The Valiant Runaways [9]
fixed upon Roldan. He raised his pistol, and
the rattler was beheaded as neatly as if it were stuffed and dismembered
with a pen knife. It shot out to full length, and the clever marksman
took it by its horny tail and dragged it to the fire.
"He didn't know that we'd have him for supper," said Adan, gleefully.
"Here, let us eat our steak and then I'll skin him."
The steak proved tough, and when it had been disposed of with many
grumblings, the rattlesnake was skinned and roasted, and proved very
delicate and edible.
"Now," said Roldan, "we must sleep." Their clothes being dry they
dressed; and after inspecting with a torch a circle of about two hundred
yards to see that there were no snake holes, they built a hasty ring of
chaparral, set fire to it that beasts and reptiles should keep their
distance, then lay down and slept. Roldan was always a light sleeper,
and with the fire on his mind awoke every few hours and gathered fresh
chaparral or roused the heavier Adan. Coyotes wailed in the distance,
and once as Roldan gathered brush he heard again the deadly rattle. But
they were not disturbed, and even the skies were kind, for although
clouds gathered, they passed.
They awoke in the morning, fresh and vigorous--but also hungry; and
there was little to eat.
"I don't think I should fancy rattlesnake for breakfast," said Roldan,
and Adan shuddered at the mere thought. They cooked a small piece of
meat, all that was left of their store, and it but whetted their
appetite.
"There's only one thing to do," said Roldan, "and that is to get to the
Mission as quickly as possible. Chocolate! Beans! possibly chicken!
Think of it. Come! Come!"
Adan scrambled to his feet and saddled the mustang. It was agreed that
they should ride him by turns, the other running at a brisk trot.
The sun was barely up when they started. A light mist lay on the
turbulent waters and puffed among the sweet-scented chaparral. Roldan
rode during the first hour, Adan running ahead, his glance darting from
right to left, but encountering eyes neither malignant nor savage.
Shortly after he mounted the horse the mist lifted and rolled back to
the ocean. They had left the chaparral some time before and now
discovered that they were in an open plain. In the distance were high
hills over which wound a white trail. Between these hills and the
travellers was a moving mass of something. Adan reined in suddenly.
"Roldan," he said, "are those horses? You have the longer sight."
Roldan made a funnel of his hand. "Surely, surely!" he cried. "What
luck! I hate walking. They are probably wild, but I never saw the
mustang I could not lasso."
"Yes, you can do the lassoing," said Adan, grimly. "My thumb nearly went
off last night, and is twice its size."
"Adan," said his friend, laying his hand on his comrade's knee. "I
haven't thanked you. I haven't mentioned it; but it is because--well--I
lay awake an hour last night trying to think of something to say--and--
and--thinking that I loved you better than my own brothers--"
"That will do, then," said Adan, gruffly. "We'll be kissing each other
in a minute as we did at the Hacienda Perez; and I think that we are
getting too big for that. I hear that American boys never kiss each
other."
"Don't they?" asked Roldan, pricking up his ears. "How I should like to
know some American boys. They must know so many things that we do not.
Who told you?"
"Antonio Scarpia has been in America, you know--in Boston. He came back
last month and rode over a few days ago for the night. I asked him many
questions. He says they never show any feeling except when they get mad,
and that they walk and row and play ball--with the feet, caramba!--and
run about in the snow. He says they would think we were like girls with
our fine clothes and our hammocks--"
"Girls!" cried Roldan, indignantly. "I'd like to see American or any
other boys do better with that bear than we did, or lasso a friend in
the midst of a boiling river as you did. And if they come here to laugh
the rattler was beheaded as neatly as if it were stuffed and dismembered
with a pen knife. It shot out to full length, and the clever marksman
took it by its horny tail and dragged it to the fire.
"He didn't know that we'd have him for supper," said Adan, gleefully.
"Here, let us eat our steak and then I'll skin him."
The steak proved tough, and when it had been disposed of with many
grumblings, the rattlesnake was skinned and roasted, and proved very
delicate and edible.
"Now," said Roldan, "we must sleep." Their clothes being dry they
dressed; and after inspecting with a torch a circle of about two hundred
yards to see that there were no snake holes, they built a hasty ring of
chaparral, set fire to it that beasts and reptiles should keep their
distance, then lay down and slept. Roldan was always a light sleeper,
and with the fire on his mind awoke every few hours and gathered fresh
chaparral or roused the heavier Adan. Coyotes wailed in the distance,
and once as Roldan gathered brush he heard again the deadly rattle. But
they were not disturbed, and even the skies were kind, for although
clouds gathered, they passed.
They awoke in the morning, fresh and vigorous--but also hungry; and
there was little to eat.
"I don't think I should fancy rattlesnake for breakfast," said Roldan,
and Adan shuddered at the mere thought. They cooked a small piece of
meat, all that was left of their store, and it but whetted their
appetite.
"There's only one thing to do," said Roldan, "and that is to get to the
Mission as quickly as possible. Chocolate! Beans! possibly chicken!
Think of it. Come! Come!"
Adan scrambled to his feet and saddled the mustang. It was agreed that
they should ride him by turns, the other running at a brisk trot.
The sun was barely up when they started. A light mist lay on the
turbulent waters and puffed among the sweet-scented chaparral. Roldan
rode during the first hour, Adan running ahead, his glance darting from
right to left, but encountering eyes neither malignant nor savage.
Shortly after he mounted the horse the mist lifted and rolled back to
the ocean. They had left the chaparral some time before and now
discovered that they were in an open plain. In the distance were high
hills over which wound a white trail. Between these hills and the
travellers was a moving mass of something. Adan reined in suddenly.
"Roldan," he said, "are those horses? You have the longer sight."
Roldan made a funnel of his hand. "Surely, surely!" he cried. "What
luck! I hate walking. They are probably wild, but I never saw the
mustang I could not lasso."
"Yes, you can do the lassoing," said Adan, grimly. "My thumb nearly went
off last night, and is twice its size."
"Adan," said his friend, laying his hand on his comrade's knee. "I
haven't thanked you. I haven't mentioned it; but it is because--well--I
lay awake an hour last night trying to think of something to say--and--
and--thinking that I loved you better than my own brothers--"
"That will do, then," said Adan, gruffly. "We'll be kissing each other
in a minute as we did at the Hacienda Perez; and I think that we are
getting too big for that. I hear that American boys never kiss each
other."
"Don't they?" asked Roldan, pricking up his ears. "How I should like to
know some American boys. They must know so many things that we do not.
Who told you?"
"Antonio Scarpia has been in America, you know--in Boston. He came back
last month and rode over a few days ago for the night. I asked him many
questions. He says they never show any feeling except when they get mad,
and that they walk and row and play ball--with the feet, caramba!--and
run about in the snow. He says they would think we were like girls with
our fine clothes and our hammocks--"
"Girls!" cried Roldan, indignantly. "I'd like to see American or any
other boys do better with that bear than we did, or lasso a friend in
the midst of a boiling river as you did. And if they come here to laugh