“Yes, it’s very fine, if everything goes as you expect. And after that shall we free the Apaches?”
“Intschu-Tschuna and Winnetou at least, and any others we can.”
“And what will happen to the rest?”
“Nothing bad, I’m sure. The Kiowas will be too busy at first looking for the chiefs. But it’s time enough to plan the next step when we’ve got through this one. What comes later we’ll take care of later. The next thing to do is to select a good spot for carrying out our scheme, and that I’ll attend to the first thing in the morning. We’ve talked enough to-day; to-morrow we must act.”
He was right; there was nothing else to do now but await events.
The night was not very comfortable; a high wind arose, increasing to a gale, and towards morning it grew unusually cold for that region. We were awakened chilled to our marrows. Sam scanned the sky, and then said: “Apparently we are going to have rain to-day, and that happens rarely about here, but is the very best thing for our plan.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Don’t you know why?” replied Sam. “Look around here and see how the grass is flattened down. The one thing I was afraid of was that when the Apaches came it would show them that there was a greater number of men and horses here than they saw. But if it rains it will wash away all trace of this, and the grass will spring up again as fresh as ever. I must set out to look for the place where we will let the Apaches overtake us, and the Kiowas must go with me before the rain comes, so it can wash away their tracks. In the meantime you can work in peace.”
He went over to lay his plan before the Kiowas, and in a short time all the Indians rode away with Sam and his two companions. We followed them slowly step by step as our work advanced, and towards noon Sam’s prophecy was fulfilled; it rained, and in such torrents as can only fall in those latitudes. It seemed as though an ocean were falling from the skies.
In the midst of this torrent Sam came back with Dick and Will. We did not see him until he was within twelve or fifteen feet of us, so thick was the veil of rain before us. They had found a suitable place; Stone and Parker were to remain and show it to us. But in spite of the weather Hawkins went back, as soon as he had laid in provisions, to resume his office of spy. As he disappeared in the thick rain I felt that misfortune was close upon us, and a sense of loneliness and dread came over me like a pall.