CHAPTER XV
WITH THE TROOPERS
With a skill and foresight which never seemed to leave them, theleaders of the rescue expedition had selected the place for the dinnerstop with a view to its possible defense in case of emergency. Thiswas part and parcel of life in the west, especially when on anexpedition of this character.
In consequence there were several natural places of refuge and hiding,behind which a fight could be conducted. And as soon as it wasascertained that a body of horseman--hostile it seemed they mustbe--were riding against them, the first thought was how best a fightcould be conducted.
"Get in the horses!" commanded Rolling Stone. "They'll shoot them offfirst crack out of the box, for they'll know we're done for without ouranimals."
As the rescuers had been about to move when the approaching party wasdiscovered, and as some of the cowboys actually had their horses inhand, the securing of the remainder of the steeds was a work of nogreat moment.
At one edge of the roughly outlined circle in which the noon camp hadbeen pitched, was a group of big rocks, that would make a naturalstable and hiding place for the horses. The animals were led into thislittle corral, and made fast there by lariats. As much of the baggageas possible was piled in with the horses.
This much done by Bud and his friends it was necessary to look tothemselves, for the strange horsemen were slowly but surely coming on,and it was beyond question that they had entirely surrounded ourheroes. From all points of the compass, a thin line it is true, butone in which there were no breaks, in came the attackers.
"We've got to form a circle ourselves," said Snake grimly. "Get downas low as you can, boys, each one behind a rock, and with one at yourback if you can make it. They won't rush us at first. They'll try topick us off until they find out how many of us there are."
Quickly the others followed his advice. It was an admirable place todefend, and other things being equal could be held by a small bandagainst a large body. But the factors of food and water would enterinto the fight, and though the camp was watered by a little stream,everyone from Diamond X knew the first act of the attackers would be togo higher up and cut off the supply of fluid. In this hot summerseason men and beasts could only last a short time without water.
Then, having seen to it that the boy ranchers and the others were in asgood a position of defense as possible, Snake Purdee picked out his ownlittle niche and laid out on the ground in front of him his supply ofcartridges.
Each man--and by "man" I include the boy ranchers--had a rifle and arevolver, or, rather, automatic, each weapon using cartridges of thesame caliber. Thus only one sort of ammunition had to be packed, andthere was greater efficiency afforded.
"Get ready," called Yellin' Kid in as low a voice as he ever used."They've come to a stop for a talk, and they'll begin shooting soon Ireckon."
The feet of the steeds ridden by the advancing horsemen had raised acloud of dust which hung about them like a hazy curtain, preventing aclear view. In fact, after the first glimpse of the riders they hadonly been seen as dim figures approaching through this haze of dust.
But now, as they had stopped, as Yellin' Kid had said, the dust beganto drift away, and, for the first time our friends had a comparativelyclear view of those surrounding them.
It was Bud who first gave the good news. Looking intently at ahorseman nearest him, the boy suddenly leaped to his feet and gave ashout that could be none other than joyous in its meaning.
"Get down, you idiot!" cried Snake. "Do you want a bullet through you?"
But the lad continued to shout and yell, waving his hat, and there wasno fusillade of shots from the ring of horsemen. Then, for the firsttime Bud made himself understandable, for he shouted:
"They aren't Indians! They aren't Indians! They're United StatesTroopers! Hooray! Now we've got our help!"
"Troopers?" repeated Snake, for a cloud of dust had blown about him,greatly obscuring his vision.
"Troopers--sure!" yelled Nort, now seeing what Bud had beheld.
And a moment later it was clear to all of the surrounded band that thehorsemen were, indeed, mounted men of Uncle Sam's cavalry--a company oflancers, a type of the armed force that has gone out of existence now,but one which was very effective in some Indian fights.
A bugle rang out clear and sweet from somewhere in that surroundingcircle of troopers, and instantly the outer edges of the ring beganclosing in. Then our friends, knowing their fright had been withoutfoundation, rose up from their hiding places and, standing together,with Snake at their head as commander, waited for what was to come next.
It was not long in manifesting itself. A trooper, evidently an orderlyfrom a group of officers in front of our friends, rode up, waved hishand in place of a salute when he saw he had to deal with one of hisown kind, and asked:
"Who are you and what are you doing?"
"We're from Diamond X ranch," replied Snake, "and we're on the trail ofthe Yaquis who have captured some of our friends!"
"Oh, the Yaquis!" exclaimed the trooper, in evident surprise. "Why,we're after the same bloody beggars! Glad to have met you. We seem tobe off the trail for some reason. Captain Marshal will want to speakto you. Better come with me."
"Wait 'til I get my horse," murmured Snake, for, like all westerners,he hated to take more than a few steps out of the saddle.
A moment later he was riding toward the officers of Uncle Sam'stroopers, while the remainder of the lancers riding in, mingled withthe small force from Diamond X.
"It's good to see you fellows!" chuckled Bud as the bronze-facedsoldiers gathered around the boy ranchers.
"We were just about to open fire on you," said one of the lancers, andNort and Dick noticed that in addition to the steel-tipped weapon eachtrooper carried a carbine and wore a revolver in his belt. The lanceswere, in reality, more for show than for actual use, though in chargingthe hostile Indians the spears had served many a useful purpose.
"Glad you didn't," said Yellin' Kid. "There'd have been trouble, forwe were all primed for you," and he waved his hand toward the rocksamid which some cowboys were just arising, picking up the ammunitionthey had spread out for quick use.
"We thought you were Yaquis, and we had orders to shoot to kill,"explained another trooper.
"And we took you for Indians--not exactly Yaquis, for they don't carrylances," said Dick. "I'm glad it was a mistake all around."
"But say, do you fellows know anything about these dirty Mexicans whohave crossed the border?" asked a third trooper, a lieutenant from hisstripes, it would appear. "I won't call 'em Indians, though I reckonthey are, of a sort. But where are they? We got orders to take after'em, but we can't get sight of so much as a dirty blanket."
"Well, we think we're on their trail," Bud answered, "though maybe weare as far off as you are. Anyhow--"
But he did not complete the sentence. From the distance a single shotrang out, and as all turned they saw, standing on the sharp horizonline, a solitary figure, from near which arose a thin wisp of smoke.