XXIV
THE GRAY-HORSE TROOP
Curtis minutely studied the crowd, which was made up very largely ofreckless young men--cowboys from all over the range, together with theloafers and gamblers of the cow-towns. The sheriff's deputies were allwell to the front, but were quiet; they seemed to be a little abashed bythe gaze of the women to whom they were indebted for their dinner ofyesterday. Each member of the gang was burdened with ammunition andcarried both rifle and revolver.
The sheriff dismounted and handed a paper to Curtis, who took plenty oftime to read it. It was manifestly bogus, manufactured for use as abluff, and had not been properly sworn out; but to dispute it would beto anger the cattlemen. There was only one chance for delay.
"Very well," he said, at last. "This warrant calls for two of the headmen among the Tetongs. Of course, I understand your motives. You do notintend to charge these chiefs with the crime, you only wish to force thetribe to yield some one else to your vengeance. In face of such a forceas this of yours, Mr. Sheriff, I can only yield, though I deny yourright to lay hand on one of my charges. I do all this under pressure.If your men will retire a little I will call a messenger and communicatewith the chiefs named, and ask--"
Yarpe glared. "Communicate hell! Sheriff, say the word and we'll go andget 'em."
Curtis fixed a calm gaze upon him. "You are a brave man, Mr. Yarpe, butyou'll need all your resolution when you charge up that hill in the faceof those desperate warriors." As he swept his arm out towards the westall eyes were turned on the swarming mass of mounted Tetongs. The womenhad moved higher, and were halted just on the eastern brow of the highridge, behind and to the right of the fighting men. "Now what will youdo, Mr. Sheriff?" pursued Curtis; "act with me through the head men, ormake your demand of the whole tribe?"
A dispute arose among the crowd. A few shouted, noisily, "Say the wordand we'll sweep the greasy devils off the earth." But the larger number,like the sheriff's posse of the day before, found it not easy to overawethis quiet soldier.
Calvin harangued the leader. "No, I will not button my lip," he shoutedagain, confronting Yarpe, "for you nor no other man. You let the sheriffand the Captain fix this thing up. What are you in this thing for,anyhow? You don't own a foot of land nor a head o' stock. You're nothingbut a bum! You can't get trusted for a pound of tobacco. Nice man tolead a mob--"
"Shut him up, Bill," shouted one fellow.
"Cal's right," called another.
"Don't let 'em fool ye, Bill; we come fer a redskin, and we'll have himor burn the town."
Calvin had a revolver in each hand, and on his face was a look thatmeant war.
Curtis called to Lawson. "Take the women in, quick!" He feared shootingamong the leaders of the mob. "Don't shoot, Calvin. Keep the peace."
With tears of impotent rage filling her eyes, Elsie retreated towardsthe office under Lawson's care. Curtis stepped to the side of theleader. "Silence your gang," he said.
Yarpe raised his bellowing voice. "Keep quiet, there! I'll settle thisthing in a minute."
"Keep back!" commanded the sheriff.
The crowd fell back a little, with Calvin crowding them hard, revolverin hand. "No more funny business with me," he said, and death blazedfrom his eyes. "Get back!"
Quiet having been restored, the sheriff, Curtis, and Yarpe were revealedin animated argument. Curtis was talking against time--every moment wasprecious.
"If you give in, your chances for re-election ain't worth aleatherette," Yarpe said to the sheriff.
"You crazy fool! You wouldn't charge that hill?" asked the sheriff.
"That's what I would, and that's what the boys come for."
"But what good would it do?"
"It would learn these red devils a lesson they wouldn't forget, and itwould make you an' me the most popular men in the county. If you don'tdo it, you're dead as the hinges of hell."
"If you charge that hill, some of you will stay there," put in Curtis.
Yarpe turned and roared: "Boys, the sheriff has weakened. Will youfollow me?"
"We will!" shouted the reckless majority.
At this precise moment, while looking over the sheriff's head towardsthe pinon-spotted hill to the west, Curtis caught the gleam of somethingwhite bobbing down the hill. It disappeared, but came into sight lowerdown, a white globe based in a splash of blue. It was a white helmet,topping the uniform of a cavalry officer. A sudden emotion seized Curtisby the throat--his heart warmed, swelled big in his bosom. Oh, the goodold color! Now he could see the gauntleted gloves, the broad shoulders,the easy seat of blessed old Jack Maynard as he ambled peacefully acrossthe flat.
"Look there!" he cried, turning to the group inside the gate, his fingerpointing like a pistol. His voice rang out joyous as a morning bugle,and the girls thrilled with joy.
Yarpe looked. "Hell! The cavalry! We're euchred--clean."
Over the hill behind the officer appeared a squadron of gray horse,marching in single file, winding down the trail like a long serpent,spotted with blue and buff, the sun sparkling fitfully from theirpolished brass and steel. When Curtis turned to the sheriff his face waspale with excitement for the first time, quivering, exultant. "You'llhave the federal troops to deal with now," he said. "At last we are onequal terms."
A deep silence fell on the mob. Every ruffian of them seemed suddenlyfrozen into immobility, and each sat with head turned and eyeswide-staring, watching the coming of the blue-shirted horsemen.
As the officer approached he was distinguishable as a powerful,smooth-faced young man in a captain's uniform. As his eyes rested onCurtis his plump, red face broke into a broad smile. It was plain thathe was Irish, and not averse to a bit of a shindy.
Riding straight up to the agent, he formally saluted, and in a deep,dry, military voice, said:
"Colonel Daggett presents his compliments to Captain Curtis and tendersSquadron B, at your service. Captain Maynard in command."
With equally impersonal decorum Curtis acknowledged the courtesy.
"Captain Curtis returns the compliment, and thanks Captain Maynard forhis prompt and most opportune arrival--Jack, I'm mighty glad to seeyou."
Maynard dismounted and they shook hands. "Same to you, old man. What'sall the row?"
A clear, distant, boyish voice cried, "By columns of four into line!"and the bugle, breaking voice, caused the hair of the agent's head tostand; turning, he saw the squadron taking form as it crossed thestream. It required his most heroic effort to keep the tears from hiseyes as his ear heard the dull rattle of scabbards and he watched thesplendid play of the gray horses' legs and broad chests as they came on,weary but full of spirit yet. There was something inexorable in theiradvance. In their order, their clean glitter, their impersonal grace,was expressed the power of the general government.
Turning to the sheriff, he said: "Sheriff Winters, this warrant isbogus--forged this morning by some one of your lynching-party; the inkis hardly dry. I decline to serve it," and he tore it into strips andflung it on the ground.
"Halt!" cried the oncoming commander, and with creak of saddle anddiminishing thunder of hoofs the Gray Squadron stopped within fifty feetof the agency gate, and out of the dust a young lieutenant rode forwardand saluted.
"Hold your position, Mr. Payne," commanded Maynard.
"I just _love_ Captain Maynard!" said Jennie, fervently.
"I'll tell him," said Lawson.
"Now," said Maynard, "what's it all about? Nice gang, this!"
The mob that had been so loud of mouth now sat in silence as profound asif each man had been smitten dumb. It was easy to threaten and flourishpistols in the face of an Indian agent with a dozen women to protect,but this wall of Uncle Sam's blue was a different barrier--not to belightly overleaped. The cowboys were not accustomed to facing such menas these when they shot up towns and raced the Tetongs across the hills.
"Now what is it all about?" repeated Maynard, composing his comedy faceinto a look of military sternness.
Curt
is explained swiftly in a low voice, and ended by saying: "This is,in effect, a lynching-party on federal territory. What would you do insuch a case?"
"Order them off, instanter!"
"Precisely. I have done so, but they refuse to go."
"Do they?" Maynard turned and remounted his horse. Saluting, he said:
"Captain Curtis, I am ready to execute any order you may choose togive."
Curtis saluted. "You will see that these citizens, unlawfully assembled,leave the reservation at once. Sheriff Winters, with all due respect toyour office, I request you to withdraw. Captain Maynard will escort youto the borders of the reservation. When you have a warrant properlyexecuted, send or bring it to me and I will use every effort to serveit. Good-morning, sir."
Captain Maynard drew his sword. "_'Tention, squadron!_" The tired horseslifted their heads as the dusty troopers forced them into line.
Maynard's voice rang out: "_Left wheel, into line--march!_"
"You'll hear from this!" said the sheriff. "You'll find the State won'tstand any such foolishness."
Yarpe's ferocity had entirely evaporated. "'Bout face, boys; we're notfightin' the United States army--I had enough o' that in '63. Clear out!Our bluff don't go."
The cowboys, cursing under breath, whirled their ponies and followedYarpe, the redoubtable. The sheriff brought up the rear, stillcontending for the rights of the county, but he retreated. Small as thedusty squadron looked, it was too formidable, both because of itscommanders and because of the majestic idea it embodied.
Calvin was the last to leave. "I done my best, Major," he said, loudly,in order that Jennie might hear.
"I know it, Calvin; come and see us again in your civil capacity,"replied Curtis, and waved a cordial salute.
As the squadron fell in behind and was hidden by the dust of the passingcattlemen, Curtis turned to where Elsie still stood. He was smiling, buthis limbs were stiffened and inert by reason of the rigidity of his longposition before the posse.
"We are saved!" he said, in mock-heroic phrase.
"Oh, wasn't it glorious to see the good old blue-and-buff!" criedJennie, the tears of her joy still on her cheeks. "I could have huggedCaptain Maynard."
"There is chance yet," said Curtis. "He's coming back."
Elsie did not speak for a moment. "What would you have done if they hadnot come?" she asked, soberly.
"I could have delayed them a little longer by sending couriers to Elkand Grayman; but let's not think of that. Let's all go into the house;you look completely tired out."
Elsie fairly reeled with weakness, and Curtis took her arm. "You aretrembling," he said, tenderly.
"I haven't stirred for a half-hour," she said. "I was so tense with theexcitement. I feared you would be shot, and the tribe isn't worth thesacrifice," she added, with a touch of her old spirit.
"I was in no physical danger," he replied. "But I should have feltdisgraced had the mob had its way."
"The people are coming back," said Lawson. "They have seen thesoldiers."
"So they are!" exclaimed Curtis. "They are shouting with joy. Can't youhear them? The chiefs are riding this way already; they know the armywill protect them."
The thick mass of horsemen was breaking up, some of them were ridingtowards the women with the camp stuff, others were crossing the valley,while a dozen head men, riding straight towards the agency, began tosing a song of deliverance and victory. Joyous shouts could be heard asthe young men signalled the good news.
"_The cattlemen are going--the soldiers have come!_"
The Captain of the Gray-Horse Troop Page 24