Castlemon Harry
Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho

CHAPTER XVI
A RACE IN THE DARK

It seemed to Frank that while he was falling he lost his senses. When he came to himself, he was sitting on the ground about ten feet from the wall, the Don was lying motionless by his side, and the Mexican, with whom Frank expected to have a desperate fight, or a hotly-contested foot-race, was kneeling upon him and holding him down. More than that, a huge door in the wall of the rancho – the same one through which the horsemen had disappeared a few minutes before – had been thrown open; the light of a locomotive lamp was streaming out; and a crowd of mounted men, all armed to the teeth, were charging up the bank with furious yells. Frank gazed at them with mouth and eyes wide open; and so bewildered was he, that the Mexican, if he had felt so inclined, might have bound him hand and foot without the least difficulty. But it was plain that he was not there for that purpose; he was devoting himself entirely to Don Carlos.

“That was well done, Master Frank,” said he, as he passed his sash around the chiefs arms. “But there’s going to be a fight here, and you had better get out of the way.”

It was Carlos who spoke, and his words brought Frank to his feet immediately. He understood it all now. The men, who were pouring through the door into the rancho, were the settlers, who had come there to rescue him and Archie. Frank, however, was not disposed to run away because there was going to be a fight. A dozen or two men, at least, would be killed or wounded, and his cousin might be one of the number, unless he was immediately liberated. The last Frank saw of him, he was struggling in the grasp of a powerful Mexican, who had thrown him upon the roof, and was holding his hands behind his back, while a companion was getting ready to bind him. And there were Roderick and King James to be looked after, too. During the confusion some of the robbers might make off with them, and that would be a misfortune indeed. Frank thought of all these things, and to the utter amazement of Carlos, pulled his revolver from his pocket, and followed the settlers into the rancho.

When he reached the door he stopped, astonished at the scene presented to his view. The court was filled with men, some on foot, and some on horseback; rifles and pistols were cracking in every direction; knives were flashing in the air; and the din that arose was almost deafening. One thing Frank noticed immediately, and that was, that the fight was not so much of a fight after all. The robbers, taken by surprise, and alarmed at the numbers and determination of the attacking party, did not stop to resist, but made every exertion to escape. Some, of course, succeeded; while others were pulled down by lassos, and bound hand and foot before they could realize what was going on.

Frank stood at the door but a moment, but that was long enough for a friend of his to find and recognize him. It was Marmion. The dog jumped upon him with every demonstration of joy, and then turned and attacked the first man he came to, who happened to be none other than Carlos. The latter had taken care of his prisoner, and was hurrying in to assist the settlers. Marmion discovered his mistake after he had bitten the Ranchero, but did not seem to be sorry for it. He, no doubt, considered it his duty to bite somebody, and it made little difference to him who it was. He afterward had an opportunity to try his teeth upon an old enemy of his, and he made the most of it.

Frank’s first care was to look around for Archie. He was not in sight, but something else was. Roderick was standing near the middle of the court, and one of the robbers had just grasped the bridle, preparatory to springing upon his back. There was not a single instant to be lost. That man must not be allowed to mount the horse, for, if he once got fairly into the saddle, he would go out of the court with the speed of the wind, and that would be the last of Roderick. Frank bounded forward, discharging his revolver at the robber as he ran; but, although the man looked around to see where the bullet came from, he was not frightened from his purpose. His leg was already over the saddle, and Roderick was beginning to move.

“Stop, there!” yelled Frank, who was so close to the horse that he could almost seize him by the tail. “Stop, I say!”

The noise in the court was so great that he could scarcely hear his own voice. The Mexican did not hear it, and it is not probable that he would have paid any attention to it if he had. The revolver cracked once more, but something made Frank’s hand unsteady, and the bullet went wide of the mark. Roderick was certainly lost to him. Again and again the six-shooter spoke in decided tones, until the last load was discharged; and still the robber rode on. With a cry of impatience Frank dashed the now useless weapon to the ground, and, scarcely knowing what he was doing, started in hot pursuit of the mustang; but Marmion, his friend and ally, was swifter than he, and now beginning to understand that the Mexican ought to be stopped, he ran up beside the horse, bounded into the air, seized the man by the shoulder, and pulled him from the saddle in a twinkling.

The wild Indian yell to which Frank gave utterance as he witnessed this proceeding, would have done credit to Dick Lewis himself. He did not stop to see what Marmion was going to do with the robber, but kept on after the mustang, which he now believed would make straight for the gate. Roderick, however, seemed to be in no hurry to leave the rancho; nor was he frightened by the noise and confusion around him. On the contrary, he appeared to enjoy it. He arched his neck, laid back his ears, and pranced about among the excited, struggling men as though he were in his natural element; but, being well-trained and obedient, he stopped when his master succeeded in making him hear his voice, and in a few seconds more Frank was safe in the saddle. How proud the boy was then! He was not afraid of Don Carlos’ whole band.

“Hurrah for me!” he shouted. “I am all right now. I’d like to see somebody try to take you away from me again, old fellow. Hallo, here!”

A horse interrupted Frank’s soliloquy – a little black horse, which galloped by almost within reach of him, and disappeared in the darkness outside the gate. He was in sight long enough for Frank to see that he carried two men on his back, one being seated in the saddle, and the other hanging helplessly across the pommel. The horse was King James; the man in the saddle was Pierre Costello; and the other was Archie Winters.

The cousins had left Pierre bound hand and foot in one of the underground rooms of the rancho; but he did not remain there long, for the herdsmen, from whom the boys had so narrowly escaped, soon cut down the door and released him. Pierre explained matters in a few words, by saying that the boys had taken him unawares, and made a prisoner of him; but he forgot to mention the fact that they had caught him almost in the act of murdering Don Carlos.

Pierre, finding himself once more at liberty, ran frantically about the rancho, up stairs and down, searching every-where for the boys. He found one of them at last, and it was Archie, who had been captured on the roof of the wing, and was being carried below. From the men who had him in charge, Pierre learned that Frank had again escaped, and that the Don had been pulled over the parapet. He was greatly excited over the news. He did not give a second thought to the old Spaniard’s misfortune – he did not care if the fall had broken his neck – but he was highly disgusted and enraged to learn that Frank had once more slipped through his fingers. He assisted his companions in disposing of their prisoner, and, when the latter had been locked up, Pierre managed to retain possession of the keys. It was his intention to go out with the others, and assist in recapturing Frank; but if that could not be done – if Frank succeeded in eluding them – he would take Archie to the mountains in his place. Pierre thought this a decided improvement on his old programme. Archie was not so large and strong as his cousin, and consequently he could be more easily managed. He would also bring the same amount of money in the shape of a ransom.

Pierre hurried to the court, and, when he arrived there, what was his amazement to find it filled with settlers! He did not stop to take a second look, but returned with all possible haste to the room in which Archie was confined. Lifting him in his arms as if he had been an infant, Pierre ran back to the court, and the first object that met his eyes was Archie’s horse. To his infinite delight the animal did not attempt to elude him; and when he had swung himself into the saddle, and pulled his prisoner up in front of him, he began to believe that his plans might, after all, prove successful. There was only one person in all that crowd who saw him as he dashed through the gate, and that was Frank Nelson. Pierre knew that some one was watching him, for he heard a loud command to halt, followed by the angry bark of a dog, and a clatter of hoofs behind him. He looked over his shoulder, and began to lose heart again. He knew, if Archie did not, that Roderick was a better horse than the one he was riding; and that as long as Marmion was on his trail, he could not hope to elude his pursuer. But he did not stop. He kept straight on toward the woods, and a few rods behind him came the swift mustang, bounding along as easily as though he had been furnished with wings.

During the race that followed, nothing but the clatter of the horses’ hoofs, and an occasional angry yelp from Marmion, broke the stillness of the night. Across the prairie went pursuer and pursued at furious speed, into the woods, over logs and rocks, up hill and down, through darkness so intense that one could scarcely see his hand before him, and finally Frank began to wonder at the endurance exhibited by the little black under his double load. But the furious pace was telling on him, and with all the whipping and spurring he received, he could not prevent the mustang from overtaking him. Pierre saw this, and hastily drawing rein, prepared to carry out a plan he had determined upon.

“Stop where you are!” he exclaimed, in a most savage tone of voice. “If you advance another step” —

The robber was about to say that if Frank came any nearer he would bury his knife in Archie’s body; but Marmion did not give him time to finish the sentence. He sprang straight at his throat, and, before Pierre could think of resistance, he was flat on the ground.

“Hold fast to him, old fellow!” shouted Frank, dismounting from his horse. “That makes amends for the cowardly manner in which you deserted me this morning. Archie, where are you?”

“Here’s all that’s left of me,” replied a faint voice. “O, my head!” groaned Archie, as Frank knelt down by his side, and cut the ropes with which he was bound. “There’s no fun in being carried with railroad speed through a thick woods on a dark night like this. But I want you to understand one thing: That wasn’t a fair race, because my horse had a double load to carry.”

Frank had been astonished a good many times that night, but he was utterly amazed, now. Here was Archie, who was aching in every limb, and bleeding profusely from the wounds he had received during his rapid ride through the woods – who, during the last few hours, had been the hero of more hair-breadth escapes than had ever before fallen to the lot of a boy of his age – who had but just been delivered from the power of a reckless and determined foe – here he was talking about the speed of his horse, and declaring that the race the animal had just run was not a fair test of his abilities!

“This is a pretty time to talk about such things, isn’t it?” asked Frank. “I suppose you hoped that Roderick would be beaten, didn’t you?”

“I can’t say that I did,” replied Archie, as his cousin lifted him to his feet; “but I could not help telling myself that if Pierre wanted to save himself, all he had to do was to drop me overboard, and he would leave you behind so rapidly that you would never boast of Roderick’s speed again.”

(We may here remark that the question of the relative merits of the two horses remained for a long time undecided; but still it was settled, at last, and to the satisfaction of both the boys. It was an exciting race, and a long one; and the history of it shall be given in its proper place.)

Archie, in spite of his wounds and bruises, was as lively and plucky as ever. One desire was uppermost in his mind, now, and that was to effect the capture of the robber; but he need not have troubled himself on that score, for Pierre had already been secured. When the cousins reached the place where he was lying, they found him motionless and helpless, Marmion’s powerful jaws being closed upon his throat. The dog barked and whined furiously when compelled to let go his hold, and it was all his master could do to prevent him from again attacking his enemy.

“Santa Maria!” gasped the robber, when he found himself free from the teeth of the dog.

“That’s what I say,” exclaimed Archie, who, having removed Pierre’s sash from his waist, proceeded to confine his hands and feet. “I think you are at the end of your rope now, my hearty. You may make up your mind to start for your old quarters at San Diego, to-morrow morning, by the early train. What shall we do with him?”

“We’ll leave him here until we can procure assistance, and come back for him,” replied Frank. “Now, let’s start for home.”

But for one thing, Frank and Archie would have been two of the happiest boys that ever existed. Their wounds, their aching bones, the dangers they had passed through, were all forgotten in the joy they felt at finding themselves once more in undisputed possession of their long-lost horses. They had much to talk about as they rode toward the rancho. Archie told Frank what had happened to him during his short captivity, and plumed himself on having been in the very midst of his enemies for more than seven hours (it was then long after midnight), and having made one prisoner alone and unaided, and assisted in capturing two more before he fell into the hands of his enemies. As for the misfortune that had befallen their old friend Dick Lewis, Archie declared that it did not trouble him in the least, for he knew his cousin had been mistaken; and Frank, ready to catch at straws, said he certainly hoped it would turn out so.

After a fifteen minutes’ ride, the boys once more found themselves in the rancho, and this time with no fear of being made prisoners. The fight was over, and the settlers were in full possession of the robbers’ stronghold. They were in a state of great excitement and alarm, however, for they had ransacked the building from top to bottom, without discovering any signs of Frank and Archie; and they were on the point of abandoning the search in despair, when the boys appeared. The settlers crowded about them as they rode into the court, shook them warmly by the hand, asked them a multitude of questions, and cheered them uproariously. Presently, two tall fellows, dressed in Mexican costume, and carrying long rifles in their hands, elbowed their way through the crowd. One was old Bob Kelly – the cousins would have recognized his long, white beard any where – but who was the other? They had seen those broad shoulders and that rifle before, but they could not tell who the man was, for his face was so badly battered and scarred that his own mother, if she had been there, would not have known him. He did not offer to shake hands with the boys, but dropped the butt of his rifle to the ground, clasped his fingers over the muzzle of the weapon, and said:

“You amazin’ keerless fellers! I knowed this mornin’ that it was my bounden duty to give you a good trouncin’.”

“What did I tell you?” screamed Archie, turning triumphantly to his cousin, who opened his mouth and eyes, and gazed at the man in stupid bewilderment.

CHAPTER XVII
CONCLUSION

“I reckon you don’t speak to common fellers any more,” continued Dick, for it was he, notwithstanding that Frank had told his cousin, in such positive language, that he had seen him pulled down and strangled on the prairie. “You needn’t be so tuk back, youngster, ’cause it’s me, an’ ’taint nobody else.”

During the next few minutes the settlers, who were standing around, gained some idea of the strength of the affection the boys cherished for the trapper. They threw themselves from their saddles and actually embraced him; and while they remained at the rancho, they kept close at his side, clinging to his arms as though they were afraid some one might try to take him away from them.

“Why, Dick,” said Frank, as soon as he could speak, “I never expected to see you again.”

“Youngster,” replied the trapper – and, as he spoke, he drew himself up to his full height, extended his long arms above his head, and doubled up a pair of fists which looked as though they might have knocked down an ox – “we don’t look fur nothing else – me an’ ole Bob don’t – but to have our har riz by the Injuns some day; but you’ll never hear tell of one of us bein’ rubbed out by Greasers – mark that. Now, I’ve had more ’n one of them ar lariats over my head, but I never had one around my neck yet, an’ I never will. When I fight Mexikins, I allers look out fur them lassos, an’ when that feller slipped his’n over my head, I was ready fur him. I cut it with my knife quicker’n he could say ‘Gin’ral Jackson,’ with his mouth open. As I riz to my feet, I see that the other feller was purty clost to me, an’ I knocked him out of his saddle with my tomahawk, as clean as a whistle. Thar wasn’t but one left then, an’ he wasn’t no ’count, fur his lasso was ruined; an’, without that we’pon, a Mexikin aint a thing fur a ten year ole boy to be afeared of. He tuk to his heels, an’ so did I; an’ here I am.”

To Archie, who had fully expected to see the trapper again, alive and well, this story of his escape seemed probable enough; but to Frank, who had seen him, as he believed, powerless in the midst of his enemies, it seemed almost incredible. Many a time, during the next three or four days, it was noticed that he earnestly regarded the trapper as if he had not quite made up his mind that he was the genuine Dick Lewis after all.

“I say, youngsters,” said Bob, when the trapper ceased speaking, “I’ve found out what it was that skeered me so bad, that night.”

“An’ he was skeered at jest nothing at all,” exclaimed Dick. “I reckon the ole feller feels the least bit ashamed of himself. If he don’t, he had oughter.”

The trappers, followed by the boys and a few of the settlers, led the way to a recess in the wall opposite the gate. The only articles in this recess that attracted the attention of the cousins, were a huge roll of canvas, and a post which supported a locomotive lamp. The face of this lamp was not turned toward the court, but outward, toward the wall.

“I told you, youngsters,” said Dick, “that the walls of this yere rancho are five foot thick; and so they be, in every place except this. Right thar is a door. It can’t be seed from the outside, nor from the inside, nuther; but it’s thar.”

Frank knew there was a door somewhere about there, for he had followed the settlers through it; but he could not tell where it was now, for the wall appeared to be as solid there as any where else. The trapper knew where to look for it, however, and when he placed his hands upon the wall, one of the stones began to move. One end moved outward, and the other inward, showing that the stone worked upon a pivot in the center. The opening thus made was about six feet long, and a foot high.

“Humph!” exclaimed Archie. “I’d like to see a man on horseback go through that little hole.”

“Easy, easy,” replied the trapper. “I haint got done yet.”

The door was composed of at least a half a dozen stones (one above the other, some longer, and some shorter, in order to “break joints” in the wall), and when they had all been moved from their places, two openings were formed, the stones being in the middle of the doorway, one end pointing toward the creek, and the other toward the court. The space on each side was amply sufficient to admit of the passage of a horseman.

“You know ole Bob said, that arter them two fellers crossed the creek, they rid up the bridge of clouds, an’ went through the wall of the rancho,” remarked Dick. “Wal, they didn’t, ’cause they went in at the door. Bob swum the creek, an’ hunted high an’ low fur the door, but couldn’t find it; an’ that’s what skeered him.”

From the door, the boys turned their attention to the bundle of canvas before spoken of. It was neatly rolled up, and in the middle was a stick of round wood, to each end of which was fastened a small wheel, with a deep groove in the circumference. In each of these grooves was a rope, about the size of a clothesline, which was passed once around the wheel, and the longer end of which was coiled down on the ground, so that it would run out rapidly. The trappers pushed the canvas outside the door, made the shorter ends of the ropes fast to two rings in the wall, which seemed to have been placed there for that especial purpose, then gave the canvas a push, and it went rolling down the bank toward the creek. When it reached the water’s edge it had all run out, and of course it stopped. The strong breeze that was blowing gave to it a gentle undulating motion, and this it was that the old trapper had compared to the “rolling and tumbling of the smoke from the mouth of a cannon.” This was the bridge of clouds; and what a simple thing it was to have frightened a man like Bob so badly! The old veteran evidently thought so, for he leaned on his rifle and looked foolish enough. When the settlers had laughed at him to their satisfaction, he and Dick seized the ropes, and hauling in hand-over-hand, rolled up the canvas without going outside the door.

“Well! well!” exclaimed Archie. “Frank and I watched this thing as closely as ever two cats watched a mouse, and we couldn’t begin to see through it. It’s all plain enough now; but how about the boat?”

The trapper replied that he would soon show them all about that; and picking up a lantern, led the way into the underground portion of the rancho. After threading numerous passage-ways, and turning several corners, he ushered them into an apartment that might have been called the engine-room, for it contained the power that had propelled the flatboat so rapidly. It was not an engine, however, but a windlass, something like those used for moving houses. It was plain that it had been worked by horses, for there were prints of hoofs all over the floor.

The next thing was to find the boat; and that could be easily done by following the rope which was attached to the windlass. The rope led them through a long narrow passage-way, and when they arrived at the end of it, Dick opened a small door, about the height of his head from the floor, and the boys climbed up and found the boat before them. It was snugly hidden in a little cove, which had been dug into the bank, and walled up with stones to prevent it from caving in. The mouth of the cove was so effectually concealed by thick bushes, that a fleet might have sailed along the creek without discovering it. In the bow of the boat was a bundle of canvas, like the one already described, only it was much smaller; and the ropes with which it was rolled up were attached to a horizontal windlass, so that they could be controlled by one man.

The trappers and some of the settlers followed the boys into the boat, and assisted them in pushing it out of the cove. Frank got out the oar, and sculled it across, and, when it reached the opposite shore, Dick seized the canvas and ran up the bank with it, the canvas unrolling itself as he went.

“It’s all plain enough now,” repeated Archie; “but it seems to me that the Don put himself to a good deal of trouble for nothing.”

“I think he managed affairs just about right,” said one of the settlers. “The object of this canvas is to conceal the trail. When my horses were stolen, I followed them very easily for a while, but lost the scent about a hundred yards from the bank of this creek. That must have been the place where they got on the canvas. Of course they left no more trail, and I couldn’t follow them any farther.”

“But I don’t see why it is necessary to have this boat moved by a windlass,” said Frank. “If one man could bring it over here, what’s the reason he couldn’t take it back?”

“That can also be easily explained,” replied the settler. “The current in the creek is so strong that one man can’t scull the boat straight across. It makes no difference where he lands on this side, because he brings his canvas with him, and can put it out any where; but the canvas on the other side is stationary, you know, and the boat must be stopped at one particular place, so that the horsemen can get out on it.”

“Oh, I see,” said Frank.

“Thar’s another thing that mebbe the comp’ny would like to know something about,” said Dick. “Arter we come back from that bar hunt this mornin’, I went out to tend to some cattle, an’ seed these yere two keerless fellers go into Don Carlos’ rancho. I hung round watchin’ the house, ’cause I kind o’ thought that mebbe something was agoin’ to happen, an’ that’s the way I come to be in the woods when Frank an’ them Greasers had that race. An’ fellers,” added Dick, turning to the settlers, “I seed the hul of that ar runnin’ match, an’ I never in my life seed a boy pick up his feet quicker’n Frank did. I’ll match him agin any hoss in Californy. I was goin’ to say, that arter I got licked by them Greasers, an’ seed that Frank was ketched an’ tuk to the rancho – ”

Frank, at this point, begged pardon for interrupting Dick, and told him that he had not then been taken to the rancho, but was carried to the mountains by Pierre Costello. This announcement created great excitement among the settlers, and it was increased wonderfully, when Archie said that they had left Pierre in the woods, a prisoner.

“Who tuk him pris’ner?” demanded the trapper.

“Archie and I, and Marmion,” replied Frank.

“Fellers!” exclaimed Dick, who seemed to be utterly confounded, “don’t this yere night’s work beat any thing you ever hearn tell on? If any of you know of two boys that can lay over them ar youngsters of mine, jest trot ’em out; I’d like mighty well to see ’em. But they haint been born yet, an’ never will be.”

The trapper pounded the ground with the butt of his rifle, gazed proudly at the boys, and went on with his explanation.

“I seed that Frank was ketched agin,” said he, “an’ knowin’ that I couldn’t do nothing more by myself, I rid hum an’ told ole Bob what had been goin’ on; an’ him an’ Carlos, an’ a few other herdsmen whom we knowed we could trust, set out to bring the settlers together, while I come back to watch the rancho. In an hour’s time we had a hundred men here in the bushes.

“The fust thing to be done was to study up a plan to get into the rancho. We knowed we couldn’t whip the Greasers while they were inside the house, an’ we outside – we must get inside too; an’ that could only be done by takin’ them by surprise. While we were talkin’ the matter over, up come two Mexikins b’longin’ to the band, who had been out somewhere stealin’ hosses. They run right among us afore they knowed it, an’ it was the easiest thing in the world fur us to captur’ ’em, an’ make ’em tell us all we wanted to know. Arter a leetle talk it was decided that me an’ ole Bob should take the place of the Mexikins, an’ go into the rancho; an’, that while we were goin’ in, the settlers should swim the creek, an’ get ready to make the attack. Me an’ Bob were to give ’em time to get clost up under the walls, an’ then open the door, an’ the settlers would rush in an’ make pris’ners of the robbers afore they knowed it.

“Wal, we swapped clothes with them ar two dirty Greasers – me an’ ole Bob did – mounted Roderick an’ King Jeemes, tuk the two stolen hosses by the bridle, crossed the creek on the flatboat, went up that ar canvas thing that Bob called the bridge of clouds, an’ rid straight into the rancho – just as though we had a right thar – an’ nobody didn’t suspect that we wasn’t real Greasers. We seed a few men arter we got into the house, but none on ’em had a word to say, or even looked at us. The fellers who hauled up the bridge shut the door an’ went off about their business, leavin’ me an’ Bob to ’tend to our’n; which we did, I reckon. We jumped off our hosses, an’ opened the door agin; an’ the settlers come pourin’ in. Every thing worked jest as we had planned it.”

There was one mystery that remained to be explained, and that was the signal made by the flag. The boys, afterward found out all about it from one of the prisoners. The robbers, knowing that they were not suspected, had become very bold; and horses which had been stolen at a distance, were not unfrequently brought into the rancho in broad daylight. The flag flying at the mast-head, signified that the coast was clear, and that the animals could be safely brought in. When the flag was not to be seen, it was understood that there were strangers about; and, in that case, the horses were concealed in the woods until dark, when they were brought in through the secret door.

During the next three hours the boys, in company with the trappers, explored every nook and corner of the rancho. Archie first led them to the stable, to show them his prisoner; but, when they got there, they found that Beppo was gone. He had been discovered and released by some of the band, and in the confusion attending the attack, had made good his escape. From the stable they went to the Don’s reception-room; and while they were examining the painting of the Indian warrior, Archie entertained them with a glowing account of his discovery of the spring, and the adventures which had resulted from it. After that they went to the secret room, from which they had made their escape through the scuttle, and spent an hour in trying to find the place where the Don had got out. But their efforts were unsuccessful; and being particularly desirous to have the mystery solved, they went in search of the chief, whom they found lying in one corner of the court securely bound. To their request that he would explain the matter, he replied that it was “one grand swindle,” and that was all they could get out of him. The manner of his escape from that room was a secret that never was revealed.