lla.thelonelymen-第7部分

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　She　sat　there　a　while　without　saying　any　more；　and　then　got　up　and　left。　I　couldn't　figure　out　why　she　sat　down　to　talk　to　me。　It　seemed　as　if　she　was　going　to　tell　me　something　…　maybe　something　about　the　Army　or　the　Apaches。
　The　black　horse　was　a　good　one；　all　right。　And　that　diamond…shaped　blaze　on　his　hip　and　one　white　stocking　was　all　that　kept　him　from　being　solid　black。　He　was　a　whole　lot　more　horse　than　I　expected　to　find。　The　two　pack　horses　were　nondescript　mustangs；　but　they　looked　tough。
　They　were　in　a　barn　back　of　an　adobe；　and　the　man　who　had　the　care　of　them　squatted　on　his　heels　and　watched　me　studying　the　horses。
　〃You're　takin'　a　lot　of　care；　mister；〃　he　said　sourly；　〃when　you　got　no　choice。〃
　He　spat　out　the　straw　he'd　been　chewing。　〃Take　'em　or　leave　'em。　I　got　no　more　time　to　spare。　The　lady　paid　for　'em。　All　you　got　to　do　is　saddle　up　and　ride。〃
　He　didn't　like　me　and　I　didn't　like　him；　so　I　taken　the　horses　and　got　away。　I　rode　them　back　into　the　brush　where　Rocca　was　waiting　and　where　my　gear　was　cached。
　Rocca　had　rustled　a　horse　from　somewhere　in　Mex　town；　so　we　were　ready　to　go。
　〃You　got　anything　holdin'　you？〃　I　asked　him。
　〃Not　so's　you'd　notice。　Spanish　is　out　in　the　brush　with　John　J。　They'll　meet　us　south　of　here。〃
　So　we　mounted　up　and　rode　out　of　there；　paying　no　mind　to　anything　else。　Down　country　about　four　miles　Spanish　rode　up　to　us；　and　then　John　J。　Battles　followed。
　〃You　boys　are　taking　a　wild　chance；〃　I　said。　〃You　got　no　stake　in　this。〃
　〃Shut　up；〃　Spanish　said。　〃You　save　your　breath　to　cool　your　porridge。〃
　〃I　never　been　to　the　Sierra　Madres；〃　John　J。　said。　〃Any　place　I　ain't　been　I　got　to　see。〃
　We　put　up　some　dust　and　headed　south；　with　me　riding　up　front。　The　trail　was　used　。。。　there　was　always　some　riding　down　toward　Kitchen's　ranch。
　You　might　think　that　on　a　traveled　trail　you'd　be　safe；　but　there　was　nowhere　in　this　corner　of　Arizona　where　a　body　was　safe；　one　moment　to　the　next。　Pete　Kitchen　had　men　on　watch　all　hours　of　the　day；　and　everybody　went　armed；　expecting　trouble；　so　after　a　while　the　Apaches　kind　of　fought　shy　of　the　Kitchen　outfit。
　There's　been　a　lot　of　talk　of　the　rights　and　wrongs　of　the　Indian　wars；　and　there　was　wrong　on　both　sides。　There　were　mighty　few　Indians　holding　down　land　in　this　country　when　the　white　man　came；　and　most　of　them　never　held　to　any　one　spot。　They　just　drifted　from　place　to　place；　living　off　the　wild　game　and　the　plants。　The　white　men　came　hunting　living　space；　and　a　place　for　a　home。　Instead　of　roaming　as　the　Indians　had　done；　they　settled　down　to　farm　the　land　and　build　houses。
　Some　of　the　white　men　wanted　to　live　in　peace　with　the　red　man；　and　some　of　the　red　men　wanted　to　live　in　peace；　too；　but　some　on　both　sides　didn't　want　anything　of　the　kind。　The　young　bucks　wanted　to　take　scalps　and　steal　horses　because　that　made　them　big　men　with　the　squaws；　and　it　was　often　easier　to　take　them　from　white　men　than　from　other　Indians；　as　they　had　always　done。　And　whenever　the　wise　old　Indians　and　the　wiser　and　kinder　of　the　white　men　wanted　to　make　peace；　there　was　always　some　drunken　white　man　or　wild…haired　Indian　ready　to　make　trouble。
　When　an　Indian　made　war　he　made　war　on　women　and　children　as　well　as　on　men；　and　even　the　friendly　white　men　found　it　hard　to　be　friendly　when　they　came　home　and　found　their　cabins　burned；　their　women　and　children　killed。　On　the　other　hand；　the　politically　appointed　Indian　agents　and　the　white　men　who　wanted　Indian　land　or　horses　would　rob；　cheat；　and　murder　Indians。
　It　was　no　one…sided　argument；　and　I　knew　it。　But　now　the　Apaches　had　stolen　some　children　and　taken　them　into　Mexico；　and　we　were　going　after　them。
　We　rode　through　the　last　of　the　afternoon　and　into　the　cool　of　the　evening。　We　camped　that　night　in　some　ruins；　half　sheltered　by　adobe　walls；　and　at　daybreak　we　rode　out。
　On　the　second　night　we　stayed　at　Pete　Kitchen's　ranch。
　
　Chapter　5
　
　We　rode　south　for　a　few　miles　after　leaving　Pete　Kitchen's　place；　then　turned　off　the　main　trail　toward　the　east。　Now；　a　man　who　leaves　a　trail　in　the　desert　had　best　know　exactly　where　he　is　going；　for　his　life　is　at　stake。
　Travel　in　the　desert　cannot　be　haphazard。　Every　step　a　man　takes　in　desert　country　has　to　be　taken　with　water　in　mind。　He　is　either　heading　for　water；　or　figuring　how　far　he　will　be　from　it　if　he　gets　off　the　trail。　The　margin　of　safety　is　narrow。
　All　of　us　had　been　south　of　the　border；　but　it　was　Tampico　Rocca　who　knew　most　about　it；　with　me　ing　second；　I　suppose。　Like　everybody　else；　we　had　to　depend　on　waterholes；　and　no　matter　what　route　we　chose；　sooner　or　later　we　had　to　wind　up　at　those　watering　places。　This　was　just　as　true　for　the　Apaches。
　The　desert　has　known　waterholes；　but　it　also　has　other　waterholes　not　generally　known；　usually　of　limited　capacity　and　usually　difficult　to　find。　Birds　and　animals　know　of　those　places；　and　so　do　the　Apaches　in　most　cases。　If　you　did　not　know　of　them　you　had　to　know　how　to　find　them；　and　that　was　something　that　did　not　e　easy。
　A　man　living　in　wild　country　has　to　be　aware　of　everything　around　him。　He　has　to　keep　his　eyes　looking；　his　ears　listening；　his　every　sense　alert。　And　that　doesn't　mean　because　of　Apaches；　but　because　of　the　desert　itself。　You　can't　fight　the　desert　。。。　you　have　to　ride　with　it。
　The　desert　is　not　all　hot　sun　and　sand；　there's　the　rocks　too。　Miles　of　them　sometimes；　scattered　over　the　desert　floor；　great　heaps　of　them　now　and　again；　or　those　great　broken　ridges　of　dull　red　or　black　rock　like　the　broken　spines　of　huge　animals。　They　shove　up　through　the　sand；　and　the　sand　is　trying　hard　to　bury　them　again。
　In　much　of　the　southwestern　desert　there's　even　a　lot　of　green；　although　the　playas；　or　dry　lake　beds；　are　dead　white。　Some　of　the　desert　plants　hold　back　until　there's　a　rain；　then　they　leaf　out　suddenly　and　blossom　quickly；　to　take　advantage　of　that　water。　But　much　of　the　greenness　of　desert　plants　doesn't　mean　that　rain　has　fallen；　for　many　of　the　plants　have　stored　water　in　their　pulpy　tissues　to　save　against　drought；　others　have　developed　hard…surfaced　leaves　that　reflect　sunlight　and　give　off　no　moisture　to　the　sun。
　Plants　and　animals　have　learned　to　live　with　the　desert；　and　so　have　the　Apaches。　And　we；　the　four　of　us；　we　were　like　Apaches　in　that　regard。
　The　desert　is　the　enemy　of　the　careless。　Neither　time；　nor　trails；　nor　equipment　will　ever　change　that。　A　man　must　stay　alert　to　choose　the　easiest　routes；　he　travels　slow　to　save　himself；　he　keeps　his　eyes　open　to　see　those　signs　which　indicate　where　water　might　be　found。　The　flight　of　bees　or　birds；　the　tracks　of　small　animals；　the　land　of　plants　he　sees　…　these　things　he　must　notice；　for　certain　plants　are　indications　of　ground　water；　and　some　birds　and　animals　never　live　far　from　water。　Others　drink　little；　or　rarely；　getting　the　moisture　they　need　from　the　plants　they　eat　or　the　animals　they　kill。
　We　rode　until　the　sun　was　two　hours　in　the　sky；　and　then　we　turned　off　into　a　narrow　canyon　and　hunted　shade　to　wait　through　the　hottest　hours。　We　unsaddled；　let　the　horses　roll；　then　watered　them　at　a　little　seep　Rocca　knew　of。　After　that；　with　one　man　to　watch；　we　stretched　out　on　the　sand　to　catch　some　rest。　There　always　had　to　be　a　man　on　watch；　because　the　Apaches　were　great　horse　thieves；　though　not　a　patch　on　the　anches；　who　could　steal　a　horse　from　under　you　whilst　you　sat　in　the　saddle。　You　either　kept　watch　or　you　found　yourself　afoot；　and　in　the　desert；　unless　you're　almighty　canny；　that　means　you're　dead。
　First　off；　when　we　rode　into　that　canyon　we　studied　the　opening　for　sign。　A　man　in　wild　country　soon　gets　so　he　can　read　the　trail　sign　as　easy　as　most　folks　read　a　newspaper；　and　often　it's　even　more　interesting。
　You　not　only　read　what　sign　you　see　on　the　ground；　but　you　learn　to　read　dust　in　the　distant　air　…　how　many　riders　there　are　under　that　dust；　and　where　they're　headed。
　The　droppings　left　by　horses　also　have　a　story　to　tell；　whether　that　horse　has　been　grain…fed；　whether　he　has　been　grazing　off　country　grass　or　desert　plants。
　And　no　two　horses　leave　the　same　track。　Each　is　a　mite　different；　and　their　gaits　are　different。　Their　hoofs　do　not　strike　with　the　same　impact；　and　sometimes　there's　a　difference　in　the　way　they　are　shod。
　We　could　tell　that　nobody　had　been　in　that　canyon　for　weeks。　We　knew；　too；　that　most　of　the　time　during　the　months　of　June；　July；　and　August　in　Sonora　you'll　get　some　rain。　Sudden　showers　that　may　be　gone　as　quickly　as　they　e；　but　enough　to　settle　the　dust　and　to　fill　some　of　the　〃tanks〃　in　the　desert　mountains。
　Among　those　desert　ridges　such　tanks　are　frequent；　pits　hollowed　in　the　rock　over　the　centuries　by　driving　rain；　or　shaped　by　run…off　water。　During　heavy　rains　these　tanks　collect　water　and　hold　it　for　weeks；　or　even　for　months。　We'd　had　some　rain；　so　the　better　water…holes　and　tanks　were　holding　water　now。
　Shortly　before　sundown；　rested　by　our　nap　in　the　shade；　we　saddled　up　again。　This　time　I　took　the　lead。
　There　were　clusters　of　cholla　and　ocotillo；　and　we　took　advantage　of　them　as　much　as　possible　to　shield　our　movements。　The　route　we　used　was　an　ancient　one　rarely　traveled　in　these　days；　but　from　time　to　time　we'd　pull　up　near　a　clump　of　brush　where　the　outlines　of　our　horses　and　ourselves　would　merge　into　the　growth；　and　there　we'd　set；　studying　the　country　around　us。
　You　might　think　that　out　in　such　open　country；　with　no　good　cover　anywhere；　a　body　wouldn't　have　to　worry；　but　knowing　Apaches　the　way　we　did；　we　knew　that　twenty　of　them　could　be　hidden　out　there　in　a　matter　of　yards；　and　nobody　the　wiser。
　We　were　taking　our　time；　saving　our　horses。　An　Apache；　who　often　rode　his　horses　to　death；　will　make　sixty　to　seventy　miles　a　day　if　he's　in　a　hurry。　On　foot　he'll　cover　thirty…five　to　forty　miles　a　day　even　in　rough　country。　That　was　about　what　we　were　doing　a…horseback。
　About　an　hour　after　dark；　we　rode　down　into　a　little　hollow　choked　with　mesquite　brush　and　built　ourselves　a　tiny　fire　of　dried　wood　and　made　coffee。　The　fire　was　well　hidden　in　the　hollow　and　the　brush；　and　it　gave　us　a　chance　to　get　the　coffee　we　dearly　needed。
　〃What　you　think？〃　Rocca　said　su