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The Indian was raising his rifle to take aim, when a man rushed forward to prevent him. It was Garey! "No, yer don't! No!" cried he, clutching the levelled rifle; "she's deceived me, that's plain, but I won't see the gal that once loved me, or said she did, in the trap that a-way. No! Bill Garey ain't a-goin' to stand by and see it." "What is this?" shouted the Indian, in a voice of thunder.
If ever I sets my peepers on Bill Garey agin, I'll make that niggur larf till his guts ache. Ole Rube tuk for a grizzly! If that ain't Ha! ha! ha! ha! He! he! he! Ho! ho! hoo!" And the old trapper chuckled at the conceit, as if he had just been witnessing some scene of amusement, and there was not an enemy within a hundred miles of him. "Did you see anything of Seguin?"
"Who dares to interrupt me?" "I dares," replied Garey. "She's yourn now, I suppose. You may take her whar ye like; and take this too," continued he, tearing off the embroidered pipe-case, and flinging it at the Indian's feet; "but ye're not a-goin' to shoot her down whiles I stand by." "By what right do you interrupt me? My sister is not afraid, and " "Your sister!" "Yes, my sister."
"I didn't say we could take them on the paraira. We kin foller them till they're in the mountains, an' git them among the rocks. That's what I advise." "Ay. They can't run away from us with that drove. That's sartin." "They have no notion of running away. They will most likely attack us." "That's jest what we want," said Garey. "We kin go yonder, and fight them till they've had a bellyful."
The cracks were simultaneous; and the crane, dropping its long neck, came whirling down among the trees, where it caught upon a high branch, and remained. From their position neither party knew that the other had fired. A tent was between them, and the two reports had seemed as one. A trapper cried out "Well done, Garey!
Garey continued pacing back and forth, now glancing up at the sky, and at times kneeling down, and running his hand over the surface of the snow. At length he approached the fire, and in his slow, drawling manner, remarked "`It's a-gwine to friz, I reckin. "`Well! and if it does? asked one of his comrades, without caring for an answer to the question.
There they were to remain until they had ascertained what direction the Indians should take after leaving the spring, when they were to hurry forward and join the band with their tidings. All these arrangements having been completed as Rube and Garey came up, we mounted our horses and rode by a circuitous route for the mountain foot.
Among them were El Sol and Garey, Rube, and the bull-fighter Sanchez. Seguin and I were of the number. Most of the trappers, with a few Delaware Indians, completed the complement. The twenty were soon selected; and, stepping out on the open ground, as the Navajoes had done, we piled our rifles in the presence of the enemy. Our captives were then mounted and made ready for starting.
After making answer as above, the old fellow sat for some time with his head between his knees, chewing, mumbling, and growling, like a lean old wolf, angry at being disturbed in his meal. "Come hyar, Rube! I want ye a bit," continued Garey, in a tone of half entreaty. "And so 'ee will want me a bit; this child don't move a peg till he has cleaned this hyur rib; he don't, now!"
"Wal," continued Garey, "thar's some difference atween us in point o' pluck, I reckin; and what's wantin' in number we'll make up wi' our rifles. I never valleys two to one wi' Injuns, an' a trifle throw'd in, if ye like." "Look at the ground, Bill! It's all plain. Whar would we be after a volley? They'd have the advantage wi' their bows and lances. Wagh! they could spear us to pieces thar!"
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