“After ’em,” echoed the defenders of the store; and Savage and five others rode madly in the Devonshireman’s wake.
Confident of success now that their friends had returned, the miners in the store had come out to continue the fight in the open; and the young Indian wife had followed them. In an instant, and at first unseen by anyone except Billy West the Devonshireman, one of the braves had snatched up the woman, flung her across his saddle, and ridden off, his flight covered by other fugitives.
The little handful of white men rode despairingly on, though their horses were jaded, though it was pitch dark and a heavy snow was beginning. There was no thought of ambuscades now; each man’s blood was up; each man ready to deal with a score of Indians single-handed. Yet, at last, common sense said “stop.” For the first mile or so, the snow had been their friend; for, to eyes accustomed to darkness, the Indians’ track was visible enough on its surface; but with the increasing storm, footprints were obliterated as fast as they were made. The Devonshireman was the first to pull up.
“Shall us goo on, or goo back, or baide yere,—or what?” he asked.
Everyone looked towards Savage. Clearly these good fellows were all anxiety to show their sympathy with him, and their readiness to fall in with his least 201 wish. He, too, had now pulled up, but seemed altogether too dazed to form any decision. The others held a whispered council; but, while they still hesitated, they heard a body of mounted men riding swiftly behind them.
“Halt!—Who goes there?” And as an echo to the leader’s voice, came the click of three dozen carbine-hammers.
“All right; we shan’t eat ye,” growled a miner; and the troop rode on towards them. “Who are you, any way?”
“Dr. Bunnell, and forty volunteers from ’Frisco. Know anything about that affair at First Creek this morning?”
The new arrivals were mounted militia from San Francisco, who had been warned by the fugitives from the massacre at the diggings. Billy West began to tell of the other outrages, but the doctor interrupted him.
“Ay; we judged there was something of the sort going on. Bring that redskin here again.”