CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
CRUSADER CHASED AGAIN.
The scene, all action and excitement, has nevertheless occupied but abrief space of time: scarce two minutes since the grizzly bears firstshowed themselves on the edge of the glade till both lie dead withinit--victims of their own ferocity.
It might have been very different, and under like circumstances nearlyalways is. Many cases are recorded in which half a score of camptravellers have succumbed to the insane rage of a single grizzly.Fortunate, too, had been the miners in their shots--no doubt clue to theshort range at which they were fired--for the thick, tough skin of thisanimal is almost ball-proof, and one has been known to bear off a dozenbullets in its body, and carry them about with it afterwards.
The very openness of their danger, with no prospect of escaping it, hadlent to the miners the courage of despair, and so made them morefearless in their attack; otherwise they would have fired at the enemywithout approaching so near, perhaps to fail. Enough damage has beendone notwithstanding, and a cry of lamentation succeeds the shots, andgeneral shouting, as the women gather around the body of that singlevictim to the fury of the bears. Frightfully mutilated it is, showingparallel tears over the breast--the tracks of claws, all running blood,and a huge gash by the throat where the first stroke had been given.
"_Esta Pablito Rojas_!" cries a voice, identifying the lad, othersadding in sympathetic chorus, "_Pobre! pobre-ceti_!"
There is one who takes no part in these demonstrations--HenryTresillian. He is in fact no longer in the camp, for soon as the secondgrizzly had been disposed of, he started back for the vidette post, andso abruptly as to make all wonder who were observing him. Among therest Gertrude herself, who thought it strange he should not stay tospeak some words of congratulation. He but muttered one or two, withthe name of his horse, well known to her, and was off.
Now, from his former point of view, he again beholds Crusader standingjust as left, and still to all appearance unmolested. It is more thanhe expected, but there may be reasons: possibly the shouts and fusilladeabove have for a time drawn the attention of the Indians in thatdirection. This will not be for long, and Crusader's master but countsthe moments till he see him assailed and chased.
Nor are they many. Just after his return to the ravine's head heobserves nigh threescore dusky horsemen move out beyond the flankingembattlement of rock; not hastily, nor in confusion, but in deliberateand long deployed line, which stretches afar over the _llano_.
Crusader sees them too, and seems to regard them with indifference; hehas taken to browsing on a piece of rich pasture lying along thestream's edge, this alone for the time occupying him. That he is theobjective point of their movement is evident, though none of them areheading straight towards him, their design being evidently to get aroundhim.
After all, is he going to let himself be surrounded, and approached inthis easy manner? Such is the interrogatory which passes among thosewatching from above, for the videttes have returned to their post, withothers accompanying them.
One answers it, saying, "It's not at all likely. He let himself betaken in a trap! More like the redskins will find themselves in onebefore long. See! they begin to find it now!"
This, from Pedro Vicente in his old spirit, as he points to the line ofsavages far extended.
The files have by this faced westward, but are advancing towards thestream; now, on nearing it, they are seen to stop abruptly as if insurprise. Then, after an instant, all wheel round and ride backeastward, till getting on their old line, they return at a galloptowards their camp. They have discovered the stream to be impassable.
"That horse is the _demonio_ himself," says Pedro Vicente--"neither morenor less. He must have known they could not cross the swollenstreamlet, or he'd never have stopped by it as he has done. But they'venot given him up yet. No! see: they're going round by the head of thelake."
Just this they intend, as is seen by their advancing towards the pointwhere the lake commences by the mouth of the ravine. They have nodifficulty in crossing its in-going stream, a few minutes after the rainceased having reduced this to its normal condition of a tiny rivulet.
And like some dark, disagreeable vision Henry Tresillian sees passbefore his eyes the savage cohort, file after file, one disappearingafter another, till at length no animated form is observable on theplain below, save that their eyes have been hitherto regarding withinterest.
There is a long interval without event; nearly an hour elapses ereCrusader shows any sign, his head almost continuously to the grass,raised only occasionally, as he changes place upon it. All this timethe Indians are out of sight, with no sound coming from the directionthey had taken.
But at length there is a sound, a startled neigh from the black horse,who, tossing his crest in air, rears upward with a curving sweep, andthen darts straight away, as if in flight from an advancing enemy--theenemy seen instantly afterwards as several mounted men disclosethemselves from the western framework of rock, all in a tail-on-endgallop.
Crusader has taken along the edge of the stream, and follows it inparallel direction downwards, just as he fled before from the samepursuers. There would seem no chance of their overtaking him now; forhe appears to gain distance at every bound, without even straininghimself. But lo! what is that?
"_Santos Dios_! They've headed him. _Milraya_! what a pity!"
It is the _gambusino_ who thus exclaims, seeing other horsemen on theplain farther points on, all facing towards the stream, evidently tointercept the chased steed.
Crusader sees them too, for he is now close up to them; but forsakingthe course he has hitherto followed, he makes an abrupt turn and breaksoff westward, continuing this direction in full gallop, till the rockshide him from view.
Alike the pursuers thrown round, pass out of sight one after another,and again that part of the _llano_ resumes its wonted aspect of stern,savage tranquillity.
For most of those composing the party of spectators the chase had noparticular interest, and only a few of them were gathered around thepoint where it could be viewed. Indeed, but a few heard of Crusaderbeing seen, the greater and more serious event obscuring that of lessernote. And now these few, one after the other, again go back to _ojo deagua_, to take part in the duties of the day.
But the English youth still stays by the vidette post, with eyeconstantly directed on the plain below, and ears listening intently, tocatch any sound that may come from the western side; apprehensively,too, for he fears to hear shots.
The savages failing to catch the black horse with their laryettes, mayspitefully endeavour to bring him down with their guns. This, indeed,is the real clanger his young master has been dreading, and which forthe time engrosses all his thoughts.
Luckily not for long. Within less than an hour the dusky horsemen, intwos and threes, come straggling back across the open ground between thelake's head and their camp, so continuing till the last of them havereturned, all with discomfited air, but none with Crusader as theircaptive. And as no report of gun has been heard, it is more thanprobable he has once more eluded them.