The Return of the Mucker by Edgar Rice Burroughs (best motivational books of all time txt) đ
- Author: Edgar Rice Burroughs
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It would never do, he knew, to turn the animal loose too soon, since he would doubtless make his way back to camp, and in doing so would have to pass Rozales who would catch him. Time was what Bridge wantedâto be well on his way to Orobo before Pesita should learn of his escape.
Bridge knew nothing of what had happened to Billy, for Pesita had seen to it that the information was kept from the American. The latter had, nevertheless, been worrying not a little at the absence of his friend for he knew that he had taken his liberty and his life in his hands in riding down to El Orobo among avowed enemies.
Far to his rear Rozales plodded sullenly up the steep trail through the mountains, revolving in his mind various exquisite tortures he should be delighted to inflict upon the next gringo who came into his power.
BILLY BYRNE and Eddie Shorter rode steadily in the direction of the hills. Upon either side and at intervals of a mile or more stretched the others of their party, occasionally visible; but for the most part not. Once in the hills the two could no longer see their friends or be seen by them.
Both Byrne and Eddie felt that chance had placed them upon the right trail for a well-marked and long-used path wound upward through a canyon along which they rode. It was an excellent location for an ambush, and both men breathed more freely when they had passed out of it into more open country upon a narrow tableland between the first foothills and the main range of mountains.
Here again was the trail well marked, and when Eddie, looking ahead, saw that it appeared to lead in the direction of a vivid green spot close to the base of the gray brown hills he gave an exclamation of assurance.
âWeâre on the right trail all right, old man,â he said. âTheyâs water there,â and he pointed ahead at the green splotch upon the gray. âThatâs where theyâd be havinâ their village. I ainât never been up here so I ainât familiar with the country. You see we donât run no cattle this side the riverâ the Pimans wonât let us. They donât care to have no white men pokinâ round in their country; but Iâll bet a hat we find a camp there.â
Onward they rode toward the little spot of green. Sometimes it was in sight and again as they approached higher ground, or wound through gullies and ravines it was lost to their sight; but always they kept it as their goal. The trail they were upon led to itâof that there could be no longer the slightest doubt. And as they rode with their destination in view black, beady eyes looked down upon them from the very green oasis toward which they urged their poniesâtiring now from the climb.
A lithe, brown body lay stretched comfortably upon a bed of grasses at the edge of a little rise of ground beneath which the riders must pass before they came to the cluster of huts which squatted in a tiny natural park at the foot of the main peak. Far above the watcher a spring of clear, pure water bubbled out of the mountain-side, and running downward formed little pools among the rocks which held it. And with this water the Pimans irrigated their small fields before it sank from sight again into the earth just below their village. Beside the brown body lay a long rifle. The manâs eyes watched, unblinking, the two specks far below him whom he knew and had known for an hour were gringos.
Another brown body wormed itself forward to his side and peered over the edge of the declivity down upon the white men. He spoke a few words in a whisper to him who watched with the rifle, and then crawled back again and disappeared. And all the while, onward and upward came Billy Byrne and Eddie Shorter, each knowing in his heart that if not already, then at any moment a watcher would discover them and a little later a bullet would fly that would find one of them, and they took the chance for the sake of the American girl who lay hidden somewhere in these hills, for in no other way could they locate her hiding place more quickly. Any one of the other eight Americans who rode in pairs into the hills at other points to the left and right of Billy Byrne and his companion would have and was even then cheerfully taking the same chances that Eddie and Billy took, only the latter were now assured that to one of them would fall the sacrifice, for as they had come closer Eddie had seen a thin wreath of smoke rising from among the trees of the oasis. Now, indeed, were they sure that they had chanced upon the trail to the Piman village.
âWe gotta keep our eyes peeled,â said Eddie, as they wound into a ravine which from its location evidently led directly up to the village. âWe ainât far from âem now, anâ if they get us theyâll get us about here.â
As though to punctuate his speech with the final period a rifle cracked above them. Eddie jumped spasmodically and clutched his breast.
âIâm hit,â he said, quite unemotionally.
Billy Byrneâs revolver had answered the shot from above them, the bullet striking where Billy had seen a puff of smoke following the rifle shot. Then Billy turned toward Eddie.
âHit bad?â he asked.
âYep, I guess so,â said Eddie. âWhatâll we do? Hide up here, or ride back after the others?â
Another shot rang out above them, although Billy had been watching for a target at which to shoot againâa target which he had been positive he would get when the man rose to fire again. And Billy did see the fellow at lastâa few paces from where he had first fired; but not until the other had dropped Eddieâs horse beneath him. Byrne fired again, and this time he had the satisfaction of seeing a brown body rise, struggle a moment, and then roll over once upon the grass before it came to rest.
âI reckon weâll stay here,â said Billy, looking ruefully at Eddieâs horse.
Eddie rose and as he did so he staggered and grew very white. Billy dismounted and ran forward, putting an arm about him. Another shot came from above and Billy Byrneâs pony grunted and collapsed.
âHell!â exclaimed Byrne. âWe gotta get out of this,â and lifting his wounded comrade in his arms he ran for the shelter of the bluff from the summit of which the snipers had fired upon them. Close in, hugging the face of the perpendicular wall of tumbled rock and earth, they were out of range of the Indians; but Billy did not stop when he had reached temporary safety. Farther up toward the direction in which lay the village, and halfway up the side of the bluff Billy saw what he took to be excellent shelter. Here the face of the bluff was less steep and upon it lay a number of large bowlders, while others protruded from the ground about them.
Toward these Billy made his way. The wounded man across his shoulder was suffering indescribable agonies; but he bit his lip and stifled the cries that each step his comrade took seemed to wrench from him, lest he attract the enemy to their position.
Above them all was silence, yet Billy knew that alert, red foemen were creeping to the edge of the bluff in search of their prey. If he could but reach the shelter of the bowlders before the Pimans discovered them!
The minutes that were consumed in covering the hundred yards seemed as many hours to Billy Byrne; but at last he dragged the fainting cowboy between two large bowlders close under the edge of the bluff and found himself in a little, natural fortress, well adapted to defense.
From above they were protected from the fire of the Indians upon the bluff by the height of the bowlder at the foot of which they lay, while another just in front hid them from possible marksmen across the canyon. Smaller rocks scattered about gave promise of shelter from flank fire, and as soon as he had deposited Eddie in the comparative safety of their retreat Byrne commenced forming a low breastwork upon the side facing the villageâthe direction from which they might naturally expect attack. This done he turned his attention to the opening upon the opposite side and soon had a similar defense constructed there, then he turned his attention to Eddie, though keeping a watchful eye upon both approaches to their stronghold.
The Kansan lay upon his side, moaning. Blood stained his lips and nostrils, and when Billy Byrne opened his shirt and found a gaping wound in his right breast he knew how serious was his companionâs injury. As he felt Billy working over him the boy opened his eyes.
âDo you think Iâm done for?â he asked in a tortured whisper.
âNothinâ doinâ,â lied Billy cheerfully. âJust a scratch. Youâll be all right in a day or two.â
Eddie shook his head wearily. âI wish I could believe you,â he said. âI ben figgerinâ on goinâ back to see maw. I ainât thought oâ nothinâ else since you told me âbout how she missed me. I ken see her right now just like I was there. Iâll bet sheâs scrubbinâ the kitchen floor. Maw was always a-scrubbinâ somethinâ. Gee! but itâs tough to cash in like this just when I was figgerinâ on goinâ home.â
Billy couldnât think of anything to say. He turned to look up and down the canyon in search of the enemy.
âHome!â whispered Eddie. âHome!â
âAw, shucks!â said Billy kindly. âYouâll get home all right, kid. The boys must a-heard the shootinâ anâ theyâll be along in no time now. Then weâll clean up this bunch oâ coons anâ have you back to El Orobo anâ nursed into shape in no time.â
Eddie tried to smile as he looked up into the otherâs face. He reached a hand out and laid it on Billyâs arm.
âYouâre all right, old man,â he whispered. âI know youâre lyinâ anâ so do you; but it makes me feel better anyway to have you say them things.â
Billy felt as one who has been caught stealing from a blind man. The only adequate reply of which he could think was, âAw, shucks!â
âSay,â said Eddie after a momentâs silence, âif you get out oâ here anâ ever go back to the States promise me youâll look up maw and paw anâ tell âem I was cominâ homeâto stay. Tell âem I died decent, too, will youâdied like paw was always a-tellinâ me my granddad died, fightinâ Injuns âround Fort Dodge somewheres.â
âSure,â said Billy; âIâll tell âem. Gee! Look whoâs cominâ here,â and as he spoke he flattened himself to the ground just as a bullet pinged against the rock above his head and the report of a rifle sounded from up the canyon. âThat guy most got me. Iâll have to be âtendinâ to business betterân this.â
He drew himself slowly up upon his elbows, his carbine ready in his hand, and peered through a small aperture between two of the rocks which composed his breastwork. Then he stuck the muzzle of the weapon through, took aim and pulled the trigger.
âDidje get him?â asked Eddie.
âYep,â said Billy, and fired again. âGot that one too. Say, theyâre tough-lookinâ guys; but I guess they wonât come so fast next time. Those two were right in the open, workinâ up to us on their bellies. They must
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