The Red Mustang

ls and wolves and antelopes, and even grim old buffalo bulls, had used that swelling mound for a lookout station. Mountains in the distance and a great sweep of the plains could be seen

e perfection of his shape and the easy grace of his movements. He was a fiery, powerful fellow, and he appeared to have some constitutional objection to standing still. T

rned face was all aglow with health and who seemed to feel altogether at home in the stirrups. He wore a palm-leaf sombrero, a blue flan

se cattle! Look at all those horses! I'd rather own Santa Lucia ranch and ride Dick

ections, as if it were part of his business to know if anything besides cattle were stirring between that

one great drove, but were scattered in larger and smaller gangs, here and there, and were busily feeding. Something like half a regim

id his master. "Are

pressed curvet was Dick's reply, and

? What's the matte

ection and was permitted to bound away to meet a horse

were drawn so suddenly as almost to

the matt

, Cal, I

n. It was as if he were mentioning some important but altogether matter-of-course part of a cowboy's daily business. He added, in even a quieter tone and manner, as his horse came to a standstill, "I s

ealth, and his eyes were flashing, but he made an effort

sked, as he followed Sam's quick

All of 'em, except the braves that took after me, went for

Were there enough of them

eef handy. They won't think of driving off any horned critters. Too slow, my

the dark, almost wooden sternness of th

ou say you

ony that seemed to go down. Didn't either of 'em get up, tha

entences, and his long-lashed, short-handled whip was whi

them?" asked Cal, the

n a hundred head. We've got about two hundred here, but your f

rses," said Cal.

hey seemed to swarm all around. 'Paches, of course, but it's a curiosity where they came from. We mus

the woods ahead of the horses. It must be dreadfully aggravating to any mule to hear such a yell

and savage and startling in the sounds with which Sam encouraged the whole drove t

They're all a-going. Never

d Cal, at that moment, and then h

"We'll reach good cover before they

emed to be uncommonly alive, and the horse he was on dash

he end of another minute. "More'n a dozen

Sam. "We're going to save every hoof of this lot, but they may ge

out ahead, and the heavier, slower animals were sagging behind as a sort of rear-guard. Sam worked vigorously for the rescue of those slow horses, and he hardly turned

lonel 'll say I was right. I'll save his boy for him if I have to lose th

every nerve of his body seemed to be all a tingle of excitement. He was now able to think abo

es. The middle of it was a winding ravine or slough, and at some seasons it was a river, instead of a string of ponds for buffalo wallows. All the wild or tame quadrupeds on that plain knew the value of Slater's Branch, and some of them, an

and settled for life on its banks, making a timber-belt thick and t

rt of sheltering look, and he was particularly glad to be galloping nearer and nearer, for there was an unpleas

can't have any more out of your father's corral. The critters are getting into

into the woods, then?"

e young bucks they may; but not if there's a c

t a disappointment if he and Sam should succeed in saving the horses without any shooting. He had no desire to hurt anybody or to be hurt

r the Apache bands were either driven over the Mexican border, or into Arizona, or were gathered on their reservations. If Cal had been asked, that morning, why he carried his own weapons, his best excuse would have been

his chance to do something else had co

l. Glad we

d him made him draw a breath of relief. There were great oaks, in all directions. Several of the largest had fallen befo

irection of the whoops. "Now, my boy, if you was one of them 'Paches, how'd you feel about

they; but they may ride into cover above or below

y haven't any to spare for scouting and skirmishing if they're to get away with the

ifles, although the distance

it, though, and it's a good notice to 'em. There's just one thing troubles me. Word ought to be sent

as in doubt, and the red men wheeled away

terrible thought had flashed into

, "is there any danger to them? I could dod

u run any risk, Cal. You're perfectly safe here

rfect safety was all his

Dick's back. There isn't

s living. If you could ride along under cover, to the left, 'bout ha

can't you come along and

and nigh half on 'em's gone, and I'm bound to save the other half. I can stand off this lot of red-skins. They ha

ered away through the trees, but he did not hear the

yed to fight it out in this here death-trap. I couldn't bear to have 'em get him. Besides, what I told him may be true. He may be s

ind. It was a great thing to him to have nothing but Apaches to watch and to

there was another question which from time to time came to his

east of the mountains. They got tired of being cooped up on poor rations. How'd they get

on foot. The hundred, and as many more as there might be, included dozens of warriors, besides squaws and children. There were a score of heavily laden pack-ponies, besides the ponies ridden by the mounted braves, but that band was particularly in need of the kind of property which Sam

no idea of a grand prize so near at hand, and the news brought back by their scouts who first made the discovery came a

ck a little distance. A tall warrior on foot gave orders with motions of his hands, hardly uttering a sound,

imself. He did not see the dusky forms which were creeping behind tufts and knolls behind him and away on either side of him. So it came to pass that when, at last, al

not they should catch him, except to prevent him from carrying news of their arrival. Their miserable used-up ponies had been no

apidly searched for lariats and bridles. Of course there was more than a little dismounting as well as mounting, for a number of unbroken colts did their entire duty in the way of refusing to be ridden bareback

s anything unlawful in what they were doing, and there was glee all around, marred only by the fact that there was nothing there to cook with, and by the fear that the solitary cowboy might get away and bring a lot of angry palefaces to take that magnificent plunder away from them. All of that wide plain had once been Apache land, with its buffalo, its deer, and its other game, and whatever might now b