dog put a paw on Princess’ head.
“I’ll tell you what happened.”
The pups lay next to the old dog as he continued his tale…
I tell you I never ran so fast in my life. I could hear the Indians yelling, and I could feel the ground shaking from the pounding of their horses’ hooves. Jim and his friends were riding as fast as they could toward the oak grove. It seemed like the trees were moving away from us.
Suddenly I saw some smoke coming from the trees. Then I heard the sound of the rifles being fired and soon bullets were whizzing over my head, heading toward the Comanches. The Indians stopped their horses and rode back out of range of the rifles. I saw Jim and the others disappear into the trees. Soon I was in the trees, and I ran under a bush and lay there trying to catch my breath. The horses were placed further into the grove, and then Jim joined the rest of the group as they watched the Indians sitting on their horses looking at us. One of the Indians rode his large black horse a few steps closer to us. He rode in several tiny circles, then stopped as if he was waiting for us to answer him.
“What’s he doing?” Jim asked.
“He wants to talk to us,” one of the men said.
“Do you speak their language, Juan?” Jim asked.
Juan Abamillo shook his head. “No. I know the sign language, and some of them speak Spanish.”
Jim stood up. “Come with me, Juan. I guess we need to find out what he wants.”
Jim and Juan rode out onto the prairie. They stopped before they got too far from the oak grove. The Comanche rode to them. I had followed Jim and I stood behind his horse. I was ready to run back to the trees if anything went wrong. The Indian made a sign of peace. Juan answered him. The Indian began to speak, but Juan shook his head, indicating he did not understand. The Indian began speaking in Spanish. Juan listened, then told Jim what had been said.
“He says he’s the chief of this band. They’ve been down in Mexico looking for horses and cattle. They were on their way home when they saw us. Some of his men are watching the livestock. The rest are here. He says this is his land. He wants to know what we’re doing here.”
Jim looked at the Indian chief. He wore a long feathered headdress, and his face was streaked with red and yellow paint. I thought he was the scariest-looking thing I had ever seen.
“Tell him we come as friends. We’ll only be here a few days. Then we’ll leave. Tell him we mean no harm to him or his tribe.”
Juan spoke to the chief. He listened as the Indian answered him. When the chief had finished speaking, Juan turned to Jim.
“He says we must give him our horses and guns. He’s hungry also, and would like to have your dog.”
I backed up when I heard Juan say that. I had heard that Indians liked to eat dog meat, but I was not going to be his dinner.
Jim shook his head. “Tell him we won’t give him our horses and guns, and he cannot have my dog. There’s plenty of game around here if he’s hungry.”
I felt better when Jim said that. I kept my eye on the Indian. He listened carefully as Juan told him what Jim had said. The Indian was angry and spoke loudly to Juan. Juan looked at Jim.
“He says if you won’t give him your horses and guns, then he’ll take them. He’ll also take your dog, although he thinks it’s too skinny to make a good meal.”
Jim pulled his knife from its scabbard. He held the big blade toward the chief.
“Tell him that this is waiting for him. Before he can have my rifle, horse, or dog, he has to get past my knife.”
Juan told the chief what Jim had said. The Indian angrily turned his horse around and rode back to where his braves had been watching. Jim and Juan quickly rode back to the trees and got off their horses. The men gathered around Jim.
“What did he want, Jim?” Rezin asked.
“Not much. Just our rifles and horses. And Gator. I don’t think he liked it when I told him no.”
“What are they going to
“I’ll tell you what happened.”
The pups lay next to the old dog as he continued his tale…
I tell you I never ran so fast in my life. I could hear the Indians yelling, and I could feel the ground shaking from the pounding of their horses’ hooves. Jim and his friends were riding as fast as they could toward the oak grove. It seemed like the trees were moving away from us.
Suddenly I saw some smoke coming from the trees. Then I heard the sound of the rifles being fired and soon bullets were whizzing over my head, heading toward the Comanches. The Indians stopped their horses and rode back out of range of the rifles. I saw Jim and the others disappear into the trees. Soon I was in the trees, and I ran under a bush and lay there trying to catch my breath. The horses were placed further into the grove, and then Jim joined the rest of the group as they watched the Indians sitting on their horses looking at us. One of the Indians rode his large black horse a few steps closer to us. He rode in several tiny circles, then stopped as if he was waiting for us to answer him.
“What’s he doing?” Jim asked.
“He wants to talk to us,” one of the men said.
“Do you speak their language, Juan?” Jim asked.
Juan Abamillo shook his head. “No. I know the sign language, and some of them speak Spanish.”
Jim stood up. “Come with me, Juan. I guess we need to find out what he wants.”
Jim and Juan rode out onto the prairie. They stopped before they got too far from the oak grove. The Comanche rode to them. I had followed Jim and I stood behind his horse. I was ready to run back to the trees if anything went wrong. The Indian made a sign of peace. Juan answered him. The Indian began to speak, but Juan shook his head, indicating he did not understand. The Indian began speaking in Spanish. Juan listened, then told Jim what had been said.
“He says he’s the chief of this band. They’ve been down in Mexico looking for horses and cattle. They were on their way home when they saw us. Some of his men are watching the livestock. The rest are here. He says this is his land. He wants to know what we’re doing here.”
Jim looked at the Indian chief. He wore a long feathered headdress, and his face was streaked with red and yellow paint. I thought he was the scariest-looking thing I had ever seen.
“Tell him we come as friends. We’ll only be here a few days. Then we’ll leave. Tell him we mean no harm to him or his tribe.”
Juan spoke to the chief. He listened as the Indian answered him. When the chief had finished speaking, Juan turned to Jim.
“He says we must give him our horses and guns. He’s hungry also, and would like to have your dog.”
I backed up when I heard Juan say that. I had heard that Indians liked to eat dog meat, but I was not going to be his dinner.
Jim shook his head. “Tell him we won’t give him our horses and guns, and he cannot have my dog. There’s plenty of game around here if he’s hungry.”
I felt better when Jim said that. I kept my eye on the Indian. He listened carefully as Juan told him what Jim had said. The Indian was angry and spoke loudly to Juan. Juan looked at Jim.
“He says if you won’t give him your horses and guns, then he’ll take them. He’ll also take your dog, although he thinks it’s too skinny to make a good meal.”
Jim pulled his knife from its scabbard. He held the big blade toward the chief.
“Tell him that this is waiting for him. Before he can have my rifle, horse, or dog, he has to get past my knife.”
Juan told the chief what Jim had said. The Indian angrily turned his horse around and rode back to where his braves had been watching. Jim and Juan quickly rode back to the trees and got off their horses. The men gathered around Jim.
“What did he want, Jim?” Rezin asked.
“Not much. Just our rifles and horses. And Gator. I don’t think he liked it when I told him no.”
“What are they going to
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