FOR OUR BOYS & GIRLS

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 163, 12 July 1890, Page 3 (Supplement)

FOR OUR BOYS & GIRLS

EDITED BY

HRS FRANCES HODGSON BURNETT

Sunset Pass,

feOTJHNG TEB GAUNTLET TH&G.UQH

APACHE JjAKD.

By Caytain Champs Kino, ' Author of 'Tho Poserber,' 'A Wartime Wooing,' Etc.

Copyrighted 1889 by S. S. McCluro.]

[AiiD Rights XUserv-kd,]

CHAPTER VI. jfoß ten minutes Pike remained at hii po-t of observation on top of the rock, watching the Indians a3 they siowly and cautiously moved down the pass in the direction of the abandoned camp, The children, worn out with their play and the fatigues of the climb, wero sleeping roundly in the libtJe cavo on the peak—Nellie, with her fair head pillowed in patient Kate's lap. Black Jim, too, was lyintc where tho sun shone full upon him, and snoring away aa placidly as earlier in the morning , .

Kate, far back in the cave, had no idea wh'4t was going on in the pass below ; but her soul waa still filled with dread and anxiety. The old trooper knew well that just aa soon as the Indians came, to the waggons and found them abandoned, their first care would bo to secure all the plunder from them possible. Then they would probably dispose of Manuelito after their own cruel designs ; and then, if darkness would nob come on in the meantime, they would probably begin their search for bhe fugitives. There would bo no difficulty to Indian trailers in following their track up the mountain side ; of this Pike waa well assured. But the wary old trooper- had taken the precaution every time that he and Jim had gone to and from the camp, to take a roundabout path, so as to bring their>trail around tlio base of the mountain in front of the cave, arid in this way the Indians in following would come directly in front of their barricade ab tho mouth and from sixty to a hundred yards down the hill and within ea3y range and almost cure Bhob of the defenders.

And now, peering down into the road far below, Pike" could see that the loading Indians had come in sight of tho big baggage waggon, and that tshey were signalling to those in the rear, for almost inetanbly three or four sinewy, athletic young fellows sprang up among bho trees and boulders on the north side of tho |>aBS, and crouching* like panfchors, half crawling, half springing, they wenb flitting from rock to rock or'tree to tree until'lost bo the view of the lone watcher on tho greab ledge, but ib was evident that their purpose was to reconnoitre the position from thab as well as to surround tho objects of their pursuit should tliey still be there. Altnosfc at the same instant, too, an equal -number

'of the Tontos camo leaping like goata a" short distance up the slope towards"Pike's unconscious garrison, bub speedily turned eastward, and, adopting precisely the eaino tacbica as those of fclioir comrades across the sroad, rapidly, but with the utmost stealth and noifielesanosfi, bora down on the abandoned nook. 'Mighty lucky WO got out of that and found blue,' muttered Pike. 'It won't be five minutes before they satisfy themselves that there is no one left to defend those waggons or the horses—and the moment they realise it there'll .be a yell of delight.' Sure enough ! After a brief interval of Bilence, there came from below a shout of exultation, answered instantly by trium-' phanb yells from the Indians in the roadway, and echoed by a wail of mortal terror Irom poor Kate, crouching below in the cave. Pike lost no time in sliding down the rocks and striving to comfort her. Nellie, clinging to her nurse, was terrified by the sounds. Little Ned, pale, but with his boyish face eetand determined, grasped once morehia little Ballard rifle.and looked ap in the Corporal's face as much as to Bay: "Count on mo for one of your 'fighting men!' Trembling, shivering and calling on the blessed saints, poor Kate stood there wringing her hands, the very personification of abject fright.. .) im,, coming around to the mouth of the care, spoke sternly to her; told her ?he ought to be ashamed of hereelf for eebfcing so bad an example to lifcble Nell. ' Look afe Wed, , he eaid, ' see how the little men behaves ; hie father wonld ba proud of him.' And the,n Pike spoke up. ' Don't worry, don't bo so afraid, Kate ; they have got all they want juab now. They'll just plunder and gorgethemselves with food, and then they will' have Manutlite to amuse themselves with. It is getting too late in the day for them to attempt to follow ua. They have got too much to occupy themselves with apyho«'. Don't you worry, old girl; if they do come this way, as thoy may to-morrow morning, We'll give them a dose that will make them wish they had nover seen a Yankee. , The Indian shouts redoubled, every accent was that of triumph. They were evidently rejoicing over the rich find in the ambiance and the baggage waggon._ Of course a great deal of property bad been left there for which Pike's party would have too possible use up here in the cave, and this included plenty of food. The horse?, tooj delighted the Tontos, and as Pike said, they would doubtless be occupied some little time in division of tho spoils, and longer in having a grand feast. Looking down the road, he could see the t*o mules browsing peacefully side by side, Manuelito still lashed to the back of one of $?m. Two young Indians stood guard over him and* their four-footed captives,; but even these fellows were by no means forgotten, for every now and then Pike " could see their friends running back to them with something to eat, and, after exchanging a word or two, hurrying again to the waggons. & „ j After a while poor Kate, partially assured M Pike's words, but more shamed Into silence by the bravery of little Wed, vafr sided" into the corner of the cave, and there seated hereetf, moaning and weeping, b«fc no longer making any outcry. P»ke decided that it would be necessary for him to go *once more to his watch-tower, and, so far « he could, watch the programme of the Apaches the rest of the day. Before abarting, however, he called «p Jim a™ g» v ® him his instructions: 'You see that the son U almost down. The chances are that they will be so much interested in what they, have found that darkness will eettie down upon v* before they fairly get through with their jubile Then, again, it may be that the hounde wiU have some fun of their own with poor MaiweHto to-night. I've no sympathy for the scoundrel, but I can't bear the idea of*ene who has perved «.ifv ~„ „» i~. fr.r(-,nrp.il before pur

&X™ X ?" ick, y as Possible. Bub keep a bright lookqufc yourself. Watch those ro ea dou-n there to the front. Note a ?c^ OCCUrn "? al ° n £ the road a 3 far as Joa can see. There goes ono of tho & mil /'I ?k poin * now - Even * ° tho midst of their fun they don't, nesileoc Sere l n lo H■E" ! h °' e to Sup Sa'ohS V Uttle ! ,iU jusb wliera - 1 *" tins mornittß. Ye,-,, chore he root. Now you will £ cc him lie down flat w hen he gets to the top, ttn d peer ovqi the rock, to tho we.,t. What, ho |£ lppkiflff- out toi i don t unovv, but it may bo that they expect the cavalry oven moro than wo do. i-ney possibly .... hare had signal prea irom the reservation warning them fchftfi the cavalry have already left the Verdo. I hope and pray they have. Now, keep up your grit, Jim; don't Jet unythipsr phaze you. If you want help, or see anything, whistle and I'll come down. Already ib was growing dark down tho <?ov.>e. Pike could see that tho Apaches had lighted a, Ore. in the road close tq the waggons.' Evidently thoy were going to begin some cooking on their own account, and were even now distributing the provisions they had found. Two of them hid released Manuelito from the mule, and the poor devil was now seated, bound an,d helpless, on a rock by tho roadside, looking too faint and terrified to live. The captain's fielcl-grlass revealed a sorry fii»hc to the old soldier's eyes as ho peered down at the little throng of savages about the baggage WSKgon, now complofcaly gutted of its contents, but though he despised the Mexican as a traitor and thief and coward, it was impossible nob to feel compassion tor him in his present awful plight. There was something most piciablo in tho fellow's clasped hands and nbjeot despair. He had lived too lone in Arizona not to know tho fate reserved for prisoners taken by the Indians, and he knew, and Piko knew that, th«ir hunger once satisfied, the chances were ten to one that they would then turn tliob attention entirely to their captive, and have a wild and furious revol as they slowly tortured him to death.

The sun had gone down behind the range, far over to the west, as. Vike reached once rnoro the top of his watch tower, and every moment the darkness deepened down the Pass. Up here he could "nob only see the baggage waggon in the road, but the top of the ambulance, and two of the hordes were also visibleand occasionally thelibheforms of the Tontos scurrying about in the firelighb. Evidently the old cook tiro in tho cleft of tho rocks had been stirred up and was being utilised by half tho band while the others toasted the bacon and roasted ' f rijoles ' clown in the road. The yells had long sinco ceased, Many of the warriors were squatting about the baggage waggon gnawing at hard bread and other unaccustomed luxuries, bub those at the ambulance were chattering like so many monkeys and keeping up a hammering, the objocb of which Pike could nob at first imagine, until he remembered the locked box under the driver's scab, the key of which was always carried by e the captain. Then a iiash of hope shot over him as he recalled tho facb that whon they left) their station Captain Gwynne had stowed away in there three or four bottles of whisky or brandy. Ib would bake them bub a little while, he know, bo break into the enclosure, and then there would be a bacchanalian scene.

' 0 that it were a barrel, instead of a bottle or two,' groaned Pike. 'As ifc is, there's just enough to exhilarate the gang and kecD tlvem singing and dancing all night; "but a barrel! — that would sbupify them one after the other and Jim and I could have gone down and murdered tho whole crowd. Nob one of 'em would ever have known what hurt him.'

Ha ! a sound of crashing, splitting wood. A rush, a scuffle — then a yell of triumph and delight. Every Indian in the roadway sprang r to hie feet and,darted off up the rocks to swell the chorus afc fche ambulance, Even JManuelito's guard loft his prisoner to take cave, of him.se.lf and ran like a deer to claim his share of the madly-craved * fire water. , A few years before and moet of them hardly knew its taste, but some of their number had more than once made • John Barleycorn's' acquaintance, and had told wondrous tales of ita effects. In less than a. minute—with the single exception of their sentry on the hill—every Tonto was struggling, shouting, laughing and leaping about the family waggon, nnd Pike knew from the sounds that • the captain's little store of liquor waa rapidly disappearing. Every moment the noise waxed louder and fiercer as the deep potations of the prinoipal Indians did their poisonous work. There wore shrill altercations, vehement invective and reproach ; Pike even hoped for a minute that there had been enough after all to starts them fighting among themselves, but the hope was delusive. All was gloom and darkness now in the past except immediately around the 'two fires. He could no longer 6ee Manuelito or the two mules, but suddenly he heard a- sound of simultaneous rush and an insbantafterwifch hideous shouts and yells the whole band, leaped into view and wenb tearing down into the road and up to the rocks where their helpless prisoner 'Still sab bound and helpllss.--mpre dead than alive —and the shrifek of despair with which fcbepoorfellow£re«ted his now half-crazy captors. ♦Ib ia awful,' groaned the soldier, 'to have to lark here and make no move to help him. Hβ would have cut all our throats without a tinge of conscience, but I can'b see him tortured nor can I lift a hand to save him. And here's Kate, and those poor little ones. They can't help hearing hie cries and shrieks. What an awful night 'twill be for them! No use of us staying up here now. I musb go down to them.'

Far back in the black recesses of the cave be found them. Nellie trembling and sobbing with her head piliowed In Kate's lap, and covered with a shawl so as to shut out, if possible, the awful sounds from below. The Irishwoman, too, was striving to atop her ears and was at the same time frantically praying to all the saints in the calendar for help in their woful peril, and for mercy for that poor wretch whose mad cries and imprecations rang out on the still night air even louder than the yells of his captors. Manful little Ned sat close by his eiater's "side, patting her arm from time to fcime with one hand while he clung to his riflo with the other. The boy did not shed a tear, though his voice trembled and his lips quivered as ho answered Pike's cheery words. Jim knelt at his post at the sfcone breastwork keeping vigilant watch, though his teeth ohattered despite his best efforts and his eyes were doubtless bulging out of their sockets. . , ' You mustn't be sitting here all in the dark,' said Pike. 'Keep up a little fire, Ned, my boy. It's so far back and so tar up the hill that the Jpdians eannob possibly see the light it may make even were they to come around to. the east side of the mountain. They won't to-night, though. They've found papa's stock of wnisisy and brandy and are already half drunk. They'll Hβ around there all night long and never come hunting for us until after sunrise to-morrow, if they ao then. We'll just have fun with these fellows until the cavalry come from Verde, as come they will, I haven't a doubt now that papa ba.a found that he was Qub off and has ridden back on the trail to meeb «nd hurry the troopa. He knows well that you and Jim and I could take cp-re of Nellie and etaod off these beggars until he. could reaoh us, Now, "Rhp. the lantern and stow it in that niche yondor, And you, Kate, He/own and cover yourself find the children with .. ■ ./_' Ti nut. mharn T can

to climb against tho top of the rock, bub ho found a spot anions the stunted trees from which ho could juat soo the Iwk part of the baggogo waggon and the Apaches flitting aboub ib in the llcjht of their fire. Levelling his glasses, ho could make out that several of tho Indians wero grouped about some object in the road, and presently one or two came running' to the spot with buckets of water, which they dashed over a prostrate form. Ie was ManueliDO, who had probably fainted dead away. Then, aa. the Mexican, "apparently began to recover his senses, lie was lifted roughly from the ground and borne, moaning and feebly #rugglin X , towards the wagon. Into this he was fcossed head foremost, so that only his feet and legs wore visible to tho anxious walscher up the hill. Securely bound, and already half dead from the tortures inflicted on him, unable to mqve hand or foot, the poor wretch lay there, alternately praying and weeping. What the next move of the Apaches would be wae a matter of doubt. The whole band, with the exception of their sentinels, were now_daucim? and leaping about their captive, sincriurr some devil-inspired chant, which occasionally gave place to yells of triumph. Presently the youngor men began piling up wood under the baok of the waggon—under the Mexican's manacled feet; and then brands and embers were thrust underneath. Pike turned sick with horror and. helplessness at the sighb, for he knew instantly what ib meant. Thq waggon was to be the wretched Manuelito'a funeral pyre. They meant to burn him to death by inches. Suddenly a brighb flame leaped up from the bottom of the stack of fuel, broader, brighter, fiercer it grew until it lapped u,p over the floor of the wagon. A- scream of agony rang through the Pass, answered by jeoring, laughter, and fiendish yells. The next minute the whole band were circling round the waggon in a wild war daace: their yelle, their savage song completely drowned the shrieks of the tortured man. The whole waggon waa soon a maas of flames, and more fuel was added. Presently the rear axle came down with a crash, sendingshowers of sparks whirling through the ni»ht air, and Pike turned away faint and trembling.

Another instant, however, and every faculty was on the alerb. Every nerve, strung to its highest) tension, and the old soldier sprang back to the cave in answer bo Jim's call.

' Look !' whispered the negro, ' Look down there! There's some one moving among those rocks.'

(Tα be Continued.)