“Why, Dick,” said Frank, as soon as he could speak, “I never expected to see you again.”
“Youngster,” replied the trapper—and, as he spoke, he drew himself up to his full height, extended his long arms above his head, and doubled up a pair of fists which looked as though they might have knocked down an ox—“we don’t look fur nothing else—me an’ ole Bob don’t—but to have our har riz by the Injuns some day; but you’ll never hear tell of one of us bein’ rubbed out by Greasers—mark that. Now, I’ve had more ’n one of them ar lariats over my head, but I never had one around my neck yet, an’ I never will. When I fight Mexikins, I allers look out fur them lassos, an’ when that feller slipped his’n over my head, I was ready fur him. I cut it with my knife quicker’n he could say ‘Gin’ral Jackson,’ with his mouth open. As I riz to my feet, I see that the other feller was purty clost to me, an’ I knocked him out of his saddle with my tomahawk, as clean as a whistle. Thar wasn’t but one left then, an’ he wasn’t no ’count, fur his lasso was ruined; an’, without that we’pon, a Mexikin aint a thing fur a ten year ole boy to be afeared of. He tuk to his heels, an’ so did I; an’ here I am.”
To Archie, who had fully expected to see the trapper again, alive and well, this story of his escape seemed probable enough; but to Frank, who had seen him, as he believed, powerless in the midst of his enemies, it seemed almost incredible. Many a time, during the next three or four days, it was noticed that he earnestly regarded the trapper as if he had not quite made up his mind that he was the genuine Dick Lewis after all.
“I say, youngsters,” said Bob, when the trapper ceased speaking, “I’ve found out what it was that skeered me so bad, that night.”
“An’ he was skeered at jest nothing at all,” exclaimed Dick. “I reckon the ole feller feels the least bit ashamed of himself. If he don’t, he had oughter.”
The trappers, followed by the boys and a few of the settlers, led the way to a recess in the wall opposite the gate. The only articles in this recess that attracted the attention of the cousins, were a huge roll of canvas, and a post which supported a locomotive lamp. The face of this lamp was not turned toward the court, but outward, toward the wall.
“I told you, youngsters,” said Dick, “that the walls of this yere rancho are five foot thick; and so they be, in every place except this. Right thar is a door. It can’t be seed from the outside, nor from the inside, nuther; but it’s thar.”
Frank knew there was a door somewhere about there, for he had followed the settlers through it; but he could not tell where it was now, for the wall appeared to be as solid there as any where else. The trapper knew where to look for it, however, and when he placed his hands upon the wall, one of the stones began to move. One end moved outward, and the other inward, showing that the stone worked upon a pivot in the center. The opening thus made was about six feet long, and a foot high.
“Humph!” exclaimed Archie. “I’d like to see a man on horseback go through that little hole.”