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They seemed puzzled at our appearance. It was still too dark for them to distinguish our complexions. Soon, however, it grew clearer; our peculiar dress and equipments were recognised; and a wild yell, the Navajo war-cry, came pealing over the abyss! "It's Dacoma's party!" cried a voice, "they have taken the wrong side o' the gully."
"I will follow your advice," cried Seguin, his eye brightening with the anticipation of a happy result. "Thur's no time to be wasted, then, cap; if Dacoma's men makes thur appearance, all I've been a-sayin' won't be worth the skin o' a sand-rat." "Not a moment shall be lost;" and Seguin gave orders to make ready the flag of peace.
They knew that he was devising some plan of action, and they patiently awaited the result. On the other side, the Indians showed no signs of impatience. They cared not how much time was consumed, for they hoped that by this time Dacoma's party would be on their trail. They sat still, exchanging their thoughts in grunts and short phrases, while many of them filled up the intervals with laughter.
One thing may have prevented them from attacking the town: the separation of Dacoma's party, which would leave them too weak for that; but still the more danger to the small settlements both north and south of it." The uneasiness I had hitherto felt arose from an expression which Seguin had dropped at the Pinon spring.
"I'm afeerd we mout fall in wi' Dacoma's niggurs on the back track; that's what I'm afeerd on." "True; it is most probable." "It ur, unless they got overtuk in the kenyon; an I don't think it. They understan' that crik too well." The probability of Dacoma's band soon joining those of the head chief was apparent to all, and cast a shadow of despondency over every face.
"No," exclaimed another, "thar's too few o' them for Dacoma's men. Thar ain't over a hundred." "Maybe the flood tuk the rest," suggested the first speaker. "Wagh! how could they 'a missed our trail, that's as plain as a waggon track? 'Tain't them nohow." "Who then? It's Navagh. I kud tell thar yelp if I wur sleepin'." "Them's head chief's niggurs," said Rube, at this moment riding forward.
We knew, moreover, that smoking the peace-pipe would be another waste of time; and we were on thorns about the approach of Dacoma's party. But the proposal had come from the enemy, and they were obstinate. We could urge no objections to it without betraying our designs; and we were compelled, though loth, to accept it.
Seguin ordered them back. A stormy altercation ensued; in short, a mutiny. In vain Seguin urged the necessity of our hastening forward to the town. In vain he represented the danger we were in of being overtaken by Dacoma's party, who by this time were upon our trail.
They believed that Dacoma's band had been destroyed, as well as their women and children; and they threatened us with shouts and gestures. In the midst of all this, we noticed a movement among the more staid warriors. A consultation was going on. It ended. A party were seen to gallop toward the captive women, who had been left far back upon the plain.
Not finding him there, should they not discover our tracks, they would return upon the war-trail to their country. This, we all saw, would render our expedition impracticable, as Dacoma's band alone outnumbered us; and should we meet them in their mountain fastnesses, we should have no chance of escape. For some time Seguin remained silent, with his eyes fixed on the ground.
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