Captain Bayley's Heir: A Tale of the Gold Fields of CaliforniaHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
General
Captain Bayley's Heir: A Tale of the Gold Fields of California
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
California -- Gold discoveries -- Juvenile fiction
One day Dick and Frank had gone out alone, and had been led a long
distance from the line of march in pursuit of a herd of deer. These had
finally gone up a narrow cañon in the mountains. The hunters pursued
them for some distance, and then, despairing of overtaking them, turned
their horses, and began to retrace their steps. Suddenly Turk, who was
in advance, stopped, uttered a deep growl, and its hair bristled from
its head to its tail.
"What is it, Turk?" Frank asked.
The animal replied with another low, deep growl.
"It must be some savage beast," Frank said.
"That ain't likely," Dick said; "any beast in this cañon would have
moved away when we passed before. I think the dog must scent Injins. A
party may have seen us entering the gap, and may be in pursuit."
He threw himself off his horse, and listened, with his ear to the
ground.
"It's Injins, sure enough!" he exclaimed; "I can hear the clattering of
horses' hoofs on the hard rock. There's nothing for it but for us to
make our way up the cañon."
They turned their horses, and galloped forward, Turk, after one more
growl in the direction of the Indians, following. Presently the defile
divided.
"Shall we take the main branch, or the one to the right?" Frank asked.
"Better keep straight on," Dick said; "the other may lead into some
valley from which there could be no getting out, and we should be caught
in a trap. See!" he said, as he halted, "the deer have gone that way. Do
you see some of the pebbles have been thrown out of that little stream?
"Jump off your horse, and cut some bits off your blankets and tie them
round your horse's feet. If the Indians see no marks going forward, they
will naturally suppose we have turned off here in pursuit of the deer."
Frank did what his comrade suggested; but quickly as the work was
performed, they heard the sound of the horsemen in pursuit, loud and
distinct, before they again set forward. Then, springing on their
horses, they rode up the cañon. After a while they halted; the sounds of
pursuit had ceased, and they had no doubt the Indians had turned off
into the other ravine.
"It all depends how far that runs," Dick said, "how soon they will be in
pursuit again. If it comes soon to an end it will not be long before we
have them after us; if it goes on for some miles we are safe."
Winding between perpendicular cliffs of great height, they rode forward,
mounting steadily. It was impossible to make rapid progress, for
although in some places the bottom of the ravine was bare, smooth rock,
at others it was piled with boulders.
It was three hours before they emerged from it, and upon doing so found
they were upon an elevated plateau. Before they moved forward, Frank
said, "Turk, do you hear them?" The dog stood with ears erect and
quivering nostrils, looking down the ravine which they had just left.
Presently he gave a low, deep growl.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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