the heritage of the sioux-第26节

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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！



After　that　they　were　silent；　listening　strainedly　to　the　growing　sounds　of

approach。　There　was　the　dull；　unmistakable　click　of　a　hoof　striking　against　a

rock；　the　softer　sound　of　treading　on　yielding　soil。　Then　a　blur　of　dark

objects　became　visible；　moving　slowly　and　steadily　toward　the　camp。



〃Aw；　it's　just　horses；〃　Happy　Jack　muttered　disgustedly。



Applehead　stretched　a　lean　leg　in　his　direction　and　gave　Happy　Jack　a　kick。

〃They're　cunnin'；〃　he　hissed　warningly。　〃Don't　yuh　be　fooled〃



〃That's　Johnny　in　the　lead；〃　Pink　whispered　excitedly。　〃I'd　know　the　way　he

walks〃



〃'N'　you　THOUGHT　yuh　knowed　how　he　jingled　his　dang　bell；〃　Applehead　retorted

unkindly。　〃Sh…sh…sh〃



Reminded　by　the　taunt　of　the　clever　trick　that　had　been　played　upon　them　the

night　before；　the　Happy　Family　stiffened　again　into　strained；　waiting　

silence；　their　rifles　aimed　straight　at　the　advancing　objects。　These；　still

vague　in　the　first　real　darkness　of　early　　night；　moved　steadily　in　a

scattered　group　behind　a　leader　that　was　undoubtedly　Johnny　of　the　erstwhile

tinkling　bell。　He　circled　the　campfire　just　without　its　radius　of　light；　so

that　they　could　not　tell　whether　an　Indian　lay　along　his　back；　and　beaded

straight　for　the　water…hole。　The　others　followed　him；　and　not　one　came　into

the　firelighta　detail　which　sharpened　the　suspicions　of　the　men　crouched

there　in　the　edge　of　the　bushes；　and　tingled　their　nerves　with　the　sense　of

something　sinister　in　the　very　unconcernedness　of　the　animals。



They　splashed　into　the　water…hole　and　drank　thirstily　and　long。　They　stood

there　as　though　they　were　luxuriating　in　the　feel　of　more　water　than　they

could　drink；　and　one　horse　blew　the　moisture　from　his　nostrils　with　a　sound

that　made　Happy　Jack　jump。



After　a　few　minutes　that　seemed　an　hour　to　those　who　waited　with　fingers

crooked　upon　gun…triggers；　the　horse　that　looked　vaguely　like　Johnny　turned

away　from　the　water…hole　and　sneezed　while　he　appeared　to　be　wondering　what　to

do　next。　He　moved　slowly　toward　the　packs　that　were　thrown　down　just　where

they　had　been　taken　from　the　horses；　and　began　nosing　tentatively　about。



The　others　loitered　still　at　the　water…hole；　save　onethe　buckskin；　by　his

lighter　look　in　the　darkthat　came　over　to　Johnny。　The　two　horses　nosed　the

packs。　A　dull　sound　of　clashing　metal　came　to　the　ears　of　the　Happy　Family。



〃Hey！　Get　outa　that　grain；　doggone　your　fool　hide；〃　Pink　called　out

impulsively；　crawling　over　his　saddle　and　catching　his　foot　in　the　stirrup

leather　so　that　he　came　near　going　headlong。



Applehead　yelled　something；　but　Pink　had　recovered　his　balance　and　was　running

to　save　the　precious　horsefeed　from　waste；　and　Johnny　from　foundering。　There

might　have　been　two　Indiana　on　every　horse　in　sight；　but　Pink　was　not　thinking

of　that　possibility　just　then。



Johnny　whirled　guiltily　away　from　the　grain　bag；　licking　his　lips　and　blowing

dust　from　his　nostrils。　Pink　went　up　to　him　and　slipped　a　rope　around　his

neck。　〃Where's　that　bell？〃　he　called　out　in　his　soft　treble。　〃Or　do　you　think

we　better　tie　the　old　son…of…a…gun　up　and　be　sure　of　him？〃



〃Aw；〃　said　Happy　Jack　disgustedly　a　few　minutes　later；　when　the　Happy　Family

had　crawled　　out　of　their　ambush　and　were　feeling　particularly　foolish。　〃Nex'

time　old　granny　Furrman　says　Injuns　t'　this　bunch；　somebody　oughta　gag　him　〃



〃I　notice　you　waited　till　he'd　gone　outa　hearing　before　you　said　that；〃　Luck

told　him　drily。　〃We're　going　to　put　out　extra　guards　tonight；　just　the　same。

And　I　guess　you　can　stand　the　first　shift；　Happy；　up　there　on　the

ridgeyou're　so　sure　of　things！〃







CHAPTER　XV。　〃NOW；　DANG　IT；　RIDE！〃



Indians　are　Indians；　though　they　wear　the　green　sweater　and　overalls　of

civilization　and　set　upon　their　black　hair　the　hat　made　famous　by　John　B。

Stetson。　You　may　meet　them　in　town　and　think　them　tamed　to　stupidity。　You　may

travel　out　upon　their　reservations　and　find　them　shearing　sheep　or　hoeing　corn

or　plodding　along　the　furrow；　plowing　their　fields；　or　you　may　watch　them

dancing　grotesquely　in　their　festivals；　and　still　think　that　civilization　is

fast　erasing　the　savage　instincts　from　their　natures。　You　will　be　partly　right

but　you　will　also　be　partly　mistaken。　An　Indian　is　always　an　Indian；　and　a

Navajo　Indian　carries　a　thinner　crust　of　civilization　than　do　some　others；　as

I　am　going　to　illustrate。



As　you　have　suspected；　the　Happy　Family　was　not　following　the　trail　of　Ramon

Chavez　and　his　band。　Ramon　was　a　good　many　miles　away　in　another　direction；

unwittingly　the　Happy　Family　was　keeping　doggedly　upon　the　trail　of　a　party　of

renegade　Navajos　who　had　been　out　on　a　thieving　expedition　among　those

Mexicans　who　live　upon　the　Rio　Grande　bottomland。　　Having　plenty　of　reasons

for　hurrying　back　to　their　stronghold；　and　having　plenty　of　lawlessness　to

account　for；　when　they　realized　that　they　were　being　followed　by　nine　white

men　who　had　four　packed　horses　with　them　to　provide　for　their　needs　on　a　long

journey；　it　was　no　more　than　natural　that　the　Indians　should　take　it　for

granted　that　they　were　being　pursued；　and　that　if　they　were　caught　they　would

be　taken　back　to　town　and　shut　up　in　that　evil　place　which　the　white　men

called　their　jail。



When　it　was　known　that　the　nine　men　who　followed　had　twice　recovered　the　trail

after　sheep　and　cattle　had　trampled　it　out；　the　renegades　became　sufficiently

alarmed　to　call　upon　their　tribesmen　for　help。　And　that　was　perfectly　natural

and　sensible　from　their　point　of　view。



Now；　the　Navajos　are　peaceable　enough　if　you　leave　them　strictly　alone　and　do

not　come　snooping　upon　their　reservation　trying　to　arrest　somebody。　But　they

don't　like　jails；　and　if　you　persist　in　trailing　their　lawbreakers　you　are

going　to　have　trouble　on　your　hands。　The　Happy　Family；　with　Luck　and

Applehead；　had　no　intention　whatever　of　molesting　the　Navajos；　but　the　Navajos

did　not　know　that；　and　they　acted　according　to　their　lights　and　their　ideas　of

honorable　warfare。



Roused　to　resistance　in　behalf　of　their　fellows；　they　straightway　forsook

their　looms；　where　they　wove　rugs　for　tourists；　and　the　silver　which　they

fashioned　into　odd　bracelets　and　rings；　and　the　flocks　of　sheep　whose　wool

they　used　in　the　rugs　and　they　went　upon　a　quiet；　crafty　warpath　against　these

persistent　white　men。



They　stole　their　horses　and　started　them　well　on　the　trail　back　to

Albuquerquesince　it　is　just　as　well　to　keep　within　the　white　men's　law；　if

it　may　be　done　without　suffering　any　great　incon　venience。　They　would　have

preferred　to　keep　the　horses；　but　they　decided　to　start　them　home　and　let　them

go。　You　could　not　call　that　stealing；　and　no　one　need　go　to　jail　for　it。　They

failed　to　realize　that　these　horses　might　be　so　thoroughly　broken　to　camp　ways

that　they　would　prefer　the　camp　of　the　Happy　Family　to　a　long　trail　that　held

only　a　memory　of　discomfort；　they　did　not　know　that　every　night　these　horses

were　given　grain　by　the　camp…fire；　and　that　they　would　remember　it　when

feeding　time　came　again。　So　the　horses；　led　by　wise　old　Johnny；　swung　in　a

large　circle　when　their　Indian　drivers　left　them；　and　went　back　to　their　men。



Then　the　Navajos；　finding　that　simple　maneuver　a　failureand　too　late　to

prevent　its　failing　without　risk　of　being　discovered　and　forced　into　an　open

fight　…got　together　and　tried　something　else；　something　more

characteristically　Indian　and　therefore　more　actively　hostile。　They　rode　in

haste　that　night　to　a　point　well　out　upon　the　fresh　trail　of　their　fleeing

tribesmen；　where　the　tracks　came　out　of　a　barren；　lava…encrusted　hollow　to

softer　soil　beyond。　They　summoned　their　squaws　and　their　half…grown　papooses

armed　with　branches　that　had　stiff　twigs　and　answered　the　purpose　of　brooms。

With　great　care　about　leaving　any　betraying　tracks　of　their　own　until　they

were　quite　ready　to　leave　a　trail；　a　party　was　　formed　to　represent　the　six

whom　the　Happy　Family　bad　been　following。　These　divided　and　made　off　in

different　directions；　leaving　a　plain　trail　behind　them　to　lure　the　white　men

into　the　traps　which　would　be　prepared　for　them　farther　on。



When　dawn　made　it　possible　to　do　so　effectively；　the　squaws　began　to　whip　out

the　trail　of　the　six　renegade　Indians；　and　the　chance　footprints　of　those　who

bad　gone　ahead　to　leave　the　false　trail　for　the　white　men　to　follow。　Very

painstakingly　the　squaws　worked；　and　the　young　ones　who　could　be　trusted。

Brushing　the　sand　smoothly　across　a　hoofprint　here；　and　another　one　there；

walking　backward；　their　bodies　bent；　their　sharp　eyes　scanning　every　little

depression；　every　faint　trace　of　the　passing　of　their　tribesmen；　brushing；

replacing　pebbles　kicked　aside　by　a　hoof；　wiping　out　completely　that　trail

which　the　Happy　Family　bad　followed　with　such　persistence；　the　squaws　did

their　part；　while