CHAPTER XX.
ATTACKED BY INDIANS.
"Here, come back!" yelled Broswick.
"What for?" shouted Nestor.
"Take my horse," said the hunter. "That's better than going afoot."
Nestor returned, mounted the animal and set off at a gallop toward thetwo autos, which were down in the valley.
"He'll never catch them," said Bob, in a despairing tone.
"You let him alone," came from Broswick. "He'll git 'em, all right.There's some trouble down there. One machine can't go."
"How can you tell?" asked Jerry.
"I've got sharp eyes, boy," was the answer. "I use 'em in my business."
In fact, as the boys observed closely, they could see that the twomachines were not moving. They could also note men walking about thecars.
"Something's out of kilter," said Ned. "I guess they found plenty oftrouble running two machines. I'll bet one of 'em is ours."
They watched Nestor descend the slope and approach the cars. As he camecloser to them it was observed that there was some commotion among thepersons grouped around the machines. They saw the miner raise his handin the air, and little clouds of smoke arose.
"He's firing over their heads!" cried Broswick.
Then, all at once, the persons down in the valley, who, as the boysafterward learned, were Noddy Nixon and his gang, made a rush for thehead auto, jumped into it and made off at top speed.
Nestor rode up to the remaining machine and waved his hat back to hisfriends. Taking this as a signal that all was right, they hurriedforward.
"It was them, all right!" cried Nestor, when Jerry and the others hadjoined him. "I scared them off by firing in the air. There seemed to besomething the matter with our auto, for they were trying to fix it."
The boys were worried lest some harm had befallen their machine. Jerrymade an examination, however, and found things in good shape. Therewas some damage, and a battery wire had become disconnected, which hadbrought the machine to a stop, thus foiling the plans of Noddy.
"That was a lucky break for us," said Bob.
"You bet it was, Chunky," agreed Ned. "If we hadn't recovered the autowe would have had to walk back home, and home is a good ways from here."
Repairs to the machine were quickly made, and then, with light hearts,the adventurers took their places and started forward once again.
Nothing in the car had been disturbed, and even the collection ofinsects made by Professor Snodgrass had not been harmed. The steadychug-chug and puff-puff of the motor was heard as the adventurers movedon up the mountain.
They stopped for dinner on top of a little hill in the midst of a groveof trees. A fire was kindled, coffee made, and some canned provisionsset out.
"This is something like," observed Bob, smacking his lips over somepreserved tongue.
"I'd have given five dollars for a cup of coffee last night," spokeNestor.
"Me, too," said the hunter.
"I am so thankful my specimens are safe I could go without eating for aweek," put in Professor Snodgrass, at which they all laughed.
Taking a comfortable rest under the trees until the afternoon sun wentdown a little, the adventurers were thoroughly enjoying the pleasantday. Suddenly Broswick started up.
"What is it?" asked Nestor, viewing with alarm the look of fear on thehunter's face.
"Indians!" was the answer.
"You don't mean real Indians?"
"That's what I do. There's a reservation of some kind about fifty milesfrom here, and they break loose every now and again."
"What makes you think some are loose now?"
"Hear 'em yellin' an' screechin'!" said the hunter, raising his hand tocaution silence.
Straining their ears the adventurers noted the faint sound of some weirdchant borne to them on the east wind. Then, as they watched, they saw,coming over the slope of the hill, a band of redskins, mounted on ponies.
"Hurry to the auto!" cried Ned.
He ran for the machine, followed by Jerry and Bob. Broswick picked uphis gun and looked to the loading of it, as Nestor did to his revolvers,but neither of the men offered to retreat. Professor Snodgrass wasintent on capturing some kind of grasshoppers, and did not seem to carewhether there were Indians about or not. More and more of the savagescame into view.
"Hadn't we better skip?" asked Nestor of the hunter.
"There are a few more than I reckoned on," was the reply. "I guess wemay as well skedaddle if we don't want trouble. I don't know how my nagwill run, compared to the Indian ponies, but----"
"Better get in the auto," suggested Nestor. "It will hold six on apinch."
By this time Ned was frantically cranking up the machine. But, thoughhe turned the flywheel with all his strength, while Bob attended to thespark and gasolene levers, the machine would not start.
"What's the matter?" cried Jerry, who had delayed, to pick up some ofthe baggage that was unloaded for dinner.
"She's stuck!" yelled Bob.
Jerry sprang to the cranking handle. His success was no better thanNed's. There were a few faint compressions, but that was all.
"Better start if you're goin' to," said Broswick, coming up. "They'realmost here now."
"We can't start!" exclaimed Jerry.
"Then we'll have to fight!" observed Broswick, coolly.
Suddenly the air was filled with fierce howls and yells.
"You boys git in the back part of the machine," cautioned the hunter."We men will attend to the redskins. Maybe they are only off on aholiday junket, account of bein' paid off by the Government. In thatcase they may let us alone. But they might be ugly, an'----"
Just then a bullet, with an angry zip, passed over Broswick's head.
"They're out fer business an' not fun!" he exclaimed. At the sameinstant he threw up his rifle and fired. A howl of pain came in answer,and one Indian fell from his horse.
"I only took him in the leg," said the hunter, grimly. "No use killin'any if we can avoid it."
Jerry, Bob and Ned sank down in the tonneau. Nestor and the hunterlined up in front of the auto and stood with ready weapons. ProfessorSnodgrass, with a revolver, which Nestor had given him, seemed moreafraid of the weapon than of the Indians.
Then, with savage yells, the band of redskins, who, as it afterwarddeveloped, had gone on a rampage from their reservation because theywere dissatisfied with the Government rations, closed around the auto.They fired their guns off as fast as they could load them.
But, either because they were poor shots, or because they didn't wantto hit the adventurers, the Indians did no damage. Several bullets cameuncomfortably close, and one or two grazed the auto, but no one was hurt.
Then the savages, with whoops and yells, began circling about themachine. Around and around they went, riding their ponies at top speed.Suddenly, as if in response to some signal, they withdrew quite adistance, but still hemmed the travelers in a circle.
THE SAVAGES BEGAN CIRCLING ABOUT THE MACHINE.]
"They're up to some mischief," said Nestor.
"Shall we wing one or two just to show we have bullets?"
"Not for the world," replied Broswick. "Our only hope is not to get themtoo riled. They may draw off an' leave us alone."
But this was not the Indians' intention. Once more they began making awide circle about the auto.
"I see what the trouble was!" cried Jerry, looking over from the tonneauto the front of the dashboard. "The sparking plug was out. No wonder wecouldn't start the machine."
He reached over and put the small brass pin in the proper socket.
"Now I'm going to have another try!" he called to Broswick and Nestor."Get ready to jump in the machine!"
Before Nestor could stop him, Jerry had leaped to the ground. He ranaround to the front of the auto, seized the cranking handle and gaveseveral vigorous turns. As he did so a chorus of savage yells arose fromthe Indian ranks, and several more shots were fired.