Part 26 (1/2)

Of course there were rocks that could be used as cover, but these were so scattered that it prevented the approach of the men in a body.

Individuals could creep from rock to rock, and so advance, but there could be no concerted rush against the Yaquis, and that was what was needed to overcome them.

However the fight was only in its early stages yet, and, like a football game, one could not tell what would happen until the final whistle was blown. Captain Marshall was a veteran fighter and could be depended on. His men realized this, and so did the outfit from Diamond X.

There was nothing very spectacular about this fight. Little of it could have been seen by an observer, if you except the spurts of smoke from unseen guns and the echoes caused by the shots. For each man, on both sides, was firing from cover. The Yaquis had the advantage that their cover--a big wall of rock--sheltered many of them in an almost straight line, and they could fire in volleys on signal, while the soldiers and cowboys had to fire individually and at odd times, as they made their way from one sheltering stone to another.

Thus the Yaquis could concentrate their fire on one man if they had a glimpse of some incautiously exposed arm or leg, while no one soldier could hope to inflict much damage on a crowd of Indians behind a thick stone wall.

But the fight was not so unequal as seemed at first sight. For while the Yaquis were strongly entrenched, they were outnumbered--of that there was little doubt. And they were fighting picked men, who had been in many dangerous skirmishes and fights, whereas the Indians were at best but a sort of brigand bushwhackers.

Each side was desperate, perhaps the Indians more so, for they must have realized that they would be given short shrift if any harm now came to Rosemary and Floyd. The soldiers and cowboys would not hesitate to take swift and sure vengeance. So the Indians must fight to the bitter end, selling their lives as dearly as possible.

”I just wonder if Rosemary and Floyd are up in that nest of beggars?”

mused Bud, as he and his cousins were at last allowed to proceed up the defile, toward where the Yaquis were making their last stand. Bud had begged so hard to be allowed to go to the front, to at least help his cousins load their weapons if nothing else, that permission had been granted.

The boy ranchers were close together now, each sheltered behind a rock, and almost in line with the foremost of the attackers who were under the shadow of the natural fort, behind the wall of which the Yaquis were making their last stand.

”I hope they are up there,” said Nort, answering Bud's question. ”If they brought them this far they probably wouldn't do away with them now. They must be up there!”

”I wish we had them down here,” said d.i.c.k. ”It's going to be hard work to get the imps out of their den!”

”You supplied two good earfuls that time, kid!” said Rolling Stone.

”Ah, you will, will you!” he added quickly, and he fired at an exposed head over the top of the wall that hid the Indians.

There was a howl of pain mingled with rage, that could be heard above the din of the fighting.

”You nipped him!” cried Yellin' Kid.

”I tried to,” grimly said Rolling Stone.

And so the fighting went on, in pot-shot fas.h.i.+on, with occasional volleys from the Yaquis.

”They're only wasting their lead,” spoke Captain Marshall. ”But I wonder where they got so many cartridges?”

”Likely they made another raid,” suggested Snake.

This, later, was found to be the case. A store keeper had been killed and his stock looted, provisions and arms being taken.

If the boy ranchers and their friends could have looked behind the natural wall of rock, which const.i.tuted the fort that proved to be the last stand of the Yaquis, and if they could have looked farther, into a big cave, the mouth of which was concealed from a view below by this same wall, their questions as to Rosemary and Floyd would have been answered.

For the captives were there. Weary, apprehensive, tired and fairly ill from their hards.h.i.+ps, Rosemary and her brother had been thrust into the cavern when the Yaquis reached this vantage place, knowing their pursuers were close behind them.

”Something's up!” Floyd had said as they were rudely hustled into the hiding place.

”I hope it's the end,” said Rosemary dismally. Poor girl! She was about done up, and she no longer had her weapon as a means of defence.

By a ruse it had been taken from her, though she and Floyd fought desperately to retain it. But Mike, as one of his men s.n.a.t.c.hed it away, only laughed at them.

”The end! What do you mean?” asked Floyd.