "They're going after -water, where it is not defiled by offal from the village! We'll follow -them on this side of the creek! See, the dwarf pines continue along the -bank indefinitely!" - -Arenberg led the way, treading softly in the snow. He was now the -director, and Phil obeyed him in everything. Besides his own perception -of the critical, Phil caught some of the intense excitement that -surcharged every pore of Arenberg's being. He felt sure that something -was going to happen. The thought was like fire in his brain. - -The boys moved on toward a point where the ice had been broken already. -The creek curved, and the village behind them passed out of sight, -although its sounds could yet be heard plainly. Directly they came to -the water hole and filled the pails and jars. Arenberg's excitement was -increasing. He was much closer to them now, and again he studied every -figure with a concentration of vision that was extraordinary. Yet the -night was already dark, the figures were indistinct, and, to Phil at -least, one figure, barring size, looked just like another. - -The boys turned away, walked perhaps a dozen paces, and then Phil heard -by his side a soft whistle, low, melodious, a bar of some quaint old -song. It might have been mistaken in a summer night for the song of a -bird. The boys stopped, but moved on again in a moment, thinking -perhaps it was only fancy. Another ten feet, and that melodious whistle -came again, lower than ever, but continuing the quaint old song. The -third boy from the rear stopped and listened a little longer than the -others. But the sound had been so faint, so clever an approach to the -sighing of the wind among the pines, that the other boys seemed to take -no notice of it. Arenberg was moving along in a parallel line with -them, keeping behind the pines. Phil followed close behind him, and -once more he put his hand on his arm. Now he felt, with increasing -force, that the man was shaken by some tremendous internal excitement. - -[Illustration: "The third boy from the rear stopped and listened"] - -The file of Indian boys moved on, save the one who had been third from -the last. He was carrying a pail of water, and he lingered, looking -cautiously in the direction whence the low whistle had come. He was a -small, strong figure, in Indian dress, a fur cap on his head. He seemed -to be struggling with some memory, some flash out of the past. Then -Arenberg, rising above the breast-work of pines, his head showing -clearly over the topmost fringe, whistled a third bar of the old German -folk song, so low, so faint that to Phil himself it was scarcely more -than the sighing of the wind. The boy straightened up and the pail of -water dropped from his hands upon the soft snow. Then he pursed his -lips and whistled softly, continuing the lines of the melody. - -An extraordinary thrill, almost like the chill of the supernatural, ran -down Phil's back, but it was nothing to the emotion that shook the -German. With a sudden cry: "It iss he!" Arenberg leaped entirely over -the pine bushes, ran across the frozen creek, and snatched up the boy in -his arms. It was Phil then who retained his coolness, luckily for them -both. He seized the fallen rifle and called: - -"Come! Come, Hans, come with the boy, we must ride for our lives now!" - -Arenberg came suddenly back to the real world and the presence of great -danger, just when he had found his son. He lifted the boy in his arms, -ran with him across the creek, up the slope, and through the bushes. -Little Billy scarcely stirred, but remained with his arms clasped around -his father's neck. Already hostile sounds were coming from the Indian -camp. The Indian boys, at the sound of Arenberg's footsteps, had turned -back, and had seen what had happened. - -"We must reach the horses," cried Phil, retaining his full presence of -mind. "If we can do that before they wing us we'll escape. Run ahead. -I'll bring your rifle." - -Arenberg, despite the weight of his boy, rushed toward the horses. Phil -kept close behind, carrying the two rifles. From the village came a -long, fierce cry, the Comanche war whoop. Then it came back from the -snowy forest in faint, dying echoes, full of menace. Phil knew that in a -few moments the alert warriors would be on their ponies and in full -pursuit. - -"Faster, Hans! Faster!" he cried. "Never mind how much noise we may -make now or how broad a trail we may leave! To the horses! To the -horses!" - -The little boy was perfectly silent, clinging to his father's neck, and -Arenberg himself did not speak now. In a minute they reached the horses, -untied them, and sprang upon their backs, Billy, as they always called -him hereafter, sitting with a sure seat behind his father. Phil handed -Arenberg his rifle: - -"Take it," he said. "You may need it!" - -Arenberg received the weapon mechanically. Before, he had been the -leader. Now Phil took the position. He dashed away in the forest, -turning toward the east, and the hoofs of Arenberg's horse thudded on -the snow at his flank. They heard behind them the second shout of the -Comanches, who had now crossed the creek on their ponies. Arenberg -suddenly lifted his boy about and placed him in front of him. Phil -understood. If a bullet came, it was now Arenberg instead of his boy -who would receive it. - -But it was not in vain that their horses had rested and eaten the sweet, -clean grass so long. Now they obeyed the sudden call upon accumulated -strength and energy, and, despite the double burden that Arenberg's -horse bore, raced on at a speed that yet held the Indian ponies out of -rifle shot. - -"We must keep to the east, Hans," said Phil, "because if we brought them -down on our friends at The Silver Cup we'd all be overpowered. Maybe we -can shake them off. If so, we'll take a wide curve to our place. You -ride a little ahead now. I can use the rifle better, as you have to -look out for Billy besides yourself." - -Arenberg urged his horse to greater speed and continued about a length -ahead of Phil. Fortunately the forest was open here, and they could go -at good speed without the dangers of tripping or becoming entangled. -Phil looked back for the first time. He saw at some distance a half -dozen Comanches on their ponies, mere shadowy outlines in the dusk, but -he knew that more were behind them. His heart sank a little, too, when -he remembered the tenacity of the Indians in pursuit. - -"They're not gaining, Hans," he said, "and if they do I'll shoot at the -first who comes up. Keep a watch for a good path, and I'll follow." - -They galloped on an hour perhaps, and then the Indians began to yell -again. Two or three fired their rifles, although the bullets fell -short. - -"Don't worry, Hans," called Phil. "They're merely trying to frighten -us. They have not gained." - -He sent back a taunting cry, twirled his own rifle in defiance, and then -remembered that it was the slender, long-barreled Kentucky weapon, the -highest of its type. He took another glance backward, but this was a -measuring one. "It will reach," was his thought. He turned his whole -body from the hips up in his saddle, took swift aim at the leading -Comanche, and fired. The white smoke puffed from the muzzle of his -rifle, the report was uncommonly loud and sharp in the night, and the -bullet went home. The leading Indian fell from his pony in the snow, -and the pony ran away. A fierce cry of rage came from the Comanches. - -"It was well done, Herr Philip," said Arenberg. He did not look back, -but he knew from the cry of the Indians that Phil's bullet had struck -its target. The Comanches dropped back somewhat, but they were still -near enough to keep the two flying horses in sight. Phil and Arenberg -maintained their course, which was leading far from The Silver Cup. -Phil's brain was cooling with the long gallop, and his nerves were -becoming steadier. The change in himself caused him to notice other -changes around him. - -The air felt damp to his face, and the night seemed to have grown -darker. He thought at first that it was mere fancy, but when he looked -up he knew that it was the truth. He could not see the moon, and, just -as he looked, the last star winked and went out. The damp touch on his -face was that of a snowflake, and, as he still looked, the dark clouds -stalked somberly across the sky. - -"The snow! the snow," he murmured in eager prayer. "Let it come! It -will save us!" - -Another and larger flake dropped on his face, and--after it, came more, -falling fast now, large and feathery. He looked back for the last time. -Not a single pursuer could be seen in the heavy gloom. He felt that -their chance had come. He rode up by the side of Arenberg. - -"Hans," he said, "turn sharp to the south. Look how the snow comes -down! It is impossible for them to follow us now. It does not matter -how we blunder along except that we must keep close together." - -"It iss good," said Arenberg, as he turned his horse's head. "The great -God is putting a veil about us, and we are saved!" - -He spoke with unaffected solemnity, and Phil felt that his words were -true. He felt, too, that they would not have escaped had it not been -for the great snow that was now coming down. Surely a power had -intervened in their behalf. - -They rode southward for about an hour through forest, comparatively free -from undergrowth, the two horses keeping so close together that the -knees of their riders touched. The snow continued to fall, and they -went on, always in a dense white gloom, leaving to their horses the -choice of the path. They stopped finally under a huge tree, where they -were sheltered, in some degree, from the snow, and Arenberg made the boy -more comfortable on the saddle behind. - -"Hello, Billy," said Phil. "Do you know that you've been away from home -a long time? Your father was beginning to fear that you'd never come -back." - -The boy smiled, and, despite the Indian paint on his face, Phil saw -there the blue eyes and features of Arenberg. He guessed, too, that the -black hair under the cap would become gold as soon as the paint wore -off. - -"I not know at first," said Billy, speaking slowly and hesitatingly, as -if it were difficult for him to remember the English language, "but the -song when I hear it one, two, three times, then it come back and I -answered. I knew my father, too, when he picked me up." - -Arenberg gave him a squeeze, then he produced from his pocket some -jerked venison, which Billy ate eagerly. - -"He's strong and hearty, that's evident," said Phil. "And, since we -cannot leave any trail while the snow is pouring down in this way, I -suggest that we let our horses rest for awhile, and then ride as -straight as we can for The Silver Cup." - -"It iss well," said Arenberg. "Nothing but one chance in a thousand -could bring them upon us now, and God iss so good that I do not think He -will let that chance happen." - -Arenberg spoke very quietly, but Phil saw that the words came from his -heart. The boy still preserved the singular stillness which he seemed -to have learned from the Indians, but he held firmly to his father. Now -and then he looked curiously at Phil. Phil chucked him under the chin -and said: - -"Quite a snow, isn't it, Billy?" - -"I'm not afraid of snow," rejoined the boy, in a tone that seemed to -defy any kind of a storm. - -"Good thing," said Phil, "but this is a fine snow, a particularly fine -snow. It has probably saved us all." - -"Where are you going?" asked Billy. - -"Where are we going?" said Phil. "Well, when this snow lightens a -little we are going to ride a long distance through the woods. Perhaps -we'll ride until morning. Then, when morning comes, we'll keep on -riding, although it may not be in the forest. We'll make a great circle -to the south, and there, at the edge of the forest, we'll come to a -beautiful clear little lake that four men I know call The Silver Cup, -only you can't get at the contents of that cup just now, as it has a -fine ice covering. But overlooking The Silver Cup is a fine rocky hollow -with a neat little thatched cabin in it. We call the hollow and the -cabin The Dip, and in it are two of the four persons, your father and I -being the other two. - -"It's a fine little place, a snug little place, Billy, and there isn't -any lodge anywhere on this whole continent of North America that is -equal to it. There is a big flat stone at one end on which we build our -fire, and just above it is a vent to carry off the smoke. - -"Hanging about that cabin are some of the most beautiful skins and furs -you ever saw. And then we have rifles and pistols and knives and -hatchets, and a shovel and an ax or two, and big soft blankets, and, -when we are all in the hut at night, every fellow rolled in his warm -blanket, as you will be, being a brave new comrade, and when the wind -roars outside, and the hail and the snow beat against it and never touch -you, then you feel just about as fine as anybody can ever feel. It's -surely a glorious life that's ahead of you, Billy Arenberg. Those other -two fellows who are waiting for you, Billy, are as good as any you ever -saw. One of them is my brother, who has just escaped from a great -prison, where wicked men held him for a long time, just as you have -escaped, Billy, from the savages, to whom you don't belong, and the -other is the bravest, oddest, wisest, funniest man you ever saw. You -can't help liking him the very first moment you see him. He talks a -lot, but it's all worth hearing. Now and then he makes up queer rhymes. -I don't think he could get them printed, but we like them all the same, -and they always mean just what they say, which isn't generally the way -of poetry. I see right now, Billy, that that man and you are going to -be great friends. His name is William, just like yours, William -Breakstone, but he's Bill and you are Billy. It will be fine to have a -Bill and a Billy around the camp." - -The boy's eyes glistened. All sorts of emotion awoke within him. - -"Won't it be fine?" he said. "I want to see that camp." - -Phil had spoken with purpose. He had seen what Arenberg, thinking only -of his recovered son, had failed to see, that the boy, taken in his -early childhood and held so long, had acquired something of the Indian -nature. He had recognized his father and he had clung to him, but he -was primitive and as wild as a hawk. The escape from the Indian village -had been no escape for him at all, merely a transference. Phil now -devoted himself to the task of calling him back to the white world to -which he belonged. - -All the time as they rode forward in the snow, Phil talked to him of the -great things that were to be seen where the white men dwelled. He made -their lives infinitely grander and more varied than those of the -Indians. He told of the mighty battle in which his father had been a -combatant. Here the boy's eyes glistened more than ever. - -"My father is a great warrior," he exclaimed happily. - -"One of the greatest that ever lived," said Phil. "There were more men, -Billy, at that place we call Buena Vista than all the Comanche warriors -put together several times over. And there were many cannon, great guns -on wheels, shooting bullets as big as your head and bigger, and the -battle went on all day. You couldn't hear yourself speak, the cannon -and rifles roared so terribly and without ever stopping, and the smoke -was greater than that of the biggest prairie fire you ever saw, and -thousands of men and horses, with long lances, charged again and again. -And your father stood there all day helping to beat them back." - -Phil did not wish to speak so much of battle and danger, but he judged -that this would appeal most to the boy, who had been taught by the -Comanches that valor and fighting were the greatest of all things. The -boy exclaimed: - -"My father is one of the greatest of all warriors! He is a chief! He -and you and I and the other two of whom you speak will go with a great -army and beat the Mexicans again!" - -Phil laughed and turned the talk more to the chase, the building of -cabins in the wilderness, and of great explorations across the prairies -and through the hills. He still held the interest of the boy, and Phil -saw the soul of the white race growing stronger and stronger within him. -Arenberg listened, too, and at last he understood. He gave his comrade -a look of gratitude. That, Phil always considered one of the greatest -rewards he ever received. - -They finally found a partial shelter in a ravine protected by trees, and -here they dismounted in order to rest the horses and shake the snow from -themselves. But they were not suffering from the snow. They were all -warmly clad, and, as usual in the West in winter, Phil and Arenberg -carried heavy blankets at their saddle horns. One of these had already -been wrapped around Billy, and when they dismounted he remained clad in -its folds. The fall of snow was lightening somewhat, enabling them to -see perhaps twenty feet farther into it, but it was still a vast white -gloom. - -"I think it will stop before morning," said Arenberg, "and then we can -make much greater speed. Are you sleepy, Billy?" - -"I do not sleep when we are in danger," replied the boy. - -He spoke with such youthful pride that Phil smiled. Yet the boy meant -it. His wild life had certainly harmed neither his spirit nor his body. -He was taller and heavier than most boys of his age, and Phil could see -that he was as wiry and sinewy as a young panther. He seemed to endure -the hardships of the night quite as well as Phil or his father. - -"Snow is warm if there is something between you and it," said Phil. -"Let's scrape out a place here against the bank, throw up the snow -around us in walls, and rest until daylight. It will be a little hard -on the horses, but they seem to be doing fairly well there against the -trees." - -"It iss wisdom that you speak," said Arenberg. - -They threw back the snow until they made a den against the cliff, and -the three, wrapped from head to foot in their heavy blankets, crouched -in it close together. The snow fell upon the blankets, and, at times, -when it lay too thick, they threw it all off. Billy seemed perfectly -contented. Either he had no awe of the wilderness, or the presence of -the others was enough for him. He had all the quietness and taciturnity -of a little Indian lad. He did not speak at all, and did not move. By -and by his eyes closed and he slept soundly. Arenberg drew the blanket -a little more closely, until only the mouth and nose showed from the -blanket, his breath making a white rim around the aperture. Then -Arenberg said in a whisper to Phil: - -"Young Herr Philip, you have helped me to get back my own. I cannot -repay you." - -"I am repaying _you_," said Phil. "You have _already_ helped me." - -After that they did not speak for a long time. The snow became lighter -and lighter, then it ceased entirely. The horses were quiet in the -shelter of the trees, and Phil was so snug and warm that he fell into a -beautiful sleep, from which he was aroused by Arenberg. - -"It iss day, Herr Philip," he said. "Look how the sun shines on the -snow." - -Phil drew himself out of the hole and looked at a white world, tinted -silver in the early dawn. - -"Yes, it is time for us to go," he said. "Wake Billy, and we'll ride." - -But Billy was already awake, his small face illumined with curiosity and -interest. - -"Now we will ride," he said to Phil, "and see the men of whom you have -told me." - -They had some food left, and, after eating it to the last particle, they -mounted their horses and rode with as much speed as was wise in the deep -snow. Both Phil and Arenberg had an excellent idea of direction, and, -guided by the sun, they rode straight toward The Silver Cup. But the -snow was so deep and heavy that they were compelled to stop often to let -their horses rest, and nearly a whole day passed before they saw the -familiar trees and slopes that marked the approach to The Silver Cup. -It was a glad sight. They were thoroughly exhausted with a day of -plowing through the snow, and the horses were in the same condition. A -trace of smoke marked the point at which The Dip lay. - -"They're at home to callers, or at least one of them is," said Phil, -"and I'll be glad to be on the inside of that hut again, with real red -coals before me on a stone hearth." - -In order to give the horses an equal chance, Billy, through the day, had -ridden alternately behind Phil and his father. Now he was behind -Arenberg, and he leaned forward eagerly to see. Before him lay a sort -of path trampled in the snow, and, suddenly leaping from the horse, he -ran forward with the agility and speed of a deer. - -Bill Breakstone and John Bedford were inside the little thatched hut, -and the red coals of which Phil had spoken in fancy were really burning -on the hearth. They had made no search for Phil and Arenberg in the -deep snow, knowing that such a thing was useless. There was not one -chance in a thousand that they could find them, while Phil and Arenberg, -strong, capable, and brave, were sure to come back. So they took their -rest and made the place as comfortable as possible for the return of -their partners, who would certainly be cold and hungry. - -"John, keep that coffee ready to put on," said Bill Breakstone. "You -know that your brother loves coffee when he comes in out of the snow and -the cold." - -"It will be ready any minute," replied John Bedford. "And I'm glad, -Bill, you thought of that little pot of tea for Arenberg. You know he -loves to have it about once a week." - -"So I do," said Bill Breakstone. "Good old Hans. I suppose that he and -Phil made a burrow somewhere in the woods, and slept in it last night. -Naturally it's slow traveling back here through such a deep snow. Now -what under the sun is that?" - -The rude door of their little thatch was suddenly thrown open, and a -small painted face thrust in. But the eyes in the painted face staring -at them so intently, were blue, although they did not then notice the -fact. - -"A little Indian boy," said Bill Breakstone, rising. "Probably he got -lost from a band in the storm and has stumbled upon us. We wouldn't -welcome a lot of warriors, but we won't repel one boy. Come in, Red -Jacket, Tecumseh, Powhatan, or whatever your name may be. We won't hurt -you." - -To his immense surprise the boy walked boldly in, came straight up to -him, and said, in excellent English: "I know that you are Bill -Breakstone, and I want to hear you make rhymes." - -Bill stared and stared. It was perhaps the first and last time in his -life that he was dumfounded. But two larger figures came in immediately -behind the boy, and Phil said: - -"Mr. William Breakstone, I wish to introduce our new friend and comrade, -Master William Arenberg. As 'William' seems a trifle pompous, he is to -be known as Billy to distinguish him from you, who remain the Bill that -you always have been. Look this way, Billy, and you will see my -brother, John Bedford." - -Hans Arenberg stood by, so happy that tears rose in his eyes. But Bill -Breakstone came at once from his cloud of surprise. He snatched the boy -up in his arms and gave him a big hug. - -"Well, Billy," he cried, "here you are at last! I don't know how they -got you, but they've brought you. Now my first duty as housekeeper is to -wash our little boy's face." - -He took water from a pail and promptly cleaned all the paint off Billy's -face. Then Billy stood forth a white and not an Indian boy, and, with -the departure of the paint, nearly all that was left of his acquired -Indian nature seemed to go, too. While Phil and Arenberg told the story -of the new miracle, he made himself easily at home, examining everything -in the hut with minute care, and, by his actions, notifying Bill -Breakstone and John Bedford that he was ready at once for a cordial -friendship. - -"Tea is ready! So is coffee," announced Bill Breakstone presently. -"Now sit down, eat, drink, and be merry, for to-morrow you may not have -such a good chance." - -They charged with avidity, and little Billy Arenberg proved that he was -already a mighty trencherman in the making. - -"I wish I had some German blood in me, then I could eat with a fair -appetite," said Bill Breakstone, as he reached for a huge buffalo steak. - - - - - CHAPTER XXII - - BREAKSTONE'S QUEST - - -It was nearly night, and they quickly agreed that they must not remain -any longer in The Dip, however comfortable it might be. The Comanches -were bound to find them in time, and the longer their lead the better. - -"The night is going to be clear," said Breakstone, "and we must leave -just as soon as we can pack our things on our horses. Everything -indicates that the country toward the west slopes down rapidly, and we -may soon pass out of the area of deep snow. Besides, we want to go -toward the west. It's my turn now, and my search lies there." - -"It iss so," said Arenberg with deep feeling. "You have helped all the -rest of us, and we would not be fit to live if we did not now help you." - -"I knew that you would not think of anything else," said Breakstone -simply. "I'll tell you about it a little later, but now we'll start as -soon as we can, and maybe we can come back some day and enjoy The Silver -Cup again." - -The horses were brought from the sheltered valley, and their provisions -and other supplies were strapped on them. They soon discovered that -Billy knew how to ride very well, and the gentlest of the horses was -assigned to him, although he slept during the early part of the night. -But when he was roused he was full of zeal and interest, and he was also -so alert and active that he proved himself a help instead of a burden. - -At midnight, they put out the fire and left a cold hearth. Then, with -some reluctant glances backward at The Dip and the snowy cover of The -Silver Cup, they rode away in single file, Breakstone leading, Phil -next, followed by John, behind whom came Billy, with Arenberg at the -rear. It was cold, but they were sufficiently clad, and they rode on -until daylight, the dry snow crunching beneath the hoofs of their -horses. - -The descent proved to be sharp, and when daylight came they were in a -region where the snow was very light. They saw the plains before them -and below them, and they believed that by noon they would be entirely -beyond the expanse of snow. - -"By the time those Comanches discover our abandoned home," said Bill -Breakstone, "it's likely that we'll be days and days away. We'll never -see them again because our journey leads west and always west, far -beyond the Comanche country." - -"I learned from Billy," said Phil, "that it was really Black Panther who -was in command back there. Billy had been with another band, farther -west, which last spring was incorporated into the more powerful force of -Black Panther. The chief was treating Billy well, and was going to -adopt him as his son." - -"Then I am glad that we shall fight no more with Black Panther," said -Arenberg. - -"So am I," said Breakstone thoughtfully. "I suppose the chief has acted -according to his lights. If we'd been roaming over the country for -ages, we'd fight for it, too. Well, good-by to you, Black Panther, I -wish you many a good buffalo hunt, but that no white people may fall -into your hands." - -At noon, as they had expected, they passed through the last thin sheet -of snow and entered warm country. But it was not desert here. It was a -region of buffalo grass, with shallow streams and scattered timber. It -was very pleasant after so much riding through the snow, and, after -resting an hour by the side of one of the rivulets, they kept on until -night. They were not compelled to spend any time in hunting a camp, but -stopped under a clump of trees, turned the horses loose to graze on the -plentiful grass, and spread their own blankets on the turf. They were -too tired to light a fire, but they ate heartily of the cold food, and -then lay back comfortably on the blankets. Billy fell asleep in a few -minutes, but the others did not yet feel the desire for slumber. The -ride of a day and half a night had not been hard, but, as much of that -ride had been downward, the change was wonderful. Gone was the deep -snow, gone the biting winds. They wrestled with neither the ice nor the -desert, but lay upon a carpet of pine needles and breathed an air that -came, crisp with life, from the mountains. Bill Breakstone luxuriated -in it, and finally, observing that the others were not asleep, he sat -up. - -"Boys," he said, "I think the time has come for me to tell you about the -errand that has brought me so far, and that's going to take me a lot -farther. I haven't said anything about the nature of it before, because -it was the one that could wait longest. Sit up and look at what I'm -going to show you." - -They sat up on their blankets, and he took from his pocket a little -package which he unwrapped and looked at a moment or two. Then he -poured the contents out upon his blanket. They looked like gravel or -grains of stone, but the moon was good then, and from some of the grains -came a slight metallic glitter, like pin-points of light. - -"That," said Bill Breakstone in deeply impressive tones, "is gold." - -"It looks more like gravel to me," said John Bedford. - -"It is gravel, too," said Breakstone, "gravel, and gold in the gravel." - -"About how much iss your gold worth?" asked Arenberg skeptically. - -"Fifty cents, maybe," replied Bill Breakstone. - -"Which wouldn't carry you far." - -"No, it wouldn't," said Breakstone genially. "But see here, my merry -Dutchman, a man may have a million dollars in the bank, and carry only a -dime in his pocket. That's me. This is my sample, my specimen. It came -from a spot far away, but there's a million more, or something like it, -there waiting for us. Listen to me, Sir Philip of the River and the -Plain, Sir Hans of the Forest and the Snow, and even you, Sir John of -the Castle and the Cell, and I will tell you a glittering tale which is -true." - -Every one moved forward a few inches on his blanket, and their figures -grew tense with interest. The moon sent a broad shaft of light through -an opening in the trees directly upon the face of Bill Breakstone, -showing eyes that sparkled with the pleasure of one who held a great -secret that he was willing to tell to others. - -"I'm not joking," continued Bill Breakstone earnestly. "I'm a rover, but -I find when I rove. There's gold, lots of it, far west across the great -mountains in California. You find it in the sand and gravel along the -edges of streams which are dry most of the year. A man can generally do -the work all by himself, with water and a pan, sifting the gold dust -from the baser stuff. - -"It's a terribly wild country of hills and of tremendously high -mountains covered with snow. When the snow melts and the water comes -down into these dry creek and river beds it comes with a mighty rush, -and it washes the gold from the rocks along with it. At least, that's -my theory, and the gold has been piling up for ages in dust and grains -along the edges of these beds in the valleys below. I found this dust -in a wild country about a thousand miles from here, but I can go -straight back to the place." - -The others were continually creeping a little nearer and a little nearer -on their blankets, and the moonlight which found new openings through -the trees showed three more pairs of eyes sparkling with excitement. - -"Why did you come away after you found the gold?" asked Phil. - -"Because I lacked supplies. Because I was alone. Because California -belonged to the Mexicans. Because the Indians were dangerous to one -man. Any of these reasons was good enough, but we can take supplies in -abundance. I will not be alone. I doubt very much whether California -now belongs to the Mexicans, or will belong to them much longer, and it -is very likely that the Indians have wandered off into some other -region. Boys, after so many dangers we'll all be rich." - -"But, Bill," said Phil, "we can't take your gold, which you found after -so much hardship and danger." - -Bill Breakstone gave Phil Bedford a threatening look. - -"I wish you to listen to a few words of wisdom," he said in a menacing -tone, "and take care that you listen well. If I hear any more such -foolishness from you, Sir Philip of the River and the Plain, you'll lose -your golden spurs and your silver breastplate and your steel helmet and -all your titles. You'll be degraded into the position of a common -varlet to pull off my shoes, to bring me the mead to quaff, and to have -a spear shaft broken over your wooden head when you're not bright and -lively. And to you, Hans Arenberg, I give the same advice. I'll make -you the King's Jester, and, with that solemn Prussian face of yours and -that solemn Prussian mind of yours, you'll find jesting for me about as -hard a task as any man ever undertook. And you, John Bedford, I will -deliver bound hand and foot to your friend Captain Pedro de Armijo with -the great red scar across his face which you put there. What a crisp -little revenge he would take! I can see you now frying over the coals." - -"But, Bill," persisted Phil, "it's your find." - -"I know it, but you needn't think that ends everything. It's only the -beginning. We've got to get back to that dead river of mine, and for -that I need comrades. We've got to do weeks and weeks of work, and for -that I need comrades. We've got to fight off danger, Indians perhaps, -Mexicans perhaps, outlaws perhaps, and for that I need comrades. After -we get the gold we've got to bring it safely to civilization, and for -that I need comrades. Also, there is so much of the gold in the bed of -the dead river that I could not spend it all alone, and for that I need -comrades. Now will you come willingly and share and share alike with -me, or shall I have to yoke up together and drive you unwillingly?" - -"We'll come," said Phil, and John and Arenberg added their assent. - -"I wish the Captain was with us, too," said Bill Breakstone. "He -belongs in this crowd, and he ought to have some of the gold." - -Phil and Arenberg echoed his regret at the absence of Middleton. - -"Now that it is all settled," said Bill Breakstone, "I'm going to -sleep." - -In five minutes he was sound in slumber, and the others soon followed -him to that pleasant land. - -They resumed their journey the next morning, but they advanced in -leisurely fashion. Breakstone warned them that there were other high -ranges ahead, and they agreed that it would not be wise to attempt their -passage in winter. Hence, they must find a winter home in some -sheltered spot, where the three requisites of wild life, wood, water, -and game, could be found. It did not take them long to find such a -place, and they built a rude cabin, using it as their base during the -remainder of the winter, which was mild, as they were not at a great -elevation. Although they made an occasional scout, they never found any -Indian sign, and the cold weather passed in comparative ease and safety. -Little Billy developed at a remarkable rate, and here he sloughed off -the last vestige of the Indian. But he had learned many cunning arts in -hunting, trapping, and fishing which he never forgot, and there were -some things pertaining to these in which he could instruct his elders. - -Not a single hunter, trapper, or rover of any kind passed through during -the winter months, and they often wondered what was going on in the -world without. - -"I'd surely like to see the Captain again," said Bill Breakstone one -cold evening as they sat by their fire. "Just to think of all that he -went through with us, and now he's vanished into thin air. Maybe he's -dead, killed in some battle a thousand miles down in Mexico." - -"I don't believe the Captain is killed," spoke up Phil promptly. "I -don't believe that he's the kind of man who would be killed. But a lot -of things must have happened since we left. There must have been some -big fighting away down there by the City of Mexico. Do you think we -could have been whipped, Bill?" - -"Phil, I've half a mind to take away all your titles without another -word," replied Breakstone reprovingly. "How could you think of our being -whipped, after what you saw at Buena Vista?" - -"That's so," said Phil, his cheerfulness coming back at once. - -Late in the spring they began the passage of the ranges, and although it -was a long, hard, and sometimes dangerous task, they got safely across -with all their horses, coming again into a plains country, which merged -farther west into a desert. Here they were about to make a great loop -northward, around the Mexican settlements, when they met an American -soldier carrying dispatches. They hailed him, and, when he stopped, -they rode forward, all eagerness. It was deputed to Bill Breakstone to -ask the momentous question, and he asked it: - -"How is the war going on?" - -The soldier looked at them, amused little crinkles at the corners of his -mouth. He knew by their appearance that these were people who had been -long in the wilderness. - -"It isn't getting on at all," he replied. - -"What!" cried Bill Breakstone appalled. - -"It isn't going on, because it's all over. General Scott marched -straight to the City of Mexico. He fought a half dozen terrible -battles, but he won every one of them, and then took the City of Mexico -itself. A treaty of peace was signed February 2 last. You are riding -now on American soil. New Mexico, Arizona, California, and vast regions -to the north of us have been ceded to the United States." - -"Hurrah!" they cried together, Billy joining in with as much enthusiasm -as the others. - -"What about Santa Fé?" asked Bill Breakstone. - -"It's occupied by an American garrison, and there is complete peace -everywhere. The only danger is from wandering Indians." - -"We know how to fight them," said Bill Breakstone. "Boys, we ride for -Santa Fé." - -The soldier continued northward, and they turned the heads of their -horses toward the New Mexico capital, reaching, in good time and without -loss, the queer little old Spanish and Indian town from which the flags -of Spain and then of Mexico had disappeared forever. They intended to -remain only two or three days in order to obtain more horses and fresh -supplies. Then they would slip quietly out of the town, because they -wished their errand to be known to nobody. On the second day Bill -Breakstone and Phil were walking together, when a man in sober civilian -dress suddenly seized a hand of each in a firm grasp, and exclaimed in -joy: - -"Why, boys, when did you come here?" - -"The Captain!" exclaimed Bill Breakstone. "How things do come around!" - -It was Middleton, his very self, thinner and browner, but with the same -fine open countenance and alert look. Bill and his comrade explained -rapidly about the rescue of John Bedford, the recovery of little Billy -Arenberg, and their passage through the mountains. - -"And now," said Breakstone, "you tell us, Captain, how you happen to be -up here in Santa Fé in civilian dress." - -Middleton smiled a little sadly as he replied: - -"The war is over. We won many brilliant victories. We were never beaten -once. And I'm glad it's over, but there is nothing left for the -majority of the younger officers. I should probably remain a captain -all the rest of my life at some obscure frontier station, and so I've -resigned from the army." - -A light leaped up in Bill Breakstone's eyes, but he asked very quietly: - -"And what are you meaning to do now, Captain?" - -"I don't know, but I've been hearing talk about gold in California, and -perhaps I'll go there to hunt it." - -"Of course you will!" exclaimed Bill Breakstone, letting himself go. -"You're going to start to-morrow, and you're going with us. I know -right where that gold is, and I'm going to lead you and the rest of the -boys to it. You remember that every one of us had a quest that drew us -into the West. The secret of the gold is mine. We need you and we -share alike. As I've told the others, there's enough for all." - -Middleton was easily persuaded, and they left Santa Fé the next morning -before daylight, taking little Billy Arenberg with them. They traveled -a long time toward the northwest, crossing mountains and deserts, until -they reached the mighty range of the Sierra Nevada. This, too, they -crossed without accident or loss, and then Bill Breakstone led them -straight to the dead river and up its channel to the hidden gold. Here -he dug in the bank and showed them the result. - -"Am I right or am I wrong?" he asked exultantly. - -"Right!" they replied with one voice. - -At first they washed out the gold, but afterward they used both the -cradle and the sluice methods. The deposits were uncommonly rich, and -they worked there all through the summer and winter. The next spring, -Middleton and Arenberg carried a great treasure of gold on horses to San -Francisco. They also took Billy Arenberg with them, but on their way -back they left him, to his huge regret, at a good school in Sacramento, -while they rejoined their comrades on the great Breakstone claim. They -exhausted it in another year, but they were all now as rich as they -wished to be, and they descended into the beautiful valley of -California, where they expected to make their homes. - - - - - THE END - - - - - - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE QUEST OF THE FOUR *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/40480 - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no one -owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and -you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission -and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the -General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and -distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works to protect the -Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and trademark. 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