CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.
THE DIGGERS.
Our first impulse was to rush down the ravine, satisfy our thirst at thespring, and our hunger on the half-polished bones that were strewed overthe prairie. Prudence, however, restrained us.
"Wait till they're clar gone," said Garey. "They'll be out o' sight inthree skips o' a goat."
"Yes! stay where we are a bit," added another; "some of them may rideback; something may be forgotten."
This was not improbable; and in spite of the promptings of ourappetites, we resolved to remain a while longer in the defile.
We descended straightway into the thicket to make preparations formoving--to saddle our horses and take off their mufflings, which by thistime had nearly blinded them. Poor brutes! they seemed to know thatrelief was at hand.
While we were engaged in these operations, our vidette was kept at thetop of the hill to watch both bands, and warn us when their heads shouldsink to the prairie level.
"I wonder why the Navajoes have gone by the Ojo de Vaca," remarked ourchief, with an apparent anxiety in his manner. "It is well our comradesdid not remain there."
"They'll be tired o' waitin' on us, whar they are," rejoined Garey,"unless blacktails is plentier among them Musquites than I think for."
"Vaya!" exclaimed Sanchez; "they may thank the Santisima they were notin our company! I'm spent to a skeleton. Mira! carrai!"
Our horses were at length bridled and saddled, and our lassoes coiledup. Still the vidette had not warned us. We grew every moment moreimpatient.
"Come!" cried one; "hang it! they're far enough now. They're nota-goin' to be gapin' back all the way. They're looking ahead, I'mbound. Golly! thar's fine shines afore them."
We could resist no longer. We called out to the vidette. He could justsee the heads of the hindmost.
"That will do," cried Seguin; "come, take your horses!"
The men obeyed with alacrity, and we all moved down the ravine, leadingour animals.
We pressed forward to the opening. A young man, the pueblo servant ofSeguin, was ahead of the rest. He was impatient to reach the water. Hehad gained the mouth of the defile, when we saw him fall back withfrightening looks, dragging at his horse and exclaiming--
"Mi amo! mi amo! to davia son!" (Master, master! they are here yet!)
"Who?" inquired Seguin, running forward in haste.
"The Indians, master; the Indians!"
"You are mad! Where did you see them?"
"In the camp, master. Look yonder!"
I pressed forward with Seguin to the rocks that lay along the entranceof the defile. We looked cautiously over. A singular sight met oureyes.
The camp-ground was lying as the Indians had left it. The stakes werestill standing; the shaggy hides of the buffaloes, and pile of theirbones, were strewn upon the plain; hundreds of coyotes were loping backand forward, snarling at one another, or pursuing one of their numberwhich had picked up a nicer morsel than his companions. The fires werestill smouldering, and the wolves galloped through the ashes, raisingthem in yellow clouds.
But there was a sight stranger than all this, a startling sight to me.Five or six forms, almost human, were moving about among the fires,collecting the debris of skins and bones, and quarrelling with thewolves that barked round them in troops. Five or six others, similarforms were seated around a pile of burning wood, silently gnawing athalf roasted ribs. Can they be--yes, they are human beings!
I was for a moment awe-struck as I gazed at the shrivelled and dwarfishbodies, the long, ape-like arms, and huge disproportioned heads, fromwhich fell their hair in snaky tangles, black and matted.
But one or two appeared to have any article of dress, and that was aragged breech-clout. The others were naked as the wild beasts aroundthem, naked from head to foot!
It was a horrid sight to look upon these fiend-like dwarfs squattedaround the fires, holding up half-naked bones in their long, wrinkledarms, and tearing off the flesh with their glistening teeth. It was ahorrid sight, indeed; and it was some moments before I could recoversufficiently from my amazement to inquire who or what they were. I didso at length.
"Los Yamparicos," answered the cibolero.
"Who?" I asked again.
"Los Indios Yamparicos, senor."
"The Diggers, the Diggers," said a hunter, thinking that would betterexplain the strange apparitions.
"Yes, they are Digger Indians," added Seguin. "Come on; we have nothingto fear from them."
"But we have somethin' to git from them," rejoined one of the hunters,with a significant look. "Digger plew good as any other; worth jest asmuch as 'Pash chief."
"No one must fire," said Seguin, in a firm tone. "It is too soon yet;look yonder!" and he pointed over the plain, where two or three glancingobjects, the helmets of the retreating warriors, could still be seenabove the grass.
"How are we goin' to get them, then, captain?" inquired the hunter."They'll beat us to the rocks; they kin run like scared dogs."
"Better let them go, poor devils!" said Seguin, seemingly unwilling thatblood should be spilled so wantonly.
"No, captain," rejoined the same speaker, "we won't fire, but we'll gitthem, if we kin, 'ithout it. Boys, follow me down this way."
And the man was about guiding his horse in among the loose rocks, so asto pass unperceived between the dwarfs and the mountain.
But the brutal fellow was frustrated in his design; for at that momentEl Sol and his sister appeared in the opening, and their brillianthabiliments caught the eyes of the Diggers. Like startled deer theysprang to their feet, and ran, or rather flew, toward the foot of themountain. The hunters galloped to intercept them, but they were toolate. Before they could come up, the Diggers had dived into thecrevices of the rocks, or were seen climbing like chamois along thecliffs, far out of reach.
One of the hunters only--Sanchez--succeeded in making a capture. Hisvictim had reached a high ledge, and was scrambling along it, when thelasso of the bull-fighter settled round his neck. The next moment hewas plucked out into the air, and fell with a "cranch" upon the rocks!
I rode forward to look at him. He was dead. He had been crushed by thefall; in fact, mangled to a shapeless mass, and exhibited a mostloathsome and hideous sight.
The unfeeling hunter recked not of this. With a coarse jest he stoopedover the body; and severing the scalp, stuck it, reeking and bloody,behind the waist of his calzoneros!