CHAPTER XXXVIII.

WILD BILL’S WILD RIDE.

Wild Bill made the acquaintance of all the officers and mingled freely with the men at the fort. From the latter he soon got several hints regarding the officers, without seeming to have any desire to do so. One officer, he discovered at the start, was unpopular with the men of the ranks, and it soon became evident that this man was disliked by his brother officers. Wild Bill immediately made it his business to cultivate the acquaintance of this man.

For reasons which will be obvious later in this tale, the true name of this officer will not be given. We will call him Captain Smith for convenience, simply because that was not his name.

Captain Smith well knew that he was generally disliked, and when the distinguished and daring plainsman appeared to favor his society, the captain hastened to meet his new-found friend halfway.

In card games that day Hickok found opportunity to size up all the officers, and skillfully led to some reference to the missing Lieutenant Avery. In the conversation that followed he remarked:

“I wonder if this Avery isn’t the same man I saw up Callatin way a few moons ago.”

“The same,” answered another; “that is where he found his wife.”

“Oh, yes; by the way, he must be the one who had a falling out with the Indian agent up there.”

“Yes. Did you meet Price?” asked Smith.

Wild Bill affected not to exactly remember the name.

“Let’s see,” he said, “was this Price the Indian agent?”

“The same.”

“Yes, I met him several times at the hotel--pleasant fellow, evidently.”

“You bet he is; Price is all right,” avowed Captain Smith enthusiastically.

The others made no comment.

Wild Bill shuffled the cards and dealt new hands.

“I may have this Avery mixed with some other man,” he said. “Was he of medium height and fairly stout?”

“No; as tall as you are and about your build,” said Cook.

Captain Smith opened his mouth to speak, but changed his mind. Wild Bill noted the captain’s hesitation and resolved to give him an opportunity to relieve his mind.

After the game had ended Hickok approached Captain Smith, and said:

“What sort of country is it west of here? Looks like quite a sizable cañon dead west.”

“Yes, that’s the Big Horn range, and it’s a picturesque country as far as I’ve been. That is called Carvel’s Cañon, I think. Just now the foothills are swarming with Indians.”

“Crows?”

“Mostly; but Olgallalas, Poncas, Otoes, and Cheyennes are too plentiful for comfort. They are traveling in strong parties during the last few months, and it is a hopeless case for the settlers wherever they go. A cattleman with a few cowboys and good rifles can stand off the small parties, but these war parties are out for scalps and plunder, and they will never be quiet until they are given an everlasting licking.”

“What do you say to a canter out toward the cañon, to see what we may see?”

“It would suit me first-rate, if the general doesn’t object. He is short of men now, and the supply train, which is accompanied by fifty men, is five days late.”

“Have to turn to buffalo meat pretty soon, eh?”

“It looks that way now, and the general is getting uneasy about the men with the train, as well as the supplies. He may ask you and Cody to investigate if it doesn’t show up pretty soon. And, by the way, Hickok, would it be impertinent for me to ask what your mission is here?”

“Certainly not,” answered Wild Bill suavely. “We are making for Fort Leavenworth, and Colonel Cody thought he would look over the forces at the different forts and see how they compare, according to the districts they are in and an experienced Indian fighter’s notion of the places that would require the stronger forces. Of course you know that back in the States there is a good deal of criticism concerning the disposal of the frontier troops. Some blame the war department and some the interior department for the stand they take in opposition to each other. I shouldn’t like to have you make any talk about the object of our visit, of course, but I don’t mind telling you privately.”

Captain Smith felt flattered by the scout’s apparent confidence and became somewhat loquacious.

The general in command asked both to use exceeding caution and to take no chances. He should prefer if they were going simply for a gallop that they should proceed along the route to the southeast, from which direction he was momentarily expecting the supply train and escort. If the Indians should discover and capture this train it would mean disaster for the fort, as the quantity of ammunition now on hand was small.

It was a pleasing day for a canter, if there were no necessity of a constant study of the surroundings for signs of the treacherous reds.

Wild Bill was always on the alert, and his eye was as quick as that of any Indian. They had left the fort perhaps three miles in the rear, and Captain Smith had entered deeply into a subject which interested Hickok. It was concerning Price, the former Indian agent, and his affairs, particularly that which concerned Lieutenant Avery. They saw nothing of the hoped-for supply wagons, and the scout was so absorbed by the words of his companion that he at first gave no heed to a row of strange objects along the crest of a hill far to the left of them. Then the habit of years fixed his gaze.

“Do you see anything there?” he asked of the captain.

The captain did not, but Hickok leveled his field glass as he rode, and a moment later announced:

“They are Indians, cap, and they are between us and the fort. How is your horse for a run?”

The captain paled, but answered:

“There is no pony living that can down him in twenty miles.”

“Good! Let’s look to our saddle girths, for as soon as those fellows see that they have been discovered they will come out in full view. They are only waiting now to give others time to cut off our retreat by riding out behind that ridge we have just crossed.”

“What is best for us to do?” asked the captain.

“Keep out of their way, if possible, and when they get too near make it costly for them.”

“I’ve revolver ammunition in plenty, but only half a dozen rounds for my rifle.”

“Hold your ammunition for a while, then, and when they get too insistent I’ll entertain them. How far is it to the crest of that ridge, should you say?”

“One thousand yards.”

Wild Bill raised the sights of his rifle.

“Watch me let them know they are discovered,” he said.

Swinging in his saddle, his rifle cracked and dust flew beside one of those round objects that lay so motionless.

Instantly more than a score of warriors leaped to their feet and darted back out of sight down the opposite side of the divide.

“In two shakes of a sandpeep’s tail they’ll be back again, fully mounted and after us,” said Hickok. “Are you prepared for a run?”

“I am, and ready to wager that I can leave those fellows out of sight in an hour.”

“Don’t try it, old man. If you do you may sleep without a scalp to-night. My advice to you is not to push your horse too hard at first. The farther we get ahead of them the farther we’ll be away from the fort when darkness comes on. So long as there is nothing in the way, I move that we stick to the route as though we never intended to come back, and then they won’t be looking for us when we return after dark.”

“They are coming, Hickok!” exclaimed the captain excitedly, sending his horse away at a swift canter.

Wild Bill saw the fiercely charging cavalcade now plunging down the descent and yelling fiercely.

It was a fearsome sight to those unused to it, and Wild Bill did not blame the captain for being nervous. He rode near enough to the latter to call to him:

“Don’t push your horse too hard at first; hold him in a bit, and when the reds get too near I’ll caution them. Save your horse for later on; also keep your eyes peeled for an ambush ahead.”

Smith’s horse benefited by the advice to his master, and presently Wild Bill’s rifle cracked and one of the pursuers dropped out of the race.

Soon the savages eased up their pace, keeping beyond the range of that unfailing rifle.

“No hurry, cap; just keep going fast enough so they can’t drive by and surround us--but look sharp to the front.”

Five minutes later the captain shouted back at Wild Bill:

“I hear firing ahead--sounds like an army engagement.”

“When we mount the next divide we can see. And say, cap, if it’s your supply train surrounded in the valley beyond, put on all speed and dash straight at the Indian line, shooting and yelling. Ten to one they would be so surprised at this attack from a new quarter that they will forget to shoot till we are inside the line.”

They rode not too rapidly up the rise, the Indians respecting Hickok’s rifle sufficiently to keep beyond range. Wild Bill’s plan was to save the wind of the horses until dark, when he knew the Indians would attempt to surround them.

As they rode out on the crest, Captain Smith exclaimed:

“Jupiter! see there.”

In the little valley below them was the wagon train huddled on the plain, with the horses in the square between the wagons, and the escort lying and kneeling all about the wagons and keeping the Indians at bay. Several hundred warriors were riding in a circle about the train, keeping their bodies behind their ponies and shooting from behind these living shields.

“Straight at them now, and begin yelling and shooting the instant we are discovered,” said Wild Bill, putting spurs to his horse.