How Dick Held the Pass.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 95, 25 April 1891, Page 3 (Supplement)

How Dick Held the Pass.

By P. Y. Black.

Dick had been in mischief, and of course was now in trouble. He was staying with his father's sister at Forb W and had taken his little cousin on a fishing expedition. She had fallen in and of course Dick was blamed. Bub his aunt was unusually harsh. The little girl was delicate anyway and a pet. ' Don't tell me, Dick,' said her mother, ' you could have saved her. She might have drowned. You rnusb have behaved like a coward.'

Id all his life Dick had never before been called a coward. Hie whole face tingled now, as if a whip lash had been sharply drawn across ib. His fabher was a soldier, and his uncle a soldier. He had been born in bhe army, and lived all his shorb life out West in a military post. Ho had mingled always with men, whose tales of 'dare-and-do' had been sweet music to him. No little word in all the vocabulary of shame could havo affected him so much as thab hi 3 aunt had unheedingly spoken. ' Coward !'

He. stood for a irhilo quibo silenbly, all alone. He was too proud to protest against such an injustice, too much of a man to break into silly wrath aboub ib. He turned away from the porch, and held his head all the more proudly because there was in each eye one big rebellious tear. Ho turned away from the officers' quarters, and crossed the parade ground of the forb, and turned down to the corral, where his own particular pet. hia ugly Indian ' pink eye' pony was. Ugly he was, bub stout and true to Dick, and would take him anywhere. Dick went to him for comfort, ' Poncho's' nose and the warm smell of his neck when one laid one's cheek against ib would have comforted the boy. 'Phwat's de matber wid you, Masther Dick ?' bhe soldier on watch in the corral asked. Dick was friends with all the soldiers, and they had taught him many tricks with pistol and gun, bub jusb now he did nob feel fit to answer cheerfully. He said ' Nothing,' and fed Poncho wlthsome bread from his pocket. The Irish cavalryman had eoraetimes • felt mean ' himself, and knew just how it was.

' There's a murtherin' power of sage-hpns down by the river,' he said, as if to himself, and he watched Dick prick up his ears eagerly. 'Fab as pigs they bo.an' eatin' their heads off in tho sunflower patches. Them sunflower seeds ib pork and beans to a sagelien. Was you thinkin' of takin' a gun alone, Masther Dick ?' Dick had not said anything aboub going anywhere, gun or no gun, bub he was an eager young hunter, and tho mention of sago hens roused his sporting instinct. He was too angry to go home, oven for dinner, and the sage-hens would make him forget his wrongs for the time. And then bhe paymaster, his father, was to be in to pay the men off noxt morning, Why shouldn't Dick go and meet him and come back with him ?

So he didn'b objecb when the soldier saddled Poncho, but took his gun from the sergeanb's room, where he always kepb ib, and rode off.

Dick could ride —nob merely sib astride a horse, and L'oncho and he were so bhoroughly in the confidence of each other bhab the boys sturdy figure seemed the upper and controlling part of one creature. The wind sang merrily past his ears, and the trail vanished like a flying ribbon beneath bhe pony's feet. Dick's eyes began to brighten, and his face to glow. Soon he nearod the bod of sunflowers, and he slackened his pace, dismounted, and drove hie picket pin into the earth. Then, while Poncho grazed ab ease, Dick crepb up cautiously to the sunflowers. ' Whir-r-r !' Up rose the birds, and ' crack ! crack !' went both the boy's barrels, • Whirr-r-r !' To the right of him this time. Quickly the cartridges were slipped in the chamber. ' Crack! crack !' once more. It was pretty good sport, and three plump sagehens were the result.

No wonder thab Dick jumped eagerly on Poncho and rode further down bhe river. No wonder thab he forgob all aboub his dinner, and rode off the trail in search ot further sport. And the further he went the more fun Poncho and he seemed to find, till bhe autumn day was dying and evening closed in. and the qualms of his inner man warned him he could not do without eating altogether.

Somehow, to get back ia never as easy as bo go away. For a mile or so Dick cantered gaily along, thinking only of the good came bag he had secured, and never doubting his course. But night came on before he knew ib was so late, and the telegraph posts disappeared in the darkness, and all around was a black, lonely wilderness. Then he stood still, and felfc almost afraid. Without doubb he had gob lost - and that, on the lonely prairie, is an unpleasant experience for anyone. Hβ did nob lose his presence of mind, though. He rode alone carefully, trying bo judge his way by the stars, jueb appearing in tho sky. And then he fired off his gun, and shouted, and Poncho stood quite still, with his ears pricked up, and listened for the result. There was no resulb in the shape of any answering call. Dick heard nothing but the moans of the wind among the grasses of the prairie and the far away cry of a flying cayote. Then be got desperate and dug his spurs into Poncho and rode off at a great pace in one direction, for, as he said, ' ib is bound bo take me somewhere.' Ib did, for ib led him to the course of a, creek, and he followed its banks down in the direction of a river. Bub there were many ravines along bhe edges of the creek on both sides, and their depth of shadow and mysterious darkness had an overpowering attraction for Dick. He could not help peering up into their dismal width, and all at Once, as he passed the month of a very deep and dark gulch, he halted Poncho sharply. Far up the ravine he saw a light. Now Dick was used to the prairie. He had been born on ib, and knew something of the manner of life of all the dwellers thereon. He was 'partner' with the soldiers, and quite 'chummy' with lots of cowboys, so he plunged straightway into bhe ravine, feeling glad at heart, and made for what he knew must be a camp fire. And so it was. They were cowboys, or said they were, but Dick was a little surprised tbab they should appear so alarmed at his sudden appearance. They were all stretched out at ease beside a big fire, smoking their pipes, and their horses were picketed close at hand. But when Dick's pony clattered up they all jumped to their feet, and Dick's blood all turned to ice when he realised thab about six revolvers were pointed at his own innocent and bewildered head. I suppose Dink's astonished face, as he halted in the light, made bhe men ashamed of their fear, for tho six revolvers were lowered immediately, and one of the men, quite a young fellow, came up to Poncho with a laugh, and asked Dick to dismount.

They were a very wild-looking lob of men, and Dick, though he prided himself on knowing everybody about, did not recognise one of them. Still there was a very nice emell of prairie chicken grilling over the fire, and Dick was hungry, and the fire looked warm and comfortable. It was but two or three minufees when he was beeide the fire, and a tin plate full of chicken and fried-potatoes and some jolly hot coffee were beside him. In a very short time the boy was chattering away in the most friendly manner, and telling them all about himself and hie father. They listened very carefully. They even asked him questions, and made him talk- more. Dick thought they were very nice fellows indeed, and asked them all to come up and see him at the post.

They gave him a very nice warm blanket when he had eaten so much chicken and drunk co much coffee he felb like going , to sleep, and they promised to seb him on his road homo in the morning. Dick lay down with a sigh of content, not taking; off his trousers, but jusb opening the top button, so as to allow the chicken a chance to digest, but he couldn't sleeo. Mingling with the wind among the grasses, and the murmur of the creek, tho cowboys' voices a few feet off, sounded in his ears, while the dying hue glimmered and glowed, and cast all kinds of queer shadows on tho rocks and bluffs about the ravine. And after Dick had listened to their whispering talk for a few minutes all idea of sleeping he abruptly threw out of his horror-sbricken mind. The man who had been kindest to him, the one who had given him all the best parts of the chicken, and shared his blankets, was calmly saying : 'The kid, there, has given us ib straight. He said his father, the paymaster, would pass through to-morrow to pay off the men. Wo can't do no better, boys. Are you all on it ? It's three thousand, at least.'

' But the soldiers are well armed, , said another man.

' If there was an army of them, ib couldn't keep us from doing it at Oottonwood Bend. A sudden jump, and the moneys our. There's only room for the team to pass at the bend. If we take them sudden '

Dick's horror was too great for him. He sat up in the blankets and stared at the cowboys. The kind man saw him at once. ' Well I'm blowed, , he said with a laugh. ' I thought he was asleep, and here's the kid a-listening to us.' Hβ stepped to whore Dick was lying and roughly knocked him back to a sleeping posture. All his politeness had vanished. He quietly bound the boy's legs in spite of his struggles. 'So you didn't get to sleep after all, eh ?' he said. 'It don't much matter anyhow. I've gob to thank you for your information, little man. You heard what we said? Well, you've pot to stay with us until we've got your father's money. Sco? So make yourself comfortable and keep quiet.' Then Dick realised that he had fallen in with some desperate men, who were, thanks to hia information, going to rob the paymaster, his own father. ' Uottonwood Bend !' Why, he knew it-and knew it well. Ho had once stopped there and heard the gonoral commanding tho department quote Macaulay, and say that one man could hold tho pass against an army. And these men could ' hold' up his father there easily. Ib was a nasty pass, and there were six men in tho band of robbors.

Dick thought he was surely goinsj crazy in the course of that long night. Tho men did not take much notice of him after they had bound his legs, but he heard one ask the others what they had better do with him. and the boy trembled as he waited for the answer.

' He's cot to efcay with as till the thing's over,' said another man. 'He's a smart kid and wo don't want to hurt him. We'll send him back to his folks when we're clear away. . Some time after thab the man who had lent him tho blankets came over and slipped in beside him. Dick shrank from him"in horror, but tho man only laughed and told him not to be afraid. ' You see, my little gentleman,' he said, 'me and my partners is dead broke, and we're bound to have this money. It'll do us more good than tho soldiers, and if your father, the paymaster, is wise, he won't ahow fichfc. How many mon will ho have with him ?'

' Four, I think,' said poor Dick. 'It wouldn't matter if he had twenty. If we catch him at the bend they couldn't do anything much. But you won't come to any hurt, my boy, bo cheer Uμ' He was so kind that Dick timidly made a proposition. ' I've gob a watch,'he whispered to bhe man, 'and two dollars. I'm sorry id isn't more, but if you really need money very badly, would you take them, and—' Tho young , man laughed so that Dic'i could not finish. Then he cuddled the boy, and told him he wa3 a pood little chap, but two dollars and a silver watch wouldn't 'go round,' he said. But he did one good thing for Dick. He unbiod his legs, because he said the boy was too innocenb to do any harm, anyway. And then he dropped off to sleep. Dick couldn't eleep, and he was astonished that those thieves could, with robbery and murder in their thoughts. One of the men sat up smoking beside the fire and seemed to be keeping watch, bub Dick saw his head nod, and then tho pipe tumbled out of his mouth, and then ho rolled over on hie back and slept, too. It waa nearly midnight, and he knew his father was expected in the post early in the morning. He would probably paas through Cottonwood Bend shortly after daybreak. And the robbers knew that too, for Dick had told them. He blamed himself severely now for chattering co much. Poncho was grazing by himself. Dick saw him dimly by the red glow of the dying tire. Aβ the boy watched him a big resolve was formed in his mind. He could nob allow his father to be waylaid and robbsd, and perhaps killed, and do nothing to prevent it. He looked round, and tho six big, fierce-looking ruffiane all seemed aeleepr Their revolvers and guns were beside them. If one awoke and fired ? Dick turned pale at the thought, but he bit his lips, and crept as quietly ais he could from under the blankets. As he crawled out, his companion underneath bhe blankets turned over and muttered in his sleep. Dick paused in a cold perspiration, bufc the man did not wake. Inch by inch bhe boy crawled through the grass and past the fire, and past the sentry sleeping: soundly on his post. Every fools of ground he made seemed a mile to him—every flickering shadow he thought must bo a move by tho robbers. At last) ho roached Poncho, and the faithful pony picked up his ears and whinnied ! The dozing sentinel's head jumped up with a sudden jerk, and his sleepy eyes looked quickly into the shadows. Dick almost gave up hope, bub the man seemed satisfied with one glance, and again hio head dropped on his breast and he fell asleep.

And now, just .it the critical moment, Dick remembered he had not got his gun. He loved that next to l'oncho, and, besides, he felt instinctively he might need a weapon badly before morning. There was nothing for "it but to crawl back again to his blankets, where it lay. Dick told me in confidence afterward that when he looked in a ipirror again after that night was past he was surprised to see his hair had not turned grey. It was certainly a nasty risk. If one ot-thoee robbers was to have awakened, the boy knew very well he would have shot him first, and asked him what he was doinsr afterward. But Dick got his gun, and once more reached Poncho's side. Then ha carefully led the pony a little distance away into the darkness, slipped his gun into the gunboat, mounted silently, and with a deep sigh of gratitude rode off as quietly as he could. He "had learned from the men whereabouts the post lay, but he did not think of going back there now. He had something else to do. He knew very well that Cottonwood Pass was such a spot that a few men lying in ambush there could easily overpower the paymaster's escort coming unsuspectingly along the trail Once a few Indians had massacred a troop of soldiers in that very place. Dick knew he must ride as hard as he could to meet his father and warn him before he gob to the paes. But riding at night over the prairie is not a good way to find the shortest road, and Dick had not- gone far when he realised that onco more he had lost his way. In great trouble of mind, he wandered here and there for what seemed to him ages, until ab last the dim. grey light of dawn

broke in the saet, and he looked round and bs.w the trail close beside him. Cottonwood Bend was about four miles away. He could just distinguish the glimmer of the river and the rocks and trees of the pass.

But something else he also got a glimpse of.

Figures, on the trail behind him, perhaps half a mile off—figures of men, figures of horses, just emerging from the night. The boy's heart sank, for he felt, rather than saw, that it was the band of robbers, or 'road agents. . There was no chance to hide. The plain was too open. Dick dug his spurs into the startled Poncho's sides and galloped down the trail toward the pass. His only chance was to get through it first, and meet the paymaster and set him on his guard. As he galloped off a shout behind him told him ho was seen and recognised, and one of the men tried a long shot at him to warn him to halt. But there was no halt for Dick now. Ho only urged Poncho the more. One or two more shots were fired at him, and then the firing ceaeed, but the boy thought that, even at that distance, he could hear the sound of the galloping hoofs, above the rapid clatter of Poncho's 6tridos. Four miles away ! The paymaster must be even now approaching the paes. He should be there soon after daybreak, and it was daybreak now. Four miles away! And hie pursuers were gaining on him ! He felt that, for he knew poor Poncho could not begin to run against their fleet horses. The pony was doing his beet, true—but four miles, three —two miles now 2 Would he ever— couldhe ever gain that pass ? Another shot and a shout! How near they were getting. That buliet just shaved his head. Nearer, nearer still. Thepaeacannotbeamileawaynow. He had had agood start, but their horses woreso much quicker than poor Poncho! He could hear andjunderstand their cries now. They were shouting to stop or they were near enough to kill him ! Dick never looked round. Heconly dug his spurs into the pony and flew. ' Now comes the pass at last. He is gaining a little on the ascent. ' Crack ! crack !' Two shots as he gains the summit. Poncho stumbled. Dick felt something sting his right) leg. A step or two more, and Poncho fell dead in a heap, and Dick rolled in the road. When he tried to stand his right leg gave way beneath him.

And the road agents only a few hundred yards away ! • One man could hold the place against an army !' the General had said, and the words sang in Dick's ear now. Poncho was killed. It was too late to warn his father. If the robbers once got into ambush here the paymaster and his money were lost. They must be getting near the pass. The sun was now well up in the sky. ' One man could hold the place against an army !'

• Well, could a boy hold that narrow path till the escort came? At least he would try. Dick lay on his face, raised himself on his elbows, and aimed at the advancing gang. When fche smoke cleared away in a moment, he saw thab they had halted, and one of them lay on the ground, while his horee galloped off over the plain. Dick's hand trembled as he slipped in another cartridge, took aim, and fired. He felt sure he had missed, but no—one horse lay kicking on tho ground, and his rider was as good as out of the tight. The men paused. It was a narrow pass, and they could carry it with a rush, certainly. But, in th 6 rush, if that boy kept on firing, one or two of them must drop. For full ten minutes they drew back and talked it over. Ten minutes gained ! Dicfk strained his ears for some sound of the escort approaching. A bullet whizzed by and flattened on a stone beside him, Dick crept behind tho dead pony, and rested the barrel of his gun on the bulwark thus made.

Evidently the men were debating amongst themselves whether to charge him or not. Another five minutes gained, and every minute made the paymaster's safety more assured !

But suddenly one man left the resb and came galloping along at a charge, waving a revolver and shouting to scare the boy.

Dick fired ab him and missed, and with a triumphant shoub the robber came on, followed by the rest. The boy gave up all for lost, bub at that moment he heard distinctly behind him something that brought the blood back to his cheeks with a rush. From round the bend—the place of ambush—came the ringing command : ' Right by twos! March ! Gallop, march !' The cavalry escort had heard the firing in the distance and were galloping up to see what it all meant.

The foremost robber was on him now. Dick staggered to his knees, and with all his strength threw his gun full at the man just as he levelled his revolver ab the boy. The gun struck the horse in the face, and it shied. The bulleb missed ita mark, and the road agent was thrown to the ground.

In another moment a few cavalry men galloped up. There was a rush of horses' feet all aboub Dick's body, now lying motionless ; a few shots from revolvers, and struggling and swearing, bub Dick heard nothing. There was a stream of red blood running from his leg, and he had fainted. When he came to himself again he was lying in his own cob in his aunt's house, and his fabher and aunt and the doctor were beside him. His father, the paymaster, held his hand tight, and his voice shook a good deal as he said to the boy : ' Thank you, Dick. If they had caught us in that path we would have had a poor show. . Bub Dick's aunt whispered in his ear as she knelb by his bed and her teais fell on his cheek: * Will you forgive me, Dick, for calling you a coward ?'