CHAPTER XVI THE LANDING PARTY
When the morning dawned the party was not slow to spring into action,but quick as they were their host was up before them. He was preparingbreakfast at the fire and greeted them with quiet dignity. Before eatingNed and Don looked outside, to find a day somewhat better than the onebefore it had been, but still showing the effects of the storm. Sullengray clouds passed overhead, impelled by the wind which was drivingforward steadily, and the ground was still muddy from the rain which hadfallen heavily. They were certain to escape the exhausting heat whichhad lately hindered them, and thankful for this circumstance the boyswent in and enjoyed Yengi's breakfast.
The horses were saddled and without loss of time the company set out.The Indian closed his door but did not lock it, saying that no one wouldbe likely to enter his place during his absence. They struck off to thesouth, following the sage and Yappi, who rode well to the front.
The horses found the going a little difficult, as the ground wasslippery, and the men soaked their trouser legs as they scraped pastbushes and small shrubs. This condition of affairs did not last long,for they soon rode down out of the mountains and reached the levelplain. Here the going was much better and they went off at a brisk trot,heading for a furrowed section of uplands which they could see somemiles before them.
During the journey they kept a sharp look-out for their missingcompanions, but no sign was seen of any living being as they went on.One or two large jack-rabbits crossed their path and Yappi brought onedown, stowing it in a bag behind his saddle for some future meal. Theact was opportune, for they had now run out of provisions and would haveto depend in the future on whatever they brought down with their guns.
Don was in a curious state of mind as they travelled on. He was anxiousabout Jim and Terry, and the thought that he might be going further awayfrom them with each mile was not a pleasing one. But they had nodefinite clue as to the whereabouts of the others, and one direction wasas good as another. All of them felt that they had made for the coast,but just where on the coast they had no idea. It was simply a matter ofkeeping going, and watching carefully for the slightest sign which wouldsend them in the right direction.
Before noon they arrived at the place where the old Indian village hadbeen and where the Spanish crew, probably from the galleon, had beenkilled. The village had stood in a slight basin, hidden in a convenientroll of the sheltering foothills, and there was now but little to tellthat there had ever been a village there. All trace of the huts whichhad once been there was lost, but several places in the hills, hollowedout of the volcanic dykes, showed that someone had once lived there.Some low mounds marked the burial places of the ancient Indians.
The sage pointed to the south. "From that direction the men came," hesaid, his dull eyes kindling as he thought of the glory of his formerrace. "The village in which my fathers lived was originally there, butthey lived here in order to flee into the mountains when the Spaniardscame. It was here that the crew of the great ship were killed, andafterward my people scattered, leaving a few of my race in the hills andthe mountains."
They looked around the spot with interest and discussed thepossibilities. Some miles east of them lay the sea, and Ned argued thatthe creek up which the galleon had sailed could not be far off. He wouldhave liked to have set out for it at once, but realizing that the taskof finding the missing boys was of far greater importance he smotheredhis desire, resolved to return some day and strike off from that spot.
"The Spaniards were evidently heading for the mountains at the time thatthey fell into the hands of the Indians," the professor said.
"Why should they head for the mountains?" Don asked. "Wouldn't they havebeen more likely to have kept to the shore, in the hope of being pickedup by another ship?"
"I don't think so," replied the professor. "They may have intended tomake their way over the mountains to Mexico, or they may have feared theIndians with good cause, for their cruelties made the Indians eager tolay hands on them. Probably they feared the very thing that did befallthem."
"Well, now that we have at least marked the portion of the country wherethe crew appeared, let's get on," suggested Ned. "In all my searching Ifell short of this region by a good twenty-five miles, and this willhelp me get my bearings. Evidently the spot of the wreck is still somemiles to the south, but I think we should be able to come across it whenwe have more leisure to look around."
"What is your thought?" inquired Professor Scott. "Shall we strike downto the coast?"
"I think so," nodded Ned. "Then we can beat up the coast toward theranch, keeping our eyes open for the boys. Surely they didn't go anyfurther south than this."
"Possibly not," Don put in. "We can't tell, but I feel we should go tothe shore and see if we can pick up anything there."
They now said goodbye to the sage, who did not feel inclined to go anyfurther with them. He was used to solitude and did not care to mix inwith their problems and adventures, and he refused any pay for hishospitality or information. He once more expressed his belief that theywould be fortunate in their search and then gravely turned his horse'shead back to his mountains, seemingly no longer interested in what wenton. With feelings of warmest gratitude for him the party from the ranchwent on their journey toward the coast.
The coast was reached in the afternoon and they began to head north,watching both land and sea for any trace of the missing boys. Hunger atlast caused them to halt while Yappi prepared and cooked the rabbitwhich he had killed, and the others enjoyed the meat of the littleanimal. As soon as this simple repast was completed they once more movedon.
"What are we to do if we don't find them on this trip?" asked Don.
"We'll have to go to San Diego, recruit a good-sized force and huntSackett from one end of Lower California to the other," replied Ned,grimly. "And we may have to get the proper Mexican officials on the job,too. You see, it is possible that Sackett may have carried them off toMexico, and if that is the case we'll have a fine time locating them.But we'll leave no stone unturned to do it, you may be sure."
"And in the meantime we'll leave Yappi at the ranch in case any news ofthem should come there," the professor suggested.
Yappi was riding ahead and was just topping a small rise when they sawhim slip from the back of his horse and lie flat on the ground. Hemotioned to them to dismount and they did so, wondering. Cautiously theymoved up beside him and looked over the brow of the small hill into thevale below.
The sight that met their eyes astonished them. Off to their left was thesea, not now the calm Pacific, but a tumbling, boiling stretch of water,still showing the effects of the storm. An eighth of a mile off shore aschooner lay on its side, the black expanse of the hull showing abovethe water, a portion of the keel rising out of the waves. The ship hadevidently run aground during the storm, for there was a gaping hole inthe bow and the masts were snapped off short, the rigging strewing thedeck and trailing into water. But it was the sight of several men in thehollow below which drew their greatest attention.
The men were members of the crew of the schooner and they were atpresent gathered around a small fire. They had been wet and bedraggledand were gathered close to the fire as though their only concern was toget warm. Some of the crew had gathered wood and lay it piled highnearby. No one was keeping watch and the party on the hill top had notbeen seen.
"Jim and Terry aren't there," whispered Don, in disappointment.
They were not, and Ned was about to advise that they pass on, when Yappiseized his arm and pointed to a spot some half mile down the shore, tothe north of the men. To their astonishment they perceived anotherschooner, standing at anchor in a cove, and a boat was putting out fromthat schooner and making for the shore. The second schooner was in goodcondition and had apparently not suffered from the storm.
"It looks to me as though those fellows were after the men below," theprofessor said, in a low tone.
They watched the boat f
rom the schooner discharge its load of men, whoimmediately took to the shelter of a friendly hill and made their waysilently toward the party which sat around the fire. The oncoming menwere led by a tall old man with white hair, who seemed to have fullauthority, for the sailors, who were an orderly looking lot incomparison with the crew below, obeyed his every gesture. They creptnearer the unsuspecting men below until they were on a hilltop oppositefrom the ranch party.
"Why," murmured Ned. "I think we are going to witness a battle!"
Scarcely had he spoken than the old captain waved his hand and his bandrushed down on the men who were seated around the fire. Their coming wastotally unexpected and the crew from the wrecked schooner sprang to itsfeet in dismay. The men from the second schooner fell on them bodily anda free-for-all fight began, a fight that was short-lived, for the secondcrew were superior in number and moreover, was armed. After a fewknock-downs the wretched crew was overcome and all neatly tied up bytheir attackers.
"Well, I must say I don't understand this," said the professor. "Iwonder which one of the parties is in the right?"
"I don't know," answered Ned. "But we've got to go down and ask them ifanything has been learned of Sackett or the boys. But I am not sure butwhat we are running our heads into some sort of a trap."
The mestizo had been following the events below with absorbed interestand had forgotten everything else. He turned to speak to the others. Butinstead of speaking at them he stared back of them, and then, with amotion like that of a cat, he made a quick dive for his rifle, which waslaying beside him.