arizona nights-第2节

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〃Otra　vez！〃　yells　I　again。



〃Boom！〃　says　the　Ole　Virginia。



This　was　the　biggest　shot　of　the　lot；　and　she　surely　cut　loose。　

I　ought　to　have　been　half…way　up　the　bill　watching　things　from　a

safe　distance；　but　I　wasn't。　　Lucky　for　me　the　shaft　was　a　little

on　the　drift；　so　she　didn't　quite　shoot　my　way。　　But　she

distributed　about　a　ton　over　those　renegades。　　They　sort　of　half

got　to　their　feet　uncertain。



〃Otra　vez！〃　yells　I　once　more；　as　bold　as　if　I　could　keep　her

shooting　all　day。



It　was　just　a　cold；　raw　blazer；　and　if　it　didn't　go　through　I

could　see　me　as　an　Apache　parlour　ornament。　　But　it　did。　　Those

Chiricahuas　give　one　yell　and　skipped。　　It　was　surely　a　funny

sight；　after　they　got　aboard　their　war　ponies；　to　see　them　trying

to　dig　out　on　horses　too　tired　to　trot。



I　didn't　stop　to　get　all　the　laughs；　though。　　In　fact；　I　give　one

jump　off　that　ledge；　and　I　lit　a…running。　　A　quarter…hoss

couldn't　have　beat　me　to　that　shack。　There　I　grabbed　old

Meat…in…the…pot　and　made　a　climb　for　the　tall　country；　aiming　to

wait　around　until　dark；　and　then　to　pull　out　for　Benson。　　Johnny

Hooper　wasn't　expected　till　next　day；　which　was　lucky。　　From

where　I　lay　I　could　see　the　Apaches　camped　out　beyond　my

draw；　and　I　didn't　doubt　they'd　visited　the　place。　　Along　about

sunset　they　all　left　their　camp；　and　went　into　the　draw；　so

there；　I　thinks；　I　sees　a　good　chance　to　make　a　start　before

dark。　　I　dropped　down　from　the　mesa；　skirted　the　butte；　and

angled　down　across　the　country。　　After　I'd　gone　a　half　mile　from

the　cliffs；　I　ran　across　Johnny　Hooper's　fresh　trail　headed

towards　camp！　　



My　heart　jumped　right　up　into　my　mouth　at　that。　Here　was　poor　old

Johnny；　a　day　too　early；　with　a　pack…mule　of　grub；　walking

innocent　as　a　yearling；　right　into　the　bands　of　those　hostiles。　

The　trail　looked　pretty　fresh；　and　Benson's　a　good　long　day　with

a　pack　animal；　so　I　thought　perhaps　I　might　catch　him　before　he

runs　into　trouble。　　So　I　ran　back　on　the　trail　as　fast　as　I　could

make　it。　　The　sun　was　down　by　now；　and　it　was　getting　dusk。　　



I　didn't　overtake　him；　and　when　I　got　to　the　top　of　the　canon　I

crawled　along　very　cautious　and　took　a　look。　　Of　course；　I

expected　to　see　everything　up　in　smoke；　but　I　nearly　got　up　and

yelled　when　I　see　everything　all　right；　and　old　Sukey；　the

pack…mule；　and　Johnny's　hoss　hitched　up　as　peaceful　as

babies　　to　the　corral。　　



〃THAT'S　all　right！〃　thinks　I；　〃they're　back　in　their　camp；　and

haven't　discovered　Johnny　yet。　　I'll　snail　him　out　of　there。〃　　



So　I　ran　down　the　hill　and　into　the　shack。　　Johnny　sat　in　his

chairwhat　there　was　of　him。　　He　must　have　got　in　about　two

hours　before　sundown；　for　they'd　had　lots　of　time　to　put　in　on

him。　　That's　the　reason　they'd　stayed　so　long　up　the　draw。　　Poor

old　Johnny！　　I　was　glad　it　was　night；　and　he　was　dead。　　Apaches

are　the　worst　Injuns　there　is　for　tortures。　　They　cut　off　the

bottoms　of　old　man　Wilkins's　feet；　and　stood　him　on　an　

ant…hill。　　



In　a　minute　or　so；　though；　my　wits　gets　to　work。



〃Why　ain't　the　shack　burned？〃　I　asks　myself；　〃and　why　is　the　hoss

and　the　mule　tied　all　so　peaceful　to　the　corral？〃　　



It　didn't　take　long　for　a　man　who　knows　Injins　to　answer　THOSE

conundrums。　　The　whole　thing　was　a　trapfor　meand　I'd　walked

into　it；　chuckle…headed　as　a　prairie…dog！



With　that　I　makes　a　run　outsideby　now　it　was　darkand　listens。

Sure　enough；　I　hears　hosses。　　So　I　makes　a　rapid　sneak　back　over

the　trail。



Everything　seemed　all　right　till　I　got　up　to　the　rim…rock。　　Then

I　heard　more　hossesahead　of　me。　　And　when　I　looked　back　I　could

see　some　Injuns　already　at　the　shack；　and　starting　to　build　a

fire　outside。



In　a　tight　fix；　a　man　is　pretty　apt　to　get　scared　till　all　hope

is　gone。　　Then　he　is　pretty　apt　to　get　cool　and　calm。　　That　was

my　case。　　I　couldn't　go　aheadthere　was　those　hosses　coming

along　the　trail。　　I　couldn't　go　backthere　was　those　Injins

building　the　fire。　　So　I　skirmished　around　till　I　got　a　bright

star　right　over　the　trail　head；　and　I　trained　old　Meat…in…the…

pot　to　bear　on　that　star；　and　I　made　up　my　mind　that　when　the

star　was　darkened　I'd　turn　loose。　　So　I　lay　there　a　while

listening。　　By　and　by　the　star　was　blotted　out；　and　I　cut　loose；

and　old　Meat…in…the…pot　missed　fireshe　never　did　it　before　nor

since；　I　think　that　cartridge



Well；　I　don't　know　where　the　Injins　came　from；　but　it　seemed　as

if　the　hammer　had　hardly　clicked　before　three　or　four　of　them

bad　piled　on　me。　　I　put　up　the　best　fight　I　could；　for　I　wasn't

figuring　to　be　caught　alive；　and　this　miss…fire　deal　had　fooled

me　all　along　the　line。　　They　surely　had　a　lively　time。　　I

expected　every　minute　to　feel　a　knife　in　my　back；　but　when　I

didn't　get　it　then　I　knew　they　wanted　to　bring　me　in　alive；　and

that　made　me　fight　harder。　　First　and　last；　we　rolled　and　plunged

all　the　way　from　the　rim…rock　down　to　the　canon…bed。　　Then　one

of　the　Injins　sung　out：



〃Maria！〃



And　I　thought　of　that　renegade　Mexican；　and　what　I'd　heard　bout

him；　and　that　made　me　fight　harder　yet。　　



But　after　we'd　fought　down　to　the　canon…bed；　and　had　lost　most　of

our　skin；　a　half…dozen　more　fell　on　me；　and　in　less　than　no　time

they　had　me　tied。　　Then　they　picked　me　up　and　carried　me　over　to

where　they'd　built　a　big　fire　by　the　corral。〃





Uncle　Jim　stopped　with　an　air　of　finality；　and　began　lazily　to

refill　his　pipe。　　From　the　open　mud　fireplace　he　picked　a　coal。

Outside；　the　rain；　faithful　to　the　prophecy　of　the　wide…ringed

sun；　beat　fitfully　against　the　roof。



〃That　was　the　closest　call　I　ever　had；〃　said　he　at　last。　



〃But；　Uncle　Jim；〃　we　cried　in　a　confused　chorus；　〃how　did　you　get

away？　　What　did　the　Indians　do　to　you？　　Who　rescued　you？〃



Uncle　Jim　chuckled。　



〃The　first　man　I　saw　sitting　at　that　fire；〃　said　he；　〃was

Lieutenant　Price　of　the　United　States　Army；　and　by

him　was　Tom　Horn。〃



〃'What's　this？'　he　asks；　and　Horn　talks　to　the　Injins　in　Apache。



〃'They　say　they've　caught　Maria；'　translates　Horn　back　again。　



〃'Maria…nothing！'　says　Lieutenant　Price。　'This　is　Jim　Fox。　I　know

him。'〃



〃So　they　turned　me　loose。　　It　seems　the　troops　had　driven　off

the　renegades　an　hour　before。〃



〃And　the　Indians　who　caught　you；　Uncle　Jim？　　You　said　they　were

Indians。〃



〃Were　Tonto　Basin　Apaches；〃　explained　the　old　　man〃government

scouts　under　Tom　Horn。〃







CHAPTER　TWO



THE　EMIGRANTS



After　the　rain　that　had　held　us　holed　up　at　the　Double　R　over　one

day；　we　discussed　what　we　should　do　next。　　



〃The　flats　will　be　too　boggy　for　riding；　and　anyway　the　cattle

will　be　in　the　high　country；〃　the　Cattleman　summed　up　the

situation。　　〃We'd　bog　down　the　chuck…wagon　if　we　tried　to　get

back　to　the　J。　H。　　But　now　after　the　rain　the　weather　ought　to　be

beautiful。　　What　shall　we　do？〃　



〃Was　you　ever　in　the　Jackson　country？〃　asked　Uncle　Jim。　　〃It's

the　wildest　part　of　Arizona。　　It's　a　big　country　and　rough；　and

no　one　lives　there；　and　there's　lots　of　deer　and　mountain　lions

and　bear。　　Here's　my　dogs。　　We　might　have　a　hunt。〃



〃Good！〃　said　we。　　



We　skirmished　around　and　found　a　condemned　army　pack　saddle　with

aparejos；　and　a　sawbuck　saddle　with　kyacks。　　On　these；　we　managed

to　condense　our　grub　and　utensils。　　There　were　plenty　of　horses；

so　our　bedding　we　bound　flat　about　their　naked　barrels　by　means

of　the　squaw…hitch。　　Then　we　started。　　



That　day　furnished　us　with　a　demonstration　of　what　Arizona　horses

can　do。　　Our　way　led　first　through　a　canon…bed　filled　with

rounded　boulders　and　rocks；　slippery　and　unstable。　　Big

cottonwoods　and　oaks　grew　so　thick　as　partially　to　conceal

the　cliffs　on　either　side　of　us。　　The　rim…rock　was　mysterious

with　caves；　beautiful　with　hanging　gardens　of　tree　ferns　and

grasses　growing　thick　in　long　transverse　crevices；　wonderful　in

colour　and　shape。　　We　passed　the　little　canons　fenced　off　by　the

rustlers　as　corrals　into　which　to　shunt　from　the　herds　their　

choice　of　beeves。　　



The　Cattleman　shook　his　head　at　them。　　〃Many　　a　man　has　come　from

Texas　and　established　a　herd　with　no　other　asset　than　a　couple　of

horses　and　a　branding…iron；〃　said　he。



Then　we　worked　up　gradually　to　a　divide；　whence　we　could　see　a

range　of　wild　and　rugged　mountains　on　our　right。　　They　rose　by

slopes　and　ledges；　steep　and　rough；　and　at　last　ended　in　the

thousand…foot　cliffs　of　the　buttes；　running　sheer　and　unbroken

for　　many　miles。　　During　all　the　rest　of　our　trip　they　were　to　be

our　companions；　the　only　constant　factors　in　the　tumult　of　lesser

peaks；　precipitous　canons；　and　twisted　systems　in　which　we　were

constantly　involved。　



The　sky　was　sun…and…shadow　after　the　rain。　　Each　and　every

Arizonan　predicted　clearing。　　



〃Why；　it　almost　never　rains　in　Arizona；〃　said　Jed　Parker。　　〃And

when　it　does　it　quits　before　it　begins。〃　　　



Nevertheless；　about　noon　a　thick　cloud　gath