Arizona　Nights
  by　Stewart　Edward　White
  CHAPTER　ONE
  THE　OLE　VIRGINIA
  The　ring　around　the　sun　had　thickened　all　day　long；　and　the
  turquoise　blue　of　the　Arizona　sky　had　filmed。　　Storms　in　the　dry
  countries　are　infrequent；　but　heavy；　and　this　surely　meant　storm。
  We　had　ridden　since　sun…up　over　broad　mesas；　down　and　out　of
  deep　canons；　along　the　base　of　the　mountain　in　the　wildest
  parts　of　the　territory。　　The　cattle　were　winding　leisurely　toward
  the　high　country；　the　jack　rabbits　had　disappeared；　the　quail
  lacked；　we　did　not　see　a　single　antelope　in　the　open。
  〃It's　a　case　of　hole　up；〃　the　Cattleman　ventured　his　opinion。　〃I
  have　a　ranch　over　in　the　Double　R。　　Charley　and　Windy　Bill　hold
  it　down。　　We'll　tackle　it。　　What　do　you　think？〃
  The　four　cowboys　agreed。　　We　dropped　into　a　low；　broad
  watercourse；　ascended　its　bed　to　big　cottonwoods　and　flowing
  water；　followed　it　into　box　canons　between　rim…rock　carved
  fantastically　and　painted　like　a　Moorish　facade；　until　at　last　in
  a　widening　below　a　rounded　hill；　we　came　upon　an　adobe　house；　a
  fruit　tree；　and　a　round　corral。　　This　was　the　Double　R。
  Charley　and　Windy　Bill　welcomed　us　with　soda　biscuits。　　We　turned
  our　horses　out；　spread　our　beds　on　the　floor；　filled　our　pipes；
  and　squatted　on　our　heels。　　Various　dogs　of　various　breeds
  investigated　us。　　It　was　very　pleasant；　and　we　did　not　mind　the
  ring　around　the　sun。
  〃Somebody　else　coming；〃　announced　the　Cattleman　finally。
  〃Uncle　Jim；〃　said　Charley；　after　a　glance。
  A　hawk…faced　old　man　with　a　long　white　beard　and　long　white　hair
  rode　out　from　the　cottonwoods。　　He　had　on　a　battered　broad　hat
  abnormally　high　of　crown；　carried　across　his　saddle　a　heavy
  〃eight　square〃　rifle；　and　was　followed　by　a　half…dozen　lolloping
  hounds。
  The　largest　and　fiercest　of　the　latter；　catching　sight　of　our
  group；　launched　himself　with　lightning　rapidity　at　the　biggest　of
  the　ranch　dogs；　promptly　nailed　that　canine　by　the　back　of　the
  neck；　shook　him　violently　a　score　of　times；　flung　him　aside；　and
  pounced　on　the　next。　　During　the　ensuing　few　moments　that　hound
  was　the　busiest　thing　in　the　West。　　He　satisfactorily　whipped
  four　dogs；　pursued　two　cats　up　a　tree；　upset　the　Dutch　oven　and
  the　rest　of　the　soda　biscuits；　stampeded　the　horses；　and　raised　a
  cloud　of　dust　adequate　to　represent　the　smoke　of　battle。　　We
  others　were　too　paralysed　to　move。　　Uncle　Jim　sat　placidly　on　his
  white　horse；　his　thin　knees　bent　to　the　ox…bow　stirrups；　smoking。
  In　ten　seconds　the　trouble　was　over；　principally　because　there
  was　no　more　trouble　to　make。　　The　hound　returned　leisurely；
  licking　from　his　chops　the　hair　of　his　victims。　　Uncle　Jim　shook
  his　head。
  〃Trailer；〃　said　he　sadly；　〃is　a　little　severe。〃
  We　greed　heartily；　and　turned　in　to　welcome　Uncle　Jim　with　a
  fresh　batch　of　soda　biscuits。
  The　old　man　was　ne　of　the　typical〃long　hairs。〃　He　had　come　to
  the　Galiuro　Mountains　in　'69；　and　since　'69　he　had　remained　in
  the　Galiuro　Mountains；　spite　of　man　or　the　devil。　　At　present　he
  possessed　some　hundreds　of　cattle；　which　he　was　reputed　to　water；
  in　a　dry　season；　from　an　ordinary　dishpan。　　In　times　past　he　had
  prospected。
  That　evening；　the　severe　Trailer　having　dropped　to　slumber；　he
  held　forth　on　big…game　hunting　and　dogs；　quartz　claims　and
  Apaches。
  〃Did　you　ever　have　any　very　close　calls？〃　I　asked。
  He　ruminated　a　few　moments；　refilled　his　pipe　with　some　awful
  tobacco；　and　told　the　following　experience：
  In　the　time　of　Geronimo　I　was　living　just　about　where　I　do　now；
  and　that　was　just　about　in　line　with　the　raiding。　　You　see；
  Geronimo；　and　Ju　＇1＇；　and　old　Loco　used　to　pile　out　of　the
  reservation　at　Camp　Apache；　raid　south　to　the　line；　slip　over
  into　Mexico　when　the　soldiers　got　too　promiscuous；　and　raid　there
  until　they　got　ready　to　come　back。　　Then　there　was　always　a　big
  medicine　talk。　　Says　Geronimo：
  ＇1＇　Pronounced　〃Hoo。〃
  〃I　am　tired　of　the　warpath。　　I　will　come　back　from　Mexico　with
  all　my　warriors；　if　you　will　escort　me　with　soldiers　and　protect
  my　people。〃
  〃All　right；〃　says　the　General；　being　only　too　glad　to　get　him
  back　at　all。
  So；　then；　in　ten　minutes　there　wouldn't　be　a　buck　in　camp；　but
  next　morning　they　shows　up　again；　each　with　about　fifty　head　of
  hosses。
  〃Where'd　you　get　those　hosses？〃　asks　the　General；　suspicious。
  〃Had　'em　pastured　in　the　hills；〃　answers　Geronimo。
  〃I　can't　take　all　those　hosses　with　me；　I　believe　they're
  stolen！〃　says　the　General。
  〃My　people　cannot　go　without　their　hosses；〃　says　Geronimo。
  So；　across　the　line　they　goes；　and　back　to　the　reservation。　　In
  about　a　week　there's　fifty…two　frantic　Greasers　wanting　to　know
  where's　their　hosses。　　The　army　is　nothing　but　an　importer　of
  stolen　stock；　and　knows　it；　and　can't　help　it。
  Well；　as　I　says；　I'm　between　Camp　Apache　and　the　Mexican　line；　so
  that　every　raiding　party　goes　right　on　past　me。　　The　point　is
  that　I'm　a　thousand　feet　or　so　above　the　valley；　and　the
  renegades　is　in　such　a　devil　of　a　hurry　about　that　time　that　they
  never　stop　to　climb　up　and　collect　me。　　Often　I've　watched　them
  trailing　down　the　valley　in　a　cloud　of　dust。　　Then；　in　a　day　or
  two；　a　squad　of　soldiers　would　come　up；　and　camp　at　my　spring　for
  a　while。　　They　used　to　send　soldiers　to　guard　every　water　hole　in
  the　country　so　the　renegades　couldn't　get　water。　　After　a　while；
  from　not　being　bothered　none；　I　got　thinking　I　wasn't　worth　while
  with　them。
  Me　and　Johnny　Hooper　were　pecking　away　at　the　old　Virginia　mine
  then。　　We'd　got　down　about　sixty　feet；　all　timbered；　and　was
  thinking　of　cross…cutting。　　One　day　Johnny　went　to　town；　and　that
  same　day　I　got　in　a　hurry　and　left　my　gun　at　camp。
  I　worked　all　the　morning　down　at　the　bottom　of　the　shaft；　and
  when　I　see　by　the　sun　it　was　getting　along　towards　noon；　I　put　in
  three　good　shots；　tamped　'em　down；　lit　the　fusees；　and　started　to
  climb　out。
  It　ain't　noways　pleasant　to　light　a　fuse　in　a　shaft；　and　then
  have　to　climb　out　a　fifty…foot　ladder；　with　it　burning　behind
  you。　　I　never　did　get　used　to　it。　　You　keep　thinking；　〃Now
  suppose　there's　a　flaw　in　that　fuse；　or　something；　and　she　goes
  off　in　six　seconds　instead　of　two　minutes？　　where'll　you　be
  then？〃　　It　would　give　you　a　good　boost　towards　your　home　on　high；
  anyway。
  So　I　climbed　fast；　and　stuck　my　head　out　the　top　without
  lookingand　then　I　froze　solid　enough。　　There；　about
  fifty　feet　away；　climbing　up　the　hill　on　mighty　tired　hosses；　was
  a　dozen　of　the　ugliest　Chiricahuas　you　ever　don't　want　to　meet；
  and　in　addition　a　Mexican　renegade　named　Maria；　who　was　worse
  than　any　of　'em。　　I　see　at　once　their　bosses　was　tired　out；　and
  they　had　a　notion　of　camping　at　my　water　hole；　not　knowing
  nothing　about　the　Ole　Virginia　mine。
  For　two　bits　I'd　have　let　go　all　holts　and　dropped　backwards；
  trusting　to　my　thick　head　for　easy　lighting。　　Then　I　heard　a
  little　fizz　and　sputter　from　below。　　At　that　my　hair　riz　right　up
  so　I　could　feel　the　breeze　blow　under　my　bat。　　For　about　six
  seconds　I　stood　there　like　an　imbecile；　grinning　amiably。　　Then
  one　of　the　Chiricahuas　made　a　sort　of　grunt；　and　I　sabed　that
  they'd　seen　the　original　exhibit　your　Uncle　Jim　was　making　of
  himself。
  Then　that　fuse　gave　another　sputter　and　one　of　the　Apaches　said
  〃Un　dah。〃　　That　means　〃white　man。〃　　It　was　harder　to　turn　my　head
  than　if　I'd　had　a　stiff　neck；　but　I　managed　to　do　it；　and　I　see
  that　my　ore　dump　wasn't　more　than　ten　foot　away。　　I　mighty　near
  overjumped　it；　and　the　next　I　knew　I　was　on　one　side　of　it　and
  those　Apaches　on　the　other。　　Probably　I　flew；　leastways　I　don't
  seem　to　remember　jumping。
  That　didn't　seem　to　do　me　much　good。　　The　renegades　were　grinning
  and　laughing　to　think　how　easy　a　thing　they　had；　and　I　couldn't
  rightly　think　up　any　arguments　against　that　notionat　least　from
  their　standpoint。　　They　were　chattering　away　to　each　other　in
  Mexican　for　the　benefit　of　Maria。　　Oh；　they　had　me　all
  distributed；　down　to　my　suspender　buttons！　　And　me　squatting
  behind　that　ore　dump　about　as　formidable　as　a　brush　rabbit！
  Then；　all　at　once；　one　of　my　shots　went　off　down　in　the　shaft。
  〃Boom！〃　says　she；　plenty　big；　and　a　slather　of　rock；　and　stones
  come　out　of　the　mouth；　and　began　to　dump　down　promiscuous　on　the
  scenery。　　I　got　one　little　one　in　the　shoulder…blade；　and　found
  time　to　wish　my　ore　dump　had　a　roof。　　But　those　renegades
  caught　it　square　in　the　thick　of　trouble。　　One　got　knocked　out
  entirely　for　a　minute；　by　a　nice　piece　of　country　rock　in　the
  head。
  〃Otra　vez！〃　yells　I；　which　means　〃again。〃
  〃Boom！〃　goes　the　Ole　Virginia　prompt　as　an　answer。
  I　put　in　my　time　dodging；　but　when　I　gets　a　chance　to　look；　the
  Apaches　has　all　got　to　cover；　and　is　looking　scared。
  〃Otra　vez！〃　yells　I　again。
  〃Boom！〃　says　the　O