CHAPTER XXVI.
WILD TURKEYS AND ANOTHER TRAIL.
One day, early in February, Amos Radbury came riding back from a tripto Gonzales with news that he had heard from Carlos Martine.
"The man has been at San Felipe," he declared, "and I have it on goodauthority that he intends to claim my land."
"Well, what are ye going to do?" queried Poke Stover, who was still atthe ranch.
"I hardly know. But I wish I could have a talk with Martine. It mightbe the means of saving a good deal of trouble."
"Is Martine still at San Felipe?"
"No, Gusher told me that he had gone to San Antonio."
"Then why not take a trip to San Antonio and find him?" suggested theold frontiersman. "I reckon that is what I would do."
"I think you are right, Poke, and I'll start tomorrow," answered theplanter.
He went in to talk the matter over with his sons, and the land claimwas the chief topic of conversation for the balance of the evening.
"I now wish I had kept Hank Stiger here," said Mr. Radbury. Thehalf-breed had left the ranch but three days before, apparently verygrateful for the manner in which he had been treated.
"Well, one thing is certain," declared Dan, "I don't stand for givingup the claim. I'll fight first. Those Mexican officials can do as theyplease, but they can't budge me."
"Good fer Dan!" shouted Stover. "He's the kind the State o' Texas willwant in days to come."
On the next day Mr. Radbury was too busy to think of leaving the ranch.There was much work at the cattle shed, part of which had been blowndown by a norther which had proved little less than a hurricane.
In working upon the shed the planter had a mishap. The rung of a shortladder broke beneath his weight, and he came down flat on his back. Nobones were broken, but he was hurt otherwise, and decided that it wouldbe best for him to keep off his horse for a week or ten days.
He was apparently much worried to think he could not see CarlosMartine, and, noticing this, Dan went to him, and asked if he could notdo the errand.
"You, Dan!"
"Yes, father. I know you think I am but a boy, yet----"
"No, my son," interposed Mr. Radbury. "I used to think you were but aboy, but, since you showed your fighting qualities at Bexar, I havechanged my mind. You are but a boy in years."
"Then let me go and see if I can hunt up this Carlos Martine. I can atleast have a talk with him, and learn how matters stand."
Amos Radbury shook his head, but in the end he consented to let Dan go,providing Poke Stover would accompany him on the trip. The oldfrontiersman was willing, and early on the following morning the pairset off on their mustangs, each carrying his gun, which was now acustom with all of the settlers.
In those days there were two main trails, or wagon roads, crossing theGuadalupe River. The lower trail was the one running through SanFelipe, Gonzales, and San Antonio, and this could very properly betermed the main highway of Texas. From fifty to a hundred miles northof this was the trail running through Nacogdoches, and across a hillyand uncultivated territory to San Antonio and the Rio Grande. At SanAntonio the two trails came together in the form of the letter V, andin the notch thus formed stood the Franciscan Mission, commonly calledthe Alamo, which means the cottonwood-tree. Of this mission, which wasto be so bravely defended, we will soon learn many interesting details.
The Radburys usually rode to San Antonio by way of Gonzales, but Danand Poke Stover decided to ride through the timber lands to thenorthwest until the upper trail was gained. This way might be a triflerougher, but it was no longer, and the trees along the upper trailwould serve to break the force of the northers which were continuallysweeping the face of the country.
The two set off in high spirits, each with his saddle-bags well stockedwith provisions, and each well armed.
"Who knows but what we may meet some Indians on the way?" said Dan.
"I doubt if the Indians are active now," replied the old frontiersman."They have had some pretty good lessons lately, and, besides, they knowthat all of the settlers are arming against the Mexicans, and are,consequently, ready for them."
"Do you know why I came this way?" went on Dan, after a pause.
"I didn't calkerlate you had any perticklar reason, Dan."
"I have an idea we can run across that white mustang father lost."
"Humph! That nag may be miles an' miles away from this deestrict."
"That is true. But yesterday, when I rode up to the edge of thistimber, I caught sight of something that looked very much like thewhite mustang."
"You did! Then why didn't you say so afore?"
"I didn't want to worry father. I thought I would tell you,--when wegot out,--and I've done it," added Dan.
"Where did ye spot the critter?"
"Right over to the left, near that fallen pine. But I'm not sure it wasthe white mustang. But it was some creature in white."
"If it wasn't the mustang, it couldn't be anything else. There are noother white critters here,--'ceptin' it might be a silver deer, andthey are as scarce as snowstorms in July."
They were now in the timber, and moving along at a steady gait. On allsides the ground was as hard as a rock, and the keen air was bracing tothe last degree. A stiff breeze was blowing, swaying the branchesoverhead, and occasionally bringing down a belated nut on their heads.
By noon they calculated that they had covered eighteen miles, which wasnot bad, considering the nature of the ground they had traversed. Withthe rising of the sun it grew warmer, and, seeking a sheltered spot,they dismounted and partook of their midday meal. They had stilltwenty-six miles to go, but hoped to cover that distance beforenightfall.
"I wonder how the garrison at San Antonio is making out," said Dan, asthey sat eating.
"Like as not a good many of the soldiers went home for Christmas,"returned Stover. "To my mind, it's a great pity that Sam Houston ain'tsucceeded in organising the army as he intended. He seems to be theonly leader who thinks that Santa Anna will come over here with a bigforce to knock the spots out of us. All the others are quarrelling overpolitics and places."
"I don't think it's quite as bad as that," laughed Dan. "But it seemsto me they ought to get an army together."
"The leaders ought to act in concert, Dan. If they don't, theirsoldiers are licked afore they go into battle," remarked the oldfrontiersman, sagely. "What Texas needs most of all is one first-classleader, whom all obey." And in this speech Stover came very near totelling the exact truth.
The meal finished, they were soon in the saddle again, and less than anhour later they came upon the trail leading directly into San Antonio.There was a hill of rocks on one side and a belt of timber on theother, with here and there a water-course to be crossed.
So far, nothing had been seen of any game but a deer that was too faraway to be brought down, and a few hares, which neither took thetrouble to shoot. But now Poke Stover called attention to a flock ofwild turkeys resting along the rocks not a hundred yards distant.
"A fine shot, Dan!" he whispered. "We can make a good trade with 'em,down in Bexar."
"That's so," answered the boy. "I'm ready to shoot when you are."
"Let us go into the timber, and come up in front of 'em," suggested theold frontiersman. "The rocks kind o' hide 'em from this p'int."
They dismounted and tied their mustangs to a tree. Then, with gunsready for use, they crept off in a semicircle, coming up to withinsixty yards of the turkeys before they were discovered.
"Fire!" cried Stover, and bang! bang! went the two guns, one directlyafter the other. They had loaded with large shot, and five turkeysfell, two killed outright and the others badly wounded. Rushing in,Stover quickly caught the wounded ones and wrung their necks.
"'THAT'S WHAT I CALL A PRETTY GOOD HAUL!' CRIED DAN,ENTHUSIASTICALLY."]
"That's what I call a pretty good haul," cried Dan, enthusiastically.
"It's not bad, lad, although I've seen better. I wish I could havegotten
a second shot at 'em. We might have----" The old frontiersmanbroke off short. "What's that?"
"It's a horse's hoofs on the trail," answered Dan. "Somebody is comingthis way."
He ran out of the bushes into which the wild turkeys had fallen, andgazed along the road. Just above was a curve, and around this camesweeping something which caused his heart to bound with delight.
It was the white mustang.
"By hookey!" came from Poke Stover. "It's him, eh, Dan?"
"Yes. Oh, if only I had my lasso!" For that article was attached to thesaddle of the mustang in the timber. Dan was on the point of crossingthe trail when Stover caught him by the arm.
"Don't scare the pony----" began the frontiersman, but he was too late.The white mustang had caught sight of Dan and he came to a haltinstantly. Then he reared and plunged and swept by, and the last theysaw of him, he was running toward San Antonio at the top of his speed.
"We've seen him,--and that's all the good it will do us," remarked PokeStover, as Dan gazed blankly up the road, and then at his companion.
"Can't we catch him, Poke? Oh, we must!"
"Might as well try to catch a streak o' greased lightning, lad."
"I don't know about that. He looked tired, as if he had been running along while."
"You are sure on that? I didn't git no fair view of the critter."
"Yes, he was covered with sweat. Perhaps somebody else has beenfollowing him."
"Well, it won't do no harm to go after him,--seein' as how he issteerin' in our direction," said the old frontiersman, and, picking upthe dead turkeys, they ran for their mustangs and leaped into thesaddles.
Several miles were covered, and they were on the point of giving up thechase when they encountered a settler with his prairie schooner, or bigcovered wagon, on his way to Guadalupe.
"Ye-as, I seen thet air white critter jest below yere," the settlerdrawled. "He war goin' 'bout fifteen miles an hour, I reckoned. Lookedtired. I wanted to go arfter him, but Susy, she wouldn't allow it."
"No, Sam Dickson, ye sha'n't go arfter no game or sech," came from theinterior of the schooner. "Ye'll settle down an' go ter farmin', an'the sooner the better 'twill be fer yer hide, mind me!" And the dark,forbidding face of a woman, some years older than the man, appearedfrom behind the dirty flaps of the wagon-covering. At once the settlercracked his whip and drove on.
Poke Stover chuckled to himself. "Thar's married life fer ye, Dan," heremarked. "Do ye wonder I'm a single man?"
"My mother wasn't of that kind," answered the youth, and then Stoverabruptly changed the subject, and away they galloped again after thewhite mustang, little dreaming of the trouble into which that chase wasto lead them.