CHAPTER VII
INTO THE MOUNTAINS
Disreputable ragamuffins as they appeared, the Yaquis were quick enoughto put their captives in a position to render them almost helpless.Though the Mexican Indians do not seem to have the picturesqueness andskill of the outdoors possessed by the North American Indians, stillthey knew how to knot their lariats about Rosemary and Floyd, and sotie them on spare horses that it would have been no easy task to escape.
Aside from rude hands bundling her about, no insult was offeredRosemary; and though Floyd was not treated so gently he was notactually mistreated. Rosemary was not searched, and her automaticremained in a hidden pocket, where, if need be, she could quickly reachit.
Floyd's gun was taken away, and all the money he carried loose in hispockets. But he had been wise enough when starting out on this trip,to make a secret pocket in his vest, and this now held a goodly sumwhich the Indians overlooked. Of course a more careful search wouldreveal it, as it would Rosemary's gun.
Paz, speaking in Spanish, detailed several men to guard the prisonersand then, taking his place at the head of his band, he led them backdown the trail.
"Say, what does this mean?" asked Floyd of his sister. "He's goingright back down among men that ought to be our friends. If there areany town officials there, or a soldier or two, they ought to save us."
"I'm afraid there isn't, though," the girl answered. "If there hadbeen the lone cowboy wouldn't have ridden for help. And the fightingis still going on."
The sound of shooting was resumed as she spoke, and shouts and yellscame to Floyd's ears. He began to understand what had happened, hissurmise being borne out, later, by the facts.
La Nogalique is a town in Arizona, just on the Mexican border. In factso close is it that in places only a barbed wire fence separates thepossessions of Uncle Sam from those of the Mexican republic. Andoutside of town even the wire fence "petered out," so there wasnothing--no natural boundary--to tell where citizens were under theprotection of the stars and stripes or under the domain of thedescendants of Montezuma.
What had happened, just as Rosemary and Floyd suspected, was that theYaquis--never very peaceable--had risen in one of their periodic raids.They frequently hold up the Southern Pacific trains, kill and rob thepassengers and take what express matter they like.
This band, probably weary of making war on the none too resistingMexican soldiery, had crossed the border, and "shot up" La Nogalique.When it was learned that one of the cowboys of the town had ridden tobring some United States troops from a nearby station, Paz, one of theleaders, had set out with his followers to capture the rider. They hadcome upon Rosemary and her brother with the result detailed.
"But why are they riding back into town with us?" Floyd wanted to know.
"Mexico is south of La Nogalique," answered Rosemary. "They have toride through it to get back to Mexico, and they--they're taking us withthem!"
There was a gasp in her voice.
"We've got to do something!" desperately cried Floyd. He strained athis bonds, but uselessly.
Paz turned and shouted something in anger, but Floyd gave him backfully as black a look as the one on the Yaqui leader's face. At leastFloyd was going to maintain a bold front.
Down the slope and into the small town rode the Indians with theircaptives. Now the sound of shooting and shouting became louder. Itwas evident that some of the Americans were making a stand against theIndians. The Americans were firing from houses and other shelter, theIndians riding here and there, aiming whenever they saw anyone at whomto shoot. Several evidently dead bodies were in the streets, theproportion being about equal between the Americans and the Indians.Rosemary could not repress a shudder as she saw, in one doorway, a deadwoman and a little girl.
How the fight started, whether it could have been avoided, and what thetown officials had done or were doing, were only matters for surmise.
"There was a fight but I guess the Indians were too many for ourfellows," grimly said Floyd, as his horse was led along. He hadmanaged to keep close to Rosemary.
"It looks that way," the girl said. "Oh, Floyd! If we could only getword to our folks or Uncle Henry!"
"I don't see how we can," said Floyd. "When night comes maybe we canbreak away, but--"
He did not finish. It was a desperate hope as he and Rosemary wellknew.
Suddenly, when the centre of the town was reached by the band havingtaken our friends captive, there was a burst of fire, mingled withshouts of defiance. Out of one of the buildings burst a band ofAmerican cowboys and others. They had gathered together to make astand, and this was their chance.
Several of the Indians fell from their saddles, and others, thoughwounded, managed to retain their seats. Bullets flew about Rosemaryand Floyd, fortunately not hitting them, but coming too close forcomfort.
Paz and his followers were evidently taken by surprise, and for amoment did not return the fire. Then, as it increased the Indiansturned and began fleeing up the trail they had just descended, takingRosemary and Floyd with them. Evidently they not only thought theremight be danger in making a stand against the intrepid Americans, butperhaps they reasoned that they had captives too valuable to risklosing in another pitched fight.
At any rate Paz gave the orders to retreat, and his men obeyed.Rosemary and Floyd saw what was happening. Helpless, they were carriedaway into the mountains.
True it was United States territory, but for all the good that did thecaptives, it might as well have been Mexico. There were no troops orother help at hand.
Paz rode on ahead, and directly behind him came his more trustedfollowers surrounding Rosemary and Floyd.
Suddenly Paz and his lieutenants (if such they might be called) in thelead, were thrown back in confusion as shots rang out, and Floyd andhis sister had a glimpse of some cowboys riding down the trail, as ifto give battle.
"Hurray! Now we're all right. This is a rescue! The troopers arecoming!" shouted Floyd.
But though the valiant cowboys made a brave stand they were too few tocope with the Indians. It developed, later, that they were a strayband who had been told of the trouble by the lone cowboy who was ridingafter the troops. The band of punchers, resolving to do their best,had spurred to the fight, but were overwhelmed.
Two were killed and another wounded. And this youth--he was but thatin years--managed to break through the first line of Indians like afootball player with the ball smashing the interference of the opposingteam.
Right to the side of Rosemary and Floyd he galloped, and then the girlhad a flash of inspiration. Quickly she managed to take from herpocket a notebook, and, one of the ropes coming loose from her hand,she was able to scribble on a torn out page this message:
"Get word to my uncle, Henry Merkel, Diamond X Ranch, that Floyd and Iare taken. Ask him to send help."
She rolled this into a ball, and as the cowboy lurched past her shethrust it into his hand.
"Ride! Ride away!" Rosemary fairly shouted in his ear, for there wasso much noise of shooting and yelling that she had to cry loudly tomake herself understood.
"I'm going to stay and fight!" cried the youth recklessly.
"You can't! They're too many! Ride and bring help! Deliver mymessage!" pleaded Rosemary. "It's the best way to help us!"
Then, as Paz, wild and furious, rode up with pistol aimed at thecowboy, the latter fired his last shot, full in the face of the Indianleader, wheeled his horse, and managed to dash away.
How Paz escaped no one knew, but the shot only grazed him, and withmutterings he threw aside his own empty weapon, and spurred after thebold cowboy. But the horse of Paz slipped, while the steed of theAmerican, being more sure footed, carried him out of danger.
He vanished around a turn in the trail, and Paz swung back to his ownmen, several of whom had been wounded, and one killed by the bold,dashing American cowboys.
Then, when this little "fracas" was over, Rosemary and Floyd were againled f
orward, into the mountain fastness, prisoners of the Yaquis.While, miles away, the boy ranchers were totally unaware of the tragichappenings.
"What did you do, Rose?" asked Floyd, in a low voice, as the trail wasresumed.
"I scribbled a note and sent it by that cowboy. He'll bring help if hecan."
"Well, I hope he can. If they don't get him, or he doesn't lose yournote."
But the message was delivered and was the means of spurring into actionthose at Diamond X ranch.
Boy Ranchers Among the Indians; Or, Trailing the Yaquis Page 7