Books: The Pony Rider Boys in Montana
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Frank Gee Patchin >> The Pony Rider Boys in Montana
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CHAPTER XXIII
IN THE HOME OF THE BLACKFEET
Their coming was greeted by the loud barking of dogs, while from the
tepees appeared as if by magic, women and children, together with
innumerable braves and boys.
They fairly swarmed out into the open space in front of the camp,
setting up a shout as they recognized the newcomers.
"They seem to be mighty glad to see us,"
growled Tad. "Wish I could say as much for them."
The ponies, seeming to share the general good feeling, pricked up
their ears and dashed into the camp at a gallop, Pink-eye with the
rest. Almost before the little animals had come to a stop, the
braves threw themselves from their saddles and darted into their
tepees.
"They seem to have left me out of it, so I guess I'll go back,"
decided the lad half humorously. But he was given no chance to slip
away. The young brave who had accompanied his chief, came running
out and grasped the pony by its bridle.
"Boy, git off," he said.
Tad threw a leg over the pommel and landed on the ground. He could
hardly stand, so stiff were his legs.
The young brave took him into one of the tepees, held the flap aside
while Tad entered, then closed it. The lad heard him moving
away. Tired out and dispirited, Tad Butler threw himself down on the
grass and, in spite of his troubles, was asleep in a few moments.
A dog barking in front of his tepee awakened him. The boy pulled the
flap aside ever so little and peered out. He was surprised to find
that the sun was setting. He had been asleep practically all day
long.
Scrambling to his feet hastily the lad stepped outside. He did not
know whether he would be permitted to roam about, but he proposed to
try. The answer came quickly. A brave whom he had not seen before
suddenly appeared and, with a grunt of disapproval, grabbed Tad by
the arms, fairly flinging him into the tepee.
The lad's cheeks burned with indignation.
"I'll teach them to insult me like that," he fumed, shaking his fist
toward the opening. "I'll look out anyway."
He did so, prudently drawing the flap close whenever he heard anyone
approaching. Once as he peered out, a disreputable looking cur
snapped at his legs. First, the lad coaxed the animal, then tried to
drive him away, finally administering a kick that sent the dog away
howling.
"I've got revenge on one of the gang anyway," he laughed. "But it's
not much of a revenge, at that. I wonder if they are going to bring
me anything to eat. I----"
The flap was suddenly jerked aside and the face of the chief
appeared in the opening.
"How," greeted Chief Willy.
"How," answered Tad rather sullenly. "What do you want?"
"Paleface want eat?"
"You ought not to have to ask that question. So you can talk
English just a little bit? Chief, when are you going to let me go
away from here? It will only get you into trouble if you try to
keep me. They are sure to find me."
"No find," grunted the chief.
"Oh, yes they will."
"Ugh," answered the redskin, hastily withdrawing. Then followed
another long period when Tad was left alone with his thoughts.
"I wonder two things," thought the lad aloud. "I wonder what he
brought me here for and I wonder when I am going to get something to
eat? Captured by the Indians, eh? That's more than the rest of the
Pony Riders can say."
Yet there was a more serious side to it all. They had taken him
prisoner for some purpose, but what that purpose was he could not
imagine.
His thoughts were interrupted by some one silently entering the
tent. Glancing up, Tad saw a slender, rather pretty Indian girl
standing there looking down at him.
The boy scrambled to his feet and took off his sombrero.
"How," he said.
The girl answered in kind. Then she placed on the ground before him
a bowl of soup and a plate of steaming stew. Tad sniffed the odor
of mutton, which now was so familiar to him, wondering at the same
time, if it had come from Mr. Simms's flock.
"Thank you," he said. "If you will excuse me I will eat. I'm awfully
hungry.
She nodded and Tad went at the meal almost ravenously. The Indian
girl squatted down on the ground and watched him.
"What's your name?" he asked between mouthfuls.
"Jinny."
"That's a funny name. Doesn't sound like an Indian name. Is it?"
"Me not know. Young buck heap big eat," she added.
"Yes. Oh, yes, I have something of an appetite," laughed Tad.
"Jinny, what are they going to do with me, do you know?"
The girl shook her head with emphasis.
"What tribe is this?"
"Blackfeet. Other paleface boy here too."
Tad set down his plate and surveyed her inquiringly.
"Say that again, please. You say there's another paleface boy here
in this village?"
Jinny nodded vigorously.
"Who is he?"
"Jinny not know."
"When did he--how long has he been here?"
"Sun-up."
"This morning?"
"Yes. He there," pointing with a finger to the lower end of the
village.
Tad's curiosity was aroused. He wondered if another besides himself
had been made an unwilling guest by the Blackfeet wanderers. If so,
it must have been by another party. A sudden thought occurred to
him. Tad was wearing a cheap ring on the little finger of his left
hand. He had picked up the ring on the plains in Texas. Hastily
stripping it from his finger he handed it to the girl.
"Want it, Jinny?"
She did. Her eyes sparkled as she slipped it on her own finger and
held it off to view the effect.
"Thank," she said, turning her glowing eyes on Tad.
"You're welcome. But now I want you to do something for me. I'll
send you another, a big, big ring when I get home, if you will help
me to get away from here."
Jinny eyed him steadily for a few seconds, then shook her head.
"I'll send you beads, too, Jinny--beads like the paleface ladies
wear."
"You send Jinny white woman beads!"
"I promise you."
"Me help um little paleface buck. Me help um two," she added,
holding up two fingers. Without another word, she slipped from the
tepee as silently as she had come.
Tad pondered over this last remark for some time. He did not
understand what Jinny had meant.
"So I'm a buck, am I? That's one thing I haven't been called before
since I have been out on the range. She said she would help me to
get away. I wonder when she is going to do it."
Though Tad waited patiently until late in the evening, he saw no
more of the little Indian girl. Shortly after dark several
camp-fires were lighted, the cheerful blazes lighting up the street
or common in front of the row of tepees in which his own was
located.
Children played about the fires, the dogs were disputing over the
bones tossed to them after the evening meal, while the squaws and
braves, gathered in separate groups, were squatting about,
gesticulating and talking.
To Tad Butler the scene held a real interest. He had never before
seen an Indian camp, and least of all been a prisoner in it. He lay
down on his stomach, with elbows on the ground, chin in hands, and
gazed out over the village curiously.
"I wonder who that other boy is," he mused. "I presume he is a
prisoner, too. Hello, there's my guard."
An Indian, with knees clasped in his arms, was rocking to and fro a
little distance from the tepee. Though he was not looking toward
Tad's tent, the lad felt sure the fellow had been placed there to
watch him. He understood then why Jinny had not been to the tepee
since bringing his meal.
Finally the camp quieted down, the fires smouldered and the dogs
stretched out before them for sleep. Tad Butler's tired head drooped
lower and lower, his elbows settling until his arms were down and he
was lying prone upon the ground, sound asleep.
After a time the Indian whom the lad had seen sitting out in front
rose, and, stepping softly to the tepee, looked in. He gave a grunt
of satisfaction, threw himself down right at the entrance and was
snoring heavily half a minute later.
The camp slumbered on undisturbed until aroused by the ill-natured
curs at daybreak next morning.
Tad was awakened by one of them barking at his door and snapping at
him. Suddenly pulling his flap open, he hurled his sombrero in the
dog's face, frightening it, so that it slunk away with a howl. Tad,
laughing heartily, reached out and recovered the hat.
"Hey, there, I want to wash," he called to a brave who was
passing. The redskin paid no attention to him. "All right, if you
won't, then I'll go without you."
He stepped boldly from the tepee and headed for a small stream at
the left of the village, which he had observed on the previous
day. He had not gone far before he observed that he was being
followed at a distance. He did not let it appear that he noticed
this, and after making his toilet strolled back to his tepee.
Tad shrewdly reasoned that if he could induce them to relax their
vigilance over him, he would have a better chance to make his
escape, and he determined that he would act as if he had no
intention of leaving.
He made an effort to find out where they had tethered Pink-eye, but
there were no signs of ponies anywhere. He knew, however, that they
could not be far away, for the Indian always keeps in touch with his
mount.
Jinny came with his breakfast at sunrise. He noticed the first thing
that she was not wearing the ring he had given her, but before he
had an opportunity to comment on it, the girl drew the ring from a
pocket, placed it on a finger and fell to admiring it.
Tad laughed and turned to his breakfast. This consisted of a big
bowl of corn meal, steaming hot, with some cold mutton on the
side. Frankly, he admitted to himself that he had eaten far worse
meals in more civilized communities.
"Good morning, Jinny. I was so much interested in the breakfast that
I forgot to say it when you first came in. This is very good. Did
you cook it?"
She nodded.
"I thought so. You beat Old Hicks's cooking already. Hicks is the
cook out on Mr. Simms's sheep ranch, where I come from. Understand?"
"Yes."
"I thought you were going to help me to escape," said Tad, suddenly
leaning toward her. "Aren't you?"
Jinny made a sign for silence, and then went to the opening and
peered out cautiously. She returned, and, placing her mouth close to
the lad's ear, whispered, "Byrneby."
Tad could scarcely repress a laugh at the tragic tone in which she
said it. Yet his face was perfectly sober and he continued with his
breakfast without further comment.
Jinny gathered up the dishes and left him without a word. After a
time the boy pulled back the flaps and sat down to watch the life of
the camp by daylight. The squaws were busily at work, carrying wood
and engaged in other occupations, though few of the braves were to
be seen. The boy concluded that they must be sleeping.
The hours dragged along slowly. It seemed an age until night came
once more. Somehow he felt that the night would bring him good
luck. A warning glance from the Indian girl when she brought his
supper told him that conversation were better not indulged in, so he
said nothing to her. She left the dishes with him and went away at
once.
That night Tad sat up until late, hoping vainly for word from Jinny,
but none came. When the guard approached the tent along toward
midnight, Tad feigned sleep, and so well did he feign it that he
really went to sleep.
He thought he had been napping but a few moments, when a peculiar
scratching sound on the back of his tepee brought him up sitting,
every nerve on the alert.
Tad peered out through the flap. The guard was asleep. He crept back
to the other side of the tepee and scratched on the tepee wall with
his finger-nail.
"S-h-h."
The warning was accompanied by a slight ripping sound, and he knew
the wall was being slit with a knife.
"Paleface buck, come with Jinny," whispered a voice in his ear.
CHAPTER XXIV
CONCLUSION
Grasping the lad by the arm, the Indian girl led him cautiously
straight back from the tepee, guiding him in the darkness
unerringly, around all obstructions.
After proceeding in a straight line for some distance, she turned
and made a wide detour around the camp. He could tell this by the
light of the smouldering camp-fires. He dared ask no questions until
Jinny had given him permission to speak, which was not until they
had left the camp some distance behind them. She paused suddenly and
faced him.
"You send Jinny ring?"
"Yes, I promised you."
"You send beads like white women wear?"
"Of course I will."
"Then come. Ponies here. Boy here."
Not understanding her latter words, Tad followed obediently, passing
around a point of rocks.
"Here ponies. Here boy."
"O Tad, is that you?" exclaimed a tremulous voice.
"Who's that?" demanded Tad sharply.
"It's Phil. O Tad!"
"Phil!" cried the lad, grasping the boy about the neck and hugging
him delightedly. "They got you too, did they? Oh, I'm so glad I've
found you! You must tell me all about it, hut not now. We've got to
get away from here. Thank you, Jinny. I shall never forget this. I_"
"You send Jinny beads?" demanded the girl suggestively.
"Indeed you shall have the finest set of beads that an Indian girl
ever wore, even if it takes all my money to buy them. Now which way
shall we go?"
"Go river."
"Where is it?"
She took his hand in the darkness and pointed with it in the
direction where the river lay.
"Yes, yes, I know. Then where?"
"Find white man. He tell um. Jinny not know."
She pressed something into his hand.
"What's this?" asked Tad sharply.
"Knife. Mebbyso brave catch um paleface buck."
Tad caught the significance of her words instantly.
"No, Jinny, thank you very much. I couldn't do that. You keep the
knife. I shall not need it, but you shall have the beads just the
same."
"Ugh! Go pony. Go quick. Braves him follow." She pointed back toward
the camp, and, grasping Tad by the arm, hurried him toward the
ponies.
"When?"
"Come now," she insisted.
Tad felt a sudden thrill as he heard a great commotion back in the
camp.
"We've got to hurry, Phil. I guess they have discovered our
escape. You run, Jinny. Run back. Don't you let them know you helped
us. Say, what will the chief do if he finds it out?" demanded the
boy, pausing sharply.
"Huh. Jinny no afraid chief. Jinny laugh in chief face. Bye."
She disappeared with surprising suddenness.
"Quick, Phil! Get on your pony and follow me. Keep close to me."
"I am on," answered the boy bravely. "It's my pony, too."
"And so is this one mine. It's Pink-eye." "What's that noise!" asked
Phil in a tremulous voice.
"Hi-yi-yip-yah--yah-hi-yah!" rang out the Indian war cry, as the
braves threw themselves on the bare backs of their ponies and tore
from the village, going in all directions.
Tad drove the spurs in viciously.
"Quick! Quick, Phil! They're after us."
"I'm coming."
Both ponies sprang away in the darkness, the lads clinging to the
saddles, none too sure of the path that lay before them, and riding
desperately.
Bang, bang, bang!
Three rifle shots rang out in quick succession, and the boys
imagined they could hear the bullets sing over their heads.
"Hi-yi-yip--yah-hi-yah!"
"They're gaining on us. They're gaining, Phil. Ride for your life!"
The shrill yells of the Indians sounded much closer. The boys
believed that their enemies had picked up the trail.
"We have got to do something, and do it quick. We've got to outwit
them," shouted Tad.
"What--what"----
"I'll tell you. When we think they are getting too near, I'll pull
over by you and take you on my pony. We'll send the other one flying
on while we turn off," decided Tad.
The time for the change came a few moments later. The Indians were
gaining on them every second. Now the "hi-yi-yip--yah-hi-yah"
sounded as if it was being shrieked into their ears.
Tad drove Pink-eye right against the other pony.
"Jump!" he commanded, and Phil landed on Pink-eye's back without
mishap, while Tad, giving a vicious kick to the free pony, turned
off to the left a little and drove his pony at a run. They reached
the river. As the pony plunged in the boys slipped off on opposite
sides of him, hanging to the saddle while the pony swam.
"Hang on tightly. Don't let go. There is a strong current here."
They could hear the savages racing up and down the river bank,
shouting and shooting and searching vainly for the other pony. Every
minute Tad expected to hear them take to the river, but for some
reason they did not do so. After a chilling swim, the boys at last
reached the other bank, and, shaking the water from their clothes as
best they could, both mounted the one pony and struck off, guided by
the stars alone.
They continued on until daylight, having heard nothing more of the
Indians. Both boys were shivering with cold and exhausted for want
of something to eat after their trying night.
Tad learned from his companion that he had been taken by white men
and turned over to the Indians for some purpose unknown to him. Phil
described his captor as a man with a scar on his temple and having a
red beard.
Shortly after sunrise they came upon a flock of sheep, and soon
after they were at the house of a rancher, where the boys told their
story. The owner of the ranch knew Mr. Simms well, and besides
providing Phil with a pony, sent one of his own men to pilot the
boys home.
They rode into the Simms camp about midnight, rousing the camp with
their shouts. And the jollification that followed the safe return of
Phil and his rescuer did the hearts of both boys good. There was no
sleep in the Simms outfit that night.
Tad and Phil were obliged to tell the story of their experiences
over and over again, while the other boys listened in wide-eyed
wonder.
Mr. Simms was of the opinion that, having taken Phil, the Indians
picked up Tad so that he might not report their being off the
reservation.
"At any rate we have got the man, thanks to your description," he
added.
"What, the man with the scar?"
"Yes. He is the cattle rancher whom Luke insisted was such a friend
of his. I took a long chance and had the sheriff arrest him
to-day. He is being held until you take a look to see if you can
identify him. I hope you will be able to."
"Where is he?" asked the lad. "Tied up in the chuck wagon. I'll have
him brought over."
"Hello, Bluff," greeted Tad, the instant he set eyes on the surly
face of the prisoner.
"Hello, kid. Never saw me before, did you?"
"I should say I had. That's the man, Mr. Simms. There can be no
doubt about it."
"And he is the fellow who caught and turned me over to the Indians,"
added Philip, shrinking away from the bearded face.
"Then I guess there is nothing more to he said," announced
Mr. Simms, with a grim smile. "This man has been doing a crooked
business for years, all up and down the trail. Of course he had
accomplices, but we shall hardly get them. Nobody suspected him. The
frequent thefts of stock and the killing of sheep was a mystery
until you solved it, Master Tad. I wish I knew how to express my
appreciation of what you have done for us."
"There is one favor you can do for me if you will, Mr. Simms."
"It is already granted. Name it."
"I wish you would see that Jinny gets the beads I promised her and
which I am going to buy as soon as I get where I can."
"She shall have them," replied the rancher, "and a present from me,
besides. I'll send one of my men to the Blackfeet Agency especially
to deliver your present and mine to the Indian girl."
"Thank you."
"To-morrow we shall have to go back to town with the sheriff and his
prisoner. I should like to have you accompany us if you will. The
prosecuting attorney can take your deposition and thus avoid the
necessity of your having to wait for the trial. You are free to
continue on your trip then, if you desire."
"Of course he will go with you," spoke up the Professor, who, up to
that point, had been too deeply absorbed in the developments of the
hour to offer any comment. "All of us will accompany you. Boys, you
had better get your belongings together before we turn in, as I
imagine Mr. Simms will want to make an early start in the morning. I
guess you are all pretty well satisfied with what you have seen of
the old Custer trail."
"Yes," shouted the boys. "We've had a great time."
"At least some of us have," smiled Tad.
At Forsythe next day Tad Butler and young Philip Simms appeared
against the prisoner. As the result of their positive identification
and further testimony, Bluff broke down. He made a full confession,
implicating others who had been concerned with him in various
misdeeds along the trail, each of whom was eventually brought to
justice and punished.
Their presence being no longer necessary in Forsythe, that afternoon
the Pony Rider Boys boarded a sleeping car, loudly cheered by a
crowd of enthusiastic ranchers and villagers, who had gathered to
see them off. And there, with their four smiling faces framed in the
Pullman windows, we shall take leave of the Pony Rider Boys. They
will next be heard from in another volume, entitled, "THE PONY RIDER
BOYS IN THE OZARKS, or the Secret of Ruby Mountain," a stirring tale
of adventure and daring deeds among the Missouri mountains, in which
the lads pass through many perils.
THE END.
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