CHAPTER XV.
CONCLUSION.
When Adam Brent saw the outlaw preparing to jump down upon him, he gavehimself up for lost. He was not able to defend himself from the assaultof that strong man, and neither did he expect assistance from anysource; and when he saw the panther spring from his hiding-place amongthe rocks, and fall with Black Bill to the bottom of the cave, he was soamazed and bewildered, that, for a moment, he could scarcely believe theevidence of his eyes. He forgot Black Bill, and every thing else, in thereflection that he had passed a portion of the night in the cavern withthat savage animal, and that he had slept while his glaring eyes werefastened upon him. Regardless of being seen by the outlaws, he lookedover the bowlder, and watched the struggle that was going on below. Hehad never witnessed so desperate a fight before, and, although he wasintensely alarmed, he retained his wits sufficiently to notice that thepanther was getting the best of it, and that he was in a fair way toclear the cave of his enemies. The bullets which Black Bill's friendshad fired at him, if they had hit him at all, had only served to renderhim more furious.
When Adam first looked over the bowlder, the combatants were tumblingabout on the ground, the men using their knives, and the pantherstriking right and left with his claws, and growling fiercely. In amoment the scene changed. Black Bill was lying motionless where he hadfallen; one of the outlaws, with his face terribly lacerated, wasrolling about, uttering piercing cries of pain and terror; the other,who was the only one uninjured, was trying to climb up the sides of thecave out of reach of his dangerous antagonist; and the panther wascrouching low on the ground, looking toward the passage-way, where stooda couple of trappers who had entered unobserved.
"Send a chunk of lead into the critter, Dick; thar's my game," said BobKelly, pointing toward the prostrate form of his old enemy.
The panther, lashing his sides with his tail, sprang into the air, butwas met half way by a bullet sent by an unerring hand, and fell deadalmost at the feet of the old trapper, who ran into the cave, and bentover Black Bill's motionless figure; while Dick collared the uninjuredoutlaw, and held him fast.
"We're too late, Dick," exclaimed Bob, after he had taken one glance athis insensible foe. "I've waited an' watched fur him all these years tobe cheated at last by a painter. The critter's done the work fur him."
Dick's prisoner seemed astonished beyond measure at the suddenappearance of the trappers. He never thought of resistance, but readilysurrendered his knife, and begged lustily for quarter. His captor lookedat him with an expression of great contempt on his honest countenance.
"You're a purty feller, to lead wild Injuns agin peaceabletradin'-posts, an' then when you're ketched ask fur quarter, aint you?"he exclaimed. "If me an' Bob were like we used to be, all yourhollerin' an' beggin' wouldn't do you no 'arthly good whatsomever; butwe lived among white folks a good while, an' we've larnt that thar islaw, even on the prairy, fur jest sich fellers as you. We'll take you toFort Benton, that's what we'll do with you, an' if you aint hung furyour meanness, I shall allers think you'd oughter be. Hallo! Come downfrom thar, you keerless feller!"
The trapper had discovered Adam looking at him over the top of thebowlder. He thought it was Archie, and he was a good deal disappointedwhen he found that it was not. He asked a good many questions concerningthe missing boy, but Adam knew nothing about him. Archie had left himwhile he was sitting by the fire in the soldiers' quarters, runningbullets, and he had not seen him since.
"Never mind," said Dick; "he'll turn up all right yet. He's got a heapof sense, that little feller has, an' grit, too; an' they'll bring himsafe out of any scrape he can get into. Now, where's Frank, I wonder?The last time I seed him that hoss of his'n was carryin' him throughthe ravine like a streak of lightnin'. It would take two or three sichmen as I be to watch that oneasy feller."
Dick shouldered his rifle, and hurried out in search of Frank, whileBob, after binding the prisoner, busied himself in setting things torights. In half an hour the Old Bear's Hole presented a scene that was acheering one to our weary fugitives. The fire was burning brightlyagain, the body of the outlaw had been removed, and all traces of thefight which had taken place there but a few minutes before, wereconcealed by the leaves which the old trapper had pulled out of thelower passage-way and spread over the floor of the cave. Dick hadreturned with Frank, who was so jubilant over his success that, for along time, he could talk about nothing else. He felt particularly proudof the result of the race he had just run. Roderick had fairlyvanquished his swift rival, and Frank, after a protractedrough-and-tumble fight, had overpowered and bound the Black Fox. Theyoung hunter now lay stretched out on the ground in front of the fire,one hand supporting his head, and his eyes fastened upon his prisoner,who sat sullenly in a remote corner of the cave. Adam lay near him,watching the movements of the trappers, one of whom was engaged incutting up the elk, and the other in superintending the broiling ofseveral steaks, which he had placed on the coals. In the corner,opposite the entrance, sat the outlaws--the remnant of Black Bill'sband. The one who had been wounded during his fight with the panther,was too severely injured, and too thoroughly cowed by the presence ofthe trappers, to attempt escape, and consequently he was not confined;but the others were bound hand and foot.
"Things are comin' out all right at last, aint they?" said Dick, turningthe steaks with his knife. "If I could only see Archie settin' somewhereabout this fire, an' could hear him laughin' an' goin' on like he allersdoes, I should be jest as happy as I want to be. A good many of thefellers that left the Colorado with us we'll never see agin, but I'llbet a hoss that we will find every one of our crowd at Fort Benton, whenwe get thar. I come out without a scratch, an' so did Frank an' Adam;Bob, here, has got a hole in his head, made by a tomahawk, an' anotherin his arm, made by a bullet; but he's as sassy and full of fight asever."
"Did you recognize Bob when he was playing the part of medicine-man?"asked Frank.
"Sartin I did. I've knowed the ole feller since I was a boy no biggernor you, an' I've seed him when he looked wusser nor he did in thatdoctor's dress. I knowed I was safe the minute I seed him come into thevillage."
"How did you obtain possession of that disguise?" inquired Frank,turning to the old trapper.
"Easy enough. Arter Dick was captured, I hung around the camp in theedge of the woods, waitin' fur a chance to do something fur him. Ihappened to meet the medicine-man, an', thinkin' that I could makebetter use of his rig nor he could, I jest knocked him over."
The supper, which Dick now pronounced ready, did not put a stop to theconversation, for there was much to talk about. Adam told what hadhappened at the cave during Frank's absence, and the latter describedhis adventures, from his unsuccessful attempt to liberate his cousindown to the time he met the trappers in the ravine. Dick and Bob wereastonished at the reckless courage he had exhibited. The former, asusual, called him a "keerless feller," and Bob declared that he wouldmake a trapper "wuth lookin' at." Then Dick told how he had seen Bobcaptured while they were cutting their way out of the fort, and how hehad gone into the camp in the disguise of a wounded Indian to assist himin making his escape. When he liberated Archie, however, he found thatBob had already eluded his enemies; and, after wandering about the campuntil he found a rifle which he could take possession of withoutattracting attention, he returned to his horse, which he had left hiddenin the bushes, and soon overtook his chum, who was on his way to the OldBear's Hole.
When the boys had satisfied their appetites, they lay down on the leavesand went to sleep, while Dick set out in search of Archie, leaving Bobto watch the boys and the prisoners during his absence. He was gone allday, and when he returned he was not as hopeful as when he left in themorning. He had met no Indians, he reported, but he had seen the ruinsof a wagon train, which had been attacked and burned. If Archie was withthat train, the probabilities were that they would never see him again.
After another hearty meal on venison, the fugitives set out for FortBenton, accompanied by their fo
ur prisoners--the trappers on foot, andthe boys and the wounded outlaw riding the horses. They traveled allthat night, and at noon the next day arrived within sight of the wallsof the fort. The very first person they saw was Archie Winters, whogalloped out on the chestnut-sorrel, swinging his hat around his head,and shouting like one demented.
"Not one of our crowd is missing now," he yelled, when he had embracedhis cousin and Adam, and shaken the trappers warmly by the hand."Captain Porter and Mr. Brent came in last night. As I live, there's myhorse, which I never expected to see again. And isn't that Pete? Hurrahfor every body! except the Indians and the outlaws."
Almost the first thing the cousins discussed was the race betweenRoderick and King James. Archie listened attentively to his cousin'sstory, and when it was concluded he said, in a tone of voice whichshowed very plainly that he was not yet willing to give up beaten:
"The speed of a horse depends a good deal upon the driver. I know thatthe Black Fox was riding for his liberty, but I don't believe he madeKing James run as swiftly as I could, if I had been on his back. But,since you were kind enough to recapture the horse for me, I will settlethe matter by riding a race with you at the very first opportunity--thatis, if you say so."
"Of course I say so," replied Frank. "Archie, you do crawl out of littleholes when you are cornered, don't you? I'll beat you so badly that youwill never boast of your horse's speed again."
Although the boys were very jubilant, and often congratulated oneanother on the good fortune that had attended their "crowd," they stillhad much to be sorry for. Of the twenty trappers who had accompaniedthem across the plains from Fort Yuma, only seven remained. More thanone brave fellow mourned the loss of his chum, who had fallen by thehands of the Indians, and the boys heartily sympathized with them, oneand all. But still the expedition was not abandoned, and neither was thedeparture from the fort long delayed. After a consultation with thetrappers, Captain Porter decided to pass the winter on the Saskatchewan;and the morning of the third day after their arrival at the fort, foundthe cousins ready for the journey. Archie took leave of the invalid,who, to show his gratitude for the services the boy had rendered,offered him half his twenty thousand dollars; and when Archie declinedto accept, he insisted on presenting him with his horse and rifle. Theexpedition was as well equipped now as when it left the Colorado, forthe captain had procured a supply of weapons, traps, pack-mules, andprovisions from a trader who happened to be at the fort.
"Good-by, Adam," said Frank, who stood with one hand clasping hisfriend's, and the other holding the impatient Roderick by the bridle."We have seen some stirring times during our short acquaintance, and youwill not be likely to forgot us soon, will you?"
"I'll never forget you," replied Adam, earnestly. "If it hadn't been foryou, Frank, I should now be a prisoner in the hands of the outlaws. Itell you, fellows, my ideas concerning boys from the States have changedwonderfully since I first met you. You can both beat me riding andshooting, and you take to the mountains as naturally as though you hadbeen born here."
When the farewells had been said, Adam returned slowly and sorrowfullyto his quarters in the fort, and the cousins galloped after thetrappers, who had already disappeared behind the distant swells.
The adventures we have attempted to describe in this volume form but asmall portion of the history of the life Frank and Archie led while theyremained with Captain Porter. If space would allow, we might tell ofmany interesting events that happened during the winter they passed uponthe banks of the Saskatchewan. We might describe the races which cameoff between the rival horses, in every one of which the gallant littleblack was as badly beaten as ever Sleepy Sam had been. Although Archie,at first, found any number of "little holes to crawl out of," he wasfinally obliged to confess that Roderick was the swifter horse. We mighttell of the rivalry which existed between the boys, and which seemed togrow stronger every day, affording infinite amusement to the trappers,who praised first one, and then the other, to incite them to greaterdeeds of valor; how Frank took the lead by killing a grizzly bear, aloneand unaided, and Archie, to be even with him, nearly broke King James'sneck, and his own into the bargain, by attempting to capture a wildhorse. That was a proud day for Archie, for he actually succeeded inlassoing one of the drove; but, unfortunately, the lariat was insecurelyfastened to his saddle, and the wild steed made his escape after all,carrying the lasso with him. All the trappers voted that this exploitwas fully equal to the killing of a grizzly, and that, if Frank wishedto take the lead again, he must trap or shoot another bear. We mightrecount the adventures that befell them during the two weeks they werelost in the mountains, living in a little hut they had built under theshelter of a friendly cliff, which effectually protected them from thefury of the snow-storms--enjoying splendid shooting in the meantime, andexperiencing not a single fear but that "every thing would come out allright" in the end. We might tell of the long winter evenings they passedlistening to the trappers' stories; and of the days, too, when theynever stirred out of the cabin, because they were snowed under and couldnot get out. This was the poetry of the life they led during thatlong-to-be-remembered winter, and then came the prose. Their provisionsgradually disappeared; game became scarce; the snow filled up themountain passes to the depth of forty feet, and covered all their traps;their horses and mules were killed and eaten, and finally but one singlehorse remained besides Roderick and King James, and that was Pete. Histime came at last, and then the cousins looked at one another with amost doleful expression on their hunger-pinched faces.
"It can't be helped, boys," said Captain Porter. "We must live, and onehorse is about as good as another, any how. I have twenty-five hundredof them on my rancho, and when we get home you can take your pick of thelot."
"Do you suppose I could ever find a horse that would suit me as well asKing James?" whispered Archie, drawing the captain off on one side. "No,I couldn't; but take him and save Roderick, if you can. Frank thinks somuch of that horse I shouldn't like to see him killed."
Frank saw the whispered conversation going on, and, suspecting somethingat once, took Dick into his confidence. "I know what they are talkingabout," said he, "and I am not going to have any one make sacrifices forme. When you get up in the morning, go out and shoot Roderick. It wouldbe a severe blow to Archie to lose his horse, and I will prevent it aslong as I can."
The trappers, knowing how hard it would be for the boys to part withtheir favorites, hunted all that day without any food at all; and whenthey returned to the camp that night, they brought four big-horns andan elk. That hunt saved the lives of the horses, for, in a day or two,the snow began to melt, game became more abundant, and things lookedbright again. It had been a narrow escape for their favorites, however,and the boys, fearing that they might again be placed in the samesituation, became impatient to begin the homeward journey. Besides, theyhad seen quite enough of perilous adventure, were heartily tired of lifein the mountains, and longed for the society of their friends once more.To their great delight, their departure from the Saskatchewan was notlong delayed. One bright, spring morning, they started for FortChurchill, where the captain procured a supply of horses and pack-mules,and, after a fatiguing ride of nearly two months, the cousins foundthemselves once more in Uncle James's rancho. They met new faces there,for Mr. Winters had sold his farm and stock, and the purchaser had takenpossession of the premises.
There was nothing now to detain them in California, and after a few daysspent in taking leave of their acquaintances--they found it anexceedingly difficult task to say good-by to Dick and Bob--the cousinstook passage on board a steamer for Portland. In four weeks more thelittle cottage on the banks of Glen's Creek was filled with a happyparty, including Archie's father and mother, and Uncle James. Thingsbegan to wear their old accustomed look again. The Speedwell once morerode proudly at her moorings in the creek (her sailing qualities had notbeen injured in the least by her fourteen months of idleness, and shewas still able to beat the swiftest boat about the village), the doo
r ofthe museum was open every day, and there was plenty of work being donethere. A stand had been erected in the middle of the room, and it wasalready filled with specimens which excited the wonder and admiration ofthe village boys. "Old Davy" was there, stuffed and mounted, and lookingso life-like that Archie said he almost expected to see him jump downfrom the stand and come at him. Then there were three smaller grizzlies,two elk, as many Rocky Mountain goats, and the prong-horn they hadkilled on the day they were lost on the prairie.
In Frank's room some changes had been made. There were more pictures onthe walls now, and among them was the identical one which PierreCastello had removed from its hook on the night he tried to compel Frankto tell where he had hidden the office key. The picture was hanging fromthe same hook over which the Ranchero had thrown the lasso when hepulled Frank up by the neck, and the lasso itself was there also--or,rather, all there was left of it. The "sporting cabinet," which hung onthe frame at the foot of the bed, had received several additions in theshape of rifles, revolvers, and hunting-knives; and the hooks at the topof the frame supported the bow, quiver of arrows, and tomahawk whichFrank had captured from the Black Fox. An apartment in the book-case,which contained the stuffed birds, was devoted to the other relics whichthe boys had collected during their absence. There were knives, pistols,and carbines from Don Carlos' rancho; a piece of the "bridge of clouds,"at which the trappers had been so badly frightened; a portion of theflat-boat which had carried the horses across the creek; and also thelantern which Archie had used in the stable. There were stone arrow andspear heads, and necklaces of bears' claws from Fort Benton; elk hornsfrom the Saskatchewan; and Mexican dresses, spurs, lassos, and a saddleand bridle from Southern California. In short, the room was almost asmuch of a curiosity-shop as the museum itself.
The barn had two more occupants now, and they were Roderick and KingJames. The horses had been so intimately connected with their adventureson the plains and in the mountains, and the boys had become so greatlyattached to them, that they could not think of leaving them behind. Theywere plump and fat now, looking very unlike the poor, scraggy animalswhich had so narrowly escaped being served up at the camp fire, and manya pleasant morning gallop had the boys taken with them over the breezyhills with which Lawrence was surrounded.
Frank had brought another old friend with him, and that was Marmion.Brave at first regarded the new-comer with suspicion; but being, likehis master, of a kind and accommodating disposition, he made overturesof friendship, to which the ill-mannered Marmion responded by takingBrave down and giving him a good shaking. But the Newfoundland was likehis master in another respect: he was hard to whip; and, before the boyscould separate the combatants, he gave his fierce antagonist a drubbingthat must have astonished him. At any rate, Marmion howled lustily forquarter, and the next time Brave made advances, they were moregraciously received. The dogs were now living very peaceably, Braveoccupying his kennel by the back porch, and Marmion sleeping in thebarn. They ate out of the same dish, without any quarreling over thetit-bits, always accompanied their master wherever he went, and if onegot into trouble with the village curs, the other always lent prompt andeffective assistance.
The cousins had not forgotten the quiet sports they had so often enjoyedin the days gone by. Their fishing-rods and double-barrels came asreadily to their hands as ever; squirrels and trout were served up atthe cottage every day; and to many a thrilling story did George andHarry Butler listen while sailing up and down the river in the oldSpeedwell. On all the adventures of which Frank and Archie had been theheroes during their journeyings in the Far West, they delighted most totalk about those which befell them on the memorable night they spent INTHE MOUNTAINS.
THE END.
* * * * *
Interesting and Attractive Works
BY HARRY CASTLEMON.
_THE GUN-BOAT SERIES._
FRANK, THE YOUNG NATURALIST FRANK IN THE WOODS FRANK ON THE PRAIRIE FRANK ON A GUN-BOAT FRANK BEFORE VICKSBURG FRANK ON THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI
_THE GO-AHEAD SERIES._
TOM NEWCOMBE GO AHEAD NO MOSS
Frank in the Mountains Page 15