CHAPTER X--ATTACKED
Not far in advance the body of an Indian was seen lying directly acrossthe trail. The entire band stopped abruptly at a signal from KitCarson, and a moment later all were running forward to the place wherethe Indian was seen.
"He may not be dead," suggested one of the men. "He may be playing'possum."
"That's right, too," suggested another. "They may be fixing a trap forus."
At the bidding of the leader the men all halted, every one holding hisrifle in readiness for instant use, and all alike striving to keepwatch on the various points from which they thought an attack upon themmight be made.
Alone and cautiously, Kit Carson advanced, and in a brief time hereturned saying: "The man is dead. He had the smallpox. I don't wantany of you to go near him."
It was well known by the trappers what a terrible scourge smallpox wasamong the Indian tribes. Entire villages had been wiped out ofexistence by its ravages.
"What do you think, Kit?" inquired one of the men. "Is this redskinleft here for us, or do you think the village was trying to run away?"
"Perhaps both," replied the guide quietly. "At all events we'll goaround the hill."
"Better than that," suggested one of the men. "I have had the smallpoxand I'll go ahead and drag the body out of the way."
At last the advice of the volunteer was accepted, and as soon as thedead body had been removed from the pathway the advance was resumed.
Although he did not explain nor share his feelings with his companions,it soon became evident that Kit Carson was suspicious of the presenceof other foes. Several times he had dropped behind the little cavalcadeand as frequently had gone in advance of the body. It seemed more andmore strange to Reuben that a man so boyish and slight as Kit Carson,in spite of his youth, should have such absolute control and such loyalsupport of the men who made up the little company.
Late in the afternoon Carson, who had been serving for an hour as theadvance guard, hastily rejoined his fellows and said: "There aretwenty-five redskins ahead. They have stopped right near the trail."
"What are they?" inquired one of the men in a whisper.
"Blackfeet."
"Are they armed?"
"Yes."
"How many horses have they?"
"There are as many horses as there are men."
"Do you think they know we are coming?"
"I have no doubt of it."
"What shall we do?"
"Drive them out."
"It can't be done! It can't be done! We haven't but seven men."
"Yes, it can be done," said Kit quietly. "Now if you'll do just what Isay, I'll show you how."
Seeing his calmness and confidence, a new spirit of enthusiasm enteredthe hearts of the men, and they all cordially and willingly followedthe directions of the young scout. Three of them were selected toadvance along the trail toward the Indians. The other four, togetherwith their prisoner, were to be concealed in a cluster of bushes nearwhich the halt had been made. Just what the young Indian in their midstwould do if left to himself no one of the trappers knew, but as theywere fearful that he might try to betray them it was deemed wiser tocompel him to remain where he then was.
"Now, men," said Kit Carson, as he and one of the trappers, named Jake,and Reuben prepared to leave their companions, "see that you do notexpose yourselves. Every one of you hide and keep hidden until we havejoined you. You may think when you first see us that you ought to fireright away, but hold your powder until we come. Now, don't forgetthat!"
As soon as these instructions had been given, the scout, together withhis two companions, started along the trail in the direction of theplace where the Indians had been seen.
Reuben was excited and yet he was so elated over the consent which hadbeen given him to accompany Kit Carson on this perilous adventure thathe was almost unmindful of the danger that confronted him. They hadleft their ponies behind them, and now as they drew near the placewhere they were expecting to behold the Blackfeet Reuben glancedexcitedly at his two companions. Neither of them, however, betrayed anyalarm, and in a brief time they had come within sight of the camp.
"I want both of you to show yourselves directly behind me," directedthe scout, "and then I want you to jump back into the bushes on eitherside of the trail, run back a few feet, and then come out where you canbe seen again. We must make these redskins think there are at least adozen of us. You'll have to move fast, too, because we aren't going tostay here very long."
A few moments later the men came within sight of the Indians. Thediscovery of their presence was greeted by a shout, but as yet none ofthe braves manifested any desire to start in pursuit of the white men.
Acting promptly upon the suggestion of Kit Carson, Reuben and Jakedarted into the bushes, emerging several times in a manner that mightconfuse their foes and lead them to believe that there were more in theparty than at first appeared. Soon after the war-whoop of the Blackfeethad been heard Kit Carson and his companions started swiftly back overthe trail by which they had come. Their flight was greeted with a loudyell, and instantly most of the Indians started in swift pursuit.
"It's the same band that killed the last party of trappers," said KitCarson in a low voice to Reuben. "We'll fix them this time so that theywon't make any more trouble of that kind."
Reuben was running rapidly, but all three knew that they were aconsiderable distance from the Indians and that their own friends werenot far back on the trail; so he was not unduly alarmed. Somehow hiscomplete confidence in the young guide caused him to believe that evenin their present peril he would find a way out.
The yelling band of braves soon appeared. They were running swiftly andit was evident that they had cast aside their usual caution. Theconfidence of the attacking party was unabated. If Kit Carson wascorrect in his statement that the band following them was one which haddestroyed the company of trappers the preceding year, it was plain nowthat they were equally sure the whites were afraid of them.
At all events they were swiftly pursuing and were steadily gaining uponthe three fugitives. The air resounded with blood-curdling war-whoops.The faces of the warriors, smeared with war-paint, were terrifying, andevery time Reuben glanced behind him his fear increased, although hestill was convinced that Kit Carson was not attempting any trick forwhich he was not fully prepared.
Strong in their belief that the men who were fleeing were afraid, theIndians pressed still closer in their pursuit. Indeed they were almostupon the heels of the fleeing men. A few steps more and the venturesometrappers would be in their power.
At last Reuben and his companions arrived at the thicket in which theirfriends were concealed. Darting quickly into the midst of the band,they cast themselves upon the ground, concealing themselves behind thetrees, and prepared to join in the counter-attack which was about to bemade. At that moment a shower of arrows fell among the bushes, andalmost as if in response to this action the thicket resounded with thereports of the guns. The resounding yell of triumph from the eagerBlackfeet was lost in the midst of the roar of the guns. Clouds ofsmoke slowly rose above the bushes and hid the scene from the sight ofthe anxious defenders. However, as soon as the smoke lifted a little,the bodies of the fallen Indians were seen upon the ground. On everyside was the neighing of the terrified and the riderless horses. Thestartled Blackfeet in the midst of it all heard the click thatindicated the reloading of the guns of their enemies. Too late theywere aware of the mistake they had made.
The band of warriors instantly broke and fled, and in the midst of thewild confusion that followed the first attack the weapons of thetrappers had been reloaded and again the reports of the rifles rangout. With wild cries of terror the Indians continued their flight. Nordid they stop until they had disappeared from sight and had run farinto the wilderness.
Then it was that Kit Carson, bidding his men follow him, led them oncemore upon the trail. Scattered on the ground nearby were the bodies often of the Indians that had fallen under the fire o
f the trappers.Brave as the redmen had been, too late they had discovered that theirbows and arrows were of no avail when they were fired upon by men armedwith rifles and who were expert shots.
Convinced at last that the danger was passed, Kit Carson summoned hismen about him and first of all inquired whether or not any one had beenhit in the shower of arrows that had fallen upon them. Fortunately noone had been injured, for the Indians had fired without any sight ofthe white men, simply trusting to their knowledge that some of them atleast were concealed within the underbrush.
"What will happen next?" inquired Jake.
"No man can say," replied Kit Carson.
"Do you think they will attack us again?"
"Not soon. They have learned a lesson which they will not forget rightaway."
"Then we can go right ahead?"
"We shall keep on," replied the guide quietly, "although I am sure thatwe are not done with our troubles."
"What are you afraid of?"
"I am sure they will not leave us. They will follow us, and when nightcomes they will try to steal our horses, and if we were trapping herethey would try to get our traps. I shall be surprised if we do not findthat they are watching us all the while."
"Don't you think we had better turn back?"
"I have never travelled that way," replied Kit Carson lightly. "Thesafest thing for us will be to show the Blackfeet that we are notafraid of them and are prepared to meet them."
In accordance with the suggestion of the scout, preparations were madeat once for resuming the journey. It was plain, however, that not allof the men were of the same mind as their leader and that some werestill fearful of attacks by the band which they had successfully drivenoff. Some time elapsed, however, before the true purposes of theBlackfeet were discovered.