A Tale of the Western Plains by G. A. Henty

Author:G. A. Henty
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780486121727
Publisher: Dover Publications
Published: 2012-10-06T00:00:00+00:00

XII. AN INDIAN RAID

The cowboys were all mounted on horses that had not been worked for some days—Hugh was on Prince—and they got over the ground at great speed, arriving before sunset at the ruined village. There were three or four men, seven or eight women, and as many children gathered when they rode in. The men had been absent when the attack took place, the women had escaped by seizing their children and rushing out at the backs of the houses and hiding among the rocks and bushes, as soon as the yells of the Indians and the explosion of the firearms burst upon their ears.

“We heard you was coming,” one of the men said; “but I fear it is too late; they have got too far a start altogether.”

“We didn’t waste a minute,” Broncho Harry said; “we wur in the saddle three minutes after Tom brought us the news, and we have rode seventy miles since. Tom has done a hundred and forty since last night. Where is Steve Rutherford? has he been wiped out?”

“No; he wur away after a bunch of horses that had strayed. He wur camping out twenty mile away when he saw the light and guessed what it wur; he drove the horses in before him, feeling sure as he would be too late to do any good, but reckoning that they might be useful.”

“Good man,” Bronco said; “but where is he?”

“He went on alone after them,” the man said. “Some of us would have gone with him, but he reckoned he had best go alone; thar wurn’t enough of us to fight; he allowed that you boys would be here presently, for the young un here told us as Tom had ridden off with the news. Rube Garston and Jim Gattling rid off an hour later, and I reckon they will bring a few more up before morning; maybe sooner.”

“How many horses are there?”

“Fifteen of the old man’s, I reckon. They are in that corral behind his house, and I guess we have got as many more between us.”

“Then there are enough to mount us ten and as many more,” Broncho Harry said. “Ours ain’t good for no more travel to-night. Waal, we will just eat a bit, and then we shall be ready to go on. How many air there of you?”

“Six here.”

“Waal, that makes sixteen. I see three of you have got rifles, and four of us have brought rifles along with us. The only question is, which way have the red devils ridden? It air no use our following them if we haven’t a clue of some sort. I reckon Steve will be here before long; that is what he has gone for. He would know he couldn’t do any good himself, and he would be pretty well sure as we couldn’t gather here in any such force as could enter the Injun country afore this evening.”

“He took a lantern with him,” one of the boys said.

“Yes, that is it.

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