Part 5 (1/2)

”Albert at the creek, ill?” exclaimed d.i.c.k in surprise and alarm. ”Why, I thought he was here with the train!”

But Bright Sun had gone on ahead. d.i.c.k turned back hastily, and ran along the trail through the twilight that was now fast merging into the night.

”Al, ill and left behind!” he exclaimed again and again. ”He must have overexerted himself!”

His alarm deepened when he saw how fast the darkness was increasing. The chill bars of red and gold were gone from the west. When he looked back he could see the train no more, and heard only the faint sound of the cracking of whips. The train was fast disappearing in the pa.s.s.

But d.i.c.k had become a good woodsman and plainsman. His sense of direction was rarely wrong, and he went straight upon the trail for the creek. Night had now come but it was not very dark, and presently he saw the flash of water. It was the creek, and a few more steps took him there. A figure rose out of the shadows.

”Al!” he cried. ”Have you broken down? Why didn't you get into the wagon?”

”d.i.c.k,” replied Albert in a puzzled tone, ”there's nothing the matter with me, except that I'm tired. Bright Sun told me that you were here waiting for me, and that you had something important to tell me. I couldn't find you, and now you come running.”

d.i.c.k stopped in amazement.

”Bright Sun said I was waiting here for you, and had something important to tell you?” exclaimed d.i.c.k. ”Why, he told me that you were ill, and had been left unnoticed at the crossing!”

The two boys stared at each other.

”What does it mean?” they exclaimed together.

From the dark pa.s.s before them came a sound which in the distance resembled the report of a firecracker, followed quickly by two or three other sounds, and then by many, as if the whole pack had been ignited at once. But both boys knew it was not firecrackers.

It was something far more deadly and terrible--a hail of rifle bullets. They looked toward the pa.s.s and saw there pink and red flashes appearing and reappearing. Shouts, and mingled with them a continuous long, whining cry, a dreadful overnote, came to their ears.

”The train has been attacked!” cried d.i.c.k. ”It has marched straight into an ambus.h.!.+”

”Indians?” exclaimed Albert, who was trembling violently from sheer physical and mental excitement.

”It couldn't be anything else!” replied d.i.c.k. ”This is their country! And they must be in great force, too! Listen how the fight grows!”

The volume of the firing increased rapidly, but above it always rose that terrible whining note. The red and pink flashes in the pa.s.s danced and multiplied, and the wind brought the faint odor of smoke.

”We must help!” exclaimed d.i.c.k. ”One can't stand here and see them all cut down!”

He forgot in his generous heart, at that moment, that he disliked Conway and all his men, and that he and Albert had scarcely a friend in the train. He thought only of doing what he could to beat back the Indian attack, and Albert felt the same impulse.

Both had their rifles--fine, breech-loading, repeating weapons, and with these the two might do much. No one ever parted with his arms after entering the Indian country.

”Come on, Albert!” exclaimed d.i.c.k, and the two ran toward the pa.s.s. But before they had gone a hundred yards they stopped as if by the same impulse. That terrible whining note was now rising higher and higher. It was not merely a war whoop, it had become also a song of triumph. There was a certain silvery quality in the night air, a quality that made for illumination, and d.i.c.k thought he saw dusky forms flitting here and there in the mouth of the pa.s.s behind the train. It was only fancy, because he was too far away for such perception, but in this case fancy and truth were the same.

”Hurry, d.i.c.k! Let's hurry!” exclaimed the impulsive and generous Albert. ”If we don't, we'll be too late to do anything!”

They started again, running as fast as they could toward that s.p.a.ce in the dark well where the flashes of red and blue came and went. d.i.c.k was so intent that he did not hear the short, quick gasps of Albert, but he did hear a sudden fall beside him and stopped short. Albert was lying on his back unconscious. A faint tinge of abnormal red showed on his lips.

”Oh, I forgot! I forgot!” groaned d.i.c.k.

Such sudden and violent exertion, allied with the excitement of the terrible moment, had overpowered the weak boy. d.i.c.k bent down in grief. At first he thought his brother was dead, but the breath still came.

d.i.c.k did not know what to do. In the pa.s.s, under the shadow of night, the pines, and the mountain wall, the battle still flared and crackled, but its volume was dying. Louder rose the fierce, whining yell, and its note was full of ferocity and triumph, while the hoa.r.s.er cries of the white men became fewer and lower.

Now d.i.c.k really saw dusky figures leaping about between him and the train. Something uttering a shrill, unearthly cry of pain crashed heavily through the bushes near him and quickly pa.s.sed on. It was a wounded horse, running away.