THE GOLDEN CAVES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6375, 10 February 1892, Page 4

THE GOLDEN CAVES.

A STORY OF LOVE, ADVENTURE,

AND LUCK,

[B_ M. -o__.l

CHAPTER 111

The oaref ully preparod trap of the Indians had failed. It was only when the white man had turned sharply aside, bunched the wagons, placed the spare horses as safely as possible, and began rolling the boulders together for a breastwork, that the red man realised that he had been sold out Then they swarmed out of the ravines— the warriors of Iron Heart—of Red Eagle— of Black Orow—three hundred strong, and mounting their wiry ponies, which had lalu as close &b rabbits, they swarmed out and over the plains and gave vent to their disgust and indignation Had they charged en masse the little band of white men must have been swept away by the momentum, but they delayed and every moment saw the breastwork strengthened by another boulder. The Indian must feint and dodge before he strikes. In that characteristic he is below the serpent. He must consult and pow-wow before he advances. This is to brace him up. More than half an hour was consumed in demonstrations Of bluff before the Indians were ready to act. Then it was to advance his natural weapon first—treachery. A white man—some renegade and criminal who feared even the mised society of the West, and had gone over to the enemies of his race body and soul—advanced with a white flag tied to a stick as a flag of truoe. He advanced boldly and impudeutly, but when within pistol shot of the breastworks, was halted by the captain and asked what he wanted. "Seehyar, I feel sorry fur you folks," he said in reply. " And I hey cum to help ye out of a bad scrape. Thar's reds 'nuff yere to chaw ye up in five miuits, aud twice as many more will be hero at sundown. They know whar' ye ar' bound fur, and they are determined to stop ye." " Well, what else?" asked the captain, as the renegade paused. " They wanted to wipe ye out to the last man, but I've prevailed upon 'em to spare ye in case yell turn back. That's what I've come to tell ye." " If we turn back we won't be harmed ? " " Not a hair of yer heads. Jist take the backtrack and that'll end the matter at once."

"And suppose we don't?" " Then God help ye! Yell be chawed to pieces in ten minutes ! " "Yor go back and tell your friends to begin chawing as soon as they please ! " shouted the Captain, and every man in the inclosure oheered the words. There was more delay as the renegade went baok to report, and every man worked to build the breastwork higher and strengthen it. Wagons and horses occupied a solid square of loss thun half an acre. It waß tho highest ground within cannon shot. This was as good as another foot on the height of the breastwork Twenty-five men distributed around that inclosure would make a terribly thin line, but twenty-five Winchester rifles would maintain a terribly destructive fire. But treachety had uot yet exhausted itself. Your noble red man of Cuoper eulogy depends upon that even when attacking women and children. Back came , the renegade to say: " Ye better take tho chance I hold out to ye. The Indians hey got mad, and nothing butyer promise and the quick performance of it will saveyer scalps. If a gun is fired I can't hold 'em a minit." "If we turn baok we will not be molested?" queried the captain. " Not a red shall come nigh ye." " But we have only your word for it." " Which orter be good 'uuff. lam workin' to save your scalps." " And you think the way to do it is to turn us all over to them ! Get back, you lying renegade—get out of range or we'll drop you!" The renegade beat a hasty retreat, and a few minutes later the Indians dismounted, crept about the plateau to form a cirole, and opened fire ou the breastworks from 300 rifles. Tbey had waited too long for a rush, but the little band was encircled. Water ! Not a drop ! Forige ! Not an ounoe ! Provisions ! Yes, but they must be eaten in a raw state. The Indians had but to preserve their circle of fire about the fort and nature would do the rest. Men may escape the bullet, but thirst kills. _.nd what of Joe and Bess ? As soon as the Indians appeared on the flanks of the train he had hidden her out of Bight, and he had hopes up to the opening of the battle that she _ad not been seen. When h« knew that danger was imminent he did not conceal the fact from her. She grew a shade paler, but she shut her teeth hard and threw off the womanish feeling which have weakened her. " We are to be attacked ?" she queried, as the wagons were packed and the men began at the breastwork. "It looks that way," replied Joe, "but it may be only bluster. You had best keep out of sight." "But every one of us will be wanted to handle a firearm. I can shoot with either rifle or revolver. See f I have a revolver. If there is danger I must take my share with the rest." A moment later her father came up. He looked very anxious as he said : •' My daughter, I fear that our situation could not be worse. We have ten to one in front of us, and we shall presently be attacked. You had better lie down on the bottom of the wagon." "I should soon be helpless from fear," she replied. " Let me remain here behind the rooks. If they charge us I cau help repel them." When the firing opened she was kneeling between Joe and her father. Not a return shot wasfired from the inclosure. Now aud then a bullet found its way in between the loosely piled rocks, but the men had only to hug the ground to be safe. As tho Indians had to elevate their guns at an angle of forty-five degrees to fire, most of the bullets passed over, cutting the tops of the wagons, but leaving the animals unharmed. It was well for the band that an old soldier had command. He took ia the lay of the ground, made up his mind where the blow would fall, and notified every man to be ready for the signal. The redskins would Boon tire of wasting their ammunition, and tben the more enthusiastic among them would demand a charge. An Indian is patient only when overpowered. He is brave enough to face death only after he has worked himself up to fury. The one-sided battle — the yells, shots, screams and ohange of positions—had their due effect. Half an hour before sundown the young warriors were clamorous to be led to the charge. The white men had shown their cowardice by withholding their fire. It was a sign, too, that they wero short of cartridges. A rush from a hundred warriors would carry the camp and givo up its plunder. jjjThe renegade white man, whoever he was, had some military ideas in his head. He was seen hurrying from one point to another to consult, and he selected the point to be advanced against. Owing to the scarcity of material, the north side of the

enclosure was not as high as the rest. The approach to this side was not as steep. One of the dry guilles run parallel to this side, and tbe charging warriors would have only 300 feet of open ground to cross.

When the red sun was hardly more thau hand's bieadth above the plains the firing suddenly ceased. The captain had been expecting it. He knew where the charge was t.) come from. There would be a feint on the south side to distract attention, but he left only three men to resist it. All others were scattered along the north side, arranging for a cross-fire when possible, and they were not stationed a moment too soon. At the sound of-a shrill war whoop uttered by Iron Heart, who was the ranking chief, a fusillade was opened against the Boutb side, and a hundred or more warriors, the pick of all the foroe, sprang out of the gully and dashed at the north side. They expected to find it unprepared. Orack ! Crack ! Crack ! One of the very first tufted heads showing above the bank received a bullet. Twenty-one Winchesters flamed and i oared as fast as men could throw out the shells and pull trigger. A bdsom of death and destruction was let loose. A wall of flame swept forward to scorch and shrivel. •; The charge of a hundred men is a battering ram—a land slide—a great wave. It cannot be stayed at once. Its own momentum carries it forward to a certain point. The charge was a failure from the outset, but, ; the, wave did not flow back until a r brawny red-skiu reached tha breast-work right in front of Bess. It was only hip-high to him, and he was swinging his tomahawk for a blow at her when a bullet from her revolver, held aloft, entered his throat and threw him backward to die after a brief struggle.

It was all over in five minutes. It had been a desperate charge at the weakest point, and twenty-three warriors lay dead on the slope, while a dozen more, mora or less seriously wounded, crawled away to geoure shelter Then the great red sun touohed the plains with his golden rim, sunk silently into the sterile ground, and twilight came to make s__duw_ race about among the

dead—dead, but hideous corpses in the war-paiutj as they lay with legs drawn up and eyes staring into the darkening heavens. TO BE CONTINUED.]