CHAPTER FORTY TWO.
THE FOE.
I must have slept an hour or more. Had my dreams been realities, theywould have filled the measure of an age.
At length the raw air of the morning chilled and awoke me. The moon hadgone down, for I remembered that she was close to the horizon when Ilast saw her. Still it was far from being dark, for I could see to aconsiderable distance through the fog.
"Perhaps the day is breaking," thought I, and I turned my face to theeast. It was as I had guessed: the eastern sky was streaked with light;it was morning.
I knew it was the intention of Seguin to start early, and I was aboutsummoning resolution to raise myself when voices broke on my ear. Therewere short, exclamatory phrases, and hoof-strokes upon the prairie turf.
"They are up, and preparing to start." With this thought, I leaped tomy feet, and commenced hurrying towards the camp.
I had not walked ten paces when I became conscious that the voices werebehind me!
I stopped and listened. Yes; beyond a doubt I was going from them.
"I have mistaken the way to the camp!" and I stepped forward to the edgeof the barranca for the purpose of assuring myself. What was myastonishment to find that I had been going in the right direction, andthat the sounds were coming from the opposite quarter.
My first thought was that the band had passed me, and were moving on theroute.
"But no; Seguin would not. Oh! he has sent of a party to search for me:it is they."
I called out "Hollo!" to let them know where I was. There was noanswer; and I shouted again, louder than before. All at once the soundsceased. I knew the horsemen were listening, and I called once more atthe top of my voice. There was a moment's silence! Then I could hear amuttering of many voices and the trampling of horses as they gallopedtowards me.
I wondered that none of them had yet answered my signal; but my wonderwas changed into consternation when I perceived that the approachingparty were on the other side of the barranca!
Before I could recover from my surprise, they were opposite me andreining up on the bank of the chasm. They were still three hundredyards distant, the width of the gulf; but I could see them plainlythrough the thin and filmy fog. There appeared in all about a hundredhorsemen; and their long spears, their plumed heads, and half-nakedbodies, told me at a glance they were Indians!
I stayed to inquire no further, but ran with all my speed for the camp.I could see the horsemen on the opposite cliff keeping pace with me at aslow gallop.
On reaching the spring I found the hunters in surprise, and vaultinginto their saddles. Seguin and a few others had gone out on the extremeedge, and were looking over. They had not thought of an immediateretreat, as the enemy, having the advantage of the light, had alreadydiscovered the strength of our party.
Though only a distance of three hundred yards separated the hostilebands, twenty miles would have to be passed before they could meet inbattle. On this account Seguin and the hunters felt secure for thetime; and it was hastily resolved to remain where we were, until we hadexamined who and what were our opponents.
They had halted on the opposite bank, and sat in their saddles, gazingacross. They seemed puzzled at our appearance. It was still too darkfor them to distinguish our complexions. Soon, however, it grewclearer; our peculiar dress and equipments were recognised; and a wildyell, the Navajo war-cry, came pealing over the abyss!
"It's Dacoma's party!" cried a voice, "they have taken the wrong side o'the gully."
"No," exclaimed another, "thar's too few o' them for Dacoma's men. Tharain't over a hundred."
"Maybe the flood tuk the rest," suggested the first speaker.
"Wagh! how could they 'a missed our trail, that's as plain as a waggontrack? 'Tain't them nohow."
"Who then? It's Navagh. I kud tell thar yelp if I wur sleepin'."
"Them's head chief's niggurs," said Rube, at this moment riding forward."Looke! yonder's the old skunk hisself, on the spotted hoss!"
"You think it is they, Rube?" inquired Seguin.
"Sure as shootin', cap."
"But where are the rest of his band? These are not all."
"They ain't far off, I'll be boun'. Hish-sh! I hear them a-comin'."
"Yonder's a crowd! Look, boys! look!"
Through the fog, now floating away, a dark body of mounted men were seencoming up the opposite side. They advanced with shouts andejaculations, as though they were driving cattle. It was so. As thefog rose up, we could see a drove of horses, horned cattle, and sheep,covering the plain to a great distance. Behind these rode mountedIndians, who galloped to and fro, goading the animals with their spears,and pushing them forward.
"Lord, what a plunder!" exclaimed one of the hunters.
"Ay, them's the fellows have made something by thar expedition. We arecomin' back empty as we went. Wagh!"
I had been engaged in saddling my horse, and at this moment cameforward. It was not upon the Indians that my eye rested, nor upon theplundered cattle. Another object attracted my gaze, and sent the bloodcurdling to my heart.
Away in the rear of the advancing drove I saw a small party, distinctfrom the rest. Their light dresses fluttering in the wind told me thatthey were not Indians. They were women; they were captives!
There appeared to be about twenty in all; but my feelings were such thatI took little heed of their number. I saw that they were mounted, andthat each was guarded by an Indian, who rode by her side.
With a palpitating heart I passed my eye over the group from one to theother; but the distance was too great to distinguish the features of anyof them. I turned towards the chief. He was standing with the glass tohis eye. I saw him start; his cheek suddenly blanched; his lipsquivered convulsively, and the instrument fell from his fingers to theground! With a wild look he staggered back, crying out--
"Mon Dieu! Mon Dieu! Oh, God! Thou hast stricken me now!"
I snatched up the telescope to assure myself. But it needed not that.As I was raising it, an object running along the opposite side caught myeye. It was the dog Alp! I levelled the glass, and the next moment wasgazing through it on the face of my betrothed!
So close did she seem that I could hardly restrain myself from callingto her. I could distinguish her pale, beautiful features. Her cheekwas wan with weeping, and her rich golden hair hung dishevelled from hershoulders, reaching to the withers of her horse. She was covered with aserape, and a young Indian rode beside her, mounted upon a showy horse,and dressed in the habiliments of a Mexican hussar!
I looked at none of the others, though a glance showed me her mother inthe string of captives that came after.
The drove of horses and cattle soon passed up, and the females withtheir guards arrived opposite us. The captives were left back on theprairie, while the warriors rode forward to where their comrades hadhalted by the brow of the barranca.
It was now bright day; the fog had cleared away, and across theimpassable gulf the hostile bands stood gazing at each other!