CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE.
THE RESCUE.
We struck directly across the plain for the eastern entrance of thevalley. We reached the canon about two hours before day. Everythingturned out as we had anticipated. There was an outpost of five Indiansat the end of the pass, but we had stolen upon them unawares, and theywere captured without the necessity of our firing a shot.
The main body came up soon after, and preceded by our party as before,passed through the canon. Arriving at the border of the woods nearestthe town, we halted, and concealed ourselves among the trees.
The town was glistening in the clear moonlight, and deep silence wasover the valley. There were none stirring at so early an hour, but wecould descry two or three dark objects down by the river. We knew themto be the sentinels that stood over our captive comrades. The sight wasgratifying, for it told us they still lived. They little dreamed, poorfellows! how near was the hour of their deliverance. For the samereasons that had influenced us on a former occasion, the attack was notto be made until daybreak; and we waited as before, but with a verydifferent prospect. There were now six hundred warriors in the town--about our own number; and we knew that a desperate engagement was beforeus. We had no fear as to the result; but we feared that the vengefulsavages might take it into their heads to despatch their captives whilewe fought. They knew that to recover these was our main object, and, ifthemselves defeated, that would give them the satisfaction of a terriblevengeance.
All this we knew was far from improbable; but to guard against thepossibility of such an event, every precaution was to be taken.
We were satisfied that the captive women were still in the temple. Rubeassured us that it was their universal custom to keep new prisonersthere for several days after their arrival, until they were finallydistributed among the warriors. The queen, too, dwelt in this building.
It was resolved, then, that the disguised party should ride forward,conducting me, as their prisoner, by the first light; and that theyshould surround the temple, and by a clever _coup_ secure the whitecaptives. A signal then given on the bugle, or the first shot fired,was to bring the main body forward at a gallop.
This was plainly the best plan, and having fully arranged its details,we waited the approach of the dawn.
It was not long in coming. The moonlight became mixed with the faintrays of the aurora, and objects were seen more distinctly. As the milkyquartz caught the hues of morning, we rode out of our cover, and forwardover the plain. I was apparently tied upon my horse, and guardedbetween two of the Delawares.
On approaching the town we saw several men upon the roofs. They ran toand fro, summoning others out, and large groups began to appear alongthe terraces. As we came nearer we were greeted with shouts ofcongratulation.
Avoiding the streets, we pushed directly for the temple at a brisk trot.On arriving at its base we suddenly halted, flung ourselves from ourhorses, and climbed the ladders. There were many women upon theparapets of the building. Among these Seguin recognised his daughter,the queen. She was at once secured and forced into the inside. Thenext moment I held my betrothed in my arms, while her mother was by ourside. The other captives were there; and, without waiting to offer anyexplanation, we hurried them all within the rooms, and guarded the doorswith our pistols.
The whole manoeuvre had not occupied two minutes but before itscompletion a wild cry announced that the ruse was detected. Vengefulyells rang over the town; and the warriors, leaping down from theirhouses, ran towards the temple.
Arrows began to hurtle around us; but above all other sounds pealed thenotes of the bugle, summoning our comrades to the attack.
Quick upon the signal they were seen debouching from the woods andcoming down at a gallop.
When within two hundred yards of the houses, the charging horsemendivided into two columns, and wheeled round the town, with the intentionof attacking it on both sides.
The Indians hastened to defend the skirts of the village; but in spiteof their arrow-flights, which dismounted several, the horsemen closedin, and, flinging themselves from their horses, fought hand to handamong the walls. The shouts of defiance, the sharp ringing of rifles,and the louder reports of the escopettes, soon announced that the battlehad fairly begun.
A large party, headed by El Sol and Saint Vrain, had ridden up to thetemple. Seeing that we had secured the captives, these too dismounted,and commenced an attack upon that part of the town; clambering up to thehouses, and driving out the braves who defended them.
The fight now became general. Shouts and sounds of shots rent the air.Men were seen upon high roofs, face to face in deadly and desperateconflict. Crowds of women, screaming and terrified, rushed along theterraces, or ran out upon the plain, making for the woods. Frightenedhorses, snorting and neighing, galloped through the streets, and offover the open prairie, with trailing bridles; while others, inclosed incorrals, plunged and broke over the walls. It was a wild scene--aterrific picture!
Through all, I was only a spectator. I was guarding a door of thetemple in which were our own friends. My elevated position gave me aview of the whole village, and I could trace the progress of the battlefrom house to house. I saw that many were falling on both sides, forthe savages fought with the courage of despair. I had no fears for theresult. The whites, too, had wrongs to redress, and by the remembranceof these were equally nerved for the struggle. In this kind ofencounter they had the advantage in arms. It was only on the plainsthat their savage foes were feared, when charging with their long anddeath-dealing lances.
As I continued to gaze over the azoteas a terrific scene riveted myattention, and I forgot all others. Upon a high roof two men wereengaged in combat fierce and deadly. Their brilliant dresses hadattracted me, and I soon recognised the combatants. They were Dacomaand the Maricopa!
The Navajo fought with a spear, and I saw that the other held his rifleclubbed and empty.
When my eye first rested upon them, the latter had just parried athrust, and was aiming a blow at his antagonist. It fell withouteffect; and Dacoma, turning quickly, brought his lance again to thecharge. Before El Sol could ward it off, the thrust was given, and theweapon appeared to pass through his body!
I involuntarily uttered a cry, as I expected to see the noble Indianfall. What was my astonishment at seeing him brandish his tomahawk overhis head, and with a crashing blow stretch the Navajo at his feet!
Drawn down by the impaling shaft, he fell over the body, but in a momentstruggled up again, drew the long lance from his flesh, and totteringforward to the parapet, shouted out--
"Here, Luna! Our mother is avenged!"
I saw the girl spring upon the roof, followed by Garey; and the nextmoment the wounded man sank fainting in the arms of the trapper.
Rube, Saint Vrain, and several others now climbed to the roof, andcommenced examining the wound. I watched them with feelings of painfulsuspense, for the character of this most singular man had inspired mewith friendship. Presently Saint Vrain joined me, and I was assuredthat the wound was not mortal. The Maricopa would live.
The battle was now ended. The warriors who survived had fled to theforest. Shots were heard only at intervals; an occasional shout, theshriek of some savage discovered lurking among the walls.
Many white captives had been found in the town, and were brought infront of the temple, guarded by the Mexicans. The Indian women hadescaped to the woods during the engagement. It was well; for thehunters and volunteer soldiery, exasperated by wounds and heated by theconflict, now raged around like furies. Smoke ascended from many of thehouses; flames followed; and the greater part of the town was soonreduced to a smouldering ruin.
We stayed all that day by the Navajo village, to recruit our animals andprepare for our homeward journey across the desert. The plunderedcattle were collected. Some were slaughtered for immediate use, and therest placed in charge of vaqueros, to be driven on the hoof. Most ofthe Indian horses were lassoed and b
rought in, some to be ridden by therescued captives, others as the booty of the conquerors. But it was notsafe to remain long in the valley. There were other tribes of theNavajoes to the north, who would soon be down upon us. There were theirallies, the great nations of the Apaches to the south, and the Nijorasto the west; and we knew that all these would unite and follow on ourtrail. The object of the expedition was attained, at least as far asits leader had designed it. A great number of captives were recovered,whose friends had long since mourned them as lost for ever. It would besome time before they would renew those savage forays in which they hadannually desolated the pueblos of the frontier.
By sunrise of the next day we had repassed the canon, and were ridingtowards the snowy mountain.