Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/391

374 874 A NEW SCHEMB^ OP THE INDIANS. because of never before having trouble daring day light, the stock vtras some distance from camp on ex- tra good grass, and every man was reclining on the ground eating; the country, now being traversed was Just beginning to change from plains to rolling or mountainous, otherwise the incident about to be re- lated would in all probability never have transpired. The majority of the Indians had ceased to foUow, but a few were determined to endeavor to procure the coveted prize. The location of the camp was very favorable for the contemplated raid; it was the watch- ful old JaramUlo who first observed something un- usual with the stock, and called a,ttention to the fact that four of the horses had their heads turned direct- ly from the camp and were farther away, but not a man could observe the cause, but instinctively all re- alized that something was wrong, and every man's brain was in a whirl, for they were never more sur- prised; but Coronado ordered half the men only to hasten toward the tethered horses and learu the cause of liie strange incident, but kept half his com- mand to be on the alert for a surprise, and it was well as events proved. Alonso was to command the party sent to investigate the strange action of the horses, while his chief cared for the camp. One thing Alon- so was sure of was that his horse was quite a dis- tance from the' spot where he had left him, but still he could only observe that four of the horses were getting to be quite a distance off; then the well-known whistle of his master was heard by Babieca, where- upon was seen the cause of the mysterious action of the horBes, for no sooner did the sound reacli Alon-