Page:Scribner's Monthly, Volume 12 (May–October 1876).djvu/30

24 "What have you got for us now, Ransom? a little whisky? Yes, that's enough; that's enough. The others are just behind."

Then, turning to Eunice: "Yes, Miss Perry. All is well that ends well. I have said that to myself and aloud for this hour's gallop. Ransom! Ransom! don't let those fools take her to water. Make Louis rub her dry. Yes, Miss Perry, We found the rascals' fire. God forgive me for calling them rascals. They are saints in white for all I know. But, really,—this whisky does go to the right place! —But, really, when you have been trying to ride down a crew of pirates for a couple of hours, it is hard to turn round and believe they were honest men.

"Yes, we found their fire. And if I ever thanked God, it was then, Miss Perry. Though why, if they were after the girls, why they should have built a fire just there by that little wet prairie, I could not tell myself. Still, there was the fire. Up till that moment, Miss Eunice—up till that moment I believed she was stark and dead under the water of the bayou. I may as well tell you so now," and he choked as he said it, and she pressed his hand, as if she would say she had been as sure of this as he.

"Yes, I thought that the painter there, or the Indians, or both together, had driven her out on that infernal cotton-wood log—I beg your pardon, Miss Eunice. I am sure the log has done me no harm, but I thought we were never to see her dear face again." And he stopped and wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand.

"So I thanked God when I saw their fire, because that confirmed what all the rest of them said. And we got off our horses, and we could see the trail was warm; they went off in a hurry. Why they did not put their fire out I did not know, more than why they lighted it.

"If we could have made a stern chase, as Ransom would say, we would have over-hauled them soon; but, this I did not dare. King knew from what he saw this morning how to take us round the edge of that wet prairie—by a trail they had followed by mistake then—and he said we could head them as they traveled, at the sloo where we lunched, if you remember. For we could see that they had one lame mule at least. They seemed to have but few beasts anyway; and, of course, none of them was a match for Bet there, or for that Crow, the bay that King rides. So I took him with me; told the others to keep the main trail slowly; and, sure enough, in an hour, more or less, King had me, just where you and Miss Inez lay under that red-oak to-day.

"And there we waited and waited; not long, not long. We could hear them grunting and paddling along, and beating the mule, till I stept out and struck an old fellow over the shoulder and cocked my pistol. They do not know much, but they knew what that meant. They all stopped meek as mice, for they thought I was an army.

"But, good Heavens! there were but four of them; three old men and a squaw, and these four miserable brutes. It was no war-party, that was clear. I could have talked to them if it were daylight. But now it was as much as ever I could see them or they me. King understood none of their gibberish, nor I. I hoped, perhaps, Adams might; meanwhile, I tied the old fellow hand and foot; he did not resist, none of them resisted. In a minute the others came up, and then we struck a light, and, after some trouble, made a fire.

"Then, when we could see, I began to talk to them in gestures, and now I can afford to laugh at it! Then I was too anxious and too mad.

"I went at the old man. You should have seen me. He said he could not answer because his hands were tied, which was reasonable. So I untied him but told him I would blow his brains out if he tried to run away. At least, I think he knew I would.

"I asked him where the girls were.

"He said we had them with us.

"I told him he lied.

"He said I did.

"I asked him again where they were, and threatened him with the pistol.

"He said he knew nothing of the girl with the long feather, since she sat there with her back to the oak-tree and mended the lacing of her shoe.

"Only think, Miss Eunice, how the dogs watch us!

"As for White Hawk, he said he sold her to Father Andres for the lame mule he had been riding, and that he supposed Father Andres sold her to me. That he had not seen her since I mounted you ladies, and White Hawk went on in advance. He said they staid and picked up what dinner the men had left, and ate it, as they had every day.

"I asked him why he left his fire. He said they were frightened. They knew we were in the saddle, and they were afraid,