CHAPTER XIX.
BLACK CLOUD'S VISIT.
It was mid-afternoon of the day following the start of Mr. Mayberry andRob, riding double, from the shanty in the lonely basin. Gathered in thebig living room of the ranch house of the Harkness range was a cheerlesslittle group, consisting of the Boy Scouts of the Ranger Patrol, Mr.Harkness and several cow-punchers, including Blinky. They had returned,disheartened and apprehensive, a few hours before, from a painstakingsearch of the mountains for a trace of Rob. But they had foundabsolutely none, and as Mr. Harkness had just said, felt as if they hadindeed reached "the end of the rope."
"You don't think, then, there is a chance of our finding him?"
It was Merritt who spoke.
"I'm afraid, much as I dislike to say it, my boy, that we have used upevery possible resource at our command," rejoined the rancher.
"Then what are we to do? We can't give up the search like this. He maybe wandering about in the mountains now."
"With nothing to eat," put in Tubby tragically.
"I only wish you could suggest something," said Mr. Harkness in a wearytone, that made Merritt ashamed of his querulous speech.
"What your experience has been unable to suggest it is unlikely that wecould think of," he rejoined. "I've only one thing to say, Mr. Harkness,and that is that we delay notifying his parents in the East till thelast flicker of hope has died out."
"You mean that we may still hear some news of him?"
"I know Rob Blake," rejoined Merritt, "and if he has an ounce ofstrength he will make his way back."
"But the tracks of the big bear?"
"Silver Tip," put in Harry.
"That looks bad, I know," stubbornly rejoined Merritt; "but somehow Ifeel that Rob will yet come out all right."
"I hope so, I am sure," breathed Mr. Harkness fervently.
As the reader will have guessed by the rancher's remark, the searchingparty had encountered the tracks of the big grizzly in the course oftheir wanderings. Huge as were the monster's paws, there was no dangerof mistaking them for those of any of his kindred. The fact that thehuge brute was on that side of the range had proved a disturbing factorin the hunt for Rob Blake. It indicated another source of danger to themissing boy, aside from the peril of Indians, hunger and thirst, andmany other dangers that he might have to face.
Suddenly Mr. Harkness started up from the big hewn-oak chair in which hehad flung himself, and sat up, listening intently. The others did thesame, Blinky running to the window.
"There's some one on a pony coming over the foothills like blazes bentfor election!" he announced.
"Wh-o is it?" demanded Mr. Harkness.
"Can't make out. Doesn't ride like any of this outfit," said Blinky.
"Maybe it's news of Rob," exclaimed Merritt.
The same thought flamed up in the heart of each of the returnedsearchers.
"It's an Indian!" cried Blinky suddenly.
"How do you know?"
"Can tell by his riding. I can see his blanket flapping out, too."
"Perhaps he has news of the boy."
"He knows something of importance; he wants to get here quick," was thecow-puncher's rejoinder. "He's spurring on that plug of his for all he'sworth. Indians don't ride that hard unless they are in a hurry."
Everybody was on their feet now, and by common consent a movement towardthe door began.
They had not long to wait before the rider galloped up, and drew rein soviolently as to cast his mount back on its haunches. As Blinky had said,the newcomer was an Indian. He had evidently ridden long and hard. Hispony's coat was covered with a coating of dust, and his blanket waswhitened with the same stuff. The paint on his face was almostobliterated by the same substance.
"How!" he exclaimed, gazing with a hawklike intensity into the ring offaces.
"How!" said Mr. Harkness in the same manner. "Black Cloud!" he exclaimedthe next instant, as the chief slipped from his pony.
The chief nodded gravely, and then looked about him uneasily. Heevidently did not like to be the centre of so many curious faces.Divining his thought, the rancher invited him inside, ordering one ofthe cow-punchers to take the chief's pony.
"Has--has he news of Rob?" begged Merritt, pressing forward.
"Now, see here, Merritt," said Mr. Harkness, not unkindly, "the way ofan Indian is one of the wonders of the world. You leave him to me, andif he does know anything of the boy I'll get it out of him."
Together the Indian chief and the rancher passed into the living roomof the ranch house, and the door closed on them.
For more than an hour they remained closeted, and then they emerged oncemore. Black Cloud, so the eager boys noticed, looked more than usuallygrim and determined, while Mr. Harkness's face bore a stern look. TheIndian's pony, which had been fed, watered and rubbed down, was broughtround for him, and he cast once more a searching glance about him. Then,without a word, he leaped upon his little animal's back and dashed off.
"He--he had news?" demanded Merritt, the foremost in the rush thatinstantly surrounded Mr. Harkness.
"Yes, grave news," was the reply; "but come inside. I will tell you allhe told me. In the first place, to relieve your anxiety, I must tell youthat while Rob was for a time a prisoner of the tribe, he is so nolonger, having, as we surmised after we saw his sombrero on that scamp'ssaddle, escaped."
"Then nobody knows where he is?"
"That's it."
Blank looks were exchanged as they clustered about the rancher to hearwhat the chief of the Moquis had visited him for. Evidently, from therancher's manner, there were graver thoughts still in his mind.
"To explain to you what is to follow," he said, "I must say that thingsare now at a crisis as regards the leadership of the Moquis tribe. Forthe first time in many years Black Cloud's power is threatened. Ayounger chief, named Diamond Snake, has attained great supremacy in thetribe, and is using his influence to undermine the leadership of BlackCloud. Diamond Snake is not a full-blooded Indian, but he once workedfor Clark Jennings on his father's ranch, before the family moved here."
"Gosh-jigger them!" burst out Blinky devoutly.
"Black Cloud, who is a pretty sensible Indian, refused to have anythingto do with Jennings and his gang, and as late as last night, he tellsme, warned them not to try to implicate his tribe in trouble. In spiteof that, an attack is to be made on our mavericks in the Far Pasture byJennings and his crowd, disguised as Moquis, and----"
"It was Jennings and that bunch, for a bet, that stampeded the cattle!"cried Blinky.
"I think so. They could easily rig themselves up as Moquis and deceiveany one, particularly in the excitement. Black Cloud became suspiciousafter his interview with Jennings, and laid in hiding in the brush. Whathe heard confirmed his suspicion that Jennings meant to disguise himselfand his helpers as Indians, when they raided the cattle, and so throwthe blame on the tribe. Old Black Cloud readily saw that this would workhim immeasurable harm, so rode right off to warn me."
"But why should he do this?" asked Merritt.
"It's clear enough," rejoined the rancher. "He knows I'm prettyinfluential, and he also knows that there's a hot time coming for histribe when they are finally rounded up. By coming to me and telling meof Jennings's plans, he figures that I, on my part, will go to the frontfor him and save his tribe from any severe penalty."
"But will you?" asked Harry.
"I promised him to," rejoined Mr. Harkness. "His visit may be the meansof saving me thousands of dollars. But now I am in a seriouspredicament. Most of my punchers are off on the Bone Mound Range,rounding up mavericks. Jennings will have quite a force, and how are weto oppose him?"
"We'll help you," spoke up Harry boldly.
"Who?"
"Why, the Boy Scouts. Except Merritt and Tubby, we can all rope, and notone of us is scared of a little shooting, or anything like that."
"Well, I don't like the idea of taking you boys into danger."
"I guess you'll have to take th
em," put in Blinky soberly.
"Why?"
"Well, there's only myself and three other punchers, and we'll need atleast a dozen to take care of the raid. Let the kids help. They'll doall right. I watched 'em carefully while we were trailing poor Rob, andthey're made of the right stuff."
So it was arranged that the boys were to take part in protecting the FarPasture against Clark Jennings and his marauders. There was now littledoubt in the minds of Mr. Harkness and the others that the stampede hadbeen instigated by Clark and his friends, disguised as Moquis. In fact,we know from the conversation we overheard in the mountains that suchwas the case.
"Where has Black Cloud gone, to join the snake dance?" asked Merritt,when this had been settled.
"No; at least, he has gone there, but with the object of preventing it,if possible. In some way he has learned that Mayberry has sent forsoldiers, and that he means to surprise the tribe at the height of theirrevelry. Black Cloud, for this reason, is determined to stop it if hecan."
"Can he, do you think?" asked Harry.
"I don't know. He told me that Diamond Snake, in order to make himselfmore popular with the tribe, was a red-hot advocate of giving the dancewith all its trimmings."
"I'd like to see it," said Merritt suddenly.
"See them eating rattlers, eh?" put in Blinky.
"Do they eat them?" asked Tubby, interested at once at the mention ofhis favorite topic.
"Eat 'em alive," was the startling reply; "that is, except the ones theythrow into a red-hot pit of coals."
"Did you ever see a snake dance?" asked Merritt eagerly.
"No, but I heard my grandpop talk about 'em. He's one of the few whitemen that ever saw one and got out alive."
"What do you mean?"
"That by Moqui law if a white man is caught looking on at theirfal-de-lals and fandangos, he is tortured to death."
"Hum! I guess I don't want to see one as badly as I thought I did,"muttered Tubby.
At this instant there came a sharp ring at the telephone. Mr. Harknesshastened to the instrument and took up the receiver. His face paled,and then broke into a joyous smile as he heard the voice at the otherend.
"News of Rob!" he shouted, wheeling about.
Instantly they pressed forward about him, eager to hear.
"He's---- Hullo! Yes. What's that? Oh, yes. Boys, Rob was at Red Flatsome time ago. He is now mounted and on his way here. I am talking toMr. Mayberry, the Indian agent, who saved him from a terrible death."
"How far is Red Flat from here?"
"About twenty miles, and the boy has a good horse."
"He ought to be here in a couple of hours, then?"
"About that," rejoined Mr. Harkness, resuming his conversation with theIndian agent. Suddenly they heard his voice raised as if inexpostulation.
"Don't do any such thing, Mayberry!" the boys heard the rancher exclaim."You are mad to attempt it!"
"Oh, I know, duty is duty, but it's no man's duty to place his head ina trap. Why, man alive, it's courting death, you----"
"He's rung off," he exclaimed, turning to the inquiring group behindhim. "I don't know what I wouldn't give to be able to stop him in whathe is about to do."
"Is he in trouble?" asked Harry.
"No, my boy, but he soon will be. He is going to '_reason_' with theIndians. Reason with them!" he burst out bitterly. "Reason with a rock,a rattlesnake, a coyote, or anything else senseless or cruel, but don'treason with an Indian."
"If you're enjoyin' this here present life," put in Blinky sagely.