the heritage of the sioux-第32节

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would　be　certain　to　meet　Applehead。　He　had　hopes　of　the　speedy　capture　of

Ramon　Chavez　and　his　men；　and　the　hope　spread　to　the　four　who　went　with　him；

so　that　their　spirits　rose　considerably。　Big　Medicine　and　Happy　Jack　even

found　a　good　deal　of　amusement　in　their　exchange　of　opinions　regarding　old

granny　Applehead　and　his　constant　fear　of　the　Navvies。　Now　and　then　the　Native

Son　joined　in　the　laugh；　though　his　attention　was　chiefly　given　to　the

discussion　Andy　and　Luck　were　having　about　Ramon　and　his　manner　of　using

Luck's　work　as　an　opportunity　to　rob　the　bank；　and　the　probable　effect　it

would　have　on　the　general　standing　of　Luck　and　his　company　unless　they　managed

to　land　the　thieves　in　jail。　Being　half　Mexican　himself；　the　Native　Son　was

sensitive　upon　the　subject　of　Ramon；　and　almost　as　anxious　to　see　Ramon　in

jail　as　was　Luck　himself。



So　while　Applehead　and　his　boys　were　scenting　danger　and　then　finding

themselves　in　the　middle　of　it；　Luck　and　his　party　rode　along　absorbed　in

themselves　and　in　the　ultimate　goal；　which　was　Ramon。　They　saw　nothing　queer

about　the　trail　they　followed；　and　they　saw　no　evidence　of　treachery　anywhere。

They　rode　with　the　rifles　slung　under　their　right　thighs　and　their

six…shooters　at　their　hips；　and　their　eyes　roving　casually　over　their

immediate　surroundings　while　their　minds　roved　elsewherenot　because　they

were　growing　careless；　but　because　there　was　absolutely　nothing　to　rouse　their

suspicions；　now　that　they　no　longer　bad　Applehead　along　to　preach　danger　and

keep　them　keyed　up　to　expect　it。



They　followed　the　tracks　through　a　scattered　grove　of　stunted　pinons；　circled

at　fault　for　a　few　minutes　in　the　rocks　beyond；　and　then　picked　up　the　trail。

They　were　then　in　the　narrow　neck　which　was　called　the　handle　of　the　Devil's

Frying…panand　they　would　have　ridden　unsuspectingly　into　the　very　Pan

itself；　had　not　the　Native　Son's　quick　eyes　caught　a　movement　on　the　rim…rock

across　the　bare；　rock…bottomed　basin。　He　spoke　to　luck　about　it；　and　luck

levelled　his　field　glasses　and　glimpsed　a　skulking　form　up　there。



〃Hunt　yourselves　some　shelter；　boys！〃　he　cried　in　the　sharp　tone　of　warning。

〃We'll　make　sure　who's　ahead　before　we　go　any　farther。〃



They　ducked　behind　rocks　or　trees　and　piled　off　their　horses　in　a　burry。　And　a

scattered　fusillade　from　the　rim…rock　ahead　of　them　proved　how　urgent　was

their　need。



For　the　first　fifteen　minutes　or　so　they　thought　that　they　were　fighting　Ramon

and　his　party；　and　their　keenest　emotions　were　built　largely　of　resentment；

which　showed　in　the　booming　voice　of　Big　Medicine　when　he　said　grimly：



〃Well；　I'd　jest　about　as　soon　pack　Ramon　in　；dead；　as　lead　'im　in　alive　'n'

kickin'；　by　cripes！　Which　is　him；　d'yuh　reckon？〃



From　behind　a　rock　shield　luck　was　studying　the　ledge。　〃They're　Injunsor

there　are　Injuns　in　the　bunch；　at　least；〃　he　told　them　after　a　moment。　〃See

that　sharp　point　sticking　up　straight　ahead？　I　saw　an　Injun　peeking　around　the

edgeto　the　south。　You　watch　for　him；　Andy；　and　let　him　have　it　where　he

lives　next　time　be　sticks　his　head　out。〃　He　swung　the　glasses　slowly；　taking

every　inch　of　the　rim　in　his　field　of　vision。　As　he　moved　them　be　named　the

man　be　wanted　to　watch　each　place　where　be　had　reason　to　suspect　that　someone

was　hiding。



The　disheartening　part　of　it　was　that　he　needed　about　a　dozen　more　men　than　he

had；　for　the　rock　wall　which　was　the　rim　of　the　Frying…pan　seemed　alive　with

shooters　who　waited　only　for　a　fair　target。　Then　the　Native　Son；　crouched　down

between　a　rock　and　a　clump　of　brush；　turned　his　head　to　see　what　his　horse　was

looking　at；　back　whence　they　had　come。



〃Look　behind　you；　Luck；〃　he　advised　with　more　calmness　than　one　would　expect

of　a　man　in　his　straits。　〃They're　back　in　the　pines；　too。〃



〃Fight　'em　offand　take　care　that　your　backs　don't　show　to　those　babies　on

the　rim…rocks；〃　he　ordered　instantly；　thrusting　his　glasses　into　their　case

and　snatching　his　rifle　from　its　boot　on　the　saddle。　〃They　won't　tackle　coming

across　that　bare　hollow；　even　if　they　can　get　down　into　it　without　breaking

their　necks。　Happy；　lead　your　horse　in　here　between　these　rocks　where　mine　is。

Bud；　see　if　you　can　get　the　pack…horses　over　there　outa　sight　among　those

bushes　and　rocks。　We'll　hold　'em　off　while　you　fix　the　horsescan't　let

ourselves　be　set　afoot　out　here！〃



〃I…should…sayNOT！〃　Andy　Green　punctuated　the　sentence　with　a　shot　or　two。

〃Say；　I　wish　they'd　quit　sneaking　around　in　those　trees　that　way；　so　a　fellow

could　see　where　to　shoot！〃



A　half　hour　dragged　by。　From　the　rim…rock　came　occasional　shots；　to　which　the

besieged　could　not　afford　to　reply；　they　were　so　fully　occupied　with　holding

back　those　who　skulked　among　the　trees。　The　horses；　fancying　perhaps　that　this

was　a　motion…picture　scene；　dozed　behind　their　rock…and…brush　shelters　and

switched　apathetically　at　buzzing　flies　and　whining　bullets　alike。　Their

masters　crouched　behind　their　bowlders　and　watched　catlike　for　some　open

demonstration；　and　fired　when　they　had　the　slightest　reason　to　believe　that

they　would　hit　something　besides　scenery。



〃Miguel　must　have　upset　their　plans　a　little；〃　Luck　deduced　after　a　lull。

〃They　set　the　stage　for　us　down　in　that　hollow；　I　guess。　You　can　see　what　we'd

have　been　up　against　if　we　had　ridden　ten　rods　farther；　out　away　from　these

rocks　and　bushes。〃



〃Aw；　they　wouldn't　dast　kill　a　bunch　uh　white　men！〃　Happy　Jack　protested；

perhaps　for　his　own　comfort。



〃You　think　they　wouldn't？　Luck's　voice　was　surcharged　with　sarcasm。　What　do

you　think　they're　trying　to　do；　then？〃



〃Aw；　the　gov'ment　wouldn't　STAND　fer　no　such　actions！〃



〃Well；　by　cripes；　I　hain't　aimin'　to　give　the　gov'ment　no　job　uh　setting　on　my

remains；　investigatin'　why　I　was　killed　off！〃　Big　Medicine　asserted；　and　took

a　shot　at　a　distant　grimy　Stetson　to　prove　he　meant　what　he　said。



〃Say；　they'd　have　had　a　SNAP　if　we'd　gone　on；　and　let　these　fellows　back　here

in　the　trees　close　up　behind　us！〃　Andy　Green　exclaimed　suddenly；　with　a

vividness　of　gesture　that　made　Happy　Jack　try　to　swallow　his　Adam's　apple。　〃By

gracious；　it　would　have　been　a　regular　rabbit…drive　business。　They　could　set

in　the　shade　and　pick　us　off　just　as　they　darned　pleased。〃



〃Aw；　is　that　there　the　cheerfullest　thing　you　can　think　of　to　say？〃　Happy　Jack

was　sweating；　with　something　more　than　desert　heat。



〃Why；　no。　The　cheerfullest　thing　I　can　think　of　right　now　is　that　Mig；　here；

don't　ride　with　his　eyes　shut。〃　He　cast　a　hasty　glance　of　gratitude　toward　the

Native　Son；　who　flushed　under　the　smooth　brown　of　his　cheeks　while　he　fired　at

a　moving　bush　a　hundred　yards　back　in　the　grove。



For　another　half　hour　nothing　was　gained　or　lost。　The　Indians　fired

desultorily；　spatting　bit&　of　lead　here　and　there　among　the　rocks　but　hitting

nobody。　The　Happy　Family　took　a　shot　at　every　symptom　of　movement　in　the

grove；　and　toward　the；　rim…rock　they　sent　a　bullet　now　and　then；　just　to

assure　the　watchers　up　there　that　they　were　not　forgotten；　and　as　a　hint　that

caution　spelled　safety。



For　themselves；　the　boys　were　amply　protected　there　on　the　side　of　the

Frying…pan　where　the　handle　stretched　out　into　the　open　land　toward　the

mountain。　Perhaps　here　was　once　a　torrent　flowing　from　the　basin…like　hollow

walled　round　with　rock；　at　any　rate；　great　bowlders　were　scattered　all　along

the　rim　as　though　spewed　from　the　basin　by　some　mighty　force　of　the　bygone

ages。　The　soil；　as　so　often　happens　in　the　West；　was　fertile　to　the　very　edge

of　the　Frying…pan　and　young　pinons　and　bushes　had　taken　root　there　and　managed

to　keep　themselves　alive　with　the　snow…moisture　of　winter；　in　spite　of　the

scanty　rainfall　the　rest　of　the　year。



The　boys　were　amply　protected；　yes；　but　there　was　not　a　drop　of　water　save

what　they　had　in　their　canteens；　and　there　was　no　feed　for　their　horses　unless

they　chose　to　nibble　tender　twigs　off　the　bushes　near　them　and　call　that　food。

There　was；　of　course；　the　grain　in　the　packs；　but　there　was　neither　time　nor

opportunity　to　get　it　out。　If　it　came　to　a　siege；　luck　and　his　boys　were　in　a

bad　way；　and　they　knew　it。　They　were　penned　as　well　as　protected　there　in　that

rocky；　brushy　neck。　The　most　that　they　could　do　was　to　discourage　any　rush

from　those　back　in　the　grove；　as　to　getting　through　that　grove　themselves；　and

out　in　the　open；　there　was　not　one　chance　in　a　hundred　that　they　could　do　it。



From　the　outside　in　to　where　they　were　entrenched　was　just　a　trifle　easier。

The　Indiana　in　the　grove　were　all　absorbed　in　watching　the　edge　of　the

Frying…pan　and　had　their　backs　to　the　open；　never　thinking　that　white　men

would　be　coming　that　way；　for　had　not　the　other　party　been　decoyed　around　the

farther　end　of　the　big　butte；　and　did　not　several　miles　and　a　barbed…wire

fence　lie　between？



So　when　Applehead　and　his　three；　coming　in　from　the　north；　approached　the

grove；　they　did　it　under　cover　of　a　dra