Chapter XIII. The White Stallion

by Joseph A. Altsheler

　　Shif'less Sol led the way through the forest and four ghostlyfigures followed in single file. They made no noise as theypassed among the cypresses and magnolias, and oaks of thedrooping foliage. No one spoke, but the leader laughed more thanonce in his throat, a laugh which never passed the lips, butwhich was full of satisfaction nevertheless. He felt that he,Solomon Hyde, nicknamed the shiftless one, had not lived in vain.He had achieved the, greatest triumph of a life already crowdedwith dangers and deeds. To use the phrase of a later day, it washis crowded hour, and his four comrades gave him all the honorand glory of it.

　　They came presently to a still, dark channel of water, the bayou,and stopped on its bank. A light wind had risen, and as it blewamong the cypresses and magnolias and oaks of the droopingfoliage, it blew the song of the triumph of Shif'less Sol. Themoonlight fell on his face now and as his features drew into asmile he, at last, permitted himself to laugh outright.

　　"It was wonderful, Sol," said Henry. "We always knew that youwere near us, and we knew, too, that because you were near us wewere near to freedom."

　　He stepped forward, grasped the hand of the shiftless one, andgave it a fervent shake. Paul at once did the same, thenfollowed Long Jim and Tom Ross. Shif'less Sol's face becamebeatific. He had received his silent tribute and it was enough.The flavor of it would be with him all the rest of his life.

　　"What did you fellers think?" he asked, "when them two big knivescame fallin' down on the floor. I'd hev called to you, but I wuzafeard I'd stir up them two sentinels on the other side of thehouse."

　　"We knew it was you, Sol," replied Paul, "and we knew then thatour escape was certain. Where did you get the knives?"

　　"I stole them from a tool house," replied Sol with pride. "Iguess they use 'em to cut cane with, or something like that."

　　"We certainly cut dirt with 'em at a great rate," said Henry,"and here we are free, the five of us together again, but withoutarms except the two knives you threw to us."

　　The moonlight was deepening and the shiftless one stood in thecenter of it. His figure seemed suddenly to swell and the calm,victorious light of the supreme conqueror came into his eyes.

　　"Boys," he said, and his voice was even and precise, as avictor's should be, "when I undertook this here job o' settin' uson our feet agin, I undertook to do it all. I not only meant toput us on our feet, but to git us ready fur runnin', too. Boys,I hev took 'The Gall-yun' from the Spaniards ag'in an' she'swaitin' fur us."

　　"What! what!" they cried in chorus. "You don't mean it, Sol?"

　　"I shorely do mean it. All the boats that they expect to useto-day wuz anchored in the bi-yoo or bay-yoo or whatever theycall it. 'The Gall-yun,' our gall-yun, wuz at the end o' theline nearest to the big river. Nobody wuz on board, but she wuztied to the boat next to her. I slipped on her - it was pow'fuldark then an' the Spaniards wuz keepin' a slip-shod watch, anyhow- cut the rope an' floated her down the stream, where I've tiedher up under sech thick brush that nobody 'cept ourselves islikely to find her. She'll be thar, waitin' fur us, an' don'tyou doubt it. An' fellers all our rifles and ammunition an'things are on her. It wuz the captain's boat, an' I s'pose hethought he might ez well hey them trophies, and use 'em."

　　"Is this really true, Sol?" exclaimed Paul, although he did notdoubt.

　　"Gospel truth. We're jest ez well off ez we wuz a fore we wuzcaptured. I don't think, either, them Spaniards will miss 'TheGall-yun' until mornin'. So we kin be up an' away with somethin'o' a start."

　　"Lead on, Sol," said Henry.

　　Sol led, and resumed the noiseless Indian file. They found thegood ship, "The Galleon," under the overhanging bushes where Solhad left her, rejoicingly they took possession again of the theboat, their arms, and supplies.

　　"Now for New Orleans and the Governor General," said Paul, asthey pushed out into the bayou. There was no current here, buttheir powerful arms at the oars soon sent the boat into theMississippi. There they set the sail which had been leftunchanged, and as a good wind caught it they went on at aquickening pace. Wind, current, and oars combined made the lowbanks pass swiftly by.

　　It was now the darkest hour and all things were veiled. Eachfelt a great satisfaction. They had the courage, after such agreat and skillful escape, to attempt anything.

　　"It's only lately that I've been gittin' friendly with theMissip," said Shif'less Sol. "It's a pow'ful big river an' a newone, but me an' this river are already jest like brothers. Itought all to belong to us people o' Kentucky. When we git to bea great big settled country, hev we got to float everything downit, right in among the Spaniards or the French, an' they able tostop us ef they want to? Pears to me thar oughtn't to be anythingbut a string o' free countries along the length o' this bigriver."

　　"I think that is what likely to happen," said Paul looking intothe future, as he did so often. "We'll always be pressing down,and we can't help."

　　"Anyhow," resumed Shif'less Sol, "I'm glad that we've left that,thar place o' Booly, or Bee-yu-ly, or whatever they call it.Funny these furrin' people can't pronounce names like they spell.Now we Americans an the English, who use our language, call wordsjest ez they are, but you never know what a Frenchman or aSpaniard is goin' to make out o' em."

　　They made good progress throughout the day, and saw no sign ofthe flotilla of Alvarez which they had feared might overtakethem. They were agreed that it would be wise for them to reachNew Orleans first, and hence they went boldly forward into thecountry that they regarded as that of the enemy, confident oftheir fortune.

　　The river widened and narrowed frequently, but always it was verydeep. It was not beautiful here, but the vast current flowingbetween low shores had a somber majesty all its own. Its effectupon the imagination of every one of them was heightened by theknowledge that the stream had come an immeasurable distance, fromunknown regions, and that in the coming it had gathered intoitself innumerable other rivers, most of which also had come fromlands of mystery.

　　They stopped one mourning in the mouth of a creek that flowedinto the Mississippi, and decided to spend the day in makingrepairs, a general cleaning-up, and a search for fresh food. Itwas the universal opinion that they would profit more by such ahalt than by pushing on regardless of everything.

　　It was a beautiful spot in which they lay. They had gone abouta hundred yards up the creek, and its waters here, about thirtysix feet deep, were perfectly transparent. But this silverstream the moment it entered the Mississippi was lost in thegreat, brown current, swallowed up in an instant by the giantriver.

　　The banks of the creek were low and on either side brilliant wildflowers grew to the very water's edge. Ferns, lilies, and otherplants of deeper hues, were massed in great beds that ran fromthe creek edges back to the forest. Tall birds on immensely longand slender legs stood in the shallower water and now and then asquick as a flash of lightning darted down a hooked bill.Invariably the bill came up with a fish struggling in its grasp.Beautiful flamingoes hovered about the bank and many birds ofbrilliant plumage darted from tree to tree. Few of these sang,except the mocking bird, which gave forth an incessant mellownote. But it was a scene of uncommon peace and beauty and allfelt its influence.

　　Henry looked at the creek and the forest through which it camewith an appreciative eye. He knew because the waters of thecreek were clear that it must flow through hard, firm ground, andhe was thinking at that moment of a plan which he intended tocarry out later.

　　Their first work was with the boat. In its long voyage on theriver it had gathered mud and other objects on its bottom. Thisthey could see perfectly now that it lay in the clear water, andShif'less Sol and Jim Hart volunteered to scrape it with two ofthe shovels that were contained in the invaluable store house of"The Galleon."

　　Their offer was accepted, and taking off their clothing, theysprang into the water. Once a huge cat fish from theMississippi, unused to man, brushed against Long Jim's leg, itshorn raking him slightly. With a shout Long Jim sprang almostout of the water and clambered up the side of the boat.

　　"Somethin' big bit me!" he cried. "It took one uv my legs withhim!"

　　"It's only a scared cat fish and you still have two legs, Jim,"replied Henry laughing boyishly, because a boy he was in spite ofhis size and experience.

　　Jim looked down, and a great smile of delight unfolded like a fanacross his face from side to side.

　　"Guess you're right, Henry," he said, "an' I am still all in onepiece."

　　He sprang back into the water, and he and Sol soon finished theirtask. After that it was arranged that Sol, Jim, and Tom shouldgive a thorough furbishing to the boat's interior, wash and drytheir spare clothing and bedding, while Henry and Paul went on ahunt for a deer to replenish their larder.

　　"You see, Paul," said Henry, "the waters of this creek are quiteclear, which means that it comes through good, hard ground. It'slikely that it isn't far back to one of the little prairies whichI've heard are common in this part of Louisiana, and in a wildcountry like this where there's a prairie there's pretty likelyto be deer."

　　The logic seemed good to Paul. At any rate he was willing enoughto go on a hunt, stretch his legs, and see a new region. Sayingthat they should probably be gone all day they started at once,leaving the others absorbed in the task of housecleaning. Theyreached solid ground not far from the creek's edge and walkedalong briskly, following the course of the stream back toward itssource. The soil was black and deep and the forest magnificent.Great beeches and hickories were mingled with the willows andlive oaks and cypresses, and the foliage was thick, green, andbeautiful. The birds seemed innumerable, and now and then flocksof wild fowl rose with a whir from the creek's edge. Keen,penetrating odors of forest and wild flower came to theirnostrils.

　　Both boys threw up their heads, inhaled the odors, and thrilledin every fiber. They were very young, care could never stay withthem long and now they felt only the sheer, pure delight ofliving. They looked back. The forest had already shut out theirboat, and one who did not know would not have dreamed that thelongest river in the world was only a mile or two away. Theywere alone in the wilderness and they did not care. They weresufficient, for the moment, each to the other.

　　As they advanced, the creek narrowed and the forest thickened.The trees not only grew closer together, but there was a vastmass and network of trailing vines, extended from trunk to trunkand bough to bough. One huge oak in the very center of anintricate maze of vines was drawn far over and its boughs weretwisted into strange, distorted shapes. It was obvious to boththat the vines, singly so feeble, collectively so powerful, haddone it, and they stood a moment or two wondering at this proofof the power of united and unceasing effort.

　　They went a mile or so further on, and Henry led the way towardthe left and from the creek. An instinct or the lay of the land,perhaps, warned him that the open country was in that direction.The trees, had begun to thin already, and in another mile theycame out upon a beautiful little rolling prairie. It was quiteclear of trees; grass, mingled with wild flowers, grew high uponit, and at the far edge they saw the figures of animals grazing.

　　"Deer! " exclaimed Paul. "There they are, Henry! Just waiting forus!"

　　Henry took a long and keen look, then shook his head.

　　"No, not deer, Paul," he said. "Now guess what they are.""They can't be buffaloes," replied Paul. "I think, Henry, I'mright; they're deer."

　　"No," said Henry, "they're horses."

　　"Horses! Why there are no plantations hereabouts!"

　　"Not tame horses. Wild horses. Descendants of the horses thatthe Spaniards brought to Mexico two or three hundreds ago."

　　"And which have been spreading northward ever since," continuedPaul, alive with interest. "Let's try to get a near look at them,Henry."

　　"I'm with you," said Henry.

　　Full of boyish curiosity they went around the prairie, keeping inthe edge of the woods until they came much nearer to the herd ofwild horses, which numbered about thirty. As a considerable windwas blowing their odor away from the animals, they could approachvery closely without their presence being suspected.

　　The horses were clean limbed and well-shaped, and all except onewere small and dark of color. But that one was a noticeableexception. He was almost pure white, far larger than the others,and he had a great flowing white mane and tail.

　　The herd grazed in a bunch, but the magnificent white stallionstood apart on the side next to the woods. He, too, grazed atintervals, but most of the time he stood, head erect like asentinel or rather a leader. It seemed to both the boys that hiswhole attitude was full of spirit and majesty, the vast freedomof the wilderness. He carried, too, the responsibility for thewhole herd and he knew it.

　　"A prairie King," whispered Paul. "Wouldn't I like to catch sucha splendid animal, Henry, and ride him into New Orleans!"

　　"No you wouldn't, Paul," replied Henry. "That stallion wasn'tmade to be ridden by anybody."

　　"Look, Paul, look!"

　　Henry's last word rose to an excited whisper, and Paul's gazequickly followed his pointing finger.

　　Even then he would not have seen anything had he not looked longand carefully. At last he made out a long, tawny shape on alow-lying bough of a tree at the very edge of the forest. Theshape was flattened against the bough and almost blended with it.

　　"A panther!" whispered Paul.

　　Henry nodded. It was, in fact, a large specimen of the pantheror southern cougar, and Henry whispered again:

　　"See what he is after!"

　　A small colt from the herd had wandered dangerously near to theforest and the bough on which the cougar lay, watching him withthe yellow, famished eyes of the great, hungry cat.

　　"Shoot him, Henry! Shoot him!" whispered Paul. "You can reach himwith a bullet from here. Don't let him kill the poor, littlecolt!"

　　"I'd do it if it were needed," replied Henry, "but I don't thinkit will be. See, Paul, the Prairie King suspects!

　　The great white stallion raised his head a little higher. It maybe that he caught a glimpse of the tawny form and yellow, hungryeyes amid the foliage of the bough, or it may be that a suddenflaw in the wind brought to his nostrils the pungent odor of thebig cat. He reared and stamped, the startled colt turned away,and the cougar, afraid that he was about to lose his chance,sprang.

　　A yellow compact mass, bristling with sharp, white teeth andlong, hooked claws shot through the air, but the distance was toogreat. The colt had turned just in time, and the cougar fellshort. He gathered himself instantly for another spring, butquick as he was, he was not quick enough.

　　The boys heard a fierce neigh, and the great stallion, wild withrage, hunched himself upon the cougar. Agile and powerful thoughthe great cat was, the sharp hoofs trampled him down. Taken at adisadvantage, just at the moment when his first spring had spentitself, he was no match for the protector of the herd. No bonecould resist the impact of those heavy terrible hoofs. No skullwas thick enough to save. The cougar squealed, clawed, and bitwildly, but in an incredibly quick space he was trampled to deathand lay quite still. The boys believed that every bone in himmust have been broken.

　　The herd had run some distance away in fright at the cougar'sleap, but while the swift combat lasted it stood looking on. Nowthe stallion, after a last look at the slain robber, turned andwalked away in triumph to the herd that he had protected so well.It seemed to the glorified fancy of the boys that he held hishead higher than ever, and that his great mane and tail flowedaway in new ripples. He stalked proudly at the head of the herddown to the other side of the prairie, where they went placidlyon with their grazing.

　　"That is certainly one thing that turned out right," said Paul ina gratified tone.

　　"The hoofs of a powerful and enraged wild stallion are a terriblething," said Henry. "Even a deer, which is far smaller, can killa man with its hoofs. But if you'll look again, Paul, you'll seethat a new danger threatens our king of horses."

　　Paul followed Henry's gaze, and he distinctly saw two or threehuman figures at the edge of the wood. These figures were hiddenfrom the horses by a swell of the prairies, and, as in the caseof the cougar, the wind blew their odor away.

　　"Indians?" asked Paul.

　　"I can't tell at this distance," replied Henry, "but it's morelikely that they belong to the party of Alvarez, and perhaps theyknow that wild horses frequent this prairie and othershereabouts. See what they are doing!"

　　Paul saw well enough. One man carrying on his arm a coil ofrope, the lariat of Mexico, lay down in the long grass whichcompletely hid him, but both Henry and Paul knew that he wascreeping forward inch by inch toward the beautiful stallion thatwas grazing not ten yards from the woods.

　　"When he comes close enough, if he can do so before the horsetakes the alarm," said Henry, "he will throw the rope and catchthe horse by the neck in the running noose at the end."

　　"But the horse will take alarm," said Paul hopefully.

　　"I don't know," said Henry. "He may think in his horse mind thatone enemy in one day is as much as he has need to dread."

　　It seemed that Henry was right. Exultant in his victory over thecougar, the Prairie King had relaxed his vigilance. More oftennow his head was down, cropping the grass like the rest of theherd. Henry and Paul believed that they could see the grassrippling as the new and more cunning enemy crept forward. But itwas only agile fancy - they were too far away.

　　"What ever happens it's bound to happen soon," said Henry.

　　Even as he spoke the man in the grass sprang to his feet, threwforth his right arm, and the rope shot out like a snake uncoilingitself as it sprang. Both Paul and Henry felt a pang when theysaw the loop enclose the neck of the noble horse, while the manhimself and his comrades uttered loud shouts of exultation.

　　"He has caught him!" exclaimed Paul sadly.

　　"Yes," said Henry, "and I'm sorry, but it was a wonderful feat ofskill and patience!"

　　The frightened herd ran away, and the white stallion reared andstruggled, his great eyes red and distended with rage andastonishment. Two men ran forward and seized the rope whichtheir comrade had thrown so skillfully. Then the three pulledhard.

　　But the quarry was too magnificent. They had miscalculated thewhite stallion's strength. Caught by the neck, he dragged,nevertheless, all three over the prairie, and then, suddenlymaking a mighty lunge, tore the rope from their grasp, leavingthem thrown headlong to the earth. Away he went, the long ropeflying out behind him like a streamer.

　　Doubtless some failure of the noose to draw tightly around hisneck had saved the horse, and this was proved when the ropecatching in a bush slipped off over his head as he struggledagain. Then the stallion, by chance, or because his horse's mindinclined him to it, uttered a long, shrill neigh of triumph,kicked his heels high in the air, and galloped away, his flowingtail streaming out behind him, a banner of triumph.

　　"He's won again," said Henry in a tone of gladness. "I told youthat horse wasn't made ever to be ridden."

　　"But he has to struggle continually for life and freedom," saidPaul.

　　"Just the same as we do," rejoined Henry.

　　"See those fellows are picking themselves up; but they've beenslow about it."

　　"I don't blame them. I fancy they suffered some pretty severebruises when the horse jerked them down. Paul, I think I canmake out two white faces in that party, which almost certainlymeans that they are the men of Alvarez. And it says to us thatwe ought to hurry."

　　"But not without our deer, I hope," said Paul.

　　They gave one last look at the far edge of the prairie, wherethey could still dimly see the white stallion, now keeping wellaway from the woods.

　　"I don't think anything will get him," said Henry, "and I hopenot. Just as we do, he loves to be free."

　　They, too, re-entered the woods and were fortunate enough to finda deer quickly. Henry was willing to risk the chance of the shotbeing heard by their enemies and his bullet brought it down.Then they cut up the body and took it back to the boat, wherethey told all that had occurred. The others agreed that ifAlvarez and his men were in the vicinity they ought to leave atonce, and, transferring the drying clothes from the bank to theboat, they entered the Mississippi once more and set sail downits stream.