CONCERNING AN ARROW
THE of soil, with of and sand, was with of and and occasional of sun-burned grass, and somber, while a their to the color. Back of this was a near to the north and east, near by the of a low, range of from the to meet a sky. The this into as the line the of the plain in the of the range and the fast light. To the south and west the plain into the sky, and there was no horizon.
Two met and near a sand-buffeted of stone, which was huge, and in its indistinctness. The 15first of the ran north and south and was but discernible, being a the level of the and a which the alternately and of dust; and its arrow-like directness, neither to the right left, of the which the traveler to have done with it as as possible, since there was nothing along its heat-cursed to him in his riding. There was yet another for haste, for the water were over fifty miles apart, and in that country water were more or less and as to being free from poisons. On the occasions when the Apaches to that many of their men were missing, and a proved or two, this with possibilities, for this was the of parties, an unlimited ante-room for the to pilgrimages; and the northern then of the nature of a wire over which played an current, the of which were the at one end and the and of the painted at the other: and the was deadly.
16The other trail, the at right angles, to the of the Canadian and the Cimarron; it spread out like the of a to and nowhere, itself into the and still more paths which it as single a rope. It the of its of the which it to and yon. Neither was it as plain to the eye, for preference, in cases of urgent necessity, its saving of miles and by the more southern which and of live and the of streams, the banks of which were with willows.
As a past the point of a moving object the of the southern end of the to the east and into silhouette, paused for an on the of the range and then, into the at its base, toward the bowlder.
He was an Apache, and was in his and the easy of his poise. He 17glanced about him, his settle on the southern and then, over, he an object on the point of the rock. Wheeling abruptly, he over his trail, the wind setting at work to the of his pony. He had no sooner from over the than another to be in the light, this time from the north.
The at an easy and small in the cloud of which the wind at with him. His hat, the visible of his calling, him to be a cowboy, and when he had stopped at the his every the of the hat.
He was and self-reliant, some for the being by the long-barreled which from his right skirt and the pair of Colt’s which along his thighs. He the shirt, open at the throat, the regular about his neck, and the chaps, which were of goatskin. His were tight fitting, with high heels, and therefrom. A 18forty-foot of from the of his “rocking-chair” and a was the cantle.
He him as he rein, when the would himself, for he was being followed, of that he was certain. That was why he had through so many and on his trail. He was now to a circle, the object being to his and to do some on his own account. As he started to continue on his way his quick something on the which him again. Glancing to the ground he saw the by the Apache, and he along the with his hand his eyes. The were of a blue, hard and and cruel. They were calculating eyes, and missed anything seeing. The of the semi-tropical sun which for many years had daily them it that he from half-closed lids, and had his a look. And the promised by the were by his jaw, which was square and set, thin, lips. But about his were lines 19so and yet so as to an observer.
Raising his to his he seven and then, it to his side, he up the object which had him pause. There was no in his face, for he was at anything.
As he looked at the object he the of the Apache and of fast-riding, paint-bedaubed “hunting parties.” What had been he now to be a fact, and his more as he that he was playing with the in the very of the Apache playground, where death might in any of the which him on all sides.
“Apache arrow,” he grunted. “Now it the that me and the can’t have a free to settle up our accounts. Somebody is always their nose in my business,” he grumbled. Then he at the in his hand. “That red on the is blood,” he murmured, noticing the points of the weapon, “and that yellow means good scalping. The of leather plunder, and it 20was pointing to the east. The that it again, so this is to his friends which way to ride. He was in a hurry, too, from the way he sand, and from them toe-prints.”
He Apaches vindictively, malevolently, with a single purpose and instinct, of a little score he them. Once when he had managed to together a big of and was a day’s of a market, a party of Apaches had up in the night and off with not only the animals, but also with his own horse. This had him a and had him to a forty-pound saddle, a and a for two days under a sun he civilization. He did not thank them for not killing him, which they for some neglected to do. Apache stock was very low with him, and he now had an opportunity to the score. Then he of the sheriff, and swore. Finally he that he would just shoot that as soon as he came range, and so be free to play his hand against the that had his horses. His at the game he was about to play, 21and he the message and with a smile.
“If it’s all the same to you, I’ll just you up a bit”–and when he replaced it on the its owner would not have it to be the same weapon, for its was not red, but as as the of a of make it. This its message of and, he knew, would his enemies. He touched it with his hand and it at right to its position and now pointed and in the direction from which he the sheriff.
“It was d––d of that Apache me this, but I I’ll them reinforcements–the will be some pleased to meet them,” he said, at the of the situation. “Nobody will how a puncher”–for he himself as a cowman–“squaring up a of and saved the from more devilment. If the war-whoops are out along the Cimarron and Canadian they are havin’ fun to give me a little. But I would like to see the sheriff’s when he into the little party I’m sending his way. 22Wonder how many he will he goes under?”
Then he again took up the and the and of leather, at the of the would tell, after which he it as before, he how to that the Apaches had been out.
He to a which three hundred yards to the of him and around it to the side, where he and his to the empty air by the to in of the animal’s eyes. The many about and straps, and what it it well; nothing of would have moved it while the its eyes.
Its master slowly returned to the bowlder, where he set to work to his with dust, for although the shifting was doing this for him, it was not doing it fast to him. When he had himself that he had performed his in a manner he returned to his horse, and a place of for it and himself. First 23bandaging its so that it would not at the approach of other horses, he his pockets and to light a pack of playing cards, with which he himself at solitaire, his on ends of the trail.
His was by a cloud of which larger on the southern and soon the of the who it. As they nearer to him his him to up his rifle, but he let it from him as he the number of the party, which was being a of which were to be as for the main force.
“Two, five, eight, eleven, sixteen, twenty, twenty-four, twenty-seven,” he muttered, settling himself more comfortably. He the paint on the reddish-brown bodies, and he at what was in store for them.
“I I won’t with no twenty-seven Apaches,” he muttered. “I can wait, all right.”
Upon the the of the 24glanced at the arrow, and set off to the north at a hard gallop, being by the others. As he expected, they were Apaches, which meant that of all red they were the most proficient. They were with for and a most way of not being where one would them to be, as army officers will testify. Besides, an Apache party did not appear to have stomachs, and so and than the which so often them.
The at the success of his and, arising, around the until he see the fast-vanishing braves. Waiting until they had over the northern end of the crescent-shaped range of hills, he to the and again up the arrow.
“Huh! Didn’t take it with them, eh?” he soliloquized. “Well, that means that there’s more coming, so I’ll just send the next west–they’ll be some pleased to this God-forsaken some extensive.”
Grinning joyously, he replaced the with its pointing and then looked 25at the of the party which had just passed. Deciding that the wind would them in an hour at most, he returned to his place, taking to his own tracks. Taking a on the second going north was all right, but he didn’t to the of having them to him for explanations. Picking up the cards again he them and after defeat, and his at the luck he was having.
“I saw nothing like it!” he petulantly. “Reckon I’ll up the Old Thirteen a few,” a new game. He had away an hour and a half, and as he himself his another cloud on the southern horizon, which was smaller than the first. He the six of on the five of hearts, the pack and then put the cards and took up his rifle, the cloud closely. He was soon able to count seven who were another “cavvieyeh” of horses.
“Huh! Only seven!” he grunted, shifting his for action. The over him, but he it and the of the gun. “Nope, I not–seven 26Apaches are too much for one man to go out of his way to fight. Now, if the was only with me,” and he at the of it, “we might cut and lead. But since he ain’t, this is where I don’t in–I’ll wait a while, for they’ll come back.”
The seven through almost the same which their had gone through and great among them. The pointed to the very which and vehemently. But the two small which the in its position against the possibility of the wind shifting it not be doubted, and after a minutes had passed they as bidden, one of their number on at the bowlder. Soon the other six were to among the to the west and the sat under the sun.
The noted the position of a on the by a and laughed as he his rifle. He not think out the game. Try as he would, he no good for the of the guard, although many presented themselves, to be aside. 27But the was enough, and when the moving gave that nearly an hour had passed since the of the guard’s companions, the man with the on one knee.
After the of his rifle, he it slowly to his shoulder. A quick, calculating told him that the range was over three hundred yards, and he the of the accordingly. After a pause, which he the and of the northern wind, he his against the stock of the weapon. The report out and a of wind the ragged, cloud into the chaparral, where it close to the ground and spread out like a fog. As the away a second cartridge, and quickly, sent another cloud of into the and the to his feet, his gun. The second was for the guard’s horse, for it would be to its the braves, which it very would do if allowed to escape.
28Dropping his into the of his arm he walked toward the Indian, that there would be no more parties, for he had now which the most Apache not fail to note and understand. The be hidden, and by the use of his own and rope he the of the animal into the and out of sight. But the which would be left in the would be too and wide to be covered. He had the Rubicon, and must or by the step.
The Indian had against the and had its side, landing on his and shoulders, in which position the supported him. One the “cowman” that his had been good, and another told him that he had to the of no more parties, for the was gone. He was not satisfied, however, until he had a good search for it, that it might have been by the of the Apache. He the of the in his arms and it across the of the bowlder, up and nicely, the pointing to the north. Then he looked 29for the on the where the had rested, but it was not to be found. A across his as he the of the late guard, which were a Colt’s and a late pattern Winchester repeater. Taking the from his body, he up triumphant. He now had what he needed to meet the smaller of Indians on their return, ten in one and a Colt’s.
“One for my cavvieyeh!” he as he of the of his herd. “There’ll be more, too, I through, or my name’s not”– he paused abruptly, by a over a of hard which to the east of him. Leaping the bowlder, he his own across the of the and toward the east, if the would be the or another Apache. The came nearer and another the of the and no further. Again a second took of the and the to his second victim, from and he took another Winchester and Colt.
30“Now I am in for it!” he as he looked at the warrior. “This is warm and it’ll be a d––n if his friends about him and him up.”
Glancing around the and no of an interruption, he the across his and with it to the bowlder, where he and pushed it across the of the Apache.
“Might as well make a good and make them mad, for I can’t very well you and the cayuses–I ain’t no graveyard,” he said, to look at his work. He no remorse, for that was a not yet in his consciousness. He was at his success, in to his love for fighting, for he would die than live the of years with peace, and his only was having by ambush. But in this, he told himself, there was need, for his ordered him to kill as many as he could, and in any way possible. Knowing that he was, single-handed, attempting to and that he had him a of fighting, he would not have to make use of if they were at hand and 31be used. Perhaps it was old Geronimo plans he was and, if so, no means were and too to make use of, for Geronimo was half-brother to the and a for and slaughter, with a and cold-blooded and consummate.
He had yet time to from his position and meet the sheriff, if that had the party. But his had the upper hand and his was now to caution. He that his with the wait and that he would take of the parties first, since there was more in against odds. The two Winchesters and his own Sharps, not to the four Colt’s, gave him many without having to waste time in reloading, and he from the past that he his and with precision. He put up a in the chaparral, shifting his position after each shot, and he the ground where the of the were and would prove an against shots. His were keen, his nimble, his and above doubt, and he had no to that his 32strategy was to that of his foes. There would be no moon for two nights, and he in the if and thirst should drive him out. Here he had struck, and here he would again and again, and, if he fell, he would him such a of as had been before; and it pleased his to think of the the would call as it was around the and across the of a country larger than Europe. He did not that such a would die if he died and would be known. His was the of a master of the game, a virile, machine, a man who had failed in the playing of the many hands he had in with death. He was not going to die; he was going to win and for others.