the heritage of the sioux-第25节

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〃Here's　what's　left　of　the　hobbles　the　buckskin　wore；〃　he　said；　holding　up　the

cut　loops　of　a　figure…eight　rope　hobble。　〃Kinda　speaks　for　itself；　don't　it？〃



They　crowded　around　to　inspect　this　plain　evidence　of　stealing。　Afterwards

they　stood　hard…eyed　and　with　a　flush　on　their　cheek…bones；　considering　what

was　the　best　and　wisest　way　to　meet　this　emergency。　As　to　hunting　afoot　for

their　horses；　the　chance　of　success　was　almost　too　small　to　be　considered　at

all；　Pink's　horse　was　not　fit　for　further　travel　until　he　had　rested。　There

was　one　pair　of　field　glasses　…and　there　were　nine　irate　men　to　whom　inaction

was　intolerable。



〃One　thing　we　can　do；　if　we　have　to；〃　Luck　said　at　last；　with　the　fighting

look　in　his　face　which　moving…picture　people　had　cause　to　remember。　〃We　can

help　ourselves　to　any　horses　we　run　across。　Applehead；　how's　the　best　way　to

go　about　it？〃



Applehead；　thus　pushed　into　leadership；　chewed　his　mustache　and　eyed　the　mesa

sourly。　〃Well；　　seein'　they've　set　us　afoot；　I　calc'late　we're　jest　about

entitled　to　any　dang　thing　we　run　across　that's　ridable；〃　he　acceded。　〃'N'　the

way　I'd　do；　would　be　to　git　on　high　groun'　with　them　glasses　'n'　look　fer

hosses。　'N'　then　head　fer　'em　'n'　round　'em　up　afoot　'n'　rope　out　what　we

want。　They's　enough　of　us　t'　mebby　git　a　mount　apiece；　but　it　shore　ain't

goin'　t'　be　no　snap；　now　I'm　tellin'　ye。　'N'　if　yuh　do　that；〃　he　added；　〃yuh

want　t'　leave　a　man　er　two　in　camp'n'　they　want　to　keep　their　dang　eyes

peeled；　lemme　tell　yuh！　Ef　we　was　t'　find　ourselves　afoot　an'　our　grub　'n'

outfit　stole〃



〃We　won't　give　them　that　chance　at　us。〃　Luck　was　searching　with　his　eyes　for

the　nearest　high　point　that　was　yet　not　too　far　from　camp。　〃I　think　I'll　just

take　Andy　up　on　that　pinnacle　there；　and　camp　down　by　that　pile　of　boulders。

The　rest　of　you　stay　around　camp　and　rest　yourselves　while　you've　got　the

chance。　In　a　couple　of　hours；　Applehead；　you　and　Lite　come　up　and　take　our

place；　then　Miguel　and　Bud；　and　after　that　Weary　and　Happy。　Pink；　you　go　and

bed　down　in　the　shade　somewhere　and　go　to　sleepand　quit　worrying　over　last

night。　Nobody　could　have　done　any　better　than　you　did。　It　was　just　one　put

over　on　the　bunch；　and　you　happened　to　be　the　particular　goat；　that's　all。



〃Now；　if　one　of　us　waves　his　hat　over　his　head；　all　of　you　but　Happy　and　Bud

and　Pink　come　up　with　your　rifles　and　your　ropes；　because　we'll　have　some

horses　sighted。　If　we　wave　from　side　to　side；　like　this；　about　even　with　our

belts；　you　boys　want　to　look　out　for　trouble。　So　one　of　you　keep　an　eye　on　us

all　the　time　we're　up　there。　We'll　be　up　outa　reach　of　any　trouble　ourselves；

if　I　remember　that　little　pinnacle　right。〃　He　hung　the　strap　that　held　the

leather　case　of　the　glasses　over　one　shoulder；　picked　up　his　rifle　and　his

rope　and　started　off；　with　Andy　similarly　equipped　coming　close　behind　him。



The　mesa；　when　they　reached　the　pinnacle　and　looked　down　over　the　wide　expanse

of　it；　glimmered　like　clear；　running　water　with　the　heat　waves　that　rose　from

the　sand。　Away　to　the　southward　a　scattered　band　of　sheep　showed　in　a　mirage

that　made　them　look　long…legged　as　camels　and　half　convinced　them　both　that

they　were　seeing　　the　lost　horses；　until　the　vision　changed　and　shrunk　the

moving　objects　to　mere　dots　upon　the　mesa。



Often　before　they　had　watched　the　fantastic　airpictures　of　the　desert　mirage；

and　they　knew　well　enough　that　what　they　saw　might　be　one　mile　away　or　twenty。

But　unless　the　atmospheric　conditions　happened　to　be　just　right；　what　was

pictured　in　the　air　could　not　be　depended　upon　to　portray　truthfully　what　was

reflected。　They　sat　there　and　saw　the　animals　suddenly　grow　clearly　defined

and　very　close；　and　discovered　at　last　that　they　were　sheep；　and　that　a　man

was　walking　beside　the　flock；　and　even　while　they　watched　it　and　wondered　if

the　sheep　were　really　as　close　as　they　seemed；　the　vision　slowly　faded　into

blank；　wavery　distance　and　the　mesa　lay　empty　and　quivering　under　the　sun。



〃Fine　chance　we've　got　of　locating　anything；〃　Andy　grumbled；　〃if　it's　going　to

be　miragy　all　day。　We　could　run　our　fool　heads　off　trying　to　get　up　to　a　bunch

that　would　puff　out　into　nothing。　Makes　a　fellow　think　of　the　stories　they

tell　about　old　prospectors　going　crazy　trying　to　find　mirage　water…holes。　I'm

glad　we　didn't　get　hung　up　at　a　dry　camp；　Luck。　Yuh　realize　what　that　would　be

like？〃



〃Oh；　I　may　have　some　faint　idea；〃　Luck　drawled　whimsically。　〃Look　over　there；

Andy　over　toward　Albuquerque。　Is　that　a　mirage　again；　or　do　you　see　something

moving？〃



Andy；　having　the　glasses；　swung　them　slowly　to　the　southeast。　After　a　minute

or　two　he　shook　his　head　and　gave　the　glasses　to　Luck。　〃There　was　one　square

look　I　got；　and　I'd　been　willing　to　swear　it　was　our　saddle…bunch；〃　he　said。

〃And　then　they　got　to　wobbling　and　I　couldn't　make　out　what　they　are。　They

might　be　field　mice；　or　they　might　be　giraffesI'm　darned　if　I　know　which。〃



Luck　focussed　the　glasses；　but　whatever　the　objects　had　been；　they　were　no

longer　to　he　seen。　So　the　two　hours　passed　and　they　saw　Applehead　and　Lite

come　slowly　up　the　hill　from　camp　bearing　their　rifles　and　their　ropes　and　a

canteen　of　fresh　water；　as　the　three　things　they　might　find　most　use　for。



These　two　settled　themselves　to　watch　for　horsestheir　own　range　horses。　When

they　were　relieved　they　reported　nothing　save　a　continued　inclination　on　the

part　of　the　atmosphere　to　be　what　Andy　called　miragy。　So；　the　day　passed；

chafing　their　spirits　worse　than　any　amount　of　active　trouble　would　have　done。

Pink　slept　and　brooded　by　turns；　still　blaming　himself　for　the　misfortune。　The

others　moped；　or　took　their　turns　on　the　pinnacle　to　strain　their　eyes

unavailingly　into　the　four　corners　of　the　earthor　as　much　as　they　could　in

those　directions。



With　the　going　of　the　sun　Applehead　and　Lite；　sitting　out　their　second　guard

on　the　pinnacle；　discussed　seriously　the　desperate　idea　of　going　in　the　night

to　the　nearest　Navajo　ranch　and　helping　themselves　to　what　horses　they　could

find　about　the　place。　The　biggest　obstacle　was　their　absolute　ignorance　of

where　the　nearest　ranch　lay。　Not；　surely；　that　half…day's　ride　back　towards

Albuquerque；　where　they　bad　seen　but　one　pony　and　that　a　poor　specimen　of

horseflesh。　Another　obstacle　would　be　the　dogs；　which　could　be　quieted　only

with　bullets。



〃We　might　git　hold　of　something　to　ride；〃　Applehead　stated　glumly；　〃an'　then

agin　the　chances　is　we　wouldn't　git　nothin'　more'n　a　scrap　on　our　hands。　'N'

I'm　tellin'　yuh　right　now；　Lite；　I　ain't　hankerin'　fer　no　fuss　till　I　git　a

hoss　under　me。〃



〃Me　either；〃　Lite　testified　succinctly。　〃Say；　is　that　something　coming；　away

up　that　draw　the　camp's　in？　Seems　to　me　I　saw　something　pass　that　line　of

lava；　about　half　a　mile　over。〃



Applehead　stood　up　and　peered　into　the　half　darkness。　In　a　couple　of　minutes

he　said：　〃Ye　better　git　down　an'　tell　the　boys　t'　be　on　the　watch；　Lite。　They

can't　see　no　hat…wavin'　this　time　uh　day。　They's　somethin'　movin'　up　to…wards

camp；　but　what　er　who　they　be　I　can't　make　out　in　the　dark。　Tell　Luck〃



〃What's　the　matter　with　us　both　going？〃　Lite　asked；　cupping　his　hands　around

his　eyes　that　he　might　see　better。　〃It's　getting　too　dark　to　do　any　good　up

here〃



〃Well；　I　calc'late　mebby　yore　right；〃　Applehead　admitted；　and　began　to　pick

his　way　down　over　the　rocks。　〃Ef　them's　Injuns；　the　bigger　we　stack　up　in　camp

the　better。　If　it's　Ramon　'n'　his　bunch；　I　want　t'　git　m'　hands　on　'im。〃



He　must　have　turned　the　matter　over　pretty　thoroughly　in　his　mind；　for　when

the　two　reached　camp　he　had　his　ideas　fixed　and　his　plans　all　perfected。　He

told　Luck　that　somebody　was　working　down　the　draw　in　the　dark；　and　that　it

looked　like　a　Navvy　trick；　and　that　they　had　better　be　ready　for　them；　because

they　weren't　coming　just　to　pass　the　time　of　day〃now　I'm　tellin'　ye！〃



The　nerves　of　the　Happy　Family　were　raw　enough　by　now　to　welcome　anything　that

promised　action；　even　an　Indian　fight　would　not　be　so　much　a　disaster　as　a

novel　way　of　breaking　the　monotony。　Applehead；　with　the　experience　gathered　in

the　old　days　when　he　was　a　young　fellow　with　a　freighting　outfit　and　old

Geronimo　was　terrorizing　all　this　country；　sent　them　back　in　compact　half

circle　just　within　the　shelter　of　the　trees　and　several　rods　。away　from　their

campfire　and　the　waterhole。　There；　lying　crouched　behind　their　saddles　with

their　rifles　across　the　seat…sides　and　with　ammunition　belts　full　of

cartridges；　they　waited　for　whatever　might　be　coming　in　the　dark。



〃It's　horses；〃　Pink　exclaimed　under　his　breath；　as　faint　sounds　came　down　the

draw。　〃Maybe〃



〃Horsesand　an　Injun　laying　along　the　back　of　every　one；　most　likely；〃

Applehead　returned　grimly。　〃An　old　Navvy　trick；　that　isdon't　let　'em　fool

ye；　boys！　You　jest　wait；　'n'　I'll　tell　ye　'when　t'　shoot；　er　whether　t'　shoot

at　all。　They　can't　fool　MEnow　I'm　tellin'　yuh！