CHAPTER XIX.
THE VALLEY OF DESOLATION.
Six persons, all mounted, sat on their horses and gazed down the valley.From that elevation they were able to see its full length. The six wereDick Merriwell, Brad Buckhart, Cap'n Wiley, Dash Colvin, little Abe, andFelicia Delores. Being aware that Macklyn Morgan had started with anumber of desperate men in pursuit of Frank, in spite of Frank'sadmonition to stay in Prescott and care for Felicia, Dick found itimpossible to remain quiet.
He knew his brother was in deadly danger, and he longed to be with himwhen the tug of war came. Feeling certain likewise that the men employedby Cap'n Wiley and taken to the Enchanted Valley as miners weredesperate characters, it did not seem possible to Dick that Frank andBart unaided could cope with so many and overcome them.
Dick had not worried long over the matter. Calling Brad, he said:
"Buckhart, I am going to follow Frank and the men who are in pursuit ofhim."
The eyes of the Texan gleamed.
"Pard," he said, "I observed that you were notified to stay hereaboutsand guard your cousin. Frank told you to do that. Do you let on thatyou're going to disobey orders?"
"I can't stay here, Brad. I feel certain Frank needs me. His enemies arevery powerful and desperate. What would I think of myself if anythingserious happened to my brother? I should hate myself forever afterward."
The rancher's son nodded.
"I allow that's dead right, partner," he agreed. "I am feeling some thatway myself. I certain smell smoke in the air, and I have an itching tobe in the midst of the fray. But whatever are you going to do withFelicia?"
"Why, I did think of leaving her here with you. I thought of leaving youin charge of her."
"What, me?" squealed the Texan. "Leave me behind when there's a ructionbrewing? Do you mean, pard, that you propose to cut me out of this yerescrimmage? Oh, say, Dick, you'd never treat me that low down! I cameWest to stick by you a heap close, and I am going to do it. Why don'tyou leave your cousin in the care of Cap'n Wiley?"
"I wouldn't dare," answered Dick. "Wiley is square enough; but he iscareless. Besides that, how can I find my way to the Enchanted Valleyunless guided by Wiley himself?"
"That's so. I never thought of that. You've got to take Wileyalong--unless you can get hold of that man Colvin, who brought themessage to Merry."
Dick frowned a little, seeming deep in serious thought.
"Then there's the hunchback boy," he finally muttered. "Possibly hemight know the trail, but I doubt it."
"You can't depend on him none whatever," put in Buckhart. "He looks likea good wind would blow him away."
Dick rose to his feet.
"Brad," he said, "we will find Wiley and talk this matter over."
The sailor was found, and he turned an attentive ear to Dick's words.
"My young mate," he observed, resting a hand on Dick's shoulder, "I havebeen seriously meditating on the problematical problem of hoistinganchor and setting my course for the Enchanted Valley all by mylonesome. In my mouth danger leaves a sweet and pleasant taste. I loveit with all my yearning heart. If you are bound to set sail for theEnchanted Valley, I am ready to ship with you as pilot. It may be wellfor me to do so. If I linger here I may dally with the delusivejag-juice. When there is no temptation I can be the most virtuous man inthe world. Yes, my boy, we will pull out of Prescott and cut away towardthe valley in question. You may depend on me."
"Then let's lose no time!" impatiently exclaimed Dick, feeling apowerful desire to hasten to his brother's side. "Let's makepreparations without the least delay."
This was done. Dick found Felicia and little Abe together, for the twohad become fast friends in a short time. Felicia settled the question inregard to herself by immediately declaring that she was ready toaccompany them.
"It will do me good," she said. "The doctor in San Diego told me thatwhat I most needed was more open-air exercise. I am feeling much betternow. Oh, you will take me with you, won't you, Dick? Please take me!"
"Me, too," urged little Abe. "You can't leave me behind."
It was found necessary to take them both, and when the time for startingcame Cap'n Wiley appeared in company with Dash Colvin, the messenger.Colvin likewise was anxious to return to the Enchanted Valley, for hedeclared that there were two of his late companions in the valley withwhom he had a score to settle. Although they had pursued him into thevery heart of Prescott, on recovering from the effects of that desperaterace he had sought them in vain. He learned, however, that they hadjoined Macklyn Morgan's party in the pursuit of Frank.
Thus it may be seen how it happened that Dick and his friends werewatching to see what transpired in the barren valley amid the mountainsat the time when Morgan's party released Texas Bland and his ruffiansfrom the custody of Pete Curry, of Cottonwood. Wiley had pressed forwardwith such restless determination that they were close on the heels ofMorgan and his men when this valley was reached, although this fact wasnot known by any of the men in advance. Provided with a powerful pair offield glasses, Dick watched what transpired, and saw Curry and hisassistants held up while the captured desperadoes were set free.
Although he had only his eyes to observe what was taking place, Buckhartgrew greatly excited and eagerly proposed a dash into the valley for thepurpose of aiding Curry.
"Steady, Brad, old man!" warned Dick. "We're too far away for that. Bythe time we got there the whole thing would be over. The best we can dois to keep quiet and take care that we are not seen."
"Who do you suppose those men are?" asked Buckhart.
"It doesn't seem possible!" Dash Colvin was muttering to himself.
"What is it that doesn't seem possible?" questioned Dick.
"Let me take your glass a moment," requested Colvin.
Dick handed it over. The man took a hasty look through it.
"Well, of all things wonderful, this is the most remarkable!" heexclaimed.
"What is it?" questioned Dick impatiently.
"Yes, whatever is it you're driving at?" demanded Buckhart.
"Speak up, you, and keep us no longer in suspenders!" cried Wiley.
"Those men--those men who have been released----"
"What of them?" demanded Dick.
Colvin passed the glass quickly to Wiley.
"Take a look yourself, cap'n," he directed. "You oughter to know some ofthem."
After one glance, the sailor ejaculated:
"Dash my toplights! Shiver my timbers! May I be keelhauled if they ain'tthat sweet little aggregation I gathered for the purpose of operatingthe new mines! Why, there's Texas Bland! I recognize his sable mustacheand flowing hair."
"That's it," nodded Colvin--"that's it exactly. They are the very men.What air they doin' here?"
"A short time ago they seemed to be in endurance vile. If I mistake not,three gentlemen in that party were escorting them as captives of war tosome unknown port. Mates, I will stake my life there have beenvoluminous doings in the Enchanted Valley. Something of a criticalnature surely happened there."
"But Frank is not in that party," said Dick. "Where can he be?"
"At this precise moment," confessed Wiley, "I am in no calm and placidframe of mind, therefore I am unable to answer the riddle. One thing, atleast, is certain: Those gay boys have not seized your brother'sproperty. That should relieve your agitated mental equilibrium to aconclusive susceptibility."
"We take chances of being seen here," said Dick. "Let's retire."
They did so, but from a point of partial concealment continued to watcheverything that occurred in the valley. Within an hour Morgan's men,accompanied by the rescued ruffians, turned toward the south, whichaction assured the watchers that once more they were headed for theEnchanted Valley. They appropriated the horses of Curry and his twoassistants, taking also the weapons of the three men, who were lefta-foot and unarmed in that desolate region. The trio was warned not tofollow and were further advised to make straight for Cottonwood or thenearest camp. Apparently Curr
y and his assistants decided this was theonly course to pursue, for they turned to the north and hurried up thevalley. Morgan and his men soon disappeared far away to the south.
Burning with eagerness to know the truth, Dick rode forward into thevalley the moment the ruffians were beyond view. He was followed closelyby Buckhart and Colvin. Cap'n Wiley remained long enough to caution Abeand Felicia to remain where they were, for, knowing nothing of Curry andhis companions, Wiley fancied it possible there might be trouble of somesort.
"I will look out for Felicia," declared little Abe, whose violin washung over his back by a cord. "I will take care of her."
"All right, my noble tar," said the sailor. And then he also rodeforward into the valley.
Curry and his assistants halted in some alarm when they saw fourhorsemen dashing swiftly toward them. As they were unarmed, they couldnot think of offering resistance in case the quartette proved to beenemies. Being on foot, they could not escape, and, therefore, they didthe only thing possible, which was to wait for the approaching riders.
Dick was the first to reach them.
"We have been watching this whole affair," he said. "We don't understandit."
"Well, we do!" growled Curry in disgust, while his companions growledlikewise. "We understands that we have lost a bunch of valuableprisoners."
"But how did you happen to have such prisoners in the first place?"questioned Dick.
"That's our business, yonker. Why should we be for telling you any?"
"Because I am interested. Because those men are my brother's enemies."
"Who is your brother, kid?"
"Frank Merriwell."
"What?" shouted Curry. "Whatever are you giving us?"
"He is giving you the dead-level truth, stranger," put in Brad,
"That's right," agreed Dash Colvin, coming up. "Look here, Pete Curry,you knows me and I knows you. This boy is Frank Merriwell's brother."
"That being the case," said Curry, "he wants to get a hustle on and joinhis brother some lively. That fine bunch you saw hiking down the valleyis bound for Frank Merriwell's new mines, which they propose seizing aheap violent. We counts ourselves some in luck to get off with wholeskins from such a measly outfit. All the same, if we had played our handproper I reckon they'd never set that lot of mavericks loose. I ama-plenty ashamed of myself."
"But tell me," urged Dick, "how you came to have those men asprisoners?"
Curry then briefly related the whole story, to which Dick and hisfriends listened with the greatest interest.
"That's how it were," finished Curry. "I allows to your brother I surecould take that gang to the nearest jail. He and his pard, Hodge, staysto guard their mines, leaving the job of disposing of those tough gentsto we three. We makes a fizzle of it, and now the whole outfit is boundback for the Enchanted Valley. They are frothing to get at your brotherand do him up. At the same time, they counts on salivating the old Injunwhat fools them a-plenty."
"Frank will fight to the last," said Dick. "We must help him some way.We're all armed, and I think we can furnish you with weapons. Are youwith us, or are you ready to give up?"
"Pete Curry, of Cottonwood, gives up none at all," was the reply. "Icounts on hiking somewhar to get weapons and horses and then hustlingback for the purpose of doing whatever I can to help your brother."
"If you try to do that, you will be too late to render any assistance,"declared Dick.
"Then give us some shooting irons and what goes in 'em and we're withyer," said Curry.
This arrangement was quickly settled on, after which Dick rode back forFelicia and little Abe. When he reached the spot where they had beenleft, however, he was not a little surprised and alarmed to find theywere no longer there. In vain he looked for them. He called their names,but his voice died in the silence of the desolate hollows. There was noanswer, and Dick's fears grew apace.
* * * * *
What had become of Felicia and little Abe?
Left to themselves, they fell to talking of the singular things whichhad happened.
Felicia's horse champed its bit and restlessly stamped the ground.
"That horse acts awful queer," said the boy. "He has got a funny look inhis eye, just the same as a horse I once saw that was locoed. You knowwhat that is, don't you?"
Felicia laughed.
"I was born in the West," she said. "Of course I know what it means whenan animal is locoed. They have been eating loco weed and it makes themcrazy. But I don't think this horse has been doing that."
"Never can tell," said the hunchback.
"Why, it should have shown on him before."
"Not always. Sometimes it breaks out awful unexpected. Look how yourhorse rolls its eyes. Say, I'm going to----"
Abe did not tell what he was going to do, for, starting his own horseforward, he reached for the bridle of Felicia's animal. To the horse itseemed that the boy's hand was large as a grizzly bear. The animalstarted back with a snort of alarm, quivering with sudden terror.
"Whoa! whoa!" cried Abe, hastening in his attempt to seize thecreature's bit.
These efforts simply served to add to the horse's fear, and suddenly hewheeled and went tearing away, Felicia being unable to check its flight.
Immediately the hunchback pursued, his one thought being to overtake thegirl and save her from danger, for he was now confident that somethingwas the matter with the horse.
If the creature was really locoed, Abe knew it might do the mostastonishing and crazy things. To a horse thus afflicted a little gully afoot wide sometimes seems a chasm a mile across, or a great ravine,yawning a hundred feet deep and as many in width, sometimes appears nomore than a crack in the surface of the earth. Deluded by this distortedview of things, horses and cattle frequently plunge to their death ingorges and ravines, or do other things equally crazy and unaccountable.
Felicia's horse fled madly, as if in fear of a thousand pursuing demons.The girl was a good rider, and she stuck to the animal's back withcomparative ease, although unable to check its wild career.
Doing everything in his power to overtake the runaway, the hunchback boycontinued the pursuit, regardless of the direction in which it tookthem. The flying horse turned hither and thither and kept on and onuntil it was in a lather of perspiration and was almost exhausted to thepoint of dropping. Mile after mile was left behind them in this manner,Abe finding it barely possible to keep the runaway in sight. At lengththey came from the hills into a broad plain, and there, in the verymidst of the waste, the runaway halted with such suddenness that Feliciabarely saved herself from a serious fall. What had caused this suddenstopping of the horse was impossible to imagine, but the beast stoodstill with its fore feet braced, as if fearing to advance another inch.It quivered in every limb and shook all over.
Felicia heard the clatter of horses' hoofs and turned to see little Abecoming with the greatest haste. The boy cried out to her, and sheanswered him.
"Oh, Felicia!" he panted, as he came up on his winded horse; "I'm soglad you're safe! Get down, quick--get down! He might run again!"
She slipped from the saddle to the ground, and little Abe alsodismounted, but now neither of the horses showed the slightestinclination to run. Both were in such an exhausted condition that theystood with hanging heads, their sides heaving.
"I was afraid you'd be killed, Felicia!" gasped the boy.
Then he saw her suddenly sink to the ground and cover her pale face withher hands. Quickly he knelt beside her, seeking to soothe and reassureher.
"It's all right--it's all right," he said. "Don't you cry, Felicia."
"Where are we, Abe?" she whispered.
"We're right here," was the answer, which seemed the only one he couldgive.
"Where is Dick?"
"He will come pretty soon. Don't you worry."
"We must find our way back. Can you do that, Abe?"
"Of course I can," he assured stoutly. "Just you trust me."
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sp; Then once more he did his best to reassure her, and after a whilesucceeded in calming her somewhat. To his relief, she did not cry orbecome hysterical. Over and over the boy assured her that he could findthe way back without the least trouble, and after a while he must haveconvinced her this was true.
"You're so brave, Abe," she half smiled.
"Brave!" he exclaimed. "Me! I reckon you don't know me! Why, I ain'tbrave at all! I'm just the biggest coward that ever lived."
She shook her head.
"Don't tell me that," she said. "I know better. You're just as brave asyou can be."
"Well, I never knowed it before," he said wonderingly. "If I am brave,it is something I never found out about myself. My, but I was scaredwhen I saw that horse run!"
"What will Dick think when he finds us gone?"
"Oh, he will foller us, he will foller us," nodded the boy. "Don't youworry about that. We'll meet him coming."
"But I will never dare mount that horse again."
"Course you won't. You will take my horse. I will ride that critter.Just let him try to run with me!" He said this as if he really fanciedhe could control the animal in case it attempted to run away with him.
The horses were submissive enough while the hunchback removed andchanged their saddles. The animal that had lately seemed crazy andfrantic with fear was now calm and docile. Apparently the furious runhad worked off the effect of the loco weed.
After a while, Abe did what he could to assist Felicia to mount, andthen managed to scramble and pull himself with no small difficulty tothe back of the other horse. They turned their animals to retrace thecourse over which they had come. This, however, was to prove no smalltask, for the runaway had twisted and turned in a score of differentdirections during its flight; and, shortly after entering the hills, Abefound himself quite bewildered as to the proper course they shouldpursue. This fact, however, he tried to conceal from Felicia, knowing itwould add to her alarm. So they rode on and on until finally they cameto a tiny stream that lay in the little hollows of a broad watercourse.There they found water for themselves and horses.
Now, for the first time, Felicia began to suspect that they were notretracing the course over which they had come.
"I don't remember this place," she said.
"Of course you don't," put in Abe quickly. "It's a wonder you rememberanything. By jing! you must 'a' been awful scart when that horse wasrunning so. Course you didn't notice much of anything else."
"But are you sure, Abe--are you sure we're taking the right course?"
"Just you leave it to me," nodded the hunchback.
"But what if we should miss Dick? If we should not find him, what wouldbecome of us, Abe? We might starve here, perish from thirst, or bekilled by Indians or something."
Abe did his best to laugh reassuringly.
"Don't you go to getting all fussed up that way. We're all right. Let'shurry up now, for it is getting late."
It was getting late. The sun hung low in the west and the afternoon wasfar spent. In the boy's heart there was a great fear that night wouldcome upon them and find them alone in that wild region. When they soughtto push on, the horses barely crept forward, having been badly used upby the mad flight and pursuit.
Lower and lower sank the great golden sun.
"Abe," said Felicia, at last, her face pale and drawn, "we're lost.Don't try to deceive me; I know it."
"Mebbe we are turned round some," he admitted. "But that ain't anyreason why you should get frightened. There are lots of mining campspretty near here. And even if we don't find Dick--which we shall--wewill be just sure to find a town."
The girl's chin quivered, and it was with no small difficulty that shekept back her tears. Finally, as the sun dropped behind the westernranges, the horses seemed to give out entirely, refusing to proceedfarther.
"No use, Abe!" murmured Felicia. "We may as well give up and stop righthere to-night."
"I am just awful sorry," murmured the boy; "but don't you be afraid. Iwill guard you. I will watch you all night long. There shan't anythingtouch you, I tell you that."
They were in a long, shallow valley where there was some scanty herbage,and the horses were permitted to find such grazing as they could. Thewestern sky glowed with glorious colors, which gradually faded andpassed away, after the bright, silvery stars gleamed forth, and the heatof the day passed before the night was fairly on them.
Felicia lay down in the silence, gazing up at the millions of starsabove them. Abe sat near, wondering what he could do to reassure her. Atlength he thought of his fiddle and pulled it round from his back, whereit hung. Lifting the loop of the cord over his head, he held the fiddleto his bosom, softly patting and caressing it. After a time, he foundhis rosin and applied it to the bow. Then he put the instrument in tuneand began to play.
The music was soft, and sweet, and soothing, like the lullaby of amother over a sleeping child. With this sound throbbing in her ears,Felicia finally slept. When he knew she was fast asleep, the boy slippedoff his coat and spread it over her shoulders.
The silence of the night was awesome, and he felt keenly the lonelydesolation of their situation. So again he lifted the fiddle to hischin, and again it throbbed with such a soft, sweet melody that even thetwinkling stars seemed bending to listen.