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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/19930.txt b/19930.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..681b09e --- /dev/null +++ b/19930.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6012 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Boy Ranchers Among the Indians, by Willard F. Baker + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Boy Ranchers Among the Indians + or, Trailing the Yaquis + +Author: Willard F. Baker + +Release Date: November 27, 2006 [EBook #19930] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY RANCHERS AMONG THE INDIANS *** + + + + +Produced by Al Haines + + + + + +THE BOY RANCHERS AMONG THE INDIANS + +OR + +Trailing The Yaquis + + + +By + +WILLARD F. BAKER + + + +Author of "The Boy Ranchers," "The Boy Ranchers In Camp," "The Boy +Ranchers on The Trail," etc. + + + + +ILLUSTRATED + + + +NEW YORK + +CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY + + + + +COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY + +CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY + + +THE BOY RANCHERS AMONG THE INDIANS + + + + +CONTENTS + + +CHAPTER + + I COMPANY COMING + II THE TELEGRAM + III "GET READY, BOYS!" + IV ON THE TRAIL + V ROSEMARY AND FLOYD + VI PRISONERS + VII INTO THE MOUNTAINS + VIII SHOOTING STARS + IX A LONE INDIAN + X SHOTS FROM AMBUSH + XI THE SURPRISE + XII FORWARD AGAIN + XIII WEARY CAPTIVES + XIV SURROUNDED + XV WITH THE TROOPERS + XVI INDIAN "SIGN" + XVII AN ALARM + XVIII SEPARATED + XIX THE FIGHT + XX THE WHITE FLAG + XXI THE TRICK DISCOVERED + XXII ANXIOUS HOURS + XXIII THE LAST STAND + XXIV THE RUSE OF ROSEMARY + XXV "ALL'S WELL!" + + + + +THE BOY RANCHERS AMONG THE INDIANS + + +CHAPTER I + +COMPANY COMING + +High and clear the sweet, western wind brought over the rolling hills +the sound of singing. At least it was singing of a sort, for there was +a certain swing and rhythm accompanying the words. As the melody +floated toward them, three young cowboys, seated at ease in their +saddles, looked up and in the direction of the singer. + +Thus the song. + + "Oh, bury me out on th' lonesome prairie! + Put a stone under my haid! + Cover me up with a rope an' a saddle! + 'Cause why? My true-love is daid * * * * * *" + + +It is impossible in cold print to indicate the mournful and +long-drawn-out accent on the word "dead," to rhyme with head. + +"Here comes Slim!" exclaimed one of the youthful cow punchers to his +companions. + +"As if we didn't know that, Dick!" laughed the slighter of two lads +who, from their close resemblance, could be nothing less than brothers. + +"His voice doesn't improve with age; does it, Nort?" asked Bud Merkel, +smiling at his cousins, Norton and Richard Shannon. + +"But he means well," declared Nort with a chuckle. "Oh, you Slim!" he +shouted, as a tall lanky individual, mounted on a pony of like +proportions, ambled into view, topping a slight rise of the trail. +"Oh, you Slim!" + +The older cowboy--a man, to be exact--who had been about to break forth +into the second, or forty-second verse of his song (there being in all +seventy-two stanzas, so it doesn't much matter which one is +designated)--the older cowboy, I say, paused with his mouth open, and a +blank look on his face. Then he grinned--that is the only word for +it--and cried: + +"Well, I'm a second cousin to a ham sandwich! Where'd you fellows come +from?" + +"We haven't come--we're just going!" laughed Bud. "We're going over to +see Dad and the folks. How are they all?" + +"Oh, they're sittin' pretty! Sittin' pretty!" affirmed Slim Degnan, +with a mingled smile and grin. "How'd you fellows come out with your +spring round-up?" + +"Pretty fair," admitted Bud. "A few steers short of what we figured +on, but that's nothing." + +"I should say not!" chuckled Slim. "Your paw was a heap sight worse +off'n that." + +"Rustlers again?" asked Nort quickly, as he and his brother glanced at +one another. They had not forgotten the stirring times when they were +on the trail of the ruthless men who had raided Diamond X ranch, and +their own cattle range. + +"No, nothin' like that," answered Slim easily. "Just natural +depravity, so to speak. Some of 'em ate loco weed and others jest got +too tired of livin' I reckon. But we come out pretty fair. Just got +th' last bunch shipped, an' I'm mighty glad of it." + +"Same here!" spoke Dick. "That's why we came over here--on a sort of +vacation." + +"I reckon some other folks is headin' this way on th' same sort of +ideas," remarked Slim Degnan, as he rolled a cigarette with one hand, a +trick for which the boys had no use, though they could but admire the +skill of the foreman. + +"What do you mean?" asked Bud. "Is Dad going to take a vacation? If +he does--" + +"Don't worry, son! Don't worry!" laughed Slim, as he ignited a match +by the simple process of scratching the head with his thumb nail. +"Cattle will have to fetch a heap sight more'n they do now when he +takes a few days off," declared the foreman. "What I meant was that +some tenderfeet individuals are headin'--" + +Slim did not finish the sentence for he was nearly thrown from his +saddle (something most unusual with him) as his pony gave a sudden leap +to one side, following a peculiar noise in a bunch of grass on which +the animal almost stepped. + +The noise was not unlike that made by a locust in a tree on a hot day, +but there was in the vibrations a more sinister sound. And well did +Slim's horse know what it indicated. + +"A rattler!" yelled Bud, and close on the heels of his words followed +action. + +He whipped out his .45, there was a sliver of flame, a sharp crack at +which the three steeds of the trio of youthful cowboys jumped slightly, +and there writhed on the trail a venomous rattle-snake, its head now a +shapeless mass where the bullet from Bud's gun had almost obliterated +it. + +"Whew! A big one!" exclaimed Slim, who had quickly gotten his pony +under control again, and turned it back toward the scene of action. It +spoke well for his ability that he had not lost his cigarette, and was +puffing on it, though the sudden leap of his steed, to avoid a bite +that probably would have meant death, had jarred the words from his +mouth. + +"First of the season," added Bud, slipping his gun back into the +holster. + +"Are they more poisonous then than at other times?" asked Nort. + +"Guess there isn't much difference, son," affirmed Slim. "I don't want +to be nipped by one at any time. Much obliged, Bud," he said, easily +enough, though there was a world of meaning in his voice. "I shore +plum would hate to have to shoot Pinto, and that's what I'd a done if +that serpent had set its fangs in his leg." + +"Why'd he shoot him?" asked Dick, for he and his brother, though far +removed from the tenderfoot class, were not wise to all western ways +yet. + +"There isn't much chance for a horse after it's been bit deep by a +rattler," Bud explained. "Of course I don't say every horse that's +bitten will die, but it's harder to doctor them than it is a man. And +Slim meant he wouldn't want to see Pinto suffer." + +"You're right there, Bud!" drawled Slim Degnan. "They do say this +new-fangled treatment is better'n whisky for snake bites, but I don't +reckon I want to chance it." + +"The permanganate of potash is almost a sure cure for the ordinary +snake bite, if you use it in time," declared Bud. "But I don't know +that it would work after a _fer de lance_ set his fangs into you. +Anyhow I'm glad we haven't anything worse than rattlers and copperheads +around here." + +"They're bad enough!" affirmed Slim, as he gave a backward glance +toward the still writhing form of the big rattler, which was now past +all power of doing harm. + +The incident seemed to cause the foreman to forget what he had been +about to say when his horse shied, and the boy ranchers, by which title +is indicated Bud, Nort and Dick, did not attach enough importance to it +to cause them to question their companion. Yet what Slim had been +about to say was destined to have a great influence on their lives in +the immediate future, and was to cause them to ride forward into +danger. But then danger was nothing new to them. + +"Well, things are right peaceful since we got rid of Del Pinzo and his +gang of greasers," observed Slim, as he rode on with the boys down the +trail that led to Diamond X ranch, the property of Bud's father. + +"But I'm always worrying for fear they'll come back, or we'll have some +sort of trouble with our cattle," observed Dick. "It doesn't seem +possible that over at our Happy Valley ranch we'll be let alone to do +as we please." + +"Don't cross a bridge until you hear the rattling of the planks!" +paraphrased Nort to his brother. "We're all right so far." + +"Yes, things are sittin' right pretty for the present," declared Slim. +"Well, here we are," he added, as a turn of the trail brought them +within sight of the corrals and other parts of Diamond X ranch. "And +there's your folks," he added, as a woman and girl, standing in the +yard of a red ranch house, began to wave their hands to the boys. + +"I see Dad!" exclaimed End. + +"Where?" asked Nort. + +"Over by the pony corral, talking to Yellin' Kid. Looks like Kid just +came in with the mail." + +"He started after it when I rode out to look for a couple of strays," +said Slim. "Beckon he jest come back. You boys'll hear more +partic'lars now, I reckon." + +"Particulars of what?" asked Nort. "Was that what you started to say +when Bud shot the rattler?" + +Slim did not answer, the reason being that a moment later he was +surrounded by a knot of laughing, pushing, jostling and shouting +cowboys, who seemed to want the foreman to settle some disputed point. + +Bud and his two cousin chums rode on and greeted Mr. Merkel and his +wife, who was "Ma" to every cowboy within fifty miles, and Nell, who +was Bud's pretty sister. + +"Hello, Dad! Hello, Uncle Henry!" was the greeting. "Hello, Sis!" + +"Got any pie, Nell?" added Bud. + +"For Nort and Dick--yes," the girl answered. "But you won't want pie +when you hear--" + +"Say, what's all this mysterious news?" broke out Bud. "First Slim +starts to tell us and then--" + +"Rosemary and Floyd are coming!" merrily cried Nell. + +"Rosemary and Floyd?" questioned Bud. + +"Your cousins, or, to be more exact, your second cousins," explained +Mrs. Merkel. "We had a letter last week saying they might come on from +California, and now your father has just had a special delivery letter, +saying they're on their way. They'll be here any time." + +"Company's coming! Company's coming!" joyously sang Nell, for she was +delighted with the news. + +"Rosemary and Floyd," repeated Bud, "I don't seem--" + +"You haven't seen them in some years," his mother said. "But I'm sure +you'll like them." + +"Especially Rosemary," laughed Nort, and Nell stuck out her tongue at +him. + +"Well, I'm glad they didn't come until after the spring round-up," +spoke Mr. Merkel, looking at a letter he held. "We'll have more time, +now, to be with 'em and show 'em around. I wonder--" + +But, as in the case of Slim, he did not finish what he started to say, +for there came an interruption, in its way almost as sinister as the +whirring of the rattle-snake's tail. + +Toward the ranch buildings came the sound of rapidly galloping hoofs, +and as they all looked in the direction of the sound they saw, riding +in toward them, one of the cowboys. + +"It's Old Billee Dobb!" exclaimed Yellin' Kid in a voice that was, as +usual, unnecessarily loud. "Looks like rustlers were after him!" + +But none rode in pursuit of the veteran cowpuncher, though he was +spurring his steed to its utmost. + +"They've broke out!" he yelled as soon as he was within hearing +distance. "They've broke out! Scatter my watermelon seeds, but +they've broke out!" + +"What has?" demanded Mr. Merkel. "Our steers?" + +"No! The Yaquis!" + +"Indians!" snapped out Bud. + +"That's them, son! They've broke out--left the reservation, and +they're headed this way! Oh, rattle-snakes! Get your guns ready! The +Yaquis have broke out!" + +The boy ranchers looked at each other and it can not be denied that +there was a joyous light in their eyes. Nell shrank closer to her +father, and Mr. Merkel reached over and placed his hand in reassuring +fashion on his wife's ample shoulder. + +"Indians!" murmured Dick. "I wonder--" + +"Sure we can help fight 'em!" exclaimed Nort, rightly guessing that +this was his brother's question. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE TELEGRAM + +While the wind fluttered in his hand the letter from Rosemary, telling +of her plans to visit Diamond X with her brother, and while Mr. Merkel +looked anxiously at Billee Dobb on his panting steed, a far-off look +was in the eyes of the ranchman. Bud thought he knew what his father's +air portended, and he was eager to speak, but he, as well as the +others, felt the tenseness of the situation, and waited for what might +come next. + +Nell was about to speak, to voice her gladness that a girl companion +was to come to the ranch, when Mr. Merkel remarked: + +"How come you heard all this, Bill--I mean about the Yaquis? None of +it filtered here until you come up sweating lather!" + +"I met one of the deputy sheriffs in town," explained the veteran cow +puncher. "He'd just got a telegraph message tellin' him to be on the +lookout, as the redskins might be headed this way." + +"Whoop-ee!" yelled Bud, flapping his hat down on his pony's flank, +thereby causing the animal to leap sideways. "Think of it! Indians! +Whoop-ee!" + +"It's dreadful!" murmured Ma Merkel. "I don't like to think about it!" + +"But, Aunt, we have to think of it if the Yaquis are coming this way," +spoke Nort. "We want to think of it to protect you and Nell!" + +"That's right!" added Dick, while some of the cowboys grinned at the +eagerness and impetuosity of the boys. + +"Shucks!" exclaimed Mrs. Merkel, getting back her nerve. "Those Yaquis +are nothing more than a lot of Greasers, anyhow. They'll turn home at +the first sight of a few of the sheriff's posse. I don't believe I'll +worry after all." + +"That's right!" shouted Yellin' Kid. "No need to worry when the bunch +from Happy Valley joins with the Diamond X outfit! We're a match for +all the Yaquis that never washed!" + +"Let's don't be too sure of that, boys," cautioned Mr. Merkel. "What +more did you hear, Billee Dobb? Is it at all serious? How many of the +imps broke loose?" + +"That I don't know, there's enough of 'em to make the government take +action. Some of the regular troops have received orders to move, and +they're on their way now. If there were only a scattered few of the +Yaquis, Uncle Sam wouldn't be so anxious. They've raided one Arizona +town, I heard." + +"They have!" cried Nort, Dick and Bud in a breath. + +"Why this must have happened several days ago," exclaimed Mr. Merkel. +"The Yaquis are quartered some distance from here, and news doesn't +travel as fast as all that. How do you account for it, Billee?" + +"Well, the fellow who told me got his information from one of those +scavengers," explained Billee. + +"_Scavengers_!" cried Bud. + +"Yes, you know--one of them fellers that go up in flyin' machines," +explained the old cow puncher. + +"Oh, you mean _aviators_!" exploded Bud, trying not to laugh. + +"Well, something like that, yes," admitted Billee. "Word of the rising +of the Indians was sent out by wireless, and some of the flying +machines were ordered to the border. One of 'em who was flying around +here had tire trouble, or something like that, and had to come down. +It was from him the boys back in town got some of the news, and the +deputy sheriff gave out the rest. + +"Oh, the Yaquis are risin' up all right, and they may come out here. I +rode over like a prairie fire to let you folks know. We've had trouble +enough here at Diamond X and I didn't want any more." + +"Much obliged to you, Billee," said Mr. Merkel. "Did you happen to +hear what town it was in Arizona that the Yaquis raided?" + +"It was La--La--wait a minute now. It was one of those crazy Spanish +names. I'll tell you--La--La--La Nogalique--that's it!" + +"La Nogalique!" cried Mr. Merkel, and he looked at the letter from +Rosemary. + +"That's her!" affirmed the cowboy. + +"Why--why!" exclaimed the ranchman, "that's the way they were +coming--in their auto! La Nogalique! They might have been there--" + +"Who were coming?" asked his wife quickly. + +"Rosemary and Floyd; They'd be there just about--when was that raid, +Billee Dobb?" cried Mr. Merkel. + +"Last Friday!" + +The ranchman whistled. + +"That's bad!" he murmured. "Bad!" + +"Would Rosemary and her brother have reached there by then?" asked Mrs. +Merkel. + +"Just about," her husband replied slowly. "Just about! This looks +bad! Boys, we've got to do something! Those Yaquis may just be off on +a little harmless jamboree, or they may be excited by a lot of their +Medicine Men, or whatever they call 'em! Once let 'em get on the +rampage, half Mexicans as they are, and we won't know what to expect! +It looks bad! I'm glad the round-up is over. It gives us time. Boys, +I think--" + +But what he thought Mr. Merkel did not disclose--at least for the time +being. The attention of all was again attracted by the sound of rapid +hoofbeats, and, looking toward the trail that led to town, a horseman +was seen riding toward Diamond X. By the manner of his approach it was +easily assumed that he came on no ordinary errand. + +"More news of the Indians, or I miss my guess!" murmured Bud. + +And while the solitary horseman is rapidly approaching, I will endeavor +to imitate his speed in acquainting my new readers with a little of the +past history concerning the boy ranchers as they have played their +parts in the previous books of this series. + +The initial volume is entitled "The Boy Ranchers," and tells how Nort +and Dick Shannon went to visit their cousin, Bud Merkel, on the ranch +of the latter's father. This ranch, Diamond X, was in a western state, +not far from the Mexican border. And, as you know, the Yaqui Indians +were, in the main, a tribe of Mexican Redmen, who made their home +partly in the Land of Montezuma and partly in Arizona, as best pleased +them. Efforts were made by the Mexican Government to keep the Yaquis +on a reservation, but the efforts were not always successful. + +Mr. Merkel was a ranchman of experience, and planned to have his son +follow in his footsteps. This Bud was eager to do, and when his +cousins came he saw a chance for them to get into the cattle raising +business on their own account. + +This they did, but not before they had solved a strange mystery +centering about Diamond X. As you may recall, the ranch was named +after the brand used to mark its cattle--an X within a diamond outline. + +The mystery solved, the boy ranchers turned their attention to other +matters, and these are related in the second volume, "The Boy Ranchers +In Camp." Mr. Merkel, by using an ancient underground water course +beneath Snake Mountain, had brought much-needed moisture to a distant +valley he owned, thus making it possible to use it as a place for +raising cattle. This new ranch, variously called Happy Valley, Diamond +X Second, and Buffalo Wallow, was given in charge of the boys to +experiment with. They were allowed to raise cattle on their own +responsibility. Without water Diamond X Second was out of the +question. And the story in the second book has to do with the efforts +of Del Pinzo, a dangerous character, and others, to drive away the +boys. There was a fight over water rights, and another desperate +fight, involving some strange ancient secrets. + +The third book, "The Boy Ranchers on the Trail," deals with the boy +ranchers after they have become full-fledged "cow punchers." So +successful were they in Happy Valley that they incurred the enmity of +Del Pinzo and his followers. Cattle rustlers stole many valuable +steers from Bud and his cousins, and it was not until after a desperate +encounter that the unscrupulous men were defeated. + +Then, for a time, peace settled down over Diamond X and the boys' +ranch. The spring round-up was over, and a successful year begun, when +the ordinary course of events was interrupted in the manner I have set +down in the beginning of this book--by news that the Yaquis had risen. + +All eyes were turned on the solitary horseman, who rode fast on the +heels of Billee Dobb. As this rider came nearer, it could be seen that +a paper fluttered in his hand. + +"Special delivery letter, maybe," ventured Dick. + +"Maybe," admitted Bud. + +"I--I have a feeling that it's bad news," murmured Mrs. Merkel to Nell. + +"Maybe not," Bud's sister whispered. "It may be only a rush order for +cattle to be shipped. + +"All that were fit have been shipped," her mother said. "I'm +afraid--I'm afraid--" + +With a shower of gravel, scattered by the sliding feet of his +hastily-reined pony, the man drew up in front of the group. + +"Mr. Henry Merkel here?" he asked, crisply. + +"Here," said Bud's father, quietly. + +"Got a telegraph message for you. It's from La Nogalique!" + +"La Nogalique!" murmured Mr. Merkel. "Oh, I hope Rosemary--" + +With a rapid motion Mr. Merkel tore open the yellow envelope. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +"GET HEADY, BOYS!" + +Anxiously the boy ranchers and the others watched the face of the +stockman as he read the message. It was rather lengthy, which +accounted for the somewhat protracted time it took Mr. Merkel to get at +the meaning of the words. But when he had read to the end he passed +the missive to his wife, exclaiming, as he did so: + +"Couldn't be much worse!" + +"Are they killed?" cried Nell, clasping her hands. + +"No, but maybe they'd better be," grimly answered her father. +"Rosemary and Floyd are carried off by the Yaquis!" he added. + +"How do you know?" + +"Does the message say so?" + +"Which way did they go?" + +These were the questions, fired in rapid succession, by Bud, Nort and +Dick. + +"That information's in the telegram," explained Mr. Merkel. "The +message is to me from the Sheriff of La Nogalique, or at least from +some one in his service, for it's signed with his name. I know him, +slightly." + +"Did he see Rosemary and Floyd carried off?" Dick wanted to know. + +"Not exactly. But wait. I'll read it so you may all hear," said Mr. +Merkel, taking the missive from his wife's trembling hand. "Old Hank +Fowler didn't try to get it all in ten words so we have a pretty fair +idea of what went on. Reckon he knew he didn't have to pay for that +message. It come out of the county funds I take it. Listen to this, +boys!" + +Mr. Merkel read: + +"'I regret to inform you that some relatives of yours were carried off +in the last raid of the Yaquis here. The Indians came over the border +from Mexico and shot up this place (La Nogalique). I was away, but +some of the boys give them a fight, and drove them off. But they took +with them some guns, cattle, what money they could steal and a young +lady and gentleman who claim to know you. The way it happened was +this. This young lady, named Rosemary Boyd, and her brother Floyd, +came here in an auto, from California. They give it out they were on +their way to Diamond X. But they hadn't more than reached town than +the Yaquis came in and shot things up. + +"'The Indians took this young couple, and it was owing to the pluck of +the girl that we knew what happened.'" + +"Good for Rosemary!" cried Nell. "How did it happen?" + +"I'm coming to it," her father said, having paused to get his breath. +It was dry work, talking so much and under the stress of excitement, +and Nell had broken in on him. + +"'As the Indians were riding away, with this young lady and her +brother,'" the message went on, "'she managed to scribble something on +a piece of paper she tore from a note book. She tossed it to one of +the cowboys who was shot in fighting the Yaquis. He brought the girl's +message to me after the fight, when I'd sent some of my men to trail +the devils. This is what the message said, and I'm sending the actual +message to you by mail. "Get word to my uncle, Henry Merkel, Diamond X +Ranch, that Floyd and I are taken. Ask him to send help." That's what +the message said and I'm doing as requested. I've sent all the help I +can, but the Yaquis got the start on us, owing to the fact that I was +out of town with a posse after rustlers. But we'll get that girl and +boy back or bust every leg we've got, Mr. Merkel. And you can send on +help if you want to and join us.'" + +The lengthy message was signed with the name "Hank Fowler," and when +the reading was finished, Mr. Merkel glanced around at his listeners. + +"These young folks are some kin of yours, I take it?" asked Old Billee +Dobb. + +"Sure," assented the ranchman. "More of my wife's than mine, but it's +all the same. They were coming here on a visit, coming all the way +from California by auto. I thought it was rather risky when they first +wrote of it, but my wife says Rosemary is a good driver, and Floyd +almost as good." + +"Is he a Westerner?" asked Yellin' Kid. + +"Not born and raised here," said Mr. Merkel, "but Floyd is no +tenderfoot, and as for Rosemary--" + +"She's a whole can of peaches! That's what she is!" cried Bud. "To +have the nerve to stop and scribble a message to dad when the Yaquis +had her and her brother. Clear grit I call that!" + +"Sure thing!" assented Nort. + +"Gee! I wish I'd been there!" sighed Dick. + +"What! To be captured by the Indians and made into sausage meat?" +joked Mr. Merkel, for at times they poked a bit of fun at Dick on +account of his plumpness. Though, truth to tell, he was now not too +stout, and the life of the west had greatly hardened him. + +"They wouldn't have caught me without a fight!" he bruskly declared. + +"That's right! A fight!" cried Bud. "What are we going to do about +this, Dad? We can't let our cousins be carried off this way; can we, +fellows?" he demanded of his boy rancher companions. + +"I should say not!" was the instant response, duet fashion. + +"No, it wouldn't be right for us to sit back and do nothing," agreed +Mr. Merkel. "There aren't any too many men available to help out the +sheriff. We've got to do our share. Get ready boys!" and he looked at +his son and nephews, his glance also roving over his own aggregation of +cowboys, most of whom were now gathered in front of the main ranch +building of Diamond X. + +"Where are we going?" asked Dick. + +"On the trail of the Yaquis!" answered his uncle. "We can spare most +of the bunch, now that the round-up is over. You don't need many out +at your ranch, Bud. Call in all you can spare, and we'll hit the +trail!" + +"Whoo-pee!" shouted Nort, whirling his horse about and setting it at a +gallop down through the corrals. + +"This is news!" yelled his brother, following the lead of Nort. + +"I only hope we aren't too late!" remarked Bud, when his cousins came +back to join him. + +"Too late? What do you mean!" asked Nort. + +"I mean to save Rosemary--and Floyd. Those Yaquis--they're regular +devils when they get on the war path! Oh, I hope we aren't too late!" + +It was a hope the others shared. + +Rapid action replaced the comparative quiet that reigned during the +reading of the telegram. Cowboys rode to and fro, and Bud and his +cousins prepared to depart for Diamond X Second to arrange for taking +the trail against the Yaquis. + +As the boy ranchers rode off down the trail, promising to return as +speedily as possible, to join with the bunch from Diamond X, their +eager talk over the recent events was interrupted by the noise of +shouting. + +"What's that?" cried Dick, looking in the direction of the noise. It +appeared to come from a swale, or depression among some small, rounded +knolls. + +"Sounds like a cattle stampede," remarked Bud, urging his pony forward. +"And yet it can't be that." + +Nort and Dick followed as soon as they could swing their horses about. +The sound of shouting and the thunder of the feet of many +animals--horses or steers--came more plainly to the ears of the boy +ranchers. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +ON THE TRAIL + +With Bud in the advance, urging his pony to topmost speed, Nort and +Dick followed. Bud shot along the trail, up one rise, down another, +all the while coming nearer to the noise which increased in intensity. +Clearly something was wrong either among a bunch of Diamond X cattle, +or with some of the horses belonging to the ranch outfit. And that +some human individual was concerned in the "fracas" was evident by the +shouts and yells that, now and then, punctured the air. + +"By the Great Horned Toad! Look at that!" cried Bud, when he was +within viewing distance. + +"He'll be killed!" added Nort. + +"No, he's out of it now!" yelled Dick. "But maybe it's the end of him!" + +As the three boy ranchers thus gave vent to their surprise, and almost +while they were in the act of exclaiming, a ragged figure of a man had +shot over a stout corral fence, and had fallen in a heap just on the +other side and out of the reach of the teeth and hoofs of a number of +half wild cow ponies. The thud of the animals' bodies, as they threw +themselves against the fence, in the stoppage of their mad race to get +the ragged man, could plainly be heard. + +"Whew!" cried Bud, reigning his pony to a sliding stop, as he saw that, +for the present at least, the man was safe, though his inert form might +indicate serious injury. "That was a close call!" + +"What was he doing in that corral?" asked Nort, and his hand, almost by +instinct, slid to the handle of his .45 protruding from the holster. + +"And who is he?" asked Dick, who had followed his brother's lead. + +"That's what we've got to find out," said Bud, who, perhaps from longer +association with western conditions, had manifested no inclination to +draw his gun. "Guess he'll wait for us," he added, as he slid from the +saddle, having ridden close to the prostrate form. + +But, even as Bud spoke, and as Dick and Nort dismounted, the stranger +rose to a sitting position, rubbed his hand across his forehead, tried +to smile at the boys and then, in what would have been a jolly voice +under other circumstances said: + +"I'm supposed to ask 'Where am I?' I believe, but we'll pass that up, +and I'll substitute 'what time is it?' Just as a variation you know," +and he actually chuckled. "Not that it matters," he added, as he saw +Bud fishing out a sturdy silver watch--the only kind it is safe to +carry on a cattle range. "Doesn't matter in the least." + +"Then why--" began Nort. But the stranger stopped him with a friendly +gesture. + +"Don't ask me that!" he begged, smiling broadly, as he scrambled to his +feet, thereby disclosing the fact that he was even more ragged as to +garments than at first appeared when he was lying down. "Don't ask me +that. The question has been fired at me ever since I was old enough to +decide whether I'd have butter on my bread or take it in the natural +state. It was 'why did I do this'--'why didn't I do that' until, in +very desperation I gave up trying to answer. I do now. I don't know +why I ask the time. I really don't want to know. There are other +questions more to the point. Don't trouble to answer. And please +don't ask me 'why' this, that--or anything. Frankly I don't know, and +I care less. I am here. Where I'll be to-morrow no one knows, and no +one cares. It is my philosophy--the philosophy of a rolling stone. I +assure you, gentlemen--" + +This time it was Bud who interrupted. There was a look on the face and +in the eyes of the young ranchman that his cousins could well +interpret. It meant that fooling, nonsense or an evasion of the issue +was at an end. + +"Look here, stranger," said Bud, and, though his voice was stern it was +not unfriendly. "Maybe you are a tenderfoot, but you don't look it, +and I reckon you've been around here long enough to assimilate the fact +that when a stranger is found among other men's horses that stranger is +due to make an explanation." + +"My boy, you are right!" laughed the ragged man. "Absolutely and +tetotally right! Of course you recognize the fact that I am no longer +'_among_' your horses. I _was_, but I am _not_. I came out, so to +speak," and he indicated, by a tumbling motion of his hands, that he +had leaped the fence to get away from the half wild ponies. + +"That's all right," spoke Bud, his voice still stern. His cousins were +leaving this matter entirely to him. "That's all right. But you +_were_ among them, and it may be more to our good luck than our good +management that you aren't astride one of them now, and riding off. +What's your name and where are you from?" + +These were vital, western questions. + +"You are right in your surmise," said the man, limping toward the boys, +and still smiling, which occupation he had not left off since arising +to his feet. "If luck had been with me I would have ridden on one of +your horses. Not off--far be it from me to do that. But I would have +ridden to the nearest ranch, tried to get work and so have paid for the +use of the animal. + +"However, fate had other things in store for me. I never saw such wild +animals! They came at me like so many fiends, and after trying in vain +to quiet them, and I may say I have some skill with wild beasts, I +thought discretion the better part of foolhardiness, and--made for the +fence!" + +He chuckled at the recollection. + +"Then you weren't going to steal a horse?" asked Nort. + +"Far from it, kind sir," and the man bowed with just the slightest +suggestion of mockery, at which Bud frowned. "I am a lone traveler, +and I sought help on my way--help for which I would have paid in work." + +"Who are you?" snapped out Bud. + +"I have told you my name," said the stranger, in gentle contrast to +Bud's harsh tone. "Rolling Stone, at your service," and he bowed +again, this time with no trace of mockery. + +"Rolling Stone!" ejaculated Nort. + +"That isn't a name," complained Bud, but his voice had lost some of its +stern quality, and his lips trembled on the verge of a smile. + +"I realize that it is more a state of being, or a quality," the man +admitted. "But it happens to be a sort of paraphrase of my title. I +am Roland Stone, at your service, but my taste, inclination and the +action of disheartened friends has fastened the other appellation on +me. Rolling Stone I am by name and by nature." + +He said it in a way that left little room for doubt, and the boy +ranchers seemed to realize this. They could understand how such a +character could easily change Roland into "Rolling," if such was his +nature. And "Stone" was a common enough name. + +"All right, Mr. Rolling Stone," said Bud. "If that's your choice it +still leaves the other question unanswered. Where are you from?" + +"Everywhere and anywhere, which is to say nowhere," came the reply. +"You need only to look at me to tell what I am--a happy-go-lucky +individual, a tramp, a hobo, and yet I am willing to work when the +spirit is on me. I never stole a dollar or a dollar's worth in all my +life. I have harmed neither man, woman or child. I am my own worst +enemy, and I am--frankly--hungry! If you will give me food I'll pay +for it in work to the best of my ability--" + +"You said you had some skill with wild animals," interrupted Bud. "Do +you mean--" + +"I don't mean _horses_, if you will excuse the interruption," the man +said. "There is my one failing. I used to be with a circus, and the +lion and I were good friends. Perhaps some taint of the wild beast +odor clings to me, which causes horses to rear up and tear. Or else--" + +"That didn't cause these ponies to act that way," laughed Bud, who, +with his cousins, was rapidly forming a liking for the stranger. +"They're half wild themselves. Just in off the range, and they haven't +been broken yet. I doubt if Yellin' Kid would tackle one. It isn't +anything to your discredit that you got out in a hurry. But you say +you're hungry?" + +That was an appeal which never went unheeded in the west. + +"Mightily hungry, fair sir!" and, though Rolling Stone smiled, there +was an appealing note in his voice. "The last meal I had for nothing +was given me by Hank Fowler." + +"Hank Fowler!" cried Bud. + +"The sheriff?" added Nort. + +"Who sent on to Mr. Merkel the message from Rosemary?" completed Dick. + +"Rosemary--that's for remembrance," quoted Rolling Stone with a smile. +"I know her not, and yet Hank Fowler is a sheriff to my certain +knowledge." + +"Do you mean the one from La Nogalique?" persisted Bud. + +"That same. I appealed to him when I was down on my luck, as I nearly +always am, and he befriended me. I have known him for years." + +"Then there can't be much wrong with you," decided Bud. "If you want +work, my father can fix you up. We'll need some extra hands if we pull +out a lot to take the trail after the Yaquis. So--" + +"Excuse me, young man. But did you say--_Yaquis_?" asked Rolling +Stone, and there was a new and eager note in his voice. + +"Yes," supplemented Nort. "The Yaquis--Indians you know--have gone +wild again and they've raided a town and carried off some of our +friends. We're going to--" + +"You can't tell me anything about the Yaquis that I don't know, young +man!" exclaimed Rolling Stone, and he seemed imbued with new life. "I +know they're Indians, of a sort, though a very rotten sort. They +killed my best friend years ago. I haven't heard anything about a raid +lately. Been too lazy to look for news, I reckon. But if it's true +that they're on the rampage, and you're on the trail after them let me, +I beg of you, have a hand in it. I asked for _work_ just now. Change +that to a _fight_ and I'm with you at the fall of the hat and until I +drop! Let me come! Let me help pay back the debt I have against these +infernal Yaquis. Will you?" he asked eagerly. + +Bud looked at his cousins. Here was a new element. And with all his +light manner, and ragged clothes, there was something very satisfying +about Rolling Stone, as he asked to be called. + +"We'll need all the help we can get," said Bud, slowly. "If Hank +Fowler says you're all right, that goes with us. Sure it isn't Hank +_Fisher_ who vouches for you?" he asked sharply. + +"Hank _Fisher_--I don't know the man," was the answer. + +"You're better off not to," spoke Bud grimly, for Fisher was a ranchman +of unsavory reputation, who was believed to have figured in more than +one affair with the half breed Del Pinzo, to the discomfort of Diamond +X. + +"Hank Fowler, the sheriff, will tell you I'm straight," said Rolling +Stone. "I don't say I haven't faults," he went on. "But when I say +I'm my own worst enemy I've spilled an earful," and he laughed genially. + +"We'll let it go at that," Bud answered. "If Mr. Fowler says you're on +the level that's sufficient. And you can come with us." + +"Thanks," was the laconic reply. "Will one of your ponies carry +double?" and he looked over his shoulder at the corral. + +"We won't ask you to ride one of those mustangs," laughed Bud. "And +it's too much to double up. I'll go back and get one of dad's ponies. +It isn't far. You stay here," he added to his cousins and Rolling +Stone. "I'll be back soon." + +Riding rapidly, Bud was quickly back at Diamond X. He told the story +of the meeting with Rolling Stone. At first Mr. Merkel was a bit +suspicious, but it happened that one of the cowboys had heard of +Rolling Stone, and knew him to be what he laid claim to. + +"I reckon he's all right," assented the ranchman. "Take him with you, +Bud. You'll need help, and if he knows anything about the Yaquis he'll +be of value." + +"All right," remarked Bud. "He's on. What horse can I take for him?" + +One was selected. Together the boy ranchers and Rolling Stone rode out +to Happy Valley, for certain matters must be adjusted there before the +start could be made after the Indians who had carried off Rosemary and +Floyd. + +Work went on at top speed, and a day later our young heroes, with +Rolling Stone, better dressed, but the same unconventional spirit, +started forth. + +"On the trail!" grimly remarked Bud as they started to join forces with +those from Diamond X. + +"On the trail!" echoed Nort and Dick. + +"And we can't meet with those Yaquis any too soon for me!" added +Rolling Stone. + +"You seem to have it in for them rather hard," observed Dick. + +"It can't be any too hard," answered the man with a grim tightening of +the muscles around his mouth. "When I think of all they did--" + +He paused and gazed at the distant horizon. That there was a story +connected with his hate of the Yaquis none of the boys doubted, and +they were eager to hear it. But this was not the time and place. Too +much remained to be done, and there was too little time in which to do +it. + +"I wonder when we'll meet up with the imps?" spoke Nort, as they ambled +easily along. + +"No telling," said Bud. "We've got things in shape back there so that +we can remain away all summer if need be," and he glanced back toward +their ranch which they had just left. "But I'd like to clean up this +bunch of 'onery' Yaquis, and then get back on the job. Cattle raising +is our business." + +"But just now we're following a side line of rescuing Rosemary and +Floyd," observed Nort. "And I think we can do it!" + +Well it was that Fate veiled the Future. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +ROSEMARY AND FLOYD + +"Floyd, I don't like this a bit!" + +"What's the matter, Rosemary?" + +The young man driving the sturdy little sport model of a car brought +the machine to a stop and glanced at the girl sitting beside him. +There was a quizzical smile on his face, a good-natured smile, however. + +"What don't you like, Rosemary?" he asked again, and there was not in +his tone any air of bored fault-finding such as seems to come natural +to some brothers in appealing from a decision of some sisters. + +"I don't like the way this trail is shaping up, if you'll excuse my +English," answered Rosemary Boyd. + +"Your English is perfectly excusable, Rosemary," retorted Floyd. "In +fact I rather like it. It is much better than this _trail_, to be +frank." + +"Are you sure we have come the right road?" + +"As sure as I can be of anything in this doggoned country, where they +haven't enough sign posts. I took the turns they told me to take in +the last town we passed through, and all the land marks have run true +to form so far." + +"But we're a good ways from Uncle Henry's ranch yet; aren't we, Floyd?" +and there crept into the voice of Rosemary an anxious note. + +"Well, maybe we are, but what do we care for a few hundred miles?" + +He laughed merrily, showing a set of white, even teeth, and his jollity +was so catching that his sister had to join in. + +"Well, I suppose it really doesn't make much difference," she said. +"We're out for a lark and we've had it, so far. Only I don't seem to +fancy sleeping out in the open again to-night. We were lost yesterday, +you remember, and didn't make the town we expected to." + +Floyd seemed to be waiting for something. + +"Well?" he suggested. "Why don't you add that it was all my fault." + +"I was going to leave that out," Rosemary said. + +"But I'll admit it," acknowledged her brother. "I did pull a bloomer, +as an Englishman would say, and I don't intend to do it again to-day. +I admit I shouldn't have tried to do more than a day's trip yesterday. +If I had taken your advice and stayed in the town where there was at +least an apology for a hotel, you'd have had a better night's sleep." + +"Well, I didn't mind being out in the open so much, after I got used to +the howling of those wolves," Rosemary remarked. + +"Coyotes--coyotes--not wolves, though they're off the same piece of +goods," corrected Floyd. + +"Well, never mind the lesson in natural history," laughed Rosemary. +"The point at issue is that I don't like the sort of country we're +getting into. It doesn't look to me as though this could ever lead us +to Uncle Henry's ranch, and I'm anxious to get there. Bud's mother +wrote that he and his cousins, Nort and Dick, had such exciting times, +that I'm anxious to join them." + +"So'm I," said Floyd. "And we'll get there." + +"Not on this trail!" declared his sister, as her brother was about to +start the car. "You're getting into a worse and wilder country all the +while. I think we should have taken the left turn a ways back." + +"The cow puncher we asked told us to take the _right_ turn, and I did," +retorted Floyd. + +"Cow puncher!" exclaimed his sister scornfully, "He looked more like a +renegade Mexican than a real American cowboy. And his accent was +Spanish, too." + +"Oh, well, lots of good American cowboys came from Mexican or Spanish +people, and speak both languages," asserted Floyd. "Don't hold that +against him." + +"I don't," said Rosemary. "But I will hold it against him if he has +put us on the wrong trail, and I'm beginning to believe that's what he +did. And maybe purposely, Floyd." + +"Purposely? What do you mean?" + +"Well, you know what we were told when we started out to make this +trip--that we had better take the most civilized and best traveled +trails, as the Yaquis were reported to be on the verge of making an +outbreak." + +"Yes, and for that reason I kept well away from the border. But we +aren't anywhere near the Yaquis country now." + +"Aren't we?" asked Rosemary, with a strange quietness in her voice. + +"No, of course not!" snapped Floyd. It was the first time, since +brother and sister had started from California, to make a somewhat +adventurous trip to their uncle's ranch that they had been near a +"break" in their cordial relations. "The Yaquis are five hundred miles +from here." + +"I hope so, I surely do hope so!" murmured Rosemary, in such fervent +tones that her brother felt an uneasy sense of fear creeping into his +heart. For the first time he began to realize that perhaps they had +done a foolhardy thing in making this trip alone. He slipped his hand +into his pocket, making sure that his gun was in readiness. And it did +not relieve his anxiety to note that Rosemary did the same. + +Brother and sister were of the west. They were brave and bold and not +afraid of danger when they had half a chance to meet it face to face. +But they had heard much of the treacherous and mean nature of the +Yaquis Indians. These were not like the early American tribes of +redmen, who had something of a code of honor in their warfare, cruel +and heartless as it seemed at times. + +"Well, do you want to go back?" asked Floyd, as he slowly started the +car. + +Rosemary considered for a moment. + +"Let's look at the map and go over what we were told along the route," +she suggested. + +Then followed a careful scanning of papers and drawings, with the +result that Rosemary said: + +"I guess we may as well go on. It's a long way back to the nearest +town, and this map does seem to indicate that we are heading for La +Nogalique." + +"That's what I say!" chimed in Floyd. "I only hope La Nogalique is +better than it sounds. If we can put up there for the night you'll get +a little rest, and maybe I'll have this carburetor adjusted. I don't +like the way it's acting." + +"Oh, good, sweet, kind carburetor, don't go back on us now!" implored +Rosemary, kissing her hand toward the engine of the car. "Be nice and +I'll sprinkle you with violet talcum powder when we get to Uncle +Henry's!" + +"Don't be silly!" grunted Floyd. + +"Let's go!" called his sister. "It's getting late, and according to +this map it's ten miles yet to La Nogalique--which means twenty if we +are going by past performances." + +The car sped forward, the trail seeming to grow worse instead of +better, as might be expected if they were approaching a town. Lurching +from side to side, making sharp turns to avoid bowlders and holes, +Floyd guided the machine. Now and then Rosemary would glance at her +brother, after a particularly vicious jolt, but she said nothing. + +"A good sport!" Floyd mentally voted his sister. + +They topped a steep rise, and as they started down the other slope, +making a turn, Rosemary pointed ahead and exclaimed: + +"There! Now we're all right! La Nogalique!" + +Nestling in a small valley was a smaller town, its few buildings +showing plainly in the last rays of the sun which would soon set behind +the mountains and hills. + +"Guess we're not so badly off after all!" exulted Floyd. "We'll sleep +in real beds tonight!" + +"And I take back what I--er--_thought_ about you!" laughed his sister. + +"Thanks for not _saying_ it!" chuckled Floyd. "I admit I was guessing +myself a while back, for that trail looked as though it was heading +straight for no place in particular. But we're all right now." + +However, as they descended the slope, approaching the town, it became a +question in both the mind of sister and brother as to whether they were +all right. When they came near enough to see and hear plainly it +became evident that something unusual was going on in La Nogalique, if +such was the village in view. + +There was the popping of guns and intermittant shouts, while figures +could be seen riding wildly to and fro amid the scattered buildings. + +"Guess there's some sort of a celebration," commented Floyd. + +"Probably some Mexicans have come over the border, and are celebrating +a feast day," observed his sister. "This must be about the border line +between the United States and Mexico." + +"I reckon," conceded Floyd. "But say, I don't just like this! Look, +those men are shooting at each other!" + +He stopped the car and pointed to two groups of horsemen who, +undoubtedly, were firing at each other with evil intent. For as +Rosemary and Floyd looked, several men toppled from their saddles, and +their steeds rushed wildly to and fro. + +Then, as the travelers sat in the machine, looking down the last slope +that led to the town, a solitary horseman came clattering up the rocky +trail. + +"Turn back! Turn back!" he shouted. "Don't go down there!" + +He was attired as a cowboy and spoke good United States. + +"What's the matter?" demanded Floyd, as he let the car roll to one side +to give the horseman room to pass. + +"Yaquis!" was the answer. "Them onery Mexican Indians have broke loose +and are raiding the country. They've started in here at La Nogalique! +I'm riding for the troops. Better turn back!" + +"Oh, Floyd!" cried Rosemary, involuntarily. + +"Don't go down there!" warned the horseman, as he spurred on, for he +saw the car slipping down the slope. + +"I don't intend to, if I can turn around and beat it up the hill," +Floyd said. "The question is--can I?" + +It was a question. The road was narrow, and the hill steep. If you +have ever tried to turn a car around on a narrow, hilly road and crawl +back up it, you will appreciate the position of Rosemary and her +brother. + +"If you can't make it in your car get out and hide!" advised the +horseman, flinging this back over his shoulder as he rode on. "Those +Yaquis are human devils!" + +He was out of sight a moment later around a turn in the trail. Floyd +speeded up the engine and began to guide the machine toward a place +that looked wide enough to turn in. But that was the smallest part of +the problem. + +Just as he was making the turn there was a lurch to one side, and the +right forward wheel sank into a ditch at the side of the road. The car +settled so far over that Rosemary had to cling to Floyd to avoid +sliding out, and she could not repress a scream. + +"No going back now!" exclaimed Floyd grimly. "We're lucky if we can go +ahead." + +"Do something!" desperately cried Rosemary. + +And then, with a suddenness that was nerve-racking, there swept around +the bend in the road toward them a band of yelling Mexican Indians--the +Yaquis! + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +PRISONERS + +Rosemary and Floyd knew something of the west. They had lived in +California a number of years, and had traveled across the continent +more than once--by auto on one occasion. So they were not at all +disappointed when they saw the Yaquis did not measure up to the +picturesque standard of Buffalo Bill's Indians. + +In fact the first glimpse of the onrushing band of Yaquis would give +one the impression that they were a lot of colored cowboys, in most +ragged garments. But each one carried a gun or a revolver and the +weapons were for use, and had been used, some with fatal effect. + +Shouting and yelling, some firing their guns off in the air, beating +coiled lassos against the heaving sides of their steeds, spurring the +frantic animals, shouting in Spanish, all of them dusty, sweaty and +dirty--the band was at once ridiculous and fearsome. + +Up the trail they rushed, adding to their fierce yells as they caught +sight of the auto in which sat Rosemary and Floyd. Probably the band +of Yaquis had started off after the cowboy messenger who was riding to +summon the United States troopers, and the finding of Rosemary and +Floyd was but an accident. + +But it was an accident likely to bode ill for our friends. The Indians +(I call them that though they were really Mexicans) having sighted what +was to them fair game, were turned from their original purpose of +capturing the messenger. + +Rosemary and Floyd caught a jumbled jargon of Spanish shouts, mingled +with Mexican and American words, and then out of the ruck of riders a +solitary horseman spurred toward them. + +"He's the leader, I guess!" exclaimed Floyd, and Rosemary caught the +gleam of his revolver in her brother's hand. + +"Floyd! Don't!" she cried. + +"Don't what?" + +"Don't shoot? Oh, we haven't a chance! If we do kill--or wound a +few--it will only make it worse for us. Don't shoot!" + +Rosemary spoke only just in time, for Floyd was already raising the +weapon to aim at the leader who had spurred out of the ruck of other +yelling Yaquis. + +And, as if this leader sensed what was about to happen, and had decided +to administer a lesson, there was a sharp crack from his side. He had +not raised his hand higher than his saddle pommel, but Floyd's hat spun +from his head and went sailing to the ground. At the same time he +heard a vicious "zing" which told of a bullet in flight. + +"Floyd!" screamed Rosemary. + +"I'm all right! He's bluffing!" her brother answered. But he did not +shoot back. + +This Yaqui, better dressed and mounted, but more evil in face than any +of his band, smiled grimly as he jammed his gun back into the holster. +And Floyd had the sense to return his weapon. As Rosemary had said, +there was grave danger in firing, for at best only a few of the Yaquis +could have been disposed of, and the others would have taken a terrible +revenge. + +Right up to the stalled car--stalled because it had lurched to one side +in the ditch--rode the yelling Yaquis. Some of them got in the path of +the evident leader, but he bumped them to one side with his horse--a +more powerful animal than any ridden by his followers--shouting at them +in vigorous Spanish as he knocked them out of his way. + +"La Paz! La Paz!" is what Rosemary and Floyd heard shouted at the +leader, and this they took to be his name, or, at least, his title. +From then on they referred to him as "Paz," which was as good an +appellation as any. + +Up to the auto he rode, at breakneck speed, pulling his horse to a +sliding stop, so that the animal almost sat down on its hind legs in an +effort to avoid crashing into the car. To the credit of Rosemary be it +said that she did not scream, nor did Floyd flinch, though it seemed, +for a moment, that there would be a crash. + +Then the Yaqui leader, with a grunt, and a wave of his begrimed +hand--in which grime Rosemary noticed with a shudder, blood was +mingled--indicated that the travelers were to alight. + +"Nothing doing, Chief! That is if you are a chief!" boldly answered +Floyd. "We're United States citizens, on United States soil, and we +don't have to do what you tell us. Pull your freight--get your men out +of the way and we'll mosey along. That is we will if I can get the car +out of the ditch!" + +The Yaqui grinned, but did not take his eyes from Rosemary or Floyd, +and muttered: + +"No _sabe_!" + +"Oh, you _understand_ all right--you don't want to, that's the +trouble," exclaimed Floyd. "Come now, be a sport. I don't know what +your fight is with the men down there," and he motioned to the town +below, where sounds of fighting could still be heard, "but we haven't +done anything. If some of your men will help me get out of this ditch +I'll pay 'em." + +Evidently "pay" was one word not only Paz, but some of his followers, +understood, for there were grunts and eyes gleamed more brightly while +some of the Indians started forward. + +Paz shot out a few words at his men, and those who had had the +boldness, to move forward pulled back their ponies. Evidently he had +them well in hand. + +Rapidly he uttered something in Spanish, at the same time again waving +his hand to indicate to Floyd and Rosemary that they were to get out of +the machine. Brother and sister knew enough of the language to +understand what was said. It was the same request made in gestures. + +"Shall I jump on him, Rose?" asked Floyd in a low voice. "I can just +about make it from here, and I haven't forgotten my football tackle +days. Shall I jump on him? Then maybe you can pop one or two, and we +can start down in the car. Once we get into town the officials are +bound to protect us." + +"Don't, Floyd!" his sister advised in the same low tone. "We have no +chance but to submit, and wait for help. I've heard of these Yaquis. +There aren't enough men in La Nogalique to cope with them except +troopers come. And they're far enough off." + +"Just give in, and hope for the best. But don't let them separate +us--whatever--whatever you have to do." + +There was a catch in the girl's voice, but this was the only evidence +of fear she had shown. She was a true "sport." + +"But what do you suppose their game is?" asked Floyd, and during this +talk between brother and sister, the Yaqui leader, stood regarding them +quizzically. + +"I don't know," Rosemary answered. "This is just one of their +periodical raids, I guess, and they have just added us to their list. +But we'll have to do as they tell us--at least for the time being. +Help me down, Floyd." + +He assisted her out of the car. Paz, smiling--or perhaps grinning +would be the better word--came toward them, and motioned with his hand +toward the gun Floyd had put up. + +"You don't get it,--Paz unless you want the business end!" snapped out +Floyd, and his hand edged toward the weapon with no mistake in his +meaning. + +In an instant he was "covered" by the gun in the hand of the Indian, +and Rosemary changed the scream she had started to utter to the advice: + +"Give it up, Floyd! They haven't seen mine and don't know I have one. +Maybe I can get by with it!" + +Floyd almost sighed as he passed over his weapon, butt first, in the +accepted style of surrendering. Paz grinned again, and motioned to his +men to come up. One of them began loosening a lariat at his saddle +horn. + +"They're going to make prisoners of us," said Floyd. + +"Never mind! There'll be some way out," whispered Rosemary. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +INTO THE MOUNTAINS + +Disreputable ragamuffins as they appeared, the Yaquis were quick enough +to put their captives in a position to render them almost helpless. +Though the Mexican Indians do not seem to have the picturesqueness and +skill of the outdoors possessed by the North American Indians, still +they knew how to knot their lariats about Rosemary and Floyd, and so +tie them on spare horses that it would have been no easy task to escape. + +Aside from rude hands bundling her about, no insult was offered +Rosemary; and though Floyd was not treated so gently he was not +actually mistreated. Rosemary was not searched, and her automatic +remained in a hidden pocket, where, if need be, she could quickly reach +it. + +Floyd's gun was taken away, and all the money he carried loose in his +pockets. But he had been wise enough when starting out on this trip, +to make a secret pocket in his vest, and this now held a goodly sum +which the Indians overlooked. Of course a more careful search would +reveal it, as it would Rosemary's gun. + +Paz, speaking in Spanish, detailed several men to guard the prisoners +and then, taking his place at the head of his band, he led them back +down the trail. + +"Say, what does this mean?" asked Floyd of his sister. "He's going +right back down among men that ought to be our friends. If there are +any town officials there, or a soldier or two, they ought to save us." + +"I'm afraid there isn't, though," the girl answered. "If there had +been the lone cowboy wouldn't have ridden for help. And the fighting +is still going on." + +The sound of shooting was resumed as she spoke, and shouts and yells +came to Floyd's ears. He began to understand what had happened, his +surmise being borne out, later, by the facts. + +La Nogalique is a town in Arizona, just on the Mexican border. In fact +so close is it that in places only a barbed wire fence separates the +possessions of Uncle Sam from those of the Mexican republic. And +outside of town even the wire fence "petered out," so there was +nothing--no natural boundary--to tell where citizens were under the +protection of the stars and stripes or under the domain of the +descendants of Montezuma. + +What had happened, just as Rosemary and Floyd suspected, was that the +Yaquis--never very peaceable--had risen in one of their periodic raids. +They frequently hold up the Southern Pacific trains, kill and rob the +passengers and take what express matter they like. + +This band, probably weary of making war on the none too resisting +Mexican soldiery, had crossed the border, and "shot up" La Nogalique. +When it was learned that one of the cowboys of the town had ridden to +bring some United States troops from a nearby station, Paz, one of the +leaders, had set out with his followers to capture the rider. They had +come upon Rosemary and her brother with the result detailed. + +"But why are they riding back into town with us?" Floyd wanted to know. + +"Mexico is south of La Nogalique," answered Rosemary. "They have to +ride through it to get back to Mexico, and they--they're taking us with +them!" + +There was a gasp in her voice. + +"We've got to do something!" desperately cried Floyd. He strained at +his bonds, but uselessly. + +Paz turned and shouted something in anger, but Floyd gave him back +fully as black a look as the one on the Yaqui leader's face. At least +Floyd was going to maintain a bold front. + +Down the slope and into the small town rode the Indians with their +captives. Now the sound of shooting and shouting became louder. It +was evident that some of the Americans were making a stand against the +Indians. The Americans were firing from houses and other shelter, the +Indians riding here and there, aiming whenever they saw anyone at whom +to shoot. Several evidently dead bodies were in the streets, the +proportion being about equal between the Americans and the Indians. +Rosemary could not repress a shudder as she saw, in one doorway, a dead +woman and a little girl. + +How the fight started, whether it could have been avoided, and what the +town officials had done or were doing, were only matters for surmise. + +"There was a fight but I guess the Indians were too many for our +fellows," grimly said Floyd, as his horse was led along. He had +managed to keep close to Rosemary. + +"It looks that way," the girl said. "Oh, Floyd! If we could only get +word to our folks or Uncle Henry!" + +"I don't see how we can," said Floyd. "When night comes maybe we can +break away, but--" + +He did not finish. It was a desperate hope as he and Rosemary well +knew. + +Suddenly, when the centre of the town was reached by the band having +taken our friends captive, there was a burst of fire, mingled with +shouts of defiance. Out of one of the buildings burst a band of +American cowboys and others. They had gathered together to make a +stand, and this was their chance. + +Several of the Indians fell from their saddles, and others, though +wounded, managed to retain their seats. Bullets flew about Rosemary +and Floyd, fortunately not hitting them, but coming too close for +comfort. + +Paz and his followers were evidently taken by surprise, and for a +moment did not return the fire. Then, as it increased the Indians +turned and began fleeing up the trail they had just descended, taking +Rosemary and Floyd with them. Evidently they not only thought there +might be danger in making a stand against the intrepid Americans, but +perhaps they reasoned that they had captives too valuable to risk +losing in another pitched fight. + +At any rate Paz gave the orders to retreat, and his men obeyed. +Rosemary and Floyd saw what was happening. Helpless, they were carried +away into the mountains. + +True it was United States territory, but for all the good that did the +captives, it might as well have been Mexico. There were no troops or +other help at hand. + +Paz rode on ahead, and directly behind him came his more trusted +followers surrounding Rosemary and Floyd. + +Suddenly Paz and his lieutenants (if such they might be called) in the +lead, were thrown back in confusion as shots rang out, and Floyd and +his sister had a glimpse of some cowboys riding down the trail, as if +to give battle. + +"Hurray! Now we're all right. This is a rescue! The troopers are +coming!" shouted Floyd. + +But though the valiant cowboys made a brave stand they were too few to +cope with the Indians. It developed, later, that they were a stray +band who had been told of the trouble by the lone cowboy who was riding +after the troops. The band of punchers, resolving to do their best, +had spurred to the fight, but were overwhelmed. + +Two were killed and another wounded. And this youth--he was but that +in years--managed to break through the first line of Indians like a +football player with the ball smashing the interference of the opposing +team. + +Right to the side of Rosemary and Floyd he galloped, and then the girl +had a flash of inspiration. Quickly she managed to take from her +pocket a notebook, and, one of the ropes coming loose from her hand, +she was able to scribble on a torn out page this message: + +"Get word to my uncle, Henry Merkel, Diamond X Ranch, that Floyd and I +are taken. Ask him to send help." + +She rolled this into a ball, and as the cowboy lurched past her she +thrust it into his hand. + +"Ride! Ride away!" Rosemary fairly shouted in his ear, for there was +so much noise of shooting and yelling that she had to cry loudly to +make herself understood. + +"I'm going to stay and fight!" cried the youth recklessly. + +"You can't! They're too many! Ride and bring help! Deliver my +message!" pleaded Rosemary. "It's the best way to help us!" + +Then, as Paz, wild and furious, rode up with pistol aimed at the +cowboy, the latter fired his last shot, full in the face of the Indian +leader, wheeled his horse, and managed to dash away. + +How Paz escaped no one knew, but the shot only grazed him, and with +mutterings he threw aside his own empty weapon, and spurred after the +bold cowboy. But the horse of Paz slipped, while the steed of the +American, being more sure footed, carried him out of danger. + +He vanished around a turn in the trail, and Paz swung back to his own +men, several of whom had been wounded, and one killed by the bold, +dashing American cowboys. + +Then, when this little "fracas" was over, Rosemary and Floyd were again +led forward, into the mountain fastness, prisoners of the Yaquis. +While, miles away, the boy ranchers were totally unaware of the tragic +happenings. + +"What did you do, Rose?" asked Floyd, in a low voice, as the trail was +resumed. + +"I scribbled a note and sent it by that cowboy. He'll bring help if he +can." + +"Well, I hope he can. If they don't get him, or he doesn't lose your +note." + +But the message was delivered and was the means of spurring into action +those at Diamond X ranch. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +SHOOTING STARS + +Contrary to what was usual when a band of cowboys, including Bud, Nort, +and Dick, started off on the trail, there was very little singing, +laughing and joking as they gave their ponies rein to begin pursuit +after the kidnapping Yaquis. Even the lightest-spirited cowpuncher +felt the gravity of the situation, though, save for the three boy +ranchers, none had ever seen Rosemary and Floyd. And it was so long +ago that Bud, Nort and Dick had met these western cousins that they +scarcely remembered them. + +"But we'd hit the trail for the rescue whether they were our cousins or +not!" declared Bud Merkel, as he kicked his heels against the flanks of +his pony, and sent that steady-going animal forward with a rush. + +"Whoa there, son, whoa there!" advised Snake Purdee who was in +leadership of the party. + +"That's right," chimed in Yellin' Kid, with his usual strident tones. +"Take it easy, Bud, We've got a long, hard trail ahead of us, and we +haven't any spare horses." + +"I didn't intend to start a race," spoke Bud, as he slowed up and +waited for Nort and Dick. "I was just wishing I could kick some of +those greasy Mexican Indians, and it must have been a sort of reflex +action on my part that gave Toot a tap in the ribs," and he patted his +pony, no very handsome steed, but a sticker on a long trail. Bud had +taught his pony to run out of the corral at the blowing of a horn, +hence the name "Toot." + +"I don't know anything about them there reflex actions," observed +Yellin' Kid, "but I do know that this is no fishin' party! We've got +hard work cut out for us if we're to trail them sneakin' Yaquis." + +"You delivered an earful that time, my friend," stated Rolling Stone, +with a grim smile. "I've had dealings with these imps and while they +don't compare in bloodthirstiness with the worst of our former American +Indians, they're bad enough. I know!" + +He seemed to gaze afar, into the past, and the boy ranchers hoped he +would some day tell the details of how he had come so to hate the +Yaquis. + +The trailing party, started into action by the receipt of the message +so daringly written by Rosemary, consisted of fifteen cowboys, and in +these I include our three heroes, who certainly are entitled to be +classed with the others. For though not as old, they had had +considerable experience now, and were able to rough it with the most +veteran cow puncher. + +In addition to Bud, Nort and Dick, there was Snake Purdee, who was in +virtual charge, according to instructions from Bud's father. Yellin' +Kid, Rolling Stone and several other cowboys made up the remainder of +the party, which was well armed, and provisioned as fully as was +practical. They expected to replenish their packs of food at various +places, and if they passed beyond the pale of civilization they would +live off the land, or do their best in this respect. + +"It can't be any worse for us than for those Indians," Snake Purdee had +said, when the talk was on the food question. + +"Yes, but a white man can't live on what those heathen eat," remarked +Rolling Stone. "They'll eat lizards and snakes, and think they're +stopping at one of the best hotels, with bath an' everything. Or they +can go without eating longer than any human beings I ever saw. In fact +I don't believe they are human. They're imps, that's what they +are--plain imps! If I had my way I'd--" + +Rolling Stone gave a sudden jump, and a grunt, the reason for this +action being that Snake Purdee had urged his steed to a place next to +that of the speaker and had given him a jolting punch in the ribs. + +"Wha-wha--" stuttered Rolling Stone. + +In answer Snake pointed toward Bud and his cousins, on whose faces were +looks of grave alarm as the new acquisition to their forces spoke thus +of the fierce character of the Yaquis. + +"Don't get 'em to worrying too much about that there young lady an' +gent what these Indians have carried off," whispered Snake, and it was +well it was he who spoke, and not Yellin' Kid, or our heroes would have +sensed what was up. "Keep it dark," advised Snake. "Keep it dark! +Don't take the heart out of 'em!" + +"Oh!" exclaimed Rolling Stone. "I see!" + +"Pity you wouldn't," snapped out the cowboy leader. "You got to have a +little consideration for the young fellers!" + +Rolling Stone nodded, and then, as if to make amends for what he had +said, he added: + +"Course I'm not saying _all_ Yaquis are alike. There may be some half +way, or maybe a quarter way decent. And maybe they've captured this +young lady and gentleman just for ransom. In that case they'll take +good care of 'em." + +"Do you think so?" asked Bud, for, truth to tell, he had been greatly +alarmed as he thought of the possible fate of Rosemary and her brother +in the hands of the unprincipled Yaquis. + +"Oh, sure!" asserted Rolling Stone, with more conviction than he felt. +"They're after money, these Indians are, or what money will buy. And +they like good U.S. money instead of Mex. dollars which are worth about +fourteen and a half cents a pound just now. So it's to their interests +to treat their captives well, so they'll bring a good price in the +market." + +"Good price?" exclaimed Nort. "Do they put them up at auction?" + +"No, I didn't mean just that," Rolling Stone hastened to add. "I mean +if they ask a ransom they're bound to keep the prisoners in good shape +for if they don't produce 'em in that same fashion they're likely to +slip up on the reward." + +"Then they won't harm Rosemary or Floyd?" asked Dick, whose vivid +imagination had pictured his cousins as being subject to the tortures +of the burning stake. + +"Well, of course they won't have feather beds to sleep on," spoke +Rolling Stone slowly, "but I take it your cousins are used to roughing +it, and it will be no worse than a scouting trip for them." + +"Yes, I s'pose Floyd is used to camping out," admitted Bud. "But as +for Rosemary--" + +"Don't worry, son," advised Snake. "Rosemary is a western girl and you +know what your sister is." + +"That's right!" and Bud visibly brightened. "Nell could look after +herself if given half a chance. And maybe we'll catch up to these +Yaquis before very long." + +"Sure we will!" asserted Snake, but he and the other cowboys, more +experienced in matters of this sort than our heroes, felt that there +was a grim terror between them and those whom they pursued. + +However they had started, and were making as good time as possible. +Messages had passed between Mr. Merkel and those in authority at La +Nogalique, and the probable route of the kidnapping Yaquis was +indicated as well as could be. This saved a long trip to the border in +order to get on the trail of the Indians from the time they had taken +Rosemary and Floyd. + +Well armed, with righteous indignation burning in their hearts, used to +roughing it, and with men who knew almost every foot of the country, +the expedition from Diamond X was well equipped for the work in hand. + +At first after they started out there was eager talk, and speculation +as to where the Indians would be met with, and what the probable +outcome would be of the fight that was sure to follow. + +"Unless they run off when they see us and leave Rosemary and Floyd for +us to bring back," spoke Dick, almost afraid lest this outcome should +prevent a fight. + +"Don't worry. They won't run! They'll stand and give us as good or as +bad as we can send," declared Rolling Stone. + +"We'll wipe out the band if we get half a chance!" declared Bud, and it +was not said in a bloodthirsty or boastful spirit. It was calm +retribution that actuated our friends. + +Along the trail they traveled--a trail they were destined to follow for +weary days and nights. This was only the beginning. They must make +all the speed they could, and yet spare the horses all that was +possible. There was a chance of getting new mounts at several places, +but it was only a chance and could not be depended on. They must save +what they had, both in the way of horseflesh and rations. + +Night found them well on their way, and though the boys were eager to +continue, Snake insisted on a halt being made not only for supper but +to give men and horses a needed rest. + +"The Indians will have to stop just as we do," said the older cowboy. +"They can't keep on continually; they have to stop and rest." + +"Yes, I suppose so," granted Bud. + +So the night camp was made, and when the horses had been turned out to +graze, hobbled so they would not stray, and when the evening meal was +over, the party sat about the fires, talking of but one topic--what +would happen when they came up with the Yaquis. + +As they were in friendly country, not after cattle rustlers and had no +fear of Del Pinzo and his gang, there was felt to be no need of +standing guard. But for all this Bud, Nort and Dick were a bit +restless, and did not sleep as soundly as the others. + +In fact along toward morning, though while it was yet very dark, Nort, +thinking he heard suspicious noises, unrolled from his blanket and +stood up. + +"What's the matter?" came in a hoarse whisper from his brother. + +"I don't know," answered Nort, in the same hoarse tones. "I thought I +heard something." + +"So did I," and Dick scrambled out to stand beside his brother. "Are +the horses all right?" + +"I hope so. We're lost without them. Let's take a look and--" + +Nort stopped suddenly and pointed to the northern sky. Above the +horizon shone some red sparkles of light skimming and shimmering +through the dark night. + +"Shooting stars!" remarked Dick, in a whisper. + +"Shooting nothing!" cried Nort, and his voice was loud. "Those are +signals from the Yaquis! Snake! Wake up! We're right close to the +Indians!" he yelled. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +A LONE INDIAN + +Less noise than that which issued from the excited throat of Nort would +have been sufficient to arouse a larger camp than that of the cowboys +on the trail of the Yaquis. Instantly every man in the party, not +forgetting Bud who had been sleeping as soundly as any, was on the +alert, gun in hand, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with the other fist. + +"What's up?" snarled Snake. He always did hate to rouse suddenly. + +"Look!" cried Nort, pointing to the north, where, now and then, a +shimmering light cut the blackness of the sky. "Dick says they're +shooting stars, but I say Indian signals." + +"They aren't shooting stars, that's sure!" declared Rolling Stone. +"I've slept in the open too often, counting those same shooting stars, +to be mistaken. They're signals of some kind!" + +"But not Indians' signals," asserted Yellin' Kid. + +"Whose then?" Nort wanted to know, satisfied that he had not awakened +the camp in vain. + +"They're rockets--or some sort of fire works," went on Dick. "First I +thought they were shooting stars, but I can see now that they aren't. +They're sky rockets or Roman candles." + +"That's right," agreed Snake. "And no Yaquis will fool with such +infernal machines as them." + +"Unless your cousins had some," suggested Yellin' Kid looking toward +Bud and his chums. Some one had thrown an armful of greasewood on the +fire, and it blazed up brightly, disclosing the countenances of the +Indian trailers. + +"What would Rosemary and Floyd be doing with fireworks?" asked Bud. + +"I didn't know but what they might be bringing some to Diamond X for a +celebration, and the Indians, having laid hands on the rockets as well +as on your cousins, might be setting 'em off--setting off the rockets I +mean--for a celebration over their victory," observed Yellin' Kid, +somewhat out of breath after this long oration. + +"Nonsense!" asserted Snake. "The Indians wouldn't set off the rockets +on purpose. They'd be afraid. Though of course they may have done so +by accident." + +"I don't believe Rosemary or Floyd would be bringing us fireworks," +remarked Bud. "They're too old for such kid stuff." + +"That's what I thought," said Snake. + +"But who is shooting off the rockets?" asked Nort, as another brilliant +burst of fire, not unlike shooting stars, illuminated the dark northern +sky. + +"Troopers," said the old cowboy. + +"Troopers?" question Dick. + +"Yes. United States cavalry. There are several companies stationed +out here, and they may be on a practice march, or having a sham battle, +as they sometimes do. These are signals from one post to another." + +"Or maybe a signal about the Indians," suggested Bud. + +"Yes," agreed Snake. "It may be the troopers are after the Yaquis. I +sure hope so, for the imps are going to be hard enough to nab once they +get up in the foothills and mountains. We'll need the help of the +troopers for sure!" + +"Isn't there some way we could let them know we're coming?" asked Dick. + +"Not very handy," the cowboy leader answered. "We haven't any +fireworks, and shooting off our guns would only waste good bullets that +we may need later. Besides, those shooting stars are farther off than +they look. We couldn't make our guns heard, and the flashes would be +so low down they couldn't be seen. All we can do is to wait until +morning. We're traveling in that direction anyhow, and we may come up +with the regulars." + +"With their help we'll make short work of the Yaquis!" boasted Nort. + +"Don't be so sure of that," warned Rolling Stone. "The Indians, while +nothing like the American redmen, are cute and foxy enough in their own +way. They probably know of nooks and hiding places in the mountains +where they could lay up for weeks, and almost next door to a troop of +soldiers, without getting located. It's going to be largely a matter +of luck if we nab 'em!" + +"Well, here's hoping," voiced Bud, as he turned toward the fire. + +It was chilly out in the open at that hour of the morning. For though +the days are very hot, it began to get cool very often as soon as the +sun went down, and the air kept getting cooler until the golden rays +again warmed the earth. So one and all sought the genial blaze, to +thaw out a little before again rolling in blankets to wait for sunrise. + +Aside from the alarm over the shooting stars, nothing else disturbed +the camp that night, and all were gladly astir with daybreak. The fire +was started into new life, and soon coffee was boiling over the coals, +while mingled with its odor was the appetizing smell of crisp bacon. + +"Let me make the flapjacks," begged Rolling Stone. "I used to be a +great hand for them, and I still have some small skill." + +He would need to have, for not a member of the party but what could +turn a neatly browned cake high in the air, catching it unerringly as +it came down, to be cooked on the other side. Even Nort and Dick had +become quite adept at this. + +But the skill of even Snake Purdee had to take a back seat in the face +of the performance of Rolling Stone. Not only were his cakes better in +taste, and more delicately browned, but he showed almost uncanny skill +in tossing them high in the air, and catching them in the pan as they +came down. Not once did a cake "slop over"--that is descend half +within and half without the pan. Each one fell true and in the middle +of the skillet, there to be held over the coals again until crisp and +brown. + +"You're a wonder--that's what you are!" affirmed Yellin' Kid in his +usual hearty tones, as he passed his tin plate for more. + +"It's a gift--that's all! Just a gift!" modestly admitted the +self-constituted "flapjacketer," as he laughingly dubbed himself. + +Smart was the word and smart was the action when breakfast was ended. +The horses had made their meal during the night, and were ready for +their riders who were soon in the saddle, riding toward the north--the +north in which direction the Yaquis had vanished with their +captives--the north where the mysterious signal lights had been seen. + +Through the day rode the posse of self-constituted seekers after the +captives. They could not hope, for some time yet, to come upon actual +traces of the Yaquis. But they felt that they were heading in the +proper direction. + +It was towards the close of the afternoon, when they were beginning to +seek for a suitable camping place, with water, that Nort, who had +ridden on a little in advance, came to a halt at the top of a rise. +His halt was caused by the appearance of a solitary horseman, coming +toward him. And it needed but a second look, through that clear +atmosphere, to disclose that the rider was not an American cowboy. + +"What's wrong, Nort?" called Bud, for he had sensed something unusual +in his cousin's attitude. + +"An Indian!" was the answer. "A lone Indian!" + +The others rode hastily up the slope. The solitary horseman was coming +rapidly on. He seemed to have no fear of thus riding into the midst of +his enemies. + +"Got his nerve with him, anyhow!" mused Snake, as he looked to his gun. + +"Maybe he's come to say the Yaquis will surrender and give up Rosemary +and Floyd," suggested Dick. "Maybe they know we're on their trail." + + + + +CHAPTER X + +SHOTS FROM AMBUSH + +The boy ranchers were very free with their surmises as to what might +portend the oncoming of the lone Indian. Youth is ever thus, eager to +guess instead of waiting for certainties. The older cowboys--Yellin' +Kid, Snake, Rolling Stone and those who made up the rescue +party--remained in silent contemplation of the approaching figure. + +"He rides doggoned funny," observed Snake. + +"Like a bag of oats," added Rolling Stone. "Looks like he'd fall off +any minute." + +"Say!" began Bud eagerly, and then he stopped, as if he had thought +better. + +"What's the matter?" asked Nort. + +"Don't you know somebody who rides just like that?" Bud inquired. +"Some one we all know?" + +Nort and Dick uttered exclamations. Bud's words were all that was +needed to set in motion a slumbering train of thought. + +"Looks to me like he was hurt," affirmed Yellin' Kid. "Can't be one of +the Yaquis. They wouldn't be this near. And if they was they'd be too +big cowards to ride right for us this way." + +"This isn't any unfriendly Indian!" declared Bud. "He knows us--and we +know him!" + +"How come?" demanded Snake, half incredulously. + +"Can't you see?" cried Bud. "It's our own Indian--Buck Tooth!" + +"Wow!" shouted Yellin' Kid. "So it is! But I'd never have known him. +He's all togged out--got his war paint on!" + +And, in very truth, Buck Tooth--for he it was--had donned a strange +garb. Wearing some of the clothing of civilization, he had ornamented +himself with dangling bits of cow-hide, with parts of tails dangling +from it. He carried behind him a collection of pans and camp +paraphanalia that rattled and banged about him as he rode forward. He +had stuck some feathers in his coarse black hair and he was a somewhat +laughable mixture of an American and Mexican Indian on the warpath. + +"Ugh!" grunted Buck Tooth when he came within speaking distance. Not +that he ever spoke much, but this was his greeting. + +"What'd you come away from the ranch for?" demanded Bud, for Buck Tooth +was a valued hand on a cattle place, and he had been left with the +somewhat small force to take charge of Happy Valley when the others had +started after the Yaquis. "What you doing here?" Bud wanted to know. + +"Me after 'em too--Yaquis!" grunted the Indian. "Me catchum an' +shootum same like um shoot me!" + +As he spoke, or, rather, grunted this out, he pointed to his left +shoulder. It was bound about with bloody rags, and in spite of his +stoicism the Indian winced as he moved in the saddle. + +"Did the Yaquis shoot you?" cried Nort. + +"Sure! I come after you--no could stay when fight to be done--and +Yaquis what you call plug me! But I plug one, two, three 'fore I quit!" + +"Where was this?" + +"Was there a fight?" + +"Lead us there!" + +"When did it happen?" + +These were only a few of the questions hurled at Buck Tooth, whose name +was obviously well earned once you had looked at him. The old native +seemed stunned by the volley of interrogations, and sat stolidly in his +saddle while more were shot at him. + +"Ugh!" he grunted in answer. "Fight yistidy--back there," and he waved +a dirty hand in the direction whence he had come. + +"Sure they were Yaquis?" asked Snake. + +"Sure; Me know--Me Yaqui once!" + +"That's right!" fairly shouted Bud. "I forgot, for the time being, +that Buck Tooth is a sort of Yaqui Indian. But how comes it they fired +on one of their own tribe?" he asked. + +"Bad Yaquis--no good!" was the answer. + +"That's right--they sure are bad!" declared Rolling Stone. "I've had +dealings with 'em!" + +"Did you see anything of their prisoners--young lady and young man?" +asked Snake. "Say, you'd better talk with him--you can sling his lingo +better than I can," and the cowboy appealed to Bud. + +Thereupon the boy rancher talked to Buck Tooth in a way he knew his +Indian helper could understand, and Buck Tooth answered in like strain. +The Indian had been at Happy Valley ever since that venture had been +under way, and in that time Bud and the old native had come to +understand one another very well. Buck Tooth, it will be remembered, +was of aid to Bud and his cousins when the fight over the water rights +and the dam was under way, and the Indian helped fight Del Pinzo's gang. + +"It's this way," Bud translated to the others, having finished +questioning the Indian. "He got sort of lonesome after we left the +ranch, and though I told him he must stay, he hiked off on his own hook +to join us. He took a roundabout trail so he wouldn't meet up with us +too soon and get sent back. + +"Then, it appears, yesterday, he ran into a bunch of Yaquis, and they +fired at him. He got in among some rocks and fired back, and he says +he did for two or three. Maybe he wounded 'em, or maybe he made 'em +candidates for the Happy Hunting Grounds. Anyhow, after the fight he +managed to get on our trail, and here he is." + +"But did he see anything of Rosemary and Floyd?" asked Nort. + +"Not a sign. He says these Yaquis didn't have any captives," Bud +answered. + +"How do you account for that?" Dick wanted to know, while rather a grim +silence fell on the others. + +"Well, this may have been another party of Indians. Very likely was," +Bud declared. + +"That's right!" chimed in Snake. "The ones that captured Rosemary and +Floyd could hardly have gotten so far north as the ones were that gave +Buck Tooth that little reminder in the shoulder." + +This opinion, coming from one who could reason out the matter, made +everyone feel less apprehensive. + +"There must be two or three bodies of these Yaquis," went on Snake +Purdee. "They always split up after a raid. One party has Rosemary +and Floyd, and another engaged in a little set-to with Buck Tooth. +Being one of them he knew their fighting tricks and he left his marks +on 'em." + +"It's queer one Indian would turn against the others of the same +tribe," spoke Nort. + +"No, not in Buck Tooth's case," declared Bud. "He's a good Indian, if +ever there was one. And, as he says, these Yaquis may be a lot of +half-breeds, or a part of the tribe that is outlawed from the others. +I'm not standing up for the Yaquis," he hastened to add, "for I know +they've done a lot of dirty work. But this bunch may be worse than the +others. Anyhow Buck Tooth says so. And I'm glad he's with us. I felt +sorry after I left him back at the ranch." + +"Yes, he'll be of service I reckon," asserted Snake, and Yellin' Kid +nodded in agreement. + +The Indian's wound, which he had not troubled himself to dress, was +looked after with rough and ready, but effective cowboy skill and then, +a good camping place near a water hole having been reached, saddles +were taken off the weary steeds who began to roll about in welcome +relief. + +The fires were made, grub cooked and as night settled down all prepared +for much-needed rest. + +"Well, another day or two and we ought to catch up to 'em," observed +Bud, as he prepared to turn in with the others. + +"That's right," agreed Yellin' Kid. "They can't have traveled any +faster than we did, and we took a shorter trail." + +The night passed without any incidents of moment, though Nort nearly +gave a needless alarm when he sprang up, declaring that he was being +"roped" in the darkness. + +But a light revealed that only a harmless snake was crawling over his +neck, an unpleasant enough sensation as you doubtless will admit, but +one not necessarily disastrous. + +"Burr-r-r-r!" shuddered Nort, when he saw that it was a snake, and not +a lariat that had rasped him. "I'd almost rather it was a lasso! I +hate snakes!" + +Then sleep was resumed. + +The gray, cold and somewhat cheerless dawn was breaking over the +temporary camp when, as Buck Tooth toddled over to replenish the fire +for breakfast, there came sharp cracks of rifles from the surrounding +rocks and scrub underbrush, and the old Indian fell. + +"Yaquis!" yelled Nort, springing for his gun. + +"Ambushed!" cried Bud. + +"Steady, everybody!" shouted Yellin' Kid and his strenuous voice, +rumbling and echoing through the silent morning, seemed to calm them +all. "Get down on your faces! Drop!" commanded the cowboy, while +puffs of smoke, flashes of fire and nerve-racking reports told that the +attack from ambush was in some force. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +THE SURPRISE + +Camp had been made by the boy ranchers and their friends in a little +glade, amid rocks and stunted brush, a natural fortification as it were, +with only one side open. And it was from this one side that the shots +from the ambushers were pouring in. + +Though Yellin' Kid and Snake Purdee had said nothing to the boys about +it, the place had been purposely selected with an eye to its possible +defense. + +"You can't tell what will happen in this country," Snake had said to +Yellin' Kid, and the latter agreed, lowering his voice, for once at +least, so Bud and his cousins could not hear. + +"We've got to be on our guard," Snake had added, and so, while Bud, Nort +and Dick would have been willing to slump down almost anywhere, and camp +as soon as they found water, this secluded site was selected. + +The wisdom of this was now apparent, since, had there been no natural +shelter available, several casualties might have resulted from the +opening of a fusillade at dawn. + +As it was, however, so quickly had the cowboys (and with them I now +include Buck Tooth) taken to shelter, that, aside from a few minor wounds +on the part of two or three, no one was badly hit. + +"What's it all about?" called Bud from behind his sheltering stone to +Snake. Bud's gun was hot, for he had emptied the magazine, and with +little effect, as was afterward learned. + +"Who's attacking us?" added Nort. He, as had Dick, had also fired +rapidly and with equal non-effect. + +"Search me," succinctly replied Snake. "All I know is that there's +somebody out there anxious to fill us full of lead--more anxious than I +am to be filled," he added grimly. "Lay low everybody!" he shouted, as +another burst of firing succeeded the calm that had followed the first +attack. + +Bullets "zinged" in amid the rocks, striking the hard stone with vicious +"pings!" and leaving grim, gray marks on the boulders; marks that would +have brought spots of vital redness had they found a human target. + +Bud refilled the magazine of his gun, and started a return fire when +Snake threw a piece of stone that fell near the boy rancher, thus +attracting his attention. There was little use in shouting above the +din. A voice could be heard only in the lulls of shooting. + +"What's the matter?" yelled Bud, scarcely making himself heard. + +Snake motioned for him to cease firing, an example followed by Nort and +Dick. As for the older cowboys they had wisely witheld their fire. + +Explanation was made by Snake a moment later when he crawled over to Bud, +keeping well hidden amid the rocks, and speaking in his ear, though +yelling at the top of his voice as he did so, said: + +"What's the use of shootin' when you can't see your mark? Save your +powder and lead!" + +It was good advice. Bud could not help but laugh at the conclusion of +Snake's advice. For the cowboy had started to give it in tones that +Yellin' Kid might have been proud to own. This was necessary because +those in ambush were firing in full force it seemed. But they stopped +suddenly, in the midst of Snake's remarks, so that the end of the +cowboy's advice fell amid a silence, and, being delivered at full power +must have been heard by the enemy. + +Bud's laughter at this little incident was echoed by the others, and, for +the moment, relieved the grim tension. But its grip tightened on all of +them a moment later, as a bullet, viciously "zinging" its way amid the +rocks, clipped a little from the lobe of the ear of one of the cowboys. + +He uttered an exclamation, partly of disgust at his own carelessness in +exposing himself, and Snake yelled: + +"I told you to keep down, you tenderfoot!" + +It was the harshest expression that could have been used. + +Following that single shot, after the fusillade that had been in play +during Snake's advice to Bud, silence fell, and Snake and Yellin' Kid at +once began to make preparations for what might be a prolonged fight. The +two veteran cowboys in virtual charge of the relief expedition managed to +crawl together to the shelter of a big rock, and there held a +consultation, the while cautioning the others to remain behind the +protection of boulders they had picked out after the first rush. + +Fortunately the horses had all been well picketed in a glade back of the +rocky fastness in which our friends had made fires and slept for the +night, so the outfit from Diamond X was between its steeds and the enemy. +The horses, though at first startled by the firing, had soon settled down +to a quiet cropping of such scanty herbage as grew in that desolate +place. The animals were accustomed to the noise of guns, which formed an +important part of every roundup, and, fortunately none had strayed. + +I say fortunately with good reason, for in that wild country a man +without a horse was worse off than one without a country, all patriotic +reasons aside, of course. It was impossible for a man on foot to +successfully make his way from water hole to water hole, and an +automobile would have been worse than useless. Therefore it was with a +feeling of thankfulness that Bud and his friends realized the horses were +safe--at least for the time being. + +"Fellows, listen to me," Snake said in a low, clear voice, after he and +the Kid had talked in half whispers for a time. "We've got to do +something, and maybe prepare for quite a fight. Now those whose names I +call come with me. The others stay here with the Kid." + +Thereupon Snake named half the force, including in it the three boy +ranchers, to their great delight. For they rightly guessed this was to +be a skirmish party, to sally out and see who were the attackers--perhaps +to wipe them out. + +"Crawl over to the left and wait for me," went on Snake. "Don't move +until you can have shelter all the way. The firing's coming from only +one direction as yet--guard against that. Get together and wait for me." + +Sharp are the wits of those who live in the west, especially in the +cattle country where snap judgment is often needed. Thus it took but a +moment for Snake's plan to make itself plain to Bud and the others. + +One by one they crawled, or ran half crouched, from their original places +of safety to the angle where a great rock, jutting out from the side of +the glen in which they had camped, offered shelter for all. There they +stood, with ready guns, waiting for the next move in the grim game. + +Snake had remained in consultation with Yellin' Kid until now, and then, +seeing his force waiting for him, the veteran cowboy made a dash to join +them. + +I call it a dash, but Snake was not foolhardy, and the advice he gave he +took himself. Advantaging himself of every natural cover, the leader of +the second party dodged this way and that, stooping over half double, +until he was within ten feet of the shelter. Then since along the route +where he came from, there was an open, unprotected space, he tried to +cross this in two jumps. + +He succeeded, but as he landed, and half fell amid his comrades, a gun +barked, somewhere out in the ambush, and by the convulsive movement of +his body Snake gave evidence of having been hit. + +"Are you hurt?" cried Bud, as he caught the reeling cowboy. + +"Guess not--much!" grunted Snake, but his voice was labored. + +"Where was it?" snapped out one of the cowboys. "Let's have a look." + +"Here!" Snake placed his hand over his heart. The boy ranchers +gasped--they knew what it meant to lose one of their leaders at a time +like this. + +In an instant Snake's coat was flung open, and his shirt half torn to +expose his chest. And then there fell out, from next his skin on which +it had made an ugly bruise, a partly flattened bullet. + +"Whew!" whistled Nort. + +"Close call, that!" added Dick. + +"Doggone!" voiced Snake, as he reached his hand to the inside pocket of +his vest. "They spilled half of it!" + +"What?" asked Bud, relief showing itself in his voice. + +"My tobacco!" answered Snake. "I had some packed away there to keep it +moist--some new kind of plug chewin' I got last week. Doggoned if they +ain't put a bullet clean through it!" + +"And lucky for you they did," grunted Tar Soap Mullin, who had earned +this name from the kind of lather he used in shampooing himself every +Saturday night. "If that bullet hadn't happened to hit your plug it +would have plugged you." + +And this was evident when Snake took out the tobacco in question. The +lead missile had struck the hard and pressed cake of tobacco, striking a +tin tag fastened to it, and thus the force of the bullet had been +neutralized, giving Snake no more than a severe shock and bruise. + +"Well, it might have been worse," the cowboy grimly said, as he tucked +back his shirt, and put the tobacco in another pocket. "Now we got to +get busy! This is getting serious!" Bud and his chums thought he might +have said it was serious from the start, as indeed it was. + +"What I picked you fellows out for," went on Snake, "is to take a sort of +scurry out there and see who's doin' all this shootin'." He clipped +letters off his words in his haste. "We're goin' out there an' see if we +can take 'em in the rear, while Yellin' Kid holds their attention in +front." + +"Do you reckon they're Yaquis?" asked Tar Soap. + +"Might be, then ag'in might not. If they aren't I don't see why in the +name of all the rattlers of Forked Rover [Transcriber's note: River?] +they're pickin' on us." + +The method of procedure was simple and quickly agreed upon. Snake was to +lead the boy ranchers and his half of the party, by as safe and devious a +route as possible, out of the natural fort, to try and take the enemy in +the rear. If they could be placed between two fires--that of Snake's +party and of Yellin' Kid's--a surrender might be compelled. + +"And don't take too many chances," advised Snake, as the sally forth was +started. "Watch yourselves." + +They all knew enough to do this. + +"When do we start?" asked Bud in a low voice, as Snake seemed to be +delaying for some reason. + +"Soon as the Kid and his lads start firing," was the answer. "They're to +hold the Indians' attention in front while we come at 'em from the flank +and rear. Get ready--it may come at any moment now!" + +It did, a second or two later--the signal. Amid a burst of shots from +Yellin' Kid and his force, Snake led the way with his men, all of them +crouching down to keep as much as possible behind the rocks. + +"Don't shoot until you see something to shoot at," Snake had ordered. +"Save your lead." + +Bud, Nort and Dick were together, leaping, crawling, crouching and +stumbling. Suddenly Dick, who had gone a little ahead of his two chums, +looked through an opening of the rocks. What he saw caused him to gasp +in surprise, and as he pointed he cried: + +"Del Pinzo! Del Pinzo and his crowd! It isn't the Yaquis at all! It's +Del Pinzo!" + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +FORWARD AGAIN + +Time was when the mention of Del Pinzo's name would have brought forth +a yell of anger from the cowboys of Diamond X ranch. He was an enemy +at once to be feared and loathed, for he did not fight fair, and he was +of the detested, half-breed Mexican type. + +But now, when the cry of Dick apprised the others of the presence of +this ruthless cattle rustler, thief and all-around bad man, there was +no answering shout. One reason for this was that caution was +necessary, so that the presence of the skirmishing party be not +disclosed, and another was that the information that it was Del Pinzo, +and presumably his gang who had ambushed our friends, came as a great +surprise. + +"Del Pinzo?" half gasped Snake Purdee as he ran to Dick's side. + +"Yes, there he is! See!" + +The boy rancher pointed to a figure standing near a stunted bush. + +There was no doubt about it--Del Pinzo it was, and at his usual +business, firing on some one, for he had a rifle raised, in the act of +taking aim. + +"I'll spoil one shot for him, anyhow," announced Snake. + +He whipped out his .45, there was a sharp crack, and the gun of the +Mexican half breed dropped to the ground, discharging as it fell, but +harmlessly. And then the outlaw, with a yell of rage, gripped his +right hand in his left. For Snake had fired at the man's trigger +member, thus disabling him for the time. + +And, as he turned, and beheld who had thus "winged" him, Del Pinzo gave +another cry--as filled with surprise as had been the exclamation of +Dick on beholding the Mexican renegade who, it was supposed, was safely +locked up in penalty for many crimes. + +"That your bunch down there?" called Del Pinzo to Snake, and he waved +his uninjured hand toward the camp amid the rocks. + +"You said something, Del Pinzo," grimly answered the cowboy. "What you +all up to now? Be careful--I have you covered!" he warned. "And if +your men want to bask in the sweet sunshine of your presence from now +on, tell 'em to chuck down their guns. Also, up with your hands!" + +There was a stinging menace in the tones that Del Pinzo knew well +enough to obey. His hands, one dripping blood, were raised over his +head, and he called something in Spanish to his followers, as yet +unseen by the boy ranchers and their friends. + +Instantly the scattered firing on the part of the outlaws ceased, and, +catching this air of silence, Yellin' Kid gave an order that silenced +his guns. + +"Now, what's the game?" demanded Snake, holding the whip hand as it +were. "What do you mean by firing on us?" + +"I did not know it was you," declared the half breed. "We set out to +look for the Yaquis--" + +"The Yaquis?" interrupted Snake. + +"Sure! They have risen, it is said, and I and my men are on their +trail!" + +This was news indeed--another surprise, in fact. That Del Pinzo was +speaking the truth could scarcely be believed. In the first place this +was almost an unknown accomplishment with him, and in the second place +the Yaquis were of his own kind--reckless outlaws who would stop at +nothing to get booty, either in cattle or money. It was more likely +that Del Pinzo and his gang were seeking an opportunity to join forces +with the band of up-rising Yaquis. + +"Oh, you're after the Yaquis; are you!" asked Snake. + +"Sure, senor Purdee!" Del Pinzo spoke fairly good English, and he could +be polite when it suited him. "We saw that some one was encamped in +the rocks, and I took them for the Yaquis. So we opened fire--it is +with sadness that I know now it was your friends whom I shot at." + +"Um! Maybe so--maybe not," grimly retorted the cowboy. "Anyhow it's +us, and it seems to be you. I thought you were somewhere else," he +added referring to the fact that Del Pinzo had been arrested. It was +not the first time the half breed had been in the toils of the law, +following cattle raids on Diamond X or other ranches. + +In the previous books of this series I have related some of Del Pinzo's +outrages. He was concerned in the water fight that so nearly ended +disastrously for Bud and his cousins. + +"Oh, I get out!" said Del Pinzo, easily, and with a shrug of his +shoulders which might mean that coming forth from a jail was nothing in +his life. + +"So I see," observed Snake with a grin. "By hook or crook, I reckon. +Well, I don't know as we have anything against you and your bunch just +at present. If you're after the Yaquis you're on the same errand as +us. But, if you'll excuse me sayin' so, I'd rather travel my own road." + +This was a delicate hint to which Del Pinzo was not oblivious. + +"Surely, senor," he answered, grinning. "You go your way and I go +mine. Only let the fighting cease. As you say--there is nothing +against me--now." + +"Which isn't saying that there won't be, or hasn't been," spoke Snake. +"File out your men--without guns, you understand!" he snapped. "And +then you can hit your own trail. Looks like there'd been a mistake all +round. We thought you the Yaquis." + +"Oh, Senor Purdee!" There was false injury in the tones. + +"And I'm not so sure but what it will turn out that way in the end," +added the cowboy grimly. "However, we'll give the benefit of the doubt +for the time being. File out!" + +Del Pinzo gave an order, and his band of disreputable half breeds like +himself, including several Indians, though not of the Yaquis tribe, +marched out, hands above their heads, while Snake and his men, the boy +ranchers in the van, watched. + +"Is that all?" asked Snake, when the outlaws stood in a row amid the +rocks. He was taking no chances on leaving a hidden, lurking foe to +fire behind their backs. + +"All, Senor Purdee. Shall we go?" + +"When I tell you to, yes. Now, Del Pinzo, you know I don't trust you, +and there's no use soft soaping the situation. I wouldn't trust you +with a Mexican dollar. So here's what you've got to do. + +"March over there," and he indicated a bunch of scrub about half a mile +away. "Stay there until we get breakfast and are on our way. When +we're far enough off I'll fire a shot, and that'll mean you can come +over here again, get your horses and guns, and take after the Yaquis, +if it suits you." + +"We want to drive the Indians back," declared Del Pinzo. + +"Yes, I reckon they're picking on your preserves, that's the reason," +said Snake. "Well, this is a free country. As long as you're out of +jail--though how you beat it I can't guess--you can do as you please, I +s'pose--as long as it doesn't interfere with us. + +"So hit any trail you like as long as it isn't ours. Now +remember--don't make a break for your horses and guns until I fire a +shot." + +"So be it, Senor. And one thing more?" + +"What is it?" + +"May I put down my hands? I am wounded--" + +"Oh, put 'em down? I didn't more than graze you to keep you from +shooting one of our men. Put 'em down!" + +With a sigh of relief the outlaw lowered his hands, an example followed +by his men, all of whom were unarmed. They marched behind their leader +to the place designated, and for the first time Snake breathed easily. + +"How do you reckon he got here?" asked Bud, when hurried preparations +were under way for breakfast. + +"Give it up," answered Snake, who had sent some men to collect the guns +and horses of the Del Pinzo gang. + +"He may have bribed his way out of jail, or have broken out, and we'll +have to let that go until later. He may really be trying to drive back +the Yaquis, for fear they'll steal things that he has an eye to +himself. Or he may be lying--I think most likely the last. Anyhow he +happened to strike this place the same time as we did, and either +knowing who we were, or not knowing, and that part has me guessing, he +tried to pick us off. However we'll give him the slip this time." + +"I don't see how, if you leave him his horses and guns," put in Yellin' +Kid. + +"Well, he and his men can't do much riding on horses without saddles +and bridles," said Snake, "and as for the guns--well, I'll leave them +for him at the first ranch I come to." + +"You mean you're going to take his guns with you?" asked Bud. + +"Surest thing you ever said, son. Think I'd trust him with any +shooting irons behind me. And we'll just strip his horses, too. We +can pack along his saddles and bridles. If they want to ride bare back +that's up to them." + +And this was the plan followed. There were several pack animals in the +outfit from the Diamond X, and on these the saddles and bridles from +the outlaws' horses were packed. Then the guns were collected from the +ambush, and taken along when the start was made after breakfast. + +"Hit the trail!" cried Snake, when preparations were complete. + +Off in the distance, hungrily waiting for the signal that would let +them return, stood Del Pinzo and his gang. Their food was not +disturbed. They had the means for making breakfast. + +Off rode Snake and his followers. At a distance of little more than +half a mile from the scene of the fighting, on a rising hill, the +cowboy stopped. + +"Here's where we let 'em go back and eat," he said grimly. + +He raised his gun and fired a shot. Instantly the gang, with Del Pinzo +in the lead, rushed for the place where their property had been left. + +"We spiked their guns, I think," chuckled Bud, as he rode beside his +cousins. + +"I guess yes!" laughed Nort. + +Forward they rode once more--on the trail of the Yaquis. As they +dipped down into a little valley there came to their ears faint yells +of rage. + +"They've found their saddles gone!" said Nort. + +Again came a shout. + +"They've missed their bridles!" said Dick. + +A louder yell! + +"No guns!" shouted Bud. "Oh, this is one time we put it all over Del +Pinzo!" + +Forward rode the outfit from Diamond X. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +WEARY CAPTIVES + +"Rosemary, are you able to stand it?" Floyd put this question to his +sister as the weary captives were urged along the trail by the Yaquis. + +"We've just _got_ to stand it, Floyd," was the brave answer. "Help +must come to us, and we must bear up until it does come." + +"Oh, I can stand it all right--I really don't mind. But for you--it +must be terrible! And the worst of it is I can't do a thing to help +you." + +"Not now, no, Floyd," Rosemary answered, with a brave attempt at a +smile. "But we must watch our chance. These Mexican Indians aren't +like our own--or like our own used to be. They aren't half as smart. +We ought to be able to escape from them if we get half a chance." + +"Well, maybe, Rosemary. But they're bad enough if they aren't smart." + +Floyd spoke with all the evidence on his side. For a more +disreputable, unsavory, desperate and wicked band of men it would be +almost impossible to find. Repulsive in face, dirty, tattered and +torn, wearing all sorts of cast off garments, a few in blankets, +astride bony and broken horses, most of them, but each one armed with +gun, revolver or knife, it was a crew of pirates, cut-throats, +highwaymen to be carefully shunned. + +"Well, I'm glad to see you keeping your courage up, Rosemary," remarked +her brother, trying to ease himself in the saddle. It was not very +feasible, as the captives were partly tied to prevent their escape, and +they could not shift about as they pleased. + +"Oh, we have to make the best of it, Floyd," his sister told him. +"They haven't treated us roughly yet." + +"No, and I wonder at it." + +"It's because they have taken us for a ransom, I'm sure. They know if +they don't hand us over in good shape there will be no ransom money for +them." + +"Who do you think they count on getting it from?" + +"Our relatives, of course. Or maybe they think Uncle Sam will +intervene on our behalf." + +"I wish to goodness he would--that he'd send a band of U.S. regulars +after this bunch of pirates. Golly! How the Yaquis would scatter; eh, +Rosemary?" + +"Maybe we'll see that soon, Floyd. And maybe the boys from the Diamond +X will come to our rescue. You know Bud's mother wrote that he and his +two eastern cousins had a ranch of their own now. My message ought to +reach some one." + +"I hope it does, Rosemary. But who's this coming up?" + +The talk of brother and sister had attracted the attention of the +Indians, and there had been muttered comments. Following this one of +the knot of guards around the two captives had spurred ahead to where +Paz rode. Then back with the messenger came riding an Indian better +mounted and equipped than most of the members of the band. + +He forced his horse between the steeds of Rosemary and Floyd, and gave +each of them a grin he may have intended to be friendly. + +"What's the idea--Mike?" asked Floyd. + +"Mike? Why do you call him that?" asked Rosemary. + +"Because he looks friendly enough to be an Irishman," was the answer. +"See, he has a turned up nose, I verily believe he has Irish blood in +him. Let's call him Mike." + +"Mike" grinned, though doubtless he understood nothing of what was said. + +"He does look Irish," agreed Rosemary. "But I don't see how." + +The explanation probably was that some wandering, adventuring Irishman +had married an Indian woman. The Yaquis, like many other Indian or +native tribes often intermarried. In fact it was this that in a +measure led to their downfall. For they lost the ideals of their race, +disease crept in and to-day many a band of what was once a noble people +is but a dragged-out remnant, steeped in crime. + +The Yaquis were once among the best of the Mexican Indian tribes. +Though not large in numbers they were clean-living and of high +character. The Spanish conquest of Mexico marked the beginning of the +end for them, as it did many another Mexican race. + +There was once a great civilization existing in the narrow strip of +land connecting North and South America. Now only the faintest traces +remain. + +Once the Indian tribes flourished, they may even have had a written +language, of which now only a few idiograms remain. The men and women +were skilled in basketry, pottery and the making of gold and silver +ornaments. + +But they fell upon evil days, or evil days came to them, it matters +little which, and they began to go down. Today there are only a few +thousands of the Yaquis left, and they have degenerated into train +robbers along the Southern Pacific line. They live like beasts, they +have mingled with negroes, degenerate Spaniards and Mexicans until it +is almost an insult to apply the name "Indian" to them. + +And it was a band of such natives as this that had captured Rosemary +and Floyd. Kept as much as possible to the confines of what might be +termed, unofficially, a reservation, the Yaquis occasionally broke +through the line of Mexican soldier guards and went on a rampage, often +crossing the border into Arizona, as happened in the spring of 1921, +when several Americans were killed in a border town. + +It was an uprising of this same nature which had spelled trouble for +Rosemary and her brother. They had happened along at the wrong time, +as it were. + +Tired and weary, in body and spirit, the captives were urged forward. +"Mike" as our friends had dubbed him, seemed good natured enough, for +he kept a perpetual grin on his face. His mission seemed to be to ride +between Rosemary and Floyd, and prevent any collusion to escape. + +However there was no time or chance to think of that now. The +cavalcade filed along a narrow, rocky gorge, from which there was no +side trail. Paz and some of his more intimate followers rode in the +van, and the rear guard was made up of ragged Indians--with apologies +for using the name. + +Rosemary and Floyd would not have had a chance had they been able to +turn their horses and make a bolt for it. So they must ride on. They +were too weary to talk now, they could only hope for the best. When +would the rescuers come? + +A halt was made at noon, and some coarse food was passed to the +captives. Rosemary shuddered at it and turned away. + +"You must eat," Floyd told her. "Got to keep up your strength you +know." + +And she managed to choke down a few mouthfuls. + +The afternoon passed wearily. They were going deeper into the +mountains it seemed. There appeared to be some dispute between Paz on +one side and a few of his followers on the other. And it seemed to +have to do with a place to camp for the night. The men wanted to stop +while the sun was yet in sight, but Paz insisted on going on until it +was below the jagged peaks. Then he indicated a place where camp was +to be made. + +Mike slid off his horse, and, loosening the ropes, indicated that +Rosemary and Floyd were to do the same. So cramped and stiff was +Rosemary that she fell in a heap as she slid from the saddle. With a +cry Floyd sprang to her aid, only to be thrust back by Mike. + +"What do you mean?" yelled the boy. "I want to help my +sister--you--you--" + +He was spluttering with rage as he raised his hand, and looked about +for a rock with which to attack the Indian. + +"Don't--Floyd!" called Rosemary calmly. "I am all right--just numb, +that's all! Don't get into a fight. They may separate us!" + +Indeed that did seem to be the orders given by Paz, who rode up a +moment later. For Mike took Rosemary by the arm, and was leading her +away, while another Indian, dirty, greasy and with an evil grin on his +fat face, thrust Floyd to one side. + +"Stop!" suddenly cried Rosemary. She swung free of Mike's grasp, and +in an instant that individual was looking straight into the muzzle of a +small but very serviceable automatic. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +SURROUNDED + +Bubbling over with mirth, at the manner in which they had gotten the +best of Del Pinzo and his gang, the outfit from Diamond X rode on the +trail again, once more intent on trailing the Yaquis that had captured +Floyd and Rosemary. And if Bud, Nort and Dick could, at that moment, +or thereabouts, have seen Rosemary boldly defying the evil-faced Mike +with her automatic, their admiration for the girl would have been +manifested by yells of approval. + +But Bud and his chums, with their cowboy friends, were all unaware of +what was happening farther on in the desolate mountain whither the +Indians had led their captives. If they had been they probably would +not have ridden on in such comparative leisure. For they did not rush +at headlong pace, knowing they had a long, long trail ahead of them, +and must conserve not only their strength, but, what was more +important, that of their horses. + +Without horses it would have been impossible to have gone on for more +than a short distance in that wild country. As I have explained motor +cars, even the marvelous little Ford, would have been out of the +question, so rough was the trail, so winding amid rocks, now down in +some narrow defile, hardly wide enough for a single rider, and again +ascending some slope tangled with brush and dead trees. + +Knowing themselves to be thus dependent on their horses our heroes +saved their steeds all they could. It was for this reason that, much +as they hated Del Pinzo and his gang, they would not deprive these +outlaws of what was a means of life--their horses. + +"But they won't ride after us, and I don't believe they'll give us any +more trouble," chuckled Bud, as he visioned the outlaws, used to their +comfortable if clumsy saddles, riding bareback. To a horseman this is +the limit of torture, for the horses of the west are no circus animals, +with broad, flat backs. Instead, they generally have a ridge of bone +on which it is almost impossible to ride, even when a blanket or two is +strapped on in place of a saddle. Only an Indian can manage to ride +along with but a blanket for a seat. + +"Yes, we put one over on them all right," agreed Dick. + +"The only thing about it is that they held us up," remarked Nort. +"We're several hours behind our schedule now." + +"It can't be helped," spoke Bud, looking at a deep scratch on his +hand--a scratch caused by a glancing bullet. "We can't really do +anything toward rescuing Rosemary and Floyd until we strike the trail +of the Yaquis, and it's mostly guess work until then." + +"But when we do locate them!" exclaimed Nort, as he gripped the handle +of his gun, "we'll let 'em see what a mistake they made!" + +"You got rid of a mouthful that time, son," observed Yellin' Kid. And +then, lifting his voice he roared out: + + "As I was ridin' on the trail, + My true love for to see. + I met a four-legged grizzly bear, + An' th' grizzly he met me! + + "'Oh kind Mr. Bear,' I gently called, + 'Move on!' but he shook his head. + So then I ups with my .45 + An' fills him full of lead!" + + +Having gotten this out of his "system," Yellin' Kid seemed to feel +better. He smiled genially at the boy ranchers, and flapping his hat +down on the side of his pony sent the animal ahead in a cloud of dust +to join some of his companions in the lead. + +Thus, making merry as possible under the circumstances, the outfit from +Diamond X resumed the trail, the more experienced cowboys looking here +and there for any "sign" that would indicate the presence or the +passage of the Yaquis. + +As a matter of fact Snake Purdee did not expect to "meet up" with any +of the Indians for some time. He and Rolling Stone had talked the +matter over, and Rolling Stone had given the benefit of his experience +in trailing Yaquis. + +"With them," said the new acquisition to Diamond X, "it's a sort of a +flash in the pan. They get excited for some reason or other, have a +war dance, a pow wow or some ceremony, and before they know it some +crazy leader has taken the trail with some of his friends, and they're +bent on shooting up some Mexican or American town, getting strong drink +when they can, and stealing everything they can lay their dirty paws on. + +"That's when they're in the first rush of excitement, and I take it +that it was on a time like this the Yaquis took Miss Rosemary and +Floyd. Why they did this, instead of shooting 'em, as they generally +do, I can't make out. The Yaquis don't ordinarily use those methods." + +"Unless they took my cousins to hold for ransom," suggested Bud. + +"Well, of course that's possible, but I didn't know the Yaquis were +that smart," answered Rolling Stone. "Still, some new leader may have +gotten together a band, or it may be some half breed, or even some +renegade American is at the bottom of this. I can understand a chap +like that holding prisoners for ransom. + +"But what I started to say was that once the first wild outburst is +over, the Yaquis will keep mighty quiet. They won't go about with a +brass band, advertising their hiding places." + +"You mean it won't be easy to find them?" asked Nort. + +"That's it, son. They're going to be mighty cute and foxy, and while a +Yaqui isn't in it with our old time American Indians in the matter of +covering a trail, still we aren't going to have any walkover. We've +got our work cut out for us." + +"I believe you!" shouted Yellin' Kid. "But we'll get the devils sooner +or later." + +"The sooner the better," said Rolling Stone quietly, and there was in +his very quietness a menace which the boys understood very well. Every +hour that Rosemary and Floyd remained in the hands of the Yaquis meant +an ever increasing danger. And once the mad frenzy of the Indians wore +off and they began to realize what they had done, anticipating the +consequences once they were captured with the prisoners in their +possession, there was hardly a question of what they would do to +Rosemary and Floyd. The captives would be killed to get them out of +the way. + +It was this that urged the rescue party ahead with all the speed +possible, and consistent with preserving their horses' power to travel. + +In spite of wounds, and some were seriously hurt (one dying later) +there was no sign of gloom in the midst of the party of which the boy +ranchers formed an important element. Some of the cowboys sang, and +Yellin' Kid intoned another verse or two of the many songs with which +he seemed plentifully provided. + +Coming to a deep ravine, along which the trail led into the mountains, +where it was reported the Yaquis had headed, Snake Purdee called a halt. + +"What's the matter now?" asked Rolling Stone. + +"Do you see anything?" asked Bud, for he noticed the veteran cowboy +looking down into the black depths. + +"No," answered Snake slowly, "but it strikes me this is a good place to +get rid of the saddles and truck we took offen Del Pinzo. No use +carting the duffle along. It's no good to us and it only tires our +pack mules. Heave it down this gully, boys and we'll ride lighter." + +This was soon done, and the baggage animals, at least, went forward +with easier burdens. The trail became more rough as it led upward, but +Snake explained that they would cross one range of the mountain, and +come to a level plain which must be traversed before the second range +would be reached. + +"And we'll either come across the Yaquis in the plain, or as we go up +the second mountain," said the cowboy. "That will be about their limit +I fancy." + +They camped that night on the downward slope of the first mountain, +having crossed the ridge through a narrow pass, not easy to negotiate. +There was a more tense feeling when this night camp was made than at +any time before. + +"For it seems now, somehow," explained Bud, "that we're within striking +distance of the Yaquis. We're trailing 'em close!" + +"The closer the better--so, we can get a few shots at 'em!" declared +Nort. + +"Will they really make a stand and fight?" asked Dick. + +"I don't know," Bud replied. "I never--" + +"They'll fight all right!" interrupted Rolling Stone. "They'll fight +now just through fear of being captured. The first hot impulses that +caused them to run wild are cooling off. They'll be worse to tackle +now than when they first took the war path, for they will be cool and +calculating, while before they were hot headed, and anyone who used +half his brains could best 'em. Yes, we aren't going to have a picnic." + +"Well, we didn't come for that," said Dick grimly. + +He and his companion boy ranchers were willing to endure all the +hardships and dangers with the more seasoned cowboys, and Bud and Nort +who, until within a comparatively recent time were unused to western +ways, were now accounted as capable of Bud, than which there was no +higher praise. + +There was evident in the manner in which campfires were built, and a +system of sentinel guards posted, that the older men realized the +nearness of danger. The cowboys had dropped their half bantering +manner, and sat grim-lipped and thoughtful of eye about the blaze. +This change in their manners affected our youthful heroes who looked at +one another somewhat apprehensively, and more than once let their hands +stray to their weapons. + +But the night passed without untoward incident, if we except a false +alarm given by Bud when he was standing guard. He had been pacing +backward and forward for some hours, and it was almost time for his +relief, when he saw, peering over the top of a rock, what he took to be +the feathered headdress of an Indian. Forgetting, for the moment that +the Yaquis did not adopt the picturesque adornments of the American +redmen, Bud fired, at the same time letting out a yell. + +Of course, this roused the whole camp, and you can appreciate Bud's +chagrin when his "Indian" proved to be nothing more than a waving +branch of a bush topping a rock. The waving leaves had looked like +feathers in the starlight, by which alone Bud had seen them. + +"Well, I wasn't taking any chances," he said, when the cause of his +alarm was ascertained. + +"That's right," Yellin' Kid assured him. + +Morning saw the party in saddle again, and as better time could be made +on the down trail, they reached the intervening plain of the valley, +between the two mountain ranges well before noon. + +A halt was made for "grub," and it was after this meal, when they were +about to proceed again, that an astounding discovery was made. Dick +gave the alarm. He had gone off a little way to get his pony, which +had strayed, when he saw, on the far horizon, a band of horsemen. They +were too distant to be made out clearly, but against the intensely blue +sky Dick saw waving lances, and he at once shouted: + +"Indians!" + +This was enough to focus all eyes, first on him and then on the +approaching band. The waving lances could plainly be seen now. + +"And look there!" cried Nort, as he pointed to the North, a direction +exactly opposite to that whence the horsemen discovered by Dick were +approaching. + +"More Indians!" shouted Yellin' Kid. + +Snake Purdee leaped to a high rock and with rapid gaze swept the +horizon. + +"They're coming from all directions," he said grimly, as he leaped down +and began a rapid survey of their position, with a view to its defence. +"We're being surrounded!" + +And this was so. From all points there rode in on the outfit from +Diamond X an ever narrowing circle of horsemen, many of whom carried +lances which pointed toward the zenith. + +"They aren't Yaquis," exclaimed Rolling Stone. "Those Mexican Indians +don't carry lances. They must have met up with a band from some +American reservation and have gotten them to go on the warpath. This +looks bad!" + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +WITH THE TROOPERS + +With a skill and foresight which never seemed to leave them, the +leaders of the rescue expedition had selected the place for the dinner +stop with a view to its possible defense in case of emergency. This +was part and parcel of life in the west, especially when on an +expedition of this character. + +In consequence there were several natural places of refuge and hiding, +behind which a fight could be conducted. And as soon as it was +ascertained that a body of horseman--hostile it seemed they must +be--were riding against them, the first thought was how best a fight +could be conducted. + +"Get in the horses!" commanded Rolling Stone. "They'll shoot them off +first crack out of the box, for they'll know we're done for without our +animals." + +As the rescuers had been about to move when the approaching party was +discovered, and as some of the cowboys actually had their horses in +hand, the securing of the remainder of the steeds was a work of no +great moment. + +At one edge of the roughly outlined circle in which the noon camp had +been pitched, was a group of big rocks, that would make a natural +stable and hiding place for the horses. The animals were led into this +little corral, and made fast there by lariats. As much of the baggage +as possible was piled in with the horses. + +This much done by Bud and his friends it was necessary to look to +themselves, for the strange horsemen were slowly but surely coming on, +and it was beyond question that they had entirely surrounded our +heroes. From all points of the compass, a thin line it is true, but +one in which there were no breaks, in came the attackers. + +"We've got to form a circle ourselves," said Snake grimly. "Get down +as low as you can, boys, each one behind a rock, and with one at your +back if you can make it. They won't rush us at first. They'll try to +pick us off until they find out how many of us there are." + +Quickly the others followed his advice. It was an admirable place to +defend, and other things being equal could be held by a small band +against a large body. But the factors of food and water would enter +into the fight, and though the camp was watered by a little stream, +everyone from Diamond X knew the first act of the attackers would be to +go higher up and cut off the supply of fluid. In this hot summer +season men and beasts could only last a short time without water. + +Then, having seen to it that the boy ranchers and the others were in as +good a position of defense as possible, Snake Purdee picked out his own +little niche and laid out on the ground in front of him his supply of +cartridges. + +Each man--and by "man" I include the boy ranchers--had a rifle and a +revolver, or, rather, automatic, each weapon using cartridges of the +same caliber. Thus only one sort of ammunition had to be packed, and +there was greater efficiency afforded. + +"Get ready," called Yellin' Kid in as low a voice as he ever used. +"They've come to a stop for a talk, and they'll begin shooting soon I +reckon." + +The feet of the steeds ridden by the advancing horsemen had raised a +cloud of dust which hung about them like a hazy curtain, preventing a +clear view. In fact, after the first glimpse of the riders they had +only been seen as dim figures approaching through this haze of dust. + +But now, as they had stopped, as Yellin' Kid had said, the dust began +to drift away, and, for the first time our friends had a comparatively +clear view of those surrounding them. + +It was Bud who first gave the good news. Looking intently at a +horseman nearest him, the boy suddenly leaped to his feet and gave a +shout that could be none other than joyous in its meaning. + +"Get down, you idiot!" cried Snake. "Do you want a bullet through you?" + +But the lad continued to shout and yell, waving his hat, and there was +no fusillade of shots from the ring of horsemen. Then, for the first +time Bud made himself understandable, for he shouted: + +"They aren't Indians! They aren't Indians! They're United States +Troopers! Hooray! Now we've got our help!" + +"Troopers?" repeated Snake, for a cloud of dust had blown about him, +greatly obscuring his vision. + +"Troopers--sure!" yelled Nort, now seeing what Bud had beheld. + +And a moment later it was clear to all of the surrounded band that the +horsemen were, indeed, mounted men of Uncle Sam's cavalry--a company of +lancers, a type of the armed force that has gone out of existence now, +but one which was very effective in some Indian fights. + +A bugle rang out clear and sweet from somewhere in that surrounding +circle of troopers, and instantly the outer edges of the ring began +closing in. Then our friends, knowing their fright had been without +foundation, rose up from their hiding places and, standing together, +with Snake at their head as commander, waited for what was to come next. + +It was not long in manifesting itself. A trooper, evidently an orderly +from a group of officers in front of our friends, rode up, waved his +hand in place of a salute when he saw he had to deal with one of his +own kind, and asked: + +"Who are you and what are you doing?" + +"We're from Diamond X ranch," replied Snake, "and we're on the trail of +the Yaquis who have captured some of our friends!" + +"Oh, the Yaquis!" exclaimed the trooper, in evident surprise. "Why, +we're after the same bloody beggars! Glad to have met you. We seem to +be off the trail for some reason. Captain Marshal will want to speak +to you. Better come with me." + +"Wait 'til I get my horse," murmured Snake, for, like all westerners, +he hated to take more than a few steps out of the saddle. + +A moment later he was riding toward the officers of Uncle Sam's +troopers, while the remainder of the lancers riding in, mingled with +the small force from Diamond X. + +"It's good to see you fellows!" chuckled Bud as the bronze-faced +soldiers gathered around the boy ranchers. + +"We were just about to open fire on you," said one of the lancers, and +Nort and Dick noticed that in addition to the steel-tipped weapon each +trooper carried a carbine and wore a revolver in his belt. The lances +were, in reality, more for show than for actual use, though in charging +the hostile Indians the spears had served many a useful purpose. + +"Glad you didn't," said Yellin' Kid. "There'd have been trouble, for +we were all primed for you," and he waved his hand toward the rocks +amid which some cowboys were just arising, picking up the ammunition +they had spread out for quick use. + +"We thought you were Yaquis, and we had orders to shoot to kill," +explained another trooper. + +"And we took you for Indians--not exactly Yaquis, for they don't carry +lances," said Dick. "I'm glad it was a mistake all around." + +"But say, do you fellows know anything about these dirty Mexicans who +have crossed the border?" asked a third trooper, a lieutenant from his +stripes, it would appear. "I won't call 'em Indians, though I reckon +they are, of a sort. But where are they? We got orders to take after +'em, but we can't get sight of so much as a dirty blanket." + +"Well, we think we're on their trail," Bud answered, "though maybe we +are as far off as you are. Anyhow--" + +But he did not complete the sentence. From the distance a single shot +rang out, and as all turned they saw, standing on the sharp horizon +line, a solitary figure, from near which arose a thin wisp of smoke. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +INDIAN "SIGN" + +"What's that?" cried Snake, turning from where he had been talking with +Captain Marshall. "Real Indians this time?" + +"Nothing to worry about," answered the commander of the troopers with a +smile. "That's one of my scouts, and he's evidently found something." + +"Found something?" questioned the veteran cowboy. + +"Indian sign, most likely. I sent several men out, just before we +sighted your party and took you for the Yaquis. I told my men, if they +discovered anything, to get within sight of us and fire one shot. Then +they were to stay on the spot until we came to investigate, and that's +what we'll do now." + +"Do you think it's the trail of the Yaquis he has discovered?" asked +Nort, waving his hand toward the solitary horseman. + +"It may be--I rather hope so, for we haven't had any luck thus far in +locating the beggars. When we sighted you we thought we were in for a +fight, but it didn't happen," the captain added, his voice quite rueful. + +"I notice you came along all primed for business!" chuckled Yellin' Kid. + +"But we were ready for you--in case you had turned out to be those +Mexican imps!" added Rolling Stone. + +"Yes, you seemed to have picked out a good spot," complimented the +cavalry captain. "We were just talking among ourselves that we were +going to have trouble in getting you out, when we saw one of you wave a +hat and then we knew it was all right. In a way we were glad, for this +fighting is nasty business at best, though we don't pass any of it up +when it comes our way," he added with an air of pride in his troop. + +"You weren't any gladder to find out there was a mistake than we were," +said Dick. "You soldiers looked like a lot of Indians with lances and +scalps dangling from them." Indeed the lances of the troopers were +decorated with wisps from the tails of horses, and, at a distance, +might have resembled grewsome human scalps. + +"There are few Indians, now-a-days who use lances," said Captain +Marshall. "They went out of date about the time Fenimore Cooper wrote +about Leather Stocking. The Indians didn't keep to their bows and +arrows, or lances, once they could get guns and powder. I don't know +much about the Yaquis, but I fancy they did the same--discarded their +lances, if they ever used any, and their bows, for guns." + +"Another thing," added Lieutenant Snow, who was next in command to his +captain, "scalps were too precious a trophy to dangle from the point of +a lance. Some Indians may have tied strands of human hair on their +lances, but I doubt if they used scalps. The scalps were hung at the +belt of the man who took them, to be afterward displayed in his tepee. +But I don't believe the Mexican Indians followed that practice, though +of course I'm not certain about it." + +"The modern Yaquis are mean enough to do anything," said Rolling Stone. +"What the old timers did doesn't matter now. It's what these of today +do. And I reckon ye've heard how a party of 'em has taken prisoners +some of their friends," and he waved his hand toward the outfit from +Diamond X, of which he was not yet a full-fledged member. + +"Yes, we heard about the uprising," admitted Captain Marshall. "We had +orders to take the trail, and we've been on it since. Well, as long as +you are ready, we may as well trot over and see what the scout has to +report. I hope he can put us on the real trail." + +The bugle sounded, the troopers formed, and with the boy ranchers and +their friends falling in the rear, an unofficial part of the company of +regulars, the cavalcade set forth again. + +On the way Snake Purdee, who rode beside Captain Marshall, told such +details as he possessed about the capture of Rosemary and Floyd. The +officer had heard pretty much the same story, for it had been wired to +distant points on the theory that the Yaquis would scatter, and there +was no telling in which direction they would travel. + +"So Del Pinzo is on the rampage again; is he?" asked the Captain, as +they neared the lone scout, who was patiently waiting to impart such +information as he had. + +"Well, he won't rampage an awful lot until he gets a new outfit!" +chuckled Yellin' Kid, who had ridden up to be on hand when the scout +was reached. + +"What do you mean? Did you shoot him up?" asked the cavalry captain. +"If you did you ought to get a medal of honor, for of all the rascals +in this section he's the worst." + +"We shot him and his followers up a bit," admitted Snake, "but we +didn't damage 'em as we ought. However we took their horse furniture +and guns away and left 'em their animals. It'll be a few days before +they get active again." + +"Good!" exclaimed Captain Marshall. "And now we'll hear what Kelly has +to report." + +The scout saluted as his commanding officer rode up, and the others, +realizing that there was a certain need of reserve in this first +interview, held back until the captain should signify that he was ready +to talk to them. For a time Captain Marshall and Private Kelly talked +in low tones, the scout frequently leaning over to point to something +on the ground, the captain gazing intently where his trooper indicated. +Finally the commander waved his hand to invite his fellow officers and +troopers, as well as the members of Diamond X, to approach. + +"Kelly has found it," said the captain. "Plenty of Indian sign, which +shows the Yaquis, or some of them at least, passed this way. Here's +the trail, and we'll follow it. Do you want to come with us?" he asked +of Snake Purdee. + +"Well, we'd like to, if it isn't asking too much. Our main object is +to get within shooting distance of these Yaquis, and save this Rosemary +girl and her brother." + +"Precisely our object," the captain said. "And as long as we have the +same business I think we can do better together than if we separate. +Your men will undoubtedly be of service to us if the trail gets +fainter, and there's no telling how many are in this band, so the more +guns we have the better." + +"My idea," agreed the leader from Diamond X. "And now let's have a +look at this Indian sign. Rolling Stone here claims to know a lot +about the Yaquis, and he may be able to put us wise to some of their +wrinkles. Come here, Stone!" he invited. + +In order not to obliterate the faint marks in the soil which indicated +the passage of a body of horsemen, the troopers, with Bud and his +friends, had halted some distance away from the lone scout. The latter +had remained a little way off the trail, so his own horse's feet would +not mingle with those of the enemy. + +For some time the older cowboys, Rolling Stone, Captain Marshall and a +few of his men who had fought Indians years back, gazed at the Indian +"sign" as it is called. In this sense the word means the evidences +left by a passing body of Indians, the casual and accidental record of +passage. The word is also used to indicate arbitrary marks and symbols +made by one body of Indians to leave a message for some body of +following savages. This sign language is very difficult for a person +not accustomed to it to read, though it can not be said that the +degenerate Yaquis had the art down as fine as had our own American +Indians of two or three generations ago. + +"Well, they've been along here, and they're headed that way," said +Rolling Stone, thus confirming the opinion of the older troopers. + +"Then the thing to do is to follow them," said the Captain. "Give the +signal, bugler!" he called. + +Once more the clear notes rang out, and the party started off after the +Yaquis. + +Nort and Dick, riding beside Bud, toward the rear of the cavalcade, +looked down to see what the "sign" consisted of. Aside from some hoof +marks in the earth they saw nothing. + +"They might have been made by our own ponies," observed Nort. + +"Yes, but they weren't," Bud declared. + +"How can they tell?" asked Dick. + +"Oh, I don't know exactly, but there are dozens of little points that +an Indian trailer looks for," Bud answered. "He can tell whether the +horses trotted or walked. He can tell whether the man who rode him was +a tenderfoot or a cowpuncher. And of course it's easy enough to tell +in which direction a horse is going." + +"Unless they put the shoes on backwards," said Nort. + +"There isn't much of that done," said Bud. "And, as a matter of fact, +as you know, they don't shoe many horses out here. They let 'em run +barefoot. Anyhow, it looks as though we really were on the trail of +the Yaquis at last." + +"I hope so!" agreed Nort and Dick. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +AN ALARM + +While the boy ranchers and their friends from Diamond X had joined +forces with Uncle Sam's troopers and were warm on the trail of the +Yaquis, the squalid, degenerate and vicious band that had captured +Rosemary and Floyd still retained possession of their captives. Though +disheartened and apprehensive, Rosemary and her brother had made up +their minds to one thing--they would not be separated--come what might. + +For his sister's sake Floyd had firmly decided that if they attempted +to take Rosemary off by herself he would, at any cost, make an effort +to follow, even if it resulted in his death at the hands of the Indians. + +As for Rosemary, she had but one thought--to remain near her brother at +any cost. And as she had so far managed to conceal from the Yaquis the +fact that she possessed her efficient automatic, and a supply of +ammunition, she felt a sense of security that otherwise would not have +been with her. She, too, resolved on desperate measures before she +would let them separate her and Floyd. + +So when Mike, as the one who carried out the orders of his villainous +chief Paz, tried to take Rosemary off by herself, probably to break her +spirit and induce her to send a letter to her friends asking that +ransom money be forwarded--when Mike tried to do this he received one +of the surprises of his miserable life as he found himself looking into +the muzzle of Rosemary's gun. + +"Ugh!" grunted the Indian. + +"I don't know exactly what that means," said Rosemary coolly, as she +held the gun with steady hand so that it "covered" Mike, "but my +brother and I are going to stay together. If you try to separate us +I'll shoot as many of you as I can, and I'm a pretty good shot," she +added grimly. "Then I'll shoot myself and him before I'll let you try +any of your tricks on us!" + +She spoke with such fierce earnestness that, though all of her words +may not have been intelligible to her captors, they at least understood +her intent. + +Paz gave a grunt, half of admiration and half of anger at this +unexpected change in his plans. Rosemary suddenly wheeled, facing him. +She swung her weapon to cover the evil rascal. + +There was a spurt of flame, a puff of smoke and before the crack of the +report snapped out the dirty, greasy hat of Paz went spinning from his +head. + +A cry of dismay arose from the followers of the Yaqui chief and mingled +with his own grunt of rage. With a yell Mike reached for his gun, but +with a gesture his chief stopped him, saying something in their own +tongue. + +It was, undoubtedly, a command to refrain from shooting down the +captives, which was the evident intent of Mike. And of course that +could easily have been done, for the Yaquis were well armed with rifles +and revolvers they had stolen in their raid. They were not the best +shots in the world, but an infuriated band of them firing on a weary +boy and girl, would have made short work of their lives. + +"That wasn't a miss!" said Rosemary with a laugh, as she still held her +gun to cover the leader. "I just wanted to shoot off your hat. I +could have aimed lower down if I had wanted to. That was just to show +you I know how to shoot!" + +"Ugh!" grunted Paz, and there was open admiration on his rascally face. +He talked rapidly to Mike and some of the latter's companions who had +gathered around, and there was no further attempt to take Floyd away +from Rosemary. + +The latter, however, was on her guard, for she feared they would rush +her, and try to take away her weapon, the unexpected display of which, +as much as her cleverness in shooting away the hat of Paz, had held the +Indians at bay for the necessary reaction to take place. + +"Yo' all right!" grunted Paz with another grin, while one of his +followers picked up the hat, looking curiously at the bullet hole +through it: "Yo' smart gal!" + +"Sure did have your nerve with you!" complimented Floyd, as he stood +beside his sister. "I wish I had my gun!" + +"It's probably just as well you didn't have," she said with a +smile--rather a wan and weary one it must be admitted. + +"Why?" demanded Floyd. "I'm as good a shot as you are." + +"I know it. But in matters of this kind ruffians will stand for more +from a girl or woman than they would from a man. If you had drawn a +gun they probably would have shot you down without a moment's +hesitation. But when I pulled mine it took them off their feet, so to +speak." + +"I wish it would take off a lot of their ugly heads, and their dirty +bodies, too!" grunted Floyd. "Say, Rose, what are we going to do? +This is a terrible pickle to be in." + +"It's better to be in a pickle, for that's a sort of preservative, +Floyd," she joked, though how she had the heart to do this she herself +scarcely realized. "As long as they keep us in pickle there's some +hope," she went on, with a tired little laugh. "But when they take us +out--well, I'll be glad to have my gun," she added grimly. + +She still held the weapon, but it was evident that she was not going to +be obliged to use it again at once, either for intimidation or actual +defence. Paz waved to her to put it away, and she did, slipping it +into a pocket of her skirt. + +It was a pocket she had had made for just such a purpose as carrying a +gun where the ordinary observer would not see it. And if you have ever +hunted for a pocket in your mother's or sister's skirt, and given up in +disgust, you will understand that the subterfuge of Rosemary was not as +simple as at first appears. Of course she realized that if they had +been desperately bent on finding her weapon the Yaquis could have taken +it from her. But they evidently did not dream that she had one. And, +now, when she had given a demonstration of how quickly she could draw +and use it, they would be a bit careful of how they approached her. + +Floyd's weapon, of course had been taken from him almost at once. He +had been taken unawares or this might not have been the case. But it +was probably better, under the circumstances, that he had no gun. Or, +as Rosemary had said, he might have rashly fired and the answering +shots from the Indians might have killed both of the captives. + +"Go on!" Paz said to Rosemary, indicating that she and her brother +might remain together. + +She had brought about what she intended. + +The captives were led farther in among the rocks to a sort of natural +cave, and there they were left, some food having been tossed down where +they could reach it. It was the most primitive sort of a prison, so +simple, in fact, that after a while Floyd said: + +"What's to hinder us walking away from here, Rosemary? They aren't +watching us, and if we pack some of this grub--rotten as it is--maybe +we can get away, and reach Diamond X ranch." + +"I'm afraid we'd have small chance of that," Rosemary answered wearily. +"What I'm in hopes of is that some one will come to the rescue. I'm +sure my note will bring us help." + +"Yes, but _when_?" asked Floyd, a bit fretfully. "It may be too late. +I'm going to see if we can't get away. Stay here and I'll crawl up to +the top of the rock and see what the situation is." + +"I think you'll find it isn't as easy as it looks," said his sister. + +Nor was it. In the first place the climb up the jagged rocks was +wearisome, but Floyd managed it. But when he was at the top, and +looked over to see if there was a trail of escape, he was unpleasantly +surprised by a piece of stone hitting him sharply on the head. + +At first he thought it was a fragment of rock dropping from above, +perhaps dislodged by his exertions. But there was no rock over his +head. He was at the highest peak in that immediate vicinity. + +Then the lad's eyes roved about and he saw, sitting in a natural niche +of the stone, not far from him, a greasy Indian, who held his hand +poised to toss another stone at Floyd. + +The Indian grinned and motioned to the captive to go back. Then Floyd +understood. This Indian was a sentry, placed on guard to prevent the +captives leaving. + +"Well?" questioned Rosemary, as Floyd slid back to where she was +spreading out some blankets that had been tossed in with their food. + +"No go," was the discouraged answer. "They've got us hemmed in." + +"We'll just have to wait--that's all," said the girl. "I don't believe +they'll do us any real harm now. They probably want money for letting +us go. I expect they'll be having us write notes, soon, to Uncle +Henry, asking him to forward ten thousand dollars, or some amount like +that." + +"Ten thousand dollars!" gasped Floyd. + +"Mexican!" laughed Rosemary with a joking spirit she did not altogether +feel. + +Thus left to themselves, in a sort of natural prison of the rocks, a +roofless cave, the captives spent the night, rolled in blankets. It +was cool without a campfire, but none was allowed them. Sore, stiff +and disheartened, Rosemary and Floyd arose soon after the sun was up, +and made a pretense at breakfast. They were given some tin cups of +black, bitter and muddy coffee, without sugar, but it was most +comforting. + +"I never tasted anything better!" declared Floyd, draining the last +drops. + +"Nor I," agreed his sister. + +There was a movement among the Indians, and it was evident that they +were about to take to the trail again. Rosemary and Floyd wondered how +far they would thus be led into the mountains. Surely if a demand for +ransom money was to be made it must be made soon. + +But then they did not know how far they were from the ranch of their +uncle, whom they had set out to visit. They might be going toward it +or away from it. They had lost all sense of direction. + +Suddenly something seemed to take place down in the main camp of the +Indians that indicated a new element in the grim adventure. There were +shouts and excited cries--cries of alarm, it was very evident. + +"Oh!" cried Rosemary with shining eyes. "Maybe it's a rescue party +after us?" + +"I hope so!" shouted Floyd. + +A moment later Mike, his face showing unmistakable signs of fear, came +rushing in, and by signs, and talk in his own tongue, of which Rosemary +and Floyd could understand a few words, he indicated that they were to +follow him. + +Meanwhile the confusion and alarm in the main body of the Yaquis +increased. + +What had happened? + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +SEPARATED + +Though realizing how useless it was to question Mike--useless because +she doubted if he understood her, and equally futile because he would +not bother to answer her--still Rosemary fired a volley of questions at +the Indian. + +"If I had my way I'd fire a volley of bullets at him--provided I had +them to fire!" growled Floyd. But he had not, and Rosemary did not +deem this an occasion to again produce her weapon, which she was +keeping as a last resort. + +Besides, Mike did not betray any specially hostile intentions. He +seemed merely anxious to get Rosemary and Floyd out of their prison +pen, so to speak, and on the move. + +"But what's it all about?" demanded Rosemary. "What's the excitement, +and what's the hurry?" + +For that there was excitement and an alarm, and that she and her +brother were being urged to hurry was very evident. + +"Yes, what is it?" and Floyd added his demand to that of his sister. + +"No _sabe_!" grunted Mike, that being his way of using his command of +Spanish to indicate that he did not know. More likely he did not want +to tell. But there was no way of forcing him. + +"Oh, we've got to ride those horrid knife-backed ponies!" half groaned +Rosemary, as she saw led out for the use of herself and her brother the +steeds on which they had been carried thus far into the mountains. +"They're so bony I'm afraid their backbones will cut through the +saddle." + +"They look as though they might," agreed Floyd. "Gee, but I'm dirty +and I'd like a shave and this is perfectly rotten altogether!" he +completed with a sigh. + +"Don't mention such a thing as a bath tub!" wailed Rosemary. "I don't +believe these heathen know what water means for washing in." + +Certainly the appearances of the Yaquis bore out that assertion. They +were dirty, grimy and greasy to a degree--and a high degree at that. + +Rosemary wore bloomers under a short skirt, an attire eminently suited +to women folk in the west. For Rosemary was a rider of no small +ability, more at home in the saddle than on the seat of an auto, and +she and Floyd counted on much riding once they reached their uncle's +ranch which now, alas, seemed far away. + +Thus attired the girl found no difficulty in getting into the saddle, +and her ability provoked murmurs of admiration from the Yaquis. + +"Oh, if I only had a chance I'd show you how to ride!" declared +Rosemary, when she understood that her skill as a horsewoman was being +commented on. "Let me set out in the open once, with a good horse +under me instead of a specimen of crow-bait, and I'll open your eyes!" + +But this was not to be--just yet. + +Floyd, too, was a good rider, but his sister had more of a natural +knack with ponies, and often bested him in a race. He too, now swung a +leg over the saddle and mounted. With Mike in the lead, and several of +the Yaquis bringing up in the rear as a guard against a retreat on the +part of the captives, they were urged forward out of the rocky defile +into which they had come the night before. + +Eagerly Rosemary and Floyd looked about them for some indication as to +the cause of the sudden excitement, and the movement among the Indians. +Anxiously the captives scanned the horizon for a sight of some rescue +party, the approach of which might have sent the Indians scurrying for +cover. But nothing was to be seen--at least of that nature, though +Rosemary and her brother did see something that caused them great +surprise. + +This was a sight of the main body of the Yaquis, under the leadership +of Paz, moving off at a right angle to the main trail, while Mike, +evidently in command of the smaller party which guarded the captives, +was going on up the mountain slope, farther into the fastnesses of the +rugged peaks. + +"Say, what's up?" asked Floyd, of his sister. + +"Don't know, but it looks as if they had separated. One band going one +way and our bunch this way. I don't like it either. I'd rather deal +with Paz, ugly as he is, than with this Mike, who is Irish only because +we've given him that name," Rosemary answered. + +"It is queer," murmured Floyd, as he guided his pony along the +difficult trail. "Paz has gone off with the main body of Indians, and +left us in charge of these. If I only had a gun we could take a chance +and rush them, Rose. There's only about three dozen!" + +"Too many for just one gun," she answered. + +"But can you guess what the game is?" her brother wanted to know. + +"Well that's all I can do--guess. From what went on soon after +breakfast I imagine some of the Indians saw, or heard about a party +that was on their trail." + +"You mean a party from Diamond X?" + +"Either that or soldiers." + +"That's so! Soldiers!" cried Floyd. "I hadn't thought of them! Of +course there are troopers stationed out here at various places. And +word of the Yaquis uprising is sure to go to them. Maybe a band of +U.S. Regulars is on the way to save us, Rose!" + +"I hope so. But we can't count on it. What I do think, though, is +that Paz took alarm at something, and he isn't going to chance being +found with us on his hands." + +"You mean he's passing the buck to Mike here?" + +"Something like that. If our friends or Uncle Sam's men round up this +bunch of cut throats and find us in their possession it will go hard +with them. So Paz isn't taking any chances." + +"That may be the explanation," agreed Rosemary. "Anyhow we're being +taken farther into the mountains by a small band, and the larger body +is sliding off to one side." + +"It's a queer thing," said Floyd, as he and his sister rode along side +by side, "that these Yaquis didn't turn back into Mexico, and take us +across the border instead of rushing us into the United States." + +"Maybe they were afraid to cross the border, which is pretty sure to be +better guarded than usual, after this outbreak," Rosemary said. "Or +maybe the Yaquis didn't want to share spoils with any of their friends +on their own side of the fence." + +"That's so!" agreed Floyd. "And now that there's a chance of ransom +money--or these beggars think there is--I reckon they're less anxious +than before to whack it up. + +"That's it! They're taking us as far off as they can to keep the cash +among themselves, and, meanwhile, Paz leads the main body away from us." + +"But what that move means I'd like to know," mused Rosemary. + +It was rather a puzzle to her and her brother. All they were sure of +was what they saw--that the Yaquis had separated, most of them +following Paz, while the captives were left in charge of the villainous +Mike and his selected followers. + +Rosemary slipped her hand into her pocket to feel the handle of her +automatic. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +THE FIGHT + +The discovery of the Indian trail, and the unmistakable evidence that +the marks had been left by a band of Yaquis, was the most encouraging +news the boy ranchers and their friends had received since starting out +to rescue Rosemary and Floyd. It was a fortunate meeting with the U.S. +Troopers. + +"Only for that," observed Bud, as he rode along with his cousins, "we'd +have been way off. We were headed just in the opposite direction when +we took to cover thinking the Yaquis were coming after us." + +"Yes, and the longer we traveled the farther off we'd be," agreed Nort. +"It's lucky all around." + +"It'll be luckier when we come up to this band of Greasers and take +Rosemary and Floyd away," declared Dick. + +"Just think!" exulted Nort. "We'll soon be taking part in a real +Indian fight! I didn't think there could be such a thing outside of a +novel." + +"Are these Yaquis real Indians?" asked Dick. "They don't impress me +that way. Seems more like fighting some low down colored men." + +"I wouldn't insult a decent negro by comparing him to an Indian of the +present Yaquis tribe," laughed Bud. "They aren't at all alike. But +the Yaquis are real Indians of one of the Mexican races--a race that +was once among the best. Of course, even then, they weren't like our +American Indians." + +"I guess I'm looking for tomahawks and scalping knives and listening +for warwhoops!" admitted Dick. "I have an Indian stone pipe home, with +a long flat stem, made of a piece of oak, with designs burned in it. +Around one end are wound some red and blue beads, and the stem has some +old faded ribbons tied to it. Have the Yaquis anything like that?" he +asked Bud. + +"Not that I know of. The present generation smoke cigarettes when they +can get 'em, something no self-respecting American Indian would dream +of. Maybe the Yaquis have some such ceremony as smoking the peace +pipe, but I don't know about it. I never saw any of their stone pipes. +I know the kind you mean, Dick. The pipe part is hollowed out with a +small hole--hardly holds enough tobacco for a good smoke, I'd say, +though I never tried it." + +"That's the kind," Dick said. "Well, to my mind, these Yaquis aren't +half so--so--well, you know what I mean," he concluded, at loss for the +right word. + +"Picturesque," suggested his brother. + +"That's it! They aren't at all the kind of Indians you'd like to read +about." + +"Rex Beach doesn't think much of 'em," commented Bud. "I read in one +of his books where he says the Yaquis are a playful people, and they +dearly love to hold up Southern Pacific trains. It's one of their +favorite sports and pastimes." + +"Do you really think they do?" asked Dick. "If they're train robbers +they have more gumption than I thought." + +"Well, I don't know," admitted Bud. "Rex Beach writes good stuff, and +has some corking movies out, but maybe he was joking when he spoke of +the Yaquis. Anyhow we know what they've done to our friends, and it's +up to us to pay 'em back!" + +"You said a hollow-toothful that time, kid!" declared Rolling Stone, as +he cantered up ahead to take part in a consultation, caused when a new +"sign" was discovered. + +The discovery of new marks in the soil--marks left by the passing along +of some Indians--was deemed of enough importance to call a halt, while +those most familiar in the interpretation of such mystic evidences, +made certain what they indicated. + +In this discussion the boy ranchers could have no part for they were +not at all versed in the meaning of what was quite plain to Rolling +Stone, some of the trooper scouts and a few of the cowboys. + +"We'll eat as long as we had to stop," decided Captain Marshall, when +it was made known to him that some of the scouts wanted to scurry about +in a circle, and ascertain if there were any more evidences that would +help solve many vital questions. + +The troopers had come out well rationed--much better so, in fact than +had our friends, and the soldiers extended an invitation to their +comrade in arms to partake of "grub," an invitation that was quickly +accepted. For the American soldier is the best fed of any in the world. + +In the midst of the meal word was sent back to have Buck Tooth, the old +Indian in the service of Bud, to come out to where the trooper scouts +and cowboys were having a consultation. + +"Buck Tooth can tell 'em what's what," declared Bud. "He claims to be +a Yaqui, though since these imps have pulled off this stunt I think +I'll get Buck Tooth to change his tribe. But he can read Indian sign +all right." + +This was evidently so for, a little later, exultant shouts on the part +of the trooper scouts and the cowboys announced that something new had +been found. And it was Buck Tooth's discovery as the boy ranchers +learned soon. + +The old Indian had carefully studied the trail, and then, going off to +one side, had hunted about until he found what he was in evident search +of--another trail, leading in the opposite direction from that our +friends had been following. + +"Yaquis come 'long here--go up to mountain, then come back 'gin, same +way like, then go like so," and Buck Tooth held out his arm stiffly, +extending two fingers of his hand wide apart like a fork. + +"I see what he means!" exclaimed Snake Purdee. "They doubled on their +track for part of the way back, and then branched off from the trail, +thinking to fool us. But they didn't." + +"It looks that way," agreed Lieutenant Snow. "This trail Buck Tooth +discovered is much the fresher. We ought to follow that." + +And this they did, after a hasty meal. + +Once more they were after the Yaquis, and late that night one of the +scouts in the lead car riding back at full speed with the news: + +"They're right ahead of us!" + +"Wow!" yelled Bud. + +"Hurray!" shouted Dick. + +"Get ready for the fight!" cried Nort. + +"Wait a minute now, boys!" advised Snake. "You may have a proper part +in the fracas, but remember we're with the United States troops, and +under the leadership of Captain Marshall. We must do as he says." + +"Oh, I guess the Captain will give the boys a chance," said Lieutenant +Snow with a smile, as he gave an order to the buglar. + +The stragglers rode in, the troops were quickly formed for immediate +action, and other scouts were sent out to report on the location and +disposition of the Yaquis, which were about three miles in advance, the +first scout said. + +"Did you see anything of Rosemary or Floyd?" asked Bud anxiously. + +"No. I wasn't close enough for that. But the beggars are legging it +for all they're worth!" + +"Then let's get after them!" cried the Captain. "We don't want them to +get away!" + +The pace had not been fast, so the horses were comparatively fresh, and +they were now urged into a trot, while skirmishers were sent on ahead +to receive the first reports of the advanced scouts. + +Suddenly, as the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, some of +the scouts came riding back, pointing down into a small, rocky valley, +while the foremost yelled: + +"They're making a stand down there!" + +"Come on!" cried Captain Marshall, and, a few minutes later the fight +against the Yaquis began. + +CHAPTER XX + +THE WHITE FLAG + +The boy ranchers--at least two of them,--were much disappointed at the +manner in which this fight against the Yaquis started. And I think I +need not say that the two I mean were Dick and Nort. Bud, while he had +never before taken part in a fight against Indians, did not expect so +much of the romantically picturesque and so was not so disappointed. + +But like most healthy lads Nort and Dick, in their early days, had read +many books about the west, stories of adventures among the cowboys, +miners and Indians--especially the latter. And all the stories had to +do with the dashing manner in which the redmen fought, when they fought +in the open. Of course, when they had the chance, the Indians +preferred to sneak up on their victims and take them unawares. It was +easier than standing up against gunfire. + +But when the Indians had fought there was a dash and spirit about their +attack that made the blood run faster in the veins. The redmen would +begin circling about the band they were to attack, riding their ponies +faster and faster as they approached, leaning over on the far side, to +bring the animal's body between themselves and the hail of bullets. +Then the doughty Indian, hanging to his saddle blanket by one +moccasined foot would fire from under his pony's neck, dashing away in +time to escape the white man's bullet. + +That was warfare to make any real lad wish to toss aside his school +books and hike for the great WEST! + +And it was by anticipating such scenes as this that Nort and Dick were +disappointed. But, in a way they had been prepared for it by seeing +what manner of Indians the Yaquis were. No warpaint, no feathered +headdresses, no necklaces of bears' claws, and of course no bows and +arrows. + +It must be admitted that the stories on which Nort and Dick had fed +their imaginations were true enough about the time they were written. +But the romantic Indians died off, or were confined on reservations, +and those who occasionally sneaked over the border from Mexico, to make +raids by which they gathered in cattle, ponies and weapons, were not of +this class. + +"It's like making an attack on a bunch of Greasers!" declared Nort, in +some disgust, as the fight opened. + +But just then a bullet sang uncomfortably close to his head, and as he +ducked down--too late of course had the shot been true--Bud laughed and +said: + +"Don't lose sight of the fact that they can shoot!" + +Indeed the Yaquis, thus forced to make a stand and fight, were not +going to give up easily. The soldiers, the outfit from Diamond X and +the boy ranchers were to have no easy time of it. + +It was inspiring to witness the manner in which the troopers went about +the business of rounding up the renegade Yaquis. At the first +intimation that there was to be serious fighting, when the band had +gotten close enough for effective work, the horses were sent back to be +out of danger from the bullets. The animals belonging to Bud, Nort, +Dick and their friends were taken in charge by some of the troopers. +For it was vitally necessary that means of retreat or of advance be +preserved. And of course there was no thought of retreat on the part +of our friends. + +Buck Tooth, the old Indian, slid from his pony with a sigh of relief. +He did not care for riding. He liked an automobile, but he was too fat +to sit in comfort on a rangy cow pony. + +"Keep head down!" he advised Nort, as he saw the lad apparently duck a +bullet. + +"Guess that's good advice," admitted the lad with a sharp intaking of +his breath. + +"Do same like soldiers," went on Buck Tooth. + +And, as I have said, the example of the troopers was one to be +followed. This was not the first time they had been in Indian fights, +and against more worthy foes of the redman type. Each trooper picked +out such natural shelter as was available, and then began looking over +or around it for a sight of some human target at which to aim. + +This sort of warfare would be carried on until there was a chance to +rush the Yaquis, when the horses could be brought up for this purpose, +or the charge made on foot. The Indians, exercising as great care for +their steeds as had the white men, had also sent the ponies to the rear. + +The place of the fight was about the middle of a small valley, closed +in at either end by broken hills of rock, while rocks and great +boulders were scattered over the floor of the vale, thus affording +natural shelter for both sides. The rising ground at the rear of each +party prevented the chance of a rapid retreat, and it was evident that +the fight would go to a "finish." + +Just how large the party of Yaquis was could not be told, but Captain +Marshall believed he had more men than were rallied to the support of +Paz, the notorious leader of the Mexicans. + +"But I haven't seen Rosemary or Floyd," remarked Nort, as he wormed +himself into a hollow place behind a rock, not far from Dick and Bud. + +"Well, they are probably back in the rear. That's where they generally +keep their captives," explained Dick. "If they see the fight going +against them they'll send word back and some party will scoot out with +our friends." + +"Then we'll have the chasing to do all over again," ruefully observed +Nort. + +"Oh, I guess Captain Marshall knows a trick or two," commented Bud. +"Look, he's sending some of his men out now to try and get in the rear +of the Yaquis." + +Dick and Nort turned to see a detachment of the troopers making their +way on hands and knees out among the rocks. Their object was what Bud +had stated--to get in the rear of the Indians and not only attack them +from that vantage point but also to prevent a retreat with the +captives, in case Rosemary and Floyd were at that point. + +And now the fight began in earnest. + +With each party in a position advantageous to it the first few minutes +of attack and defense were marked only by firing that accomplished +nothing. + +That is to say there was an exchange of bullets, most of which +spattered against the rooks, sending up sprays of vicious lead or +showers of pulverized stone, but inflicting no dangerous wounds. One +of the troopers was temporarily blinded by some of this stone dust +getting into his eyes when a bullet struck the rock just over his head, +and several others, including Lieutenant Snow, were "creased" by +bullets when they exposed an arm or leg. But these were only trifles +in the day's adventure. + +If the Yaquis were not as romantic, tricky and brave as the old Apaches +or Sioux, they were no quitters, and they seemed to be well directed. +For after the first scattered firing on their part, they began a +fusillade which increased in intensity. + +"They aren't saving ammunition," commented Snake, as he drew a quick +sight on an exposed head, and had the satisfaction of seeing it drop +back out of sight in a manner that told of a hit. + +"I guess they know it's a case of shoot or be shot," remarked Yellin' +Kid, his tones low, for a wonder. + +It must be stated that the troopers and those with them fought under a +better system, and were better trained, to say nothing of being better +individual marksmen. For this reason the casualties on the side of the +Yaquis soon began to mount up. Occasional yells, and the spasmodic +leaping up of some "warrior" as he was hit after a careless exposure of +limb or body, told that the renegades were paying toll. + +On the other hand more than one trooper was hit, two being killed not +far from Bud and his cousins. + +Nor did our heroes escape. For Nort received a nasty, but not +dangerous wound in the left leg, while Dick, incautiously looking from +behind his rock, to see the effect of one of his shots, felt a bullet +clip the lobe of his right ear, bringing pain and plenty of blood. + +At first Bud and Nort thought Dick had been killed, for he fell back +with a groan and his neck was stained a bright red, his ear bleeding +freely. But after the momentary shock the lad raised himself--still +keeping back of his rock, and cried: + +"I'm all right. That ear always was too long!" + +"Good stuff, kid!" cried one of the troopers. "Here, wind some of this +on," and he tossed over a roll of antiseptic bandage. + +Minor hurts were thus quickly bound up, and Bud, having received a +painful wound in the right hand, had to retire from the fight. He did +not actually go to the rear, however, but remained with Nort and Dick, +handing them cartridges to reload their weapons. + +"Gosh! This is rotten!" bewailed Bud, looking at his bandaged hand. +It was dismay not at the nature of the wound, but because he could no +longer "pepper" the Yaquis. + +And the Indians were being attacked with a vengeance and were being +"peppered" to such good advantage that some of them rose up and started +to run to the rear. This was the last running they did, however, for +the unerring rifles of the troopers picked them off. + +And then the strategy of Captain Marshall had its effect. For suddenly +the troopers he had sent to attack the rear of the Yaquis opened up a +fire and this, being augmented by shots from the main body, soon threw +the Indians into such confusion that the end was only a question of +minutes. + +And it came suddenly. For just as Captain Marshall was preparing to +order a charge, Snake gave a yell and shouted: + +"The white flag! They're quitting!" + + + + +CHAPTER XXI + +THE TRICK DISCOVERED + +Truly enough, this had happened. On top of one of the jagged rocks, +behind which they had conducted the defense that had failed, stood a +ragged Yaqui Indian. To and fro, on the end of his gun, he waved not +exactly a white flag, but a dirty rag that once might have been white. +Objects of this hue did not long remain like the driven snow among the +Yaquis. + +"Cease firing!" blared the bugle, and the spiteful rattle of the +soldiers' guns stopped abruptly. + +"Cover the beggar, some of you," ordered Captain Marshall, "and a few +of you get ready in case this is a trick and they try a rush. I'll +look into this." + +"Let me go!" pleaded Lieutenant Snow eagerly. "I can sling their lingo +a bit, Captain." + +"Very well," assented the commander. "But watch yourself, Mart. I +don't trust the devils, though if they try any of their tricks we'll +wipe out the whole band. I wish I had a rapid fire gun. We made a +mistake coming off without it. But we had to leave in a hurry." + +During this brief talk, during which none of the soldiers or cowboys +exposed themselves, the figure of the Indian continued to stand in full +view and easy shot, waving the flag that told of a desire to surrender. + +Or did it? Was it but a trick? That remained to be seen. + +Seeing that his men were in readiness for quick work, Captain Marshall, +himself holding his carbine where he could easily get at it, signalled +to Lieutenant Stone to advance, under the flag of truce, to listen to +the capitulation of the Yaquis. A trooper went with the lieutenant, +carrying one of the company guidons, which, while not exactly a flag of +truce served the purpose well enough. Besides the outfit from the fort +and Diamond X were not surrendering. + +"Had enough, Yaqui?" asked the lieutenant, as the Indian came down from +his perch, and advanced to a point midway between the hidden Mexicans +and the equally concealed troopers. In the rear was another band of +soldiers, so, if it had been necessary, the Indians could have been +withered by a cross fire. + +"We stop," grunted the Yaqui. + +It was the giving up. + +Then followed a talk between the officer and the representative of the +Indians. This was not Paz, who probably was too cowardly to trust +himself in the open under the guns of his rightful enemies. + +"Unconditional surrender, lay down every gun you have, march out and be +made prisoners!" was the ultimatum of Lieutenant Snow. + +It was the only terms that could be offered the treacherous band that +had broken over the border from Mexico. + +"And tell 'em," shouted Snake, who, with his friends had understood the +import of what was said, "tell the beggar if any harm has come to +Rosemary or Floyd, we'll kill every one of the Greasers!" + +Lieutenant Snow waved his hand for silence. He listened to something +the bearer of the flag of truce had to say, and then the officer +announced: + +"The captives aren't here!" + +"Aren't here!" cried Bud, Nort and Dick together. + +"Don't let nim fool you!" shouted Yellin' Kid. + +"Order them to march out, unarmed and then we'll search their camp," +called Captain Marshall. + +Seeing that it would be useless to prolong matters, and knowing his +entire band would be wiped out if he continued the fight, now that his +rear was attacked, Paz growled out the necessary orders to his +followers, and they came out from amid the rocks--that is those who +could walk. + +They were a sorry-looking lot. Always of a nondescript type, dirty, +ragged and greasy, the Yaquis were even worse now, for they had been on +the trail for some time, and had taken part in at least two fights. +They had had no time to recuperate since making the raid in La +Nogalique. + +As they filed out, miserably enough, they were passed into a sort of +hollow square, formed by the troopers, and there each Indian was +searched for a hidden knife or revolver. One or two were found and +confiscated amid the snarls of rage on the part of the owners, who, +doubtless, meditated treachery. + +Paz and his followers having been secured, a guard placed over them, +and the wounded of the troopers being cared for as well as possible, +search was made of the place where the Yaquis had made their stand. +Several dead Indians were found, and some so badly wounded that death +was only a question of a short time. These were made as comfortable as +possible, for though they were entitled to little consideration while +the fight was on, matters were different after the surrender. + +"But where can Rosemary and Floyd be?" was the question asked over and +over again by the boy ranchers and their friends, when it was seen that +the captives were not in the Yaquis camp. At first it was supposed +they had been sent to the rear with the Indians who were guarding the +ponies. But there was no trace of the youth and his sister who had +been carried away. + +Then the more sinister thought came. + +"Could they have been made away with?" + +No one asked this in so many words, but it was in the minds of all, and +a careful search was made to disclose if the ground had been recently +dug up. Nothing of the sort was found, however, and then the boy +ranchers and their friends breathed more easily. + +But though the main body of Yaquis had been captured the prisoners were +not found. And one of the objects of the rescue party--the main object +in fact--was to locate Rosemary and Floyd. + +"We've got to get it out of Paz what has happened to them, if we--if we +have to torture him!" declared Snake. "Can't you make him talk, +Captain?" + +"Well, of course we dare not, for the sake of the good name of Uncle +Sam's men, resort to torture. But we can try some modern police +methods--putting him through the third degree, so to speak." + +"That's it!" cried Bud. "Give Paz the third degree!" + +Once the prisoners were secured, the wounded attended to and the dead +buried, the whole attention of the rescue party was given to locating +Rosemary and Floyd. That Paz knew the secret of their disappearance +could not be doubted--at least our friends did not doubt. + +"Though of course," said Captain Marshall, when preparations were going +on for putting Paz through the third degree series of questions, "of +course there may have been several bands involved in this raid, and +some other body of Yaquis may have taken away the young man and his +sister." + +"It was Paz, I'm sure of it!" declared Bud. + +"He looks guilty!" + +Certainly the Yaquis leader looked ugly and mean enough to have +perpetrated this deed. But he maintained a scowling silence as he sat +on the ground before his captors. + +"Now, Paz," began Lieutenant Snow, who acted as interpreter, "you may +as well tell the truth first as last, for we're going to get it out of +you, if we have to resort to--well, you know what I mean. _Sabe_?" + +"No _sabe_!" grunted the Indian. + +Then the work began. It was not a pleasant task, and it was only +excusable on the plea of dire necessity. The Yaquis were entitled to +no mercy. + +But through ft all Paz maintained a grim silence. When he did speak it +was to deny that he or his followers had even seen Rosemary and Floyd, +much less had they kidnapped them for a ransom. + +It remained for Buck Tooth to expose the trick. The wily Indian, +perhaps knowing the habits of the race he had forsaken, had been +prowling about among the sullen prisoners. He openly laughed at them +for the plight in which he found them, taunting them as cowards of the +first water. + +Then, having wrought them up to the desired pitch of anger, Buck Tooth +laughed and played a trump card, so to speak. In his own way he told a +group of the captives that not only had they been caught, to be sent +back to Mexico there to suffer long imprisonment, but the object for +which they had risked so much had been snatched from them. + +"We have the boy and girl!" boasted Buck Tooth. + +This was vehemently denied and then, in a burst of anger, as Buck Tooth +insisted this was so, the Yaqui blurted out the truth that Paz was +endeavoring to conceal. Rosemary and Floyd had been taken away from +the main body by a squad under the leadership of the Indian whom +Rosemary had dubbed "Mike." + +"Ugh!" grunted Buck Tooth. He had found out what he wanted to know. +The trick was discovered. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII + +ANXIOUS HOURS + +Paz grunted, with characteristic Indian indifference when the work of +the third degree ceased, as Buck Tooth, accompanied by the boy +ranchers, waddled up and made known what he had found out. + +"So that's what the beggar did!" exclaimed Captain Marshall, when he +understood. "He split his forces, and sent the young man and girl +farther on up into the mountains. Well, it means another chase!" + +"And one not so easy to make," added Snake. + +"Why?" asked Bud. + +"Well, the trail will be worse, for one thing, and we won't have as +many men to help. Got to send a guard back with these," and he waved +his hand to indicate the Yaquis who had been made prisoners. + +"I'll spare as many of my men as possible," said the captain, "and as +soon as I get these imps where they'll be safe for the next few years, +I'll have the escort return. They'll want to see this thing through. +I'm coming with you." + +"Oh, that's good!" exclaimed Nort. It was not that he did not depend +on the cowboys from Diamond X, but there was something about the +troopers that inspired confidence. The cowboys, too, were glad that +they would have some regulars with them. + +"And now let's get this story in proper shape," suggested the captain. +"Lieutenant Snow, you'll get ready to take as many men as you'll need +and herd the rascals back over the border, or at least to La Nogalique. +It may be that the United States Marshal there will want to deal with +them himself. In case he does that relieves you all the sooner. Get +in touch with the fort when you have delivered your prisoners, and +there may be orders for you." + +"Yes, sir," answered the wounded lieutenant, saluting. He had no +thought of quitting though he was painfully hurt. + +Then Buck Tooth told what his taunts had forced from the captive +Yaquis, and the whole trick was plain to the experienced cowboys and +the troopers. Paz, fearing the result of keeping the captives with +him, had sent them away when he learned that his pursuers were near. + +How he learned that fact was one of the mysteries. How the news +traveled, in that wild country, where civilized folk were often at +pains to get into communication with each other, will probably never be +known. But in some manner Paz had become aware of the closing in on +him of the soldiers and the cowboys and he had tried to forestall their +vengeance. But he did not reckon on the wiliness of Buck Tooth, whose +taunts had caused the truth to be blurted out. + +So, while Paz and his renegades were being sent back to pay the +penalties for their uprising, Captain Marshall, with some of his picked +men, and the band from Diamond X got ready to move forward again. One +or two of the cowboys, who had been rather badly hit by bullets, were +induced to go back for treatment. An effort made to have Bud do the +same was met by a flat refusal. + +"I've got one good hand!" the lad declared, holding up his left, "and I +can shoot an automatic with that after somebody loads it for me." + +"We'll load!" offered Nort and Dick. + +So the boy ranchers, like the Three Guardsmen "all for one and one for +all," stuck together. + +"There's going to be hard work--and danger ahead of us," Snake had +said, and Captain Marshall bore him out in this. + +"That's what we came for," declared Nort. + +"Surest thing you know!" assented his brother, and Bud nodded his +assent. + +So they moved forward again. + +This time they were working toward a more certain object than when they +were out scouting around to pick up the trail of the Yaquis. + +Now they must make their way back to where the party, with Rosemary and +Floyd as prisoners, had separated from the main body. + +This was comparatively simple as regards tracing the way Paz and his +followers had descended the mountain into the valley of the plain where +the last fight and surrender had taken place. But when the trail of +Mike and his men was located--then would come the real test. + +The way grew more rough as they proceeded back along the route taken by +the fleeing main body of Yaquis. It was an ascending trail, over a +path that was possible only to the tough western ponies. + +Fortunately they had an ample supply of provisions and the water supply +was adequate, which was a vital necessity. The only hardship in the +way of grub was on the horses, the herbage being scanty at times, so +that as much speed as was desired could not be made, detours being +necessary in order to come upon fodder for the steeds. + +This caused them to spend more time on the route than they desired and +each hour of delay made the boy ranchers more and more apprehensive for +the safety of their captured cousins. However it could not be helped. +Certain precautions must be observed if the band of rescuers was to +arrive efficient enough to cope with the Yaquis. Though not a quarter +of the original body was now in charge of Rosemary and Floyd, they were +picked fighters, so Buck Tooth had learned. And they probably would +make a stand in some natural fastness which vantage point would be hard +to attack and turn. + +Through two long, hot weary days the march of the rescuers was kept up, +and they were all glad when night came that they might camp and be at +rest. + +"But we've struck the branching trail," Bud said to his cousins. "All +we have to do now is to keep on until we corner the beggars, and get +Rosemary and Floyd away from them." + +Bud had sized up the situation correctly, though it remains to be +stated that it was easier said than done. By carefully noting the +"sign" along the way, the cowboys and soldiers had reached the place +where the selected band had ridden away with their captives. And this +was the trail now being followed. + +There was more than hard work--hard work followed hard work--and there +was danger. It had been hard from the very start--from the time the +boy ranchers had left after the first wild alarm over the kidnapping of +Rosemary and Floyd. They had been keyed up to high tension all the +while, and this, in itself, if you have ever experienced it, is +wearing. There had been absolutely no time for light enjoyment--none +of the humor of the cowboys had a chance to manifest itself. + +Aside from an occasional burst into song the way had been grim and +weary. There was nothing to lighten it, for over all hung the +apprehension that something dreadful would befall Rosemary and her +brother. + +And that dread was still present. + +Even at the very end of the trail it might be found that all their +efforts had been in vain, and that the Yaquis, driven into a panic of +fear, had ended the lives of their captives. + +So there was this nerve-racking pall of gloom hanging over all, and to +this was added the hard physical work of keeping to a difficult trail, +with danger besetting on every hand. + +That there was danger, not the most optimistic of them would have +denied. There was danger in urging one's horse up a narrow path +overhanging some gorge. + +There was danger that some lurking Yaqui, unable to keep up with the +main body of Mike's men, might send a bullet into the back of one of +the rescuers. Or Mike could have posted a party in ambush at any one +of a dozen places along the trail, there to surprise and kill off a +number of the vengeful whites following him. + +All this made it exceedingly hard for the boy ranchers and their +friends, but they were never daunted. On they urged their weary +ponies, and the trail was as hard on horseflesh as it was on man and +youth. + +Still no one complained. Even Bud bore without remark the pain of his +wounded hand, and it was a most painful injury. However Captain +Marshall had no small skill with what primitive remedies they had with +them, and he saved Bud from the necessity of a surgical operation +later, as the wound was kept clean, so that it healed from within. + +Though once, when it had grown shut, with the possible danger of pus +forming within, and had to be opened, poor Bud saw everything getting +black before his eyes. And it was only by gritting his teeth, and +remembering how, it was said, Indians bit bullets in twain in the +excess of their agony before uttering a groan, that the lad prevented +himself from fainting under the captain's ministrations. + +So night settled down on the second day of their rush forward on the +trail of Mike and those he held captive. + +"You get to bed and take it easy," Nort said to Bud, when the latter +talked of standing guard, after camp had been made. + +"That's right," agreed Dick. "There's enough of us without you." + +"But I don't want to be a quitter!" Bud said. "And we're so close to +Mike and his gang now--or we ought to be--that there may be an attack +any hour." + +"The Yaquis won't attack at night," declared Rolling Stone. "They're +too lazy!" + +This, indeed, is characteristic of many Indian tribes, though perhaps +the real reason may be based on superstition instead of objection to +exertion. + +However, Bud allowed himself to be pursuaded to take his ease rolled up +in his blankets. There were no tents, and, in fact, none were really +needed, for though the nights were cooler than the days, a blanket and +a fire made every man comfortable. + +So night settled down, the stars came out, the cooling wind blew the +smoke of the camp fire here and there and the posted sentries walked +their beats, waiting for what might happen. + +That they were near to the hiding place of Mike, and, it was hoped, of +the captives too, could not be doubted. The trail had become more +fresh with every mile traversed. + +"He's gone into some cave to hold off as long as possible," was the +opinion of Captain Marshall. + +Nort and Dick had adjoining posts. They had been selected for the +first four hours of duty, from 8 to 12 o'clock, and it was near that +last hour when Nort, coming back from having reached the end of his +beat, called softly to his brother. + +"Did you hear anything?" asked Nort. + +"What do you mean?" asked Dick in turn. + +"Well, like some one walking. Listen!" + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +THE LAST STAND + +The boy ranchers--only two of them now, for Bud was taking a +much-needed rest, stood silent in the darkness, on one edge of the +camp. They listened "with all their ears," for they were, if not +exactly in the enemy's territory, at least within striking distance of +the Yaquis, and every precaution must be taken. + +So when Nort whispered to Dick that a suspicious noise had been heard, +Dick was only too ready to believe it. + +"Where did you hear it?" Dick asked in a cautious voice when, after +several seconds of intent listening, neither had caught a sound. + +"Off there," replied Nort rather vaguely, pointing to the darkness +ahead of them--a darkness where the rays of several camp fires did not +penetrate, and which the starlight did not seem to pierce. + +"I don't hear anything," went on Dick. "Maybe it was only the wind. +We don't want to give an alarm and--" + +"Hark!" interrupted his brother in a low but tense voice. + +Clearly then, to the ears of both, came the unmistakable sound of +someone or something approaching. There was the crunching of gravel, +and the noise of some hard substance moving on a rock. + +"It's the Yaquis!" whispered Nort, as he brought his rifle to bear on +the blackness in front of him. "They're creeping up to make an attack!" + +Dick also got his gun in readiness for instant action, and the boys +were just about to fire when a noise, best described as "unearthly," +smote their ears. It was a long drawn out cry, weird and +blood-curdling. That it was the warwhoop of the Yaquis both boys were +beginning to believe, in spite of knowing that these Mexicans seldom if +ever used such romantic if terrible means of terrifying their enemies. + +I say the boys were on the verge of accepting the noise as that, when +its character suddenly changed, and the stillness of the night was +fairly shattered by a loud: + +"Hee-haw! Hee-haw! Hee-haw!" + +The reaction was so great that Nort and Dick nearly dropped their guns, +and they turned to look one at the other with sheepish grins that would +have been visible had the light been stronger. And then, with one +voice the brothers exclaimed: + +"Maud!" + +It was one of the army transport mules, an animal that helped carry the +camp baggage! She had strayed. + +Again rose the cry, not so weird now that its nature was known. + +"Hee-haw! Hee-haw!" + +And from the camp came a disgusted complaint from some sleepy trooper +as he shouted: "The chump who tied that mule so he could wander ought +to be made to go get him!" + +There was laughter at this, for many had been awakened by the braying +of the animal. And then one of the men in charge of the animals came +out and managed to corral the wanderer. + +"Gosh! I'm glad we didn't shoot!" exclaimed Nort, as their tour of +duty ended and their relief came. + +"Same here!" added his brother. "How they would have laughed at us if +we had plugged old Maud!" + +This was the only disturbing incident of the night, the remainder of +which passed quietly. + +With the first streak of dawn the troopers were up, as were the +cowboys, for Rolling Stone had said, and Buck Tooth agreed with him, +that if the Yaquis did attack it would be at dawn, since they seldom +fought after nightfall. + +But no attack came, and breakfast was served, with sentries on the +watch to guard against surprise. Some steaming hot coffee, crisp bacon +the odor of which was an aroma in the morning air, flapjacks and sour +dough bread for those who wanted it, made the meal, which well +fortified those who partook of it for the day's events, which were +destined to be strenuous. + +Once again the order was: + +"Forward--march!" + +Again they were on the trail of the Yaquis. + +As they advanced the "sign" became more pronounced that the band had +passed that way. Whether they had the captives with them could, of +course, only be guessed at. + +But the trail had been carefully scanned, and there was no evidence +that Rosemary and Floyd had been put out of the way. As far as could +be told the captives were still the prisoners of the Indians. And +there were no marks to show that any smaller body had branched off from +this band of Yaquis that had the unfortunate youth and maiden in charge. + +So it was with the hope of finding their cousins safe, though perhaps +in dire distress, that the boy ranchers pressed on with their friends +the troopers and the cowboys. + +As the trail became more pronounced, greater precautions were taken +against a surprise. And a surprise in the rocky defiles through which +they were passing would have been well nigh fatal. So scouts were +constantly in the lead, ready at the first suspicious sign to send back +word to the main body to be on the alert. + +The morning passed without incident, save for one or two false alarms, +and there was a sigh of relief when the midday meal was served without +interruption in the shape of hostile bullets. Then, after a brief rest +for the horses, the march was again taken up. + +"I wonder when we'll find them?" asked Nort. + +"It's been quite a while now," added Dick. + +"Poor Rosemary," sighed Bud, trying to find an easy position for his +wounded hand. "She must have had a tough time." + +"Yet she had a lot of grit to send that message the way she did," +commented Nort. + +"Yes, only for that we wouldn't have known about it for a long +time--maybe too late," agreed Bud. + +It was but a few minutes after this talk that, suddenly, a shot rang +out well up ahead. Instantly every nerve tingled for it might mean the +beginning of the last fight. The shot was almost at once followed by +others, and then a scout came clattering back. + +"We've found 'em!" he cried. "And it's going to be a dickens of a +fight! They're in a regular fort!" + +The firing in front became more brisk. Clearly all the van guard was +now engaged, and quick orders were issued to send up a squad or two of +the troopers, while the main body prepared for what they hoped would be +the last battle. + +Captain Marshall rapidly questioned the messenger who had come back. +The man told how he and his companions had been riding along when they +were suddenly fired upon. The shot came from a ledge at one side of +the defile through which the trail ran, and they had a glimpse of a +Yaqui warrior shaking his fist at them in defiance as he disappeared +amid the rocks after delivering his warning shot. + +Then the shooting between the outposts of the Indians and the advance +guard of the rescue party became general as the scout rode back to +report. + +Captain Marshall hurried to the front with his first band of fighters, +the cowboys and our youthful heroes being bidden to remain where they +were until the officer had made an observation. In a little while +Captain Marshall came back. + +"It will be their last stand!" he exclaimed. + +"How so?" asked Snake. + +"Well, they're there with their backs to the wall. They can't get out +at the rear and we're here in front to stop them if they come this way. +It will be a fight to a finish!" + +And as the boy ranchers wondered at the fate of Rosemary and Floyd +there came from the front a burst of firing. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + +THE RUSE OF ROSEMARY + +Well it was that a body of fighters with the experience of the United +States troopers and the cowboys from Diamond X ranch went up against +the Yaquis, and not some brave but rash band of rescuers. The latter +would have been defeated almost at once for the Indians had picked out +an admirable place in which to make their last stand. + +They had retreated into the mountains, along a trail that only the most +hardy could follow. Then, finding, as they doubtless did, that their +pursuers were ever at their heels, they hastened to what was, +virtually, a natural fortress--a nook among the rocky walls of the +defile. From there they shot at the approaching troopers and cowboys. + +"No useless risks!" ordered Captain Marshall, as he and his men came up +to the attack. + +The Yaquis had several distinct advantages in their favor. They were +up above the rescuers and could fire down on them, while the boy +ranchers and their friends had not only to fight but to climb up, and +the latter was a handicap. + +Then the Indians had what was almost like a rocky fort to protect them, +while those making the attack had to approach pretty much in the open. +Of course there were rocks that could be used as cover, but these were +so scattered that it prevented the approach of the men in a body. +Individuals could creep from rock to rock, and so advance, but there +could be no concerted rush against the Yaquis, and that was what was +needed to overcome them. + +However the fight was only in its early stages yet, and, like a +football game, one could not tell what would happen until the final +whistle was blown. Captain Marshall was a veteran fighter and could be +depended on. His men realized this, and so did the outfit from Diamond +X. + +There was nothing very spectacular about this fight. Little of it +could have been seen by an observer, if you except the spurts of smoke +from unseen guns and the echoes caused by the shots. For each man, on +both sides, was firing from cover. The Yaquis had the advantage that +their cover--a big wall of rock--sheltered many of them in an almost +straight line, and they could fire in volleys on signal, while the +soldiers and cowboys had to fire individually and at odd times, as they +made their way from one sheltering stone to another. + +Thus the Yaquis could concentrate their fire on one man if they had a +glimpse of some incautiously exposed arm or leg, while no one soldier +could hope to inflict much damage on a crowd of Indians behind a thick +stone wall. + +But the fight was not so unequal as seemed at first sight. For while +the Yaquis were strongly entrenched, they were outnumbered--of that +there was little doubt. And they were fighting picked men, who had +been in many dangerous skirmishes and fights, whereas the Indians were +at best but a sort of brigand bushwhackers. + +Each side was desperate, perhaps the Indians more so, for they must +have realized that they would be given short shrift if any harm now +came to Rosemary and Floyd. The soldiers and cowboys would not +hesitate to take swift and sure vengeance. So the Indians must fight +to the bitter end, selling their lives as dearly as possible. + +"I just wonder if Rosemary and Floyd are up in that nest of beggars?" +mused Bud, as he and his cousins were at last allowed to proceed up the +defile, toward where the Yaquis were making their last stand. Bud had +begged so hard to be allowed to go to the front, to at least help his +cousins load their weapons if nothing else, that permission had been +granted. + +The boy ranchers were close together now, each sheltered behind a rock, +and almost in line with the foremost of the attackers who were under +the shadow of the natural fort, behind the wall of which the Yaquis +were making their last stand. + +"I hope they are up there," said Nort, answering Bud's question. "If +they brought them this far they probably wouldn't do away with them +now. They must be up there!" + +"I wish we had them down here," said Dick. "It's going to be hard work +to get the imps out of their den!" + +"You supplied two good earfuls that time, kid!" said Rolling Stone. +"Ah, you will, will you!" he added quickly, and he fired at an exposed +head over the top of the wall that hid the Indians. + +There was a howl of pain mingled with rage, that could be heard above +the din of the fighting. + +"You nipped him!" cried Yellin' Kid. + +"I tried to," grimly said Rolling Stone. + +And so the fighting went on, in pot-shot fashion, with occasional +volleys from the Yaquis. + +"They're only wasting their lead," spoke Captain Marshall. "But I +wonder where they got so many cartridges?" + +"Likely they made another raid," suggested Snake. + +This, later, was found to be the case. A store keeper had been killed +and his stock looted, provisions and arms being taken. + +If the boy ranchers and their friends could have looked behind the +natural wall of rock, which constituted the fort that proved to be the +last stand of the Yaquis, and if they could have looked farther, into a +big cave, the mouth of which was concealed from a view below by this +same wall, their questions as to Rosemary and Floyd would have been +answered. + +For the captives were there. Weary, apprehensive, tired and fairly ill +from their hardships, Rosemary and her brother had been thrust into the +cavern when the Yaquis reached this vantage place, knowing their +pursuers were close behind them. + +"Something's up!" Floyd had said as they were rudely hustled into the +hiding place. + +"I hope it's the end," said Rosemary dismally. Poor girl! She was +about done up, and she no longer had her weapon as a means of defence. +By a ruse it had been taken from her, though she and Floyd fought +desperately to retain it. But Mike, as one of his men snatched it +away, only laughed at them. + +"The end! What do you mean?" asked Floyd. + +"I mean I think this will be the last fight. You can tell by the way +they thrust us in here, and hurried out with their guns, that something +unusual is taking place. I believe our rescuers are coming!" + +"That's what we thought when they sent us off in charge of Mike and the +smaller gang," observed Floyd. + +"Yes, but this is different!" declared Rosemary. "They can't get out +of this place in a hurry, and once our friends, whether soldiers or +cowboys from Uncle Henry's ranch, get this far, they'll never give up +until they break through the Indians." + +"If they only do!" murmured Floyd. He was cut and bruised from a fight +he had with two of the Yaquis, when he endeavored to go to the aid of +his sister, as her weapon was wrested from her. Floyd's left arm was +badly wrenched, so he could hardly use it. + +And then, after the hurried thrusting into the cave of the captives, +had come the first shots of the soldier scouts in response to the fire +of the Yaqui sentry. + +"They're here!" cried Floyd, when it became very evident that an attack +in force was going on. + +"Oh! I'm glad!" exclaimed Rosemary, and tears of relief came to sooth +her ragged nerves. + +They went as close as they dared to the mouth of the cave to look at +the backs of the Yaquis who were lined up along the wall firing down on +the soldiers and cowboys. No guard was stationed at the entrance to +the cavern--none was needed. The rear was a wall of solid rock, as +Rosemary and her brother had discovered soon after being rushed into +it. In front of the entrance was a rocky platform, and extending along +the outer edge of this, in the form of a semicircle, was the defending +wall of stone. + +This rocky wall dropped abruptly down into the defile where the cowboys +and soldiers were making the attack. It would be almost impossible to +descend it. The way up was by a narrow passage which was now choked by +rocks the Indians had piled there. + +On either side of the cavern's entrance the rock rose in steep slopes, +not altogether impossible of being scaled, but a hindrance to a quick +retreat. That is what Captain Marshall meant when he said the Yaquis +were practically backed up against a stone wall. + +The firing became sharper and quicker and the reports of the guns of +the attackers sounded nearer. They were, in fact, creeping up, taking +advantage of every bit of cover. + +There were casualties on both sides, Dick being put out of the game by +a bullet through his right arm. Fortunately it only entered the flesh, +breaking no bones. But he was ordered to the rear, much to his +disgust. Nort and Bud still stuck, Bud helping Nort in loading. + +Perhaps the situation was hardest on Rosemary and Floyd, for they were +obliged to remain in the cave, doing nothing, and fearing the worst. +If the Indians succeeded in standing off the rescuers, or in killing so +many of them that the survivors would not dare rush the place, what +would it mean to the captives? + +Rosemary dared not think of it. + +Then, following a period of unusually heavy firing, the plucky girl +made up her mind to act. + +"Floyd!" she exclaimed, "I'm desperate! I'm going to do something! + +"Not--you're not going to--" + +Floyd stumbled over expressing the fear that she was going to rush out +and throw herself over the rocky wall. + +"It's just a chance," went on Rosemary, "but I'm going to take it. A +desperate chance!" + +"But what, Rosemary?" + +"I'm going to play a trick on these Indians! I think I can do it!" + +"A trick?" + +"Yes. As soon as the next period of heavy firing quiets down I'm going +to rush out, yelling, and point back to the cave. I want you to do the +same." + +"But what good will it do?" + +"It will give the Indians the impression that our friends--or some +one--has managed to get up the rocks, and that they are coming from the +rear. There may be an entrance into that cave from the back. I don't +know, and I don't believe these Indians do. Anyhow if we rush out, all +excited, yelling as hard as we can, and pointing to the cave back of +us, I think the Yaquis will take the alarm and become so confused that +our friends, whoever they are out there, will be able to rush this +position." + +As yet, you must understand, Rosemary and her brother were unaware of +the identity of the attackers. + +Rosemary started up from where she was sitting in their extemporized +and miserable prison cave. It was evidently her intention to put into +operation at once her desperate plan. + +"Wait a minute!" exclaimed her brother. + +"What for?" she questioned. + +"I'm not so sure that it is the best thing to do," he answered. + +Floyd was rather less impulsive than his sister--that is on occasions. +There were times when he could be more hot headed. + +"Well, what else is there to do?" Rosemary asked. + +She was going to be perfectly fair about it, and if Floyd had anything +better to offer as a suggestion she would listen to him. + +"Let's think about it a bit longer," he finally said, with a long +intaking of breath, which told more plainly than words, how the +situation was oppressing him. "I'm sure it's mighty plucky of you, +Rosemary, to lay out such a plan as this, but I don't believe I ought +to let you try it. Something might happen." + +"Something is going to happen anyhow," she said, with ominous quiet, +and a grim tightness showed in the lines of her mouth. "I believe +these Indians have just about reached the end of their rope. They have +been very patient with us--that is patient from their standpoint. Now +they have met with opposition, and they must know if they are +overpowered it will be to our advantage, and that our friends, or +whoever is out there firing, will take revenge." + +"That's so," agreed Floyd. + +"Well then, we've just _got_ to do something!" said Rosemary, +desperately. "And I'm going to do it." + +Again she started up. + +"Wait a minute!" exclaimed her brother again. + +He seemed to be listening. He leaned forward, and then softly arose +from where he was sitting and went forward. + +"What is it?" asked his sister in a low voice. + +"I thought I heard voices--good old United States voices, and not this +jargon of Mexican and Spanish," was the reply. "Maybe some of the +attackers, whoever they are, have broken through." + +A look of delighted joy came over the face of Rosemary. But a moment +later it faded away and she seemed hopeless. + +"It can't be," she said. "There'd be a lot of yelling and shouting if +any of those who are attacking the Yaquis had broken through their +lines," she went on. "There's no use waiting, Floyd. Let's try my +plan!" + +But her brother was not yet convinced. + +"It will be all right if it works," he agreed. "But if it fails, and +they only have the laugh on us, we'll be treated so much the worse. I +don't mind on my own account--but yours!" and he glanced at his sister. + +"I hadn't thought of that," spoke Rosemary in a low voice. "If it +should--fail--why--" + +She did not complete the sentence. + +"It would only make them more angry, I'm afraid," went on Floyd. + +There was silence, for a time, between brother and sister. It was +broken only by occasional and distant shouts, punctuated, now and +again, by a shot. But the heavy fusillade had subsided for a time. + +"Well?" questioned Rosemary. + +She was eager to get some action. + +"This is what I'll do," said Floyd, after some tense consideration, +"I'll take a look around and see how matters shape up." + +"Then what?" asked Rosemary. + +She was evidently not going to let the matter go by default. + +"Well, then if I can't see anything better to do then what you +proposed, we'll go to it!" decided Floyd. "You sit here and I'll +scurry around. I won't be long." + +"No, please don't," begged Rosemary. "If we're going to do anything +we'll have to do it very soon. This can't last--much longer!" + +Floyd did not stop to ask his sister just what she meant. In fact he +did not dare question her as to what it was that could not last "much +longer." He had a desperate fear that it was Rosemary's own spirit +that was on the point of breaking. + +Up to now she had kept up her courage remarkably well. But there was a +limit, and if the breaking point had been reached Floyd did not know +what would follow. + +He shot a quick look at the girl before he started out on what he +thought might be a last desperate venture. He felt that he might +discover something to do--some way of escape--that would not make it +necessary for his sister to virtually rush into danger. + +And he was relieved when he saw the calm and cool look that was on +Rosemary's face. + +"She isn't going to give up!" decided Floyd. + +There was an exultant feeling in his heart. + +During this talk between brother and sister the dirty Indian detailed +to guard the captives had sauntered within view of them every now and +then. To quiet his suspicions, in case he should have any, Rosemary +and Floyd had spoken most casually on these occasions. + +The lad waited until the guard had come on one of his periodic trips of +inspection and had dropped out of sight on a ledge of rock, and then +Floyd started out. + +"Don't be too long!" called Rosemary in a low voice. + +"I won't!" he promised. + +Walking as aimlessly as he could pretend, Floyd started toward a break +in the natural wall that ran in front of the prison cavern. He wanted +to see if he could catch a glimpse of the Yaquis below him. + +"And I'd give a whole lot of money--if I had it--to see who is fighting +them," thought Floyd. "But I haven't much left." + +He glanced ruefully down at his now soiled and torn garments. And as +he thrust his hands into his pockets he missed many a trinket and +possession. For nearly everything had been taken away by Paz, Mike or +some of their rascally followers. + +Two or three Indians, some of them wounded, were coming back "from the +front," so to speak. One of them glanced scowlingly at Floyd, as he +passed the lad, evidently associating his wounds with the presence of +the prisoner. + +"I'd give you a whole lot worse than that if I had a chance--Ugly +Face!" thought Floyd. + +Another member of the renegade band grinned or--Floyd took it for a +grin--as he passed. But none of them seemed to care where the lad went +or what he did, and for this Floyd was glad. + +"I seem to be getting somewhere," he murmured. "Whether I can hit on +any scheme to beat Rosemary's is a question, but I don't want her to +take the risk unless there's nothing else to do." + +He had now reached a low spot in the natural rocky wall. He felt that +if he could once get a glimpse at this point he might see something +that would help him and Rosemary. + +And to his great delight, when he had sauntered, as casually as he +could make it, to an observation point, what he saw made him gasp for +breath. + +For, grouped closely together, below him, on a sort of big table of +rock, were a number of the Yaquis. They appeared to be holding a sort +of council or parley, and were gathered about an Indian to whom Mike +and Paz often delegated certain duties. + +But this was not what caused the heart of Floyd to thump so desperately +against his ribs, making such a noise, he wildly feared, that the +pounding would be heard by some passing Indian. + +What caused him fairly to gasp for breath was the sight of a great +boulder, poised on the edge of the natural wall, and hanging almost +directly over the group of talking Indians. + +"If I can push that rock down on them it will do the trick!" thought +Floyd. "It'll put some of 'em out of business, and the rest will be so +frightened that they'll retreat. Then whoever is out there trying to +break through to help us, will have matters their own way. That's what +I'll do. Ill pry that rock loose and let it dash 'em on the heads." + +It was a horrible thing to think of, much more horrible to do, but the +situation of Rosemary and Floyd was desperate indeed. The end seemed +to justify the means. + +"The point is," mused Floyd, "can I shove that rock down?" + +Looking about him he saw that he was not observed. He quickly made his +way nearer to the rock, and then, reaching out his hands, he pushed. + +Gently at first he exerted the pressure, and then putting more power +into the shove he thrust with all his might. + +"It's giving! It's giving!" thought Floyd, with a desperate catch of +his breath. "I can shove it down on 'em and dash 'em all up!" + +He exerted all his strength. The rock was moving, and even with all +the villainies the Indians had to their discredit Floyd's nerve almost +failed him as he saw the great boulder sway as if for the plunge. + +But to his chagrin he felt the rock move back toward him again. He +tried to hold it away--to thrust it from him--but nature, in the guise +of the attraction of gravitation--pulled the rock back into the +socket-shaped bed where it had rested so long. + +It rolled back with a grinding sound, and Floyd feared, for a moment +that he had loosened it so that it would topple back and fall upon his +feet. + +But this did not happen. The great half-round stone oscillated to and +fro and then came to rest. Floyd had only caused it to sway a little. + +"Well, I moved it!" he said with a gasp. "I'll try again. If I can +only get it started it will do the trick." + +Again he pushed, with all his might, but again the same thing happened. +He managed to make the rock sway outward, a little farther over the +edge of the wall, but back it came again into its hollow resting place. + +Then Floyd understood the nature of the matter. + +"It's a balanced rock," he said to himself. "She's been resting here +for ages, and you can move it just so far but no farther. It would +take a team of army mules to dislodge it." + +He looked over the wall again. The Indians were still in the same +place, eagerly talking--a score or more of feet below the boy. + +"It's too good a chance to miss!" whispered Floyd desperately. "I +wonder if I can't find some sort of a lever and pry it loose." + +He looked about him. Not far away was part of a dead tree branch, +thick as his arm. + +"Just what I need!" he exclaimed. + +He ran to pick up the branch and, returning with it, set one end under +the balanced rock, that was still swaying slightly from his exertions. + +"Now for a last try!" murmured the lad. + +He bent his weight on the long end of the improvised lever. The rock +seemed to rise from its socket bed, and to sway outward. There was an +exultation in the boy's heart. He thought, in another instant, that he +could send the great stone crashing down into the midst of the Yaquis. + +Then, suddenly there came a sharp report, and Floyd felt himself +falling. + +His first feeling was that he had been shot and that this was the end. +But he felt no pain, save a sudden bump as he sprawled on the rocks, +and then he realized what had happened. + +He had pressed so heavily on the old and dried piece of wood that it +had snapped and broken with a report like that of a pistol, and he had +dropped. + +"Too bad!" murmured Floyd. + +As he picked himself up he saw two of the Yaqui Indians running around +a rocky corner. They had evidently been drawn to the place by the +sound. + +"No good letting them know what I tried to do," quickly decided Floyd. +"It would only make it worse for us." + +Having decided on a line of action it did not take the lad an instant +to carry it out. Quickly he picked up the broken pieces of his lever +and started back with them toward the cave where he and his sister were +held captives. + +"Make fire!" he said to the Indians. "Make fire--cook grub!" + +"Ugh!" they grunted. They evidently accepted this obvious explanation. + +Their suspicions lulled, they turned and went back the way they had +come, pausing long enough, however, to watch Floyd enter the cave where +Rosemary waited. + +"Well," she questioned, as he threw the broken ends of his lever on the +rocky floor. + +"No go," answered Floyd despondently. "I had a peach of a chance to +play a trump hand on them, but luck was against me." + +He told what he had tried to do with the rock. + +"Oh? I--I'm almost glad it didn't succeed!" said Rosemary with a +shudder. "It would have been--terrible!" + +"Nothing is too bad for these devils!" cried Floyd. "But I give up. I +can't think of anything more to do." + +"Then shall I try my way?" asked his sister. + +"It is a desperate chance," Floyd murmured. + +"But don't you think we ought to try it? We may be able to reach the +wall, and get over, or go down the trail we came up. It was too steep +for the horses, but maybe we can make it." + +The horses had been abandoned by the Yaquis as they entrenched +themselves for this last stand. The animals could not make the ascent. + +"Well?" asked Rosemary of her brother. + +"I'm with you!" he said, with a sharp intaking of his breath. + +Then they got ready for the ruse Rosemary had proposed. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV + +"ALL'S WELL!" + +What was taking place down below, Rosemary and Floyd could only guess +at. But that the rescuers were taking advantage of everything possible +was evident from the occasional hits they made among the Yaquis. More +than one was killed and several wounded as they fired over the top of +the wall, or through loopholes amid the rocks. + +Then, soon after the determination at which Rosemary had arrived, there +came a more violent fusillade than any that had preceded. In this +several Indians were forced to retire because of serious wounds. Then +the firing died away. + +Though the captive lad and his sister did not know it, this sudden +cessation in the firing of the attackers was due to an order of the +commander of the troopers. The captain was, also, nominally in command +of the boy ranchers and their friends. + +"There is too much indiscriminate firing," decided Captain Marshall. +"We haven't an unlimited supply of ammunition. We've got to go a bit +slow. No telling how long we may have to camp on the trail of these +imps." + +It was a wise determination as they all agreed, and the word went up +and down the line of attackers to be sparing of powder and lead. This +is what caused the troopers and cowboys suddenly to cease firing, +following a desperate fusillade which they hoped would turn the tide of +battle in their favor, but it had not done so. + +"We must size the situation up," decided the captain. "Find out just +how many more rounds we have left--counting also the supply of our +friends from Diamond X," he ordered an officer. + +And the taking stock of the situation was soon under way. That the +Yaquis were as glad of the respite, as were our friends, need not be +doubted. + +Advantage was taken of the lull to look after the wounded, and to bring +water to the fighting men, for they were sorely in need of drinks. And +warm as the water was, it seemed the best that had ever trickled down +their throats. + +Back in their prison, Rosemary and Floyd noted the sudden silence that +followed the brisk firing. Brother and sister looked at each other, +and there was fear in their faces. + +"Do you suppose that means they have quit?" asked the girl. + +"Who?" her brother wanted to know. + +"The ones who are out there trying to help us--cowboys from our uncle's +ranch, I hope." + +"I hope so, too, and I hope they haven't had to quit," spoke Floyd. +"But we've got to go on with what we planned now. I'm for it as much +as you are, Rosemary. Something has to be done! Are you sure you +won't weaken at the last minute, and cave in?" + +"Did you ever know me to do a thing like that?" she asked with flashing +eyes. + +"No, I never did." + +"Well, I'm not going to start now! Don't worry, Floyd. Somehow I feel +sure that this will pull us through! I thought of it in the +night--perhaps I dreamed it--and I have a feeling that it is going to +work out all right. Don't be afraid. Let's try it with all our might! +Are you ready?" + +"As ready as I ever shall be," was the grim answer. "But if you're +playing a 'hunch,' so to speak, that's different. You always were +lucky!" + +He laughed grimly, and Rosemary joined in. It was the first time they +had laughed since being taken captives. + +As her brother had said, Rosemary was "lucky." + +For a moment brother and sister looked about them. They must act soon, +and, after all, the consequences could not be much worse than those +which continually were hanging over them. + +"Whenever you're ready--give the word!" whispered Floyd. + +"Now!" suddenly called Rosemary to her brother. + +"Come on!" he echoed. + +Together they rushed from the cave, straight toward the band of Indians +lined up, with their backs toward them, along the wall of the +improvised fort. + +What Rosemary said she never really knew. It was a burst of wild, +hysterical yelling, such as girls and women alone are capable of. And +as she screamed and ran she pointed back toward the cave. + +As for Floyd he declared that what he yelled was something like: + +"They're coming! They're coming! They're attacking in the rear!" + +To this he added some improvised warwhoops of his own devising, and +some football yells, for he had been a cheer leader at one time for his +college team. + +Whatever was said little mattered. It was the character of the +shouting of the desperate youth and maiden, and their actions that +counted. Coming as Rosemary's ruse did, after the hardest firing yet +on the part of the attackers, it rather got on the nerves of the Yaquis +if they had such organs, which is doubtful. + +To every one of them it appeared, as Rosemary and Floyd intended it +should, that an attack from the rear was about to take place. As +Rosemary had guessed, the Indians knew no more about the cave than she +did. They had hastily examined it and decided there was no rear +entrance or exit, as the case might be. But they might have overlooked +some hidden passage, and this is what all of them evidently thought had +been done. + +At any rate, as Rosemary and Floyd rushed out, yelling almost like +Indians themselves, a panic started among the Yaquis. They saw +themselves caught between two fires, with no retreat possible. + +With whoops of despair some threw themselves over the cliff. Others +rushed into the cave, while some climbed up the rocky walls at either +side. A few remained, firing down at the attackers below. + +Rosemary's yells, and those of her brother, carried to the soldiers and +cowboys. At first they thought a sally was about to take place. + +But when they saw some Indians come over the wall, one luckless imp +slipping and falling to his death, some idea of what was taking place +became manifest to Captain Marshall. + +"They're in a panic!" he cried. "Something has frightened 'em! Come +on, men!" + +He led a rush forward, just as Rosemary appeared at the top of the +wall, waving her neck handkerchief in a frenzied signal. + +"There she is! Rosemary!" cried Bud, not exactly recognizing his +cousin, but guessing the girl could be none other. + +The rush of the attackers, together with the panic that had run through +the ranks of the Indians like wildfire, was all that was needed to turn +the scale. The Yaquis, with howls of fear, not knowing what it was all +about, threw down their guns and sought for means of escape. + +Mike, the leader, seemed dazed at the suddenness of it all. But he +gathered his wits together and, seeing Rosemary at the wall, waving to +the soldiers and cowboys below, the desperate Yaquis sprang toward her. + +But Floyd was watching his sister. The lad picked up a revolver from +where it had fallen as its owner retreated and fired point blank at +Mike. The ruffian crumpled up and went down in a heap, as Rosemary +herself, unable to stand the strain longer, sank down half fainting. + +Her ruse had succeeded. The Yaquis were on the run. + +A few minutes later the place was filled with soldiers and cowboys who +made prisoners of such of the renegades as were left alive--and these +were not many, though they included Mike, who had only been wounded by +Floyd. + +"Oh, Bud! I'm so glad! So glad!" murmured Rosemary, as her cousin put +his arm around her--only one arm for the other was still sore. + +"So'm I!" murmured Bud. "This is another cousin--Nort," and he nodded +toward his boy rancher companion. "And there's a third one down +there--Dick--but he's hurt!" + +"Badly?" + +"Oh, no, just a piece of lead through his arm. He'll be all right in a +few days. But say, Rosemary, what did you and Floyd do to turn the +tables so quickly?" + +"Rosemary did it all," Floyd said with a cheerful grin. "It was just a +bluff!" and he told the story. + +"Nerviest thing I ever heard of!" complimented Captain Marshall. + +"Heap good squaw!" was Buck Tooth's opinion, and that seemed to sum it +all up. + +The prisoners secured, the dead on both sides buried and the story of +the capture and rescue briefly told, arrangements were made for +returning to civilization. + +The raid of the Yaquis was over, and so severe was the lesson taught +them that it was many years before another trick like that was tried. + +Rosemary and Floyd, though they had suffered many hardships, were not +physically harmed, except for the youth's wrenched arm, which was +painful but not dangerous. + +"Oh, but we want some water to wash in!" Rosemary confided to Bud. +"They've kept us so much on the go, ever since they captured us, that I +can't bear to think of it. I just _dreamed_ of clean bath tubs filled +with white soap suds!" + +"We'll soon be at the ranch," Bud said. + +"Oh, but I can't wait until then." + +"Same here!" put in Floyd. "I don't believe a Yaqui touches water from +the time he's born until he dies." + +In order to give everyone a chance to rest, it was decided to camp for +a few days in a favorable spot, which was found a few miles from where +the Indians had made their last stand--a final stand for many, as more +than a dozen were killed. + +The others were sent back under guard as prisoners, Mike among them, +scowling blackly as he was led away. A scout was sent to the nearest +place where there was a telegraph station, to send the good news back +to Diamond X. + +"And now we can take it easy," observed Bud as he with his cowboy +cousins and the newly rescued captives enjoyed the first real meal +without anticipations of a fight immediately after it. + +"You must have had a dreadful time, Rosemary," said Dick, whose arm was +in a sling. + +"Well, it seemed so at the time, and yet I want to laugh when I think +how I fooled those Indians just by screaming." + +"It isn't the first time you've brought help by screaming!" laughed +Bud. "I remember once when I tried to kiss you--" + +"Tut! Tut!" laughed Rosemary. "That's past history." + +And so, in time, was the raid of the Yaquis. In due season Rosemary +and her brother, with our boy heroes reached Diamond X, parting from +the soldier escort. And once at the ranch, which had been their +objective before the kidnapping, the visitors were royally entertained. + +"Well, it was the best adventure we ever had," declared Nort, and his +brother agreed with him. But it was not to be the last of the exciting +happenings in which they were to be involved. + +For these were lads of action, ever in the van when there was a chance +for a fight. And those who wish to follow the further adventures of +Bud, Nort and Dick, may do so in the next volume of this series, which +will be entitled "The Boy Ranchers in the Flood; or Saving the Stock at +Diamond X." + +In that we shall see how they fared when again called on to act their +parts in the face of danger. But, for the present we shall leave them +to enjoy the company of Rosemary and Floyd at Diamond X and in Happy +Valley. + + + + +THE END + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Boy Ranchers Among the Indians, by +Willard F. 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