Part 22 (1/2)

”I don't want a horse if we've got to murder a man to git the same.”

”But the only way out here to treat an Injin is to shoot him the minute yer see him--that's sensible.”

”I don't want ye to do it,” said Mickey, so pleadingly that the scout could not refuse.

”Wal, keep still and don't interfere, and I promise yer I won't slide him under, onless he gits in the way, and won't git out.”

”All right,” responded Mickey, not exactly sure that he understood him, but willing to trust one who was not without his rude traits of manhood.

All this took place in a few seconds, during which the Apache horseman had approached, and another moment's delay would have given him a good chance of escape by flight. As noiselessly as a shadow the scout arose from his knees to a stooping position, took a couple of long, silent strides forward, and then straightened up, directly in front of the startled horse, and still more startled rider. The former snorted, and partly reared up, but seemed to understand, as if by an instinct, that the stranger was more ent.i.tled to claim him than the one upon his back.

Another step forward and the scout held the bridle in his left hand, while he addressed the astounded Apache in his own tongue, a liberal translation being as follows:

”Let my brother, the dog of an Apache, slide off that animile, and vamoose the ranch, or I'll lift his ha'r quicker'n lightning.”

The savage deemed it advisable to ”slide.” He carried a knife at his girdle, and held a rifle in his grasp, but the scout had come upon him so suddenly that he felt he was master of the situation. So without attempting to argue the matter with him, he dropped to the ground, and began retreating up the ravine, with his face toward his conquerer, as if he mistrusted treachery.

”Our blessing go wid ye,” said Mickey, rising to his feet, and waving his hand toward the alarmed Apache; ”we don't want to harm ye, and ye may go in pace. There, Soot,” he added, as he came up beside him, ”we showed that spalpeen marcy whin he scarcely had the right to expict it, and he will appreciate the same.”

”Ye're right,” grunted the scout. ”He'll show ye how he'll appreciate it the minute he gets a chance to draw bead onto yer; but ye've larned that thar are plenty of varmints in this section, and if we're going to get away with this hoss thar ain't no time to lose. Up with yer thar and take the bridle.”

Mickey did as he requested, not exactly understanding what the intention was.

”What is to be done?” he asked, as the head of the animal was turned back over the route that he had just traveled. ”Am I to ride alone, while ye walk beside me?”

”That's the idea for the present, so as to save the strength of the horse.

A half mile or so up the pa.s.s is a trail which leads down inter it. The mustang can go over that like a streak of greased lightning, and thar's whar we'll leave the pa.s.s, and make off through the woods and mountains, till we can jine in with the younker and go it without trouble.”

A few words of hurried consultation completed the plans. As they were very likely to encounter danger, it was agreed that the scout should go ahead of the horseman, keeping some distance in advance, and carefully reconnoitering the way before him with a view of detecting anything amiss in time to notify his friend, and prevent his running into it. There might come a chance where it would not be prudent for Sut Simpson to press forward, but where, if the intervening distance was short, Mickey might be able to make a dash for the opening in the pa.s.s and escape with his mustang. The Apache, being unhorsed in the manner described, had fled in the opposite direction from that which they intended to follow. Of course he could get around in front, and signal those who were there of what was coming, provided the two whites were tardy in their movements, which they didn't propose to be.

It required only a few minutes to effect a perfect understanding, when the scout went a hundred yards or so ahead, moving forward at an ordinary walk, scanning the ravine right, left and in front, and on the watch for the first sign of danger. He had previously so located and described the opening by which they expected to leave the pa.s.s, that Mickey was sure he would recognize it the instant they came in sight of it. This was a rather curious method of procedure, but it was continued for a time, and the avenue alluded to was nearly in sight when Sut Simpson, who was a little further than usual in advance, suddenly stopped and raised his hand as a signal for his friend to stop.

Mickey did so at once, holding the mustang in check, while he watched the scout with the vigilance of a cat. Sut never once looked behind him, but his long form gradually sank down in the gra.s.s, until little more than his broad shoulders and a c.o.o.n-skin cap were visible. The pa.s.s at that place was anything but straight, so that the view of Mickey was much less than that of the scout; and, had it been otherwise, it is not likely that the former would have been able to read the signs which were as legible to the latter as the printed pages of a book.

”Begorrah, but that's onplisant!” muttered the Irishman to himself, ”We must be moighty close onto the door, when some of the spalpeens stick up their heads and object to our going out. Be the powers! but they may object, for all I care. I'm going to make a run for it!”

At this juncture the figure of the scout was seen approaching in the same guarded manner.

”Well, Soot, me laddy, what do ye make of it?”

”Thar's a party of the varmints just beyont the place we meant to ride out.”

”Well, what of that? You can lave the pa.s.s somewhere along here, where there seem plenty of places that ye can climb out, while I make a dash out of that, and we'll meet agin after we get clear of the spalpeens.”

”Thar's a mighty risk about it, and yer be likelier to get shot than to be missed.”

”That's all right,” responded Mickey. ”I'm reddy to take the chances in that kind of business. Lead on, and we'll try it. It'll soon be dark, and I'm getting tired of this fooling.”

Sut liked that kind of talk. There was a business ring about it, and he responded: