Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho Part 4

"What shall we do?" asked Archie, turning his pale face toward his cousin, to whom he always looked for advice and a.s.sistance in times of danger.

Frank's answer was not given in words. When they first discovered the obstruction in their path, they had stopped their horses, and during the half a minute of inactivity that preceded Archie's question, Frank had taken a survey of the situation, and determined upon his course.

The others knew what it was when they saw him bend forward in his saddle, and gather his reins firmly in his hand.

"You can't do it!" d.i.c.k almost gasped. "It is too high."

Before the words were fairly uttered, Frank's horse was flying down the ravine at the top of his speed. For a moment the gravel and water flew about in all directions, then there was a crus.h.i.+ng among the branches which had lodged against the body of the tree, and Frank had disappeared from view. His horse had jumped the log; and if the others could be induced to follow, the young hunters were safe.

"I did it easily enough, didn't I?" shouted Frank, waving his hat to his companions. "Come on, fellows. It's your only chance."

As soon as he could stop his horse he turned to wait for the others.

Then for the first time he realized how high the obstruction was--what a tremendous jump his horse must have made to carry him safely over it--and he trembled when he saw his companions preparing to follow him. As he sat in his saddle, he could just look over the log and watch their movements. A very slight accident--a single instant's hesitation on the part of one of their horses--might result in a terrible tragedy.

Johnny was the first to take the leap. In response to a light touch from his spurs, his horse arose in the air and sailed over the log like a bird. Two of them were safe, and their courage arose again wonderfully: but now misfortunes befell them. Archie's horse made an awkward start, and striking his fore-feet against a branch of the tree, fell rather than jumped over the obstruction, das.h.i.+ng his rider with stunning violence to the ground. d.i.c.k's horse came on gallantly enough, but stopped when he reached the log, laid back his ears, and stubbornly refused to move an inch in any direction. Johnny turned white with terror, and the ramrod with which Frank was driving home a ball in his rifle, trembled like a leaf in his grasp. There was Archie lying stunned and bleeding where he had fallen, d.i.c.k on a balky horse, which only kicked viciously when his rider touched him with his spurs, and the bear close behind, and coming on as fiercely as ever.

Frank gazed in bewilderment and dismay at the scene before him, and his first impulse was to put spurs to his horse and ride away, that he might not see what would follow when the grizzly came up. But that feeling was short-lived. He knew that neither Archie nor d.i.c.k would have deserted him had he been in their situation, and if he could not save them, he would, at least, have the satisfaction of knowing that he had done what he could.

"Johnny," he exclaimed, in a voice which to save his life he could scarcely raise above a whisper, "can you take Archie in front of you?"

"Hand him up here," was Johnny's reply. "I'll take care of him."

"d.i.c.k," continued Frank, "jump down from that horse, and mount Archie's."

d.i.c.k was prompt to act upon the suggestion. He threw himself from his horse, which he sincerely hoped would stand where he was until Old Davy could get his claws upon him, tumbled over the log, and in a moment more was safe in Archie's saddle. Frank, in the mean time, had raised his cousin from the ground, and placed him upon Johnny's horse; and by the time the grizzly came in sight, the boys were ready to continue their flight.

"Ride for life, now, Johnny," said Frank. "Remember that you have got a double load, and don't spare the whip."

"Don't be uneasy," was the answer. "I've a splendid horse, and I won't be long"----

Another misfortune cut short Johnny's words. If his horse was a splendid animal, he was also a most vicious one, and he did not like to carry double. No sooner did he feel Archie's weight on his back, than he set off at a furious pace, and suddenly throwing down his head, sent both his heels high into the air. Johnny, being an excellent horseman, and always on the watch for such eccentricities, would have had no difficulty in retaining his seat, had not the saddlegirth parted with a loud snap, throwing him and Archie headlong to the ground.

"Did any body ever hear of such luck!" growled Johnny, who was on his feet almost as soon as he touched the ground. "Come here, d.i.c.k; you'll have to take him now."

He gave one parting glance at his horse, which was flying down the ravine, and then raised his insensible companion in his arms, and ran toward d.i.c.k, who galloped up to meet him. The former took the wounded hunter upon his horse and continued his flight, while Johnny picked up his gun, and drew a bee-line for the nearest tree.

While this was going on, Frank had finished loading his rifle, and dismounted from his horse, and was now standing in front of the log, awaiting the approach of the grizzly, and ready to carry out his self-imposed task of covering the retreat of the others. In one hand he held his bridle, and in the other his trusty weapon, which he raised to his shoulder now and then, as he caught sight of the grizzly through the branches of the tree. He knew that every thing depended upon the result of this shot, and he was resolved that he would not fire until a fair mark was presented. He tried to argue himself into the belief that Old Davy was a squirrel, and that he could easily put a ball into one of his eyes at a distance of fifty yards. He recalled to mind some of the excellent shots he had made during the last few days, and tried hard to keep up his courage by telling himself that it was seldom indeed that he missed his mark. Still he did miss sometimes, and what would be the result if he missed now? His life would not be worth a moment's purchase. He would not have time to mount before the grizzly would be close upon him. But even if he did succeed in making his escape, how far could d.i.c.k's horse carry his double load before he would be overtaken? Once more Frank raised his rifle, and just at that moment Old Davy's head and shoulders appeared above the log, not more than ten feet distant. His mouth was open, showing a frightful array of teeth, his ears were laid back close to his head, his eyes seemed to shoot forth angry sparks of fire, and, altogether, his appearance was enough to shake the strongest nerves.

But Frank's were as firm as a rock. The trusty rifle was held as steadily as though it were a part of him it had served so long and faithfully; and just as the grizzly's fore-feet touched the ground, a sharp report rang through the ravine, and for an instant the smoke concealed both hunter and bear from the view of Johnny, who, from his perch in a neighboring tree, had watched all that was going on before him with breathless anxiety. When the smoke cleared away he saw Frank standing erect and unharmed, and Old Davy lying motionless where he had fallen. Frank's bullet had reached its mark.

CHAPTER VI.

DON CARLOS' RANCHO.

Old Davy, the terror of the country, the destroyer of dogs, and winner of goodness knows how many desperate battles--Old Davy the invincible--had met his match at last in Frank Nelson, a boy of sixteen. The young hunter had long enjoyed an enviable reputation, dating as far back as his desperate fight with the moose, which had taken place during the previous winter, while he and Archie were sojourning at Uncle Joe's cabin. Since that time he had been the hero of as many sc.r.a.pes as a boy of his age could well get into. He had been lost on the prairie; stampeded with a herd of buffaloes; pa.s.sed a night in the camp of a band of blood-thirsty outlaws, who stole his horse and threatened to tie him to a tree and leave him to the mercy of the wolves; had three desperate encounters with a highwayman, and been captured at last and held as a prisoner by him; and in all these trying situations he had shown that he possessed a wonderful degree of courage, and had always conducted himself in a way to draw forth the highest praise from his friends the trappers. But all his former exploits were as nothing compared with the feat he had just accomplished. He had a reputation now that any farmer in that country would have been proud to possess. He would be pointed out as the one who had killed a monster which had held his own against all the men and dogs that could be brought against him; and when he heard old bear-hunters recounting their adventures, and boasting of their achievements, he could hold his head as high as any of them.

That was what Frank thought half an hour after the fight was over; but, when he stood there looking at his prize and at his companions--at Archie, who sat on the ground beside the bear, with his aching head resting on his hands, and at d.i.c.k, one or both of whom had been saved by his lucky shot, he never reflected on the glory he had won. He could not help thinking of what the consequences would have been if he, in his excitement, had missed the bear, or failed to disable him.

Never before had the boys engaged in so exciting a battle. It was far ahead of any of their former hunts. It had been ended so fortunately, too! Archie had a lame shoulder and a bruised nose, and for a few minutes had been utterly unconscious of what was going on around him; but he did not feel half so badly about it as d.i.c.k did over the trick his horse had played upon him.

"I'll fix him for that," said the boy, with a threatening shake of his head. "I'll put him in one of father's teams, and make him work for his living. I don't owe him any thanks for coming out of this fight with a whole skin. After he has made a few trips between our rancho and San Diego, hauling heavy loads of provisions, he'll wish he had behaved himself."

"I'll tell you what I am going to do with mine," said Archie, with a glance of contempt at the nag which had been the cause of his misfortune: "I'll leave him out of doors to-night, and let the horse-thieves steal him."

"I don't see how you can be revenged on the horse by doing that," said Frank. "I don't suppose it makes much difference to him who he has for a master."

"Who said I wanted to be revenged on the horse?" asked Archie. "I don't; but I'll take a terrible revenge on the robbers. Perhaps the fellow who gets this horse will try to jump him over a log, and the horse will fall down with him, as he did with me, and smash the robber's nose, and knock his shoulder out of joint. That's the way I'll get even with him."

"Three cheers for the champion rifle-shot and bear-killer!" yelled Johnny, for the twentieth time.

Again and again the ravine echoed with l.u.s.ty shouts--even Archie lifted his pale face and joined in with a feeble voice--and having thus given vent to their enthusiasm, the boys pulled off their jackets and began the work of removing the grizzly's skin.

"That will be a valuable addition to our museum at home, won't it?"

asked Archie, stretching himself out in the shade of a tree close by.

"When it is stuffed and mounted, it will be worth all our other specimens put together. I'd give something to know what d.i.c.k Lewis will have to say about it. Hallo!"

The boys looked up to see what had caused this exclamation, and discovered the trapper standing at a little distance from them, closely watching their operations. They had often seen him astonished, but never before had they seen such a look of utter amazement as that which now overspread his face. He stood with his body bent forward, his neck stretched out, and his eyes almost starting from their sockets. With one hand he held his horse, and in the other his rifle, with the b.u.t.t of which he was thumping the ground energetically, as if giving emphasis to some thoughts that were pa.s.sing through his mind.

His whole att.i.tude and appearance indicated that he was little prepared for the scene he was witnessing.

"Hallo, d.i.c.k!" exclaimed Johnny; "we're glad to see you. You and old Bob can just hang up your fiddles now. There's a hunter in the settlement who is a long way ahead of both of you."

The trapper tied his horse to a limb of the nearest tree, and walked toward the boys. "You amazin' keerless feller!" said he, addressing himself to Frank, "I b'lieve it's my bounden duty to take this yere ramrod out of my gun an' give you the best kind of a wallopin'."

"You had better be careful how you talk to him," said d.i.c.k Thomas.

"He's the man who killed Old Davy."

"Don't I know all about it?" exclaimed the trapper. "Didn't I say to myself this mornin', when you fellers left the rancho, that somethin'

was goin' to happen? Didn't I saddle up my hoss an' foller you, to keep an eye on you, an' haint you gone an' fit an' killed that ar'

grizzly bar afore I could find you, to lend you a helpin' hand? You have; an' it beats any thing I ever heern tell on. The next thing I know you will be foolin' around among them hoss-thieves."

This was the way d.i.c.k always lectured Frank and Archie whenever they did any thing that astonished him, and a stranger, to have heard him speak, would have supposed that somebody had ordered him to watch the cousins closely, and keep them out of trouble; and that he had found the task an exceedingly difficult one to perform. The stranger would have believed, too, that he was very angry; but the boys knew that the fierce scowl he had a.s.sumed was intended to conceal a very different feeling--that he was highly elated over their victory, and that, before a week had pa.s.sed, he would tell it to every body in the settlement. They knew, also, that the story would lose nothing in pa.s.sing through his hands; for, although d.i.c.k always confined himself strictly to the truth when relating his own adventures, he did not hesitate to exaggerate a little when recounting the exploits of his "youngsters."

"I wouldn't be in Uncle Jeems's boots fur nothin'," said the trapper, filling his pipe and looking severely at Frank. "He promised your folks, afore we left Lawrence, that he would keep you out of all danger, an' bring you safe back to your hum; but how he's a goin' to do it I can't tell. I wouldn't make no sich bargain as that ar' with no man, 'cause I couldn't live up to it. What's the matter with you, little un?"

"I've got a broken head, and a lame shoulder, and a cracked nose, and somehow I don't feel all right," replied Archie.

"Don't! Wal, tell us all about it."

The trapper settled back on his elbow to listen, and d.i.c.k Thomas, who was a smooth-tongued fellow, related the story of their adventures from beginning to end. As he proceeded, the scowl gradually faded from the backwoodsman's face; and when he told how Frank had stood there at the log, and risked his life to secure the retreat of the others, d.i.c.k slapped the young hero on the back so heartily that he felt the effects of the blow for a quarter of an hour afterward. When the story was finished, he unsheathed his long bowie and a.s.sisted the boys in removing the grizzly's skin; and as soon as this had been done, he placed Archie on his horse, and led the way toward home.

Their morning's work had sharpened the boys' appet.i.tes, and the excellent dinner which the housekeeper served up for them rapidly disappeared before their attacks. Even Archie disposed of his full share of the eatables, and after a hearty meal, pushed back his chair, declaring that he was all right, and ready for any thing the others had to propose, even if it was a fight with another Old Davy.

When the grizzly's skin had been stretched upon a frame to dry, the boys lounged about the house for an hour or two, talking over the incidents of the morning; and then Johnny and d.i.c.k bade the cousins good-by, and started for home. Archie was lonesome and restless after they had gone. While Frank sat in his easychair, deeply interested in some favorite author, Archie lay stretched out on the bed, tossing his heels in the air, and scarcely knowing what to do with himself. His lost horse was still uppermost in his mind, and he wanted to talk about him, and about nothing else. There was Frank, as serene and undisturbed as usual, poring over the pages of some dry book, when he knew that the steed he valued so highly was within five miles of him!

Archie did not see how any body could read under such circ.u.mstances, and he told his cousin so. He did not want to stay in the house either; and, what was more, he wouldn't. He wanted to go somewhere, and do something.

"Well," said Frank, laying down his book, "let's hear what you have to propose. I am quite at your service."