The Valiant Runaways [26]
climax to the most trying day of
their lives, had flung gunpowder among their nerves.
It was midnight when they reached the pueblo. The stars illumined
fitfully the deserted huts, black in the heavy shadows. A coyote was
yapping dismally, owls hooted in the forest. Both boys had a vision of
deep beds and hot suppers on the ranchos of their respective parents,
but they shut their teeth and raided the larder. There they found well-
cured meats and dried fruits, which appeased their mighty appetites;
then they went into Anastacio's hut, and wrapping themselves in the
Mission blankets were soon asleep.
It was Adan who awoke Roldan violently in the morning.
"The soldiers!" he whispered hoarsely.
Roldan, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, peered through a rift between
the wall of the hut and the shrunken hide which formed the door. A half
dozen soldiers stood in the plaza, glancing speculatively about.
"I see no trace of them," said one. "I cannot believe they would come
back to this place. Surely it was, as I said, more natural for them to
hide at the edge of the forest until we had gone."
"That dog said there was food here, and that they were more afraid of us
than of a long walk at night. Wherever they are, we find them. They are
a prize second only to the head of Anastacio. Search the huts."
Roldan sprang to his feet, pulling Adan with him. "Come," he said;
"follow me, and run as if you were as lean as a coyote. Remember they
won't shoot."
He flung aside the hide door. The two boys flashed out and round the
corner of the hut before the tired eyes and brains of the soldiers had
time to grasp the happening. A moment later they were in hot pursuit,
firing in the air, shouting terrific threats. But the rested and agile
legs of the boys had a good start, and plunged into narrow ways where
horses could not follow; and doubling, twisting, following paths but
recently beaten by Anastacio in pursuit of deer, Roldan and Adan were
soon far beyond the reach or ken of the men of war. It was an hour,
however, before they thought it wise to arrest their flight and pause to
recuperate in a redwood tree hollowed by fire. Two weeks of exposure and
unwonted exertions had hardened Adan's superfluous flesh, and he was
scarcely more spent than his clean-limbed friend, although every step
had been taken with protest.
"Caramba!" he said, in a hoarse whisper at length. "When I am back on
the rancho I won't walk for a year."
"You will have the habit by that time, my friend, and will walk in your
sleep. When I am governor you will be generalissimo of all the forces
and will keep your army as lively as an ant-hill."
"That is too long ahead, and we have not enough wind to argue about it.
What are we going to do now? How shall we get horses to leave this
forest? Where shall we sleep to-night? What shall we have for dinner? I
could eat a whole side of venison."
"Well, you won't, my friend. Let me think."
After a time he said: "We must stay here until night. Then we will go
back to the pueblo if we can find the way. As for food, we can have none
to-day. There are no berries at this time of year, and we have nothing
to shoot game with. Other people have gone the day without food, and we
can. When we get back to the pueblo, even if we cannot reach the larder,
we can find the corral without being seen. I don't believe that the
soldiers have found it, and the Indians in charge of the mustangs will
let us have two when they know what has happened. Now, do not let us
talk. It will make us more hungry."
Adan groaned, but accepted the decree of silence. The day wore on to
noon, and in the unbroken stillness the boys ventured out of the grimy
tree and lay at full length on the turf. The great redwoods towered in
endless corridors, their straight columns unbroken by branch or twig for
a hundred and fifty feet. Through the green close arbours above came an
occasional rift of sunshine, but the aisles were full of cold green
light. The boys shivered in their coyote skin coats and
their lives, had flung gunpowder among their nerves.
It was midnight when they reached the pueblo. The stars illumined
fitfully the deserted huts, black in the heavy shadows. A coyote was
yapping dismally, owls hooted in the forest. Both boys had a vision of
deep beds and hot suppers on the ranchos of their respective parents,
but they shut their teeth and raided the larder. There they found well-
cured meats and dried fruits, which appeased their mighty appetites;
then they went into Anastacio's hut, and wrapping themselves in the
Mission blankets were soon asleep.
It was Adan who awoke Roldan violently in the morning.
"The soldiers!" he whispered hoarsely.
Roldan, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, peered through a rift between
the wall of the hut and the shrunken hide which formed the door. A half
dozen soldiers stood in the plaza, glancing speculatively about.
"I see no trace of them," said one. "I cannot believe they would come
back to this place. Surely it was, as I said, more natural for them to
hide at the edge of the forest until we had gone."
"That dog said there was food here, and that they were more afraid of us
than of a long walk at night. Wherever they are, we find them. They are
a prize second only to the head of Anastacio. Search the huts."
Roldan sprang to his feet, pulling Adan with him. "Come," he said;
"follow me, and run as if you were as lean as a coyote. Remember they
won't shoot."
He flung aside the hide door. The two boys flashed out and round the
corner of the hut before the tired eyes and brains of the soldiers had
time to grasp the happening. A moment later they were in hot pursuit,
firing in the air, shouting terrific threats. But the rested and agile
legs of the boys had a good start, and plunged into narrow ways where
horses could not follow; and doubling, twisting, following paths but
recently beaten by Anastacio in pursuit of deer, Roldan and Adan were
soon far beyond the reach or ken of the men of war. It was an hour,
however, before they thought it wise to arrest their flight and pause to
recuperate in a redwood tree hollowed by fire. Two weeks of exposure and
unwonted exertions had hardened Adan's superfluous flesh, and he was
scarcely more spent than his clean-limbed friend, although every step
had been taken with protest.
"Caramba!" he said, in a hoarse whisper at length. "When I am back on
the rancho I won't walk for a year."
"You will have the habit by that time, my friend, and will walk in your
sleep. When I am governor you will be generalissimo of all the forces
and will keep your army as lively as an ant-hill."
"That is too long ahead, and we have not enough wind to argue about it.
What are we going to do now? How shall we get horses to leave this
forest? Where shall we sleep to-night? What shall we have for dinner? I
could eat a whole side of venison."
"Well, you won't, my friend. Let me think."
After a time he said: "We must stay here until night. Then we will go
back to the pueblo if we can find the way. As for food, we can have none
to-day. There are no berries at this time of year, and we have nothing
to shoot game with. Other people have gone the day without food, and we
can. When we get back to the pueblo, even if we cannot reach the larder,
we can find the corral without being seen. I don't believe that the
soldiers have found it, and the Indians in charge of the mustangs will
let us have two when they know what has happened. Now, do not let us
talk. It will make us more hungry."
Adan groaned, but accepted the decree of silence. The day wore on to
noon, and in the unbroken stillness the boys ventured out of the grimy
tree and lay at full length on the turf. The great redwoods towered in
endless corridors, their straight columns unbroken by branch or twig for
a hundred and fifty feet. Through the green close arbours above came an
occasional rift of sunshine, but the aisles were full of cold green
light. The boys shivered in their coyote skin coats and