The Pony Rider Boys in New Mexico Part 10

CHAPTER VI

THE FIRE DANCE OF THE RED MEN

The Indians made a sudden move to pursue the lad who had done so daring a thing. One of their number restrained them, pointing to the fallen brave, as much as to say, "Revenge is for him!"

With a shrug of their shoulders the Indians sank down and resumed their game as stoically as before. They gave no further heed to the unconscious Apache, who still lay just outside the circle where he had been knocked out by Tad's blow.

"Hurry! Hurry!" commanded the lad, fairly dragging his companion along. "They'll be after us in a minute."

Yet before the minute had elapsed Tad had halted suddenly, his wondering eyes fixed upon the scene that was being enacted before him.

About a pit of red hot coals, naked save for the breech clouts they wore, swayed the bodies of half-a-dozen powerful braves.

They were the fire dancers and Tad was gazing upon a scene that probably never will be seen again in this country--the last of the fire dances--a secret dance of which it was to be supposed the Government agents knew nothing.

Back and forth waved the copper-colored line, right up to the edge of the pit of glowing coals, uttering a weird chant, which was taken up by others who were not in the dance.

The voices of the chanters grew louder, their excitement waxed higher, as the thrill of song and dance pulsed through their veins.

All at once, Tad was horrified to see one of the dancers leap into the air, uttering a mighty shriek. While still clear of the ground the dancer's body turned, then he dove head first into the bed of hot coals. He was out in an instant.

The chant rose higher as the remaining dancers followed the leader into the burning pit and out of it. So quickly did they move that they seemed not to feel the heat, and from Tad's point of vantage, he was sure that none was burned in the slightest.

Juan tried to pull away. But Tad held him in a firm grip.

Now that the dancers had pa.s.sed through the fire unscathed, others followed them, some no more than touching the live coals, then bounding out on the other side of the pit; others remaining long enough to roll swiftly across the glowing bed.

Excitement was rapidly waxing higher and higher. The red men were in a dangerous mood. It boded ill for the paleface who sought to interfere with their carnival at this moment.

"Come!" whispered Tad in a low, tense voice. "We've got to get out of this mighty quick! Chunky's probably half scared to death, too."

Tad did not go far. He had scarcely taken half a dozen steps when a frenzied yell, a series of shrill shrieks sounded in the air. The sounds seemed to come from all directions at once.

"What's that?"

"Me not know."

"Somebody's running a pony. I hear it coming. It's headed right for that bunch of crazy savages. Probably an Indian gone mad."

It was not an Indian who was the cause of this new disturbance, as the lad discovered almost immediately afterward.

"Yip, yip! Y-e-o-w! W-o-w!"

The yells were uttered in the shrill voice of Stacy Brown.

"It's Chunky!" groaned Tad. "Here's trouble in earnest!"

They never knew just how it happened, and Chunky could not tell them, but in all probability the excitement had been too much for the fat boy!

He had moved closer when the dancing began, and the fever of it got into his veins until his excitement had reached a pitch beyond his control.

With a series of howls and yells, the fat boy drove the rowels of the spurs deep into his pony's aides.

The animal dashed forward at a break-neck pace.

Stacy headed straight for the glowing pit, yelling with every leap of the pony.

Tad gazed spellbound. He seemed powerless to move. He had been deeply affected by the scenes he had seen; but this was different. The lad held his breath.

Reaching the edge of the pit, Stacy's pony rose in the air, clearing the bed of coals in a long, curving leap.

Two red men had just risen from their fiery bath. The hind hoofs of the pony caught and bowled them over.

"Run to the camp and get help! Take my pony! Ride for your life! Don't lose a second!" gasped Tad, giving the lazy Mexican a shove that sent him stumbling until he had measured his length upon the ground.

Juan picked himself up slowly; and, crawling away into the bushes, lay down to rest or hide.

Stacy's pony landed fairly in the center of a bunch of half-clothed savages; some of whom went down under the pony when it landed on them so unexpectedly.

The next instant the fat boy had been jerked from the animal's back, to which he was clinging desperately.

With a yell the redskins hurled him toward the fire. But the force of the throw had not been quite strong enough. Stacy landed on the edge of the pit, rolling half into it, the upper part of his body being on the ground to which he was hanging, yelling l.u.s.tily. His shod feet were in the fire, however, but as yet he did not realize that his clothes were burning.

Tad Butler sprang quickly from his hiding place.

"Crawl out!" he roared. "You'll be burned alive!"

"I--I can't. I fell in," piped Stacy, all his bravery gone now.

Tad leaped across the intervening s.p.a.ce and bounded to the side of his companion.

"Ouch! I'm on fire!" shrieked Stacy.

Tad grabbed and hauled him from his dangerous position. One of Tad's feet slipped in while he was doing so. By this time the clothes of both lads had begun to smoulder.

"Run for it! Better be burned than scalped!" shouted Tad.

Holding to Chunky's arm the Pony Rider Boy started to run. He was tripped by a moccasined foot before they had gone ten feet. Both boys fell headlong. Ere they could rise half a dozen mad savages were upon them.

The lads were jerked roughly to their feet, Chunky s.h.i.+vering, Tad pale but resolute. There was nothing that he could say or do to repair the damage that his companion had done.

One whom the lad took to be a chief, from his head-dress and commanding appearance, pushed his way into the crowd about the two boys, hurling the red men aside with reckless sweeps of his powerful arms.

"Ugh!" he grunted, folding his arms and gazing sternly at the two prisoners.

"Who you?"

Tad explained as best he could.