lla.thelonelymen-第21部分

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　The　Apache　I'd　seen　was　gone。　The　one　I　had　killed　was　still　lying　back　there　on　the　gravel。
　My　breath　was　tearing　at　my　lungs　but　I　scrambled　on　up；　crawling　over　boulders；　pulling　myself　from　rock　to　rock。　From　time　to　time　I　was　out　of　their　sight。
　Suddenly　Rocca　was　right　ahead　of　me。　He　turned　to　speak　and　I　saw　the　bullet　catch　him。　It　dusted　him　on　both　sides；　and　he　squatted　suddenly　on　his　haunches　with　blood　ing　from　his　side；　staining　his　shirt。
　He　let　go　of　his　rifle　and　started　to　fall　forward；　but　I　caught　him。
　Ahead　of　us　was　about　sixty　yards　of　talus　slope；　and　then　the　hollow　toward　which　we'd　headed。
　When　I　caught　Rocca　I　just　naturally　let　him　fall　across　my　shoulders；　catching　hold　of　his　collar　with　my　right　hand。　My　Winchester　was　in　my　left；　and　I　reached　down　and　got　a　finger　through　the　lever　on　his　rifle　and　lunged　up　straight。　Then　I　started　up　the　slope。
　That　struggle　up；　with　Rocca　across　my　shoulders；　my　breath　most　gone；　and　those　bullets　ing　toward　us　from　behind　。。。　I　never　want　to　do　that　again。
　Somehow　I　made　it；　and　then　stumbled　and　sort　of　fell　into　the　hollow。　Somebody　lifted　Rocca　off　my　back；　and　I　saw　he'd　been　hit　at　least　one　more　time。
　Gasping　for　breath；　I　stared　around　me。　They　were　all　there；　Dorset；　the　children；　Murphy；　and　Battles；　and　the　horses。　And　now　there　was　us　two。
　〃The　trouble　is；〃　John　J。　Battles　said；　〃we're　trapped。　There's　no　way　out。〃
　
　Chapter　13
　
　The　hollow　was　nowhere　more　than　seventy　or　eighty　feet　across；　and　the　side　up　which　we　had　e　spilled　over　in　a　slope　of　broken　rock　and　gravel。　Elsewhere　the　sides　sloped　up　steeply　in　banks　of　blown　sand　and　gravel；　littered　with　broken　rock　from　the　escarpment　above；　and　dotted　with　sparse　brush。　The　sheer　wall　above　varied　from　eight　feet　in　height　to　twice　that。
　Our　rifles　could　mand　the　slope　down　to　the　canyon　where　the　Apaches　now　were。　With　no　trouble；　one　or　two　men　could　prevent　them　from　reaching　us。　On　the　other　hand；　if　they　reached　the　top　of　the　mesa　above　us；　we　could　be　picked　off　at　their　leisure。
　My　eyes　searched　the　rim。　It　was　cracked　and　broken；　and　there　were　places　where　a　man　might　be　able　to　reach　the　top；　but　no　place　where　a　horse　could　go　up。
　Dorset　was　working　over　Rocca；　she　had　him　resting　as　easy　as　he　could；　and　she　was　stopping　the　blood。　Harry　Brook；　needing　nobody　to　tell　him；　had　bunched　our　horses　at　the　back　of　the　hollow；　out　of　rifle　shot　from　below。　The　children　were　huddled　together；　watching　with　wide　eyes。　Nobody　was　saying　anything；　but　our　situation　looked　bad。　We　had　water　enough　for　a　day；　perhaps　two。
　Slowly；　I　got　to　my　feet。　I　said；　pointing　to　the　rim；　〃I'm　going　to　find　a　way　out　of　this　hole。〃
　〃Wings。〃　Rocca　spoke　around　the　cigarette　Dorset　had　lighted　for　him。　〃You　would　need　wings。〃
　〃Spanish；〃　I　said；　〃you　an'　Battles　stand　'em　off。　I'm　going　up　yonder。〃
　They　studied　the　wall。　〃That's　more　of　a　climb　than　it　looks；〃　Spanish　said。　〃But　we'd　better　have　somebody　up　there　to　hold　them　back。〃
　I　started　up　the　slope；　angling　across　it　for　easier　going。　It　took　all　of　ten　minutes　to　get　to　the　foot　of　the　escarpment。
　On　the　rock　wall　I　came　to　one　of　the　cracks　I'd　seen　from　below。　It　was　a　foot　wide　at　the　bottom；　widening　above　to　maybe　three　feet。　Here　and　there　a　few　broken　slabs　of　rock　had　fallen　into　it　and　bee　wedged。　A　man　could　climb　out　of　it　all　right；　but　he　surely　couldn't　take　a　wounded　man　up　that　way；　so　I　worked　my　way　along　the　face。
　First　thing　I　saw　was　a　lion　track；　or　maybe　it　was　a　jaguar's。　There　were　a　lot　of　those　big　spotted　cats　in　Sonora；　you　even　saw　one　in　Arizona　or　California　time　to　time。
　The　tracks；　which　were　several　days　old；　led　right　along　the　face　and　I　followed　them；　studying　every　break　in　the　rock　that　I　came　to。　When　I'd　gone　almost　around　the　basin；　the　tracks　suddenly　disappeared。
　Now；　even　a　cat；　tricky　as　they　may　be；　can　not　vanish　into　thin　air；　so　I　contemplated　the　problem。
　That　cat　had　e　up　from　the　canyon　below；　and　he　surely　wasn't　going　back　down。　The　last　set　of　tracks　showed　the　hind　feet　dug　in　a　mite；　and　it　looked　as　if　the　cat　had　taken　a　jump。　Then　I　saw　a　rock　where　he　might　have　landed。　From　where　I　stood　the　rock's　face　was　sheer；　but　the　edge；　about　six　feet　above　my　head；　was　broken；　and　the　cracks　were　filled　with　talus。
　I　realized　I　couldn't；　even　by　jumping；　reach　the　edge；　but　when　I　climbed　up　on　a　small　rock　I　could　see　scratches　on　the　big　one　I　wanted　to　reach；　and　there　were　so　many　scratches　that　it　looked　as　if　that　cat　had　used　this　trail　a　good　many　times。
　Hunting　for　foot…holds；　I　found　a　couple　and　managed　to　scramble　onto　the　big　rock。　There　was　a　crack　in　the　rock　that　led　to　the　rim　in　a　steep　slide；　filled　with　broken　rock。　In　a　few　minutes　I　was　up　on　top　of　the　mesa；　which　stretched　away　for　miles。　Here　there　was　thin　grass；　a　few　clumps　of　prickly　pear；　and　the　cat　tracks；　fading　away　to　the　northwest。
　From　where　I　now　stood　I　could　not　see　the　hollow；　but　only　the　further　rim　of　the　canyon　and　some　of　the　bottom。　There　were　no　Apaches　in　view；　and　it　was　likely　none　of　them　could　see　me。
　I　went　back　down　into　the　crack　and　studied　it。　It　would　be　a　steep　scramble；　but　I'd　taken　horses　up　worse　places。　If　I　could　just　get　them　over　that　first　rock　。。。
　As　I　was　easing　down　bit　by　bit　so　as　to　keep　out　of　sight　of　the　Apaches；　I　heard　a　rifle　shot　from　below。　That　worried　me　none　at　all。　No　Apache　was　going　to　climb　up　that　slope　with　a　rifle　up　there；　no　Apache　was　fool　enough　to　try。　Chances　were　some　Indian　showed　himself　to　test　us　out　and　Spanish　or　Battles　let　him　have　one　to　know　we　weren't　asleep。
　What　I　needed　now　was　to　be　able　to　figure　out　a　way　to　get　the　folks　out　of　that　hole。　And　it　was　surely　up　to　me。　Dorset　and　the　children　aside；　the　boys　with　me　had　e　just　because　they　were　my　friends　and　knew　I　needed　some　help。
　That　big　rock　was　the　thing。　There　were　cracks　in　it；　but　none　very　deep　that　I'd　noticed；　so　I　worked　my　way　back　for　a　closer　look。　On　one　side　it　was　cracked　and　broken；　and　I　began　digging　at　it；　hoping　to　dig　out　enough　so　that　a　couple　of　horses　might　scramble　up　or　be　hauled　up。
　First；　I　pulled　out　several　chunks　of　rock　that　were　in　the　crack；　big　pieces　of　fifty　or　sixty　pounds。　With　a　call　to　look　out　below；　I　tumbled　them　over。　For　almost　an　hour　I　worked　at　it。
　The　Apaches　had　taken　no　action　against　us；　and　that　gave　me　hope。　None　of　them　had　taken　off　to　ride　around　and　get　up　above　us；　and　as　they　knew　the　country；　maybe　they　knew　it　was　miles　before　there　was　a　way　out　of　that　barranca。
　Down　below　me　occasional　shots　sounded；　and　the　Apaches　fired　a　time　or　two。　The　way　I　was　fixed　they　couldn't　see　me；　nor　what　I　was　doing。　They　knew　better　than　anybody　that　there　was　no　help　I　could　can　on；　and　no　matter　what　I　did　they'd　have　my　scalp　sooner　or　later。　But　I　planned　to　make　them　work　for　it。　If　they　wanted　my　hair　they'd　have　to　get　it　the　hard　way。
　So　I　kept　on　at　the　rock；　and　unloaded　a　good　many　chunks　of　it。
　A　long；　thin　slab　formed　one　side　of　the　crack　I　was　digging　into。　It　was　all　of　six　or　eight　feet　long；　and　must　have　weighed　a　ton　or　more；　but　as　I　dug　down　around　it　I　could　see　it　was　a　free　slab；　broken　clean　off　the　main　rock。
　There　were　a　few　loose　rocks　at　the　base；　and　I　climbed　down　and　pulled　them　free。　I　had　me　an　idea　now；　and　I　didn't　figure　to　give　up　on　it。　In　a　time　and　place　like　that；　you　gamble　on　any　wild…haired　chance。　We　were　boxed　in；　the　Apaches　were　down　below；　and　they　were　willing　to　wait。　We　had　water　enough　for　a　while；　and　ammunition　enough　for　quite　a　fight；　but　that　wasn't　going　to　get　us　out　of　here。
　The　sun　beat　down　on　my　back　and　my　shirt　was　wet　with　sweat；　but　I'd　never　done　anything　much　in　my　life　but　work　hard；　and　didn't　know　any　different。　Besides；　we　Sacketts　were　a　right　stubborn　folk。　We　just　didn't　have　much　give…up　in　us。　We　always　kept　plugging　away；　and　that's　what　I　was　doing　this　time。
　Finally；　when　I'd　done　what　I　could　in　the　hole；　I　climbed　up　and　did　what　I'd　been　figuring　on。　I　got　into　the　top　of　that　crack；　put　my　back　against　one　side；　and　my　feet　against　the　other；　which　bowed　up　my　knees。　Then　with　my　hands　braced　against　the　rock　behind　me；　I　began　to　push。
　The　sweat　broke　out　on　my　face　and　rolled　down　me　in　streams。　Nothing　happened　…　nothing　at　all。　I　rested　a　mite　and　then　I　tried　again。　It　was　on　the　third　try　that　I　felt　her　give　a　mite。　So　I　buckled　down　and　tried　still　another　time；　and　she　gave　a　bit　more。
　Rocks　and　gravel　trickled　down　into　the　hollow　below；　and　then　Battles　climbed　up　there　to　help。
　He　studied　the　layout　and　shook　his　head。　〃I　don't　believe　it。　Even　if　you　can　do　it；　what　then？〃
　〃I　figure　our　number's　up；〃　I　said。　〃Not　that　I　don't　figure　to　make　them　earn　it　with　blood；　but　that　girl　now　…　she's　got　to　have　a　running　chance。　She's　got　to　get　out；　and　those　children。〃
　He　squatted　on　his　heels　and　looked　at　me。　〃So？〃
　〃That　little　buckskin；　now。　That's　a　mountain　horse；　a　mountain　mustang；　and　I　figure　she　could　climb　a　tree　if　need　be。　The　girl's　horse　is　another。　Both　of　them　are　small；　both　are　quick