CHAPTER XI.
A COMPANION IN TROUBLE.
Archie recognized the voice which addressed him, and knew who hisantagonist was. He was one of the mutineers--the same who had givenhim the keys, and who had shaken his fist at him as he was leading outthe horses. Supposing Archie to be Beppo, he had loitered about in thepassage awaiting his return to the stable, intending to take an amplerevenge upon him. The horses not being on hand at the right time, theplans of the mutineers were completely upset; and of course they werehighly enraged.
Although Archie was greatly astonished and alarmed at finding himselfthus unceremoniously assaulted, he comprehended the situation in aninstant, and acted accordingly. He knew that as long as the mansupposed him to be Beppo, he would use nothing but his rawhide onhim, and Archie thought he could stand that; but, if he made himselfknown, the Ranchero would drop his whip, and resort to his knife, andthat was something Archie could not stand. When he uttered Beppo'sfavorite expression, he exactly imitated his voice; and the man,believing that he had got hold of the right one, clung to his collar,and belabored him most unmercifully with his rawhide.
"Santa Maria!" yelled Archie, smarting under the blows, and writhinglike an eel in the strong grasp that held him.
"You'll fool me again, will you?" said the Ranchero, with grimsatisfaction. "You'll break your promise, won't you? Why didn't youbring up those horses? How does that feel, you rascal?"
The sensation was by no means an agreeable one. The herdsman, who wasa powerful fellow, showered his blows with all his strength, and hisvictim struggled in vain to escape from his clutches. Then he tried toslip out of his jacket; but the Ranchero detected the move, andshifted his grasp from Archie's collar to his hair. The torture soonbecame almost unbearable, and Archie was more than once on the pointof losing heart and crying out; but just at the right time his couragecame again to his aid, and shutting his teeth firmly together, hebraced his nerves, and took the punishment without a murmur. But hedid not cease his struggles. He ducked his head, and jumped andsquirmed about in a way that made it extremely difficult for hisantagonist to hit him; but if he escaped one blow, the next one hereceived came with redoubled force; and becoming satisfied at lastthat it was the man's intention to whip him to death, he grewdesperate, and did something that ended the battle in an instant.Thrusting his hand into his pocket, he drew out one of the long, heavypistols which he had found on the table, and grasping it by thebarrel, he struck his enemy a blow in the face which felled him likean ox under the ax of the butcher. In falling, he pulled Archie to thefloor with him, but he did not hold him there, nor did he attempt it.He raised both hands to his head, and set up a roar that awoke athousand echoes in the passage; and Archie, finding himself atliberty, scrambled to his feet and ran for life. He did not know whereor in what direction he was going, nor did he give the matter amoment's thought. His only desire was to get as far away from hisantagonist as possible, and to conceal himself in one of the rooms. Hewould have given something now to have had a lantern, for it was farfrom being a pleasant thing to stumble about in that intense darkness,through those unknown passage-ways. A light might have discovered himto his enemies, but he told himself that he would much rather run thatrisk, than be continually harassed by the fear of running against someof the band before he knew it, or of falling through some secrettrap-door. But luck was on his side. There were no trap-doors in hisway, and the robbers were all up-stairs, overturning every thing intheir frantic search for him. He groped his way along with allpossible speed, and finally, believing himself safe from pursuit forthe present, he stopped to take breath, and to determine upon hisfuture course.
What was to be done now? that was the question. He was in a badscrape, and could see no way to get out of it. He rubbed his achingshoulders, and thought of the remark he had so often made since hisadventure with Pierre and his band--that he did not care to remainlonger in California, because the fun and excitement were all over. Hethought differently now. He had had plenty of excitement during theday, much more than he wanted, but he had not seen a great deal offun. Bruised and battered, smarting in a hundred places from theeffects of the beating he had received; surrounded by a net-work ofsecret passage-ways and caverns, among which he was as effectuallylost as though he had been in the heart of the Rocky Mountains; in themidst of enemies who would show him no mercy if captured; hissituation was certainly a disheartening one. He could not hope forassistance from his friends, for they were ignorant of hiswhereabouts. He and Frank had often camped out among the mountains fora week at a time, enjoying the fine shooting to be found there; andnow the trappers, if they noticed his absence at all, would probablythink he had gone off on one of his hunting expeditions, and insteadof making any attempt to find him, would leave him to return home whenhe got ready. Frank might be captured, confined in one of those rooms,and die a lingering death there, and no one would ever know what hadbecome of him.
"I wish I had never seen or heard of California," said Archie,bitterly, allowing himself for a moment to become utterlydisheartened. "If I had only known that I was going to get myself intothis miserable scrape, I'll bet you that I would have let the robberstake my horse, and welcome. There they are!"
Archie's soliloquy was interrupted by the sound of voices andfootsteps. The Don and his men, having thoroughly ransacked the upperpart of the house, were now beginning to search the undergroundportion. The noise grew louder, and the conversation more distinct, asthe Rancheros approached, and Archie knew it was high time he washunting up a place of concealment. Putting his hands against the wall,he groped his way along the passage until he came to a door. This heunlocked with one of his keys, and lifting the latch, he opened thedoor a little way, and listened. While he stood there, hesitating andafraid to enter, the Rancheros approached rapidly; and presentlyArchie saw the light of a lantern dancing along the passage. Therewere four men in the party, and they were coming directly toward thefugitive, who, knowing that there was but one way of escape open tohim, stepped cautiously into the room and locked the door. Scarcelyhad this been done when the Rancheros hurried past, searchingevery-where for Archie, and little dreaming that he was so near, andthat the door alone stood between them and him. He distinctly heardtheir angry words, and understood enough of their conversation to knowthat the events of the last half hour had greatly astonished them; andthat, if he was captured, something terrible would be done to him.They passed out of hearing at last, and Archie drew a long breath ofrelief, and braced up his nerves to encounter any new perils thatmight be in his way.
There was one thing that had thus far kept him in a state of intenseanxiety and suspense, and that was the fear of running into someterrible danger while he was roaming about in the darkness--somethingthat would take him by surprise, and end his existence before he wouldhave time to comprehend its nature. How did he know but there was achasm yawning at his very feet; and that if he advanced a single stephe would find himself plunging headlong to destruction? Or how couldhe tell but there were some of the band standing within reach of him,with their knives uplifted ready to strike? He took a match from hispocket, but hesitated to light it for fear that it might reveal somenew terror. He knew, however, that he had nothing to gain by standingthere inactive, and summoning all his courage to his aid, he drew thematch along the wall; but, no sooner had the flame blazed up, so thathe could distinguish objects about him, than he staggered back againstthe door with a cry of terror, and stood trembling in every limb. Thesingle instant that the room was lighted up by the match, was enoughto reveal to him a sight that filled him with horror--a familiar form,lying bound and helpless on the floor, and a wounded and bleedingface, which, save where it was reddened by the little streams of bloodthat had flowed over it, was as pale as that of the dead. But Archie,to his immense relief, soon found that his companion in trouble hadplenty of life left in him. His body was battered and bruised, but hisspirit was as undaunted as ever.
"Well, what are you doing here?" asked a voice, in tones o
f greatamazement.
"Frank Nelson!" exclaimed Archie, scarcely believing that he wasawake. He did not stop now to think that there might be some one elsein the room--he did not care if there was. It was enough for him toknow that his cousin stood in need of assistance. He pulled hisbowie-knife from his boot, and kneeling down by Frank's side quicklyrelieved him of his bonds. His astonishment at finding his cousinthere kept him quiet; but as soon as he had freed his arms, he greetedhim as though he had not met him for years.
"What do you think now?" asked Archie, as he assisted Frank to hisfeet. "Don Carlos' connection with the robbers is all in my eye,isn't it? Didn't I tell you that they kept Roderick and King Jameshere, and rode them every night on their plundering expeditions?Well, it's a fact. I've seen the horses."
"You have!" exclaimed Frank.
"Yes, sir; and I've had hold of them. I've been on King James's back,too; and I tell you it felt natural to find myself flying through theair once more, like a bird on the wing. I would have got them out ofhere, if the gate hadn't been shut. I am afraid you can't stand,"added Archie, who was holding fast to his cousin's arm. "Your face isall bloody."
"It is nothing serious. If I get a chance, I will show you that I amstill able to beat the swiftest runner on the rancho in a fair race."
"But you are trembling like a leaf," continued Archie, anxiously. "Ifyou are not badly hurt, what is the matter with you? Are youfrightened?"
"Yes, I am. I wish we had never come near Don Carlos' rancho."
"So do I. I've wished that more than a hundred times during the lasthour. We've got ourselves into a pretty mess."
"And not only ourselves, but somebody else, also. We have thus farescaped with our lives, but he didn't. He's dead."
"He! Who?"
"Dick Lewis."
"Well--by--gracious!" exclaimed Archie, as soon as he could speak."Why--how--Eh! It can't be possible."
"That is just what I thought, even while I was seeing the thing done,"replied Frank. "He was pulled down by a lasso; and the Mexican whocaught him wheeled his horse and galloped off, dragging Dick afterhim. If his neck had been made of iron, it must have been broken."
"But how did he happen to be around where the Mexicans were?" askedArchie, who could not bring himself to believe his cousin's story."Why didn't he stay at home, where he belonged?"
"Why didn't we stay at home where we belonged?" retorted Frank. "If wehad done that, Dick would have been alive and hearty, now. He lost hislife in trying to save me. But we have wasted time enough in talking.How did you get in here?"
"I don't understand it at all," said Archie, who could not have beenmore astounded and terrified if he had suddenly been knocked over bysome invisible hand. "I shan't go on that hunting expedition withCaptain Porter, even if I do recover my horse."
"If we don't find some way to get out of this den of robbers, we'llnever have a chance to go with him," replied Frank. "How did you getin here?"
"Didn't you hear me unlock the door? I've got a key to every room inthe rancho. Well! _Well!_ I can't get over that piece of news. I wishwe had a light."
"The men who brought me in here left their lantern," said Frank. "Wemight look around and find it, but don't you think it would bedangerous to light it?"
"We couldn't be in a worse fix than we are in now. We don't know howmany miles of rooms and passage-ways we must travel through before wecan get out of here; and I'd rather be discovered, and take my chancesfor escape, than to run the risk of breaking my neck before I knowit."
The boys threw themselves on their hands and knees, and began creepingabout the floor, searching for the lantern. Frank found it at last,and when it had been lighted, Archie held it up, and took a good lookat his cousin.
"I am sorry to see you here," said he; "but since you are here, I amglad I have found you. What's the first thing to be done?"
"Have you any weapons?" asked Frank. "These people don't seem to thinkmuch of me, and if I am doomed to fall into their hands again, I wantsomething with which to defend myself."
"You must have had a terrible fight," said Archie, again glancing athis cousin's face; "and I should judge that you had come out secondbest."
Frank shrugged his shoulders and felt of his head, but had nothing tosay. Archie hesitated a moment before he spoke again. He was wonderingwho had got the worst of the encounter--he or the Ranchero. Hehad not quite made up his mind which was the most severepunishment--twenty-five or thirty cuts over the head and shoulderswith a rawhide, or a single well-directed blow from the butt of aheavy pistol, delivered with the full power of an arm that was allmuscle. After a a few seconds' reflection, he decided that he wouldrather be in his own boots, than in those of the man he had knockeddown; and that, taking all things into consideration, he couldtruthfully say that he had given the mutineer a good drubbing.
"I've just had a terrible whipping," said Archie, "but I didn't getthe worst of the fight. I hit somebody a crack that he will rememberfor a day or two, I guess. I've got plenty of weapons--three pistolsand a bowie-knife. Put this revolver in your pocket."
At this moment the cousins were startled by a noise at the door--notthe one by which Archie had entered, but another on the opposite sideof the room. Somebody was trying to open it. The door was not locked,but it held at the bottom.
"We must run for it now," whispered Archie. "We'll go out at thisother door; and by the time he gets in here, we'll be safe in anotherhiding-place."
Handing his lantern to his cousin, Archie pulled out his keys andbegan fitting one to the lock; but his operations were suddenlyinterrupted by the sound of voices and footsteps in the passage,telling him that the Rancheros, from whom he had escaped a few minutesbefore, were returning. Their retreat in that direction was cut off.The boys looked at each other in dismay. There were but two doors inthe room, and while their enemies were at each one, which way shouldthey go? The noise at the door grew louder. Some one was certainlytrying to get in, and, what was more, he seemed determined toaccomplish his object; for his pulls at the door grew stronger, andthe boys could hear him grumbling to himself in Spanish because itwould not open. It yielded a little with every pull, however, and itwas evident that he would soon succeed in effecting an entrance.Archie drew his pistols, and looked to his cousin for advice.
"Put away those weapons," said Frank, earnestly. "If you should fireone of them here, it would show our enemies where we are, and destroyour last chance for escape. Hide yourself, and blow out that lantern."
Archie had barely time to act upon this suggestion, when the door flewopen with a jerk, and looking over the top of a box, behind which hehad crept for concealment, he saw a Mexican enter the room. By thelight of the lantern he carried in his hand, Archie also discoveredhis cousin stretched upon the floor, his feet crossed, and his handsplaced behind his back. The latter knew why the Ranchero had come inthere.
"You're safe yet, are you?" said the Mexican. "That's all right. Somany strange things have happened here to-night, that I should nothave been surprised if I had not found you. Santa Maria! How's this?"
The man had bent over to examine his prisoners bonds, and for thefirst time discovered that he had been liberated. Astonished andalarmed, he acted upon his first impulse, and started for the door;but Archie was there before him. The Ranchero, who was wholly intentof making good his retreat, did not see him, however; and the firstintimation he had of Archie's presence, was a pair of strong armsthrown around his legs, which were pulled from under him, causing himto fall backward upon the floor. He struggled furiously, and openedhis lips to shout for help; but, before any sound came forth, a handgrasped his throat, and the cry was effectually stifled.
ARCHIE AND FRANK'S FIGHT WITH THE ROBBER.CHAP. XI: PAGE 177]
Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho Page 11