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The Silver Canyon: A Tale of the Western Plains, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 35. How Joses Fed The Cattle |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE. HOW JOSES FED THE CATTLE The Apaches seemed to have had so severe a lesson that they kept right away in the plain for the rest of the day; and as it appeared to be safe, the Indians went out with the Beaver to hide the ghastly relics of the attack, returning afterwards to the Doctor to sit in council upon a very important point, and that was what they were to do about the cattle and horses. This was a terrible question; for while the occupants of the rock fortress could very well manage to hold out for a considerable time if they were beleaguered, having an ample store of meal and dried meat, with an abundant supply of water, the horses and cattle must have food, and to have driven them out to the lake grazing-grounds meant to a certainty that either there must be a severe battle to save them or the Apaches would sweep them off. "The Beaver and his men will watch and fight for the cattle," said the chief, quietly. "I know that, my brave fellow; but if they were yours, would you let them go out to graze?" said the Doctor. "No," replied the chief, smiling; "because the Apache dogs would carry all away." "Well," said the Doctor, "we must not risk it. Let us go out and cut as much grass as we can to-day, for the poor brutes are in great distress." The chief nodded, and said that it was good; and while strict watch was kept from the rock, three parts of the men were hurried down to the nearest point where there was an abundance of buffalo-grass really in a state of naturally-made hay, and bundles of this were cut and carried to the starving cattle. It was a terribly arduous job in the hot sun; and it made the Doctor think that if matters went on in this way, the silver procured from the mine would be very dearly bought. Even with all their efforts there was but a very scanty supply obtained, and of that Joses declared the mules got by far the best share, biting and kicking at the horses whenever they approached, and driving the more timid quite away. Strict watch was kept that night, but no Apaches came, and as soon as it was light the next morning the horizon was swept in the hope of finding that they were gone; but no such good fortune attended the silver-miners, and instead, to the Doctor's chagrin, of their being able to continue their toil of obtaining the precious metal, it was thought advisable to go out and cut more fodder for the starving beasts. The next day came, and no Apaches were visible. "We can drive the cattle out to-day, Beaver," said the Doctor; "the enemy are gone." "The Apache dogs are only hiding," replied the chief, "and will ride down as soon as the cattle are feeding by the lake." The Doctor uttered an impatient ejaculation and turned to Joses. "What do you say?" he asked. "Beaver's right, master." "Well, perhaps he is; but we can't go on like this," cried the Doctor, impatiently. "No silver can be dug if the men are to be always cutting grass. Here! you and Harry and a dozen greasers, drive out half the cattle to feed. Bart, you take the glass, and keep watch from high up the path. The signal of danger directly you see the Indians is the firing of your piece. If you hear that fired, Joses, you are to drive in the cattle directly, and we will cover your return." "Good!" said Joses; and without a word he summoned Harry and a dozen men, going off directly after through the gateway to the corral, saying to Bart, as he went, "Of course, I do as master tells me, but you keep a sharp look-out, Master Bart, or we shan't get them bullocks and cows back." Bart promised, and took his station, rifle across his knee and glass in hand, to look out for danger, while before he had been there long the Beaver came and sat beside him, making Bart hurriedly apologise for the risk he had caused on the day of their adventure, he never having been alone since with the chief. "Master Bart, brave young chief," was all the Indian said; and then he sat silently gazing out over the plain, while no sooner were the cattle released than they set off lowing towards the pastures at a long lumbering gallop, Joses and his followers having hard work to keep up with them, for they needed no driving. In less than half an hour they were all munching away contentedly enough, with Joses and his men on the far side to keep the drove from going too far out towards the plain, and then all at once the Beaver started up, pointing right away. "Apache dogs!" he shouted. Bart brought the glass to bear, and saw that the chief was right. In an instant he had cocked and fired his piece, giving the alarm, when the garrison ran to their places ready to cover the coming in of the cattle-drivers and their herd, Bart, seeing that Joses had taken the alarm, and with his men was trying to drive the feeding animals back. But the Doctor had not calculated upon hunger and bovine obstinacy. The poor brutes after much fasting were where they could eat their fill, and though Joses and his men drove them from one place, they blundered back to another, lowing, bellowing, and getting more and more excited, but never a step nearer to their corral. And all this while the Apaches were coming on at full speed, sweeping over the level plain like a cloud. The Doctor grew frantic. "Quick!" he cried; "we must go out to help Joses and his men. No, it would be madness. Good heavens! what a mistake!" "Let me go with the Beaver and his men to his help," cried Bart excitedly. "My dear Bart, the Indians will be upon them before you could reach the horses, let alone saddle and bridle and mount." "It is true," said the Beaver, sternly. "Chief Joses must fight the Apache dogs himself." Bart knew they could do nothing, and just then he saw that the Mexican greasers had left the cattle, and were coming at full speed as hard as they could run towards the shelter of the rock. "The cattle must go," cried the Doctor, bitterly. "It is my fault. Why does not Joses leave them? Harry is running with the others." "Because poor Joses is too brave a fellow," cried Bart in despair. "I must go to his help; I must indeed," he cried piteously. "Young chief Bart must stay," said the Beaver, sternly, as he seized the lad's arm. "He would be killed. Let chief Joses be. He is wise, and can laugh at the Apache dogs." It was an exciting scene, the Mexican labourers fleeing over the plain, the cattle calmly resuming their grazing, and the cloud of Indian horsemen tearing along like a whirlwind. The occupants of the rock were helpless, and the loss of the cattle was forgotten in the peril of Joses, though murmurs long and deep were uttered by the Englishmen against him who had sent them out to graze. In spite, too, of the terrible loss, there was something interesting and wonderfully exciting in the way in which the Apaches charged down with lowered lances, the cattle calmly grazing till they were near; then lifting up their heads in wonder, and as the Indians swooped round, they wheeled about, and went off at a gallop, but only to be cleverly headed and driven back; and then with the Apaches behind, and forming a crescent which partly enclosed the lumbering beasts, they were driven off at full speed fight away towards the plain, gradually disappearing from their owners' eyes. "Only half as many to feed," said the Doctor, bitterly. "Poor Joses!" groaned Bart with a piteous sigh. "Chief Joses coming," said the Beaver pointing; and to the delight of all they could see Joses in the distance, his rifle shouldered, marching quietly towards them, and evidently making himself a cigarette as he came. Half an hour later he was in their midst. "Couldn't save the obstinate beasts, master," he said quietly; "they were worse than buffler." "But how did you manage to escape?" cried the Doctor and Bart in a breath. "Oh! when I see it was all over, I just crept under a bush, and waited till the Indian dogs had gone." "Chief Joses too wise for Apache dog," said the Beaver, with a calm smile. "Beaver-with-Sharp-Teeth told young chief Bart so." "Yes," said Bart; "and I can't tell you how glad I am." "Just about as glad as I am, Master Bart," said Joses, gruffly. "I did my best, master, and I couldn't do no more." "I know, Joses," replied the Doctor. "It was my fault; and the greasers ran away?" "Lord, master, if we'd had five hundred thousand greasers there it would have been all the same. Nothing but a troop of horse would have brought the obstinate cattle back to their corral. You won't send out no more?" "No, Joses, not a hoof," said the Doctor, gloomily; and he went to his tent on the top of the mountain to ponder upon the gloomy state of their affairs. _ |
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