"They remain," came the unhesitating answer. "The Indians will probably attack us to-morrow, and if they are unsuccessful they will drive the cattle away. We shall call the gauchos from other ranches and shall follow, and no doubt we shall manage to capture many of the stolen beasts. There is never much fighting, señor, for the Indians move quickly, and give up all the cattle that lag. Our attention is thus engaged more with the beasts than with the enemy."
"While in any case our master is a heavy loser."
"That is so, señor," admitted Pietro ruefully; "but who can help it?"
"We can," came the prompt answer. "We can try to, at any rate. More than that, I fancy we might even read these fellows a lesson which will last them for many a year to come. Send those messengers to me."
Pietro and his comrades stared at Dudley as if they could not believe their ears. They had spent their lives on the pampas, and now and again it had happened that they or friends of theirs had been surrounded by the Indians, who were always hostile to the gauchos. Then they had had to fight, and the gauchos had plenty of pluck and determination, and knew how to make the most of a desperate situation. But their experience had also taught them that the Indians always raided in large numbers, which it would be foolish to oppose. These raids were very often, and in fact in nearly every case, sudden and unexpected, and retaliation was never very possible. Sometimes they had managed to round up some of the Indians as they drove the rancho cattle away, and then there had been slaughter. But as a general rule gauchos were pounced upon and killed barbarously, while those who escaped hung on the tail of the retreating Indians and did their best to recover some of the cattle, which were always the object of these raids. It was therefore somewhat startling to hear such a proposition.
"As the señor cares to order," said Pietro readily. "But how? We are willing to fight if he will show us how."
"Then listen to this. The beasts are six miles from this, at least they were early this morning when I rode out."
"They are there now, señor. The gauchos surround them."
"Then we will retire at once till we are well beyond the herd. There are three thousand of them, and the Indians will hardly dare to drive more. We will gallop away now, and by the time we reach our comrades it will be dusk."
"That is true, señor," came the cautious admission. "It will be dusk, but not so dark that the Indians cannot follow and surround the cattle. Three thousand is as many as they dare attempt to drive."