CHAPTER XXIV--A FRESH ATTEMPT
So eager was Kit Carson to secure the wonderful leader of the drovethat he had spent much time in thinking out various plans by which theblack pony might be captured. There had been times when he acknowledgedthat it seemed a pity to try to take such a noble-looking animal fromits state of freedom and compel it to become a servant. And yet,although the trapper's feelings were tender and he seldom permitted hismen even to shoot game without some necessary purpose in view,nevertheless the eagerness of the leader to obtain possession of thebeautiful animal increased with every passing day.
When at last he explained his plans to his friends he said: "I havediscovered a pocket about ten miles below that gorge into which theblack rascal led his followers. I think it will be possible for us torun him into that. There will be no use in trying it until we havetired him out, but I think we shall be able to do that."
"How?" inquired Reuben.
"I have found that the wild horses come about two nights a week intothat valley where we drove them. They seem to have regular rounds. Theold fellow that leads them is smart, and if any bears or wolves havethought they could lie in wait for him they have been mistaken, for henever is two successive nights in the same place."
"But how do you think you are going to drive him into that pocket?"
"I'm telling you, lad, to-night the wild ponies will be in the placewhere we drove them the last day we chased them. We mustn't let themget inside. Probably the leader will do just what he did before--sendhis family and his friends off in one direction and he will start foranother. Then the thing for us to do is to chase him back and forthover the ten miles."
"But you'll need an army of men to do it," suggested Reuben.
"I have already sent ahead four men. They are as full of the game as weare. They haven't seen that black horse, but what I have told themabout him makes them all hungry to join in the chase. I'm going to putyou and Jack down below that pocket. You two must turn back the fellowif he tries to get past you. I don't think he will, for he won't wantto leave his charges quite so far away. I have got some pieces of tinand I want you both to pound on them and yell like good fellows. Turnhim back anyway. Chase him. Make him go as far as the place where I amgoing to have two other men waiting. Then I'll have two more up nearthe valley."
"Where will you be?" inquired Reuben, who was becoming deeplyinterested in the project.
"I'm going to be where I'm needed most, for my horse is the swiftest inthe camp. I want to be in at the finish, too, for I'm going to lassothe rascal. And this time we're going to succeed."
In spite of the failures of the preceding attempts somehow Reuben wasconvinced that a greater measure of success was likely to crown theirefforts in the present chase. Obedient to the word of their leader thelad and his companion rode in the direction indicated and in a brieftime had arrived at the position they desired.
Upon their arrival they were speedily convinced that the descriptionwhich Kit Carson had given of the spot was more than fulfilled. Anarrow space not more than forty feet wide seemed almost to provide anend for the long valley. Beyond it was another valley, the passagebetween being like an isthmus joining two larger spaces.
Every rider carried his gun, and in addition to these weapons Reubenand Jack had tied to the pommels of their saddles some large pieces oftin which had served as the bottoms of certain pans that had been usedin the camp.
As soon as they had taken their positions, they threw their bridlesover the heads of their horses and climbing to the shelter of theoverhanging rocks seated themselves to await the signal that might begiven for the approach of the horse they were so eager to capture.Between the places occupied by Reuben and his friend two other men werestationed, but they were hidden from the sight of their companions.
Slowly the afternoon waned, but patience was a lesson which Reuben hadlearned from the scout. Never yet had he heard an impatient word or aword of complaint escape the lips of Kit Carson. For one whose naturaltemperament was so fiery, who was so quick in his movements, and sothoroughly alive to every form of physical activity, his powers ofrepression and self-control were marvellous. In part it was due to hisnatural disposition, but still more it was the result of his training.The school in which he had studied was hard and the lessons were nottaught by a schoolmaster. In order to succeed as a hunter or trapperinfinite patience was required. The very success which had attended theefforts of the young scout had been a part of his duties, and KitCarson had been a diligent pupil. In all his experiences with him theonly time Reuben had ever seen him respond to the words of hiscomrades, which easily aroused the anger of one another, had been thetime when Rat had declared that he would thrash any man in the camp whodeclared himself to be an American.
Even now the recollection of the boaster caused Reuben to smile, andturning to his friend he said: "Do you know what has become of Rat?"
Jack laughed as he said: "I reckon he evaporated. He hasn't been seennear here nor in these parts for a long time."
"Do you suppose he will ever try to get even with Kit Carson?"
"I don't think he will even try any such thing. What he will tryhardest to do will be to put all the space he can between him and thescout."
Reuben laughed as he said: "I wouldn't have believed that a littlefellow like Kit Carson would have dared to fight such a great hulk asRat."
"You don't know him. He's afraid of nothing on earth, and yet, likeother men who are good fighters, he doesn't fight often. There is a bigdifference between a man who is always picking a quarrel and one whocan put up a good fight."
"I reckon Rat knows that now."
"He surely does, and I don't think he will want to take the lesson overagain either. He won't have to stay after school to learn the rules ofthat game."
"The only thing I have heard Kit Carson talk much about of all thethings he has done was what he did in his fight with the twogrizzlies."
"That's right," replied Jack, laughing loudly as he spoke. "I haveheard him tell that story a good many times. He almost makes me seethat big grizzly swinging and snorting and swaying his head when Kitstruck him on the nose with his club. The nose is about as tender aspot for a grizzly as his shins are for a darky."
"It was mighty funny," laughed Reuben. "I saw both of them. When thefirst one came down the tree the other one acted just as if he wasgiving his opinion of a fellow who would back out like that. He wouldshow him how to do it; so up he goes, and Kit Carson gets a good swingon his club and lands it right plumb on the snout of that grizzly. Theway that bear snorted and shook his head almost made me laugh."
"I should think it would have made you laugh."
"The only reason I didn't was because I was afraid the bear would seeme, and turn around and come for the tree where I was. I hadn't anydesire to have him know any more about me than he did right then."
"'Ignorance is bliss,' they say."
"It was with me when I thought of that bear. Can you see anything ofKit Carson and the horses?" Reuben added as he peered intently in thedirection from which the expected approach of the black leader was tobe seen.
Jack was silent a moment before he said: "I see something moving upyonder."
Instantly Reuben leaped to his feet and gazed long and earnestly in thedirection indicated by his companion. Not many minutes had elapsedbefore both men were convinced that some large animals wereapproaching. Both were hopeful that the cloud of dust which was nowsteadily increasing as it drew nearer concealed the black horse and hispursuers. The cloud approached rapidly, but it was long before Reubenwas able to discover the outlines of a horse running swiftly andpursued by two riders.
"There they come! There they come!" exclaimed the boy excitedly. "Theold fellow is making straight for this place where we are."
"We had better hide so that he won't turn off," suggested Jack. "Thenwhen he comes a little nearer we'll take the tin pans and sticks andserenade him."
"We'll have to be quick about it," suggested Reuben
as he saw the blackleader now swiftly approaching. Apparently he had been chased far andlong, for his body was flecked with foam and his breathing waslaboured. In spite of his appearance of distress, however, the steedwas such a noble-looking animal that Reuben's admiration was keenerthan when he first had seen him. There was a wildness in his mannernow, however, that had not been seen on the former occasions. The poorbeast, fighting for his liberty, and perhaps believing that he wasstruggling for his life, was now thoroughly alarmed. His speed haddiminished, and, pursued by fresh horses, he was no longer able tooutdistance them easily.
The horse now was within fifty feet of the place where Reuben wasstanding. Quickly he and his companion began to pound upon their tinsand at the same time they shouted in their loudest tones.
The startled horse swerved in his course, and, snorting with anger orfear, started for the familiar entrance. Evidently he was fearful thata trap of some kind had been laid, for, turning sharply about withinthe narrow valley, he started swiftly back over the way by which he hadcome.
"Chase him! Chase him!" called one of the pursuers. "You and Jack takeyour ponies now and give him a good run. We'll go into the other end ofthe pocket so that he won't go through there, and when he runs in thenext time, why, we'll let Kit Carson take him."
In response to the suggestion Reuben and Jack speedily were mounted andin swift pursuit of the running horse. Their own mounts were somewhatfresh now, and as neither was slow, the speed at which they advancedwas marked. It was plain, too, that the leader was distressed.Occasionally when he glanced backward his nostrils seemed like coals offire and an expression of fear as well as of anger flashed from hiseyes.
"Keep it up! Keep it up!" called Jack. "Spread out a little! Drive himback so that Kit Carson can start after him! This time I think he willget him for sure."
It was fortunate for Reuben and his companion that their own horseswere not compelled to cover all the distance between the pocket and thevalley. Both ponies were soon labouring hard and with difficultymaintaining the pace into which their riders had urged them. Hard,however, as they soon were working, their distress was markedly lessthan that of the animal they were following.
Spreading out when they came nearer the place where they expected tofind some of their comrades, the boys were not surprised when suddenlyKit Carson and four of his companions, yelling in their loudest tonesand brandishing rifles, several of which were discharged, dashed afterthe startled wild horse. Again he retraced his way, but his distresswas increasing so rapidly that it was a question whether or not hewould be able to gain the pocket before he would be taken.
Kit Carson was carrying his lasso, and it was plain to Reuben that atalmost any moment now he was prepared to dash ahead and try to cast therope over the neck of the suffering steed. For some reason, whichReuben did not understand, the action was delayed. Kit Carson, however,was riding in advance of his followers, and, his pony beingcomparatively fresh, he was able to make swifter time than the horse hewas following. All now were near the entrance to the pocket, and ashout arose when the black horse dashed through the narrow opening.
Scouting with Kit Carson Page 24