"THE GIRL WHO GOT RATTLED."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7217, 1 October 1901, Page 4

"THE GIRL WHO GOT RATTLED."

(By STEWART EDWARD WHITE.) This is one of the stories of Walter. He TFas in his time weli-known. A very little man, and very bashful, his attitude was a perpetual sidling apology ; it has been faid that he killed his men diffidently, without enthusiasm, as though lcath to take the responsibility, and- this, in the pioneer days on tho plains was cither frivolous affectation or — Walter. With women he was lost. Men would stake their last ounce of dust that he had never in his life made a definite assertion of fact to one of the opposite sex. But he could read the prairie like a book ; lie cculd ride anything, phoot accurately, was. at heart afraid of -nothing, and could fight like a little catamount when occasion for it really arose. It was because he was considered one of the best scouts on the plains that Caldwell, the capitalist, 'engaged him when he took his daughter out to Deadwood. Miss Caldwell's limited experience of camping had been of a lady's sort, where they have luxuries, and this liad convinced her that " roughing it " was her favourite recreation. So sooner or later her father 'had tr> take her on his annual trip. In those times incidental Indians sometimes— but not often — uiad-e things- interestinsr for the waggon-trains. Miss Caldwell's fiancee, Allen, -went along, rigged out picturesquely as was his sweetheart. At Pierre the eight waggon-train was made up. and they were joined by .Walter and Billy Knapp. These two men were interesting, but tyrannical on one or two point?, such as objecting to one's getting out -of sight of ihe train, for in-, stance. They were also deficient in reasons for their tyranny. The young people chafed, and, finding Billy Knapp either imperturbable or thlck-skinnt'd'.»turned their attention to Walter. Allen annoyed Walter, and Miss Caldwell thoughtlessly approved of Allen. Between them they often succeeded in shocking fearfully all the little man's finer sensibilities. If it -had b«en a question of Allen alone, the annoyance ■would soon have ceased. Walter would simply have bashfully killed him. But- because* of his innate courtesy, which so saturated him that his philosophy of life ■was thoroughly tinged by it, he was silent and inactive. There is a good deal to recommend a long plains journed at first. Later, there is nothing at all to recommend it. It has the same monotony as a voyage at sea, only there is really leps living room, and, instead of being carrred without trouble on one's part, one must supervise to sonte extent the means of one's locomotion. Also, the food is coarse, the water poor, and one can-not- bathe. To a plainsman, or to a man who has the instinct, these things? are as nothins in comparison with the charm of the outdoor life and the pleasing tingling of adventure. But woman is, a creature weddad to comfort. Sba has. too, arrange insrinctivp dcs-ire to be entirely alone onca in a while-, probably because her experiences, whils not less numerous than man's, are mainly psychical, and she needs occasionally time to get "thought up" to date. So Miss Caldwdl began to get very impatient. The afternoon of the sixth day, Walter. Miss CaJdwell and Allen rode along side ■by side. Walter was telling a self-effacing story of adventure, and Miss Caldwell was listening carelessly, because she had nothing better to do. "Allen chaffed lazily when the fancy took him. "I happened to have a limb broken at the time," Walter was observing parenthetically in his soft tones. " and so—" " What kind of a limb?" asked the Easterner, with direct brutality. He glanced ■with a half-humorous aside at the girl, to •whom the little man had been mainly addressing himself. Walter hesitated, blushed, lost the thread of his tale, and finally, in great confusion, reined back 'his horse by the harsh Spanish. bit. He fell to the rear of the little wag-gon-train, where he hung his head, and went hot and cold by turns in thinking of guoh an indiscretion before a lady. The young Easterner spurred up on the fight hamd of the girl's muunt. " He's the queerest little guy I ever saw." ne observed, with a laugh. " Just to think of his getting scared out that way by the word 'leg' in these days I Sorry to sjuiil his story, though. Was it a. good one?" "It might have been a good one, if you hadn't spoiled it," answered the girl, flicking her horse's ea.rs mischievously. The enimal danced. "What did you do it for?" " Oh, just to s«e him squirm. He'll think about that all the rest of the afternoon, and'il hardly dare lock you in the face next time you meet." "I know. Isn't he funny? The other morning he came around the corner of the waggon and caught me with my hair down. 1 wish you could have seen him!" She laughed merrily at the memory. "Let's get ahead out of the dust," she •uggested. They drew aside to the firm turf of the prairie, and put their horses to a slow lope. Once well ahead of the canvas-covered *' schooners," they slowed down to a walk •gain. •'Walter says we'll see them to-morrow," ''■aid 'the girl. " See what?" " Wihy, the Hills ! They'll show like a dark streak down past that butte there— that's its name?" "Porcupine Tail." " Oh, yes. And after that it's only three days. Are you glad?" "Are you?" "Yes; I believe I am. This life is fun at first, but there's a certain monotony in making your toilet where you have to duck your Lead because you haven't room to raise your hand, and this barrelled water palls after a while. I think I'll be glad to see a h-ouse again. People like camping about so long "

" It hasn't gone back on me yet." " Well, "you're a many and can do things." ,' "Can't you do tilings?" " You know I can't. What do you suppose they would say if I were to a-ide out just that way for two miles? They'd have a fit." "Who'd have a fit? Nobody but Walter, and I didn't know you'd gotten ■ afraid of him yet. I say, just let's ! We'll have a race, and then come right back." The young man locked boyishly eager. "It would be nice." she mused. They gazed into each other's eyes, like a pair of children, and laughed. "Why shouldn't we?" urged the young man. '"I'm dead sick nf staying in the moving circle of these confounded waggons. What's the sense of it all, anyway?" "Why. Indians, I suppose," said tihe girl, doubtfully. " Indians F he replied with contempt. " Indians ! We haven't seen a sign of onesines we left Pierre. I don't believe there's one in the. whole blasted country. Besides, you don't imagine fox a moment, tibat your father would take you all this way to.Deadwood just for a lark, if there was the slightest .danger, do y'ouT' . " I don't know ; I made him." She looked out over t-hs long sweeping descent to which they were coming, and the long sweeping ascent -that lay beyond. The breeze and the sun played with the prairie grasses, this breeze riffling them over, and the. sun silvering their under surfaces thus exposed. It was strangely peaceful, and one almost expected to hear the hum of bees, as in a New England orchard. In it all was no sign of life; - "We'd* get lost," she said finally. " Oh, no, we wouldn't," he- asserted, with the eagerness of the amateur plainsman. " I've got that all figured out. You se«, our train is going on a line with that foutte behind us and the run. So if we go ahead, a-nd keep our shadows just pointing to the butte, we'll be right in their line of march." He looked to her for admiration of his cleverness. She seemed convinced. She agreed, and sent him back to the waggon for some article of invented necessity. While he was gone, she slipped softly over the little lull to the rights cantered rapidly ever two more, and slowed down with a. sigh of satisfaction. One, alone, could watch the directing shadow as well as two. She was free and alone. It was the very thing she had desired for the last- six days of the long plains journey, and she enjoyed it to the full. No-body had seen ■her go. The drivers droned stupidly along, as was their wont ; and the diminutive Walter" was hiding his blushes behind clouds of dust in the rear, as was not his wont at all. ■■ ■ Walter was usually alert. He was like a fox-terrier, everywhere at once. With associates he was ehy — his gait was a continual deprecatory sidle — but. with conditions he was keen and shrewd. But he (had be€.n severely shocked, and it took time for him to recover. He could not understand! the young Easterner's most immodest attitude'of mind ; but, because he did not understand, <hs did not like to interfere in any way. It was oil puzzling. He would probably have brooded over it all the afternoon, if a discovery had not startled him to activity. On a bare spot of the prairie he discerned the print of a hoof. It was -not that of one of tihe train's animals. Walter knew this because just to one side of it. caught under a grass-blade so cunningly that only [ the little scout's tye would have descried it at all, was a single blue bead. Walter rodii out on the prairie to right and left, and found the -hoof-prints of about thirty other prnies. He pushed his hat back and wrinkled his brew, for the one thing (he was looking for he could not find — the two ; narrow furrows made by the ends of the tepee -poles dragging along on each side of the ponies. The absence of these indicated that t-he band was composed entirely of bucks, and bucks were likely to mean mischief. He pushed ahead of the main party, his eyes fixed earnestly on the ground. At the tap of the hill he ran into the young ■ Easterner. The latter looked puzzled and j just a little chagrined. "I ieffc Miss Caldwell -here a half -minute ago," he observed to Walter, "and I guess she's given me the flip. Scold her goc.d for me When .'he comes in, will you?" He grinned with, good-natured maliciousness at the idea of Walter's scolding anyone. Then Walter .surprised him. The little man straighter.<M.l suddenly in his saddle and uttered a fervent curse. After a brief circle about the prairie, he returned to the young man. " You go back "to the waggons, and wake up Billy Knapp. and tell him this— that I've gone a-scoutin' round .a bit, and I wanti him to watch out. Understand? Watcli out!" "What?" began the Easterner, bewildered. "I'm a-goin' t' find her,"' said 'the little man, decidedly. '■ You don't i-hink there's any danger, do you?" asked the Easterner, in anxious tones. "Can't I help you?" "You do as I tell you," said the little man, shortly, and rode away. He followed Miss Galdwoil's course rapidIv for it was fresh. As long as one looked intently for hoof-marks, nothing was to b© seen— the prairie was apparently virgin; but by glancing the eye rapidly forty or fifty yards ahead, a faint hne was discernible through the grasses. Walter cams upon Mi^.s Caldwell seated quietly on her horse in the very centre of a

prairie-dog town, and so, of course, in the midst of an area of comparatively desert character. She was amusing herself by watching the marmots as they barked, or watched, or peeped! ait her, according to their distance from 'her. The sigh'fc of Walter was not welcome, fcr he frightened the .marmots. When he saw Miss Caldwell, Walter grew bashful again. He sidled his horse up to her and Mushed. " I'll show you the way back, miss," ho said diffidently. " Thank you," said Miss Caldwell, with a slight coldness. " I caw find my own way back." " Yes, of course," iha^tenedi Walter, in an agony ; " but don't you think we ought to start back now? I'd like to go with, you, miss, if you'd let me. You see, the afternoon's quite late." [Miss C-aldwell cast a quizzical eye at tie sun. ■ " Why," it's hours yet till dark !" she sadd amusedly. Then Walter surprised' Miss Caldiwell. His diffident, miaoimer suddenly left Ihim. He jumped like lightning from his horse, threw the reins over toll© 'arndttnars (head-, so ■ that he would: stand, and ran around to j face Miss Caldwell. "Here, jump down!" he commanded. The soft Southern bur of -his ordinary speech had 1 .given place to a clear incisi'veness. 'Miss Caldwell looked: at him amazed. Seeing that she did 1 not art* once obey, Walter actually began) to fuss with tie straps that heldi her riding-skirt in .place. This was so unusual in- tie bashful Walter that. Miss Caldwell reused! and/ slipped lightly to the ground. " Now, what?" she asked. Walter, without replying, seized Ireir pony's reins, drew the bit :to witthin a few inches of the animal's h/oofs, andi tied both fetlocks firmly together with the double loop. This brought 'the pony's nose diown close to his shackled fee*. Then* he did the same thing with his own beast. Thus neither animal could so -much as hobble one way or the other. They were securely moored. Walter stepped a few .paces to 'the eastward. Miss Caldwell followed. "Sit down!" said! he. Miss Caldwell obeyedi withi some uneasiness. She did root understand' at all, and that maidle 'her 'afraid. She began to have a dim fear that Walter might have gone crazy. His next performance strengthened tfois suspicion. He walked away ten. feet, and raised 1 3iis •hand over his head', palm forward. She watched him ..so intently tihat for a mamienit she saw nothing else. Then she followed' the direction of his gaze, and gave a Httle sobbing cry. Just below the sky-line of the first slope to eastward was silhouetted a figure on horseback. The figure on 'horseback eat motionless. " We're in for fight," said; Walter, coming back after a moment ; "he won't answer my peace sign, and he's a, Sioux. We can't run for it through this dog-town. We've just got to Stand i'hem off." He threw down and back the lever of his old 44 Winchester, and softly uncocked th-6 arm. Then he sat down by Miss Caldwell. From various directions, silently, warriors on horseback sprang into sight and moved toward the firot-comer, forming at the last a band of perhaps thirty men. They talked tageiiher for a moment, and then one by one, at regular 'intervals, detached 'tfeemselvEis, ami began, circling at full speed >to the left, throwing themselves behind ».— .-eir 'horses, and' yelling shrill-voi-cfd 1 , tnit- firing no shot aa yefc. " They'll rush us," said Walter, epecula,tively. " We're too few to monkey with this way. This is a bluff." The circle about the two was tiiow complete. After waifcchinig the whirl of figures a few minutes, and the motionless landscape beyond, the eye became dizzisd and confused. " They won't lia.ve iw pdenic," went on Walter, with a little chuckle. " Dog-footes 's as bad for them as for us. They don't know bow to fight. If they was to ocme in from all side.', I couldn't- handle them ; but they always rush in a bunch, like damn fools." Then Walter became* suffused with bluslhes, and began to .apologize -abjectly aiwi profusely to a girl whia heard neither the word nor i!ts -atonement. Th© savages anil the approaching fight were all she cculd think nt. Suddenly one of the Sioux threw h-ini-sclf forward 1 under his h'nrse's lieadl and fired. The bullet went wild, of course, but it shrieked wiiih the rising inflection of a wind-puif through, bared boughs, seeming to ocme ever n-e'arer. Miss? Caldwell screamed, and covered her face. The savages yelled m chorus. TlbEi one shot seemed to be the signal for a spatit-ei-ing fire all along the line. Indians never clean their rifle?, rarely get good ammunition-, fir.-r* a.re deficient in the philosophy of hindsight*. Besides this, it is not easy to shoot at long range in a cca-st-rainpd position, from a miming horse-. Walter watched them contemptuously in silence. "If they '11 keep tihat up long enough, tlve waggon-traini may hear 'em," he eaicl finally. "Wish 't we weren't so fai 1 to nor'cml. There! It's coming!" he said more excitedly. The chief had' paused, a.nd as the warrior* cjjm to Mm, they threw >ktoeir ponks kick on their hairo'ches and) sat quiet. They turned the heads of the ponies toward the two. Waltei' arose deliberately for a bettei look. " Yes, that 's right," he sand to himself ; " that's •aid Lone Pime, sure thing. 1 reckon we-uM's got to make a. good! fight." The girl hod sunk to the ground,, and. was shakd'QZ Cram bead to foot. It is uoft nice to .

' h? fhob at in the }>fw <■! c.rcumslir.-cex, ' l)Ut, lo be thr.i ;it, by cd'^s nf thirty to one, and i.ln; tliiny cf hii ci:tl,'in.-lis-li nr,<\ terrifyin^ specie?, is not nico at all. Miss Caldwoll h.irt K <;l1 ° hi P-^ 1 -' 1 "-^ h^iy- ;ir ; ;i W;i'tcilocked srave. He thi>npi:tfu-!iy urew froiii its liols-ur liis bvautilul Ciilt, with its ivory handle, and la.!d it o". the yrays. Then ho Mil ik d hot and coid, r.ivu lnok?i at -the ?iri doubtfully. A sudden movement in. tho group in' savages, as ihe war-chief rode to tW front. d?c.t!:'.l him. " Mi;-sCaldwt'll," li^faid. Tlin girl shivered and m'raned. "Waiter dropped to liis N knees and shock her shoiild'er roughly. " Look up here !"' he commandfJ. "We ain't got but. a. minute!" Oompostd a litf.o by the firmness of his tone, slie sat up. Her' face had gone chalky, and liet 'hair had partly fallen over her {'yes. " Now listen tf> every word," he yaid rapidly. "Those Injins are goin' to- rush j us in a minute. P*rh-a.ps T can break them, but I don't know. In tihat pistol there I'll always save two shots— understand? It's always leaded. If I s>ee it's all up, I'm a-goin' to s<hoot you with on* of them, and myself wiit-li the other." " Qh !" ci-ied the girl, Hier eyes opening wildly. She was paying c.ose enough attention now. " And if they kill me first,'"— he re-aclnd forward and seized her wrist impressively — ■■ if they kill me first, you must take that | pistol and shoot yourself. Understand? S'toooo yourself — in the head — hcire!" He ta.pped his forehead) with a stubby forefinger. The girl shrank back in -horror. Walter snapped his teeth together and went on grimly. " If they ivev get hold of you," he said with solemnity, " they'll firsft take off every stitch of your clothes, and then stake you out on the ground with a rawlrlde to ea^ch of your ara;s and legs. And then> "tii-ey'll drive a stake through your body into the ground, and 1 leave you there — to die —^ slowly." And the girl believed him, because, incongruously, even through, her terror she noticed that a* this, the most immodest speech of his life, Walter did not blush. She looked with horrified fasoirmtion at the pistol lying on the turf. The group of Indians, which had up to wow remained fully a yards «i\vay. suddenly screeched and broke into a fun directly towa.rd the dog-town. There is an indescribable msfli in a charge of savages. Tihe little poniss make thedr feet go so fast, tJie feathers and trappings of the wajrri'ors stream behind, so frantically, t3ie whole attitude of horse and mm is so eager, that one gets the impression of Jarful speed and resistless power. Tue hcr;z>n seems full of Indians. As though bhis w -•» not sufficiently terrifying, the air is throbbing -with sound. Each Indian j'f.ps away for general results as he comes jump eg along, and yells shrilly, to show what a big warrior he is, while undernearh it all is. the hurried] monotone of "hoof-bei-s bt-com-ing even louder, like the roar ot an increasing rain-storm on the roof. It does not seem .possible that anything cruld sr/.]» them. Yet there is one thing that can stop ihem, if skilfully .taken advantage cf, and ll'at is their lack of discipline. An Indian "will fight hard when cornered, or when heattd by lively resistance, but he hates to go into ib in cold blood. As ho nears the pppos.r. fe rifle, this feeling gets ?trong;r. So, o.'tr»:, a man with nerve enemgh to hell his fir<can break a fierce charge merely by waiting ■until it is within fifty yards or so, and then suddenly raising the muizle of his gun. 11 he had! gene shooting R" <-nc? ( tlie affair would have become- a combat, and the Indians would have ridden him dnvn. As it j is, eaoh (has had tilne to thirk. By the time the wOiifce man is ready tc shoot, tbe suspense lws done its work. PJach savage knows that but one will fall, but, c:-]<l-blocdfid, he does not want to be that one ; end since in such undisciplined fighters it is each for himself, he promptly ducks behind his mount, and circles away to 'the right or left. The whole band swoops and divides, like a flock of swift-winged terns on a windy day. This Walter relied on in the approaching crisis. The girl waitohed the wild sweep of the warriors with strained eyes. She had to grasp her wrist firmly to keep from fainting. It would never do to feint, and she kept repeating to herself Walter's last instructions. The little scout sab motionless on a dog-mound, Ms rifle across his lap. He did nob peem in the least disturbed. "It's good to fight again," he murmured, gently fondling the. stock of his rifle. "Come on. ye divils! Oho!" he cried, as a warrior's horse went down in a doghole, " I thought so." His ej*es began to shine. The ponies came skipping here and there, nimbly dodging in and out of the dogholes. Their riders shot and yelled wildly, but none of tho bullets passed lower than ten feet. The circle of their advance looked somehow like the surge shoreward of a great ware, and the similarity was heightened by the nodding glimpses of the lighter eagles' feathers in their hair. The run across the honeycombed plain was hazardous, even to Indian ponies, and three went down kicking, onß after the other. Two of the riders lay stunned. The third sat up and began to rub his. knee. The pony belonging to Miss Caldwell, becoming frightened, threw itself, and lay on its side, lucking out frantically with itg hind legs. At the- proper moment Walter cocked his rifle, and rose swiftly to his lenses. As be did so, the mound on which he had been sitting caved into the hole beneatii it. and threw him forward on his face. With a furious curse he sprang to his feet, and levelled his rifle at tire thick of the press. The schieme worked. In a flash every savage had disappeared behind his pony, and nothing was to be seen but an ami and a leg. The bind divided on each hand as promptly ns though the signal for such a drill had been given, ar.d swept gracefully around in two long circles until it reined up motionless at nearly the exact point from which it had started on its imposing charge. Walter had not fired a shot. Hs turned to tha girl with a. short laugh. She lay face upward on. the ground, star- j ing at the eky with wide-open, horrorstricken eyes. " In her brows was a small blackened hole, and under her head, which lay strangely flat against the earth, tho grasses had turned red. ISieair her lay the heavy Colt. Walter looked at her a minute without; winking ; then he nodded his head. "It was 'cause I fell down that holeshe thought they'd got me," he *aid aloud to himself. " Poor little gal'! She hadn't ought to have did it." He blushed deeply as he looked at her huddled figure again, amd. turning his faco a.way, he pulled down her skirt until it covered her ankles. Then he picked up his Winchester and fired three shots. The first hit dirtctly back of the ear on© of the stunned Indians who had fallen with his horse ; the seronrt went through the other stunned Indian's ; chest ; 'th? third caught the Indian with the broken leg betw-een tbe shoulders^ just as he tried to get behind his struggling pony. Shortly niter, Billy Knapp and the wa.ggivn-train came along.