CHAPTER XXXI
AN ADVENTURE WITH THE NAVAJOS
Three days later, Ned Napier and Alan Hope, worn and almostexhausted with the steady climb and descent of countless rockyheights, made their camp for the night at the foot of a ruggedslope. Their shoes were torn so that a protection of rags wasnecessary. The hot and pitiless sun had seemingly dried up theirboyish spirits. Silent with fatigue, having plodded steadilyforward since sunrise, they threw themselves on the sand.
The young adventurers were headed straight for the east. And stillthe last range of mountains was beyond them. Led by the compass,they held to their course, sometimes passing miles out of their pathto avoid some inaccessible mesa, but more often scaling ragged andtiresome heights.
Eating had now become a matter of form and necessity. There was nolonger the keen joy in making camp. During the three days the boyshad seen no living object except birds, rabbits, many deer and twobears, all of which they had left unmolested in their eagerness topress forward. But at noon on this day Alan, having occasion toglance backwards, was positive that he saw a human head. Whetherwhite man or Indian he could not determine. The incident gave thelads no little, concern, but as no further sign of a human being wasseen that day they finally forgot the matter.
That night, after making tea and taking a little more pains thanusual with their supper in an effort to revive their spirits as wellas their tired bodies, Ned and Alan spread their blankets at theedge of a pine grove. Almost before it was dark they were bothsound asleep.
Some hours later Alan awoke with the instant consciousness of anunusual sound. Motionless and straining his ears, he heard deepbreathing just behind him. A new moon was just sinking below thebuttes on the far side of the little valley in which they hadstopped for rest, but under the pines the shadows were deep. Heknew that danger was near and he did not move. In another moment hefelt a soft hand on his waist, as swift and as silent as a snake,and he knew that the hand was extracting his revolver.
Then, from his half-opened eyes, he saw a figure crouching over hischum just opposite. Some one no doubt was also removing Ned'sweapon. Then there was the pressure of stealthy footsteps on thepine needles and Alan moved his head until he could see twoindistinct forms moving from the shadows of the timber across theopen space to the dying embers of their little fire. There he couldeasily discern five or six figures. He was about to put his hand onNed's face to awaken him gently when he saw the entire group comingdirectly toward their sleeping place. Their movements now revealedplainly that they were Indians.
With cold beads of perspiration covering his body Alan againpretended sleep. It was now apparent that they had been followed,and, no doubt, by Navajos. Perhaps this was the end of theirtoilsome retreat. With visions of death presenting themselves, hewondered again whether he ought to arouse Ned. Then he realized thefutility of such action. As the moccasined feet drew near Alancould read death in each approaching sound. But at the edge of thetrees there was another pause, and then he knew that the Indians hadscattered.
Straining every muscle in an effort to breathe naturally, like oneasleep, the boy counted the seconds while he waited for the clutchof a savage hand. And as the moment passed and the attack did notcome he tried to speculate on what the strangers were doing. Aguttural half exclamation soon allowed him a quick breath oftemporary relief. The Indians were only after their supplies.
The savages had found the half-concealed packs of the two boys.Alan knew this by the location of the sounds that now came to him,and then, as the prowlers withdrew again into the open and the faintmoonlight, it could be seen that they were bearing all thebelongings of the two lads. For perhaps ten minutes Alan laywithout moving and watched the Indians. He could make out that theywere hastily looking over the packs and dividing what yet remainedamong themselves. Then ponies were led to the place of the campfire and the members of the band quickly threw themselves on theiranimals and disappeared into the night.
Almost paralyzed with the knowledge of what this meant Alan nowsoftly put his hand on Ned's face:
"Are you awake?" came instantly from Ned.
"Are you?" retorted Alan in surprise.
"Yes," whispered Ned, "I saw it all. But I didn't move, because Iwas afraid of arousing you."
"Here, too," exclaimed Alan. "Did you feel them take yourrevolver?"
Ned's band flew to his belt.
"Is yours gone too? I saw them when they came up from the fire.But you did right to keep still. If we had moved I expect we'd havehad our throats cut."
"That was one of them I saw to-day," added Alan, "and I guess we'relucky to be alive."
"Yes," added Ned rising to his feet, "we are. They are satisfied, Isuppose, to let us starve."
The prospect was a trying one. If the range behind them was the onethey hoped it was, there was only one more valley between its summitand the outer ridge of the Tunit Chas. If they could reach thisridge they believed they might see Mount Wilson's peak. But eventhat meant another thirty miles to the scene of the attack on Buck'scamp on the banks of the Chusco. And from that place it waseighty-five miles to a railroad and help!
The boys sat in the edge of the pines as the new moon disappeared,leaving them in utter darkness, and tried desperately to encourageeach other. Both had the grit to set themselves stoutly to theapparently hopeless task. Without food or firearms and possiblywithout water, they knew they would find the task gigantic. Butnothing was to be gained by waiting for starvation and death in thewilderness, and their decision was to do what they could, to try thealmost impossible, and if they failed to fail with their facestoward the east.
"Why not start now?" urged Alan. "Let's use what strength we have."
But Ned showed him the folly of this.
"A night's rest will enable us to make better time to-morrow. Andbesides, we can't make headway when we can't follow the compass."
Retiring a little further into the woods the boys composedthemselves again and before long were once more fast asleep.