Captured by the Navajos

by Charles A. Curtis

  XIV

  ON THE DESERT WITHOUT WATER

  The boys were frightened. Their hearts leaped into their throats, andit was difficult for them to restrain an impulse to turn and run; buta soldierly instinct brought them to a "ready," with eyes fixed uponthe probable enemy.

  "Quick, Henry! shoot!" exclaimed Frank, intending to reserve his ownfire.

  The younger sergeant raised his double-barrelled shot-gun to hisshoulder and pulled both triggers. Down went the sixteen Indians as ifthe bird-shot had been fatal to all. The plain became in an instant asobjectless as it was a moment before.

  "Load, Henry, and, backward, march!" said Frank, ready to firewhenever a head showed above the grass, and at the same time moving asrapidly as possible towards the camp-fire.

  "How! how! how!" was chorused from the direction of the Indians, andseveral naked brown arms were stretched upward, holding rifleshorizontally in the air.

  "That means peace," said Henry. "They aren't going to fire. Let'sanswer. How! how! how!"

  "How! how! how!" Frank joined in, and at once the sixteen redmensprang to their feet, apparently none the worse for Henry's doublecharge of bird-shot at short range. They held their weapons abovetheir heads, and continuing to utter their friendly "How!" rapidlyadvanced towards the boys.

  "They aren't playing us a trick, are they, Frank?" asked Henry, in ananxious tone.

  "No," replied the elder boy, after snatching a glance to the rear."The lieutenant and soldiers are saddling. The Indians dare not harmus on an open plain in sight of a mounted force."

  The boys stopped, and the redmen came up and began shaking hands in amost friendly manner, over and over again, repeating "How!" manytimes. They were clad in loose and sleeveless cotton shirts, allragged and dirty, with no other clothing. The one who appeared to bechief was distinguished by the possession of three shirts, worn oneabove the other. Each man possessed several hares and field-rats, heldagainst his waist by tucking the heads under his belt.

  The boy sergeants and their strange guests reached the camp-fire, andthe hand-shaking and exchange of amicable civilities went on for sometime. The chief approached me and, placing a finger on one of myshoulder-straps, asked, in mongrel Spanish:

  "Usted capitan?" (Are you the captain?)

  I replied in the affirmative.

  "Yo capitan, tambien; mucho grande heap capitan." (I'm a captain, too;a very great heap captain.)

  He then asked where we were from and where we were going, and informedus that they were Yavapais on a hunting expedition. We exchanged hardbread with them for a few cottontails, and set Clary to making arabbit-stew, the boys and I deferring our supper until it should beready.

  "Oh, Mr. Duncan," shouted Henry from the direction of the Indians, afew moments later, "come and see what these creatures are doing!"

  I left the ambulance and joined the group of soldiers who stood in acircle about an inner circle of seated Indians. Each Yavapai hadselected a rat from the collection in his belt, and had laid it on thecoals without dressing it or in any way disturbing its anatomy. Herolled the rat over once or twice, and took it up and brushed and blewoff the singed hair. He placed it again on the coals for a moment,and, taking it up, pinched off the charred fore legs close to the bodyand the hind legs at the ham-joint. Replacing it on the fire, heturned it over a few more times. Picking it up for the third time, heheld it daintily in the palm of his left hand, and with the fingers ofhis right plucked off the flesh and put it in his mouth.

  When we were making our beds ready for the night, Vic, whom we hadforgotten in the exciting events of the evening, trotted into camp andlaid a horseshoe in Henry's lap. The lad took it up, and exclaimed:

  "One of Chiquita's shoes!--a left hind shoe!"

  "How do you know?" I asked.

  "Private Sattler always shaped the heel of the left shoe like this, tocorrect a fault in her gait."

  "May I look at the shoe, sergeant?" asked Corporal Duffey,approaching from the group of men near the guard's fire. "Shoes arelike hand-writing--no two blacksmiths make them alike. I am ablacksmith by trade, and know all the shoes made by the smiths of ourregiment. This," examining it, "is one of Sattler's. He put aside-weight on it, and here is the bevel-mark of his hammer."

  "Then our ponies have certainly passed here, and Vic was on theirtrail when we saw her coming from the Tanks," remarked Frank; "butthere could have been no scent after so long a time."

  "Oh, she knows Sancho's and Chiquita's tracks," asseverated Henry;"she knows their halters, bridles, and will bring them when told to,without mistake."

  The sentinel awakened us next morning at four o'clock, and informed usthat the Indians had left two hours before. The animals were againdriven to the Tanks, the vessels and canteens filled, and at sixo'clock we were on the road. Nearly all our water was used in thepreparation of breakfast, except that in the canteens. It would havebeen better if we had made a third trip to the cisterns and refilledour coffee-pot and camp-kettles; but the delay necessary to do it, andthe assurance that there was water at Hole-in-the-Plain, determined meto go on at once. The weather was a repetition of that of the previousday--hot and windless.

  The road proved generally smooth, but there were occasional longstretches over which it was impossible to drive faster than a walk.About four in the afternoon we reached Hole-in-the-Plain, and foundnothing but a few hundred square yards of thin mud. The fierce rays ofthe sun had nearly evaporated every vestige of the recent rainfall,and in twenty-four hours more the mud would be baked earth.

  Vic, consumed with thirst and suffering in the extreme heat, wadedinto the mud and rolled in it until she was the color of a freshadobe, and was, in consequence, made to ride thereafter in disgrace onthe driver's foot-board.

  We had intended to pass the night at the Hole, but want of watercompelled us to move on. Very gloomy and doubtful of the outcome, weleft the Hole-in-the-Plain. We were toiling slowly up a slope, nearlya dozen miles on this third stage of the desert route, when ahorseman overtook us, who proved to be Mr. Gray. He slowed up,listened to my account of our perplexities, and after saying manyhopeful and cheering things, telling us that Tyson's Wells were nownot far ahead, he galloped swiftly away in the darkness.

  At midnight the road ascended to a considerably higher level andbecame suddenly hard and smooth. The driver urged the team into aseries of brief and spasmodic trots, which lasted a couple of hours,when we again descended to a lower level, where the wearily slow gaitwas resumed. With the slower pace our spirits fell and our thirstincreased. As Private Tom Clary expressed it to the driver:

  "In a place like this a gallon of Black Tanks water would beacciptible without a strainer, and no reflictions passed upon thewigglers."

  "That's so, Tom," called Henry, from the depths of his blankets; "Icould drink two quarts of it--half and half."

  "Half and half--what do you mean?" I asked.

  "Half water and half wigglers," was the answer.

  "I thought you were asleep."

  "Can't sleep, sir; I'm too thirsty. Did drop off once for two or threeminutes, and dreamed of rivers, waterfalls, springs, and wells that Icould not reach."

  "I've not slept at all," said Frank; "just been thinking whether Iever rode over a mile in Vermont without crossing a brook or passing awatering-trough."

  "It's beginning to grow light in the east," observed the driver. "Bythe time we reach the top of the next roll we can see whether we arenear the Wells."

  "You may stop the team, Marr," said I; "we will wait for the escort toclose up."

  We got out to stretch our legs, while the straggling soldiers slowlyovertook us. The man on the wounded bronco did not arrive until theedge of the sun peeped above the horizon, and I ordered him to removethe saddle and bridle, hitch the animal behind the ambulance, and takea seat beside the driver.

  Just when we were about to start again, Frank asked permission to runahead with the field-glass to the rising ground and look for Tyson'sWells. I consented, and told him t
o signal us if he saw them, and thatif he did not we would halt, turn out, and send the least worn of theescort ahead for relief.

  Frank started, and presently disappeared behind some brush at a turnin the road. An instant later he shouted and screamed at the top ofhis voice. Whether he was shouting with joy or terror, or had gone outof his senses, we were unable to guess. It sounded like "Who-o-o-op!water! water! water!"

  Had the boy seen a mirage and gone mad? We could see nothing but thebroad hollow about us, barren and dry as ever. But still the boycontinued to shout, "Water! water!" and presently he appeared roundthe bend, running and holding up what appeared to be a letter. It wasa letter. When Frank reached the ambulance tears were in his eyes ashe handed me a yellow envelope.

  "Found it on the head of a barrel over there, with a stone on it toprevent it from blowing away."

  Breaking open the envelope with trembling fingers, I read:

  "TYSON'S WELLS.

  "DEAR LIEUTENANT.--Please accept four barrels of water and four bushels of corn, with my compliments.

  "GRAY."

  Need I confess the emotions with which we realized the service thisbrave Arizona merchant had done us? or need I mention that Mr.Gray--God bless him, wherever he may be!--is always remembered withgratitude by me? for this is no idle incident invented to amuse areader, but an actual occurrence.

  Water!--four barrels!--one hundred and sixty gallons! That meant twogallons for every man and boy, and eight gallons for each animal. Itmeant rest, speed, safety.

  We moved across the ravine and found the four barrels by theroad-side. The animals were secured to the ambulance and the acaciabushes, the heads of the barrels removed, and after each person hadsatisfied his thirst the camp kettles were used, until horses andmules had drunk the contents of one each. The stock was then turnedout to graze.

  When coffee was poured, Private Tom Clary arose, and, holding up histin cup, said to his comrades:

  "Here's a toast to be drunk standin', b'ys, and for many raysons,which I think nade not be explained to this assimbly, I'm glad todrink it in a decoction whose principal ingraydiant is wather. Here'sto Mr. Gray, whose conduct at Soldiers' Holes, at Date Creek, and onthe Walkerhelyer has won our admiration. May he niver lack for theliquid he has so ginerously dispinsed, nor a soft hand to smooth hislast pillow, and plinty of masses for the repose of his sowl!"

  Frank and Henry sprang towards the circle of soldiers, raised theircups as Clary finished his sentiment, and joined in the heartyresponse when he closed.

  At one o'clock the animals were caught up, given the remainder of thewater and their portion of the corn, and got ready for the road. Onceup the slope Marr cracked his whip, the mules started into a trot, thehorses of the escort broke into a canter, and amid the cheerfulclatter of hoofs and the rattle of wheels we sped on our way as freshas if we were just leaving Fort Whipple. A ride of twenty milesbrought us to Tyson's Wells. These were two in number, sunk at anintersection of several roads leading to settlements and mines, anaccommodation to trains, flocks, and herds, and a profit to the owner.

  I learned from Colonel Tyson that immediately upon his arrival Mr.Gray had hired a wagon to take water and corn to us. He had bargainedfor the driver to go until he met us, but the man being prepaid mayaccount for his not fulfilling his agreement to the letter.

  The rest of the day and night was spent at the Wells, the boys and Itaking our supper at the Desert Hotel, kept by the colonel. At thetable, Henry, in a tone of evident anxiety, asked if we should returnthe way we came.

  "Yes, if we can find a few kegs in La Paz that will hold water," Ianswered.

  "But we cannot haul kegs enough in the ambulance to supply theanimals."

  "It will not be difficult. We will follow the army custom in suchcases, and I will promise you that there will be no suffering fromthirst when we cross the desert again."

  Just as we were preparing for bed Mr. Hudson arrived from La Paz. Heinformed me that Texas Dick and Jumping Jack were there and inpossession of the ponies; that there was to be a horse-race the dayafter to-morrow, and the ponies had been entered. At this news the boysergeants became much excited, and proposed a dozen impracticable waysof going on at once and seizing their property.

  Hudson said he had talked the matter over with Mr. Gray, and themerchant had advised that we give out a report in La Paz that we werethere on the transportation and storehouse business only, and make noimmediate attempt to capture the ponies. He said the town was full ofthe friends of the horse-thieves, and that our movements would beclosely watched and reported to them. If they became alarmed theywould probably run across the Mexican boundary at once.

  "But why cannot we attend the race with the escort, as spectators, andseize them?" asked Frank.

  "That is a move they will be sure to be looking for. If any of you goto the race, I believe neither of those men nor the ponies will bethere."

  I told Hudson to return to La Paz before daylight and circulate thereport that I was coming for the purpose he had mentioned. I alsorequested him to watch Jack and Dick, and if he saw them makingpreparations for flight to come and meet me. We were met on theoutskirts of the town by Mr. Gray, who told us we were to be hisguests during our stay, and that his corral and store-rooms were atthe service of my men and stock.

  Going directly to the house of the hospitable trader, we found it toconsist of well-furnished bachelor quarters, with several spare roomsfor guests. The boys were assigned a room by themselves, and I oneadjoining them, in which we found ample evidence that our host hadlooked forward with pleasure to our visit and had fully understoodboyish needs and desires.

  Henry, after exchanging his travelling-dress for a neat uniform,appeared upon the veranda with glowing face and shining hair.

  "Mr. Gray, how pleasant you have made our room for us! Have you anyboys of your own?" he asked.

  "Only two nephews, Sandy and Malcolm, in the 'Land of Cakes,'" was thereply.

  "What a good uncle you must be to them!"

  "Thank you, laddie. I hope the bairns are as fine boys as you and yourbrother."

  "You are very kind to say so, sir. May I ask you a question?"

  "A dozen, laddie. What is it?"

  "When you overtook us on the desert you said it was not far to Tyson'sWells, and that we should soon be there."

  "Ah! then you thought it a long way, sergeant?"

  "Perhaps my terrible thirst had something to do with it, but it seemedmore than twenty-five miles. I thought you had a queer notion ofdistances."

  "Only a little deception to keep up your heart, laddie. I saw you werein sad need of water, and I made a hard ride to send it to you, but Iwanted you to do your best to meet it. What do you think of theshrinking properties of water when applied to a desert road?"

  "Wasn't it great, though! Those last twenty miles your four barrelsshrank into nothing but a pleasant three hours' ride."

  After dinner Mr. Hudson reported that he had dropped information atthe hotels and business places that we were here to meet a director ofthe Colorado Navigation Company. We also learned from him that thesteamer _Cocopah_ had arrived that morning from up-river, and was nowlying at her landing, one mile below town, awaiting the return of thedirector from Wickenburg. Both Mr. Gray and Hudson were of the opinionthat the horse-thieves were suspicious of our presence, for theiragents had been unable to locate the ponies at any stable in town. Thehorse-race was advertised to come off on the afternoon of thefollowing day, half a mile below the steamboat-landing, and Texas Dickand Juan Brincos had entered horses for the stakes.

  Mr. Gray thought the appearance of the ponies in the race would dependentirely upon what course we pursued. If we attended the race theponies would not be there; if we stayed away he had no doubt theywould run.

  Believing the trader's convictions to be correct, I instructed theescort not to go south of the town during the day of the races, andtold Frank and Henry to amuse themselves about the streets or in thevicinity of Mr
. Gray's residence. I then started with our host toprocure a building for a military storehouse.

  For the rest of the day the boys showed little disposition to wanderabout; they spent most of their time lounging on their beds with abook, or asleep.