| Show CARMEN 0 F T H RANCHO by FRANK H SPEARMAN 0 frank H spearman Sp armax service CHAPTER vin VIII continued 9 after breakfast next morning bowie and don ramon sat down in the rancho office if you still feel you want to go ahead don ramon said bowie im inclined to come to stay here with you don ramons face lighted the details were worked out the two scouts Par daloe and simmie were offered and later accepted work as vaqueros ros but with the understanding that when the wanderlust seized them they were free to head for the mountains where in fact they had spent most of their time in california after the difficulties had been ironed out don ramon ordered horses bowie was introduced to pedro and his vaqueros ros as major domo taking pedro pancho par daloe and the creek with them don ramon and bowie spent hours riding over the valley and through the hills granted by the king of spain to his favored retainer don ramon estrada grandfather to the present don ramon dona maria had been told of the new arrangement she was so pleased that she hastened to carmen to tell her of the coming of bowie carmen looked up with a face almost as black as a thundercloud why carmen protested her mother dont you like it like it exclaimed the impetuous girl an americano to come to guadalupe could not father have picked anybody but an americano to take poor Francis cos place but carmen was at least mistress ess of her feelings and she kept them to herself at dinner that night there was present a new member of the household and he was received by the family with the perfect courtesy of their training and traditions bowie in spite of himself was a bit self conscious perhaps that was why he talked more than was his wont he was likewise conscious of choosing his words carefully in the new tongue because of listening ears at the lower end of the table within a short time the rancho routine had already become so established that the presence of bowie seemed a part of the considerable domain pedro a full blooded mariposa indian took to bowie from the start simmie told him of one fairly stiff brush in company with the texan and how he had taken stock of his bearing when baptized by a cloud of arrows in the estimation of an indian one characteristic ranks above all others steadiness under fire every day pedro and his fellow indian vaquero pancho rode the valley and foothills of guadalupe with bowie who gradually applied to its better management the experience and practice of a texas cattleman one morning word came to the rancho that the indians had raided the mission two hundred horses were missing and fifteen women and girls taken the storeroom was robbed and emptied senor bowie what do you think of f this raid don ramon asked the texan at breakfast pedro thinks this is another of moscos jobs pedro knows these mountain indians pretty well but theres one thing certain every time indians make a successful raid they are bolder for the next they need a lesson he spoke slowly what shall we do asked don ramon interrupting him 1 I know of but one thing continued bowie that is to go after them anyway what we used to do down on the staked plain when they got too troublesome theres another angle in this for me don ramon this led the raid that resulted in the death of don francisco murder I 1 call it for foi the boy was killed after he was wounded he was my friend id ic travel from here to hellfire hell fire to his speech and manner were still deliberate almost cold but his tone carried conviction of deadly intent again he was cut short pedro hat in hand had run hurriedly to the doorway vaquero from the mission he exclaimed the don with bowie followed closely by dona maria and carmen hastened to the portico the messenger was bareheaded and his horse foam flecked and restive he spoke fast padre martinez has sent me the indians were led by he has carried away twenty five girls and women and three hundred horses padre martinez begs you will send help today he fears they will be back bach tonight to carry off more of the women don ramon raised his hand tell padre martinez we will send help the hors horseman emani touching his forehead whirled away A clatter of hoofs and a trail of dust marked his way across the valley to the southern ranchos ranches the group on the porch watched him don ramon looked to Bowie we must act he said the mission must be protected what about their soldiers demanded bowie of pedro hant this worthless government enough with a face almost as black as a thunder cloud regard for the property to supply guards for it he did not wait for an answer pedro he said sharply fetch Par daloe and simmie who is this he asked A second unobtrusive vaquero had stood at pedros elbow listening to every word this is sanchez my right hand trailer answered pedro he is frantic among the girls has stolen is his sweetheart amelita he knows the mountains asked bowie born and lived there he is down here only two years and has stolen his girl mused pedro they were to be married soon you should have some idea of where this hides said bowie eying sanchez closely heis he is no doubt the same wretch that killed don francisco we must get him where does hide senor muttered the stolid mariposa he has three places which is the closest if he is in the closest he cannot be taken you must wait till he goes farther up in the mountains bowie was impatient tell me talk faster where is this closest place he asked curtly in a canyon of the santa maria river high up in a cave pedro interrupted 1 I know that big cave senor it opens on a canyon wall five hundred feet high the cave is halfway up reached by a ledge not three feet wide you see there is no chance to attack while hides there you must wait this cave it opens out on a canyon wall Is the opening narrow or wide wide senor we will try for the cave pedro but fenorl senor 1 bowie shook his head we will start tonight what say sanchez the mariposa did not speak he looked at the ground thinking don ramon dona maria carmen waited in suspense sanchez asked bowie casually are you afraid the taunt stung the indian into words for himself sanchez fears nothing has stolen his amelita sometime sanchez spoke slowly on sometime sanchez e z will kill him you speak like a man sanchez but help us now to get back the horses and the mission women can you take us to the cave again the mariposa paused 1 I can take you to the cave senor but the only chance would be to surprise them it if they discover you first every man you take along will be killed do you want to take that chance why not and we must start tonight sanchez nodded assent we must get to the cave before daybreak the indian nodded again we shall need you for a guide A small cloud of dust could be seen on the northern horizon those are rancheros rancheris ran cheros said bowie they will be here soon the rancheros rancheris ran cheros rode up in twos and threes felipe and jose martinez from pinole antonio bernal from santa teresa francisco soto from el molino pedro arguello from san miguel sebastian pacheco and ignacio alviso from vicenti the sun was hot francisco soto who was pugnacious but fat suggested moving to the shade of the portico bowie vetoed the suggestion let us keep away from the servants ears he suggested these indians are not all to be trusted if we dont surprise he will surprise us that indian must be a smart hombre the conference moved as a compromise to the shade of a spreading oak two hours went to impressing on the group the details of the plan of attack and I 1 dont want anyone to ride into this without warning him of the danger said bowie as the meeting broke up it is a dash into enemy country if our attack fails some of us will not come back and if anyone wishes to drop out now there will be no hard feelings we meet at eight at the mission that night the spanish blood was up every donaho who had been summoned was on hand at the evening rendezvous their numbers had been handsomely supplemented by rancheros rancheris ran cheros from the south in all twe twenty rity eight men rode from the mission that night for the stronghold of the outlaw indians in santa maria canyon it was only a handful of men for an invasion but they were twenty eight men each capable of giving an account of himself CHAPTER IX at don ramons suggestion bowie was made captain of the company and it was agreed to obey his orders you all understand I 1 suppose that we must depend on sanchez to take us to the canyon explained bowie if we fail to find the indians in the cave our work is lost because we cant follow them into the mountains with a skeleton company we are taking the chance of finding them I 1 think a good chance sanchez we are ready to start when you give word A few moments senor when the big star shows in the east we start said the indian in a very low voice and when the column moves not a word is to be spoken by anyone added bowie to the company not a whisper nor a cough nor a laugh nor a sneeze this is no holiday ride some of us may not come back you are going against a chief with the reputation of being the wiliest oiliest of the mountain outlaws sanchez says we need every precaution are you all in moccasins if not provide yourselves here look to your rifles carbines knives and your ammunition if there is a fight there will be no time to correct our mistakes will do that for us at midnight the ghostlike column had penetrated the higher mountains sanchez halted the party in a small grassy glade here they dismounted three men don ramon and two vaqueros ros were detailed to guard the horses above the glade the trail could be followed only on foot the advance was begun single file and like a writhing black serpent the column of armed men wound its way at times faintly visible in the light of the stars and at times disappearing into the eclipse of a mountain shoulder not a word was spoken the th e texan knew the tricks of indians and left nothing to chance the going grew rougher than that of the sierra they had crossed bowie halted at times to give the column a chance to close up and an occasional cautious hist checked the movement while sanchez felt out the rocks for further ascent he was following a trail along which each man was cautioned in the lowest whisper to hug the face of the precipice they were mounting where a misstep would have plunged a man hundreds of feet into the canyon below at long last the struggling ranch eros who had they not been men of spirit would have sunk under the exhaustion of their long and da dangerous nger climb were led in the dar darkness k to a rock chimney in the sheer face of the precipice within the walls of this they could stand in a group we are two hundred feet from the cave whispered bowie to those nearest him the splashing of a small waterfall in the canyon made it possible to speak in whispers his pers the news was cautiously relayed to the whole company take a last look at your carbines and rifles have your knives handy if were rushed the trail splits here sanchez wants six volunteers to follow him up another hundred feet he will post them high above the cave where they can fire down at the raiders or roll boulders on their heads who wants to go but he added truthfully you should know that if were licked theres no possible salvation for these six every man of the twenty eight volunteered three rancheros rancheris ran cheros and three vaqueros ros were chosen like men chosen for death the six with their guide crept and crawled to the last difficult post even bowie with keen ears awaiting with the main body the return of sanchez could hear nothing of the volunteers after they had gone fifty feet now whispered sanchez on his return you have kept quiet keep quieter try not to start a single chip of rock under your feet for it will rattle all the way down the canyon wall they are in the cave that much I 1 know now get on your hands and knees this time for the last climb I 1 think weve got them despite the utmost care an occasional bit of rock would rattle do down wn the canyon wall fortunately the dull ascending roar of the small waterfall muffled the noise for the weary rancheros rancheris ran cheros this final climb on hands and knees dragging their rifles with painful care topped the hardships of the night but just as the first faint streak of dawn lightened the eastern sky sanchez with the utmost caution turned the top of the trail and led his men into a second recess in the precipice As each man crept around the corner he beheld with astonishment a small fire burning fifty yards away with dim figures dancing and chanting around it sanchez did not allow a word to be even whispered W Q we are two hundred feet from the cave he had achieved his surprise what now of the attack dancing to keep warm asked bowie to sanchez war dance whispered sanchez another raid tonight 1 maybel maybe exclaimed bowie mentally call on them to surrender sanchez the high shrill yell of the vaquero broke loud over the empty gorge the dancers stopped petrified the squaws squads sprang up and scurried from sight sanchez called for surrender the startled warriors looked about in vain for a foe they raised a quick sharp yell of defiance for most of them it was the last A burst of rifle fire toppled them over like pasteboard men the few who partly escaped the fatal hail staggered or plunged wounded back to shelter undismayed and sooner than the californians could reload a fresh party of warriors ran out one limping savage pointed in the direction of the gunfire A shower of arrows flew from the cave mouth As these struck the rocks hiding the attackers a yell and a volley came from across the canyon three of the warriors went down before the rifles of the texan scouts and pedro the savages had not recovered from their amazement at gunfire from a new quarter when a second volley was poured into them from the californians forn ians hidden on the trail to add to the trouble of the cave men boulders were tumbling down on them them from above As warrior after warrior yelling defiance issued from the cave he was struck down the ledge was soon covered with dead still sanchez waited he waited till the patience of bowie and that of the shivering rancheros rancheris ran cheros was exhausted but the patience of an indian surpasses the patience of a white man TO BE CONTINUED carmen of the rancho 9 |
