It was a clear, starlight night when Dudley and Pepito stole out from the little camp in which the gauchos lay, and sought for their horses. They found them sleeping some few yards from the ring of men, and soon had tightened girths and adjusted the bits. Then they swung themselves into their saddles and rode away over the pampas, making not a sound as they went.
"How far will the señor ride?" asked Pepito, when they had trotted forward for a couple of miles. "I do not fear that the Indians will hear us at this distance, but we must not forget that if the greater number are eating or sleeping, there are still men guarding the cattle; for they know as well as we that without men to watch them the beasts would stray. They will keep them together, and make away early in the morning."
"That is if we do not interfere before, and send them galloping about their business," laughed Dudley. "I judge that we should be able to see their fires long before we come up with them. In fact, I fancy I can distinguish a glare in the sky already."
"It is there, señor. When we top the next roll we shall see the glare of their fires. They make no secret of their presence. Why should they, indeed, when there are so many of them?"
A little later a low cry burst from Dudley, and he pulled in his horse, for his eye had suddenly detected a fire. A few paces farther on he was able to sight as many as twenty, some flaring high, and some dull and smouldering. A few were showing merely an occasional flash of light.
"They are surrounded by natives, and we can tell from that that they are not all asleep," said Pepito. "They have camped within thirty yards of the cattle, and no doubt have been busy."
"Well, we cannot make sure of that from here," answered Dudley. "We will leave our horses hobbled and push on on foot. When we are close enough to see them distinctly we will lie down and watch for a time, and get some idea of their position, and make up our minds from which direction to attack them. There are the cattle to be reckoned with, and their horses."
They slipped silently out of their saddles, and very soon had hobbled the horses.
"They will stand where they are," said Pepito with conviction. "They have had a good day's work, and were sleepy and tired when we took them out. I expect they were not very pleased, and will be glad to fall asleep again. Pietro and his men will find them here and will keep them for us."
They left the horses attached to one another by means of the reins, and almost before they themselves had moved away the poor beasts were asleep. Their heads hung down, and neither of them made the slightest movement. Dudley and his companion took the precaution of discarding their spurs, which they slung to their saddles. Then they stepped out for the distant fires, and after a little while found themselves within easy distance of them, and within sound of the Indian camp. It was time, in fact, to use the utmost caution, and at once they threw themselves on their faces and crawled forward, Dudley in advance, and Pepito close beside him. In this way it was some little time before they had arrived within pistol shot of the enemy. They found the three or four hundred of which the party consisted camped close together in one big circle, in the centre of which were their horses. All round the circle were fires, some of them already cold, while others were fast dying out. A few still flared brightly, and round these sat numbers of dusky figures swathed in coarse blankets. Some were smoking and chatting in low tones, while the majority were fast asleep, having eaten till they could eat no more. Pietro, indeed, knew the Indian customs to a nicety. They had a great fondness for meat, a commodity which was often very scarce with them; and hence they went to much fatigue to obtain fresh supplies, raiding the various ranches, and too often making a fine haul.
"They are pleased with the herd I should say, señor," whispered Pepito. "They have not stinted themselves, if one can guess from the carcasses. At least thirty beasts have been slain, and the meat is all lying about the camp."
"I see," Dudley answered, for he had caught sight of more than one of the carcasses. "Have they any guards out round the camp. I have been watching carefully, but have not been able to detect them."
"None on this side, señor. I cannot say what they have over yonder till I have been to see. But I think that there will be none. What have four hundred to fear from a bare forty or fifty?"
"As a general rule, nothing. But we must make quite sure of those sentries. If there are none, all the better. I will crawl round their camp to the left, while you make in the opposite direction. We shall come together over there and can compare notes. Then we shall have to see what arrangements they have made to guard the cattle."
They exchanged hand-grips, and moved away from each other promptly, crawling through the grass like a couple of snakes. It was a dangerous business upon which they were engaged, and Dudley felt more than a little excited. He knew very well that if he or Pepito were discovered, his end would be swift and cruel. And he was equally well aware of the fact that each one of the enemy was a savage, used to work out in the open, and possessed of wonderful acuteness and of the keenest hearing and vision. Supposing an Indian happened to see him as he crawled!
"It would be all up," he thought, with something approaching a shiver. "But I'm not going to cry out till I'm hurt, and as Mr. Blunt has made me under-manager of the rancho, I am not going to have a lot of robbers like these fellows make into the place and sweep it clean of cattle. Not if I know it."
He gave a little grim chuckle, and crawled on, keeping his eyes well about him. From the line he took he was able to look into the Indian camp and see everything plainly, for, while he was shrouded in darkness, the enemy's camp was partially illuminated by the fires which still flared. He grew a little bolder, and approached nearer still, till he could tell for certain that the greater number of the men were fast asleep, doubled up beside the embers and swathed in their blankets. Some sat up, covered from head to foot in the same warm cloaking, and swaying at times somewhat dangerously. Thirty or more were awake, and sat huddled close to the fire, smoking quietly, and talking in low and drowsy tones.
"Ready for bed!" he thought. "Well, there are no sentries over here, so I'll push on. There are a couple of the ruffians round that fire yonder."
He crawled along beside the camp till he was opposite the fire which had attracted his attention, and there he lay hidden in the grass for a little while, watching two of the Indians eating voraciously.
"Come off cattle guard, I expect," said Dudley, "and now making the most of the provisions stolen from my master. That's another man."
He heard a step somewhere behind him, and instantly crouched still lower in the grass, and pressed his body close to the ground. The step came nearer, and he heard some metal instrument jingle. Then, not ten paces from him, a figure came dimly into view. It was an Indian, who was armed with a gun which swung from his shoulder, and carried in his hand the bit and the reins which he had just taken from his horse. It was a buckle on these reins which Dudley had heard tinkling, and presently he saw the animal from which they had been taken following his master like a dog. The Indian whistled and stepped on at a faster pace, for he had suddenly obtained a full view of his two companions. Then he waited for the horse to come level with him, took it by the mane, and led it to the centre of the camp, going himself immediately to the fire side.
"Where, no doubt, he will have his share of the food," thought Dudley. "It was lucky for me that he did not come a yard or so nearer this way, or he would have seen me for certain. Hallo!"
"Señor!"
"Here!" whispered Dudley. They came close together and lay down with their heads touching.
"All asleep on the far side, señor," Pepito reported. "Not a sentry or guard of any sort. They have been eating their fill."
"On this side all is clear also, Pepito. Now we will see what they have done with the cattle. Go to the right again, while I make to the left. We will meet on the far side, and then we will return to our comrades."
It was not a time for talking, for even a whisper might be heard. They crept away together for some few yards, and then rose to their hands and knees, and separated at once. Ten minutes later they met on the opposite side of the herd, and compared notes.
"I passed fourteen of their guards, all mounted, señor," said Pepito. "They had guns slung to their shoulders, and had whips in their hands. The cattle were asleep and perfectly quiet."
"I saw ten men, mounted like yours," reported Dudley. "The herd seemed to be as quiet as are those fellows in the camp. Let us get back to Pietro and the men as soon as possible."
It took some little while for them to make their way back to the horses which they had left away on the pampas, for a flat grass plain gives little idea of direction, and a dark but fine night does not help a man out of the difficulty if he happen to have spent all his days in one of our British towns. But Pepito could read the heavens as easily as Dudley could absorb a book, and he quickly decided where the horses lay. They strode on for a long while in silence, and then the gaucho gave an exclamation of satisfaction.
"As I thought," he said. "Pietro and the boys are there, and have taken charge of our beasts. We shall soon be with them."
He gave a low whistle when they arrived within a shorter distance of the dark group which suddenly appeared, dull and ill-defined, against the starlit sky, and at once the signal was answered. Pietro rode forward, leading their two horses.
"What news?" he asked. "The men here are full of excitement, and are eager to attack. How do the enemy lie?"
Dudley explained the situation in a few short sentences, while the gauchos gathered round and drank in his words.
"Everything seems to be in favor of this attack, señor," said Pietro at length. "There remains now only the necessary orders. We are here to obey, as I have already intimated. We wait for the señor's commands. He has seen this Indian camp, he knows how the enemy is placed, and no doubt he has already made his plans."
"I have," came the short answer, "and I want all to listen. The enemy are to the right of the cattle from where we lie now, and that is, of course, the position in which we shall attack them. I think you will all agree with me that when this attack is made it must be fierce and sudden, and must be carried through."
There was a grunt of approval from the listening gauchos, who edged a little closer.
"That is agreed. We have to press this attack home. Now, I think there are about fifty of us."
"Forty-eight, señor," came the swift correction from Pietro.
"There are forty-eight, and I am going to divide that number into three little parties for reasons you will soon understand. The duty assigned to thirty of the men will be hazardous. It will require dash and daring, and a heap of what we British call 'go.' I wish to ask for volunteers from amongst you for that party. Those who are willing to act, please ride forward a pace or so."
There was silence for the space of a few seconds, while the men drank in his words, and ninety-four shining and eager eyes stared at the white youth in the centre. Then there was a sudden movement and bustle, spurs tickled the flanks of the horses, and to a man the gauchos pressed forward, disputing the right of way with one another. Dudley grinned, an excited sort of grin.
"I see," he laughed, "all are volunteers. Then we must settle the matter quickly. The twenty-nine men to the right will ride away five feet from their fellows. Now, please. Don't hesitate."
There was a ring of authority in his voice, and at once the men trailed away, while the gauchos left behind scowled at their fortunate comrades.
"Now, the next ten ride forward a little. That is good. We are left with seven, and now I can give you all orders. The big party of twenty-nine will follow me into the Indian camp from this end, and will gallop through it, using their revolvers. They will not enter, however, till the party of ten have taken up their position and fired twice into the camp. That party will start from here at once. They will ride to the right, and when they are beyond the camp will steal up to it till well within range. When I fire a shot, they will open with their rifles, and remember, two shots only, please. Once we have charged through, they will also dash at them and cut right across the path we have taken, doing their best to scatter the horses, and when they are clear, they will turn to the right and join us. We will then all have another turn at them. Pepito is to command. Take your men, my lad."
He sat his horse in silence while the astonished gaucho jogged up to his own particular band, placed himself at their head, and went off with his following at a swinging trot.
"The remaining seven ride with us till we are nearly in position. They wait for us to charge, and then attack the cattle guards, and do their best to shoot down any Indian who attempts to break away. Remember, boys, we want to make this a lesson, and the sterner it is the better for all of you and for your master."
The good fellows would have cheered him had not silence been absolutely necessary. They were bold and courageous, as Dudley had already learned, but they had little initiative, and were content as a rule to act on the defensive. This attack was an entirely new idea, and the novelty and daring of it took their breath away. Then there was this plan.
"Whoever heard the like?" exclaimed Pietro, his mouth wide open. "Who could have thought of splitting us up into three parties? At the first it seemed madness, for surely we are stronger when fighting shoulder to shoulder. But this youth has thought the thing out, and I follow his reasoning. When we attack from different quarters we seem to be of bigger proportions than we really are.Bueno! I hope we shall beat these ruffians. If not, it will have been a fine fight, and we shall have enjoyed it. Boys, see that your shooters are loaded."
All were armed with revolvers, for these men earned good wages, and could afford the best of weapons. They sat their horses in silence now, staring after Pepito's party, and then at Dudley, who chatted with Pietro. The fine fellows were beginning to fret at the inaction. They fidgeted in their saddles, and reined their horses back sharply whenever the beasts attempted to move. But Dudley sat motionless, his watch in his hand, and the tip of one finger on the dial.
"I am giving them five minutes," he said. "When that time has gone, we will walk forward."
Snap! He closed his watch with a sharp click, and replaced it in his pocket.
"March!" he said shortly, and at once they were off, the men leaning forward expectantly, and all longing for the moment for attack to arrive. Ah! They mounted to the top of the long roll of the pampas, and there were the fires, duller now it seemed, and twinkling in the distance. They pressed on again, and very soon were within striking distance. Dudley pulled in his horse and rode round to the flank of the men.
"Party of seven move away now under Pietro," he said in low tones. "Halt till we shout, once you have gained your position. Now, boys, we will steal forward."
He placed himself at the head of the attacking party, and together they walked their horses still closer to the enemy's camp. Not a sound came from it at present, though from the herd of cattle a little to the right there came the gentle lowing of beasts and the occasional crack of a whip.
"They hear us, señor," whispered one of the gauchos. "The cattle hear sounds which we could not detect. They can tell that horses and men are about, and it makes them restless. The alarm will be sounded very soon if you do not fire your pistol. There!"
It came as he spoke. One of the figures huddled near one of the fires rose to his feet, for the lowing among the cattle had made him suspicious. He was a light sleeper, and it happened that he was suffering from an injury to his hand, which kept him awake. He peered about him, looked again at the dull patch of black where the gauchos rode, and then startled the air with his shouts.
"Awake! Rise!" he bellowed. "There are enemies close to us. The gauchos have returned. Get up and fire at them. We will kill every man who waits till we are mounted."
He dashed towards the horses, shouting as he ran. And at once some twenty figures followed him, for these Indians, from their long training to danger, were ever alert and quick to defend themselves. But numbers had eaten not only enough, but a good deal more than sufficient, and were correspondingly drowsy. Dudley's pistol shook the air before they had quite gripped the fact that there was an alarm, and they were just throwing off their blankets and rising to their feet when Pepito's party sent a withering volley into their midst.
At once there were howls of anguish and shouts of astonishment. The sluggards awakened with a vengeance, and dashed madly towards their horses, while the herd of cattle close alongside sent out many a bellow and began to sway from side to side.
Crash! The second volley ripped through the camp, and hardly had the Indians replied to it with yells of rage and fear when Dudley shouted to his men. They were spread in a line across the end of the camp, the gauchos being close together. They watched their leader as well as the light and so many counter attractions would admit, and as he set his horse in motion they came close on his heels. They were galloping now, and their leader was waving them on. He gave a yell, and at once the chorus took it up. The gauchos shrieked as loud as any Indian, touched their horses with the spur, and in a moment the little band was plunging through the camp. Fleeing Indians went down under their heels, guns exploded in their faces, and of a sudden the dark mass of swaying horses blocked their path. Dudley's revolver snapped sharply, while the men behind poured a hail into the men attempting to mount. Then the confusion became indescribable, for the horses belonging to the Indians became maddened with fear. They dashed this way and that, colliding with one another and overthrowing the men who attempted to mount. A second later a number of them bolted, while Dudley and his party dashed through after them, shot down some of the enemy, rode others into the grass, and then disappeared in the darkness. They were through. The men pulled in their horses and faced about, each one proud of the achievement, and making ready for the next attempt by cramming cartridges into his weapon.
""DUDLEY'S REVOLVER SNAPPED SHARPLY""""DUDLEY'S REVOLVER SNAPPED SHARPLY""
"Charge!" Amidst all the babel, the frightened whinny of horses, the hammering of hoofs, and the shrieks of the startled Indians, Pepito's voice came clear to his comrades. They heard the report of his revolver, and then the confusion in the camp became even worse. For the gauchos placed under the young man's command were not going to allow themselves to be beaten by their comrades. The light from the fires had allowed them to see how the charge of Dudley's men had succeeded, and they raced after their leader with the firm determination to gallop through the enemy and come clear on the far side. Very gallantly, too, did they carry out that determination. They burst like a small wave on the savages, dashed them aside, and then rode on, emptying their weapons as they rode. A few minutes later they joined the larger party, dishevelled after their exertions, and grinning with excitement.
"Listen to our other friends!" said Pepito, suddenly jogging up to Dudley's side as he was about to give the order for the charge to be repeated. "Listen, señor. The seven are firing, and I think they are calling to us. There is a great disturbance over there."
They sat for a few seconds wondering what was happening, for the noise from the camp, which was now as intense as before, and which had spread on either side, was suddenly taken up on the far side of the herd of cattle. The gauchos were shouting, calling to their comrades, it seemed, while the bellowing from the cattle was almost deafening. Then a flying figure came from behind them, and one of the gauchos dashed up to Dudley.
"Lead the men this way, señor," he shouted eagerly. "The herd is moving. It is out of hand. The leaders are already running through the camp. Ride for your lives!"
He swung his beast round and made off, leaving Dudley wondering. But he had seen cattle stampede before, and knew well that fifty horsemen would not stop their frantic rush. It was news to hear that the herd was in motion, but if true he must needs take notice of the warning. Turning, he gave an order, and led his men at a gallop well to the right.
"It was well that you came at once, señor," said Pietro, riding up to him when the party had come to a halt. "We attacked the guards who looked to the cattle, and no doubt some of our shots hit the beasts. They were already excited and suspicious, and suddenly they were off. There was no stopping them, nor any need to do so, for they made direct for the Indian camp, and at least half are galloping across it now. The only danger was lest you and our comrades should be caught. I sent a messenger."
"Who found us, Pietro. But what shall we do now? These cattle have upset my arrangements."
"They have changed a great defeat into a huge disaster, señor," answered the gaucho seriously. "I told you that there were four hundred of the Indians, and they knew that there were not more than fifty of us, and also that we could not fetch reinforcements before to-morrow. You took them utterly by surprise, and no doubt cut them up badly when you galloped through; but they would have rallied. They were forced to do so, for their horses had stampeded as these cattle are doing. I say that they would have recovered from the fright, and then our work would have been before us. But now——"
"The cattle have removed that danger."
"The herd has stamped the Indian camp out of existence. Many men are being killed as we talk. It is a disaster for them; for us it is a magnificent victory the news of which will spread three hundred and more miles on all sides, and will fill the settlers with delight and courage. The Indians will be long before they recover their courage. I know that I am speaking the truth, my master. The morning will show you that these men are gone. Some will be mounted, and every horse will carry two, or even three; but the camp will tell its tale. The señor has but to listen to the shouting."
Above the bellows of the stampeding oxen came the shrieks of men in distress, while in all directions the Indians could be heard calling to one another.
"We could read them an even more severe lesson," said Dudley. "If, as you say, they have lost many of their horses, we could catch them up with ease and harry every foot of their retirement. Indeed I think it would be as well to follow and let them see how completely we command the situation. Perhaps it would do good in the future if we captured some, and explained that such an attempt again would meet with even worse punishment."
"I advise that we rest satisfied," was Pietro's answer, after some moments' consideration. "It is true that we might easily cut them up again; but then they might be able to offer some resistance and kill some of our number. Better let them see us drawn up together and watching their flight than interfere further. Besides, we have the cattle to think about. They must be collected. You may depend upon it that not one of the Indians here to-day will wish to pay us another visit unless helped by large numbers of comrades. They may raid other ranchos when they have got over their fright, but they will hardly come back here, señor, unless they are helped as I have said, and are burning for revenge."
Dudley and his men slipped from their horses when there was no longer any fear of the cattle turning their way, and they squatted on the pampas, and discussed the recent engagement. The gauchos were filled to the brim with excitement and pride. They had never been in such a fight before, and the memory of their charge made their pulses stir still, and brought a flush to their dusky cheeks. Then they reflected that this Indian defeat would be the talk of the province, and their conduct would be praised by one and all. It was worth the risk they had run, and if their young leader had asked them to try again, they would have fallen in with his request willingly.
When day dawned, and the rolling pampas was disclosed to view, the sweeping nature of the defeat from which the enemy had suffered became more apparent. Fortune had backed up the dash of the gauchos, and the stampeding cattle had completed the work commenced by Dudley and his men. The camp, with its numerous fires, was trodden and stamped out of existence. There was a dull trail of bruised and crushed grass running right over it and overlapping it far on either side, a trail which went on into the distance, where the scattered herd could now be seen, grazing peacefully. And along the length of that dark line were numbers of huddled figures, the Indians who had fallen, some to the bullets of the gauchos, some ridden down by their horses, but the greater number overwhelmed by the mad rush of the herd. Five miles away a sad gang of fugitives were riding fast from the rancho, and as Pietro had said, the Indians had but few horses amongst them.
"Mount!" shouted Dudley. "Now we will follow those fellows, and just let them see that we are still fresh and ready. But we will not touch them unless they attempt to retaliate. I want them to see us and learn the numbers of those who attacked them."
They galloped after the fleeing Indians, and very soon were within three hundred yards of the unfortunate wretches. There they pulled rein and watched as the disconsolate warriors made off. Some were on foot, and limped along at the tails of the horses, while numbers sat huddled on the beasts which they had managed to capture during the conflict. Some of the horses staggered under the weight of three men, while there was not one that did not carry at least two.
"They would surrender to a man if we were to follow," said Dudley, noticing the frantic efforts made by the Indians to increase their distance, and their appearance of fatigue. "Give them a shout, lads. Now," he went on, when the gauchos had sent the enemy on their way with a shout of defiance, "we will see to the cattle, and then report to Mr. Blunt. He went down to the port the day before yesterday, promising to be back this evening."
When Dudley reached the house at dusk he found his employer waiting for him, and he promptly made him acquainted with the events of the past few hours.
"It is a fine tale, and makes my blood warm towards these gallant gauchos," said Mr. Blunt when he had finished. "They have done magnificently, and you too, Dudley. Yes, I have no doubt who led them. Answer me. Was the plan not yours?"
Dudley admitted the fact with heightened color.
"I said as much. Then my neighbors and I have to thank you for a very fine victory, which will bring peace and security perhaps for many a long day. But we must not be over sanguine. The man who believes that he has shaken the courage of a treacherous foe such as these Indians, and does not count on their spirit of revenge, lays himself open to an unexpected attack and to annihilation. We must not forget that we are a buffer rancho as it were. That we lie between the Indians and our fellow ranchers, and that we must nearly always bear the brunt of the attack."
"Then why not organize, sir?" demanded Dudley. "As far as I can gather, each grazier out on the pampas looks to himself for protection. Too often they are content to lose beasts, taking such losses as a matter of course. Now if you and the others were to organize. If you had some signal which would draw the attention of all, some system of messengers, then you would be able to laugh at the Indians. Why not also build forts close to each corral?"
Mr. Blunt looked up sharply. He was a man not altogether lacking in original ideas, but was often content to take things as he found them. He had put up with Indian raids in the past as a matter of course, as an evil to which all ranchers were liable. He was always ready to go to the help of others, and, indeed, would not have hesitated to call in the succor of his friends. But then he owned an outlying estancia, peculiarly open to attack, and there had never been time to call in help. Dudley's late effort was the most brilliant performance of which he had heard. And now the lad proposed an alliance with others, and the building of forts.
"What else?" demanded Mr. Blunt.
"I should arrange to muster two or three hundred men at the first sign of an Indian invasion, and then I should not be content to beat them off; I should follow them into their own country."
"And then?"
"I should wipe them out. I should follow them a hundred miles, and even more, burn their villages, sweep in their cattle, and, in short, teach them such a lesson as they would hardly ever forget."
It was a bold suggestion, but none the less a sensible one. It was high time the ranchers on the pampas put a summary end to such persecution from the Indians. Their raids sometimes meant a very considerable loss of cattle, and very often many men were killed. It was high time indeed that a bolder policy was decided on.
"Done!" cried Mr. Blunt, bringing one of his brawny fists down on to the table. "We will do it, Dudley, and you shall organize the movement. We will go fully into the matter to-morrow, and on the following day will ride for Buenos Ayres, there to order the fittings for our forts. When they arrive, and the men are set to work, you shall ride round and see all the estancia owners within a hundred miles."
It was a bargain. The two friends—for that they were, though one was master and the other employé—gripped hands, and, having thus shown their faith in each other, went off to their couches to sleep and to prepare for the morrow.
"For the first time for many a long day I suffered from sleeplessness," said Mr. Blunt on the following morning, when he and Dudley met. "This idea of yours filled my mind so that my eyes would not close. I kept asking myself over and over again why I had been content to go on, year in and year out, suffering these Indian raids, when I might have made arrangements to call my friends after the very first raid and follow the ruffians. Then I thought of the poor gauchos who had been killed, and finally I came to the conclusion that I would not let another day pass without taking steps to carry out your plan. Now, lad, we will send for Pietro and give him his orders. Then we will mount and ride for the port. Fortunately I have business to attend to in Buenos Ayres, and shall be able to see to it and to this other matter at the same time."
According to their usual custom they went to the stables, led out their horses and watered them, afterwards feeding and grooming them. And while the beasts ate in peace, the two sat down to their own breakfast. By the time the grooming was done, Pietro was there, standing awkwardly before his employer, shuffling from one foot to the other, and grinning so that his strong white teeth shone in the morning sun.
"A fine day, master," he said in his quaint English. "A grand day. The hearts of the men are gay this morning. The master has heard the whole tale?"
"Heard the tale, and thanks his faithful and gallant gauchos," exclaimed Mr. Blunt, striding up to the swarthy foreman and gripping his hand. "My young manager has told me how well you all behaved, and I can assure you that I am highly pleased. Never before have the Indians had such a lesson. I am proud of my gauchos."
"And they of their master and his manager," came the answer, as Pietro shuffled his feet and flushed under his dusky skin, while he struck at the doorposts with the tail of his riding whip. For the tall owner of the rancho had a peculiar effect on his gauchos. They held him in great respect, always listened to what he had to say and straightway obeyed. It was seldom that they exchanged words with him.
"You sent for me, master," said Pietro at length; "what do you desire?"
"That you should conduct the work of the rancho while we are absent. Listen, Pietro! My young manager, the gringo who so lately joined us and showed an old hand how to shoot, has done a great deal for us."
"That is true, master," eagerly assented Pietro. "Did he not lead us yesterday? Is not our success due to him?"
"To him and to those who supported him," was the answer. "But he has done more. He has asked me why it is that I as well as other owners of estancias on the pampas are content to put up with Indian raids, to suffer the loss of cattle and men."
The gaucho's dark eyebrows were elevated, while he flicked with his whip at the doorpost.
"It is not a question of why, master," he said. "Up till yesterday we have followed one plan, and one only. The señor gave us another, and well it worked. But I fear we shall have to go on as before. Who can say when these Indians will come again? I think it may be a year or more, for they have been soundly beaten. But they are fierce fighters, and they must hate us very sorely. If they think that there is a chance of success they will raid us again, and then it will not be cattle alone for which they will come."
"I agree. They will endeavor to wipe us all out, so as to satisfy their thirst for revenge."
"That is so, master. They will kill every man here, and torture as many as possible."
"Then tell, me, Pietro, do you and your comrades wish to be tortured, to be suddenly set upon and killed by the Indians?"
The gaucho started and flushed again, while a puzzled expression came over his face.
"Surely not, master," he said quickly. "But there is always the danger, and how can we avoid it?"
"Come into the house and I will tell you," answered Mr. Blunt shortly.
Turning, they went into the one big room and sat down at the table, on which the tall Englishman spread out a plan of the Entre Rios country, which showed the estancia stretched out on the pampas.
"We are here," he said, putting his finger on a wide stretch marked "Mr. Blunt's estancia." "You see we are close to the Indian country, which extends beyond us into the interior. The Indians have for many years now been moving closer to the ranchos, for they are then within reach of the beasts they steal, and still so much in the wilds that the gauchos and their masters do not care to follow. But we shall do that. The señor here has proposed that we build forts close to each corral. Into those forts our men can dash when the Indians appear, and if they have time to drive the beasts into the corral, all the better, for then their rifles will be able to keep the enemy from touching them. You know that Indians like to fall upon their victims when they are least expected, and do not care to attack houses and forts."
"That is true, señor. They are cowards at heart, I think. Cruel and fierce when all is in their favor, but wanting in dash at other times. They would not easily take a fort. This plan promises well, for it will save the lives of men and many valuable beasts."
"It might do even more," suddenly interposed Dudley. "A flare might be arranged at the top of each fort, and fire be put to it the instant the Indians appeared. The smoke would be seen during the day, and the flame at night. That would spread the alarm, so that the gauchos all over the estancia would know within a few minutes of the Indians' coming."
"And at once ride here," cried Mr. Blunt. "That is a good suggestion and shall be adopted. Now, Pietro, what have you to say to all this?"
"What can I say, señor, but that the scheme promises well? I can see that a fort close to each corral will allow the gauchos to reach safety before the Indians come; for if a tower be built, a watchman can be stationed there and give early warning. Then there is a flare to warn all the rest, and while they assemble, the fort and the beasts in the corral will occupy the attention of the Indians. They will find us ready, and their rush will fail. There will be fighting, and they will retire at once, unless they are in great strength, when the señors will send for help and drive them away."
"We shall do more," said Mr. Blunt briskly. "The young señor proposes that we call in our neighbors, and that we follow a hundred and more miles if necessary, till we come up with the raiders, and destroy them and their villages. What do you think of that plan?"
The sturdy gaucho opened his eyes very wide at the news, for never before had such a suggestion been made. Indeed, as the reader will have already gathered, the owners of the ranchos and their gauchos had hitherto been satisfied if all their beasts were not taken. Retaliation was as a rule out of the question, while the Indian country was practically unexplored, and was supposed to be wild and waterless, and to offer great danger to those who did not know it. Pietro had had food for reflection during the last two hours. Like Mr. Blunt, he had seen that another course was possible, for Dudley's tactics had been eminently successful. But to hear now that still more was intended—that a more vigorous and pugnacious policy was to be followed, and every effort made not only to defend the rancho against Indian attack, but to follow and punish the marauders, astounded him. He struck his overalls a sounding thwack with his whip, and stared, open-mouthed, at his master. Then his eyes turned to Dudley, and he smiled.
"This proposition," he said, "comes from the young señor?"
"It does. I have agreed to the plan and have been thinking out the details."
"Then what is good to the señor and his manager is good also to me and my comrades. If the Indians come we will enter the forts and hold them. Afterwards we will go with our masters and do our utmost to slay every one of the ruffians. Then shall we be able to ranch in peace and security. We and our wives shall no longer be in dread of a sudden night attack, of torture, and of a violent death. The señor goes now and wishes me to look after the rancho?"
"That is so. We shall be gone for two weeks, perhaps, and in that time there need be no fear of the Indians. It will take us six months to build our forts, and by then perhaps the enemy will have recovered from their beating, and will be considering another attack. Now, Pietro, you will go to the men and tell them what you have heard. Let them know that the plan is the young señor's, and that I fully agree with it."
The sturdy gaucho went off, flicking his whip, and Dudley and his employer watched the active fellow walk up to his horse, which stood out by the well with the reins dangling loosely on its neck. He seemed to kick the ground with his feet and in a moment was in the saddle. No need for Pietro to wait to get his stirrups. The horse bounded off, the whip cracked like a pistol, and the foreman of the gauchos raced away like the wind, eager to tell his tale and let all know what was about to happen.
"Now we will pack our valises and go," said Mr. Blunt. "Pepito will accompany us to the port and will return with the horses. I shall give him orders to bring them again within two weeks, for our business will take us quite a week and the rest of the time will be spent on the river. As we sail down stream we will go carefully into this matter, and draw up a list of articles which will be required."
Within half an hour the two were mounted and riding from the rancho, while Pepito, his dusky face aglow with pride, sat a beautiful horse just behind them. Across the pommel of his saddle was slung the coil of his bolas, while the barrel of his rifle stuck up clear behind his head, for he had slung the weapon. A gallant and handsome fellow he looked, too, for this Pepito was barely twenty-three, and as fine a specimen of the gaucho cowboy as could be met with. He was tall, slim, and extremely active. He sat his horse as if he had been born in the saddle, his knees close in, his toes just engaging the stirrups, and the whole poise of his body denoting comfort and ease. And yet he sat on a horse which barely four weeks before had been rounded up from a herd of wild horses grazing out on the pampas, a big, handsome gray which danced from side to side as they rode, tossing its head, and clanking its bit, while every rolling leaf, every shadow or reflection of the sun sent it shying to one side, or prancing till its fore feet pawed the air; and its rider sat a saddle which gave little or no support.
Dudley and his employer, too, made a handsome picture as they rode side by side. They sat their saddles with that easy grace which comes to men who ride every day and for a great part of the day. No longer did the huge spurs which were strapped to Dudley's heels trouble him. He hardly knew that they were there, for practice does wonders.
Chatting together as they rode, trotting at times, and at others going at a gentle amble, they finally reached their camping ground for the night, and slid from their horses. It took but a little while to water the beasts and to feed them, when, leaving them to the enjoyment of their meal, Dudley and his employer went for a stroll, while Pepito, his sleeves rolled to the elbow, lit a fire, placed a kettle upon it, and skewered a piece of deer flesh on his ramrod. Presently the meal was ready, and when it was finished, and Mr. Blunt had smoked his cigar, saddles were placed on end, blankets laid on the ground, and in a little while the three were sleeping, their ponchos wrapped well round them, and only the stars above to look down upon their recumbent figures.
On the following afternoon they reached the port at which Dudley had first disembarked, and were lucky in getting a boat at once.
"One never knows how they will be running," said Mr. Blunt, "and I have made it a practice, when going down to the coast, to send in a messenger a few days before to get tidings of the boats. This is luck, and in a matter of three days we shall be at Buenos Ayres. On the way down we will go thoroughly into these matters we have been speaking of."
Two days later, after a most pleasant sail down the Paraná, they arrived at their destination, and Mr. Blunt at once led the way to a business house with which he was acquainted.
"I have an agent here who buys my cattle," he said. "The beasts are driven to slaughterhouses near the river, and there the flesh is dried. Boats lie alongside the little dock, and at once carry the dried flesh, the hides, and hoofs, and horns, down to Buenos Ayres. It is a good arrangement, for once the beasts are handed over by my gauchos I have no further trouble. The time has come to clear some of the herds out, and that is partly the reason of my visit here. Now, this is the house. You will see that my friends here will be able to supply us with all that we want. They are general agents, and buy or sell everything from live beasts to nails and tinned tacks."
The firm to which he went were indeed exceedingly up-to-date, and once they had ascertained Mr. Blunt's wants, and had looked over his lists, they declared that they could obtain all the articles within three days.
"The guns we shall get here, as well as ammunition," said the manager. "Then the tools, nails, and other things are in this store, so that they will not delay you. The wood is the only difficulty. You say, Mr. Blunt, that there is not sufficient up near your estancia?"
"That is so," was the answer. "What there is, is too small. Besides, I haven't men enough to spare for cutting. It will be cheaper to buy round or squared logs and ship them to the cattle station. From there they can be carted to the corrals. That reminds me, I shall want a couple of dozen extra hands to help with the buildings."
In half an hour the details of the whole order had been arranged. Mr. Blunt was advised to charter a boat to carry all the stores to be obtained in Buenos Ayres, and to pick up his logs at a port higher up the river, where it would be cheaper.
"You will have to send up several loads, without doubt," said the manager, "for one of the boats would not carry enough for one fort even. The boat will be chartered this evening, and the loading can commence to-morrow. I will engage a couple of dozen men, if possible, and they can go up with you."
So excellent were the arrangements that within four days Mr. Blunt and Dudley found themselves embarked on a river boat, and standing up the stream for the port where they were to pick up wood for the forts. On board, besides rifles and tools, they had seven men, whom they had engaged to undertake the building operations, and these individuals were engaged at that moment in sprawling on the deck forward and smoking vigorously.
"Not a very taking lot of fellows," said Mr. Blunt in low tones, as he and Dudley emerged from the small cabin which had been given up to them, and stepped on the deck. "They are, I expect, the men who are always open to casual labor, and who lounge about the docks looking for odd jobs. However, we shall see little of them, and Pietro and his gauchos will keep them in order. Now, all we want is a smart breeze to take us swiftly up the river."
Fortune seemed to smile upon them in this expedition, for they held a brisk and favoring breeze all that day and the next, and when the second night came they were anchored off the port where they were to take in the wood. A couple of cables were passed out from the bow and stern, and made fast to the wharf, while a plank was thrown across to the latter, enabling all to land at their pleasure, a privilege of which the hands who had been engaged at once took advantage. Mr. Blunt and Dudley ate their evening meal, and having strolled ashore for a time returned to their cabin.
"I would far rather we had not put in so close to the shore," said the former, "for it has given those men of ours a chance to get into the town, which seems to consist mostly of saloons. They are rough fellows, and the chances are they will hardly be fit for work early in the morning. Those must be our logs piled on the wharf, and I reckon four hours work will see them all aboard. That should allow us to reach the cattle station where they are to be unloaded in about twenty-four hours, so that we shall be back at the rancho within the time we mentioned."
They sat chatting for a little while, and presently, finding the fumes of his employer's cigar just a little strong in the confined space of the cabin, Dudley went out on deck and strolled up and down.
"Pitch dark," he said to himself, looking up at the sky, and then at the dim oil lamps on shore. "I think Mr. Blunt must be right about the men, for there is a great commotion going on over there. It sounds as if they were fighting in one of the saloons. And what's that?"
The creak of a block and the thud of a rope on the deck of a boat a little distance away attracted his attention, and for some few minutes he stood quite still, listening to the commotion from the saloons on shore and to the sounds from the river.
"Evidently another boat has put in for the night," he said. "There goes her anchor, and I suppose we shall see her in the morning. It is so dark that one cannot see a foot in front of one's face."
As he stood on the deck of the river boat he distinctly heard the splash of an anchor falling into the water, and the low call of men pulling at the cable. It did not strike him then that the noise they made was subdued, as if they were afraid of attracting the attention of the people on the quay or those aboard the other boat moored close to it. He listened for a while, and then went into the cabin, where he found Mr. Blunt still smoking.
"How's the night?" asked Mr. Blunt. "Dark? Then I am glad we are at rest, for there are rocks and sand-banks up in these reaches of the river, and it is not nice to be stranded on them. That is why the majority of boats tie up at night. What of the men?"
"There is a good deal of noise from the saloons in the town," answered Dudley. "It sounds as if they were quarrelling."
"I should not wonder," was the reply. "They are a set of ne'er-do-wells, who enjoy a rough and tumble in the saloons. It would not surprise me if one or more were hurt. The gauchos who come in from the estancias are wonderfully polite as a rule, but when they get to the saloons, and have indulged somewhat freely in the bad spirit to be obtained there, they become quarrelsome. It does not take a gaucho a second to produce a revolver, and when shooting begins someone is sure to be killed. They are, in fact, every bit as wild as the cowboys in North America. Ah! That was a shot. Well, we cannot interfere, but I hope that those foolish fellows have not got into trouble."
He stifled a yawn, flung the stump of his cigar through the port, and lay back in his seat. As for Dudley, the silence of the river had some fascination for him, or perhaps the sudden and quiet arrival of the other boat had aroused his suspicions. He went out on the deck again, and paced restlessly to and fro, listening intently, starting when a yard creaked, and straining his ears to catch every sound. He could see a light now across the water some fifty yards away, and now and again thought he heard the sound of voices.
"Perhaps they are having a late meal before turning in," he thought. "But I cannot make out why they are so silent. As a rule one hears a mandolin playing, and some fellow singing to the stars. They are so suspiciously silent!"
Half an hour later, unable to make anything of the strangers, and satisfied that there was really nothing to be alarmed about, he went to the cabin again, and reported that the town was quiet, and that as yet there was no sign of the men who had left the vessel.
"They will appear in the early hours of the morning," said Mr. Blunt, "and no doubt we shall be awakened by their singing. Time to turn in, Dudley; we have work before us on the morrow."
Throwing themselves, fully dressed as they were, upon the cushions on either side of the cabin, they closed their eyes and were soon fast asleep, the feeble rays from a swinging candle light shining upon their figures, while the silence of the cabin was broken by their heavy breathing and by the drone of the many mosquitoes infesting the river. Now and again there was a sound from the neighboring boat, but it did not disturb them. They suspected no danger from that quarter, and would not have troubled had the boat lain alongside their own. If, however, they could have looked into the cabin aboard that ship they would have thought otherwise, for gathered there were more than half a dozen cut-throats, all smoking, and all drinking out of tin mugs, which they replenished liberally from a big stone jar. They sat in the narrow place about a long table, at the head of which was a bearded individual, tall and lean, and with a malignant cast of countenance. To look at him under the flickering rays of the smoky lamp he might have been of any nationality. He was swarthy enough almost to be an Indian or a gaucho, and yet he lacked the upright carriage, the direct manner, of those wild men of the pampas. Certainly he was not an Englishman, while his language seemed to indicate that he was an Italian. He was speaking in low tones to his comrades, sometimes addressing them in Italian, sometimes in Portuguese, and at times throwing a word of explanation in English to a haggard individual who sat at the far end of the table.
The latter had the cut of a sailor, and any doubt there might have been on that subject was set at rest by his nautical language. He was an Englishman, a down-at-heels sailor, and most likely had deserted from one of the many sailing ships which put in every week at Montevideo. He was dressed in ragged clothing, wore a week's growth of stubbly beard on his chin, and was altogether as disreputable as one could expect to see. The others were much the same as those who had been engaged by Mr. Blunt for building operations on the rancho, except that they had the cut of gauchos. They wore riding overalls too, and had spurs at their heels, a fact which went far to prove that they were used to horses and to the pampas.
"You have the plan nicely in your heads, comrades," said their spokesman, draining his pannikin. "You are poor?"
"Poor! As poor as mice who live in a church," laughed one of the men. "We have not a dozen coins to toss among us. We are at the end of our tether, and look to you and other kind friends to help us to improve our fortunes."
"Then you have an easy way before you," went on the leader, leering round at the men. "A friend of mine in Montevideo has pointed out a way in which we can all gain wealth easily. You have heard of the estancias and their owners? Yes, I see that you have. Well, are they not wealthy?"
"As rich as bankers," came the answer. "When they have paid their gauchos, and sold their cattle, they have money in hand. I should know, considering that I spent a dozen years on the pampas."
"And you also know the time when their cattle are sold. Twice a year, is it not, comrade?"
"That's correct. Twice a year, and just now is one of the times. The owners have money to chink, and many will not have banked it yet."
"That is just what my friend said. He advised us to form a band to raid these estancias, and to gather what money we could. We commence with this man called Blunt."
The English sailor pricked up his ears at that, and asked a question in very indifferent Portuguese.
"Blunt?" he said. "That's an Englishman. Who is he?"
"A great friend of my friend's," came the leering answer. "So great a friend that we are to attack him first. He is in the boat lying below us. Now, comrades, can you say why I induced our captain to haul in here above that other boat? No? Then I will explain. If we slacken the ropes we shall be carried down silently against the boat, and then——"
The ruffian touched his knife significantly.
"In an hour or two, perhaps," he said. "Our comrades will have returned from the saloons by then, and will be ready to help us. Till then we can smoke."
He reached out for the spirits and replenished his pannikin with liberal hand. Then he continued to chatter in low tones with his comrades. As for the sailor, he was a garrulous ruffian, and had imbibed sufficient spirit to make him even more talkative. He found it lonely to sit at the table while men conversed in an unknown language, and presently, feeling that he too must chatter, he turned on his seat, stretched out a grimy paw, and shook someone who lay asleep on one of the long benches against the wall of the cabin. A tall, slim young man sat up, rubbing his eyes, and stared round at the group about the table with every sign of annoyance and disgust. Indeed, a glance at him was sufficient to show that he was of a different stamp entirely. He was dressed as a gaucho but hardly had the appearance of one of those fine fellows. His cheeks were not tanned, and his hands looked as if they had done little work. Still, for all that, he was sturdy enough, and, if one might venture a guess, was decidedly English. In fact he had only recently arrived out from England, and had taken a passage up the river in this particular boat.
"What is it?" he demanded curtly, for he had kept aloof from his fellow passengers. "What do you want? I am sleepy and wish to be left alone."
"Oh ho, so you're sleepy!" answered the sailor huskily. "Well, my bird, you needn't look so ugly. You don't understand the lingo of these here fellers, now, do yer? Well, nor don't I, 'cept when the chap with the beard speaks in Portuguese or the English he's got. But you can understand me, I reckon, and so we'll have a chat. How'd yer like to join to-night, and make a pile from the chap in that boat down below us?"
The River Paraná and its neighborhood were, in the days of which we write, not always very secure for travellers. To begin with, revolutions and conflicts between the states into which South America was divided were of somewhat frequent occurrence, and then it is only to be expected that, being so close to the ranchos, and the hundreds of gauchos employed there, rowdyism and ruffianism were of occasional occurrence. The unfortunate owners of the estancias had not only Indians and their raids to fear. They were often enough wealthy men, for there was always a demand for cattle, and the very fact of their having wealth often proved an attraction to the many ne'er-do-wells who had come to the country to try their luck, or to join some revolutionary band. There had been raids on estancias by white men before then, and piratical attacks on the river were not entirely unknown. But to the English youth who had taken a passage in the boat which lay a few yards higher up the river than the one which Mr. Blunt had chartered, such an attempt was a matter for intense surprise. He was a stranger in the country, and knew nothing of the inhabitants, or he would never have taken passage with such a set of ruffians.
"Make a pile!" he exclaimed while he stared through the smoke of the cabin at the ragged and ill-kempt sailor. "What do you mean? You can't——"
"That's jest where you make the error, young feller," interrupted the man, taking a much-blackened clay from between his lips. "For a chap as has got nothing there ain't a country to come up to this. Look at me. Do I give the impression of having money?"
"Hardly!" came the cautious answer.
"That's jest it. There ain't a single coin in my pockets, and I was starving till these fellows came along."
"'Can yer ride?' asks the chap with the beard.
"'Jest a bit,' I answered, for a sailor can stick on most things. Then he got talking, and as a result I signed on for this here voyage. We're goin' up to the pampas to wipe out the ranchers. They're worth a pile, and we'll skin 'em of every shillin'. We're starting with the fellow lyin' in the boat below. He's got heaps of money, they say, and I've a notion that blackbeard over there has a grudge against him. That's the job, shaver. We start to-night, and it seems to me, seeing as you're English, as you'd better sail in company with us, and get a share. What say?"
For a moment or two the young fellow listening looked as if he would return an indignant reply to such a suggestion. But he happened to cast his eye round at the faces about the table, and then at the unshaven cheeks of the sailor.
"A set of ruffians to look at them," he said to himself. "And they seem as if they would stop at nothing. How on earth I was fool enough to take a passage with them I cannot say. But it is done now, and cannot be helped. He said this man to be attacked was English."
"Who is the rancher you are going to attack?" he asked cautiously, suddenly determining to get all the information possible.
"Who is the feller? Well, can't say as I know or care. He's English, else his name wouldn't be Blunt, would it? and he's got the coin. What more do you want to know? Eh? How it's to be done? Simple as standin', shaver. We've a cable with an anchor down at the bottom of the river, and there's slack enough to let us down stream quite a lot. See now! We just drop quiet and easy down on the boat below, and before them chaps can shout, whew!"
He drew his hand significantly across his neck, and leered at the lad who listened.
"Jest like that," he said, grinning so that his blackened teeth showed. "They ain't got a dog's chance. Reckon we'll start this game by makin' a fine haul, and spendin' a week in the saloons."
Little by little, and speaking in an undertone, the young man wormed the plot out of the sailor, and when he had done so he lay down again for a while, having deferred his consent till he had considered the matter. Later he sat up again, for the sailor pulled at his clothing.
"Guess you've decided to come in," he said. "Ef so, I'll speak to blackbeard over there and make it right. I thought at first as you was a toff, with brass in your pocket. But there's many sich as you comes out to this country to work, and who live down in the towns till their money's gone. Then it's hard to get a job, special ef you ain't used to the ranches. Then's the time when a feller jumps to join a band like this. Why, I can see that there ain't goin' ter be too much hard work. There'll be better grub than a sailor gets aboard ship, and if we've luck, there'll be coin in plenty. You'll join?"
"Yes, I'll come in. You can book me as one of the number," was the answer, while the young man glanced round at the gang in the cabin, a look of half-suppressed aversion and fear on his face. "You make the terms with them while I go on deck. This cabin is stuffy, and I feel as if I wanted a mouthful of air."
"Best a mouthful of spirit," growled the sailor, rolling in his seat. "Hi, there! jest pass the bottle and a pannikin. The shaver here wishes for a draught."
But the crew of ruffians happened at that moment to be deeply engaged in conversation, and took no heed of the call. The young man rose, hastily declined the drink, and retreated from the cabin.
"Blest ef I understand the shaver!" grumbled the sailor. "Never knew a white man refuse before. Eh? What's he gone for? A mouthful of air, of course."
The black-bearded individual at the head of the table had suddenly broken off his conversation with his fellow conspirators, and asked the sailor a question, while he followed the retreating figure of the youth with suspicious eyes.
"Who is he?" he asked. "And where is he going?"
"Who? Why, a chum of mine," roared the sailor, toying with his pannikin. "I've been talkin' to him, and it seems as he's like us. He's in want of coin too, and he's eager to join. He can ride a bit, so he'll be useful later. 'Sides, it's a good thing to have a shaver to wait on us older men. He's right, capt'n, so don't you get follerin'."
"Right or not, he'd best behave himself," answered the leader of the gang, casting a menacing glance towards the door, and then turning with a scowl to his companions. "This scum of an Englishman will suit us for a time," he went on in his own tongue; "but I begin to see that he will be a nuisance. He is quarrelsome, and will want too much perhaps. Well, if it comes to that, there is a way of removing the man."
A sinister look passed between the men at the table as they glanced at one another. Indeed they were a band of ruffians who understood one another perfectly, and, if the truth were known, had been on more than one of these lawless expeditions. The condition of the country favored them, for the ranchers had no protection other than what they supplied themselves, and the vast extent of their holdings, the great distances which separated them, were in favor of the ruffians who raided their estancias. At times, indeed, the bands of freebooters who roamed the pampas, and threw in their lot with the Indians, were a source of great danger to the graziers. For these white men, a collection from the riffraff of the towns, made no pretence of seizing cattle. They left that to the Indians, and threw it out as a bait to obtain their help. They organized the raids, left the Indians to round up what cattle they could lay their hands on, and promptly made for the estancia, where revolvers were used mercilessly, the house swept clean of all its valuables, and too often the owner shot in cold blood on his doorstep. Such things had occurred many a time, so that the graziers had had to band together for self protection. Then, when the net began to close in on the raiders, and matters began to look menacing for them, they would leave their Indian allies, and, splitting up, would ride for the coast towns again, there to spend their ill-gotten wealth in the saloons, and wait till an opportunity for further violence occurred.
The young fellow who had been in the cabin emerged on to the deck and walked rapidly to the stern. While in the cabin, under the eyes of the sailor, he had maintained an appearance of coolness and indifference; but now, when he was alone on the deck, beads of perspiration burst from his forehead, his hands closed convulsively, and he showed every indication of distress.
"To think that I was fool enough to take a passage with such a set!" he groaned. "To me, so new to this country, all these fellows look alike. They are rough, ill-dressed, and very free and easy in their manners. I never imagined for a moment that these fellows were other than ranchers returning to their work. What am I to do?"
He stood leaning on the rail of the river boat, his eyes fixed upon the lights from the saloons ashore, while he listened to the songs and shouts which issued from them. Then his attention was caught by a faint glimmer some yards astern, and, having peered into the darkness for some few minutes, he was able to detect the outline of the boat in which Mr. Blunt and Dudley were sleeping.
"Ah, I see the plan!" he said. "These ruffians slack off their cable and float down on that boat, then they board her. The sailor said that they had friends ashore who would rush to help them by means of the gangway stretching from the boat to the wharf. After that—— Goodness, it means murder! The fellow said as much. They will kill this Englishman and take all that he has got."
The very thought set the young fellow trembling with excitement. He walked feverishly up and down the deck, muttering beneath his breath, and endeavoring to make up his mind to some course of action. For in a flash he realized a fact which had been slowly dawning upon him for the last half-hour, a fact which a shrewder youth would have gathered in an instant. He, a young Englishman, fresh from home and entirely ignorant of the country and its people, had by chance fallen in with a gang of desperadoes who were about to attack a fellow countryman of his and to murder him. By pure chance he had become acquainted with their plans, and now he alone stood between the victim and his attackers. Ought he to move in the matter? Why should he? It was not his affair. This Englishman was an entire stranger to him, and why should he incur danger for a stranger?
The thoughts flashed through his brain as he walked feverishly up and down. Conscience, common sense, his own manhood, told him that he ought to act, that it was his duty to do something; while fear of the consequences to himself and his own natural want of resolution held him back, and kept him answering the calls for action with excuses. He was in a pitiable condition, and, had he been left to himself, might have walked the deck for an hour before coming to some conclusion. However, it happened that a minute later the cabin door burst open with a bang, and the sailor reeled out on to the deck. Despite his condition, this ruffian still had sufficient sense about him to realize that noise might warn the people in the neighboring boat, and if he had not had that sense, the leader of the band quickly reminded him.
"Be silent!" he called out peremptorily. "You will wake everyone with your clumsiness. Come back to the cabin."
"Right, shipmate! I jest thought I'd get on deck to look to the shaver. So there yer are, taking a mouthful of air. Jest you come along below, youngster."
The man was suspicious. There was something about this young fellow that he did not understand, and though a few minutes before he had been sure that he had gained an eager recruit for the band, for the stranger's reception of the details of the plot had been all that he could have wished for, his absence now, his disinclination to drink with his new comrades, awoke suspicion in the drink-soddened mind of the sailor.
"Jest you step below, me hearty," he said huskily; "capt'n's orders is that all hands keeps under hatches till the time comes."
"In a minute! I am watching the shore, for I think I see men moving," was the hasty answer. "Go below yourself, and say that I am keeping a watch. I will come and tell you if anything happens."
The answer seemed to satisfy the man, for he reeled back to the cabin and informed the leader that the young stranger was keeping a watch on deck.
"There ain't no harm in that," he growled, feeling that he ought to support his countryman. "The lad will tell us what's goin'. Leave him alone."
The door closed to again as the black-bearded rascal gave a grudging assent, and once more the youth was alone in the darkness. But the sudden interruption had had its effect. He saw that at any moment he might be disturbed again, and that if he did not act swiftly he might even find himself involved in this foul conspiracy, and obliged to follow the ruffians.
"Besides, it is not of myself I have to think," he muttered; "there is this other Englishman. His life is really in my hands, and I am going to do something. No more hesitating for me. I am a coward to have delayed so long already."
He stood again by the rail for a few seconds, thinking out a plan of action, and then walked on tiptoe to the stern of the boat. There was the little twinkling light again, some twenty or thirty yards astern, a guiding star in the darkness. He stared at it, measuring the distance between the two vessels, and then, clutching the rail, leaned over as far as possible.
"Pretty low in the water," he said. "With an effort I might reach the rail. Then there are the cables to be thought of. If I cannot climb aboard her from the riverside I will try to grip one of the cables. If that is out of the question, I shall get ashore and cross by the gangway."
Feverishly he began to cast off his spurs and boots, for the cabin door might open at any moment. Moreover this young fellow knew himself and his own nature. Irresolution was his besetting fault, and many a time in the past had he suffered on that account. This time he determined there should be more courageous action. He would not change his mind now, and, so that there should be no opportunity, he cast his clothing from him as swiftly as he was able, knowing well that once he was in his shirt sleeves the die was cast; for if the ruffians in the cabin came upon him then, even their soddened minds would take in the situation. They would grasp his intentions in an instant, and would realize that this their latest recruit was about to swim to the neighboring boat and give warning of their murderous intentions. Yes, and they would shoot him without mercy, of that he felt sure.