Joseph Altsheler - The Quest of the Four - A Story of the Comanches and Buena Vista

It still seemed to Phil that nothing could happen. Itwas true that the skies were gray and somber, but therewas no suggestion of an active and hostile presence, andnow the river was only a hundred yards away. From hishorse's back he could see the surface of the stream-narrow, muddy, and apparently deep. But on the hither shorethere was a gradual slope to its waters, and another of thesame kind on the farther bank seemed to lead up amongthe trees.

"It ain't so deep as it looks," said an oldfrontiersman. "'Bout four feet, I should say. It'll just 'bouthit the bottoms o' our wagon beds."

The stream itself was not more than twenty yardswide. One could pass it in a few minutes, if nothingwas thrown across the way, and Phil now began to feelthat the unspoken alarm was false. But just when thefeeling became a conviction and the wagons were not morethan twenty yards from the river, he saw somethinggleaming in the brush on the far shore. It was the dyedfeather of an eagle, and it made a blood red spot againstthe green bushes. Looking closely Phil saw beneath thefeather the light copper face of an Indian, and then heknew that the Comanches were there.

Scarcely a second after he saw the coppery face, ahurricane of arrows whistled from the covert on the farshore. The short shafts of the Comanches filled the air.Mingled with them was the sharp crashing of rifles, andbullets and arrows whistled together. Then came thelong yell of the Comanches, from scores of throats, highpitched, fierce, defiant, like the scream of a savage beastabout to leap upon its prey. In spite of all his resolution,Phil felt that strong shiver in every nerve from headto heel. Some of the shafts were buried to the feather inthe bodies of the horses and mules, and a terrible tumultarose as the animals uttered their screaming neigh andfought and kicked in pain and terror. Nor did the menescape. One, pierced through the throat by a deadlybarb, fell lifeless from his horse. Another was strickenin the breast, and a dozen were wounded by either arrowsor bullets.

The train was thrown into confusion, and the driverspulled back on their lines. Sure death seemed to hoverin front of them. The greatest danger arose from thewounded and frightened horses, which plunged andstruggled and tried to break from their harness, but the handson the lines were strong, and gradually they were reducedto order. The wagons, also, were driven back a little, and then the triumphant Comanches sent forth their warwhoop again and again. The short shafts once more flew inshowers, mingled as before with the whistling of thebullets, but most of the missiles, both arrows and bullets, fell short. Now the Comanches appeared thickly amongthe bushes, chiefly on foot, their horses left at the edge ofthe timber, and began to make derisive gestures.

It seemed to Phil that the crossing of the river wasimpossible in the face of such a fierce and numerous foe, but Middleton and Woodfall had been conferring, andsuddenly the Cap, to use his more familiar name amongthe men, whirled off to the south at the head of a hundredhorsemen. He waved his hand to his three partners, and they galloped with the band.

"There must be another crossing, not as good as this, but still a crossing," said Bill Breakstone. "If at firstyou don't succeed, then try, try again."

This flanking movement was hidden from theComanches on the other shore by the belt of timber on theside of the train, and the horsemen galloped along rapidlyin search of a declivity. Phil's heart was thumping, andspecks floated before his eyes, but he was well among theforemost, and he rode with them, stride for stride.Behind him he heard the crackle of rifle shots, the shouts ofthe Comanches, and the defiant replies of the white men.

"Keep a good hold on your rifle, Phil!" shouted BillBreakstone in his ear. "If the gods whisper truly to me,we will be in the water soon, and, by my faith, you'llneed it."

The Captain uttered a shout of joy. They had cometo a place where the bank sloped down to the river andthe opposite shore was capable of ascent by horses.

"Into the river, men, into the river!" he shouted."The horses may have to swim, but we can cross it! Wemust cross it before the main Indian force comes up!"

The whole troop galloped into the water. Middletonshouted to them to keep their rifles dry, and every manheld his above his head or on his shoulder. The muddywater splashed in Phil's face, but he kept by the side ofBreakstone, and in a few moments both their horses wereswimming.

"Let the horse have his head, Phil," said Breakstone."He'll make for the nearest land, and you canuse both your hands for the work that we now haveto do."

Phil dropped the rein, and the horse swam steadily.They were now about the middle of the stream, which waswider here than at the ford. Two or three brown facessuddenly appeared in the brash on the bank in front ofthem, and the savage cry arose. Comanche skirmishershad discovered the flank movement, but the white troopwas already more than half way across. Bullets werefired at the swimming men and horses. Some struck inflesh, but others dashed up jets of yellow foam.

"On! On!" cried Middleton. "We must gain the bank!"

"On! On!" cried Phil, borne on by excitement."We must gain the bank!"

He was carried away so much by the fire and movementof the moment that he did not feel fear. His bloodwas tingling in every vein. Myriads of red specksdanced before him. The yellow water splashed all abouthim, but he did not notice it. An arrow whizzed by hischeek, and two bullets struck near, but he continued tourge his horse, which, gallant animal, was already doinghis best. Some of the white men, even from the unsteadyposition of a swimming horse's back, had begun to fire atthe Indians in the brush. Phil heard Bill Breakstoneutter a deep sigh of satisfaction as he lowered the muzzleof his rifle.

"Got one," said Bill. "It's good to be zealous, butthat Comanche ought to have known more than to runsquare against a rifle bullet."

The feet of Phil's horse touched earth, and he beganto wade. Everything now depended upon an instant ortwo. If they could gallop up the declivity before theComanches could arrive in force they would secure a greatadvantage. But the Comanches were coming rapidly, andthe fire from their bows and rifles increased. The whitemen, now that their position was steadier, also fired morerapidly. Phil sent a bullet at a bronze figure that he sawdarting about in the undergrowth, but he could not tellwhether or not he had hit.

"On!" shouted Middleton. "Give them no chance!Rush the slope!"

They were out of the river now, and in among thebushes and weeds. But they did not stop there. Drippingwith the yellow water, streaked sometimes with red, they rode straight at the Comanches, shouting and firingwith both rifles and pistols. The Indian skirmishersgave way, and, jumping upon their ponies, gallopeddown the stream to the main ford. The white menuttered a cry of exultation. They were now on thewestern bank, and the flank movement was a complete success.

"Follow them!" shouted Middleton. "We must presshome the attack upon the main body!"

Ahead of them the Comanches, bent low on theirmustangs, were galloping over the plain. Behind came thewhite men, hot with the fire of battle and urging on theirhorses. Phil, Bill Breakstone, and Arenberg rode kneeto knee, the boy between. He was wet from head to footwith splashed water, but he did not know it. A bullethad touched the tip of one ear, covering it with blood, but he did not know that, either. There was no crueltyin his nature, but just now it thrilled with battle. Hesought a shot at the flying Comanches, but they were toofar away.

"Hold your fire,"' said Bill Breakstone. "The battleis not over yet by any means. A job that's half finishedisn't finished at all."

They heard now the shots at the ford above them anda tremendous shouting. Evidently the two forces werefiring at each other across the stream, and the wagons didnot yet dare the passage. A few moments later they sawthe smoke of the rifles and brown figures darting aboutthe thickets.