Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/392

SPANIARDS ATTACK INMANS 375 sq's well-trained animal than he turned toward tb^a piaice from whence the signal came and started to come toward its master; and now for the first time it is observed that a naked Indian has arisen to his feet, for he can no longer keep up his crawling in the grass, that being how the four horses had been led from the place where they had been picketed^ and Alonso, when realizing the cause of his horse's action, whistled his loudest, which made the animal jerk loose from the thieving Indian, who, seeing that the Spaniards were apprised of the raid, ran to the three other Indians who were still snaking their bodies through the tall grass, and adviser! their mounting and making off. About this time a more thrilling and serious con- dition of affairs was transpiring at the camp, which for the first time was much more important than the loss of a few horses, as from the unearthly yell raised by a party of Indians it sounded as though there were a thousand of them about to make an attack, so in- stead of Alonso following the three horses, he coun- termanded the orders of the generals to pursue the horse thieves and instructed th^ men to faU back to camp so as to aid those already there. The faithful horse was soon by its master's side, and no time was lost in getting back to the position selected by the commander^ and by the time the two i)arties had com- bineid quite a few arrows were dropping about, and for al while there was earnest work «n the part of the Spaniards, for they felt sure there was going to be an attack; but every man was ready for the assault, but none came, so a skirmishing or deploying party was