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+Project Gutenberg's Camp-fire and Wigwam, by Edward Sylvester Ellis
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Camp-fire and Wigwam
+
+Author: Edward Sylvester Ellis
+
+Release Date: July 4, 2008 [EBook #25966]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CAMP-FIRE AND WIGWAM ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Taavi Kalju, Mary Meehan and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
+file was produced from images generously made available
+by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                              CAMP-FIRE AND WIGWAM.
+
+                                By EDWARD S. ELLIS
+
+AUTHOR OF "NED IN THE BLOCK-HOUSE," "NED IN THE WOODS," "NED ON THE
+RIVER," "THE LOST TRAIL," ETC.
+
+
+PHILADELPHIA:
+PORTER & COATES.
+
+COPYRIGHT, 1885,
+BY PORTER & COATES.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: JACK'S WRESTLING BOUT WITH THE YOUNG INDIAN.]
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+        I.--AT HOME
+
+       II.--A DOUBTFUL ENTERPRISE
+
+      III.--WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPECTED
+
+       IV.--CAPTORS AND CAPTIVES
+
+        V.--JOURNEYING SOUTHWARD
+
+       VI.--AN INVOLUNTARY BATH
+
+      VII.--TWO VISITORS
+
+     VIII.--A SURPRISE
+
+       IX.--BY THE CAMP-FIRE
+
+        X.--WAITING AND HOPING
+
+       XI.--THROUGH THE FOREST
+
+      XII.--THE SIGNAL FIRES
+
+     XIII.--THE INDIAN VILLAGE
+
+      XIV.--ON THE MOUNTAIN CREST
+
+       XV.--THE RETURN AND DEPARTURE
+
+      XVI.--A PERPLEXING QUESTION
+
+     XVII.--TWO ACQUAINTANCES AND FRIENDS
+
+    XVIII.--THE TRAPPERS
+
+      XIX.--DEERFOOT'S WOODCRAFT
+
+       XX.--SAUK AND SHAWANOE
+
+      XXI.--CHRISTIAN AND PAGAN
+
+     XXII.--AN ABORIGINAL SERMON
+
+    XXIII.--IN THE LODGE OF OGALLAH
+
+     XXIV.--A ROW
+
+      XXV.--THE WAR FEAST
+
+     XXVI.--AN ALARMING DISCOVERY
+
+    XXVII.--"GAH-HAW-GE"
+
+   XXVIII.--A PATIENT OF THE MEDICINE MAN
+
+     XXIX.--CONVALESCENCE
+
+      XXX.--OUT IN THE WORLD
+
+     XXXI.--JOURNEYING EASTWARD
+
+    XXXII.--A MISCALCULATION
+
+   XXXIII.--CONCLUSION
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+JACK'S WRESTLING BOUT WITH THE YOUNG INDIAN
+
+A NARROW ESCAPE
+
+THE SIGNAL
+
+DEERFOOT'S VICTORY
+
+
+
+
+CAMP-FIRE AND WIGWAM.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+AT HOME.
+
+
+On the evening of a dismal, rainy day in spring, a mother and her son
+were sitting in their log-cabin home in the southern portion of the
+present State of Missouri. The settlement bore the name of Martinsville,
+in honor of the leader of the little party of pioneers who had left
+Kentucky some months before, and, crossing the Mississippi, located in
+that portion of the vast territory known at that time as Louisiana.
+
+There were precisely twenty cabins, all of which had been constructed
+with a view to rugged strength, durability, and comfort. Lusty arms had
+felled the trees, that were cut the proper length and dovetailed in the
+usual manner at the corners, the crevices being filled with a species of
+plaster, made almost entirely from yellow clay. The interiors were
+generally divided into two apartments, with a broad fireplace and the
+rude furniture of the border. Colonel Martin himself, with the
+assistance of his two full-grown sons, erected a more pretentious
+dwelling with two stories and a loft, but the other houses, as has
+already been stated, were of such a simple and familiar character that
+the American reader needs no further description.
+
+Mrs. Carleton was a widow, whose husband had been slain by Indians in
+Kentucky some time previous, and who, in the daily requirement of her
+duties, and in her great love for her only child, Jack, found some
+relief from the dreadful sorrow that overshadowed her life. Kind
+neighbors had lent willing hands, and her home was as well made as any
+in the settlement. Jack and his companion, Otto Relstaub, had arrived
+only a couple of days before, and each had wrought so hard in his
+respective household that they had scarcely found time to speak to or
+see each other.
+
+The evening meal had been eaten, the things cleared away, and wood
+heaped upon the fire which filled the little room with cheerful
+illumination. The mother was seated at one side, the silent
+spinning-wheel just beyond, while her deft fingers were busy with her
+knitting. Jack was half reclining on a rude bench opposite, recounting,
+in his boyish fashion, the adventures of himself and Otto on their
+memorable journey, which has been fully told in the "Lost Trail."
+
+The good mother possessed an education beyond the ordinary, and, knowing
+its great value, insisted upon her son improving his spare moments in
+study. Jack was well informed for his years, for no one could have been
+blessed with a better teacher, counselor, and friend, than he was. Even
+now, when we reintroduce him to the reader, he held an old-fashioned
+spelling-book in his hand. He had tried to give his attention to his
+lesson, but, boy-like, his mind persisted in wandering, and his mother,
+looking fondly across the fire, was so pleased to hear him chat and to
+ask and answer questions, that she could not find it in her heart to
+chide him.
+
+"You have never seen Deerfoot, have you, mother?" he asked, abruptly
+breaking in on his own narrative.
+
+"Yes, I have seen him; he saved the life of your father."
+
+"What!" exclaimed Jack, straightening up and staring at his parent in
+open-mouthed amazement: "I never heard of that before."
+
+"Didn't Deerfoot tell you?"
+
+"He never hinted anything of the kind. He once asked me about father's
+death and about you, but I thought it was only a natural interest he
+felt on my account. But tell me how it was, mother."
+
+"Some months before your father's death, he was absent a couple of days
+on a hunt to the south of our home. He kindled a camp-fire in a deep
+valley, where the undergrowth was so dense that he felt sure of being
+safe against discovery. The night was very cold, and snow was flying in
+the air. Besides that, he had eaten nothing all day, and was anxious to
+broil a wild turkey he had shot just as it began to grow dark. He
+started the fire, ate his supper, and was in the act of lying down for
+the night, when a young Indian walked out from the woods, saying in the
+best of English that he was his friend. Your father told me that he was
+the most graceful and handsome youth he had ever looked upon----"
+
+"That was Deerfoot!" exclaimed the delighted Jack.
+
+"There can be no doubt of it, for he told your father that such was his
+English name. I forget what his own people called him. Well, he said to
+your father, in the most quiet manner, that a party of Shawanoes were
+very near him. They had heard the report of his rifle, and, suspecting
+what it meant, were carefully arranging to capture him for the purpose
+of torture. Deerfoot had seen them, and, having also heard the gun,
+learned what was going on. If your father had stayed where he was five
+minutes longer, nothing could have saved him. I need not tell you that
+he did not stay. Under the guidance of Deerfoot he managed to extricate
+himself from his peril, and, by traveling the entire night, was beyond
+all danger when the sun rose again. Deerfoot did not leave him until
+certain he had no cause for fear. Then, when your father turned to thank
+him, he was gone. He had departed as silently as a shadow."
+
+"That was just like Deerfoot!" exclaimed Jack, with kindling eye; "it
+seems to me he is like Washington. Though he has been in any number of
+dangers, I don't believe he has so much as a scar on his little finger.
+He has been fired upon I don't know how often, but, like Washington, he
+carries a charmed life."
+
+The serious mother shook her head, and, looking over her knitting at her
+boy, made answer:
+
+"Such a thing is unknown in this world; more than likely he will fall by
+the knife or bullet of an enemy."
+
+"I suppose he is liable to be shot, like any one else; but the Indian
+that does it has got to be mighty smart to get ahead of him. Plenty of
+them have tried it with knife and tomahawk, but they never lived to try
+it on any one else. But that ain't the most wonderful part of it," added
+Jack, shaking his head and gesticulating in his excitement with both
+arms; "Deerfoot knows a good deal more about books than I do."
+
+"That does not imply that he possesses any remarkable education," said
+the mother, with a quiet smile.
+
+The boy flushed, and sinking back said:
+
+"I know I ain't the best-educated fellow in the settlement, but who ever
+heard of a young Indian knowing how to read and write? Why, that fellow
+can write the prettiest hand you ever saw. He carries a little Bible
+with him: the print is so fine I can hardly read it, but he will stretch
+out in the light of a poor camp-fire, and read it for an hour at a time.
+I can't understand where he picked it all up, but he told me about the
+Pacific Ocean, which is away beyond our country, and he spoke of the
+land where the Saviour lived when he was on earth. I never felt so
+ashamed of myself as I did when he sat down and told me such things. He
+can repeat verse after verse from the Bible; he pronounced the Lord's
+Prayer in Shawanoe, and then told me and Otto that if we would only use
+the English a little oftener the Great Spirit would hear us. What do you
+think of _that_?"
+
+"It is very good advice."
+
+"Of course it is, but the idea of a young Indian being that sort of
+fellow! Well, there's no use of talking," added Jack, as though unable
+to do justice to the theme, "he beats anything I ever heard of. If the
+truth should be written as to what he has done, and put in a book, I
+don't 'spose one person in a hundred would believe it. He promised to
+come and see us."
+
+"I hope he will," said the mother; "I shall always hold him in the
+highest esteem and gratitude for his kindness to your father and to
+you."
+
+"I tell you it would have gone rough with Otto and me if it hadn't been
+for him. I wonder how Otto is getting along?" said Jack, with an
+expression of misgiving on his face.
+
+"Why do you ask that?" inquired his mother.
+
+"I think Deerfoot was worried over him."
+
+"I do not understand you."
+
+"Why, you know Otto has got the meanest father in the whole United
+States of America----"
+
+"Those are strong words," interrupted the parent reprovingly.
+
+"It is contrary to your teaching to talk that way, but you know, too,
+that it is the solemn truth. Deerfoot stopped at Jacob Relstaub's cabin,
+in this very settlement, some weeks ago, when it was raining harder than
+now, and asked for something to eat, and to stay all night. What do you
+'spose Relstaub did? He abused him and turned him away."
+
+"What a shame!" exclaimed the good woman indignantly. "Why did Deerfoot
+not come here or to one of the other cabins?"
+
+"I don't know, but he went off in the woods by himself. Otto tried to
+befriend him, and was whipped for it; but Deerfoot never forgot it, and
+he risked his life to help Otto and me."
+
+"It was very unkind in Mr. Relstaub, but you have not told me why you
+and Deerfoot were alarmed for Otto."
+
+"Otto had the best horse that his father owns. It ran away from us, and,
+though we tried hard to get him again, we couldn't, and Otto and I came
+home on foot. Knowing his father as well as we do, Deerfoot and I were
+afraid the poor fellow would be punished because he lost the animal. I
+haven't had a chance to say much to Otto, and when I did, I didn't want
+to ask him about it, but I would like to know whether he has been
+punished for what he couldn't help."
+
+"I can answer that question," said Mrs. Carleton, softly; "his father
+whipped him most cruelly yesterday."
+
+"The old scamp----"
+
+"Tut, tut!" warned the parent, raising her finger, "it _was_ cruel, but
+Otto will survive it, as he has many other times, and before many years
+he will become so large that his father will not be able to punish him."
+
+"I hope he will undertake it, and Otto will knock him----"
+
+"Stop!" said the mother, more sternly, "you have already allowed your
+feelings to lead you too far."
+
+"Pardon me, mother," said Jack, humbly, "I would not hurt your feelings
+for the world; but there is such a contrast between his father and you,
+and his mother is just as bad----"
+
+Jack checked himself again, for his quick ear detected something. He
+turned quickly toward the door of the cabin, and his mother, reading the
+meaning of the movement, did the same, holding her fingers motionless
+while both listened.
+
+The rain beat upon the roof, dashed against the window-panes, and
+rattled on the logs of the cabin, with a melancholy sound that made the
+interior seem doubly cheerful by contrast. At times the wind roared
+among the trees, and some of the pattering drops found their way down
+the chimney, and hissed among the flaming brands, making tiny black
+points that were instantly wiped out by the ardor of the fire itself.
+
+Suddenly the latch-string, which was only drawn in when the inmates were
+ready to retire, was pulled, the latch raised, the door opened, and Otto
+Relstaub, his garments dripping water, entered the room.
+
+"Good-evening!" he called, pausing a moment to close the door against
+the driving storm.
+
+Both greeted the visitor, and Jack, laying aside his book, advanced and
+warmly shook the hand of his friend, bringing him forward and giving him
+a seat on the bench, which was drawn still nearer the fire.
+
+Otto was attired very much as when we saw him last, but he did not carry
+his gun with him. He took off his peaked hat, shook the water from it,
+and then his broad, good-natured face, gleaming with moisture and rugged
+health, was raised to meet the mild, inquiring gaze of the lady, who
+asked him how he was.
+
+"Oh, I ish well," he answered, speaking English much better than he did
+a short time previous, "I have been working so hard dot I couldn't come
+over before."
+
+"I'm real glad to see you," said Jack, cordially, slapping him on the
+back and making the water fly; "if you hadn't called to-night I would
+have dropped in to-morrow to see you. We've hardly had a chance to speak
+to each other since we got back."
+
+"No, dot ish so," said Otto, with a sigh. "Father, he makes me work
+harder as I never did, to make up for the time dot I wasted in play, he
+says. By Jiminy! I don't think dot was much play, do you, Jack?"
+
+"It was the worst play I ever went through; two boys never worked harder
+for their lives than did we, and if it hadn't been for Deerfoot, we
+never would have reached Martinsville. I suppose your father gave you a
+whipping for losing Toby?"
+
+"I should thinks he did! I hadn't been home one hours, when he went out
+and cut a stick, and used it up on me, and he doned the same yesterday."
+
+Jack was about to break forth into vigorous language, when his mother
+anticipated him. Her voice was slightly tremulous, for, despite her
+enforced calmness, she could not altogether restrain her feelings.
+
+"Surely he could not have understood the matter; I will speak to your
+mother."
+
+Otto shrugged his shoulders, with a laugh in which there was more
+sadness than mirth.
+
+"Moder is worse than him; she tole him he didn't whips me half enough,
+and so he tried it again yesterday. I heard her tells him to-night dot I
+needed more, so I slips out and comes over here before he could get
+everythings ready. May I stay here all night?"
+
+"All night!" repeated Jack, "you may stay a week--a month--a year--yes,
+_forever_."
+
+"I don't want to stay dot long," said Otto, with his pleasant laugh;
+"but fader, he tells me he will beat me every day till I brings back de
+horse."
+
+"Very well," said Jack, compressing his lips, "you won't go back till
+you get the horse--if it takes five years."
+
+"Did your father tell you to stay away till you recovered the animal?"
+asked Mrs. Carleton.
+
+"Dot vos just vot he says."
+
+"Then it is proper that you should obey him."
+
+Otto nodded his head to signify that his sentiments were those of his
+friends. He glanced slyly around the room, but did not explain what he
+was looking for, and, unfortunately, neither mother nor son suspected
+the meaning of the look; but Otto's hard-hearted parents had actually
+driven him from their home without allowing him to eat a mouthful of
+dinner or supper. He was suffering with hunger, but was plucky enough to
+bear it without complaining, since his friends had partaken and cleared
+away the table long before.
+
+"What do you intend to do?" asked Mrs. Carleton, who deeply sympathized
+with the poor lad.
+
+"I goes home in de mornings and gets my gun and powder-horn before they
+can whips me, and then I goes off to hunt for Toby."
+
+"And I'll go with you!" exclaimed the impulsive Jack, springing to his
+feet; "you'll let me, mother, won't you?" he asked, turning beseechingly
+toward her.
+
+Recalling the perils through which her only child had passed so
+recently, the widow could not but contemplate with dismay the prospect
+of having him venture into the wilderness again; but she felt deeply for
+poor honest Otto, who was so willing and good-natured, and who had shown
+such a desire to help her while her own boy was in Kentucky.
+
+Furthermore, she knew that Louisiana was a much less dangerous country
+than the Dark and Bloody Ground. Few of the Shawanoes, Hurons, and other
+actively hostile tribes ever crossed to the western side of the
+Mississippi, where the Osages gave little trouble to the settlers
+scattered through that immense territory.
+
+Otto's eyes sparkled when Jack Carleton leaped to his feet and declared
+he would go with him on the search for the lost horse (subject, of
+course, to the consent of his mother), and the German youth looked
+pleadingly toward the good woman, who, it is hardly necessary to say,
+yielded consent, giving with it a large amount of motherly counsel, to
+which the boys listened respectfully, though candor compels me to say
+that the thoughts of both were far away among the green woods, beside
+the sparkling streams, and in the shadows of the chasms, ravines, and
+gloomy mountains, whither, as they well knew, the curious search would
+lead them.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+A DOUBTFUL ENTERPRISE.
+
+
+One of the commendable habits of the early settlers and old-fashioned
+folks was that of retiring and rising early. They were ardent believers
+in the saying of Poor Richard that "early to bed, and early to rise,
+makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
+
+It was not yet nine o'clock, when Jack and Otto, despite the deep
+interest they felt in their projected campaign, voluntarily withdrew to
+the other room, where they fell asleep within five minutes after their
+heads touched the pillow. The mother remained by the fire some time
+after the boys withdrew. Her small white fingers flitted hither back and
+forth, while her mild brown eyes seemed to look beyond the flashing
+needles, and into the glowing coals on the hearth. Her thoughts were sad
+and sorrowful, as they always were when she sat thus alone. They
+wandered back to that awful time when her loved husband was stricken
+down in defence of her and their little boy.
+
+But to-night she was thinking more of that boy than of the father. She
+saw how much like the latter he was growing, and she trembled when she
+recalled that he was soon to start on another excursion into the
+wilderness, to be gone for days, and likely for weeks, and with no
+certainty of ever returning again.
+
+As the night advanced, the fury of the storm diminished. At "low twelve"
+the fall of rain ceased altogether. The wind blew strongly, sometimes
+with a power which caused the strongest trees to bow their heads to the
+blast. As the morning approached, it died out altogether, and the sun
+rose on one of the fairest days that ever was seen.
+
+Early as was the orb, the inmates of the cabin were waiting to greet it
+when it appeared above the horizon. The boys were in high spirits over
+the beautiful morning, and both felt that it promised well for the
+venture before them.
+
+"I tell you _we're going to win_!" said Jack, compressing his lips and
+shaking his head. "I feel it in my bones, as your father says, just
+before a storm comes."
+
+"Dot's vot I dinks," assented Otto, whose only discomfort was his
+exceeding hunger: "Vot you dinks, Mrs. Carleton?"
+
+"I hope you will not be disappointed; that is the most I can say. Jack's
+feeling that you are going to succeed is simply his pleasure over the
+prospect of a ramble in the woods. We will eat breakfast, after which
+you can go home and make your preparations for the journey."
+
+When they were seated at the table and Otto's hunger was nearly
+satisfied, he told his friends with a grin, that it was the first food
+he had tasted in twenty-four hours. They were shocked, and both took him
+to task for his failure to make known the truth the evening before. He
+made the philosophic reply that if he had done so he would have missed
+the boundless enjoyment of such a meal as that of which he was then
+partaking.
+
+Mrs. Carleton on rising in the morning felt that Otto ought not to be
+allowed to go on the expedition until after a further talk with his
+parents, who, despite what they had said, might be unwilling for him to
+engage in such an undertaking; but when she learned how the poor fellow
+had been made to suffer with hunger her feelings changed. It was hard to
+repress her indignation, and she made up her mind to talk to the cruel
+folks as they had never been talked to before; but she allowed no
+impatient word to escape her in the presence of their son. She simply
+advised him to depart as soon as he could upon the hunt for the horse,
+and not to return, if possible, until it was recovered or another
+obtained.
+
+"Dot is vot I does," replied Otto with a shake of his head and a
+determined expression; "Otto doesn't comes back till he brings some kind
+of animal--if it's only a 'coon or 'possum."
+
+When he walked over to his own home (the building for which was
+precisely the same as that of widow Carleton), his father and mother
+were eating their breakfast. They looked surlily at him as he entered,
+and the mother showed her incredible heartlessness by asking her only
+child in German:
+
+"Where is Toby that you lost?"
+
+"How can I tell, mother, except that he is in the woods? I tried hard to
+find him again, and had it not been for Deerfoot I would have lost my
+life; but he is gone."
+
+"Did I not tell you to go and not come back until you brought him with
+you?" demanded the father, glaring at his boy as though he was ready to
+throttle him.
+
+"So you did--so you did; but I couldn't do much last night, when it was
+so dark and stormy. I have come over to get my gun and ammunition."
+
+The father and mother looked in each other's faces, as though in doubt
+whether they would let the lad have the property, but before the
+question could be debated Otto had flung the powder-horn over his
+shoulders, adjusted the bullet-pouch, shoved the hunting-knife in the
+girdle at his waist, and walked to the front door, where he halted and
+looked back.
+
+"Can't I have breakfast before I go?"
+
+"No!" fairly shouted the father; "begone; you shall not have a mouthful
+under my roof till you bring back the colt you have lost."
+
+"Nobody wants anything you've got on _that_ table," the lad was
+indignant enough to reply: "I've had one meal that was worth more than a
+dozen like that. Good-by!"
+
+And before the dumfounded parents could rally from the unparalleled
+impudence of the youth he was gone.
+
+When he reached the home of Jack Carleton, the latter was waiting and
+impatient to start. Jack had already kissed his mother good-by several
+times and he repeated the fond embrace. Tears were in the eyes of both,
+and the mother stood in the door of her cabin shading her eyes with her
+hand until the two passed from sight in the forest beyond the clearing.
+
+Several of the pioneers who were busy about the settlement greeted the
+boys and inquired their errand. Colonel Martin shook hands with them,
+and asked all the particulars of the business on which they were
+engaged. His age and position authorized him to ask such searching
+questions, had the couple been full-grown men instead of boys.
+
+Otto answered truthfully, and the colonel smiled grimly and shook his
+head.
+
+"It's mighty little chance you have of ever finding _that_ horse again,
+but you may come upon another. Take my advice, however," added the
+colonel with a wink of his left eye, "make certain the owner isn't in
+sight when you walk off with the animal."
+
+"Why, colonel, you don't think we mean to steal a horse!" exclaimed the
+horrified Jack.
+
+"Certainly not--certainly not," the principal man of the settlement
+hastened to say, "I don't believe you could be persuaded to do such a
+thing--that is if the owner was looking."
+
+"We couldn't be persuaded to do such a thing _under any circumstances_,"
+exclaimed Jack, his face flushing over the idea that any one who knew
+him should suspect him capable of such a crime.
+
+"See here," said the colonel, dropping his voice and stepping in front
+of them, "you tell me you are going after a horse. Have you the money
+with you to buy one?"
+
+"No; we cannot get one _that_ way."
+
+"I judged not; how then do you propose to obtain him?"
+
+"Toby, the colt belonging to Otto's father, is wandering in the woods
+not very far away----"
+
+"How do you know he is?" interrupted the colonel.
+
+"Why, he was doing so only a few days ago."
+
+"That is no proof that he is keeping it up; in fact it is scarcely
+possible that such is the case. Recollect, my boy, that several tribes
+of Indians hunt through this portion of Louisiana, and they would be
+much quicker than you to observe the trail of a horse wearing an iron
+shoe; they would be inquiring enough also to investigate for themselves,
+and, when they came upon the colt, they would snap him up quicker than
+lightning."
+
+The boys felt that somehow or other the wonderful young Shawanoe would
+appear at the right moment and lend them the help which they were
+certain to need. Should he fail to do so, they could no more recapture
+and take the colt to his owner than they could penetrate into the Dark
+and Bloody Ground and bring back the great war chief Tecumseh as a
+prisoner.
+
+But neither Colonel Martin nor any one in the village knew anything
+about the extraordinary Indian youth, and, while Jack was asking himself
+whether he should linger long enough to explain the situation, the
+gentleman relieved them from the embarrassment by a hearty slap on the
+shoulder of Jack, and the exclamations:
+
+"I was once a boy myself! I haven't forgotten that jolly time: we
+always liked to have some sort of excuse when we went off on a frolic.
+You see what a lot of work there is to do in clearing the ground and
+getting it ready for cultivation; you would much rather be hunting and
+rambling through the woods; I can't say I blame you, so off with you,
+and when you come back with word that the horse was mean enough to keep
+out of your way, why we won't be too hard on you."
+
+And with another resounding slap, the hearty colonel gave the boys a
+vigorous shove which sent them forward among the trees, near which they
+had halted.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPECTED.
+
+
+Jack Carleton was too sensible a youth to suppose that the Lost Trail
+could be found by a blind wandering through the immense expanse of
+wilderness, which stretched hundreds of miles in almost every direction
+from the little settlement of Martinsville. Both he and Otto had a
+strong hope, when they reached home after their stirring adventure with
+Deerfoot, that the colt Toby would follow them of his own accord. He
+belonged to a species possessing such unusual intelligence that there
+would have been nothing remarkable in such a proceeding, and the fact
+that he did not do so, gave ground for the belief that he had fallen
+into the hands of parties who prevented the animal from doing as he
+chose.
+
+One fact was clearly established; Toby had been within a comparatively
+short distance of the settlement, and, if he had remained anywhere in
+the neighborhood during the late storm, traces of him must be found
+without much difficulty. But one of the easiest things in the world is
+to theorize over any problem; to push that theory to a successful
+conclusion is altogether another matter.
+
+While it lacked a couple of hours of noon, the boys reached an elevated
+section which gave them an extended view in every direction. Looking to
+the eastward, Otto fancied he could detect the gleam of the distant
+Mississippi, but Jack assured him he was mistaken. Too many miles lay
+between them and the mighty Father of Waters for the eye to traverse the
+space.
+
+Young Carleton took off his cap and drew his handkerchief across his
+perspiring forehead. Then he sighed and smiled.
+
+"This doesn't appear so hopeful to me as it did last night, when we sat
+around the fire and talked it over; but of course we won't give up so
+long as there's the least hope."
+
+"And it won't do for me to give him up then," replied Otto, with a
+meaning shake of his head; "you don't know my fader as well as me."
+
+"I don't want to either," remarked Jack, who did not think it his duty
+to refrain from showing the contempt he felt for the miserly, cruel
+parent of his friend.
+
+"No," observed Otto, with a touch of that grim humor which he sometimes
+displayed, "I doesn't dinks dot you and him could have much fun
+together."
+
+The young friends were too accustomed to the immensity of nature, as
+displayed on every hand, to feel specially impressed by the scene which
+would have held any one else enthralled. It may be said they were "on
+business," though it had very much the appearance of sport.
+
+"Halloo! I expected it!" called out Jack Carleton, whose gaze abruptly
+rested on a point due southwest, and more than a mile away.
+
+His companion did not need the guidance of the outstretched arm and
+index finger leveled toward the distant spot, where the smoke of a
+camp-fire was seen climbing toward the blue sky. The scene on which the
+boys looked was similar to that which met the eye of Ned Preston and
+Deerfoot when they lay on the broad flat rock and gazed across at the
+signal-fire in the distance.
+
+The wooded country gradually sloped to the south and west from the
+elevation whereon the young friends had halted, slowly rising and
+undulating until the eye could follow the blue wavy outlines no further.
+At the point already named, and in the lowest portion of the intervening
+country, a camp-fire was burning. The smoke, as it filtered upward
+through the branches of the trees, and gradually dissolved in the pure
+air above, was seen with such distinctness that it caught the eye of
+Jack the moment it was turned in that direction.
+
+It was not a signal-fire, such as one is likely to detect when
+journeying through an Indian country, but the vapor from the camp of
+some body of men who were not making the slightest attempt to conceal
+themselves, for it cannot be conceived that they had any reason for
+doing so.
+
+If the party were Indians, they surely had no necessity for stationing a
+sentinel on the outskirts of their camp to watch for danger.
+
+Jack and Otto looked in each other's faces and smiled; the natural
+question had presented itself at the same moment. It was, "Can it be
+that the horse we are seeking is with them?"
+
+"The only way to find out is to go forward and see for ourselves," said
+Jack, after they had discussed the question for several minutes.
+
+"'Spose dot de horse is with them--what den?"
+
+Jack shrugged his shoulders.
+
+"Deerfoot used to say that he could never answer such a question until
+he knew exactly how everything stood. Now, we can't be certain whether
+they are Indians or white men, and I don't know as it makes much
+difference one way or the other, for our own horse thieves over in
+Kentucky were dreaded as much as were the Shawanoes. They were a good
+deal meaner, too, for they oppressed their own race."
+
+"Dot is vot I sometimes dinks of fader," was the unexpected remark of
+Otto; "if he was only a colored man or Injin I would have more respect
+for him; dot is so."
+
+"Come on; we have started out to do something, and we can't gain
+anything by staying here."
+
+The brief halt had refreshed the boys, and they now moved forward with
+their naturally vigorous and almost bounding steps. While they had much
+curiosity, and a somewhat singular misgiving, yet they were in no
+particular fear, for it was impossible to believe they were in any real
+peril.
+
+It was quite a tramp to reach the camp in which just then they felt so
+much interest, and the sun was close to meridian when Jack, who was
+slightly in advance, slackened his gait, and remarked in an undertone:
+
+"It can't be far--halloo!"
+
+While picking their way through the valley, they lost sight of the
+wavering column of vapor, except once or twice when they were able to
+catch a glimpse of it through the tree-tops. Jack's exclamation was
+caused by another sight of the murky column, which, as he suspected,
+proved to be little more than a hundred yards distant.
+
+There was so much undergrowth that nothing of the fire itself could be
+observed, though the smoke showed itself distinctly in the clear air
+above.
+
+"Vell, vot does we does now?" was the natural query of Otto, as he
+placed himself beside his young friend.
+
+"I guess we may as well keep on, until we find out who they are."
+
+"After we finds out vot we does den?"
+
+"We shall see--come on."
+
+It was simple prudence that they should speak in whispers, and step with
+as much care as if they were scouts entering the camp of an enemy. It
+would have been rashness to neglect so simple a precaution, no matter
+how favorable the circumstances.
+
+"Holds on!" whispered Otto, "I dinks I goes around the oder side while
+you takes a look on dis side."
+
+"There is no need of doing that," interposed Jack; "we found out the
+consequence of separating when in danger. You needn't keep behind me,
+but you may walk at my side."
+
+"All right," responded Otto, obeying the suggestion.
+
+A rod or two further, and something red gleamed, among the trees and
+undergrowth. Smoke was observed at the same moment, and immediately
+after came the hum of voices and the sight of persons stretched on the
+ground in lolling, indolent positions, while some were sitting on a
+fallen tree, and two were engaged in broiling some venison, which
+evidently was meant to furnish dinner for the rest. The majority were
+smoking a species of red clay pipe, and the appearance of the party
+suggested that they were resting after a laborious tramp through the
+woods.
+
+There were precisely ten, and they were Indians--every one. Jack could
+not be certain of the tribe to which they belonged, but inasmuch as it
+was apparent they were neither Shawanoes nor Hurons, he was confident
+they were Osages, though it was not impossible that their totem was
+another altogether.
+
+Several peculiarities about the strange Indians interested the youth.
+They were noticeably shorter in stature than the Hurons and Shawanoes
+whom they had been accustomed to meet on the other side of the
+Mississippi. The poetical American Indian is far different from the one
+in real life. It is rarely that a really handsome warrior or squaw is
+met. They are, generally a slouchy, frowsy, lazy, unclean people, of
+whom nothing is truer than that distance lends enchantment to their
+view.
+
+Those upon whom Jack and Otto gazed with natural curiosity, were not
+only shorter in stature, but of homelier countenance. Their eyes were
+smaller, more piggish, and further apart, their cheek-bones more
+prominent, the foreheads lower and more sloping, while Jack always
+asserted that they had much larger mouths than the Indians with whom he
+was familiar.
+
+While asking themselves whether it was wise to go any closer and to make
+their acquaintance, the lads stood side by side, each with the stock of
+his gun resting on the earth, while their whole attention was absorbed
+by the curious scene before them.
+
+It would naturally follow that if the Indian party was in such plain
+sight of the boys, they themselves must have been visible to the red men
+had they chosen to cast their searching glances towards the spot where
+the two were standing, even though the latter were partially hidden by
+the undergrowth.
+
+Had Jack and Otto been as vigilant and suspicious as they ought to have
+been, their misgivings would have been awakened by what took place
+within the next ten minutes. Two of the warriors, leaving their rifles
+where they were leaning against a fallen tree, leisurely rose and
+sauntered into the woods, taking a course directly opposite to that
+which would have led them to where the boys stood. The latter observed
+the movement, but thought nothing of it.
+
+"What do you say?" finally asked Jack, in a guarded voice; "shall we go
+forward and make their acquaintance?"
+
+"Dey haven't any horses that we can see, and I dinks dot we better goes
+away till some other time."
+
+"I am inclined to believe you are right----"
+
+At that moment, and without the least warning, a brawny, coppery arm
+shot over the shoulder of Jack Carleton, and, grasping his rifle with an
+iron grip, snatched it from him. At the same instant, a precisely
+similar movement deprived Otto Relstaub of his most important weapon,
+the two friends being made prisoners before they dreamed they were in
+the least danger.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+CAPTORS AND CAPTIVES.
+
+
+With an exclamation of affright, Jack Carleton whirled on his heel and
+found the broad, grinning face of one of the warriors almost against his
+own. Holding the rifle back, as if expecting an attempt to recover it,
+the savage thrust his head forward, with a tantalizing expression
+overspreading his ugly features. At the same moment he muttered
+something very rapidly in his own tongue. Not a word was understood by
+Jack, but he was sure the warrior said, "Ah, ha, young man, I've caught
+you, and you can't help yourself."
+
+The experience of Otto Relstaub was slightly different from that of his
+companion. When he found his rifle gone and a squatty Indian at his
+elbow, he was panic-stricken.
+
+"Mine gracious!" he exclaimed, "this ain't de best place for me; I dinks
+I goes to some oder place."
+
+Naturally he made a dash to retrace his steps, but the warrior was too
+quick for him. He had taken his second step only, when his captor
+grasped the ankle of the foot that was rising from the ground, and drew
+backward with such force that Otto sprawled on his face.
+
+Jack, who could not believe that these red men were of a very sanguinary
+disposition, laughed outright over the discomfiture of his friend.
+
+"Can't you kick him loose?" he called.
+
+"If he don't hang on too tight," replied Otto, trying with might and
+main to free himself.
+
+The moment the boys were captured, the attention of the entire company
+was centred upon them. All talking ceased, and every one stood up and
+looked toward the point of interest. Several went forward to meet the
+captives, and the general grin that lighted up the aboriginal
+countenances seemed to shed a mild sort of sunlight among and under the
+trees.
+
+"It's no use," said Jack to his friend; "we can't get away until they
+are ready to let us go."
+
+"Vot does they mean to do mit us?"
+
+"That is hard to tell," replied the young Kentuckian, with a serious
+countenance; "I don't know to what tribe they belong, but I believe
+they ain't half as bad as the Shawanoes."
+
+"Dey couldn't be any more cruel don dem," was the truthful observation
+of the young German.
+
+In the course of a few seconds the boys were fully introduced to the
+camp-fire of the strange Indians, who were not in war paint, and who, as
+the boys rightly believed, belonged to a less bloodthirsty totem than
+did the redskins on the eastern bank of the Mississippi.
+
+Every warrior was standing on his feet, and they all crowded around the
+boys, as though they had never seen any of their race until that moment.
+They continually talked in their guttural, grunting fashion, smiling and
+nodding their heads. Two of them pinched the limbs of the boys as though
+testing their muscle. So far from showing any alarm, Jack Carleton
+clenched his fist and elevated his arm, swaying the hand back and forth
+as if proud to display the development of his biceps. But Otto was in
+too doleful a mood to indulge in anything of the kind.
+
+As a matter of course, the Indians could not feel the slightest
+misgiving on account of their prisoners. They must have known of the
+settlement only a few miles distant, and they had not offered to disturb
+it, nor had they molested any of the pioneers when they ventured into
+the woods in quest of game.
+
+Such being the case, it can be readily seen that, so far as the settlers
+were concerned, the Indians were safe. Although within gunshot of
+Martinsville, the red men took no precaution at all against molestation
+from them.
+
+It struck Jack as curious that among the warriors gathered around them,
+not one had as yet spoken a word that he could understand. The American
+race have shown a quickness from the first to pick up expressions from
+the language of those near them. Who has forgotten Samoset's "Welcome,
+Englishmen!" uttered to the first settlers at Plymouth, who were at a
+loss to understand where the red man learned the pleasant words?
+
+Jack Carleton, who retained his self-possession much better than did his
+friend, listened hopefully for some word which he could recognize.
+
+While he was disappointed in that respect, he could not believe that he
+and Otto were in any imminent peril from their captors, though, on the
+other hand, he was very far from feeling safe against harm. With a
+coolness that must have awakened admiration among the barbarians, the
+youth, standing in the middle of the group, folded his arms, and
+smilingly looked in the repellant faces, none of which were at a greater
+altitude than his own.
+
+After pinching different parts of the bodies of the boys, the Indians
+seemed to be satisfied and stepped back. The majority sat down on the
+log, others sauntered away, relighting their pipes that had burned out,
+and the two who had been serving as cooks, gave their attention to the
+venison steak, whose appetizing odor filled the surrounding space.
+
+"Otto, we may as well take it quietly," said Jack, sauntering to the
+butt of the log, and seating himself, "they don't mean to tomahawk us
+just yet, and I hope they will give us some dinner before they dispose
+of us."
+
+The German imitated the action of Jack, but he did not share his
+self-possession. He shook his head in a way which showed he was far from
+feeling comfortable.
+
+"You seem more scared than when we were behind the logs, with the
+Shawanoes and Hurons on the outside," said Jack; "I don't understand how
+that can be. I am sure there is less to dread from these Indians than
+from them."
+
+"It ain't de Injins dot makes me feel so bad," replied Otto with a
+rueful expression, "but fader."
+
+"What's the matter with him?"
+
+"De colt is lost and now dey takes mine gun from me; if I goes back dot
+way, fader will whip me harder than ever."
+
+Jack was serious for a moment and then he laughed.
+
+"I never dreamed that _that_ was your trouble. Of course, if you go home
+without your gun the old gentleman will be angry, but there is one good
+thing about the matter."
+
+"What's that?"
+
+"No matter what happens, he can't be any meaner and more cruel than he
+is now."
+
+Otto removed his tall, conical hat, looked thoughtfully down at the
+ground in front, and slowly scratched his head. Manifestly he was in
+deep thought. Suddenly he looked up, his face aglow.
+
+"Dot is so. I don't care now vot dey takes, I will valks home and tells
+fader and moder dot I lost it, den won't they be mad! Oh, mine
+gracious!"
+
+And leaning far back on the log and donning his hat, he slapped his knee
+with his right hand and shook all over with laughter. There is something
+contagious in such an exhibition, as we all know, and not only did Jack
+laugh in unison, but several of the warriors showed they were amused.
+
+"I thought all the time Otto was alarmed on account of the Indians,"
+said Jack to himself, "and it was nothing of the kind; he was only
+afraid that his father will be madder than ever when he goes back not
+only without the lost horse, but without some of the property he took
+away with him. Now that fear is gone and Otto begins to feel better than
+I do, for," thought the youth, looking around him, "we certainly are not
+in the best situation in the world."
+
+The youth could not help observing that while the Indians seemed to pay
+little attention to them, he and Otto were under strict surveillance. As
+no motion had been made to bind them, the boys could make a sudden
+break or dash for liberty whenever the whim took possession of them, but
+nothing could be gained and a great deal might be lost by such an
+attempt. Stumpy and heavy-set as were the warriors, they could easily
+outrun their captives, and rather than permit them to get away, they
+would doubtless riddle them with bullets. Consequently, while the same
+thought came to each of the friends more than once, as they sat
+conversing on the log, neither proposed any effort to get away.
+
+They had brought nothing in the shape of lunch with them, and it may be
+doubted whether any one of the Indians was more ravenously hungry than
+were they. It would go hard with them, if deprived of their share of the
+dinner, prepared by the aboriginal cooks.
+
+When the huge slices of venison were half broiled, the distribution
+followed. The cooks handled their hunting-knives with such deftness,
+that in a twinkling, as may be said, the jaws of the entire party were
+vigorously at work. After receiving their respective shares, few made
+the slightest use of their knives. The aborigines live and eat so much
+like wild animals, that, almost without exception, they possess
+admirable teeth which need no artificial assistance.
+
+"My gracious!" whispered Jack, "I believe they don't mean to give us so
+much as a bite."
+
+"If dey doesn't do so, den I dies mit hunger," was the despairing
+exclamation of Otto, who forgot that only a few hours had passed since
+he had partaken liberally of food. "I never felt so hungry as I feels
+now, and now I'm growing worser----"
+
+Something thumped against the side of the speaker's head with such force
+that his hat fell off. Jack had just time to see that it was a piece of
+cooked venison, when a similar blessing struck him.
+
+The two Indians were dexterous throwers, and they and half a dozen were
+grinning over the result.
+
+The result was satisfactory in every way to the victims, if such they
+may be considered, for, besides furnishing them with the much-needed
+nourishment, it was a strong proof of the indifference, if not the
+good-will of their captors. Had they felt ill inclined toward the boys,
+they would not have shown such kindness toward them.
+
+"When you are in Rome, do as the Romans do," laughed Jack, seating
+himself on the fallen tree and devouring the half-cooked meat with the
+gusto of those around him. Indeed he and Otto had eaten many a time in a
+similar style, and few persons find difficulty in making savages of
+themselves in every respect, whenever the inclination so to do takes
+possession of them.
+
+The boys would have relished double the amount of food, but enough had
+been given to remove all discomfort, and they would have found it hard
+to describe the thorough enjoyment the lunch imparted.
+
+But now that the troublesome question was answered, the thought of the
+youths naturally turned to the immediate future. Had these Indians
+formed any purpose respecting their prisoners? If so, what was it likely
+to be? Did they intend to kill them with rifle, tomahawk, or knife? Or
+would they be taken away captives? Did the red men belong to the Osage
+tribe of Indians, or was theirs some fiercer or milder totem from a
+distant part of the country?
+
+It is a fact that among many of the early settlements in Missouri and
+other Western States, the warriors who were occasionally encountered in
+the forests, or who fired from the cover of the trees, belonged to
+tribes whose hunting-grounds were many leagues away. They were not
+Shawanoe, Huron, Pottawatomie, Osage, Miami, Delaware, Illinois,
+Kickapoo, or Winnebago. Sometimes a veteran trapper recognized the dress
+and general appearance that he had noted among the red men to the
+northward, and far beyond the Assiniboine; others who had ventured
+hundreds of miles to the westward, remembered exchanging shots with
+similar dusky warriors on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
+
+Indeed it cannot be questioned that the American race not only produced
+warriors, orators, and magnificent leaders, but it had its travelers and
+explorers--the name being accepted in its restricted meaning.
+
+More than once Jack had wondered whether this party had not come from a
+long distance in the interior, perhaps hundreds of miles, and that
+having completed the errand on which they had journeyed so far, were now
+on their return.
+
+"If this is so," he said to Otto, when they observed the party making
+preparations to leave, "they will take us on a good long march."
+
+"I dinks maybe dey knocks us in the head, so as not to makes us feel bad
+apout going away from home."
+
+Further conversation was checked by some minutes of bustle and activity.
+The Indians seemed to have come very suddenly to the conclusion to
+depart, and the boys naturally shared the excitement; but possibly their
+dismay can be imagined, when it became apparent that the red men
+intended to divide into two parties, and that as a consequence the boys
+would have to part company, and who shall say whether it was to be for a
+few days, a few years, or forever?
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+JOURNEYING SOUTHWARD.
+
+
+It never occurred to Jack and Otto that their captors meant to separate
+until the division actually took place. As if by a general
+understanding, one half of the party moved to the right, and the rest
+partly to the left, the course of the former being due west, and of the
+latter directly south.
+
+"Halloo, Otto!" called Jack, turning his head and stopping among the
+members of his own division who were moving off; "they're going to part
+company."
+
+"Dot is vot it looks like; but I guess it ain't going to be for one
+great vile. Good-by!"
+
+Jack was unwilling to part with his friend in this abrupt fashion, and
+he started toward him with a view of shaking his hand. He did not dream
+that his movement would awaken the least opposition; but he presumed too
+much on the indulgence of the red men, for, before he could take three
+steps, one of the warriors caught his arm, and, with a violent wrench,
+flung him in the opposite direction.
+
+It required the utmost effort of Jack to save himself from falling, and
+a stinging pain ran through his shoulder. His hot Kentucky blood was
+aflame, and the instant he could poise his body he drew his knife and
+rushed upon the Indian with the fury of a tiger.
+
+"I'll show you that you can't treat me that way!" he exclaimed.
+
+The warrior whom he was about to assail faced him in a crouching
+posture, both hands resting on his knees, while his ugly countenance was
+bisected by a tantalizing grin which showed the molars of both jaws. His
+black eyes gleamed like those of a rattlesnake, and his whole attitude
+and manner showed that he was seeking to goad the lad to attack him.
+
+The impetus was not needed. Jack Carleton had no thought of hesitation,
+though even in his rage he felt that there was scarcely a shadow of hope
+that he would escape with his life from such an encounter.
+
+The moment Jack was close enough he bounded forward and made a sweeping
+blow, with the knife gripped in his right hand. Had the weapon struck
+where it was aimed, there would have been one Indian less before the
+spectators could have realized what had taken place. The other warriors
+were looking upon the picture as though in doubt of what was coming.
+Among those watching the scene was Otto Relstaub, whose eyes were
+riveted on his friend. The thrilling encounter had opened so suddenly
+that he fairly held his breath, certain that Jack would not live two
+minutes longer.
+
+But the knife of the boy missed its mark altogether. The keen point
+whizzed through empty air, the spiteful force of the blow turning the
+lad half way around on his feet, and leaving him utterly at the mercy of
+the warrior; the latter could have smitten him to the earth with the
+suddenness of the lightning stroke.
+
+But the Indian did not so much as draw his weapon. With a quickness
+which the eye could scarcely follow, he snatched the wrist of the boy's
+hand and bent it back with such force that poor Jack was glad to let the
+weapon fall to the ground. He was discomfited and helpless.
+
+Jack folded his arms, so as to bring the injured wrist against his left
+side and under his elbow. Pressing it close to his body, he shut his
+white lips and forced back the cry that struggled for utterance.
+
+With wonderful coolness the triumphant red man stooped to the ground,
+picked up the hunting-knife, and with the same expanse of grin,
+presented it to Jack, the handle toward him.
+
+"Takes him, Jack!" called out Otto, who was probably the most astounded
+spectator of the scene; "but don't try to kills him ag'in."
+
+Young Carleton for a moment was as bewildered as a child; but his good
+sense rapidly returned, and, with a smile in answer to that of the
+Indian, he accepted the weapon and shoved it back in its place.
+
+Jack was mortified beyond expression at the sorry show he had made. He
+had cut a ridiculous figure, and no wonder a general smile lighted up
+the faces of the red men gathered around.
+
+But the youth made a mistake when he believed he had lowered himself in
+the eyes of his captors. The American race (like all others) admire true
+courage and pluck, even though judgment may be lacking, and the
+dauntless style in which the young captive attacked his tormentor, when
+there was no prospect of success, awoke a responsive chord in the breast
+of all. Had Jack shown himself a coward, they might have treated him as
+they often did such captives; but the brave young fellow was in no
+danger, at least for the present.
+
+The occurrence took but a fraction of the time that has been occupied in
+the telling, and Jack was only given opportunity to replace the knife,
+when his captors, arranging themselves so as to surround him, resumed
+their march to the westward. Precisely at the same instant the other
+half of the company did the same in the other direction, and once more
+Otto Relstaub called out:
+
+"Good-by, Jack! good-by to you!"
+
+"Good-by, my friend!" shouted Jack, his heart filled with a deep
+misgiving over the singular event. "Keep up a good heart, though there's
+no telling whether we shall ever meet again."
+
+"If I get home before you gets dere I will tell Colonel Martin, and
+we'll follow you to the Rocky Mountains----"
+
+Even in that serious moment Jack Carleton broke into laughter when he
+saw that the usual fortune of Otto clung to him. His foot caught in
+some obstruction, and while in the act of waving his hand and exchanging
+greetings with his friend, he stumbled forward and went down. Clambering
+to his feet he turned to complete his words, but his captors seemed to
+have lost patience on account of the delay. One seized his right and
+another his left arm and began walking him rapidly off. The last sight
+which Jack gained of the fellow showed him between two Indians, who were
+hurrying him along with such vigor that his head rose and sank with each
+unwilling footstep, as though he was alternately lifted from and pressed
+down to the ground. A few seconds later and the intervening trees hid
+him from sight.
+
+It would have been difficult for Jack Carleton to describe his varied
+emotions when forced to admit the fact that he was an actual prisoner
+among a band of wandering Indians. The memorable journey from Kentucky
+into Louisiana had been attended by many stirring experiences, and more
+than once every avenue of escape seemed to be closed, but, now for the
+first time, he found himself a captive within a few miles of his own
+home.
+
+Whither would these red men take him? Did they mean to hold him a
+permanent captive, or, as is often the case with their race, would they
+put him to torture and finally to death? The settlements of Kentucky and
+Ohio were crimsoned with the deeds of the red men, and, though some
+tribes were less warlike than others, it was not to be supposed that any
+of them were distinguished for mercy and forbearance.
+
+"If Colonel Martin only knew this," thought Jack, while tramping
+forward, "it wouldn't take him long to gather the men together, and they
+would come down on these folks like a whirlwind; but Otto and I may be
+gone for weeks before any one will suspect we are in trouble. Even then
+they won't know what to do. No, sir," added Jack, compressing his lips,
+"whatever is done must be done by myself, and, with the help of heaven,
+I shall part company with these red men just as soon as the chance
+presents itself."
+
+Any one in the situation of Jack Carleton cannot lack for themes on
+which to employ his brain. It is safe to assert that the boy did more
+thinking while on that eventful march than he had done in the same space
+of time for years.
+
+It may be said that while the party were on the march, and the warriors
+were together, it was utterly out of the question for Jack to leave
+against their will. Three strode along in front, while two were in the
+rear. Every one was fleeter of foot than he, and they had six rifles in
+their possession, while he had none at all. Could he secure several
+hundred yards' start, they would have no difficulty in trailing and
+running him down, for the sky was clear, the sun bright, and the
+footprints of the boy would show as distinctly to the keen eyes of the
+red men as though made in the dust of the highway.
+
+No, he must wait for the darkness of the night, when a few yards between
+him and his enemies would prove like a stone wall; when insidious sleep
+would seal the eyes of the dusky barbarians, and he could steal out in
+the gloom, leaving them to wait for hours before taking up his trail.
+
+One person was continually in the thoughts of Jack Carleton--_Deerfoot_.
+"Where is he? Is he days' journey to the south? Is there any hope of him
+playing the part of a friend for Otto and me?"
+
+These and similar questions were asked again and again while the youth
+was tramping through the wood in the company of his captors, and his
+heart sank when his own good sense obliged him to answer each one in the
+most unsatisfactory manner.
+
+He recalled that Deerfoot parted with them only a few days before in a
+manner which implied that considerable time must pass before they would
+see each other again. The young Shawanoe could not suspect that when his
+friends reached home, they would immediately proceed to get into
+trouble, as they had just done.
+
+"No," added Jack, with a sigh, "from what I know and have heard of
+Deerfoot, he has a wonderful way of turning up when wanted, but it's no
+use to look for him in this case."
+
+The conclusion of the boy was a sensible one, and he resolutely faced
+the situation as it presented itself to him. It was most serious, and it
+may be said that every passing hour rendered it more so, for he was
+moving away from home, and thereby increasing the difficulties of
+returning thither, should it become his good fortune to gain the
+opportunity to do so.
+
+The warriors who were walking in front, followed the usual custom of
+their people--that is, they proceeded in Indian file, so that the boy
+was given a fair view only of the one immediately before him--the
+glimpses of the others being fragmentary. Glancing behind, he observed
+the same fact, so that the entire party made but the single trail, for
+Jack himself was wise enough to fall in with their custom.
+
+"It may be," he muttered, after traveling several miles in silence,
+"that they live hundreds of miles off and that I won't have a chance to
+leave them for weeks or months or--years," he added in a hushed voice,
+and with an additional heart-throb, "but I shall never be reconciled to
+live in the wigwams of the red men."
+
+It seemed curious to the young captive that a party of friends, like the
+Indians, should tramp mile after mile as they did without speaking a
+single word. Now and then, some one would utter an exclamation which
+sounded more like the grunt of a porker than anything else, but
+frequently they advanced steadily for an hour or more in perfect
+silence.
+
+Sometimes the forest was open and free from undergrowth, then it was
+cluttered up with running vines which would have annoyed any one
+unaccustomed to them, but which proved no obstacle to the Indians. In
+fact, they walked without showing the least regard to them. Where Jack,
+if leading, would have lifted his feet, they shoved ahead and without
+effort snapped and turned them aside as though they were so many
+cobwebs.
+
+"It all comes from training," concluded our friend, as he attempted to
+catch a switch which swung back and struck him across the face; "if I
+was alone, it would take me twice as long as it takes them, and then I
+would fare worse than they do."
+
+All at once, they came upon a creek. It was barely twenty feet in width,
+but muddy, swift and deep. There was something impressive in the speed
+with which the volume of water rushed through the woods, as if fleeing
+in a panic from some peril at its heels.
+
+The entire party came to a halt, ranging themselves along the bank and
+surveying the turbid torrents, as though they wished to talk with each
+other upon the best method of placing themselves on the other side.
+
+"I hope they won't swim it," Jack said to himself, "for their people
+make no allowance for those that are not as skillful as they, and I will
+get into trouble."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+AN INVOLUNTARY BATH.
+
+
+It was not to be supposed that a party of Indians could be checked by a
+stream of water. If necessary they could swim across, but, inasmuch as
+the party separated, and while several went up, the rest walked down the
+stream, it was evident they were searching for a more suitable spot in
+which to make the passage.
+
+Jack Carleton followed the larger party, which had gone only a few rods
+when a whoop from the others made known they had found what was wanted.
+The rest immediately turned around and joined them.
+
+Jack saw at once that the means were provided for passing over dry shod.
+A tree, some six or eight inches in diameter, lay with the butt on one
+shore and the upper portion on the opposite bank. A glance showed that
+it had been felled by the axe of some pioneer, who probably thus formed
+a bridge for himself and friends. The limbs had been trimmed away, and
+the abraded bark proved that it had served a similar purpose for many
+wild beasts in passing to and fro. The faded color of the gashes in the
+trunk showed that a long time had passed since the bridge was made by
+the woodman's axe.
+
+Nothing better could be required, and several grunts of satisfaction
+escaped the warriors during the minute they stood together viewing the
+support that awaited the pressing of their feet.
+
+Jack Carleton stepped forward, but one of the Indians grasped his arm
+and drew him back so violently as almost to throw him to the ground. The
+boy looked wonderingly in his face, and saw that it was aglow with
+passion. He shook his head rapidly and spoke fast and furious.
+
+"I think I can guess what you mean," said Jack, stepping back, so as to
+allow the others to precede him, "and I will now await your commands."
+
+He stood still until three had gone over, when they beckoned him to
+follow. Jack had noticed that when the Indians were walking on the log,
+they were obliged to move carefully, for their foothold was narrow and
+the swift running current was apt to make one dizzy. The lad, however,
+stepped forward without hesitation and advanced slowly but with
+certainty.
+
+The three warriors, who stood facing him on the shore, showed that like
+Deerfoot the Shawanoe, they possessed a certain vein of waggery, for at
+the moment Jack was over the middle of the stream, one of them stooped,
+and, grasping the head of the trunk, moved it quickly fully a couple of
+feet to the right, all three bursting into an audible snicker at the
+same moment. The lad was looking downward, meanwhile stepping carefully,
+when he glanced across to learn the meaning of the action, the stooping
+Indian being in his field of vision.
+
+Jack understood the trick, but he was without the means of defeating it.
+He stooped quickly with the intention of grasping the support with both
+hands, but before he could do so, he lost his balance, flung his arms
+aloft, and down he went with a loud splash that sent the spray flying in
+all directions.
+
+No audience of countrymen ever laughed more heartily at the ancient
+jokes of a clown than did the five Indians when the boy disappeared
+under the water, his eyes staring with the shock of affright which came
+with his sudden contact with the current.
+
+Jack was a capital swimmer, and he was satisfied there was no wish to
+drown him; but he had scarcely passed below the surface, when it
+occurred to him that there was a possibility of turning the jest upon
+his captors. The water was very deep, and he kept sinking until his feet
+softly touched the bottom. As he gave himself the slight impulse which
+sent him upward again, he not only swam swiftly with the rapid current,
+but moved as close to shore as possible, and began creeping up the side
+of the bank.
+
+In doing this, he over-estimated his own strength. It took him a longer
+time to reach the surface than he calculated upon, and he narrowly
+escaped strangling; but he resolutely held out to the last second.
+
+At the moment the rushing waters seemed to roar through his brain, his
+crown cleft the surface, and he drew a deep inspiration of the blessed
+air; but, even in that trying moment, he kept his self-possession, and
+the breath was taken so softly that no ear beside his own knew it.
+
+He had emerged close to shore and directly under some overhanging brush,
+which was not so dense as he could wish, since he was able to see the
+warriors standing on the land and looking for him. It followed,
+therefore, that if they should scrutinize the bank very closely they
+would discover him; but the boy's hope lay in their lack of suspicion
+that such an artifice was in his mind.
+
+Several circumstances united to help the youth; the water was roiled, as
+has already been said, while the friction of the swift current against
+the shore made a noise which overcame the slight ripple caused by his
+own movements. Only his nose and eyes were kept above the surface, and
+the shrubbery which inclosed them made a tolerable screen, though less
+effective than he desired.
+
+Jack had landed, as may be said, a dozen yards below the log from which
+he had been thrown and on the side from which he set out, consequently
+he was opposite the five Indians who stood on the shore. He was led to
+do this from a natural desire to get as far away as he could from his
+captors, but it was a mistake on his part, for had he crawled under the
+other bank he would have been hidden altogether from the sight of the
+Indians.
+
+Holding to a wire-like root with his left hand, he swung around so as to
+face up stream, and, through the slight spaces in the shrubbery kept his
+eyes fixed intently on the brawny red men.
+
+[Illustration: A NARROW ESCAPE.]
+
+Very soon the warriors looked at each other, and talked rapidly and with
+growing excitement. There could be no doubt they were discussing the
+unexpected shape matters had taken; the joke played on their captive had
+proven a very serious matter to him. It must have been that the
+pale-faced youth was unable to swim and was drowned. The white warrior
+was a pappoose.
+
+"By and by they will make search for me," was the thought of Jack
+Carleton, still retaining his hold, "and then will come the tug of war.
+It won't be the live boy they'll expect to find, but his dead body,
+bobbing up and down and back and forth, and yet I don't see why they
+will care to hunt me up."
+
+Whatever might be the issue, Jack was warranted in feeling hopeful, for
+he was sure the incident had taken a turn entirely unexpected to the
+warriors.
+
+"If I had only floated a little further down stream," he thought more
+than once, noticing a sharp bend made by the current, "I would have been
+in a good deal better situation than this, for I would have been out of
+their sight altogether."
+
+Several times he was on the point of letting go and dropping further
+down, but he dreaded some mistake which would draw attention to the
+spot. If he should try to swim under the surface, he might be forced to
+come up too soon, or might strike some obstruction in the stream that
+would fling him over as though he was a porpoise. It was the fear of a
+catastrophe of this nature which held him where he was, while he peered
+through the shrubbery like some wild animal glaring out from his covert
+upon his enemies.
+
+The face of every Indian was in sight, and he studied the expression of
+each broad, coppery countenance. He knew they were talking by the
+movements of the thin lips, and, despite the noise of the rushing
+stream, he heard one of them grunt several times. This particular
+warrior was shorter and more solidly built than the rest, and appeared
+to be some kind of a leader, for he had the most to say, and the boy
+noticed, while on the march, that he directed the actions of the rest.
+
+This Indian, as he stood, held his rifle in his right hand, while the
+thumb of his left was hooked over the belt at his waist, which supported
+his knife and tomahawk. His stomach protruded somewhat, and, when he
+spoke in his sententious manner, the belt would rise and sink in a
+spasmodic fashion which kept time with his words.
+
+Jack kept close watch of the black eyes, which, like those of
+professional hunters and scouts, were never at rest. They flitted hither
+and thither, up and down stream and even to the rear, as though danger
+were apprehended from that direction.
+
+What the boy was expecting and dreading was a search on the part of the
+Indians. None could know better than they how brief a time is required
+for a person to drown, and they were not long in arriving at the
+conclusion that the boy either was dead, or had left the stream at a
+point below. Three savages walked hastily over the creek on the log and
+began moving along shore, their serpent-like eyes scanning every foot of
+land and water that came in their field of vision. At the same time, the
+other two did the same from the opposite shore, and Jack Carleton knew
+that the crisis had come.
+
+He felt quite secure against being seen by the two who were traveling
+together, for he was able to dispose of the undergrowth so as to
+increase its usefulness. While one hand held fast to the tough root, he
+softly drew down the bush with the other, so that it interposed between
+him and the couple who were held in such dread. If the others should
+step to the edge of the stream and part the bushes, it would be all up
+with the frightened lad.
+
+The necessities of the case forced Jack to raise his head until both
+ears were above the surface, and thus, while he employed his eyes to
+follow the movements of the couple, he sought to use his ears to
+discover the approach of the trio, though the rushing torrent forbade
+full success in that respect.
+
+The two warriors were in plain sight as they slowly picked their way
+downward. Jack saw the upper parts of their bodies, and his heart
+throbbed faster when they faced about and came down to the edge of the
+water. However, they were still several yards above him, so that he was
+quite certain they did not suspect his hiding-place. When they halted
+and leaned over the stream, the fugitive gave no thought to those who
+were undoubtedly much closer, but sank until only forehead, eyes and
+nose were in the air, while the scanty bush was drawn still closer to
+his face.
+
+All at once, Jack's heart seemed to stand still; he saw that one of the
+Indians was looking straight at the spot where he was in hiding. The
+black orbs were centered upon him with such an inquiring expression,
+that he was sure he had been discovered. All hope was gone, until a
+moment after he observed that the savage was peering at the undergrowth
+below him, as though suspicious of everything which could afford any
+sort of a hiding-place.
+
+"He didn't see me after all," was the conclusion of the delighted boy,
+"and now if the others let me alone, I shall have a chance to give them
+the slip."
+
+Again the waists and shoulders of the two were observed moving slowly
+among the trees and undergrowth, until they passed out of sight, a
+considerable distance below the crouching fugitive. The relief of the
+latter was unspeakable, though he could not forget that other foes were
+also to be avoided.
+
+But minute after minute passed, and still Jack saw and heard nothing of
+the red men. With each passing minute his hopes rose, until at the end
+of half an hour, he felt that his safety was well nigh secured.
+
+"They have concluded I was drowned and my body is not likely to come to
+the surface for some time--anyway not until it is a long way from this
+spot. If they don't return, I'm safe."
+
+But a thrill of alarm passed through him more than once, when he
+recalled that the strategy he had employed was of such a simple nature
+that it ought to suggest itself to the red men. If such was the case
+they would be certain to return to the fallen tree, renew their search,
+and prosecute it with greater care.
+
+It was the dread of the latter which led Jack to creep carefully out of
+the stream, after he had been in hiding perhaps half an hour. Of course
+his clothing was saturated, and he had become chilled from his long
+submersion, so that his teeth rattled, and he trembled in every limb.
+Extended flat on the ground, he crawled with the utmost care until a
+couple of rods from the water. Then he stopped and listened. He was so
+far from the stream that its noise did not prevent him detecting any
+slight noise which might have been made by some other cause, but he
+heard nothing at all.
+
+There was still considerable undergrowth around him, so that he felt
+screened from the observation of any other Indians wandering in the
+vicinity.
+
+"They thought they were very cunning," muttered Jack, with a chuckle,
+"when they tumbled me into the water, but I played a trick on them worth
+two of their kind. I only wish there was some way of letting them know
+how completely I have outwitted them----"
+
+A cold shiver passed down the spine of Jack Carleton, when he distinctly
+heard a guttural, grunting laugh behind him. Turning like a flash, he
+saw the five Indian warriors from whom, up to that moment, he had
+believed he was free, standing within a rod, and all grinning to an
+extent that seemed to take the corners of their mouths around to their
+ears.
+
+The truth broke upon Jack: the red men had never lost sight of him,
+except for the moment he was under the water. They knew where he was
+when he supposed himself invisible, and they had been amusing themselves
+at his expense.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+TWO VISITORS.
+
+
+On the evening succeeding the departure of Jack Carleton and Otto
+Relstaub from the little settlement of Martinsville, the widowed mother
+of Jack was seated by her fireside engaged in knitting. The night was
+cold, and the huge sticks of wood were roaring and crackling in the
+broad fireplace, and throwing a cheerful glow and warmth through the
+room. The tallow candle on the mantel had not been lit, for there was no
+need of it, and, despite the loneliness and poverty of the sad-faced
+woman, there was an air of neatness and comfort about her home which
+would have tempted any one who could look through the narrow window into
+the homely, old-fashioned apartment.
+
+The deft fingers flew back and forth as regularly as the most delicate
+machinery, until all at once the lady stopped and allowed her hands to
+rest in her lap. At the same moment a sigh escaped her, and she looked
+into the glowing embers.
+
+It was not hard to guess where her thoughts were; they were with that
+only child who had gone forth in the woods to help the German lad look
+for the missing horse. Mrs. Carleton smiled as she reflected upon a
+certain absurdity which marked the whole business, for, look at it as
+she chose, there was something grotesque in the project of two youths
+setting out to hunt for a horse that had been wandering for days in a
+limitless wood. But the smile quickly gave way to the serious expression
+which not often left the face of the mother since that awful night when
+her husband was stricken down by the fierce red men of Kentucky.
+
+"I trust God will not forget my boy," were the almost inaudible words
+that came to her lips. "He has wonderfully preserved him through many
+perils, and my heart misgives me now that I allowed him to go from under
+my roof."
+
+Just then the latch-string was spitefully pulled, the door was pushed
+inward, and Jacob Relstaub entered. The angry man was short of stature,
+clumsily dressed, and the only weapon he carried was a heavy, knotted
+cane, if that may be termed such, which was his companion when moving
+about the sparse settlement. It has already been said that he was
+parsimonious, cross-grained, and cruel-hearted, and he had been in
+specially ill-temper since the return of his boy without the horse upon
+which so much value was set.
+
+The door swung to of itself, and the German, stopping short in the
+middle of the room, banged his cane upon the floor, and, looking
+savagely at the quiet lady who had nodded and bidden him good evening,
+demanded:
+
+"Vere is mine poy, Otto?"
+
+"Don't you know?" asked the widow in return, with a tone of surprise.
+
+"No, I does not; he says he goes off mit your poy, but dey both
+lies--don't it?"
+
+"My boy never tells a falsehood," was the quiet response of Mrs.
+Carleton, whose pale cheek slightly flushed. "Your Otto told the truth
+as you well know. Not only that, but he only obeyed you when he went out
+in the woods to run into all kinds of danger in search of an animal
+which I do not believe can possibly be found."
+
+"All poys ish bad," said the visitor with an impatient sniff, as he took
+off his cap and slouched to a chair on the opposite side of the fire.
+"Your poy ish badder dan any oder poy; mine Otto is lazy, and if he
+doesn't pring pack dot horse I vill pounds him till he don't live."
+
+"He may _never_ come back," said the lady in a low, impressive voice
+which would have moved anyone else, but it was lost on the boorish
+visitor.
+
+"Hoof! No fear of dot; he alvays comes back ven ve doesn't vant him to
+come back."
+
+"Well," said Mrs. Carleton with a sigh, "I am sorry I let Jack go, for
+if he had insisted on staying home your boy would have done the same,
+though if I was in Otto's place I would consider the woods, with all
+their dangers and sufferings, preferable to living with a parent who is
+as unfeeling as you."
+
+Jacob Relstaub had both of his horny hands folded over the top of his
+heavy cane, which rested on the floor between his large shoes, while his
+cap, somewhat resembling the peaked head-gear of his boy, lay beside
+him. His broad, ill-favored countenance was darkened by a frown, and it
+was easy for the lady to see that the fellow still doubted her word. His
+manner of looking about the large room, and a habit of listening
+intently, as though he expected to bear approaching footsteps, showed
+that he suspected Otto was hiding somewhere in the cabin. Mrs. Carleton
+understood his feelings and she was annoyed to anger, for her sensitive
+nature felt the insult keenly. Beside, she despised the coarse nature of
+the man who seemed so totally lacking in humanity.
+
+The lady was on the point of reproving him with sharp words, when both
+were astonished by a gentle knock on the door, such a hail being
+contrary to all the rules of the frontier, when the latch-string is not
+drawn in. Both looked quickly toward the entrance, and the lady raised
+her voice and said:
+
+"The latch-string is out!"
+
+The words were yet on her lips when it was pulled, and the door swung
+inward.
+
+The firelight fell upon the figure of an Indian warrior, who stopped on
+the threshold as if he doubted whether he would be welcome when those
+within saw him. As he stood with the blank darkness behind him and the
+crimson glow from the burning logs lighting up the front of his body, he
+formed a most striking picture.
+
+He was the ideal of symmetry and manly beauty--one of those productions
+of the American race which are very rare, but which, when seen, are the
+nearest approach to physical and mental perfection that is ever attained
+in this world. He was about five feet ten inches in height, and with
+body and limbs in as perfect proportion as the chisel of Phidias ever
+carved from marble. Even his long, black hair, which hung luxuriantly
+and loosely about his shoulders, was of softer texture than is the rule
+with his people. Several stained eagle feathers slanted upward and
+outward from the crown, and a double row of brilliant beads encircled
+his neck. A fine gold bracelet clasped his left wrist, and the deer-skin
+hunting shirt and leggings were clean, and of the finest possible make.
+They retained their dull, yellow hue, but the girdle which clasped his
+body at the waist was of a red color, so bright that it seemed likely to
+attract dangerous attention in the forest. The leggings were fringed,
+and the delicate moccasins were also ornamented with colored beads. The
+heavy blanket which he carried during severe weather was lacking, for it
+would have been only an encumbrance when the climate was mild.
+
+Into the girdle were thrust a tomahawk and hunting knife, while a long
+bow was carried in his right hand, and a quiver full of arrows rested
+behind his right shoulder, where they could be snatched forth on the
+instant. The youthful warrior carried no firearms, for he depended alone
+on the primitive weapons which his people had used for centuries.
+
+Splendid as were the frame and limbs of the youth, the greatest
+attraction lay in his countenance. His features were classical in their
+regularity, excepting the nose, which was just enough aquiline to give
+character to his face, and take away the femininity which otherwise
+might cling to it.
+
+When he smiled in his faint, shadowy fashion, his teeth were seen to be
+small, white, regular, and without the slightest defect, while the
+lustrous black eyes glowed with light and feeling. Having closed the
+door behind him, he still hesitated to advance until assured he was
+welcome.
+
+Although Mrs. Carleton had never seen him before, she was certain of his
+identity, and, rising from her seat, she asked:
+
+"Are you Deerfoot the Shawanoe?"
+
+He smiled and inclined his head.
+
+"You are the friend of my boy, and of Otto, the son of Mr. Relstaub.
+There is no one in the world who could be more welcome than you. Come
+forward and take a seat nearer the fire."
+
+The dusky countenance flushed with pleasure, for the words were warmer
+than he was accustomed to hear.
+
+Deerfoot advanced a couple of steps, and, reaching over, drew the rude
+stool to him. His diffidence would not allow him to go very near the
+blaze.
+
+When Jacob Relstaub heard the name pronounced, he uttered an angry sniff
+and banged his cane upon the floor. He said nothing; but he detested the
+handsome Indian youth, whom he had driven from his door when he asked
+for shelter, and he knew he had been the companion of his boy on the
+stirring journey from Kentucky to Louisiana. It mattered not that the
+masterful woodcraft of the dusky friend had saved the life of Otto
+Relstaub; all that the German remembered was that the valuable horse was
+lost, and he blamed this Indian for it, as he censured Jack Carleton for
+the same misfortune. The man, however, said nothing for a few minutes.
+
+It was manifest from the manner of Deerfoot that he was disappointed
+because he did not meet Jack Carleton. He cast but a single glance
+around the apartment, which showed him his young friend was not present;
+then, as he gently seated himself, he looked into the pale face of the
+widow and said:
+
+"Deerfoot sees not his brother."
+
+"No; Jack and Otto set out on a long hunt this morning. They may be back
+in a few days and perhaps not for a fortnight."
+
+"Have they gone to look for the horse that was lost?"
+
+"Yes," answered the lady, with a smile; "I am ashamed to say they have;
+but I ask your pardon; have you had supper? Will you not permit me to
+give you to eat?"
+
+She was about to rise when Deerfoot, who was resting his bow on the
+floor, while he grasped the center as though it was a cane, motioned
+with his left hand for her to retain her seat.
+
+"The mother of my friend is good and kind, but Deerfoot cannot eat."
+
+He appeared to be on the point of saying something more, but restrained
+himself. The mother was quick to perceive it, and a pang of dread
+stirred her heart.
+
+"What were you about to say?" she asked, in her abrupt fashion,
+suspending the knitting which she was in the very act of resuming.
+
+Deerfoot was too truthful to deceive her outright; but it is fair to
+presume he did not say all that was in his thoughts.
+
+"Deerfoot is sorry his brothers have gone to look for the horse."
+
+"Why?" quickly asked the mother.
+
+"They cannot find him."
+
+"Vy don't they finds him?" asked Jacob Relstaub, banging his cane again
+and glaring fiercely at the youth, as though ready to spring upon him.
+
+Deerfoot looked calmly in the forbidding countenance, and asked, more
+directly than was his custom:
+
+"Are you the father of my brother, Otto?"
+
+"Yaw; of course I ish. He is one pad poy, as you ish de wust Injin dot
+effer vasn't."
+
+Without the least visible excitement, and in the same deliberate
+monotone, Deerfoot still looking him straight in the face:
+
+"The father of Otto is a dog; he has no heart. The Great Spirit hides
+his face with shame when he looks upon him."
+
+"VAT!" roared Jacob, half rising to his chair and grasping his knobby
+cane with both hands, while he trembled with rage. "You don't speak dot
+vays to me and I breaks your head."
+
+He suddenly straightened up, and all aglow with fury advanced upon
+Deerfoot, who placed his left hand on his knife, quietly arose and faced
+him, without speaking.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+A SURPRISE.
+
+
+Jacob Relstaub was so accustomed to the undisturbed abuse of his son
+that he was struck almost speechless by the calm defiance of the Indian
+youth. When he saw the latter place his hand on the knife at his girdle,
+the German could not fail to know its meaning. He stopped short with his
+cane half raised and glared savagely at Deerfoot.
+
+"You means to kills me, eh, don't it? Yaw,--I sees,--I sees!"
+
+And shaking his head very fast, and muttering some vigorous words in his
+own language, he stamped towards the door, swung it open and passed out
+in the darkness. Deerfoot stood motionless, looking in the direction
+whence he had vanished, and then, without a word, sat down on the rude
+chair and looked toward Mrs. Carleton, seated as she was near the fire.
+
+The good lady was terrified, but the incident was so brief that it was
+over before she fairly understood its full meaning and the ill-natured
+caller was gone.
+
+"He is such a bad-tempered man that I'm afraid he will hurt you for
+this," said she, stepping hastily to the door, where she drew in the
+latch-string, thus locking the humble cabin against intruders. When she
+sat down, with her scared look and her words of misgiving on her lips,
+Deerfoot looked from the crackling fire into her countenance. As the
+yellow glow lit up his handsome features, they showed the faintest
+possible smile, which vanished the same moment it appeared. The
+matchless redskin must have appreciated the grim humor involved in the
+thought of his feeling any fear of the curmudgeon who had just gone.
+
+Previous to that the young Shawanoe had glanced around the cabin, and
+like another Houdin, impressed every point in his memory. He noted the
+narrow windows through which a hostile shot could be fired from the
+outside. He did not believe the late visitor would proceed to that
+length, but he shifted his seat to a point several feet away, where, if
+Relstaub relied on his previous knowledge for his aim, no possible harm
+could be done.
+
+Deerfoot made his change in such a quiet fashion, that his hostess had
+not the slightest suspicion of its meaning. She saw that he had simply
+moved closer to the fire. The space between her own chair and that of
+the visitor was such that there was no call for her to change her
+location: had there been the slightest, Deerfoot would not have
+permitted her to wait.
+
+"My brother will hurt no one," said he in his quiet fashion: "he is a
+bad man; he has a good boy, Otto; Deerfoot calls him his brother, and
+will do much for him; but Deerfoot does not like his father."
+
+"I was _so_ afraid he would strike you with his cane," said the lady,
+still trembling over the remembrance, "and then you would have used your
+knife."
+
+The smile was more pronounced than before, but the words were scarcely
+audible.
+
+"He could not hurt Deerfoot and Deerfoot would not hurt him."
+
+The lady fully understood his meaning, and it lifted a great fear from
+her heart that Jacob Relstaub would return, demand admittance, and
+attack her guest. True, he might do so, but she saw that in such an
+event the results would be farcical rather than tragical.
+
+Deerfoot did not care to give any further thought to the despicable man.
+He had come to the settlement to visit Jack Carleton and Otto Relstaub,
+and found they were absent on a singular hunt for the horse that had
+been missing fully a week. His interest lay in them, and especially in
+Jack. He had heard most of the facts from the mother, but he now
+questioned her further in his gentle way until not a particle of
+information was left for her to give.
+
+The substance of that information has already been told the reader,--it
+being nothing more than the statement of their departure early that
+morning. The startling events which followed could not be suspected by
+the parent, who sat so quietly knitting and talking with the remarkable
+Indian youth on the other side of her hearthstone, as ignorant as she of
+the alarming situation in which both were placed.
+
+But while so quiet in his demeanor, the wonderful brain of the youth was
+always busy during his waking hours. He could not feel that there was
+cause for fear on account of his friends, for, as has already been
+shown, that portion of the enormous territory of Louisiana was peopled
+by Indians much less vicious in their hatred than were those who made
+Kentucky their hunting-ground. A fierce party of Shawanoes had followed
+the little party across the Mississippi the previous week, and they kept
+matters moving in a very lively manner, as the reader learned long ago;
+but it was not to be supposed that any of those daring and skillful
+warriors were in the neighborhood, for it was not conceivable that a
+cause existed for their presence.
+
+But a singular distrust took possession of Deerfoot. He could not
+account for it, except as he accounted for all inexplainable things, as
+being the direct prompting of the Great Spirit. Many a time the
+instinctive belief had come over him, and he had never failed to follow
+its guidance; the result in each instance proved that he did right, and
+he resolved to do the same in the present case, though it will be seen
+that he could take no real step forward until the coming of daylight.
+
+"You will stay here until morning," said Mrs. Carleton, looking into
+the face of her visitor and speaking as though the matter was not at all
+in the nature of a question.
+
+"Deerfoot may stay awhile, though he would rather sleep in the woods,
+where he can breathe the cool, pure air, and look at the stars, and
+listen to the whispers of the Great Spirit who watches over him when he
+is asleep or awake."
+
+"You can sleep on Jack's bed, and he will be pleased, when he comes
+home, to learn that you did so, though he will be sorry that he was not
+here to make you welcome."
+
+The Indian shook his head. He had no wish to lie on any such couch, and
+he had not done so since he was wounded and a prisoner in the hands of
+the white people.
+
+"Deerfoot will sit here and read until he becomes weary; then he will
+lie on the floor; and when he awakes he will seek his brothers who are
+hunting for the horse that has long been lost."
+
+Mrs. Carleton had been told by Jack how skillfully Deerfoot could read
+and write, and she now ventured the hope that he would use the Bible
+which lay on the table at the side of the cabin. She was on the point
+of rising to get it for him, when he motioned her to keep her seat.
+
+"Deerfoot has his Bible with him."
+
+And then he drew the tiny volume with its wooden covers from the
+interior pocket of his hunting-shirt, and shifted his position so that
+his back was turned toward the fire, whose glow passed over his
+shoulders and fell upon the printed page. This gave him all the light he
+needed, and, after rustling the leaves for a moment, he began, in his
+low, sweet monotone.
+
+As may be supposed, he selected one of the chapters from Revelation,
+overflowing as it does with the most impressive grandeur and
+awe-inspiring glimpse of the mysterious life from whose portals no human
+being has ever turned back to whisper to the vast procession waiting to
+follow in his footsteps.
+
+Mrs. Carleton saw that Deerfoot did not like her words of compliment and
+she therefore refrained. When he had finished, he closed the book and
+laid it away where he always carried it, and then the conversation went
+on in the same vein as before.
+
+But the hour was later than that to which the good lady was accustomed,
+and, despite the singular interest of the interview, she began to feel a
+slight drowsiness. When she placed her hand over her mouth and yawned,
+Deerfoot asked that she should retire. She consented, and bade him
+good-night and withdrew.
+
+He sat motionless until he was alone, when he once more drew out his
+Bible and resumed reading. The fire having smoldered, he stirred the
+sticks, turning the unburned ends among the coals, so that in a few
+moments the small room was filled with a brighter illumination than
+before. Leaning backward with the book in front of his face and his
+shapely legs extended in front, he studied with an interest more
+absorbing than was ever felt by the most devout novel reader. He seemed
+to lose all consciousness of time and place, and pored over the volume
+which to him was more precious than any treasure it is possible for the
+mind to conceive.
+
+By-and-by the fire burned low again and the light grew dim. Though the
+youth might have continued the perusal much longer, he finally ceased
+and put the book away for the night. Then, folding his arms, he looked
+into the smoldering embers before him. Every one knows how such a scene
+feeds the fancy and how imagination will run riot, while sitting alone
+late at night, with the wind moaning outside, while he watches the
+curious, grotesque, and endless procession of figures which take shape
+and action before him. No one but Deerfoot himself could tell what
+thoughts took shape in his brain, but they must have been of a
+melancholy, serious nature, for he drew a deep sigh, muttered a few
+words in prayer, and then deliberately lay down in the middle of the
+floor. He lay on his side, with his arm doubled under his head for a
+pillow, but had nothing but the hard planking beneath and nothing except
+his own clothing above.
+
+Deerfoot required little sleep, and within less than two hours after he
+had lain down, he opened his eyes and assumed the sitting position. The
+fire had burned so low that only a slight glow filled a part of the
+room, and he looked like some odd shadow, when he stepped silently
+forward and stirred the embers until they once more lit up the
+apartment. It was not yet morning, but he had concluded to wait no
+longer. He therefore picked up his bow and then, without making the
+least noise, opened and closed the door behind him.
+
+The young Shawanoe stood for a moment when he found himself in the clear
+air on the outside. It was a bright starlit night, and, when he glanced
+reverently upward at the thousands of blazing orbs, he saw that it still
+lacked two hours of daylight. The rude cabins were dimly outlined, as
+they faced each other in two irregular rows, those only which were the
+furthest away being invisible. All were dark and silent excepting one.
+He noticed the gleam of light from the window, and thought it likely
+that some one was watching by the bed of sickness; but the thought had
+hardly come to him when he recalled that it was the cabin of the German
+Relstaub, who had left him in such a rage.
+
+Deerfoot was still in front of the house of his friend, when the door of
+the cabin opened and the short, sturdy figure of Jacob Relstaub was
+outlined against the blazing fire and candle-light behind him. The truth
+was, he was so angered he could not sleep; he had tossed about until his
+rage became ungovernable, when he told his frau that he was going over
+to the widow Carleton's to chastise the rascally redskin that had dared
+to insult him to his face. The wife sought to dissuade him, but he was
+too angered to listen to reason; and, ordering her to stay in bed, he
+dressed, caught up his heavy cane, and plunged from the door of his
+home.
+
+Deerfoot drew back until sure he could not be seen, when he calmly
+awaited the approach of the irate man. The latter stamped forward,
+banging his heavy cane on the ground and muttering to himself:
+
+"Yaw, I preaks mine cane his head ofer--he talks to me--he calls me a
+rascal und eferydings vot I vas. I shows him----"
+
+Just then, when he was close to the cabin, a figure emerged from the
+darkness, moving as silently as if it was a section of the gloom itself,
+and advancing straight toward him. It was the execrated young Indian,
+grasping his long bow in his right hand, and holding his tomahawk in his
+left, with his body bent and his head thrust forward.
+
+"Oh, mine gracious!" gasped Jacob Relstaub, his knees shaking and his
+staff dropping from his trembling hand, "it ish him!"
+
+He managed to twist his body around, so as to face the other way, and
+then he broke into a lumbering run for his cabin. He heard the sound of
+the swift moccasins behind him, and he ran as never before. His hat flew
+off, and odd quirps and pains developed themselves here and there in his
+frame, because of the unusual and violent exercise to which he subjected
+himself; but he kept forward, believing it was his only hope.
+Fortunately the run was brief, but when he reached the threshold he was
+in the last stage of exhaustion. He could not lift his foot high enough,
+and went sprawling headlong into the room, with a crash that startled
+his wife almost out of her senses.
+
+Deerfoot paused a moment surveying the wreck and ruin he had caused, and
+then quietly shoved his tomahawk back in place. He had accomplished all
+he wished, and was satisfied. His old shadowy smile lingered on his face
+as he turned aside, and, making his way between the settlers' cabins,
+disappeared in the woods.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+BY THE CAMP-FIRE.
+
+
+Jack Carleton cried in the bitterness of vexation and disappointment.
+After his daring attempt to get away, and when hope was a-flutter within
+him, he awoke to the fact that his captors were trifling with him. He
+surveyed the array of gleaming visages, and was sure that the leader
+indulged in a distinct wink and grotesque grimace, as expressive of his
+views of the situation. Inasmuch as not one of the red men could utter a
+syllable of English, perhaps it was as well that they should have
+recourse to the sign language. Jack himself was humiliated beyond
+expression. Finding he was discovered, he had risen to his feet and
+faced his captors with the best grace he could, and that, it need not be
+said, was scant indeed.
+
+The Indians grinned and grimaced while they walked around the lad, as if
+desirous of surveying him from different points. Jack dashed the tears
+from his eyes, and, compressing his lips, braved it out. He expected
+some indignity would be offered him, but there was none. This curious
+scene lasted only a few minutes, when the Indians gave the youth to
+understand that the journey westward was to be resumed. He was motioned
+to go forward, and was glad enough to obey, for his saturated clothes
+and his highly nervous condition set his teeth chattering and his body
+shaking as if with the ague.
+
+The afternoon was well along, and no great distance could be passed over
+before night. Jack dreaded their arrival at the Indian village before
+another halt. He was hopeful that in the stillness and darkness of night
+he would gain a chance to steal away from his captors, while the chance
+of doing so when with the tribe itself would be much more difficult.
+
+In one respect the wish of the youth was gratified. The party tramped
+along in Indian file, without the slightest pause, until the darkness
+began stealing among the trees. There was but the single warrior in
+front, the others following the lad. Suddenly the leader stooped down
+and paused. He was so close to Jack that evidently he meant to fling
+him over his shoulders, and the boy barely escaped such discomfiture.
+The others grinned again, and then the party appeared to fall apart and
+take different positions. Two vanished in the wood, while the others
+began hastily gathering dead limbs and decayed leaves. It seemed to Jack
+that less than three minutes had gone by when he saw the dim outlines of
+one of the warriors on his knees, striking the flint and steel, such as
+the pioneers, and, indeed, all persons, used in those days. The little
+lines of sparks shot back and forth, as they do upon the swiftly
+revolving emery wheel when the metal is pressed against it, and in a
+twinkling a tiny blaze was creeping among the little pile of leaves
+toward the top. The twist of flame darted in and out like the crimson
+tongue of some serpent, until it reached the air above, and in a very
+few minutes a roaring camp fire was under full headway.
+
+Jack saw that it had been kindled against the shaggy bark of an oak
+tree, which swept upward like a sealed chimney until lost in the gloom
+above. The gleam of water a short distance off made known what he had
+not suspected; a stream--only a few inches in depth and breadth--wound
+by the spot, without giving forth the slightest ripple. Water, it may be
+said, is indispensable to such an encampment, and a party of aborigines
+scarcely ever halts at night without being near it.
+
+As the glow of the fire spread, it fell upon the figures of the
+warriors, who looked grim and uncanny. Jack folded his arms and stood in
+the full glow, as though seeking a bath in the firelight. But for his
+recent experience, he might have been tempted to make a dash for
+liberty; but his clothing was still wet from that furious essay, and he
+was clearly of the opinion that the only thing for him to do was to make
+his captors believe (if it was possible) that he had given over all hope
+of getting away. Could he lull their suspicion, it would be a most
+important point accomplished; but the youth might well feel misgivings
+on that point, for it presupposed a stupidity on the part of the Indians
+contrary to what he knew concerning them.
+
+It must not be thought that the boy believed he could make the warriors
+think he was content to remain their prisoner; that would have been the
+height of absurdity; but he did seek to convince them by his manner that
+he had given up the intention of running away, because he knew the
+attempt must be hopeless. Having failed so completely, he was not
+foolish enough to repeat the essay, when he was likely to anger the
+Indians to that point that they would punish him for it.
+
+It will be understood, therefore, why Jack Carleton remained standing
+with folded arms, while his captors were busying themselves around him.
+He looked at the flames as they crept up against the bark and scorched
+the rough coat of the massive oak, and he noted more than one furtive
+glance cast toward him. He pretended to see them not, but stood gloomy,
+sorrowful, and despairing.
+
+Suddenly the dull crack of a rifle rang out, and Jack started. His first
+impression was that a party of white men or Indians had attacked them,
+but when he noticed the indifference of those around, he saw his
+mistake. They did not so much as look to the right or left, nor make any
+remark to each other. Evidently they expected something of the kind.
+
+Within the space of five minutes, the two warriors who had left a short
+time before, reappeared. The foremost carried his rifle at a trail and
+had no game, but his companion, directly behind him, held by the feet a
+large wild gobbler, shot but a short time previous.
+
+Jack Carleton could not but wonder how it was this dusky hunter was able
+to secure the bird on such short notice. The turkeys, at the time he
+started to look for them, must have all gone to roost among the trees.
+The gloom was such that it was almost impossible for the keenest eye to
+distinguish them. They may have given some evidence of their presence,
+but Jack was surprised over the success of the red men in obtaining
+supper before, as may be said, the fire could be made ready to roast it.
+
+"Otto and I have hunted for hours in Kentucky where the game is as
+abundant as it is here, and we were not able to gain the first shot at
+any sort of game. There must be some secret about this performance which
+I don't understand, though Deerfoot, with his bow and arrow, never
+failed to meet with the same success."
+
+The American Indian is by no means fastidious in his tastes, and the
+manner in which they handled the game would hardly have satisfied a
+party of modern hunters. Sometimes the red man half cooks his bird
+without bothering himself with plucking out the feathers, and again he
+doesn't take the trouble even to scorch his food. In the present
+instance, they ripped off the principal part of the feathers, removed
+the interior, and cutting the framework into several sections, laid them
+directly on the coals that were spread out to receive them.
+
+They began the broiling or scorching operation at once, and the smell of
+the burning meat was of the most appetizing nature. Jack caught a sniff
+and it literally made his "mouth water," for despite his unpleasant
+situation, his appetite was such as every person in vigorous health is
+certain to feel at regular intervals.
+
+"I wonder whether they mean to slight me," he suddenly asked himself
+with a feeling of dismay; "if they do, I don't know what will become of
+me, for I'm sure I never was so a-hungered in all my life."
+
+But I hasten to say that the disaster which the prisoner feared did not
+come to him. Although the bird was unusually large, two or three of the
+warriors could have devoured it with ease. As it was, therefore, it
+afforded rather scant rations to the company, but Jack Carleton was
+remembered and received a juicy slice of the game, which could not have
+tasted better had it been hung up in the cold for a week and then cooked
+by his mother. Ah, what art shall ever furnish a sauce like that of
+hunger itself! The meal finished, the party disposed of themselves for
+the night. Their red clay pipes, with the long reeds for stems, were
+produced, filled with tobacco and lit from the fire in front of them.
+The blankets--which were anything but clean--were spread out on the
+ground and their owners assumed all sorts of lazy attitudes, puffed
+their pipes, and occasionally grunted a few words to each other.
+
+As Jack had no blanket of his own he reclined on the leaves, which were
+comfortable as he could wish. He took pains to place himself as near the
+camp fire as he could bear, so as to show his captors he did not mean to
+attempt to get away.
+
+Several times during the march and while at supper, Jack heard the
+leader addressed, as he believed, by name. He could not catch the
+precise word, but it sounded, as nearly as he could tell, like
+"Ogallah," which of itself resembles the name of a tribe of western
+Indians.
+
+Jack waited till he had heard it again, and then, from the manner in
+which it was spoken, he was convinced it was the real name of the leader
+of the party,--that is as near as he could pronounce it.
+
+By and by there came a lull in the disjointed conversation; the indolent
+red men were lolling on their blankets, and the leader was sitting
+cross-legged like a Turk, sending rings of smoke upward and watching
+them as they curled inward upon themselves and climbed out of sight. The
+dimensions of his mouth were that ample that he could have done the same
+on either side of the stem without removing it from between his teeth.
+
+Jack Carleton looked straight at him for a few seconds, and then,
+imitating the guttural style of those around as best he could,
+pronounced in a distinct voice the single word--
+
+"_Ogallah!_"
+
+At that moment the chin of the chief was in the air and a procession of
+rings were tumbling over each other as they hastened from between his
+lips. He dropped his head as abruptly as if some one had struck him in
+the throat, and with his mouth still in circular shape allowed the rings
+to go to ruin, while he stared in amazement at the boy who had
+pronounced his name. The others showed as much wonder as did the
+chieftain. They also stared at the lad and then gave expressions to
+their feelings in their guttural, grunting fashion.
+
+It was quite embarrassing to Jack Carleton, who blushed, looked
+confused, and then tried hard to appear as though he did not feel
+specially proud over his performance. The leader addressed some words to
+him, as if suspecting he understood his language after all, but Jack
+could only smile and shake his head to signify that he had already
+exhibited his full proficiency in the tongue of his captors.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+WAITING AND HOPING.
+
+
+It would be hard to measure the effect of the little achievement of Jack
+Carleton upon the Indians who held him captive. He had pronounced the
+name of the chieftain with such clearness that every one recognized it.
+After all it was no great exploit, and it may have been the red men
+feigned a goodly portion of the astonishment they seemed to feel.
+
+Jack did not make any more essays in that direction, and a few minutes
+later the vagabonds gave their principal attention to their pipes. One
+of them gathered an armful of brush and flung it on the fire; and
+another, rising to his feet, turned his back toward the blaze with his
+hands together behind him, as though the warmth was very pleasant. While
+he stood thus, he held the stem of his pipe in his mouth and looked
+absently at the boy, who could not see the face of the red man with much
+distinctness, as it was in shadow.
+
+The fuel just thrown on the flames increased the warmth to such a degree
+that those who were the nearest shifted their position. The warrior who
+was on his feet stepped forward a single pace, and was still standing in
+his idle fashion with his hands half folded behind him, when a spark
+flew outward with a snap, and dropped down the neck of the unsuspicious
+red man. When he felt the burn, like the thrust of a big needle, he
+sprang several feet in the air, and began frantically clutching at the
+tormenting substance. The second or third attempt secured the spark,
+which clung to his hand, burning his fingers to that extent that he
+emitted a rasping exclamation, bounded upward, and by a particularly
+vigorous flirt of his hand freed it of the spark, which then expired of
+itself.
+
+As I have said, no man has less humor in his composition than the North
+American Indian, and yet it is not by any means lacking in him. It
+assumes odd forms at times, and too often seems based on the physical
+suffering of some person or animal; but in the instance of which I am
+speaking, every one of the spectators was filled with mirth. The
+laughter shook them from head to foot, though with all its vigor it
+could not have been heard fifty feet away.
+
+Jack Carleton had been so long depressed that something like a reaction
+came over him. He threw his head back and the woods rang with his hearty
+mirth as they never rang before. If there was any one else within half a
+mile, he must have wondered what all the uproar meant.
+
+The cause of this amusement conducted himself very much like a civilized
+being. When he had rubbed the blistered spot on the back of his neck
+with the scorched hand, he glared angrily at the others, as if he saw no
+adequate cause for the unusual mirth; then when it broke out afresh, he
+made a weak attempt to join in, but failing to do so, he sullenly seated
+himself on the ground and looked as glum as a man meditating some wicked
+deed.
+
+All at once, he turned toward Jack Carleton with such a fierce scowl
+that the boy was sobered. He believed with reason that the Indian was
+ready to leap upon him with his knife, punishing him in that dreadful
+manner for the provocation he felt toward the rest.
+
+"I guess I have laughed enough," was the prudent thought of the boy,
+who straightway tried to look as if he sympathized with the red man for
+his slight misfortune.
+
+Jack could not tell how well he succeeded in imparting a pitying
+expression to his countenance, but all disposition to laugh at the
+warrior's mishap had departed, and it is not improbable that the youth
+owed his life to the fact.
+
+Although the overflowing mirth soon ended, there were a number of smiles
+on the faces of the warriors for a long time afterward, doubtless caused
+by the remembrance of the laughable performance earlier in the evening.
+
+As the halt was for the night, the boy could hardly suppress his
+curiosity to see what shape matters would take. His strong hope was that
+he would be allowed to lie where he then sat, and that none of the
+warriors would arrange it so he could not change his position without
+awaking him.
+
+It looked as if the prayer of Jack was to be granted. More wood was
+thrown on the fire, and the Indians took but a brief time to dispose
+themselves for slumber. The pipes were laid away, their guns examined,
+and each placed his weapon alongside of him, as though it was his
+intimate friend, from whose body he expected to obtain the warmth to
+keep him comfortable through the night. The savage who held Jack's gun
+was the only silent and reserved member of the party. The boy had heard
+him utter less than half a dozen words since the journey began. He was
+shorter and more squatty than the others, and his whole aim in life
+appeared to be a desire to please Ogallah, their chief. During the
+hilarity that reigned a short time before, he had grinned at his
+companion, but his mirth was less hearty than that of the rest.
+
+The blankets were spread out on the leaves to their fullest extent, and
+then the warriors lay down, with their backs against each other and
+their moccasins pointing toward the fire. Then the covering was gathered
+up in front of each and flung over behind, where the folds interlapped,
+all that remained visible being a part of the black hair and the
+feathers in the crowns of the warriors, who seemed to find not the least
+difficulty in breathing with their heads swathed and bandaged up like a
+wounded limb.
+
+Two couples were thus formed, who were separated by the space of six or
+eight feet, while a rod beyond burned the camp-fire against the shaggy
+trunk of the oak. The intervening area and some distance away was
+lighted by the flames which had eaten into the bark, until the solid
+wood beneath was charred and blackened by the heat. Ogallah, the chief,
+strode to a point midway between the fire and the couples, flung his
+blanket on the ground, and, pointing down to it, motioned to Jack
+Carleton to come forward and use it for his couch.
+
+This was not the most agreeable order to receive, but it might have been
+much worse, and he obeyed with a readiness that looked genuine, though
+it could not have been entirely so. Jack nodded to the chief, as he took
+his seat and gathered the heavy folds around him, lay down on his right
+side, with his face toward the fire. Ogallah looked at the lad, whose
+knees almost touched his chin, and muttering to himself, walked back to
+the oak and sat with his back against it, his feet close to his body and
+his arms folded in front.
+
+The chief was about one-fourth of the way around the oak from the
+camp-fire, so that the light revealed his entire left side, and his not
+very attractive profile, the whole being thrown against the blank
+darkness beyond, which shut the rest of his body from view. This
+proceeding indicated that Ogallah meant to act the part of sentinel
+while his warriors slept. He did not require the blanket, as would have
+been the case had he lain down to slumber, and he was magnanimous
+enough, therefore, to turn it over the captive, who would have been as
+well pleased never to touch it.
+
+It cannot be supposed that the sachem and his warriors were in any fear
+of disturbance during the darkness, for they were in a country with
+which they were familiar, and they knew no dangerous enemies were within
+many miles of them. Had they met a party belonging to another tribe,
+more than likely the two, as a matter of principle, would have fallen
+upon each other like so many tigers; but none of their own race was
+hunting for them, and the white settlers were altogether out of the
+question. But the possibility of peril--remote though it might
+be--always hangs over the hunter, as indeed it does over us all, and the
+red men had no thought of trusting themselves to slumber without one of
+their number standing guard over the rest.
+
+Sleep is so insidious in its approach that the sentry, as a usual thing,
+can only fight it off by incessant action. So long as he paces back and
+forth, his senses stay with him, but when he sits down a minute or so to
+rest, unconsciousness is sure to come. But Ogallah would not have
+assumed the easy position had he not felt sure of his self-control. It
+will be perceived that he had so placed himself that he had a perfect
+view of the camp, while he could see all that was possible of the
+surrounding gloom. If required, he could use the oak as a shield, and
+only a slight signal was needed on his part to rouse the sleeping
+warriors to instant wakefulness.
+
+"Now, if he keeps awake," thought Jack Carleton, peeping through the
+folds of his blanket with his half-closed eyes, "it don't look as though
+there will be much chance for me, but if he drops into a doze I may slip
+off, and I won't need much of a start to get away from him."
+
+The most natural query would be as to which was more likely to fall
+asleep--the Indian or the boy. Ordinarily a youngster like Jack would
+have been no match for the warrior, who had been trained to privation,
+suffering, hardship, self-denial and watchfulness from his earliest
+infancy; but it need not be said that the state of one's mind has
+everything to do with his ability to slumber and secure rest therefrom.
+Ogallah was mentally quiet; he had gone through a severe tramp, but no
+more so than had been the case hundreds of times, and he was accustomed
+to sleep at that hour. Such was the case also with Jack Carleton, but he
+was in a fever of hope and nervousness, which made it hard for him to
+hold his eyes partly closed in his effort to counterfeit
+unconsciousness. It was accepted as a matter of course that the four
+warriors who were lying down would speedily glide into the land of
+dreams, since such was their wish. Slight as is the noise which is
+sufficient to rouse a sleeping Indian, young Carleton would have felt no
+misgiving respecting those so near him; it was Ogallah, the sentinel
+chieftain, whom he feared.
+
+"If he suspects that I mean to try something of the kind," was the
+conclusion of Jack, "he will not close his eyes any longer than to wink.
+But I'll watch him."
+
+This task which the boy set himself was of the most trying nature. Had
+his mind been composed he would have fallen asleep within five minutes,
+but he was never more wide awake in all his life than he was two hours
+after he had lain down with the Indian blanket wrapped about him, and
+his face toward the camp-fire.
+
+During that period, so far as he was able to see, the Indian had not
+moved so much as a muscle, and Jack himself had done very little more.
+Lying on his right side, with his arm doubled under him for a pillow,
+the cumbrous blanket enclosing him from head to foot, an irregular
+opening in front of his face allowed him to peer through the folds at
+the camp-fire, the oak, and the chieftain. The last still sat leaning
+slightly backward, with his shoulders against the trunk, his arms folded
+over his knees, while he seemed to be gazing off into vacancy. The heels
+of his moccasins remained close against the thighs, so that the form of
+the Indian bore quite a resemblance to the letter N.
+
+The flickering light from the camp-fire disclosed as it did at first,
+the side and profile of the chieftain. Gradually the flames sank lower
+and there came moments when the sentinel was scarcely visible. Then,
+all at once, the fire would flare up for a few seconds and the figure
+would be in brighter relief than before. Again the eyes of Jack would
+rebel against the extreme tension to which they were subjected. The
+Indian, instead of remaining with his back against the oak, would seem
+to be hitching forward and upward in the most grotesque fashion. After
+bumping about in the air for a time, he would sink, still bumping, to
+the ground, where he would hitch backward to his place by the tree. Then
+the latter, instead of standing as motionless as a rock, showed signs of
+restlessness. It would begin by swaying back and forth until it too was
+waltzing in an unearthly fashion around the camp-fire. Again the
+surrounding gloom became studded with blinking stars, ogres and the most
+grotesque figures, which performed in an indescribable fashion. Darkness
+and light alternated, until the boy feared he was losing the power of
+vision altogether; but it will be understood that this was the natural
+protest of the eye against the painful and long continued strain to
+which it was subjected.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+THROUGH THE FOREST.
+
+
+Jack Carleton occasionally gave his eyes fitful rest by holding them
+closed for a few moments, but the tantalizing visions did not leave him
+even then. His arm became so painfully cramped under his head that he
+was compelled to shift his position; and he seized the occasion to
+readjust his limbs, which were also becoming wearied because of the long
+time he had held them motionless. He was prudent enough, however, to
+give the whole movement the seeming of a natural action done in sleep.
+He flung himself about for a few seconds, and then rolled back almost in
+the same posture, apparently resuming his heavy slumber.
+
+But through the half closed eyelids, on which the dull glow of the
+camp-fire fell, he was peering at the faint outlines of the figure
+against the oak. He was sure Ogallah would start and rise to his feet,
+ready to check any steps on the part of the captive looking toward
+flight.
+
+But not the slightest stir was made, and the astonished lad, with a
+painful throb of his heart, said to himself:
+
+"He is asleep! Now is my chance!"
+
+It seemed to be too good to be true, and yet it certainly had that
+appearance. For some time past, Jack had known from the regular
+breathing of the figures near him that the couples wrapped up in their
+blankets were unconscious. Certainly there could be no doubt about the
+one who had been burned by the spark of fire, for he snored amain, like
+the "seven sleepers."
+
+It is at such times that one's senses are wonderfully acute, and Jack
+Carleton not only saw but heard with unusual keenness. With his ear
+close to, but not touching the ground, he distinctly caught a rippling
+sound in the streamlet which flowed so near. The fact that he heard it
+was proof that it was caused by some "foreign interference," since it
+was entirely different from the slight rippling noise along the banks.
+
+The first thought of Jack was that it was Deerfoot come to his rescue,
+and he could not but think how completely he would be master of the
+situation, should he suddenly rise to his feet in front of Ogallah and
+give him to understand he was not to move or speak; but a second thought
+destroyed the hope. It was exceedingly improbable that the young
+Shawanoe was within a score of miles, but while it was possible that he
+might be hunting somewhere in the forest, it was incredible that he
+would have betrayed his presence near camp in the manner named.
+
+Jack had barely reached this correct conclusion, when, peering at the
+figure of Ogallah, as it was faintly shown, he caught the gleam of the
+eyes of a wild beast just beyond, and in a direct line with the chief.
+The eyes were large, round and quite close together, with that
+phosphorescent, flickering glow often shown by animals when the light is
+faint.
+
+"_That_ will settle the question whether Ogallah is asleep or not," said
+the boy, watching with an intensity of interest which cannot be
+described.
+
+Whatever the nature of the animal, he was evidently on a reconnaissance,
+and had no purpose of venturing closer until satisfied the path was
+clear to do so. It must have been that he cared very little one way or
+the other, for while the two orbs were glaring upon Jack, they vanished
+with a suddenness that suggested that some one had seized his tail and
+flung him back into the gloom from which he first emerged.
+
+It was incredible, too, that the chief should have sat quiet and
+motionless with a wild beast so near him, unless he was asleep, but the
+possibility of being mistaken after all, kept Jack from stirring for
+fully a half hour longer.
+
+The time seemed much later than it really was, when the boy rose on his
+elbow and hesitated, while he looked intently around and listened for
+the slightest sound. He glanced right and left at the figures shrouded
+in the blankets, but they might have been so many dead men. He could
+barely discern their outlines in the gloom, for the fire was slowly, but
+steadily, sinking. Several times he had asked himself whether it would
+not be wise to wait until it died out altogether, but he was too
+strongly convinced that the night was nearly gone, and he would need
+every minute in which to widen the distance between him and his
+pursuers.
+
+"No," he murmured, "it won't do to wait another second."
+
+He was on one knee, with his hand pressing the ground, when the largest
+stick on the fire burned in two in the middle, and the larger portion
+rolled back and in front of the chief. The disturbance caused it to
+flare up for the moment with a glare which revealed the figure of
+Ogallah more distinctly than at any time since he had taken his
+position.
+
+Jack Carleton paused in his painful movement and became like a figure
+cut in marble, staring straight at the warrior brought into such
+unexpected prominence. As he did so, he saw that Ogallah was not only
+wide awake, but had turned his head, and was looking straight at him.
+The cunning fellow had not slept a wink from the moment he took his
+singular position. He had noted the wolf which ventured close enough to
+take a peep into camp, but, well aware that there was no danger, and
+convinced also that his captive was awaiting the chance to steal away,
+he held himself as rigid as iron until such an attempt should be made.
+
+Poor Jack almost fainted in a collapse of despair. He saw that his
+captors had trifled with him from the beginning, and with a sigh of
+utter wretchedness, he dropped back on the ground, feeling that it was
+worse than useless for him to expect or hope to outwit those cunning
+children of the forest.
+
+Reaction followed, and the lad speedily sank into a deep slumber which
+lasted until the sun had risen and the party had broken camp and were
+ready to resume their journey. Even then it was necessary for Ogallah to
+thrust his moccasin against him before he opened his eyes and stared
+confusedly around. The sight of the warriors who stood ready to move,
+recalled Jack to his hapless situation. He rubbed his eyes, and sprang
+to his feet, and walking to the streamlet lay down, took a draught of
+the cool, refreshing water in which he bathed his face, wiping it off
+with his handkerchief, and then turned about to signify that he awaited
+orders.
+
+He wondered that no signs of breakfast were to be seen, and at first
+suspected that his captors had partaken while he slept, but afterward
+concluded that like all their people they were anything but regular in
+their meals, especially when on the tramp.
+
+Without any ceremony, the journey was taken up, Ogallah again walking at
+the head, with the other four at the rear of the boy. They adopted their
+favorite custom of walking in Indian file, each warrior stepping in the
+tracks of the one in front. Jack was wise enough to adhere to the
+practice, so that had any one sought to follow the party, he would have
+noted but the single trail, though a skilled red or white man would have
+been quick to discover the precise number of the company.
+
+"We have traveled a good many miles since yesterday noon," thought Jack,
+"and it must be that we are not far from the Indian village. If that is
+so, it won't do for me to make any other attempt to run away. Ogallah
+knows I am anxious to go, for he saw me try it twice, and he will take
+good care that I don't try it again."
+
+Still, while taking this sensible view of the matter, Jack Carleton
+compressed his lips with the resolution that he would not throw away a
+single chance. If it should prove that many miles still lay before them
+and that several nights were to be spent on the road, he meant to do his
+utmost to give his captors the slip.
+
+The journey assumed the most monotonous character. It was simply tramp,
+tramp, without the least rest or variation. Jack was sure he had never
+seen such sameness in the forest, lasting mile after mile. There were
+the towering trees, their leafy branches interlocked overhead, the same
+array of shaggy columns of bark, spreading limbs and sparse undergrowth.
+Sometimes Ogallah would step so rapidly that a branch which he brushed
+from his path would swing back and switch the lad in the face, and once
+or twice a running vine would be uprooted by a vigorous fling or kick of
+the foot.
+
+But all this time the squat figure of the chief advanced like a machine.
+Jack noticed the swing of the muscular arms, the play of the legs and
+the occasional slight turning or ducking of the head. The straggling
+black hair, with the painted eagle feathers drooping like the plume of a
+lady's hat, the blanket slung loosely over the shoulders, the fringed
+hunting shirt and leggings, the faded moccasins, so soft that they
+spread out of all manner of shape when the weight of the body rested on
+them:--all these and much more were impressed upon the mind of the boy
+with a distinctness that he was certain would last him all through life.
+
+"My gracious!" thought he, "they have come from a long distance; what
+could have taken them down near Martinsville and so near the
+Mississippi? I wonder whether it is possible the tribes who live on this
+side the river ever cross over to look at the country on the other
+shore. It would not be strange if they did so, but it don't seem like an
+Indian to do that sort of thing. Can it be these warriors have their
+hunting grounds away out toward the Rocky Mountains? If so, I shall have
+a fine time in finding my way back home."
+
+The youth did not allow himself to consider the possibility that he
+would never have the chance to attempt the journey. The shuddering fear
+which first took hold of him was gone. Closely as the captors guarded
+him, he was persuaded they meant to inflict no personal harm--at least
+while on their way through the woods.
+
+It was a serious question indeed as to what would be his treatment after
+reaching the Indian settlement. The American race is cruel, treacherous,
+and revengeful, and though the red men frequently hold prisoners for
+months and years, they more frequently subject them to torture and
+death. It will be understood, therefore, why Jack Carleton was so
+anxious to make his escape from the party before they could arrive home.
+
+Present discomforts often drive away future horrors, and, by the time
+the sun was overhead, Jack gave his principal thought to one thing--the
+question of food. He was a-hungered, and viewed with a mental groan the
+prospect of keeping on the march until sunset, before securing anything
+to eat.
+
+"I have gone a full day many a time without food," he said, as he
+tramped along, "but it seems to me I never was as ravenous as now. I
+believe I could eat a pair of boiled moccasins, that is, if they had
+never been in use."
+
+He was ashamed of his weakness, and resolutely refrained from giving any
+evidence of his suffering, but when he detected the pale green foliage
+of the fragrant birch, he ventured to step out of the trail, break off a
+branch and chew the bark, thus securing temporary relief from the
+gnawing discomfort.
+
+High noon came, but no halt had been made. The lad had left the trail
+several times, and the warriors themselves were more careless about
+their own footsteps, but seemed to have no desire to partake of food.
+
+The first shock of surprise came when the party suddenly emerged from
+the woods and paused on the bank of a deep, swift stream, fully a
+hundred yards wide. The current, like the smaller one, was yellow and
+roiled, and the boy looked upon it with a feeling akin to dismay.
+Recalling the indignity to which he had been subjected earlier in the
+day, he dreaded trusting himself in the water again.
+
+"_This_ time they may take it into their heads to drown me," was his
+thought.
+
+But his nerves were not subjected to the trial. Nothing showed more
+clearly the wonderful woodcraft of the Indians than the fact that, after
+journeying many long leagues through the wilderness, without the
+slightest trail to guide them, they struck the stream within a hundred
+yards of the point at which they aimed from the first.
+
+This was proven by the action of the warriors themselves. After talking
+together for a few minutes, two of them walked a short distance up the
+bank and drew a large canoe from under the shore, where they had left it
+when journeying in the other direction.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+THE SIGNAL FIRES.
+
+
+The canoe was made of bark, with the ends turned up in the usual
+fashion. Two long paddles belonging to it lay within, and were taken by
+the warriors, who paddled it down to where the party were in waiting.
+All stepped carefully inside, and the same Indians who brought it from
+its hiding place turned the prow toward the other shore and began
+swinging the paddles with the freedom and vigor peculiar to their
+people. Jack was the last to seat himself, and he held fast as best he
+could, dreading some of the rude jokes of his captors.
+
+When all were in position, and the craft began moving, great care was
+necessary, for it sank to the gunwales, and a slight disturbance would
+be enough to overturn the frail boat. Although Jack feared such an
+occurrence, yet the Indians themselves were no more desirous it should
+take place than was he.
+
+He naturally fixed his eyes on the line of warriors seated in front of
+him. All faced the shore they were approaching, and the couple using the
+paddles dipped first one end on the right and the other end on the left
+of the canoe. They put forth little exertion. Had they chosen to do so,
+they could have tripled the speed, though most likely an upset would
+have been the consequence.
+
+The middle of the stream was not reached, when a small fish leaped out
+of the water in front and fell back again. Ogallah uttered an
+exclamation, and, reaching his hand over the side of the boat, held it
+several inches under the surface. The two Indians not using the paddles
+did the same, just as a party of young people will do when taking a
+pleasure sail over some calm lake.
+
+Suddenly Ogallah gave a quick flirt of the submerged hand, flinging the
+sparkling water over all. Something flashed in the sunlight, and a plump
+fish, weighing fully a pound, dropped into the canoe. Almost immediately
+the other two warriors did the same, one of them securing a prize
+weighing as much as both the others. The fact was, the boat was passing
+through something like a school of fish, and the red men found no
+difficulty in capturing a number.
+
+"That looks like dinner," thought Jack with a chuckle, as he also dipped
+his hand to grope for the finny delicacies. He had less than a minute to
+wait when something cold and smooth touched his fingers. He made a
+desperate clutch, sinking his arm to his elbow, but the fish was too
+quick, and darted beyond his reach, just as Ogallah landed another
+tempting one.
+
+Several more were taken, but Jack could not succeed in closing his
+fingers quickly enough to keep the fish from slipping away. By the time
+the other side of the stream was reached, a good supply had been
+secured, and the boy forgot his sorrow in the pleasure of anticipating
+that his hunger would be fully satisfied.
+
+Happily he was not disappointed in this respect, for, while the oarsmen
+were drawing the boat out of the water, the others were preparing the
+fire with which to cook the fish, that were speedily dressed. They were
+the "white" species common in the west, and when browned to a juicy
+crisp, formed as luscious a meal as any epicure could ask. Best of all,
+there was an abundance, and Jack Carleton ate until he wanted no more.
+
+Having tramped so many miles since the rising of the sun, Ogallah and
+his warriors were disposed to enjoy a good rest.
+
+Their pipes were relighted and they lolled about in the same lazy
+fashion, paying no special heed to Jack, who knew the unwisdom of making
+any effort to get away.
+
+All this convinced the boy that the party had still a considerable
+distance to travel. Had they been in the neighborhood of their village,
+they would have pushed on without stopping. At any rate, they would not
+have paused to kindle the camp-fire and to cook a meal at mid-day.
+
+"It must be," Jack said to himself, with several nods of his head, "that
+we are to spend another night on the road: if that is so, I'll make a
+break if I have to suffer for it."
+
+These were vaunting words, but he was in earnest. Except for the hope
+thus renewed within him, the youth would have given way to the
+drowsiness which became quite common with the rest, but a line of
+speculation was started which kept his mind occupied during the full
+hour the party dawdled about the camp-fire.
+
+At the end of the time named, the ashes were knocked from the pipes,
+several stretched their limbs and yawned, and the sullen-faced warrior
+who had been taking care of Jack's rifle, passed it back to him with
+some surly word, which most likely meant that thereafter the captive
+should bear his own burdens. The boy was glad enough to regain his
+weapon, but he smiled when he observed that it had no charge in it. His
+captors were determined not to put temptation in his way.
+
+It took the company a considerable time to "shake themselves together."
+They straggled and kept irregular step, and finally, when they began
+ascending a slope, where the ground was much broken and covered with
+stones, they gave it up altogether. The ascent continued until they
+found themselves on an elevation several hundred feet high, and so
+devoid of vegetation that a view was gained which covered an area of
+hundreds of square miles in every direction.
+
+Standing on this lookout, as it may be called, the Indians devoted a
+number of minutes to such survey. No employment just then could be more
+entertaining, and Jack Carleton adopted it.
+
+The scene was too similar to those with which the reader of these pages
+has become familiar to need any lengthened reference in this place. It
+was green, billowy forest in every direction. Here and there a stream
+wound like a silver ribbon through the emerald wilderness, sometimes
+gleaming in the sunlight, and then disappearing among the vegetation, to
+reappear miles away, and finally to vanish from sight altogether as it
+wound its way toward the Gulf. At remote points the trained eye could
+detect the thin, wavy column of vapor motionless against the sky, a mute
+witness that beings other than those on the hill were stealing through
+the vast solitude in their quest for game or prey.
+
+Inasmuch as Jack Carleton readily detected these "signs," as the hunter
+terms them, it followed they must have been noted by the Indians
+themselves; but they gave no evidence of any excitement on that account.
+It was natural that such evidences of the presence of other persons in
+the immense territory should present themselves.
+
+But the youth failed to find that for which he specially looked.
+Observing the chieftain gazing earnestly toward the west, he did the
+same, expecting to catch sight of the Indian village where Ogallah and
+his warriors made their home. He descried a wooded ridge stretching
+across his field of vision, but not the first resemblance to village or
+wigwam could be discovered.
+
+"He is not looking for _that_," thought Jack, "but is expecting some
+signal which will appear on the ridge."
+
+One of the other Indians was peering with equal intentness at the same
+point, but the minutes passed and nothing presented itself. Jack joined
+in the scrutiny, but he could not succeed where they failed.
+
+All at once the sachem seemed to lose patience. He said some vigorous
+things, accompanied by equally vigorous gestures, and then the whole
+party began hastily gathering wood. In a short while this was kindled
+and burning strongly. When the flames were fairly going, one of the
+warriors who had collected several handfuls of damp leaves by digging
+under the dry ones, dropped them carefully on the blaze. It looked at
+first as if the fire would be put out, but it struggled upward, and
+by-and-by a column of dense black smoke stained the sky like the smutty
+finger of some giant tracing a wavy line across it.
+
+[Illustration: THE SIGNAL]
+
+Then Ogallah and one of his men held his blanket spread out so as almost
+to force the thick smoke to the ground, but such was not their purpose.
+The blanket was abruptly lifted, then swayed in a peculiar fashion, the
+two moving in perfect unison, without speaking, and repeating their
+pantomime with the regularity of machinery, for the space of fully ten
+minutes.
+
+The results were singular. The inky column of vapor was broken into a
+number of sections, as may be said, so that when viewed from a distance
+the figure was that of a black broad band of enormous height, separated
+by belts of colorless air into a dozen pieces or divisions, the upper
+ones gradually melting into nothingness. Besides this, so deftly had the
+red men manipulated the fire and blanket, that these divisions showed a
+peculiar wavy appearance, which would have excited wondering remark, no
+matter by whom seen.
+
+"It is a signal to some one on the ridge yonder," was the conclusion of
+Jack, who watched the proceeding with much interest.
+
+Having finished, Ogallah and the warrior threw the blanket on the
+ground, and the whole five gazed at the ridge miles away. For a time
+perfect silence reigned, and then one of the dusky watchers uttered an
+exclamation, to which the chief responded with a grunt.
+
+While scanning the distant ridge, Jack detected a black brush of vapor
+climbing slowly above the trees. It broke clean off, and as it went on
+upward, was inclosed by clear air on all sides. But it was not long
+before a second, third, fourth, and fifth appeared. Parties were
+answering the signal of the chief in precisely the same manner that he
+made it. The only difference was in the number, of which there were only
+the five. Those, however, were sufficient, as the parties making it were
+well aware.
+
+This aboriginal system of telegraphy, which has been in use from time
+immemorial, is still a favorite means of communication among the Indians
+of the West. More than once the news of the signing of some important
+treaty, or the war movement of tribes, has been flashed by means of
+signal fires from mountain top to mountain top over a distance of
+hundreds of miles.
+
+The information given by the answering signal fire was satisfactory to
+the chief Ogallah, who resumed the journey at a leisurely pace, making
+no effort to walk in the close Indian file that he and his warriors did
+when further away from home.
+
+"If we reach the village before going into camp," concluded Jack, "we
+must keep moving until after dark. The sun is setting and the ridge is
+still a good ways off."
+
+It soon became manifest that the red men had no purpose of tiring
+themselves by walking. They were at the base of the ridge when they came
+upon a small stream which dashed down the mountain side with a musical
+plash, forming currents, eddies, and cascades, while in the depths of
+some pebbly pool it was as silent and clear as liquid mountain air.
+
+The afternoon was more sultry than the early portion of the day, and
+every member of the company quaffed his fill from the refreshing
+element. Jack's heart gave a great bound of hope when he saw that
+Ogallah meant to spend the night there. He was strongly convinced that
+he would gain an opportunity to steal away during the darkness, which
+promised to be denser than on the previous night. Although the day had
+been clear and beautiful, yet the clouds gathered after the sun went
+down, and there were signs of a storm. Low mutterings of distant thunder
+and the fitful flashes of lightning showed the interchange of
+electricity between the earth and sky, though it might not develop to
+any great extent for many hours to come.
+
+No hunt was made for game, and after the abundant meal earlier in the
+day, Jack could not complain if compelled to fast until morning. A fire
+was kindled precisely as before, a sturdy oak forming the background,
+while the others lolled around it and smoked their long-stemmed pipes.
+
+When Jack Carleton was invited to retire to his couch by the sullen
+warrior, he obeyed as though pleased with the prospect of a full night's
+rest. Ogallah stretched out with one of his men, while the ill-tempered
+member sat down with his back against the tree, as though desirous of
+imitating his leader in every respect.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+THE INDIAN VILLAGE.
+
+
+"There's one thing certain," said Jack Carleton to himself, as he
+gathered the Indian blanket around his shoulders, like one lying down to
+pleasant dreams, "I can keep awake a good deal more easily than I did
+last night. I'm pretty tired, but I slept so much toward morning that it
+will be no trouble to go twenty-four hours without any more."
+
+The temperature was milder than at that time, so that the lad found the
+thick blanket uncomfortably warm when wrapped closely around him. He
+flung out his feet and arms as a child often does with its bed
+coverings, and adjusted his body so as to keep his eye on the sentinel,
+without (as the captive believed) any suspicion of his intention.
+
+The other couples sank into refreshing slumber within a few minutes
+after lying down, and it certainly was singular that the warrior who
+sat half revealed, with his back against the tree, should have
+continued as motionless as did the chief Ogallah the evening before. It
+was impossible that two scenes should resemble each other more closely
+than those named.
+
+"I don't believe he can keep it up as long as the old fellow did. If he
+tries it, he will be dreaming, and when he and the rest awake, they will
+find I am miles off and going with might and main for home. My gracious!
+but I shall have a long distance to travel, and it will be hard work to
+keep out of their way."
+
+Fixing his eyes on the form as it was shown by the flickering camp-fire,
+Jack prepared to watch with more patience than he showed in the former
+instance. The sound of the splashing brook and the soft stirring of the
+night wind were soothing to the tired boy. By-and-by his eyelids
+drooped, then closed, and his senses passed from him. Never was he sunk
+in sounder sleep.
+
+Nothing occurred to disturb him, and he slept hour after hour, never
+opening his eyes until it was broad daylight and Ogallah and his
+warriors were astir.
+
+Jack was chagrined beyond expression when he found what he had done,
+or, rather, what he had failed to do. The opportunity for which he had
+sighed so long had slipped irrevocably from his grasp. So convinced was
+he of this fact that he gave over all thought of escape while on the
+journey.
+
+"The Indian village can't be far off, and I must now go ahead and take
+my chances. But this is getting tiresome."
+
+The last remark referred to the absence of any preparations for
+breakfast. He had made no complaint the evening before, but it was a
+hardship to continue his fast. Inasmuch, however, as there was no help
+for it, he submitted without a murmur.
+
+There was now no pretence of treading in each other's footsteps, but the
+party straggled up the ridge like a lot of weary pedestrians. No one
+seemed to pay any attention to the single captive, most likely because
+there was no call to do so. He might desire to make a break for liberty,
+but he could not go further than they were willing to permit.
+
+The top of the ridge was marked by a bare spot, where some charred
+sticks showed a fire had been recently kindled. There could be no doubt
+that it was there the answering signal had been made to the call of
+Ogallah.
+
+But looking down the western slope of the ridge, Jack Carleton's eyes
+rested on a scene more interesting than any that had met his gaze since
+leaving home. Less than a mile off, close to the shore of a winding
+stream and in the middle of a partially cleared space, stood the Indian
+village toward which his footsteps had been tending for nearly two days,
+and where he was likely to spend an indefinite captivity.
+
+The stream was perhaps a hundred feet in width. It shone brightly in the
+morning sun, and the current was clearer than that of the river crossed
+the day before. It wound its way westward as far as the eye could follow
+it, flowing into a tributary of the Osage, thence to the Missouri, and
+so on to the Gulf of Mexico.
+
+The Indian village numbered between twenty and thirty lodges, wigwams or
+dwellings as they may be called. Some of them were made of bison and
+deer skins, and were of irregular, conical shape; others were mere huts,
+covered with grass, leaves, limbs and dirt, while one or two were
+mainly composed of stones piled in the form of rude walls and roofed in
+the rude fashion described.
+
+These primitive structures were scattered irregularly over a space of
+half an acre, which might be called a clearing, inasmuch as only a few
+stumps and broken trees were to be seen. But nothing in the way of corn
+or vegetables was growing, and the air of dilapidation, untidiness and
+squalor pervading the whole scene, was characteristic of the race, and
+was that which robs it of the romance which in the minds of many
+attaches to the name of the American Indian.
+
+Viewed from the ridge, Jack could see figures moving to and fro in the
+aimless manner natural to such indolent people. There were children
+running and playing among the stumps and dwellings--half naked little
+knots of humanity, who in a few years would become the repulsive squaws
+or terrible warriors of the tribe. Three of the youngsters were having a
+high time with a canoe lying against the shore. They were splashing the
+water over each other, plunging into the stream and scrambling out again
+without regard to the wear or tear of their clothing, and playing all
+sorts of tricks on each other, while a half dozen playmates were
+standing on the bank laughing so heartily that a spectator would have
+found it hard to understand why the American race is so often described
+as of a melancholy temperament.
+
+Now and then some squaw could be seen trudging along under a load of
+sticks, while more than likely her lazy husband was asleep within the
+wigwam. A half dozen warriors strolled off toward the woods, rifles in
+hand, and most likely with the intention of going upon a hunt. Just
+before leaving the clearing, one of them caught sight of the group on
+the top of the ridge. Immediately they swung their arms and sent several
+ringing whoops across as a salutation to their friends.
+
+Ogallah answered, and he and his party moved down the slope toward their
+homes. Having saluted each other in this fashion, the warriors of the
+village speedily vanished in the wood. They must have known that the
+returning company had a prisoner with them, but it will be seen they
+felt no particular interest in the matter.
+
+But if such was the fact respecting the hunters, it was far different
+with those who were left behind. The moment the five warriors emerged
+from the wood, with the captive walking among them, the whole village
+was thrown in a turmoil of excitement. Squaws and children rushed
+forward, men came to the entrances of their wigwams, and some strolled
+out to make a closer investigation of the matter.
+
+It was a trying moment to Jack Carleton, for it may be said that he had
+discounted it during the preceding day. He forced himself to smile, and
+when the chattering, grunting, shouting crowd gathered around him so
+closely that he was forced to stop walking, he shook, so far as he
+could, most of the scores of hands that were pushed against him.
+
+All this was well enough, but it was not long before their attention
+took an unpleasant form. Some of the half grown bucks either feigned or
+really were angered because Jack could not give them heed, and struck
+him with the flat of their hands about the chest and shoulders. The boy
+turned when the first blow was delivered, and the Indian indulged in a
+taunting grimace. Jack clenched his fist and was on the point of
+striking him in the face when his good sense restrained him. He needed
+no one to tell him the consequences of such rashness.
+
+The attentions soon became so boisterous that Ogallah interfered. He
+flung the crowd right and left, commanding them to disperse, and then
+beckoned the youth to follow him toward a lodge near the center of the
+village. Jack was glad enough to do so, and was speedily relieved of
+annoyance.
+
+The sachem conducted the boy to his own dwelling where none of the
+curious dare follow him, though the crowd gathered on the outside and
+peeped within, like so many persons seeking a free survey of a circus.
+
+Suspecting that this was likely to be his new home for an indefinite
+time, Jack Carleton was quick to acquaint himself with the interior. The
+structure, as I have said, stood near the middle of the village, and was
+the largest of the collection. It is rare that an aboriginal building
+bears such resemblance to those made by the white men of the border, for
+the American race has never shown any aptitude in architecture.
+
+Ogallah's house was a log cabin, perhaps twenty feet long by half as
+many wide. The logs were roughly dovetailed at the corners, but none of
+the numerous crevices were stopped by mortar or clay, and daylight
+could be discerned through many a rent, which in cold weather admitted
+the keen cutting wind.
+
+A single opening served as a door. Aboriginal ingenuity could not pass
+beyond this rude contrivance, so having opened the way for ingress and
+egress, the builder was content to hang a bison skin as a curtain. This
+could be readily pulled aside by any one, and the door locked by
+fastening the corners. Windows are a sinful extravagance to the American
+Indian, and there was not one in the village to which Jack Carleton was
+taken. When the open door, the burning fire, the hole which answered for
+a chimney, and the numerous crevices did not give enough light for the
+interior, the occupants went outside to obtain it.
+
+Having put up the four walls of logs and roofed them with branches,
+covered with leaves, dirt and grass, Ogallah was content to lean back,
+fold his arms and smoke his pipe in placid triumph. The floor was the
+earth, worn hard and smooth by the feet of the family, and the fire was
+kindled on the ground at the further end, where the vapor found its way
+through the irregular opening made for the purpose. There was nothing in
+the nature of a chair or bench in the place. Bison and deer robes
+formed the couches, and the pegs driven in the logs held blankets, bows,
+and furs of animals (most of the last, however, lying on the ground),
+leggings and other articles worn by the chieftain and his wife.
+
+These two were the only occupants of the place previous to the coming of
+Jack Carleton. Ogallah was in middle life, and had been the father of
+but a single son, who died while yet a papoose. His wife was tall and
+muscular, evidently a woman with a strong will, and well worthy to be
+the consort of an Indian chief. She did not rush to her husband and
+embrace him the moment she caught sight of him. Indeed, she had not
+ventured outside the lodge, though she could not have failed to hear the
+unusual turmoil.
+
+She would not have been human had she not shown some curiosity
+respecting her husband's companion. Jack doffed his hat and bowed to her
+with elaborate courtesy, after which he leaned his rifle against the
+side of the wigwam and folded his arms. The squaw surveyed him for a
+full minute, during which he stood as if awaiting her commands, and
+then, turning to her husband, the two held a short but vigorous
+conversation.
+
+The wife must have been expecting him, for she was engaged in cooking
+some venison in the usual aboriginal fashion, and, to the great relief
+of the boy, the two were not kept waiting for their meal. Seating
+themselves cross-legged on the ground, the half-cooked meat was taken in
+their hands, and, with no other utensils than his hunting knife, each
+made his morning meal.
+
+And so at last Jack Carleton was a captive among a tribe of Indians
+whose totem was unknown to him. Whether he was to remain with them until
+manhood, or whether he was to be put to death long before that period,
+were questions whose answers he did not dare try to conjecture.
+
+His situation was a most extraordinary one, as every reader will admit.
+He knew of more than one instance where children who were captured when
+quite small, had become so attached to the rude ways and wild life of
+the red men, that they refused to go back to their own people when the
+offer presented itself, but it was too late in the day for such an
+experience to befall him.
+
+And now, for a time, we must leave Jack Carleton to himself, while we
+give attention to other incidents which are destined to have a bearing
+on his fate.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+ON THE MOUNTAIN CREST.
+
+
+The reader has not forgotten the encounter between Jacob Relstaub and
+Deerfoot, the Shawanoe, when the former plunged headlong through his own
+door in mortal fear that the tomahawk of the youthful warrior would be
+sent crashing through his brain; but, much as Deerfoot despised the
+German, he had no thought of visiting injury upon him. Shoving back the
+weapon to its place in his girdle, he therefore strode off in the
+forest, never pausing in his walk until the sun appeared above the
+horizon. He was then many miles from Martinsville, his face turned
+toward the southwest.
+
+Throwing himself on his face, he quaffed his fill from a small, clear
+stream, whose current was only moderately cool, and then, assuming an
+easy posture on the ground, gave himself over to deep thought.
+
+The question which he was seeking to answer was as to his duty. He had
+gone to the settlement to see his young friends, and learned that they
+had started some hours before on a hunting expedition. Such a proceeding
+was so natural, and, withal, so common, that any one expressing wonder
+thereat was likely to be laughed at for his words. The boys of the
+frontier learn to handle the rifle when much younger than either Otto
+Relstaub or Jack Carleton, and they were sometimes absent for days at a
+time without causing any misgiving on the part of their parents.
+
+Why, then, should Deerfoot be perplexed over the matter, when even the
+mother of Jack expressed no fear concerning him?
+
+Why, indeed? That was the query which puzzled the young warrior. It has
+already been said it was the custom of Deerfoot to follow a certain
+inexplainable intuition which often came to his help in his moments of
+doubt. In the present instance, something seemed to whisper that it was
+his duty to look after the boys, but the whisper was so low--as may be
+said--that he hesitated to obey it, led to do so by a doubt as to
+whether, after all, it was that instinctive prompting which hitherto
+had guided him so infallibly in many of his daring enterprises and
+undertakings.
+
+It was characteristic of the warrior that, after spending a long time in
+such anxious thought, he should draw his Bible from the inner pocket of
+his hunting shirt, and begin looking through its pages for guidance.
+There were certain portions that were favorites of his, and, without
+searching, the volume opened to one after another of these places; but
+seek as much as he chose, he could find nothing that bore on the problem
+he wished to solve.
+
+"The Great Spirit wills that Deerfoot shall settle the question for
+himself," was his conclusion, as he returned the treasure to its place.
+
+It may as well be admitted that the principal cause of Deerfoot's
+hesitation cannot be given at this time. There was an urgent reason why
+he should make haste to the southwest, and he longed to break into his
+easy, loping trot, which he was able to maintain without fatigue from
+rise of morn till set of sun. But the same strange impulse which sent
+him into the settlement to inquire concerning his friends, still kept
+them in his thoughts.
+
+But he was not the youth to torment himself in this manner, hour after
+hour, and he finally compressed his thin lips and muttered:
+
+"Deerfoot will return in a few days, and then, if his brothers are still
+gone, he will hunt for them."
+
+This was not a satisfactory conclusion, but he followed it with his
+usual promptness. He was in the very act of rising from the ground, when
+his quick ear caught a faint footfall. Like a flash he raised his head,
+and observed a noble buck approaching the water with the purpose of
+drinking from it. It was not to be expected that the animal had any fear
+of hunters in such a solitary place, and he came forward with a proud
+step, as though master of the wilderness.
+
+The Shawanoe waited until he was within fifty feet, when the buck
+stopped short, and threw up his head as though he scented danger in the
+air. At that instant Deerfoot bounded to his feet as if thrown upward by
+a spring-board, and with a slight whoop, dashed straight at the animal,
+swinging his arms and jumping from side to side in the most grotesque
+fashion.
+
+Few animals of the forest are more timid than the deer, which, like the
+bear, is found in almost every portion of the American continent. The
+buck with one swift whirl on his hoofs, faced the other way, and was off
+like an arrow, shooting between the trees, through the undergrowth, and
+bounding over obstructions as though they were not worth his notice. The
+ordinary hunter might have found time to fire one shot, when the game
+would have vanished like a bird on the wing, before he could reload; but
+the occasion was a good one for Deerfoot to display his wonderful
+fleetness, and he was in the mood to do so. He had made his gestures and
+uttered his cries for the very purpose of terrifying the animal into
+doing his utmost, and he did it.
+
+With his head thrown back, so that his antlers almost rested on his
+back, he plunged forward with amazing swiftness; but when he had gone
+two hundred yards, he saw the same light, willowy figure almost on his
+haunch. He even flung up his arms and shouted again, as if urging him to
+a higher rate of speed. And such was the truth; Deerfoot was running as
+fast as the game, and he was able to run still faster.
+
+The buck bounded up a steep slope, and with one tremendous leap cleared
+a craggy rock in his path. He had barely done so, when the young
+Shawanoe was after him, going over with a lightness and grace that
+showed no special effort. The pursuer was on his haunches, and the
+animal, with glaring eyeballs and a horrified sniff, seemed to bound off
+with the speed of the wind. But of what avail? The warrior was not to be
+shaken off. With a speed which none of his race could equal, it was only
+play for him to outrun the deer. Years before (as I have told in another
+place), Deerfoot, for mere sport, pursued one of the fleetest of horses,
+and kept it up hour after hour, until he ran down the steed. He was
+doing the same to the buck. There was not a moment from the first when
+he could not have launched an arrow that would have brought the game to
+the ground; he was near enough to drive his tomahawk into the neck, but
+he did nothing of that nature. Inasmuch as he was running the race, he
+meant it should be a fair one, and neither should take any advantage
+over the other.
+
+What terrifying imaginings took possession of the buck when he awoke to
+the fact that it was impossible to escape the dreadful being clinging
+to his hips, cannot be understood by any of us, but that which followed,
+incredible as it may seem, is an indisputable fact.
+
+The singular race was kept up for slightly more than a mile, during
+every fraction of which the fugitive put forth his highest possible
+effort. Such a terrific strain cannot fail to tell upon the most highly
+trained animal, and so, despite all he could do, the buck found himself
+unable to keep up his prodigious tension. He was losing ground, and he
+could not fail to know that escape was out of the question: he was as
+much doomed as if surrounded and driven at bay by a dozen hunters and
+their hounds. He was still running at his highest bent, when he suddenly
+deviated to the right, and, with shocking violence, plunged squarely
+against the trunk of a beech, and, falling over on his side, gave a few
+convulsive struggles and died. Beyond question, the buck, when awake to
+the fact that there was no hope for him, deliberately committed suicide
+by breaking his neck.
+
+The young Shawanoe paused, and looked down upon the quivering form with
+feelings of pity.
+
+"Why did he do that? Deerfoot felt too much sorrow to harm him; he only
+sought to show him he could run the faster; but he will run no more, and
+Deerfoot will eat."
+
+The spot was suitable, and, within less time than would be supposed, the
+warrior was seated on the ground, deliberately masticating a liberal
+slice of broiled venison. Doubtless it would have been improved could he
+have hung it in a cellar or tree for several days, but it wasn't
+convenient to do so, and Deerfoot therefore ate it as he could obtain
+it, and was satisfied therewith.
+
+No water was within reach, the Indian following the healthful practice
+of the wild animals themselves, of not partaking of drink while eating
+food.
+
+The meal finished, Deerfoot did not conduct himself like one who was
+still in doubt as to the course he ought to follow. He had solved the
+question earlier in the day, and, though the conclusion he reached was
+not fully satisfactory, he resolutely forced aside all further thought
+respecting it, and gave his attention simply to that which was before
+him. His dinner required only a short time, when he resumed his journey,
+if such it may be termed. He walked with his usual noiseless gait, in
+which could be detected not the slightest weakness or exhaustion
+resulting from his terrific run.
+
+The young Shawanoe was advancing toward the mountainous portion of the
+present State of Missouri. The Ozark range, or its spurs, cover one-half
+of that large State, and their recesses afford hunting grounds and
+retreats such as are surpassed by no other portion of the continent.
+
+Deerfoot turned his footsteps toward a high promontory some miles
+distant. It was the most elevated among many others, and formed a
+landmark visible over a very extensive area. The youthful warrior did
+not hasten his footsteps, for there was no call to do so, but he
+steadily approached the mountain, up which he tramped in his leisurely
+fashion, until he paused on the very highest point.
+
+The journey was long, and when he came to a halt the sun was far down
+the western horizon. The summit of the mountain was covered with rocks
+and boulders, with here and there a few scrubby pines. Nothing could be
+more unattractive than the broken, stony soil, but the view which was
+spread out before him who climbed to the top was enough to kindle the
+eye of a stoic, and make the heart overflow with love and awe toward the
+great Being who made it all.
+
+But the eye can become accustomed to the grandest scenes, and, although
+Deerfoot leaned on the rock beside him, and allowed his keen vision to
+wander over the magnificent panorama, it did not cause an additional
+pulse-beat. When he had glanced at the mountains, the valleys between,
+the broken country, the forests, the diversified scenery in every
+direction, his gaze rested on another promontory similar to the one he
+had climbed.
+
+It was several miles distant, in a directly southern course, and was
+nearly or quite two hundred feet higher than the one on which he stood.
+The latter, like those to which reference has been made, was of the
+nature of a ridge, while the one on which his eyes were fixed was a
+diminutive Teneriffe as to its form.
+
+While the manner of Deerfoot indicated very plainly that he expected to
+see something out of the usual order of things, yet it looked very much
+as if he would have been pleased over his failure to do so. No painter
+could limn a more striking picture than that which was formed by
+Deerfoot, at the close of that beautiful spring day, when, as the sun
+was setting, he stood on the elevation and gazed across the intervening
+country.
+
+His right elbow rested on the top of the rock, and his right leg
+supported the weight of his body. The lower half of the left leg was
+slung across the other, the toe of the moccasin touching the earth. The
+right hand dropped over the side of the rock, and lightly held the long
+bow which leaned against the same support. The posture was that of
+elegant ease, and the best calculated to bring out in clear relief the
+Apollo-like splendor of his figure. The luxuriant black hair streaming
+over the shoulders, the gaudy eagle feathers thrust in at the crown, the
+lustrous black eyes, the slightly Roman nose, the rows of colored beads
+around the neck, the dull yellow of the hunting shirt, the quiver of
+arrows behind the right shoulder, the red sash, holding knife and
+tomahawk, the gold bracelet on the left wrist, the fringed border of his
+hunting shirt about the knees, the brilliant fringes to the leggings,
+the pretty moccasins, and the shapeliness of form, limb and
+feature--all these made up the poetical Indian, which, sad to say, is
+almost as rare among his race as the black diamond is in nature.
+
+But such was Deerfoot the Shawanoe.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+THE RETURN AND DEPARTURE.
+
+
+Easy and negligent as was the posture assumed by Deerfoot the Shawanoe,
+his eyes were never at rest. Resting for a moment on the promontory,
+they darted to the right and left down the valley, and even took in the
+shifting clouds in the sky above. But it was the peak which riveted his
+attention, and which was scrutinized with minute closeness until the
+gathering gloom shut it from sight.
+
+It was not fairly dark when he kindled a fire on the very highest point,
+and then placing himself so far from it that the glare could not
+interfere with his sight, he looked out in the night. The darkness was
+such that nothing could be seen beyond his immediate surroundings, but
+he knew where to look for that which he expected and yet did not want to
+see. For fully an hour the Shawanoe held his motionless attitude, gazing
+as fixedly to the southward as ever an eagle stared at the sun. Then
+that for which he was waiting appeared.
+
+From the very crest of the distant mountain peak, a flaming arrow
+suddenly began climbing toward the stars. Up, up it went, as does the
+rocket on a summer night, going slower and slower, like an old man
+plodding up hill, until, wearied out, it paused, and, for one instant
+remained stationary in the air, as if doubtful whether to push on or to
+fall back. The flaming point swung over until it pointed toward the
+ground, when it shot downward with ever increasing swiftness until it
+vanished. It must have struck within a yard of the spot from which it
+had been driven upward.
+
+It was very rarely that Deerfoot showed excitement. He had drawn his
+knife and challenged the great Tecumseh to mortal conflict, and he had
+faced death a score of times in the most dreadful shapes, but very
+rarely, if ever, was his heart stirred as by the sight of the burning
+arrow on the distant mountain peak.
+
+He straightened up with a quick inspiration, and his eyes followed the
+course of the fiery missile from the moment of its appearance until it
+vanished.
+
+"_They have called for Deerfoot!_"
+
+These were the remarkable words which fell from his lips, as he plunged
+down the mountain side like one who knew a question of life and death
+was before him. Although Deerfoot had formed a friendship for Jack
+Carleton and Otto Relstaub similar to that which he had felt for Ned
+Preston and Wildblossom Brown, yet it must be admitted that they were
+not the only ones to whom he was strongly attached, and in whose fate he
+felt as deep an interest as in that of any human being--all of which
+shall be made clear in another place and at another time.
+
+It was just one week later that Deerfoot made his appearance near the
+settlement, and, pausing at a point which commanded a view of the
+collection of cabins, he spent several minutes in surveying them and the
+pioneers. He had traveled many miles, and been through some singularly
+stirring scenes since he last looked upon Martinsville, but the gracious
+Being that had protected him all his life, did not desert him in his
+extremity, and the frame was as supple and free from weakness or injury
+as when he faced the other way.
+
+When the burning arrow summoned Deerfoot down the mountain side, he was
+glad indeed that he had decided the question whether or not he should
+hunt for the boys as he did, for, had he done otherwise, the opportunity
+that has been described could not have come to him; but, when his duty
+was ended, the old doubt came back, until he had been driven to return
+in order that he might settle the question forever.
+
+Looking down on the little settlement of Martinsville, he studied the
+curious scene, for he was so close that he could identify every person
+whom he knew. The settlement, as the reader has been told, consisted of
+two rows of log cabins, facing each other. They numbered about a score,
+and the street was fifty feet wide. Besides that, each cabin had the
+same space between itself and its neighbor, so that, few as were the
+structures, they were scattered over considerable ground.
+
+This ground, as well as much of it beyond, had been well cleared, and
+the earth cultivated. There were horses and oxen to draw plows and help
+bear the burdens. Besides the hunters' cabins, there were storehouses,
+barns, and structures made for convenience or necessity. From most of
+the soil that had been overturned were sprouting corn, potatoes, and
+other vegetables. The time was not distant when the wilderness should
+blossom as the rose.
+
+A block-house near the middle of the settlement had been half completed,
+when, so far as could be seen, the work was abandoned. The rule with the
+frontier settlements was to put up a building in which all could take
+refuge, should danger threaten; but often the fort was so hastily and
+poorly made that it became a matter of weakness rather than of strength.
+Colonel Martin and his brother pioneers reached the conclusion that they
+were showing altogether too much haste in rearing the structure, and
+they deferred its completion to a more convenient season. Their duty to
+their families, as they saw it, justified them in taking such a step,
+especially in view of the fact that the Indians of the surrounding
+country were not likely ever to cause them trouble.
+
+The cleared land, as it was called, was still disfigured by numerous
+unsightly stumps, around which the rude plow was pulled; but here and
+there men were working to remove them, and ultimately all would be
+uprooted and destroyed.
+
+On the edge of the clearing, three woodsmen were swinging their axes and
+burying their keen edges in the hearts of the monarchs of the wood.
+Deerfoot looked at them several minutes, noticing as he had done before,
+with childish wonder, how long it took the sound caused by the blows to
+reach him. When one of the choppers stopped to breathe and leaned on his
+axe, the sound of two blows came to the listener, and when he resumed
+work, the youth saw him in the act of striking the third time before the
+sound was heard.
+
+The scene was one of activity and industry. Even the children seemed to
+have work instead of play to occupy them. The women, as a matter of
+course, were among the busiest, and rarely did one of them appear at the
+door of her cabin. When she did so, it was only for a very brief while.
+
+Deerfoot was looking fixedly at one of the houses near the middle of the
+settlement, when a squatty figure, with a conical hat, a heavy cane, and
+smoking a pipe, came out and walked slowly toward a cabin only a short
+distance off. The Indian smiled in his momentary, shadowy fashion when
+he recognized Jacob Relstaub, whom he had frightened almost out of his
+wits a week before. No doubt the German had told the incident many
+times afterward, and would always insist he escaped by a veritable
+hair's breadth.
+
+But Deerfoot was troubled in mind, for among all whom he saw he
+recognized neither Jack Carleton nor Otto Relstaub. It was not likely
+that, if they had returned from their hunt, both would continue
+invisible very long; but when minute after minute passed without showing
+either, his heart sank.
+
+The Shawanoe knew a scene would be probable if Jacob Relstaub caught
+sight of him, so he avoided the wrathful German. The appearance of the
+handsome warrior moving among the cabins, naturally awakened some
+interest. Men and children looked at him as he went by, and several of
+the latter followed him. Deerfoot saluted all whose eyes met his,
+calling out: "Good day; how is my brother?" in as excellent English as
+any of them could have employed.
+
+The Indian, it may be supposed, was known to nearly every one by
+reputation. Most of the settlers had heard of his exploits when they and
+he lived in Kentucky; they knew he guided Otto Relstaub and Jack
+Carleton on their perilous journey from the Dark and Bloody Ground into
+Louisiana; they were aware, too, that he could read and write, and was
+one of the most sagacious and valuable friends the settlers ever had or
+could have. The story which Jacob Relstaub told was therefore received
+with much doubt, and no one who listened felt any distrust of the
+loyalty of the young Shawanoe. More than one declared on general
+principles that Relstaub would have been served right had the warrior
+handled him roughly, as it was well known he could have done had he been
+so minded.
+
+Deerfoot walked quietly along the primitive street until opposite the
+door of Widow Carleton's cabin. Without hesitation, he pulled the latch
+string and stepped within. There was no start or change of expression
+when he glanced about the apartment, but that single glance told him the
+story.
+
+Mrs. Carleton was standing at the table on the other side of the room,
+occupied with the dishes that had served at the morning meal. Her back
+was toward the visitor, but she turned like a flash when she heard the
+door open. The scared, expectant, disappointed, and apprehensive
+expression that flitted over her countenance, like the passing of a
+cloud across a summer landscape, made known the truth to the sagacious
+Shawanoe.
+
+"Deerfoot's brother has not come back from his long hunt," he said, in
+his usual voice, as he bowed and advanced to the middle of the
+apartment.
+
+"O Deerfoot!" moaned the mother, as, with tremulous lip, she sank into
+the nearest chair and looked pleadingly toward him, holding her apron
+ready to raise to her eyes; "tell me where is my Jack!"
+
+"My friend told Deerfoot that his brother had gone to hunt the horse
+that has wandered off."
+
+"But that was more than a week ago; he ought to have come back a good
+while since. O Deerfoot----"
+
+"But the horse has wandered many miles, and it will take my brother a
+long time to find him," interrupted the visitor, who dreaded the scene
+which he saw was sure to come.
+
+"Do you think they are still hunting for him?" she asked with a sudden,
+yearning eagerness that went to the heart of the Indian. He could not
+speak an untruth, nor could he admit the great fear that almost stopped
+the beating of his heart.
+
+"Deerfoot cannot answer his friend; but he hopes soon to take the hand
+of his brother."
+
+"Oh, that will never be--it can never be. My poor Jack!"
+
+Her grief could be restrained no longer. The apron was abruptly raised
+to the eyes, and as the white hands were pressed against the face her
+whole frame shook with emotion. Deerfoot looked steadily at the pitiful
+scene, but he knew not what to say or do. It was a vivid illustration of
+this strange nature of ours that the youth, who absolutely knew not what
+fear was, and who had seen the glittering tomahawk crash its way into
+the brain without a throb of pity, now found his utmost self-command
+hardly able to save him from breaking down as utterly as did the parent
+before him. He hastily swallowed the lump that kept rising in his
+throat, blinked his eyes very rapidly, coughed, fidgeted on the bench
+whereon he sat, and, finally, looked away and upward at the rude
+rafters, so as to avoid the sight of the sobbing woman.
+
+"Deerfoot is a pappoose," he muttered angrily, "that he weeps when he
+knows not what for; he is a dog that whines before his master strikes
+him."
+
+A brief but resolute struggle gave him the mastery over his emotions,
+though for a few seconds he dared not look towards his hostess. When he
+timidly ventured to do so, she was rubbing her eyes with the corner of
+her apron. The tempest of grief had passed, and she was regaining
+mastery of herself, thereby rendering great help to the valiant warrior.
+
+"I know that it may be possible that Jack and Otto have gone on a longer
+hunt than before, but they did not expect to be away more than three or
+four days, and Jack would not willingly bring sorrow to his mother."
+
+"My brother may have gone so far that he has lost his way, and is slow
+in finding it again."
+
+"Do you think so, Deerfoot?"
+
+The Indian fidgeted, but he could not avoid an answer.
+
+"Deerfoot does not know; he cannot think right; he is in sore trouble
+for his brothers."
+
+"No one can help them like you. O Deerfoot, won't you find my Jack and
+bring him home to me?"
+
+The youthful warrior rose to his feet, and looking her in the face,
+spoke the words, "_I will!_" Then he turned and strode out of the door.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+
+A PERPLEXING QUESTION.
+
+
+Deerfoot, the Shawanoe, had entered upon the most difficult task of his
+life. He had undertaken to follow up and befriend the youths who had
+disappeared more than a week previous, and who had left not the
+slightest clue as to where they had gone, nor what direction they had
+taken.
+
+In these days, when a friend sets out to trace a person who is seeking
+to hide himself, he is always able to pick up some knowledge that will
+give valuable help in his search. The habits of the individual, some
+intentions, or rather wishes, to which he may have given utterance a
+long time before, his little peculiarities of manner, which are sure to
+betray themselves, no matter how complete the disguise--these, and other
+points, are certain to afford the help the hunter through the cities and
+towns and country requires.
+
+But my reader will observe the vast difference between a case such as
+occurs every day, and that which confronted the young Indian. Two boys
+had gone into the woods more than a week before, on a long hunt, and
+were now missing; it was his task to find them. Could it be done?
+
+Had Deerfoot taken up the pursuit shortly after the departure of the
+boys, he could have sped over their trail like a bloodhound. There could
+have been no escaping him; but since they left home, rain had fallen,
+and even that marvel of canine sagacity could not have trailed them
+through the wilderness. It was idle, therefore, for Deerfoot to seek for
+that which did not exist; no trail was to be found; at least, none in
+that neighborhood. In all his calculations, he did not build the
+slightest hope on that foundation. Had he done so, he would have sought
+to take up the shadowy footprints from where the boys left the
+settlement; but the utmost he did was to learn the general direction
+taken by them, when they entered upon one of the wildest expeditions
+that can be imagined.
+
+Hundreds and thousands of square miles of mountain and forest were
+spread out before him. The vast territory of Louisiana, as it was then
+called, stretched away to the Gulf of Mexico, and spread toward the
+setting sun until stopped by the walls of the Rocky Mountains. The youth
+could spend his life in wandering over that prodigious area, without
+coming upon or gaining the slightest traces of a thousand people whom he
+might wish to find. The conclusion was inevitable that he must pursue
+some intelligent course, or he never could succeed.
+
+It should be said that Deerfoot had not the slightest doubt of a grave
+misfortune having befallen his friends. Jack Carleton never would
+willingly remain from home for so long a period; he was too affectionate
+a son to grieve his mother by such a course. He and Otto Relstaub,
+therefore, were either prisoners in the hands of Indians, or they had
+been put to death.
+
+Just the faintest possible fear troubled the young Shawanoe. He recalled
+the incidents which had marked the journey of himself and the boys from
+Kentucky, only a short time before. The Shawanoes, the fiercest and most
+cunning of all the Indian tribes, had not only pursued them to the
+river's edge, but had followed them across the Mississippi, coming
+within a hair's breadth of destroying the two boys who were making such
+haste toward Martinsville. Had any of those Shawanoes pushed the pursuit
+still further? Had they lingered near the settlement, awaiting just such
+an opportunity as was given by Jack and Otto when they went off on their
+hunt?
+
+This was the phase of the question which for a long time tortured
+Deerfoot. He felt that it was improbable that danger existed in that
+shape. The Shawanoes had no special cause for enmity against the boys.
+If they should venture into Louisiana to revenge themselves upon any
+one, it would be upon Deerfoot. Nothing was more certain than that he
+had not been molested by any of his old enemies, for a good many days
+previously, nor had they been anywhere near him during that period.
+
+But the cunning Indian, like his shrewd white brother, may do the very
+thing least expected. Might they not capture and make off with the boys,
+for the very purpose of leading Deerfoot on a long pursuit, in which the
+advantage would be wholly against him?
+
+But the field of conjecture thus opened was limitless. Deerfoot might
+have spent hours in theorizing and speculating, and still have been as
+far from the truth as at the beginning; he might have formed schemes,
+perfect in every detail, only to find, on investigation, that they were
+wrong in every particular. The elaborate structures which the detective
+rears are often builded on sand, and tumble to fragments on the
+slightest touch.
+
+Deerfoot was convinced that the boys either were captives in the hands
+of Indians, or they were dead. Had they been slain by red men--and it
+was not conceivable that both could have met death in any other way--it
+was useless to hunt for their remains, since only fortunate chance could
+end a search that might last a century.
+
+But if the boys had been carried off, there was hope of gaining trace of
+them, though that might involve endless wanderings to and fro, through
+the mountains and wilderness. Such a hunt, prosecuted on a systematic
+plan for a certain time, without any results, would satisfy Deerfoot
+that the boys, like many older ones, had met their death in the lonely
+depths of the wilderness, where no human eye would ever look upon them
+again.
+
+My reader, who has been let into the secret of the boys' disappearance,
+will perceive that Deerfoot was hovering around the truth, though he was
+still barred by difficulties almost insurmountable.
+
+Suppose he should make up his mind that Jack and Otto were at that
+moment with the red men, in what manner--except by an almost
+interminable search--could he learn what tribe held them prisoners?
+
+In the autumn of 1778, Frances Slocum, a little girl five years old, was
+stolen from her home in Wyoming Valley, and carried away by Delaware
+Indians. For a period of fifty-nine years the search for her was
+prosecuted with more or less earnestness. Thousands of dollars were
+spent, scores of persons were engaged at the same time in the hunt,
+journeys were made among the Western tribes, friendly Indians themselves
+were enlisted in the work, and yet, although the searchers were often
+within a few miles of her, they never picked up the first clue. After
+the lapse of more than half a century, when all hope had been abandoned
+by the surviving friends, the whereabouts of the woman became known,
+through an occurrence that was as purely an accident as was anything
+that ever took place in this world.
+
+Admitting the unapproachable woodcraft and skill of the young Shawanoe,
+yet he could not do the impossible. Could he be spared a hundred years,
+possibly he might make the grand round of his people on the American
+continent, but in the meantime, what of his friends for whom he would be
+making this extended tour?
+
+If so it should be that the boys were in the power of the Shawanoes, or
+Miamis, or Delawares, they were far to the east of the Mississippi; if
+with the Wyandots, they were also east of the Father of Waters, and
+probably in the vicinity of Lake Erie; if with the Ojibwas, to the
+northward along Lake Huron; if with the Ottawas, they were the same
+distance north, but on the shores of Lake Michigan; if with the
+Pottawatomies, further south on the same lake; if in the villages of the
+Kickapoos, or Winnebagoes, or Menomonies, it was on the southern and
+western shores of the same body of water; if with the Ottigamies, or
+Sacs, or Foxes, or in the land of the Assinoboine, the hunt must be of
+the most prolonged character.
+
+Still further, the vast bulk of the western continent stretched westward
+toward the Pacific. When Deerfoot faced the setting sun, he knew he was
+looking over the rim of one of the grandest countries of the globe. He
+had fair ideas of the vast prairies, enormous streams, prodigious
+mountains and almost illimitable area, which awaited the development of
+the coming centuries.
+
+One other suggestive fact was known to Deerfoot: representatives of the
+Indian tribes among the foothills of the Rocky Mountains had exchanged
+shots with the white explorers on the banks of the Mississippi. It is an
+error to suppose that the American savage confines his wanderings to a
+limited space. The majority do so, but, as I have said, the race
+produces in its way its quota of venturesome explorers, who now and then
+are encountered many hundreds of miles from home.
+
+Within the preceding few weeks, Deerfoot had met two warriors among the
+Ozark mountains, who, he saw at a glance, came from a long distance and
+probably had never before been in that section. Neither they nor
+Deerfoot could speak a word the other could understand, but the sign
+language is universal among the North American Indians, and they were
+soon conversing like a party of trained mutes.
+
+To the amazement of the young Shawanoe, he learned they were on their
+way to the Mississippi. They either would not or could not make clear
+their errand, but Deerfoot suspected it was that of gaining a glimpse of
+the civilization which as yet had not appeared in the West. Though the
+strangers were somewhat shy and suspicious, they offered no harm to the
+young Shawanoe, who, of course, showed only friendship toward them. From
+them he gained not a little rude information of the marvelous region
+which has since become familiar to the world.
+
+The fear, therefore, of Deerfoot was that some wandering band from the
+extreme West had captured the boys, and were at that very hour pushing
+toward the Pacific with them. It would require a long, long time to
+learn the truth, which, in all probability, would prove a bitter
+disappointment.
+
+From what has been said in this fragmentary manner, the reader may gain
+an idea of the almost infinite difficulties by which Deerfoot was
+confronted. Like a trained detective, however, he saw that much valuable
+time had been lost and a start must be made without further delay; and,
+furthermore, that the first step must be based on something tangible, or
+it would come to naught. The element of chance plays a leading part in
+such problems, and it may be questioned whether luck is not often a more
+powerful helper than skill.
+
+After leaving the settlement, Deerfoot naturally climbed to the nearest
+elevation which gave a view of the surrounding country, and it was while
+he was looking over the scene that his thoughts took the turn indicated
+by the preceding part of this chapter.
+
+It may be said that that for which he was searching was a starting
+point. "Where shall I begin?" was the question which remained unanswered
+until the sun was half way to meridian.
+
+The principal view of the young warrior was to the south and west, for
+the conviction was strong that thither he must look for the shadowy clue
+which he prayed might lead him to success. Several miles southward a
+camp-fire was burning, as was shown by the bluish vapor that seemed to
+stand still against the clear sky; the same distance to the southeast
+was a slighter evidence of another camp-fire, while to the southwest was
+still another, the vapor so thin and faint that the experienced eye of
+the Shawanoe told him the party spending the previous night there had
+gone early in the morning, leaving the fire to burn itself slowly out.
+
+Evidently the thing for Deerfoot to do was to visit one or all of the
+camps in quest of the clue which the chances were a thousand to one he
+would never find. Which should he first seek?
+
+The bravest of men has a tinge of superstition in his nature, and with
+all of Deerfoot's daring and profoundly devout nature, he was as
+superstitious in some respects as a child. He could not decide by means
+of his Bible the precise course to follow, for one of his principles was
+that he alone must determine his precise course of action, the Great
+Spirit holding him accountable only for the manner in which he did, or
+sought to do, that which he clearly saw was his duty.
+
+The hunting knife was whipped from his girdle, and, holding the point
+between his thumb and finger, he flung it a rod above his head. It
+turned over and over in going up and descending, and, when it struck
+the ground, landed on the hilt. Deerfoot looked down on the implement
+and saw that the point was turned toward the camp-fire which was
+furthest west.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+
+TWO ACQUAINTANCES AND FRIENDS.
+
+
+The question was settled. Nothing short of positive knowledge could have
+led Deerfoot to change his mind as to the right course to pursue.
+
+Stooping over, he picked up his hunting knife, thrust it in his girdle,
+and strode down the slope in the direction of the camp, which he knew
+was deserted early that morning. It was a long way to travel, but it was
+nothing to the lissome warrior, who would have broken into a run could
+he have felt any assurance of gaining any benefit by doing so.
+
+Climbing around the boulders and rocks, leaping over chasms, pushing
+through matted undergrowth, and turning aside only when forced to do so,
+Deerfoot pressed to the southwest until three-fourths of the distance
+was passed. Most of that time the shadowy vapor had been beyond sight,
+for he did not take the trouble to look for it when the intervening
+vegetation interfered. He could not make any mistake as to the right
+course, and it was therefore unnecessary for him to take his bearings;
+but now, when he knew he could not be far from his destination, he came
+to the surface, as it may be said of a diver in an emerald sea, and
+indulged in a deliberate survey of his surroundings.
+
+The first glance at the camp caused his eyes to sparkle, for it conveyed
+an interesting fact: instead of the smoke being so thin that it was
+scarcely visible, it was much denser and more plenteous. That simply
+showed that the camp was no longer a deserted one. Whoever had gone away
+in the morning had returned, and was at that moment on the ground. More
+than likely there were several of them, and, as the day was half gone,
+they were preparing their noontide meal.
+
+At any rate the Shawanoe was sure to find some one there, and he
+hastened his footsteps, though he could feel but slight hope that
+whatever he saw or learned would have a bearing on the business in which
+his whole soul was engaged.
+
+Deerfoot approached the camp with his usual caution, his supposition
+being that a company of Indians were resting there for a brief time. If
+they were Osages, or, indeed, any other tribe, except Hurons or
+Wyandots, he would not hesitate to go forward and greet them, for there
+ought to be no danger incurred in doing so. The same would be the case
+with the whites, though some care might be necessary to convince them no
+treachery was intended.
+
+The first glimpse showed the Indian that only a single white man was
+present. He was preparing dinner, the preliminary step being a stirring
+of the smoldering camp-fire, which gave forth the tell-tale smoke. He
+was a striking individual, though a stranger to Deerfoot.
+
+The fire itself was small, and was burning in an open space where the
+whole neighborhood served as a chimney. Several feet off was a
+half-decayed log, on which the man was sitting, his elbows on his knees,
+and a long stick held loosely in his hands. This he used as a poker, and
+it served his purpose well. A close approach to the fire was apt to be
+unpleasant on account of the heat, so he sat a short distance off, and
+managed things in a comfortable fashion. Now and then he poked the
+embers until the end of the vegetable poker broke into a blaze, when he
+withdrew it and whipped it on the ground till the flame was put out. His
+rifle leaned against an adjoining tree within easy distance, and the
+short clay pipe in his mouth, from which he sent out an occasional puff,
+added to his apparently peaceful frame of mind.
+
+The striking point about the hunter was his magnificent physical
+manhood. He was more than six feet high, with immense shoulders and
+chest, an enormous beard of a coal black color, which grew almost to his
+keen black eyes, and descended over his chest in a silken, wavy mass. He
+was attired in the ordinary hunting costume of the border, and looked as
+if he might be one of those men who had spent their lives in the
+Louisiana wilderness, hunting and trapping animals for their peltries,
+which were sold at some of the advanced posts of civilization.
+
+Deerfoot suspected the man was the owner of a horse which must be in the
+vicinity, for it was hardly likely that he would wander aimlessly around
+in the mountains and woods for the mere sake of doing so, but no animal
+could be seen, and without speculating long over the matter, the young
+Shawanoe walked forward to the camp.
+
+While doing so, the stranger was giving his full attention to the fire
+and his culinary duties. The wood had burned until there were enough
+coals, when he arose and raked them apart, so as to afford a surface of
+glowing embers. Then he turned back and took up a huge slice of meat,
+which had been skewered on the prongs of a long stick. Balancing this
+very cleverly, he held the meat down until it was almost against the
+crimson coals. He could have done the same with the blaze, but he
+preferred this method.
+
+Almost instantly the meat began to crisp and scorch and shrink, and to
+give off an odor which would have tortured a hungry man. The cook
+quickly exposed the other side to the heat, reversing several times,
+when the venison was cooked in as appetizing a form as could be wished.
+
+The man gave such close attention to his task that he never turned his
+head to observe the figure of an Indian warrior standing only a rod or
+two away. Having finished his work, he carefully spread the meat on some
+green oak leaves, arranged on the log. Its size was such that it
+suggested a door mat burned somewhat out of shape.
+
+"There," said the hunter, with a contented expression, seating himself
+as if to guard the prize against disturbance; "the boys can't growl over
+that--hello, where'd _you_ come from?"
+
+He had caught sight of Deerfoot, advancing noiselessly toward him, and
+the man was startled (though he strove to conceal it) by the fact that
+the other was nearer to his rifle than was the owner.
+
+The Indian saluted him in his courteous fashion, and with a view of
+removing his fears, walked on until the relative position of him and the
+man were changed, and the latter was nearer his gun.
+
+Then he paused, retaining his standing position, and with a slight
+smile, said:
+
+"Deerfoot is glad that his brother is not ill."
+
+Undoubtedly that brother was relieved to find in case of dispute he
+could reach his gun before the dusky youth, but he could hardly believe
+the warrior voluntarily gave up the enormous advantage thus held for a
+moment or two. Throwing his shoulders back, he looked straight in the
+eyes of Deerfoot, and then rising to his feet, extended his hand. As if
+conscious of his superior height, he towered aloft and looked down on
+the graceful youth who met his gaze with a confiding expression that
+would have won the heart of any one.
+
+The abundant beard hid the mouth of the white man, but the movement of
+the cheeks, the gathering wrinkles under the eyes, and the gleam of his
+white teeth through the black meshes, showed he was smiling. Instead of
+saluting in the usual fashion, he brought his hand down with a flourish,
+and grasping the palm of the youth pressed it with a vigor which made
+him wince.
+
+"So you're Deerfoot, are you? I mean the young Shawanoe that used to
+hunt through Kentucky and Missouri."
+
+The Indian nodded his head to signify that he was the individual whom
+the other had in mind.
+
+"I'm Burt Hawkins--you remember me?" asked he, still pumping the arm of
+Deerfoot, who was compelled to admit he had never before heard the name,
+nor could he remember ever having looked upon his face.
+
+"Well, you have done so, whether you remember it or not: three years
+ago, which, I reckon, was about the time you began tramping through the
+woods for the benefit of the white man, I was on a scout with Kenton and
+some of the boys, over in Kentucky. We got caught in a blinding snow
+storm, and all came near going under with a rush. Things got so bad that
+Kenton said we would have to give up, for, tough as he was, he was
+weakening. The snow was driving so hard you couldn't see six feet in
+front of you. Cold! Well, the wind was of that kind that it went right
+through your bones as though it was a knife. Night was coming on, and we
+were in the middle of the woods, twenty miles from everywhere. The only
+thing we could do was to let out a yell once in a while, and fire off
+our guns. I don't think there was one among the five that had the first
+grain of hope. Kenton was leading and I was at his heels; all I could
+see was his tall figure, covered from head to foot with snow, as he
+plodded along with the grit he always showed.
+
+"The first thing I knowed some one j'ined us--a young, likely looking
+Injin, which his name was Deerfoot. He had heard our guns and dropped
+down from somewhere. You're grinning, old chap, so I guess there ain't
+much use of telling the rest, 'cause you know it. I'll never forget how
+you led us into that cave, where you had fixed up the logs and bark so
+that no snow flakes couldn't get in. There was a fire burning, and some
+buffalo meat cooking, and we couldn't have been better fixed if we had
+been lodged with Colonel Preston at Live Oaks or in St. Louis."
+
+"Deerfoot has not forgotten," said the smiling Indian, seating himself
+beside Hawkins on the log; "but my brother did not look then as he looks
+now."
+
+Again the head of the trapper was thrown back, his white teeth shone
+through his immense whiskers, the wrinkles gathered at the corner of his
+eyes, and his musical laugh rang out from the capillary depths. Burt was
+proud of his beard, as he well might be. Few people in those days wore
+such an ornament, and those who did so were sure to attract attention.
+
+"You talk like a level-headed gentleman, Deerfoot, for all this (here he
+stroked the glossy whiskers) has grown since then. I shouldn't wonder if
+it _did_ change my looks somewhat. You're a blamed smart redskin,
+Deerfoot," added Burt, who seemed to be in high spirits; "but I don't
+believe you can beat it."
+
+It was the turn of Deerfoot to laugh, and he did so with much
+heartiness, though without any noise.
+
+"No; the hair of Deerfoot grows on his head; he would be sad if it
+covered his face."
+
+"So would I, for it would make a confounded queer looking creatur' of
+you. I would like to see an Injin got up in that style; just think of
+Tecumseh with a big mustache and whiskers! Beavers!"
+
+The conceit was equally enjoyed by Deerfoot, who fairly shook with
+mirth. He recalled the time when he confronted the mighty chieftain,
+with drawn knife and compressed lips, and the picture of that terrible
+being, with his face covered by whiskers, was a drop from the sublime to
+the ridiculous, which would have brought a laugh to any one.
+
+Burt Hawkins evidently held his visitor in esteem, for, reaching out his
+horny hand, he gently passed his fingers over the cheek nearest him, and
+then drew it across the chin.
+
+"No; there's no beard there. It's as smooth as the cheeks of my little
+five-year old Peggy at home. It always struck me as qu'ar that Injins
+don't have beards, but I s'pose it's because the old fellows, several
+thousand years ago, began plucking out the hairs that came on the face,
+and their children have kept it up so long that it has discouraged the
+industry in them regions. See?"
+
+To assist Deerfoot to catch the force of his illustration, Burt gave him
+several digs in the ribs. This familiarity would have been annoying
+under most circumstances, but it was manifest from the manner of the
+warrior that he rather enjoyed the effusiveness of the magnificent
+fellow.
+
+"Why is my brother in the woods alone?" he asked, when matters calmed
+down.
+
+"I can't say I'm exactly alone, Deerfoot, for Kit Kellogg and Tom
+Crumpet ain't fur off, and that meat thar is gettin' cold waiting for
+them to come and gobble it; if they ain't here in a few minutes you and
+me will insert our teeth. We've been trappin' all winter down to the
+south'rd and have got a good pile of peltries; we've got 'em gathered,
+and loaded, too, and are on our way to St. Louis with 'em; warm weather
+is comin', and the furs are beginnin' to get poor, so we shall hang our
+harps on the willers till cold weather begins agin."
+
+"My brothers are coming," said Deerfoot, quietly, referring to two other
+hunters who at that moment put in an appearance.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+THE TRAPPERS.
+
+
+The new arrivals resembled Burt Hawkins in their dress and
+accoutrements. They wore coon-skin caps, hunting dress, leggings, coarse
+shoes, etc., and each carried a long rifle and hunting knife as his
+weapons. They were rugged, powerful fellows, whose long experience in
+the wilderness had given them a knowledge of its ways and mysteries,
+beyond that of ordinary men. They were hardy and active, with the
+faculties of hearing, seeing and smelling cultivated to a point almost
+incredible. They contrasted with Hawkins in one respect; both wore their
+faces smooth. Although far removed from civilization, they kept
+themselves provided with the means of shaving their cheeks. Perhaps
+through indifference, their beards were sometimes allowed to grow for
+weeks, but they made sure they were in presentable shape when they rode
+into the trading post of St. Louis, with their peltries, and, receiving
+pay therefor, joined their families in that frontier town.
+
+The three men had been hunters and trappers for many years. Sometimes
+they pursued their work alone, and sometimes in the company of others.
+They trapped principally for beavers and otters, though they generally
+bagged a few foxes and other fur-bearing animals. A hundred years ago,
+there were numerous beaver runs in the central portions of our country,
+and for a long time many men were employed in gathering their valuable
+furs, hundred and thousands of which were brought from the mountain
+streams and solitudes of the West to St. Louis, whence they were sent
+eastward and distributed.
+
+The trapper's pursuit has always been a severe one, for, aside from the
+fierce storms, sudden changes, and violent weather, the men as a rule
+were exposed to the rifles of lurking Indians, who resented the
+intrusion of any one into their territory. And yet there was an
+attraction about the solitary life, far beyond the confines of
+civilization, which took men from their families and buried them in the
+wilderness, frequently for years at a time. It is not difficult to
+understand the fascination which kept Daniel Boone wandering for months
+through the woods and cane-brakes of Kentucky, without a single
+companion and with the Indians almost continually at his heels.
+
+When Burt Hawkins and his two friends left St. Louis, late in summer or
+early in the fall, each rode a mule or horse, besides having two pack
+animals to carry their supplies and peltries. They followed some faintly
+marked trail, made perhaps by the hoofs of their own animals, and did
+not reach their destination for several weeks. When they halted, it was
+among the tributaries of the Missouri, which have their rise in the
+Ozark range in the present State of Missouri.
+
+The traps and implements which from time to time were taken westward,
+were not, as a matter of course, brought back, for that would have
+encumbered their animals to no purpose. When warm weather approached and
+the fur bearers began shedding their hair, the traps were gathered and
+stowed away until needed again in the autumn. Then the skins that had
+been taken from time to time through the winter, were brought forth and
+strapped on the backs of the animals, and the journey homeward was
+begun. There was no trouble for the trappers to "float their sticks,"
+as the expression went; for the Northwest Fur Company and other wealthy
+corporations had their agents in St. Louis and at other points, where
+they were glad to buy at liberal prices all the peltries within reach.
+
+No trapper was likely to accumulate wealth by the method named, but it
+cost him little to live, and frequently during the summer he found some
+other employment that brought return for his labor.
+
+Hawkins, Kellogg and Crumpet were on their way home, having started a
+little later than their custom, and they had reached the point referred
+to on the preceding night, when they halted and went into camp. In the
+morning, when they began to reload their animals, it was found that a
+rifle belonging to Kit Kellogg was missing. It had been strapped on the
+package which one of the mules carried, but had worked loose and fallen
+unnoticed to the ground. It was too valuable to be abandoned, and Kit
+and Crumpet started back to hunt for it. They went on foot, leaving the
+animals cropping some succulent grass a short distance away.
+
+The quadrupeds underwent a hard time during the winter, when grass was
+scanty, so that such halts were appreciated by them. The spot where they
+were grazing was far enough removed to screen them from the sight of
+Deerfoot, when he was reconnoitering the camp. While two of the company
+were hunting for the weapon, the third remained behind, smoking his
+pipe, and, when the time came, prepared dinner against the return of the
+other ones. The meat was good, but not so delicate as the beaver tails
+on which they frequently feasted during the cold season.
+
+It has been said more than once that the Indians along the western bank
+of the Mississippi were less aggressive than those who so often
+crimsoned the soil of Kentucky and Ohio with the blood of the pioneers.
+Such was the truth, but those who were found on the very outermost
+fringe of civilization, from far up toward the headwaters of the
+Yellowstone down to the Gulf, were anything but harmless creatures. As
+the more warlike tribes in the East were pushed over into that region,
+they carried their vindictive natures with them, and the reader knows
+too well the history of the great West to require anything further to
+be said in that direction.
+
+When Hawkins went to the beaver-runs with his friends in the autumn
+preceding his meeting with Deerfoot, he had as his companions, besides
+the two named, a third--Albert Rushton, who, like the others, was a
+veteran trapper. One snowy day in mid-winter, when the weather was
+unusually severe, he started on his round of his division of the traps
+and never came back. His prolonged absence led to a search, and his dead
+body was found beside one of the demolished traps. The bullet hole
+through his forehead and the missing scalp that had been torn from his
+crown, told plainly the manner of his death.
+
+This was a shocking occurrence, but the fate of Rushton was that to
+which every one of his friends was liable, and they did not sit down and
+repine over what could not be helped. The saddest thought connected with
+the matter was that one of the three must break the news to the invalid
+wife, who lived with her two children in one of the frontier settlements
+through which they passed on the way to St. Louis.
+
+When Deerfoot told Hawkins the others were returning, the trapper
+turned his head and saw that Kellogg had found the missing rifle. The
+couple looked sharply at the warrior as they advanced, and evidently
+were surprised to see him in camp. Kellogg and Crumpet were men in
+middle life, strong limbed, sinewy and vigilant.
+
+Deerfoot rose from the log whereon he was sitting, and extended his hand
+to each in turn, as Hawkins pronounced his name. Kit Kellogg scrutinized
+him and shook his hand with considerable warmth. Crumpet did the same,
+though with less cordiality in his manner. It was plain (and plainer to
+none than Deerfoot) that he was one of that numerous class of
+frontiersmen who regard the American Indian as an unmitigated nuisance,
+which, so far as possible, every white man should do his utmost to
+abate. He had been engaged in more than one desperate encounter with
+them and his hatred was of the most ferocious nature. It was not to be
+expected, however, that his detestation would show itself without regard
+to time and place. Kellogg and Hawkins watched him with some curiosity,
+as he extended his horny hand and shook that of the handsome Indian
+youth.
+
+"You've heard of Deerfoot," added Burt, as he proceeded to divide the
+enormous piece of meat into quarters; "he is the youngster that helped
+Colonel Preston and his friends from the Wyandots at the time the
+block-house was burned."
+
+"How should we hear of it," asked Crumpet with a growl, "when we was on
+this side of the Mississippi?"
+
+"Wasn't I over in Kentucky about three years ago? I rather think I was,
+and would have been froze to death with Simon Kenton and a few of the
+other boys if it hadn't been for this copper-colored rascal--ain't that
+so, Deerfoot?"
+
+And that the young warrior might not err as to the one who was expected
+to impart light on the subject, Burt gave him a resounding whack on the
+shoulder that almost knocked him off the log. The youth was in the act
+of conveying some of the meat to his mouth when saluted in that fashion,
+and it came like the shock of an earthquake.
+
+"Why can't you talk with a fellow," asked Kellogg, "without breaking his
+neck?"
+
+"Whose neck is broke?"
+
+"Why that fellow's is pretty well jarred."
+
+"Well, as long as _he_ don't object I don't see what it is to _you_,"
+was the good-natured response of Hawkins, who resumed chewing the juicy
+meat.
+
+"Some of these days, somebody will give you a whack in return when you
+ain't expecting it, and it will be a whack too that will cure you of
+that sort of business. I believe, Deerfoot, that you are a Shawanoe,
+ain't you?"
+
+"Deerfoot is a Shawanoe," was the answer, his jaws at work on the food
+just furnished him.
+
+"I've heard tell of you; you're the chap that always uses a bow and
+arrow instead of a gun?"
+
+The youth answered the query by a nod of the head. As he did so, Tom
+Crumpet, who sat further away, vigorously working his jaws, uttered a
+contemptuous grunt. Kit turned his head and looked inquiringly at him.
+
+"Maybe you think he can't use the bow and arrow. I s'pose, Deerfoot,
+that's the bow you fired the arrow through the window of the block-house
+that was nigh a hundred yards off, with a letter tied around it, and
+fired it agin out on the flatboat with another piece of paper twisted
+around it--isn't that so?"
+
+Despite his loose-jointed sentences, Deerfoot caught his meaning well
+enough to nod his head in the affirmative.
+
+"Did you see it done?" asked Crumpet, with a grin at Hawkins.
+
+"How could I see it when I wasn't there?"
+
+"I guess no one else was there," growled Tom; "I've noticed whenever
+that sort of business is going on it's always a good ways off, and the
+people as sees it are the kind that don't amount to much in the way of
+telling the truth."
+
+These were irritating words, made more so by the contemptuous manner in
+which they were spoken. Deerfoot clearly understood their meaning, but
+he showed no offence because of them. He was not vain of his wonderful
+skill in woodcraft, and, though he had a fiery temper, which sometimes
+flashed to the surface, he could not be disturbed by any slurs upon his
+attainments.
+
+Kit Kellogg was impatient with his companion, but he knew him so well
+that he did not discuss the matter. Had not the beard of Burt Hawkins
+hidden his countenance, the others would have perceived the flush which
+overspread it. He was angered, and said, hotly:
+
+"It might do for some folks to say that other folks didn't tell the
+truth, but I don't think _you're_ the one to say it."
+
+Crumpet champed his meat in silence, using his hunting knife for fork
+and knife, and drinking water from the tin cup which he had filled a
+short distance away, and from which the others, excepting Deerfoot, also
+drank. Instead of answering the slur of Hawkins, he acted as though he
+did not fully catch his meaning, and did not care to learn. What he had
+said, however, rankled in the heart of Burt, who, holding his peace
+until all were through eating, addressed the surly fellow:
+
+"If you doubt the skill of Deerfoot, I'll make you a wager that he can
+outshoot you, you using your gun and he his bow and arrow, or you can
+both use a gun."
+
+"He might do all that," said Kellogg, with a twinkle of the eye, "and it
+wouldn't prove that Tom was any sort of a marksman."
+
+Crumpet was able to catch the meaning of that remark, and it goaded him
+almost to the striking point.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+
+DEERFOOT'S WOODCRAFT.
+
+
+Neither Deerfoot nor the trapper wished to engage in the trial of skill
+suggested by Burt Hawkins. Crumpet feared that if such a test took place
+he would be worsted, in which event he would never hear the last of it
+from his friends. He might well shrink, therefore, from such a contest.
+
+The Shawanoe knew he could surpass the trapper if he exerted himself, as
+he most certainly would do. Crumpet's ill-nature would be embittered,
+and matters were likely to take an unpleasant shape. When Hawkins turned
+toward him, therefore, expecting him to bound to his feet and invite the
+challenge, he shook his head:
+
+"Deerfoot's arrows are few, and he saves them for game or his enemies."
+
+"And therein is wise," added Kellogg, shrewd enough to see the situation
+in all its bearings.
+
+Crumpet said nothing, but was greatly relieved, while Hawkins gave a
+sniff of disgust.
+
+"Some folks are very free with their tongues, but when you come down to
+business they ain't there; howsumever, let that go; we've got our extra
+rifle, and I s'pose we might as well keep up the tramp toward St. Louis.
+Deerfoot, can't you go with us?"
+
+He shook his head, and said:
+
+"Deerfoot is hunting for two friends who are lost; he must not sleep nor
+tarry on the way."
+
+"How is that?" asked Burt, while the others listened with interest. The
+young Shawanoe told, in his characteristic manner, the story which is
+already well known to the reader. While doing so he watched each
+countenance closely, hoping (though he could give no reason for such
+hope) to catch some sign of a shadowy knowledge of that for which he was
+seeking, but he was disappointed.
+
+"One thing is sartin," remarked Burt Hawkins, when the story was fully
+told, "them boys ain't dead."
+
+"I agree with you," said Kellogg, with an emphatic nod of the head, in
+which even the surly Crumpet joined. Deerfoot was surprised at this
+unanimity, and inquired of Hawkins his reason for his belief.
+
+"'Cause it's agin common sense; when two young men go out in the woods
+to hunt game, both of 'em ain't going to get killed: that isn't the
+fashion now-a-days. One of 'em might be hurt, but if that was so, and
+the other couldn't get away, the Injins would take him off and keep him.
+More than likely the varmints carried away both, and if you make a good
+hunt for three or four thousand miles around, you'll get track of 'em."
+
+"I think I know a better plan than that," said Kellogg, and, as the
+others looked inquiringly toward him, he said, "both of them chaps have
+been took by Injins who'll keep them awhile. One of these days the boys
+will find a chance to give 'em the slip, and they'll leave on some dark
+night and strike for home."
+
+"It isn't likely both 'll have a show to do that at the same time," said
+Crumpet, speaking with more courtesy than he had yet shown, and
+manifesting much interest in the matter.
+
+"No; one will have to leave a good while before the other, and then the
+one that is left will be watched that much sharper, but all he's got to
+do is to bide his time."
+
+"When one of my brothers comes through the woods to his home, the other
+will come with him," said Deerfoot, confident as he was that neither
+Jack Carleton nor Otto Relstaub would desert the other, when placed in
+any kind of danger.
+
+Deerfoot was confirmed in his theory of the disappearance of his young
+friends, for it agreed with what he had formed after leaving the
+settlement that morning. But, admitting it was the correct theory, the
+vast difficulty of locating the boys still confronted him. They might be
+journeying far southward in the land of the Creeks and Chickasaws, or to
+the homes of the Dacotah in the frozen north, or westward toward the
+Rocky Mountains.
+
+Kellogg and Crumpet now fell into an earnest discussion of the question,
+for, though agreeing in the main, they differed on minor points, in
+which each was persistent in his views. Deerfoot listened to every word,
+for, like a wise man, he was anxious to gain all the knowledge he could
+from others.
+
+But he noticed that for several minutes Burt Hawkins took no part in the
+conversation. He had sat down again on the log, thrown one leg over
+another, and was slowly stroking his handsome beard, while his gaze was
+fixed on the ground in front. He was evidently in deep thought.
+
+Such was the fact, and just as the lull came, he reached his conclusion.
+Deliberately rising to his full height, he walked over to where Deerfoot
+stood, and with another slap on his shoulder, said:
+
+"See here, young man!"
+
+The warrior faced him, earnest, attentive, and interested. Burt shifted
+the weight of his body, so that it rested on his right leg; he looked
+down in the eyes of Deerfoot, his brow wrinkled as in the case when a
+man is about to deliver himself of the most important and original
+thoughts of his life. Then he began wabbling the index finger of his
+right hand in the face of the warrior, as a man with the important and
+original thought is inclined to do. He commenced to wabble quite slowly,
+gradually increasing the amplitude of the vibrations, and passing his
+finger so close to the countenance of the Shawanoe that it seemed
+almost to graze the end of his nose. He spoke slowly, pointing his words
+with his swaying finger:
+
+"Deerfoot, I've got the question answered; listen to me: them boys have
+been tooken away by Injins; I know it; now where have the Injins gone?
+You ought to know as much about your race as me, but you don't; do what
+I tell you; go to the south till you come to some Injin village; make
+your inquiries there; if they haven't got the boys, they'll know whether
+the tribe that took 'em passed through their country, 'cause they
+couldn't very well do so without some of their warriors finding it out.
+If none of them don't know nothing about no such party, you can make up
+your mind you're barking up the wrong tree; then take an excursion west
+and do the same thing; then, if you don't learn anything, try toward the
+north; there ain't any use in going eastward, for common sense will
+teach you they haint been tooken that way; a chap with your good sense
+will pick up some clue that'll show you the way through."
+
+"My brother speaks the words of wisdom," said Deerfoot, who was much
+impressed by the utterances of the trapper: "Deerfoot will not forget
+what he has said; he will carry his words with him and they shall be his
+guide; Deerfoot says good-bye."
+
+And with a courteous salute to the three, the young warrior walked a few
+steps, broke into a light run, and was out of sight before his intention
+was fairly understood. The trappers looked in each others' faces,
+laughed, made some characteristic remarks, and then turned to their own
+business.
+
+Deerfoot the Shawanoe had determined to follow the advice given by Burt
+Hawkins the trapper. It certainly was singular that such an
+extraordinary woodman as the Indian should profit by the counsel of a
+white man, even though he was a veteran; but Deerfoot had studied the
+problem so long that his brain was confused, and, having fixed his own
+line of conduct, he only needed the endorsement of some sturdy character
+like the hunter. He had received that endorsement, and now he could not
+use too much haste.
+
+His intention was to journey rapidly southward, in the direction of the
+present State of Arkansas, until he should reach some of the Indian
+villages that were there a hundred years ago. He would push his
+inquiries among them, just as Burt Hawkins had suggested, pressing the
+search in other directions, until able to pick up some clue. After that,
+it would be an easy matter to determine the line of policy that would
+lead to success.
+
+Any one engaged in such a task as that on which the young Shawanoe had
+entered, needs to take all the observations he can, for the knowledge
+thus gained is sure to be of great help. The Indian scanned the country
+opening to the southward, and, as was his custom, turned his face toward
+the first elevation which would give him the view he was so desirous of
+obtaining.
+
+The elevation was similar to those with which the reader became familiar
+long ago, and the sun had not yet reached the horizon when the lithe
+warrior had climbed to the crest of the ridge, and was scanning the
+wilderness which opened to the south and west. He was in a region where
+he was warranted in looking for Indian villages, and his penetrating
+eyes traveled over the area with a minuteness of search hardly
+imaginable by the reader. The country was so broken by mountain, hill,
+and wood, that the survey was much less extended than would be supposed.
+He was disappointed in one respect, however: he could detect no Indian
+village in the whole range of vision.
+
+But, besides the dim smoke from the camp he had left a short time
+before, he observed another to the westward, and a third to the south;
+he concluded to make his way to the last, though he half suspected it
+was the camp of another party of trappers, from whom he could not gather
+the first morsel of information.
+
+Deerfoot pushed toward the valley, less than a mile distant, from which
+the tell-tale vapor ascended, and was quite close to the camp, when he
+became aware that an altogether unexpected state of affairs existed.
+Despite his usual caution, his approach was detected, and the Shawanoe
+found himself in no little peril.
+
+It is difficult, if not impossible, to make clear how it was Deerfoot
+discovered this singular state of affairs; but he was more than a
+hundred yards from the camp, which was screened by a dense undergrowth
+and rocks, when he stopped abruptly, warned to do so by that subtle
+instinct which is like a sixth sense.
+
+He did not leap behind a tree, nor fall on his face and creep to the
+rear of the large boulder on his right, but he stood erect, using the
+faculties of hearing and sight with a delicate power and unerring skill
+which were marvelous in the highest degree.
+
+The black eyes glanced around, as he slowly turned his head from side to
+side, and he saw everything in front, rear, at his right, left, and
+above, among the limbs and on the ground. He heard the silken rustling
+of several leaves in the top of a beach overhead, and he knew it was
+caused by one of those slight puffs of wind which make themselves known
+in that manner.
+
+The inhalation through his nostrils brought the faint odor of the elm,
+the oak, the hickory, the chestnut, the sycamore, and the resinous pine.
+He identified them, I say, as well as the peculiar and indescribable
+odor given off by the decaying leaves, the mossy rocks, and even the
+rotting twigs and branches; but among them all he detected nothing of a
+foreign nature.
+
+But it was his hearing upon which he mainly depended, though his eyes
+were forced to their highest skill. When the pinnated leaf of a hickory
+was shaken loose by the wind puff it had hardly floated from its stem
+before he caught sight of it, and followed it in its downward course
+until it fluttered slowly to the ground.
+
+It may be said that the danger which threatened Deerfoot was "in the
+air," if it be conceivable that there is anything in the expression. He
+was as certain of it as he was of his own existence, and yet he stood
+motionless, displaying an incredible confidence in his ability to
+discover the nature of the peril before it could take effective shape.
+
+Had he leaped lightly behind a tree, he might have placed himself on the
+side which would have left him exposed to the stealthy shot; had he
+dropped to the ground and crept to one side of the moss-covered boulder,
+the same fatal mistake was likely to be made. Therefore he stood as
+rigid as iron, until he could learn the direction from which he was
+threatened.
+
+A rustling no louder than that made by the oscillation of a falling leaf
+came from a point some distance ahead and on his right. So soft indeed
+was the sound that it cannot be explained how the human ear could be
+trained to the point of hearing it.
+
+But it was that for which Deerfoot the Shawanoe was waiting, and it gave
+him the knowledge he sought.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+
+SAUK AND SHAWANOE.
+
+
+At the instant the almost inaudible rustling struck the ear of Deerfoot
+the Shawanoe, he caught sight of a rifle barrel as it was thrust among
+the undergrowth and aimed at him. It was the faintest possible sound,
+caused by the pushing aside of the leaves which he heard, and which he
+was expecting for a full minute to hear. The lightning-like glance cast
+toward the point showed him the dark barrel, and the ferocious gleam of
+the face of an Indian, crouching on one knee just beyond.
+
+The warrior who aimed the weapon meant to send the bullet through the
+chest of the youth, whose approach, stealthy as it was, he had detected.
+The distance was so slight that the briefest possible time was required
+to make his aim certain; but while in the very act of doing so, the
+sinewy youth vanished like a puff of vapor.
+
+The savage was dumfounded, for nothing of the kind had ever occurred, so
+far as his experience went, and it was unexplainable to him. He had used
+the proverbial caution of his people, and he knew from the expectant
+position of the youth that his suspicions were excited, but he could not
+comprehend by what means he had passed so suddenly from sight. The red
+man was in the very act of pressing the trigger when he discovered he
+was not aiming at any target.
+
+If the Indian tongue contained an execration, it may well be imagined
+that a most vigorous one escaped the lips of the baffled redskin, who
+was shut out from his prize at the moment of closing his fingers upon
+it.
+
+The warrior was a brawny, full-grown Indian, almost in middle life, who
+had sunk on one knee and brought his gun to his shoulder, after briefly
+studying the form which had approached his lurking place. He had never
+seen the stranger until that moment, and he only knew that he belonged
+to some totem unknown to him. It was probable that his home was on the
+eastern shore of the Mississippi, and he resented the intrusion upon his
+hunting grounds as he did that of a white man: consequently he was as
+quick to take the life of one as of the other.
+
+Finding that his intended victim had disappeared beyond all question,
+the next step of the fierce assassin was to solve the meaning of the
+unaccountable occurrence. He noiselessly straightened up, and craning
+his head forward peeped through the undergrowth. All that he saw was the
+huge boulder or rock, within a few feet of where the youth had been
+standing. It followed, therefore that he had flung himself behind it,
+and was hiding there at that moment.
+
+The painted visage glowed with a baleful light, for he was assured his
+triumph was postponed only for a few moments. The boulder might serve as
+a shelter while the relative positions of the two were the same, but it
+was in the power of the savage to change that by putting forth only
+moderate skill.
+
+Taking care not to reveal himself, he began a guarded movement to the
+right, his course being the same as if starting to describe a circle
+about the hiding place. It will be seen that if he could accomplish this
+without exposing himself to the fire of the other, he would not need to
+go far before gaining a view of the opposite side of the boulder, and
+necessarily of him who was seeking to screen himself from discovery. To
+do this, however, the victim must remain where he was, for manifestly,
+if he shifted his position correspondingly, he would continue invisible,
+but he counted himself fortunate that he had noticed the peculiar
+configuration of the boulder, which rendered such a man[oe]uvre beyond
+the power of an ordinary warrior. As for himself, he had no personal
+fear, for the trees were so numerous that he could use them to shield
+his body while leaping from one to the other, while in many places he
+could steal along the ground without the possibility of detection.
+
+If the fool had but known the woodcraft of the youth against whom he was
+so eager to pit himself, he would have turned and fled from the spot as
+from a plague; but he had never heard the name of Deerfoot, and little
+dreamed of the skill of the extraordinary youth.
+
+The warrior stooped, crept, leaped, and stole through the wood with a
+celerity that was astonishing. Within a very short time after beginning
+the movement, he had described one-fourth of the circle and gained the
+view he wished. It must be remembered, too, that he had kept the boulder
+under such close surveillance as to be morally certain the youth could
+not shift his position without being observed.
+
+But to his amazement he saw nothing of his victim. The flat slope and
+the leafy ground were free from anything resembling a human being. He
+stood peering from behind the tree, and at his wit's end to know what it
+meant. He held his rifle so that the hammer could be raised the moment
+the necessity came, and he must have felt that the wiser course was for
+him to leave the spot without further search.
+
+Probably such would have been his course had he not heard a most
+alarming sound directly behind him. It was the faint cough of a person
+seeking to clear his throat. The Indian turned like a flash, and saw the
+dusky youth a rod distant, holding his bow loosely in his right hand,
+while his terrible left was drawn back over his shoulder, the fingers
+clenching the handle of his tomahawk. His position was precisely that of
+one who was on the very point of launching the deadly missile which
+would have cloven the skull, as though made of card-board. He had taken
+the posture, and then uttered the slight cough with a view of "calling
+the attention" of the party of the first part to the fact, and he
+succeeded. The elder was in the position of the hunter who while seeking
+the tiger awoke to the fact that the tiger was seeking him.
+
+The warrior, whose face was daubed with red, black and yellow paint, was
+literally struck dumb. He had been engaged in many an encounter with
+strange Indians, but never had the affray been introduced in a more
+favorable manner to himself, and never had he been more utterly
+overwhelmed.
+
+He saw that the youth was merely holding his tomahawk; the very second
+it was needed, he could drive it into his chest or brain. He was too
+proud to ask for mercy, for he had no thought it would be granted. He
+could only face his master and await his doom.
+
+Deerfoot was not the one to prolong the wretchedness of another, no
+matter if his most deadly enemy. He stood with his left foot slightly
+advanced and his muscles gathered, so that he did not require the
+slightest preparation, and, having held the pose just long enough to
+make sure it had produced its full effect, he slowly lowered the
+tomahawk, keeping his eyes fixed on his enemy. When the weapon was at
+his side, he said:
+
+"The Sauk is a wolf; he steals behind the hunter that he may leap on his
+shoulders when he sleeps; but the hunter heard the sound of his claws on
+the leaves and turned upon him."
+
+These words were uttered in the mongrel tongue of the Sauk, for
+Deerfoot, after a careful inspection of the painted warrior, was quite
+sure he belonged to that restless and warlike tribe. He had encountered
+the people before, though at rare intervals, and he had hunted with a
+pioneer who was familiar with the tongue. The youth detected so many
+resemblances to other aboriginal languages with which he was familiar
+that he quickly mastered it and could speak it like a native.
+
+The warrior, as has been said, was a brawny savage, well on toward
+middle life. He was attired in the usual fashion among the Indians, his
+dress looking slouchy and untidy. His straggling black hair, instead of
+being ornamented with eagle feathers, was gathered in a knot, so as to
+form what is often called a scalp-lock, and to proclaim the fact that
+the wearer of the same challenged any one to take it if he could.
+Besides his long rifle, he carried his knife and tomahawk, after the
+manner of his people. He would have proved a dangerous foe in a
+hand-to-hand struggle, but he was deprived of whatever advantage he
+might have possessed by being taken at such overwhelming disadvantage.
+
+He caught every word uttered by Deerfoot, who had not mistaken his
+totem. He had no thought that the youth intended to show him mercy, but
+believed he was indulging in a little preliminary sermonizing--so to
+speak--before claiming his scalp for the ridge-pole of his wigwam.
+
+The words of Deerfoot served to awaken the Sauk from his paralysis, and,
+throwing his head back, he said:
+
+"The Sauk is no wolf; the Shawanoe is the fox that steals upon the
+hunting grounds of the Sauks."
+
+"The lands that stretch to the rising and setting sun belong not to the
+Shawanoe nor Sauk nor Huron, but the Great Spirit, who loves his
+children to chase the buffalo and hunt the deer and bear where they can
+be found; but why should the Sauk and the Shawanoe be enemies?"
+
+And to give point to the question, Deerfoot advanced and offered his
+hand. The Sauk concealed his surprise and gave the fingers a warm grasp,
+but while doing so each looked distrustfully in the face of the other.
+The frightful stains on the broad face of the elder did not alarm
+Deerfoot, who had seen much more frightful countenances among his own
+people. He gazed calmly into the eyes of the warrior, as the two stood
+close together with their hands clasped. The Indian is an adept in
+concealing whatever emotions may stir him, but Deerfoot saw the savage
+was puzzled over his action. He could not but know that the Shawanoes
+were the most warlike Indians in the Mississippi Valley, and one of the
+last weaknesses of which they could be accused was that of showing mercy
+to an enemy.
+
+One point was necessary for Deerfoot to establish. If the Sauk was
+alone, nothing was to be feared from him; but if he had brother warriors
+within call, the youth had need to be on his guard.
+
+"Why does the brother of Deerfoot hunt the woods alone?" asked the
+young Shawanoe, introducing himself in this characteristic fashion.
+
+"Because Hay-uta fears not to go everywhere alone; from the ridge-pole
+of his wigwam flutter the scalps of the Shawanoes, the Hurons, the
+Foxes, the Osages, and the strange red man whom he has met and slain in
+the forest."
+
+The old nature in Deerfoot prompted him to take this vaunting warrior to
+task. The answer of the Sauk was indefinite, but the youth could wait a
+few minutes for the information he sought.
+
+"Hay-uta, the Man-Who-Runs-Without-Falling, has not taken the scalp of
+Deerfoot, _and cannot do so_!"
+
+The flash of the eye which accompanied these words added to their force.
+Before they could receive reply the youth added:
+
+"Hay-uta is a brave man when he talks to squaws; less than twenty great
+suns have passed over the head of Deerfoot, but he is not afraid of the
+Man-Who-Runs-Without-Falling."
+
+Indian nature is quick to resent such taunts, and beyond a doubt the hot
+blood flushed the skin beneath the paint. Deerfoot noted the glitter of
+the eye, and a twitch of the muscles of the arm whose hand rested on the
+knife, as he made answer:
+
+"The Shawanoe is a dog that crept up behind the Sauk, without giving him
+warning; the rattlesnake speaks, but the Shawanoe does not."
+
+Deerfoot was angered by these words because they were untrue.
+
+"The Shawanoe was walking through the wood, when the Great Spirit
+whispered, 'Take care; a snake is crawling through the grass; he is
+called Hay-uta; he will strike his fangs through the moccasin of
+Deerfoot, unless he crushes him with his heel; Hay-uta was not brave,
+because he hid behind a tree, and he pointed his gun through the bushes,
+meaning to shoot the Shawanoe before he could chant a word of his
+death-song.'"
+
+This charge was an exasperating one, and instantly raised the anger of
+the warrior to white heat.
+
+"The dog of a Shawanoe holds his tomahawk and bow; let him lay them
+aside as Hay-uta does his weapon, and then it shall be shown who is the
+brave warrior."
+
+It was a curious fact that while this wrathful conversation was going
+on, the couple had been steadily backing away from each other. The act
+showed that in spite of the token of comity that had just passed between
+them, they were mutually so suspicious as to be ready to fly at each
+other. The last taunt forced the quarrel to the exploding point.
+Deerfoot slipped the cord which held the quiver of arrows in place over
+his head, by a motion so quick as scarcely to be perceptible, flung his
+bow a rod from him, tossed his tomahawk a dozen feet away, and whipping
+out his hunting-knife, grasped it with his left hand, and defiantly
+confronted the Sauk, who was scarcely behind him in taking up the gauge
+of battle.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+
+CHRISTIAN AND PAGAN.
+
+
+The North American Indian is treacherous by nature, and will take any
+advantage over a foe, no matter what its nature. The Sauk had failed to
+bring down Deerfoot by the same unscrupulous means he had employed in
+other instances, but he was on the watch to repeat his tactics.
+
+When uttering the taunt which brought about the personal collision, he
+flung his gun from him, and seized the handle of his tomahawk, as if
+with the purpose of throwing that also aside, the manner of his
+challenge implying that he meant the battle should be fought with the
+knives alone. Even the sagacious Deerfoot did not suspect him for the
+moment, when, on the point of grasping his knife, as he did when defying
+Tecumseh, the Sauk drew back his tomahawk and hurled it with incredible
+swiftness at the head of Deerfoot. There was a vicious spitefulness in
+the act which sent the missile as if fired from a gun.
+
+Nothing could have attested the Shawanoe's miraculous activity and
+quickness of eye so clearly as did the ease with which he dodged the
+weapon. The flirt of his head was like that of the loon which dives
+below the path of the bullet after it sees the flash of the gun. The
+tomahawk struck the ground, went end over end, flinging the dirt and
+leaves about, and after ricocheting a couple of times, whirled against
+the trunk of a small sapling and stopped.
+
+The act placed the two on the same footing. Each held only his
+hunting-knife. The treachery of the Sauk took place without a word being
+spoken either by himself or his foe. It was unnecessary, for there could
+be nothing to say.
+
+Having avoided the tomahawk, Deerfoot advanced upon Hay-uta with his
+knife grasped in his left hand, while the Sauk did precisely the same
+thing as regarded him.
+
+They were stripped for the fight, and were in deadly earnest. The Sauk
+had learned of the panther-like agility of the Shawanoe, and he knew no
+light task was before him. It would not be child's play to wrench the
+scalp-lock from the crown of the handsome warrior who was not afraid of
+any man, but Hay-uta was warranted in feeling a strong confidence in his
+own strength and prowess.
+
+The warriors approached each other with the watchfulness of a couple of
+gladiators, seeking each others' lives for the sake of giving amusement
+to a Roman populace. Both slightly crouched, with their heads bent
+forward, their eyes fixed, while they stepped softly about, seeking an
+opening into which the keenly-pointed hunting knife might be driven with
+a furious vigor, that would render a second blow useless.
+
+The situation was one where the slightest forgetfulness or mishap would
+prove fatal to him who made it. Both realized the fact, and did their
+utmost to guard against it.
+
+When a couple of yards separated the combatants, they approached no
+closer, but began slowly circling around each other in the same stealthy
+fashion. The action of the Sauk convinced Deerfoot that his enemy had no
+friends in that section, for, if any were within call, he would have
+summoned them before the quarrel had gone so far. He could have called
+any one to his help by signal, and neglect to do so was proof that there
+was none to summon. Had Hay-uta done anything of the kind, Deerfoot
+would have leaped upon him and ended the battle in a twinkling.
+
+Partly around, and then back again, the two seemed to oscillate, their
+motions corresponding so closely that it was as if both were moved by
+the same delicate machinery between them.
+
+Suddenly Deerfoot feinted, like a skillful boxer, with the hand which
+grasped his knife. The vigilant Sauk was equally quick to parry and
+counter. He was as spry as a cat, and never once took his burning eyes
+from the face of the hated youth. Then he feinted in turn, and the
+Shawanoe, by his action, showed he was prepared for any demonstration,
+no matter what.
+
+These preliminaries continued several minutes, when Deerfoot, in moving
+to the left, caught the toe of his moccasin in some obstruction and
+stumbled. He threw up his arms, as one will instinctively do, and for a
+single second was off his guard, though he recovered with incredible
+quickness. Any spectator of the strange combat would have given a gasp
+of terror, for the instant the stumble took place, the Sauk bounded
+forward with upraised knife and brought it down with a sweep like that
+of a panther's paw.
+
+But what seemed an accident on the part of Deerfoot was done with
+deliberate intent. He wearied of the idle circling, and, confident of
+his own ability to outwit his antagonist, he dropped his guard for the
+very purpose of drawing out the other. Hay-uta was so certain of his own
+triumph that he made the mistake which the skillful fighter never makes;
+he drew upon his own strength and self-poise by emitting a shout of
+exultation; but the downward sweeping arm clove vacancy only, and ere he
+could recover he was struck in the chest by the head of Deerfoot, who
+butted him with the force of a Japanese wrestler, sending the warrior
+several feet over on his back. The shock was so unexpected, as well as
+tremendous, that the knife flew from his hand, and he nearly fainted
+from sheer weakness.
+
+Inasmuch as Deerfoot was able to butt him in that style, it will be
+admitted that it would have been equally easy for him to have buried his
+knife to the hilt in the body of his enemy, but he chose not to do so.
+Instead, he quietly picked up the weapon and held one in each hand,
+while the Sauk was entirely disarmed. The latter had been frightfully
+jarred. The blow in the stomach fairly lifted him off his feet and drove
+the wind from his lungs. He lay for a moment, with his lips compressed,
+his body griped with pain, and with no more ability to defend himself
+than an infant. He kept his black eyes fixed on the youthful conqueror
+while writhing, and the latter stood off several paces and calmly
+confronted him, as though viewing the natural phase of such a contest.
+
+But the Sauk was quick to recover, and his old enmity seemed to blaze up
+with ten-fold intensity.
+
+"The Shawanoe is a buffalo," said he, from behind his gleaming paint;
+"he fights like the buffalo when his foe is stronger and braver than
+he."
+
+Deerfoot flung the knife of the warrior to him.
+
+"The Shawanoe will fight as a buffalo no more; he will now use his
+knife; let the Sauk do what he can."
+
+A brave warrior could take no exception to this declaration, accompanied
+as it was by such significant action; but it cannot be conceived that
+the Sauk was free from misgiving, when knowing, as he did, that he held
+the position of contestant only through the grace of his youthful
+antagonist, who a moment before could have pierced his heart with his
+hunting knife.
+
+Having displayed the character of a battering ram, Deerfoot now assumed
+another.
+
+"The Sauk is afraid of Deerfoot; he dare not attack him until he
+stumbles; Deerfoot's heart was oppressed with pity when he saw the fear
+of Hay-uta, and he stumbled that it might give Hay-uta the courage the
+Great Spirit did not give him."
+
+These were taunting words, but, convinced they were spoken with the
+purpose of disturbing his self-possession, the Sauk only compressed his
+lips the tighter, and held himself ready to seize the first chance that
+presented itself. His recent experience had taught him a lesson which he
+could not forget.
+
+Bending his knees until he assumed a crouching posture, the Sank
+centered his burning gaze on the face of Deerfoot, drew back his lips
+until his white teeth showed like those of a wild cat, and uttered a
+tremulous, sibilant sound, as if he were a serpent ready to burst with
+venom.
+
+If he meant to frighten Deerfoot he failed, for the mishap of the Sauk
+was too recent to allow such impression to be made. The figure of the
+crouching warrior was startling in its hideousness, but there was never
+a moment from the opening of the singular contest, when the young
+Shawanoe did not feel secure in his mastery of the situation.
+
+The feinting and retreating went on several minutes longer, when all at
+once Deerfoot caught an expression, which the paint on the face of his
+antagonist could not hide, that showed he had resolved on forcing the
+fight to a conclusion. A couple of quick feints followed, and then
+Hay-uta leaped forward, meaning to force Deerfoot to the earth. Had the
+Shawanoe remained quiet, such would have been the result, but he was too
+supple to be entangled in that manner. He withdrew, so that when his
+enemy landed on the spot, he found himself still confronted by the
+defiant youth, who had recoiled but the single step necessary to escape
+the blow. Hay-uta, without a second's pause, bounded toward him again,
+and brought down his right arm like a flash; but, as before, it cleft
+the empty air, and the youth confronted him with his shadowy smile and
+defiant expression.
+
+Then, as if feeling he had retreated far enough, the Shawanoe advanced
+on his muscular foe, who drew back as if to brace himself for the
+assault. Deerfoot uttered no sound, but when he bounded lightly from the
+ground, Hay-uta knew the crisis had come; the trifling had ended.
+
+The Shawanoe, when close enough to strike, made a dozen circular sweeps
+of his good left hand, as though he had rested it on the rim of a wheel
+that was spinning with bewildering swiftness. No eye could follow the
+knife in its circlings. There was one smooth gleam like the polished
+periphery of the "driver" of a locomotive.
+
+The foes, as is always the case, looked straight in each other's eyes,
+but every limb and portion of the body, being in the field of vision,
+was clearly seen. The peculiar act of Deerfoot produced the effect
+intended. The vision of Hay-uta became confused and dizzy, and before he
+could rally the Shawanoe struck his blow.
+
+He could have killed the other as easily as he would have slain a bear,
+but he chose not to do so. Instead, he brought his fist down on the
+upper part of his right wrist with a quick violence, which, for the
+second time, knocked the knife from the grasp of the more sinewy
+warrior. So deftly was the trick done that the weapon of the Sauk flew a
+dozen feet straight up in the air, turning rapidly end over end and
+falling between the two.
+
+[Illustration: DEERFOOT'S VICTORY.]
+
+If Hay-uta was subject to the will of Deerfoot a minute before, it will
+be seen that now he was helpless. He had been again disarmed, while the
+lithe youth still grasped his own weapon with the power to drive it home
+whenever he so willed.
+
+The last act of Deerfoot accomplished its purpose. Hay-uta at first was
+self-confident; again, he was hopeful; but the latter time he was
+disarmed, his confidence vanished. He saw that much as he had despised
+the youth whose life he sought, he was his inferior in every respect. He
+was no match for him in a fight, nor could he approach him in his
+peerless woodcraft. The question of supremacy was settled forever.
+
+Slowly recoiling a couple of steps, he folded his arms, and, with a
+dignity that was touching, said, in a slow, deliberate voice, with his
+softened gaze fixed on the countenance of his conqueror:
+
+"Hay-uta is a dog whose teeth have fallen out; he can fight no more; he
+is ashamed to go back to his people; the son of a pale face who is
+there, when he learns the truth, will point his finger at him and laugh;
+Hay-uta cannot go to his lodge; let Deerfoot bury his knife in his
+heart!"
+
+"Deerfoot seeks not the life of Hay-uta; had he wished it, he could have
+had it long ago; but Deerfoot is a Christian; he will do Hay-uta no
+harm."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+
+AN ABORIGINAL SERMON.
+
+
+If Hay-uta the Sauk had been astonished by the action of his youthful
+conqueror, he was now more astonished by his words; but the former in a
+measure prepared him for the latter, and he saw why it was the
+remarkable warrior had refused to take his life when the opportunity had
+been his, and when too he knew that he whom he was fighting would show
+him no mercy.
+
+Hay-uta, like many of his people, had listened to the words of the
+missionaries--those strange people who underwent hunger, thirst, and
+suffering that they might preach the Word of Life to those who had never
+heard of that wonderful Being that died to save a lost world, and who
+taught that forgiveness, kindness, and love were the duty of every one.
+Hay-uta, I say, had listened to the words of those people, but only to
+turn away with a scornful smile, for he was sure the creed was one to
+which the American Indian could never give his faith.
+
+The red man remembered that those priests and missionaries called
+themselves Christians, and lo! the most skillful warrior upon whom he
+had ever looked, now stood before him and declared that he too was a
+Christian. Not only that, but he proved it by his works, for he refused
+to tear the reeking scalp from the head of his enemy, when that enemy
+was vanquished!
+
+Once more Deerfoot picked the knife of Hay-uta from the ground and
+handed it (the point toward himself) to the Sauk. The latter accepted it
+and pushed it back in place behind the girdle that spanned his waist.
+Then at a signal from Deerfoot he recovered his rifle and tomahawk, as
+Deerfoot did his hatchet and bow and quiver. Without a word, the two
+walked the short distance to camp, Hay-uta slightly in the lead.
+
+The camp was of the simplest character, consisting of a pile of sticks,
+leaves, and branches which served as a couch, beside furnishing fuel for
+the fire when he cooked his food. A long, heavy blanket was partly
+folded and lying on the heap of branches, where it had served as a
+pillow for the warrior, who was different from most of his people in
+using that artificial help to slumber.
+
+The water, which is such a necessity for parties halting in the
+wilderness, was obtained from a tiny stream that trickled down the rocks
+just beyond, after which it sank out of sight in the mountain to
+reappear at some point far removed. The wood and undergrowth that
+surrounded the camp of the Sauk were very close and dense, so that the
+view in every direction was shut off, unless one should climb the
+tallest tree and take his survey from that perch.
+
+When Hay-uta halted in front of his camp-fire he turned about and
+extended his hand to Deerfoot.
+
+"Will Deerfoot tell Hay-uta about the Great Spirit of the white man?"
+
+"He is the Great Spirit of the red man as well as of the white," replied
+the Shawanoe, seating himself on the ground, where he was opposite the
+Sauk, who slowly resumed his seat on the pile of sticks and branches.
+"He loves all his children--him with the face of the night, the Miami,
+the Huron, the Shawanoe, the Delaware, the Sauk and Fox, the white man,
+and all those who live far beyond the great water which rolls against
+the shores of our land. He loves them all, and He hides his face with
+grief when he sees them quarrel and try to kill each other. If His
+children will do as He tells them to do, they will be happy in this
+world and in the hunting grounds where they shall live forever."
+
+Hay-uta remembered that this agreed with what he had heard the
+missionaries say, but he recalled also that there was something more.
+
+"Where does the Great Spirit that Deerfoot tells me about live?"
+
+The Shawanoe pointed reverently upward.
+
+"Far beyond the clouds, the sun, and the stars; He lives there, and
+there all shall go who do His will. A long time ago, before the white
+men came across the great water, He sent His Son from Heaven to earth;
+the Son went about doing good, and died, to save those He loved from
+sorrow and death."
+
+"Deerfoot tells me what the Great Spirit says to him; how does he hear
+the Great Spirit speak?"
+
+Without changing his half-reclining posture, the Shawanoe drew forth his
+small Bible from the inner pocket of his hunting shirt, the other
+watching with amazement the action. Opening the sacred volume, he read
+in his low, musical voice:
+
+"'Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
+
+"'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
+
+"'Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the children of
+God.
+
+"'Ye have heard that it has been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor, and
+hate thine enemy:
+
+"'But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
+good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use
+you, and persecute you.'"
+
+Deerfoot read these extracts from the Sermon on the Mount, with which he
+was so familiar that he could have repeated it all without looking at
+the printed page. Then raising his eyes to the wondering face of
+Hay-uta, he added:
+
+"Let my brother listen, for these are the words of the Great Spirit,
+which he speaks to all his children; if they will obey, there shall be
+no unhappiness in the world:
+
+"'_Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to
+you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets._'"
+
+The Sauk warrior was never so stirred in all his life. He had seen white
+men read from books, and he held a misty idea of how it was done, but he
+never knew one of his own race who could interpret the meaning of the
+curious figures made by some incomprehensible means on paper.
+
+It was impossible that he should grasp the height and depth of that
+sublime utterance, which is of itself the very essence of the Christian
+religion; but they were as clear as sunlight to Deerfoot, who had
+pondered them many a time since he sat at the feet of good Mrs. Preston,
+who presented him with the Word of Life.
+
+Closing the Book and putting it away, he proceeded to preach his sermon
+to the Sauk warrior. Deerfoot assumed the sitting position, and used
+both hands in his frequent gestures. Hay-uta reclined on his side,
+supporting himself on one elbow, while he fixed his eyes on his teacher
+and drank in every word.
+
+"The Great Spirit made all people--the white, the red, the black man,
+and him whose face is the color of the breast of Deerfoot's hunting
+shirtfor there are men whose skins are yellow, and others who are
+brown. He wishes them to live like brothers, but they do not. More of
+the pale faces are evil than good; they use the red men ill, and the red
+man loves to fight his enemies, but they grieve the Great Spirit. Let
+Hay-uta pray to the Great Spirit; let him never lie down or rise without
+talking to Him; let him stay his hand when it would strike a blow in
+anger; let him forgive his foes; let him seek to do the will of the
+Great Spirit, and a sweet peace shall fill his heart, such as he never
+knew before. Let my brother do that; let him tell the good news to his
+friends; let him listen to the words of the missionaries and talk to his
+people.
+
+"The father of Deerfoot was a chief of the Shawanoes, who loved to
+fight; Deerfoot when a child was a wildcat in his hate of his enemies
+and of the pale faces; but the Great Spirit whispered in his ear, and he
+became another being. It was the Great Spirit who told him just now that
+danger threatened him. Hay-uta knows that Deerfoot could have slain him
+had he wished to do so; but he never wished him ill; he first showed him
+he was his master, that Hay-uta might listen to his words; will my
+brother forget what Deerfoot has said to him?"
+
+Every being, whether groping in the night of barbarism or walled in by
+the skepticism of an advanced civilization, has felt at one time or
+another, an irrestrainable longing to draw aside the veil which shuts
+out the great hereafter, and solve the mystery of the life that is to
+come. Many a time is the heart stirred to its uttermost depths by the
+chastening hand of affliction, or when gazing on the glories of the
+stars and firmament, or when listening to the meanings of the vast deep,
+the soft sighing of the winds in the forest, or the lisping prayer of
+infancy. No proof of the immortality of the soul can equal that of its
+very yearning for immortality, and dim, strange, half-heard whisperings
+of the Beyond become voices more convincing than all the scientific
+scoffing and brilliant ridicule of those whose learning carries them
+beyond the trusting faith of childhood, and stops just short of the
+grandeur of the light of perfect knowledge.
+
+When Deerfoot addressed his question to the Sauk warrior, the latter did
+not answer, but continued gazing into his face as though he heard not
+the words, and his thoughts were far away. The Shawanoe was wise enough
+to suspect the truth, and refrained from repeating the question. He,
+too, held his peace, and for several minutes the strange scene lasted.
+The two Indians looked at each other without speaking.
+
+Meanwhile the afternoon was drawing to a close, and darkness was
+creeping through the forest. The camp-fire had burned so low that it
+gave out no light, and the figures of the warriors began to grow
+indistinct.
+
+Deerfoot felt that he had sowed the seed, and he had only to wait for it
+to bear fruit. He arose, and stepping closer to the fire, stirred it
+until it gave forth a flame which lit up the surrounding gloom. Still
+Hay-uta remained motionless and silent.
+
+Perhaps it has not escaped the notice of the reader that when the Sauk
+stood with folded arms before his conqueror, and asked him to bury his
+knife in his heart, he said that the son of the pale face would point
+the finger of scorn at him. Deerfoot noticed the curious words, and he
+felt that the moment had come when he should learn their full meaning.
+
+"Where is the village of my brother?" he asked in his gentle way.
+
+The Sauk aroused himself and slowly rose to his feet. Glancing through
+the firelight at his questioner, he pointed to the west.
+
+"Two suns' journey away is the home of Hay-uta. There are his squaw and
+pappoose. He left them two suns ago to hunt for the scalps of his
+enemies; but he will hunt no more; he will go home, and on his way will
+think of the words that Deerfoot has said to him."
+
+"It is well he should do so; but my brother spoke of the son of the pale
+face. Why is he in the village of the Sauks?"
+
+"He was brought there in the last moon; the Sauks found two pale faces
+in the woods."
+
+"Where is the other?"
+
+"Some of the Sauks took him by another path; Hay-uta knows not where he
+is."
+
+"Was harm done him?"
+
+"Hay-uta cannot answer."
+
+"Tell me of the pale face that is in the village of the Sauks with my
+brother."
+
+The warrior, assisted by the questions of Deerfoot, who kept down the
+deep interest he felt, told all he knew. When he had finished, as the
+reader may well suspect, Deerfoot was sure he had gained most important
+knowledge. He was satisfied beyond all doubt that the prisoner in the
+village of the Sauks was Jack Carleton, whom he had set out to find, and
+for whom he feared he would have to hunt for many moons before learning
+whether he was alive or dead.
+
+Suddenly the Sauk rose to his feet and stood in the attitude of
+listening, as though he had caught some signal. Deerfoot knew he was
+mistaken, for had it been otherwise, he too would have noticed it.
+
+"Hay-uta bids his brother good bye," was the abrupt exclamation of the
+warrior, who caught up his blanket and, without another word, passed
+from sight in the wood, leaving the astonished Deerfoot alone.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+IN THE LODGE OF OGALLAH.
+
+
+From what has been told concerning Deerfoot, the reader knows that the
+tribe which held Jack Carleton prisoner were Sauks, or Sacs, as the name
+is often spelled. They belonged to the great Algonquin division, and,
+when first known to Europeans, inhabited the country near Detroit River
+and Saginaw Bay, but were driven beyond Lake Michigan by the powerful
+Iroquois. They themselves were of a restless and warlike nature and were
+the bitter enemies of the Sioux and Iroquois. They were the allies of
+the famous war-chief Pontiac who besieged Detroit so long, and, during
+the Revolution fought on the side of the English. They were closely
+associated with the Foxes, and frequently moved from one section of the
+country to another, in which respect they resembled the majority of
+American Indians.
+
+The chief who has been referred to as Ogallah was one of the most
+fiery-tempered and quarrelsome members of the Sauk tribe. In one of the
+expeditions against the Sioux, he not only performed wonderful deeds of
+daring, but tomahawked several of his own warriors, because, in his
+judgment, they showed a timidity in attacking the common foe. One of the
+Sauks who fell by the hand of the wrathful sachem was the brother of the
+leading chief. This precipitated a fierce quarrel between the two, the
+upshot of which was that Ogallah, and a number of followers, drew off
+from the main tribe and began "keeping house" for themselves. Migrating
+southward with the purpose of placing a long stretch of country between
+them and the parent tribe, they finally erected their lodges on the
+banks of a stream on the Ozark region, in what is now Southern Missouri
+and upper Arkansas.
+
+I have already said the Indians gave the white men little trouble in
+that section during the pioneer days. In that respect, no comparison can
+be made with Kentucky and Ohio. As early as 1720, the lead deposits in
+Missouri attracted notice, and its oldest town, Saint Genevieve, was
+founded in 1755. St. Louis became the depot for the fur trade of the
+vast region beyond, and at the breaking out of the Revolution, was a
+town of considerable importance.
+
+The warrior Hay-uta with whom Deerfoot had his remarkable interview was
+a fair representative of the Sauk nation, and especially of that
+division which was under the following of Ogallah. Some of the warriors
+were constantly roaming through the wilderness in quest of scalps. While
+they were nothing loth to engage in a scrimmage with the hunters and
+trappers, yet they preferred those of their own race above all others.
+No Sioux or Iroquois could have approached within hundreds of miles
+without the certainty of an encounter with the warlike Sauks.
+
+The Sauk party which appeared so close to the settlement of Martinsville
+had been out for several weeks looking for "game" in the form of Sioux,
+who lived far to the northward. They had found some of it too, and were
+returning home in a leisurely manner. They took a careful survey of the
+settlement, and even discussed the wisdom of making an attack on it; but
+they saw it could not be destroyed by so small a force, and though they
+might have shot several of the settlers before they could know their
+danger, they decided to pass on without making any demonstration at
+all.
+
+When Jack Carleton and Otto Relstaub walked up to the party, it was no
+more than natural that they should be made prisoners. No particular
+reason can be assigned for the separation of the party, one division of
+which took Jack and the other Otto, except that a survey of the land
+passed over could be better made by that means. However, this point will
+be dwelt upon more fully in another place.
+
+Probably no person ever played the part of captive among a tribe of
+savages without devoting most of his thoughts to the question of escape.
+It is inevitable that he should do so, for the fate is so painful in
+every respect that, but for the hope, one would be ready to lie down and
+die.
+
+Jack had turned the question over and over in his mind, and had done his
+utmost to give his captors the slip while on the road, but misfortune
+attended every venture, and at last he found himself in the lodge of the
+chieftain Ogallah himself, where it looked as if he was likely to remain
+indefinitely.
+
+"Well, this beats everything," he exclaimed, after finishing the meal
+and seating himself at the side of the lodge, so as to be out of the way
+of the housewife, as she moved back and forth and here and there while
+attending to her duties; "I've come a long distance through the woods,
+and it'll take some time to find my way back to Martinsville, after I
+once make a start."
+
+He could not persuade himself that his captivity might last for months
+and possibly for years. He was confident that no matter how vigilant the
+watch maintained, he would gain a chance to give the Indians the slip
+within two or three days at the furthest.
+
+"I did my best to make Ogallah and the others think I wasn't anxious to
+leave, but the work was all thrown away. These people are not fools, and
+no matter how well I may act, they know of a surety that the whole
+prayer of my life is to part company with them."
+
+The conclusion reached by Jack was common sense, though the
+story-writers sometimes make it appear that the keen minded American
+Indian may be duped in that transparent fashion. The utmost that Jack
+Carleton could hope to do was to show his captors that, while he longed
+to return to his friends, he saw no means of doing so, and therefore
+was not likely to make the attempt. Such he resolved would be his
+course.
+
+The boy was fatigued in mind and body, and, when he bowed his head in
+prayer (much to the astonishment of Ogallah and his squaw), and lay down
+on the bison robe, he sank into a refreshing slumber, from which he did
+not awake until morning, and then, when he did so, he came to his senses
+with a yell that almost raised the roof.
+
+The Sauks, like all their race, were extremely fond of dogs, and the
+mongrel curs seemed to be everywhere. Jack had noticed them trotting
+through the village, playing with the children and basking in the sun. A
+number sniffed at his heels, as he passed by with Ogallah, but did not
+offer to disturb him.
+
+The chief was the owner of a mangy cur, which seemed to have been off on
+some private business of his own, when his master returned, inasmuch as
+he did not put in an appearance until early the following morning, when
+he trotted sideways up to the lodge and entered, as he could readily do,
+inasmuch as the "latch string was always out." The canine was quick to
+notice the stranger lying on the bison skin with his eyes closed and his
+mouth open. With an angry growl he trotted in the same sidelong fashion
+across the space, and pushing his nose under Jack's legs gave him a
+smart bite, just below the knee, as though he meant to devour him, and
+concluded that was the best part of his anatomy on which to make a
+beginning.
+
+The foregoing will explain why Jack Carleton awoke with a yell and
+stared around him for an explanation of the insult. The vigor of his
+kicks, and the resonant nature of his cries, filled the dog with a
+panic, and he skurried out of the lodge with his tail between his legs,
+and cast affrighted glances behind him.
+
+"Confound the cur," muttered Jack, rubbing the injured limb, "is that
+the style of these dogs when a stranger calls?"
+
+Ogallah was entering the door of his home just as the canine was going
+out. Suspecting what mischief he had been committing, he placed his
+moccasin under the brute and elevated him several feet in the air, with
+a force which caused him to turn end over end, with an accompaniment of
+yelps and howls which were kept up until he was out of sight and
+hearing.
+
+The wife of Ogallah was preparing breakfast, which was of the simplest
+character, consisting of nothing but meat cooked over the coals as on
+the evening before. There was nothing in the nature of vegetables,
+though something of the kind was growing on the cleared land without.
+
+Jack longed for the pure, fresh air of the outside. The smoke of the
+chieftain's pipe, the smell of burning meat, and the untidiness of the
+place and people, left a stale odor, which was nauseating to one
+unaccustomed to it.
+
+He wanted a drink of cold water as it bubbled from the earth, and,
+rising to his feet, passed outdoors. The squaw merely glanced up, while
+Ogallah addressed several rapidly spoken words to him. Then recollecting
+that nothing he said could be understood, he smiled grimly, and turned
+his back on the lad.
+
+Reaching the outside, Jack stood still for a minute, uncertain what
+course to take. The warriors, squaws, and children were astir; but no
+one seemed to observe him when he paused in front of the chieftain's
+lodge.
+
+"I'll try the river," was his conclusion, as he stepped briskly off, his
+heart beating rapidly, for he knew from his experience of the previous
+night, that much curiosity respecting him was felt, and he was certain
+to attract annoying attention. But he reached the stream, where he
+stooped and bathed his face and hands, wiping them on the handkerchief
+he carried, and still heard and saw nothing to cause misgiving.
+
+"I wonder whether they drink from this," he said, rising to his feet,
+and looking around; "I can't say that I fancy it, for it isn't as clear
+as it looked to be when I was further off; then the youngsters bathe and
+play in it--helloa!"
+
+He saw an Indian woman making her way toward one of the wigwams on the
+edge of the village, carrying a large gourd of water in her arms. It was
+filled almost to the brim, and slopped over the edge, as it was
+disturbed by her movement in walking. It was fair to conclude that she
+had taken it from the spring for which Jack was looking, and he
+immediately moved toward her. She stopped abruptly when she saw him
+approach, and stared in such open-mouthed amazement that it was evident
+that this was the first glance she had obtained of the captive.
+
+Jack made signs of comity, and sheered off so as to reach the path
+considerably to the rear of the squaw, who, with a grunt, made an
+equally wide circuit in the opposite direction, so that the two avoided
+each other by a liberal space of ground.
+
+The boy saw that he was moving over a well-worn path, which he was
+confident led to the spring he wished to find. Nearly every step was
+marked by the drippings of water from the gourd of the woman he had just
+met.
+
+Sure enough, he had gone less than a hundred yards beyond the village
+when he came upon the spring, which bubbled from under the twisted black
+roots of an oak, throwing up the sand in a continual fountain-like
+tumble of melted silver. The lad looked down at it for a moment, and
+then sinking to his hands and knees, pressed his lips against the cold,
+crystal-fluid, the most refreshing element in all nature.
+
+Had not his nose and eyes been so close to the water, Jack Carleton
+would have caught the reflection of another face just behind his own--a
+face which would have driven all thirst away and caused him to bound to
+his feet, as though he had heard the whirr of a coiled rattlesnake at
+his elbow.
+
+But Jack saw and suspected nothing. He had taken three good swallows
+when some one gave the back of his head such a smart push, that the nose
+was shoved down among the silver sands, which streamed from his face, as
+he sprang to his feet, and stared gasping, blinking, and furious.
+
+"Who the deuce did that?" he demanded, forgetting himself in his anger.
+
+His own eyes answered the question. Three Indian boys were standing,
+laughing as if ready to hurt themselves over his discomfiture. Two of
+them were very nearly the height and age of Jack, while the third, who
+had played the trick on him, was older and taller.
+
+The captive was angry enough to assail all three, and it required a
+smart exercise of the will to restrain himself. But he saw the folly of
+such a step. The affray would quickly bring others to the spot, and very
+speedily Jack would find himself attacked by overwhelming numbers, and
+possibly would be beaten to death. No; he must use ordinary prudence
+and swallow the insult.
+
+He looked in the grinning faces of the homely youths, and made quite a
+successful effort to join their laughter (though precious little mirth
+was there in the essay), and then started back toward the lodge of
+Ogallah.
+
+The youth tried to walk with a dignified step, but he was sadly thrown
+out by a dexterous trip from one of the moccasins, which sent him
+stumbling forward with a very narrow escape from falling on his hands
+and knees.
+
+It was the tallest of the three who had tripped him, and all laughed
+like a lot of clowns, as the angered Jack glared at them.
+
+"I wish I had you alone," muttered the boy between his set teeth; "I
+wouldn't need more than five minutes to give you a lesson you'd remember
+all your life."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV.
+
+A ROW.
+
+
+Jack Carleton saw that he was caught in an exceedingly unpleasant
+dilemma. He had a considerable distance to walk to reach the lodge of
+Ogallah and was sure to be tormented all the way. He could not feel
+certain even, that the wigwam of the chieftain would afford him
+protection, while nothing could be more manifest than that this was but
+the beginning of a series of numberless persecutions to which he would
+be subjected.
+
+He was allowed to take six or eight steps in peace, when one of the
+Indian boys slipped up behind and with his foot struck his heel, just as
+it left the ground. This threw the toe behind Jack's other leg and
+caused him to stumble again, though, as he was expecting something of
+the kind, he recovered himself with more ease.
+
+A few seconds later, Jack was passing among the different lodges, and
+walking rapidly toward that of the chieftain. His presence became known
+to the whole village in a very brief time, and the younger portion came
+flocking around him, as though he was some wonderful curiosity, which,
+under the circumstances, was the fact.
+
+Ogallah was among those who came to the front of the lodges to learn
+what caused the uproar. When he caught sight of Jack, he called out
+something and made excited gestures to him. The boy supposed they were
+intended to hurry his return, and finding his persecutors closing around
+him, he broke into a run.
+
+Then the stones and clods began to fly. The whole rabble joined in, and
+when the poor captive dodged into the wigwam, he was bruised and half
+frightened to death. He watched the entrance in terror, but his
+tormentors did not dare follow him into the home of their chief, who
+would have been quick to resent such an invasion of his dignity and
+rights.
+
+Jack was panting and frightened, but he had received no serious hurts.
+What alarmed him, more than everything else, was the foreshadowing thus
+made of the treatment in store for him.
+
+"I can't stand this," was his thought, after he had partly regained his
+composure. "I shall have to stay in here altogether or run the gauntlet
+every time I go out."
+
+But all this time, Ogallah kept talking and making vigorous gestures to
+him. The chief had followed him to the middle of the lodge, where the
+two sat on the ground cross-legged and began eating the meat which the
+squaw had prepared. She did not join them, and the boy had little
+appetite after his exciting experience. The gestures of Ogallah
+continued so long that it was evident he was seeking to say something of
+importance to Jack.
+
+"I wonder what the old fellow means," muttered the lad, ceasing his meal
+and studying the gyrating arms and spluttering countenance. The
+chieftain was striking the air as if fighting an imaginary foe, and
+then, pointing toward Jack he nodded his head vigorously and again
+pointed to the outside.
+
+Suddenly the meaning of the pantomime broke upon the youth.
+
+"By gracious! if he isn't urging me to sail into those fellows. I say,
+Ogallah, will you back me up and see that I have fair play?"
+
+Jack raised his voice to a loud key, as though that would help the
+chieftain understand his words; but it could not be expected that he
+would grasp their meaning, as they were not punctuated with any gesture
+and accompanied only by an eager expression of countenance.
+
+But Ogallah probably saw that the youth had caught _his_ meaning, for he
+nodded his head and grinned with delight.
+
+"If he will only keep the crowd off me," said Jack to himself, "I won't
+ask anything better than a chance to get even with that big fellow and
+after him the other two, if they want to take a hand in the fun."
+
+The voices and turmoil in front of the lodge showed that the crowd were
+there waiting for Jack to come forth, that they might continue the
+amusement which was interrupted by his flight. The lad spent a minute or
+two in conversing by means of gestures with the chief, whose meaning
+seemed plainer now that he had caught the gist of his first proposal.
+
+"I am quite sure he promises to see that I have fair play," thought
+Jack; "but, if I am mistaken I shall get into a pretty scrape. Anything,
+however, is preferable to this state of affairs, and it must be ended
+one way or another very soon."
+
+Ogallah showed a childish delight when he saw that the youth had made up
+his mind to have a bout with the ringleaders who had started out to make
+life a burden to him. Even the squaw partook of the general excitement
+and followed the two out doors.
+
+The chieftain cleared the way for the captive, who was greeted with the
+most uproarious cries as soon as seen by the company, which numbered
+over a hundred bucks, squaws and children, exclusive of the dogs which
+added to the unearthly racket by their barking, yelping and howling.
+
+Jack Carleton kept well under the wing of Ogallah until he could see
+what was to take place. The chief talked for a short time with several
+of his warriors, who closed around him, the rest holding him in such awe
+that they refrained from disturbing the prisoner until permission was
+given.
+
+It was quickly settled: Ogallah and two of his men cleared a space a rod
+square and then beckoned to Jack, who walked defiantly to the middle of
+it and folded his arms.
+
+"Something must be done pretty soon," was his thought, as he scanned the
+scowling, laughing, shouting mob. "They would like to tear me to pieces,
+and, if they come all at once, they will do it too."
+
+The three Indian youths who had assailed Jack at the spring, leaped
+about and were as frantically eager as so many bull-dogs to fly at the
+poor fellow, who was never in sorer need of a powerful friend.
+
+Suddenly one of them received the signal, and, with a whoop of delight,
+he lowered his head and ran at Jack like a Japanese wrestler or a mad
+bull. The boy saw he meant to butt him in the stomach, and if he did so
+he would suffer serious injury. Forewarned was forearmed in his case,
+and, leaping aside, he tripped the Indian as he shot by, and sent him
+sprawling on his hands and knees. The uproar was deafening, but the
+contest, it may be said, had only opened, and the young Sauk bounded to
+his feet as if made of India Rubber. His coppery face was aglow with
+passion, and, pausing but an instant, he made a second rush, though this
+time he kept his head up, and spread out his arms so as to prevent Jack
+escaping him.
+
+Jack did not want to escape. He seized his assailant at the same moment
+that the latter grasped him, and in a twinkling they were interlocked
+and struggling like tigers. But the dusky youth was not only younger and
+slighter than Jack, but he was not so strong. Furthermore, his skill in
+wrestling was less than that of the white youth, who, like all the
+youths of the border, was trained in the rough, athletic exercise so
+popular with every people.
+
+The contest was as brief as it was fierce. Suddenly a pair of moccasins
+kicked the air, and the presumptuous young Sauk went to the earth as if
+flung from the top of a church steeple. The shock was tremendous and
+caused a momentary hush, for it looked as if he had been killed.
+
+The mother of the overthrown wrestler ran forward from the crowd, and
+with wild lamentations, bent over him. When she saw him move and found
+he was not dead, she whirled about, and, with a shriek, made for Jack
+Carleton, who dreaded just such an attack; but Ogallah seized her arm
+ere she reached the frightened youth, and flung her back with a
+violence and a threat which stopped her from repeating the attack.
+
+This incident gave Jack great encouragement, for it confirmed his belief
+that the sachem meant he should have fair treatment, and would allow no
+dishonest advantage to be taken of him.
+
+The second dusky youth, who was slighter than Jack, was signalled to
+advance to the attack, but to the surprise of all, he shook his head in
+dissent and declined to come forward. The manner in which his companion
+had been handled was enough to convince him that the most prudent thing
+for him to do was to play the part of spectator only.
+
+Not so, however, with the larger and older youth, who had arrived almost
+at man's estate. He was quite an athlete among his people, and could
+scarcely restrain his eagerness to attack the pale face, who had
+vanquished an opponent younger and weaker than himself. Ogallah nodded
+his head, and, amid a noise which may be called applause, the young
+warrior strode forward and laid his hands on Jack, who, realizing the
+difficult task before him, was resolute, watchful, and yet confident.
+
+The young Sauk seemed to be left handed, like Deerfoot, the Shawanoe,
+for he placed himself on the right of Jack, and slid his arm over the
+boy's neck, while Jack assumed his favorite hold with his right. The
+Indian was slightly the taller, and was naked to the waist, which was
+encircled by a girdle, containing no weapons, below which were his
+breech clout, leggings and moccasins. There was nothing on his arms, his
+costume being that of a professional Indian wrestler "stripped for the
+fray."
+
+When he slid his arm over Jack's neck, he bent his head forward so that
+he could look down at their feet. Jack thus found the black hair, parted
+in the middle and dangling over the coppery shoulders, directly under
+his eyes. He noted the large, misshapen nose, the narrow forehead,
+immensely broad temples, and uncouth lower jaw, and, during the few
+seconds they were waiting, reflected what an ugly warrior the youth was
+certain to prove if he lived a few years longer.
+
+He was the ringleader among Jack's persecutors, and the lad determined
+to conquer him if within the range of the most desperate effort. The
+style in which he took hold of the pale face told the latter that he
+possessed considerable skill, and it would be a mistake to estimate him
+too lightly.
+
+Jack reached over his left hand to grasp the right of his antagonist,
+but the latter declined to take it, and the free hands, therefore, were
+held, as may be said, in reserve to be used as inclination prompted.
+
+Suddenly the Sauk kicked one of Jack's heels forward and made a quick
+strong effort to fling him backward. It was done with great deftness,
+and came within a hair of laying Jack flat on his back. He recovered
+himself by a fierce effort, and the attempt was instantly repeated, but
+he saved himself in better shape than before.
+
+Again the two crouched side by side, each with an arm over the other,
+and watching like cats for the chance to seize an advantage. As a
+feeler, Jack tried the same trick his foe had used, but the Sauk was too
+watchful and was scarcely disturbed. All at once the pale face slid his
+arm down until it rested on the girdle at the waist of the Indian. Then
+joining his two hands and pressing him until he could hardly breathe,
+Jack raised him like a flash, clear of his feet, and made as if to
+throw him forward on his face. At the instant the Sauk put forth his
+frantic efforts to save himself from going in that direction, Jack
+reversed the enginery, and sent him backward on his head with a shock
+that made the ground tremble.
+
+The fall was terrific, and looking down at the motionless figure, Jack
+believed he had broken his neck.
+
+"I hope I have," he muttered in the flush of his excitement, "but that
+kind are tough--helloa!"
+
+The prostrate youth began to gasp and make spasmodic movements of his
+limbs--enough to prove he was alive.
+
+While Jack stood surveying him, as if waiting another attack, the mob
+broke into the most frightful yells and made a rush for him. He had
+overthrown those that had been matched against him, and now they meant
+to kill him; but Jack's faith in Ogallah was not misplaced. He and his
+brother warriors interfered in such a vigorous manner that not a hair of
+the boy's head was harmed, and, turning around, he walked into the lodge
+of the chieftain, conscious that he had won a great victory.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV.
+
+THE WAR FEAST.
+
+
+Jack Carleton's triumph over the Indian youth was complete. In a fair
+wrestling bout he had flung him to the ground with a force that drove
+the breath from his body, and gave him a more vivid idea of the white
+man's views of that athletic amusement than he had ever entertained
+before. But what was to be the outcome of this affair was more than the
+boy could guess. Physical prowess always commands respect whether the
+spectators be civilized or savage; but it does not insure against
+persecution.
+
+"I have made them more revengeful than before," was the thought of the
+youth, after he hurried back into Ogallah's lodge, and sat panting from
+his exertion: "they hate me because I am of another race and am in their
+hands. They are afraid of the chief and, therefore, they will be more
+careful and I must be the same."
+
+There could be no mistake as to the sentiments of the sachem and his
+squaw. They were delighted with the ability shown by the pale-faced
+youth who had evidently overthrown the young champion of the village.
+Ogallah grinned and chattered with his wife who grinned and chattered in
+turn. Then the former patted Jack on the back and talked very fast. The
+boy could not doubt that he was uttering the most high flown compliments
+and he did a great deal of smiling and bowing in response. The squaw was
+more demonstrative, for, after bustling about the half-expired fire for
+awhile, she brought forward a piece of meat which she had taken extra
+pains in cooking and placed it at his disposal. Jack was not suffering
+from hunger, but he very gladly ate the food and nodded in
+acknowledgment.
+
+The crowd around the entrance became so noisy that the chieftain
+suddenly lost patience, and, springing to his feet, he dashed the bison
+skin door aside and speedily scattered them.
+
+As Jack sat on the lodge floor, rapidly recovering from his severe
+exertion, he became conscious of a peculiar feeling which manifested
+itself at intervals. When he moved, he was slightly dizzy and his heart
+gave several throbs that were more rapid and spasmodic than usual. He
+remained quiet, wondering what it could mean, but feeling much inclined
+to lay it to the exciting scene through which he had just passed. When
+he began to feel alarmed it passed off.
+
+But if Jack counted on finding all the hours dull and monotonous, from
+being compelled to stay within the tepee or wigwam of the Sauk
+chieftain, he was greatly mistaken. Shortly after eating his
+supplementary breakfast, Ogallah went out, leaving the youth alone with
+the squaw. This caused Jack some misgiving, for he feared his enemies
+might take advantage of the warrior's absence to punish him for his
+victory over the Indian youth. For some minutes he was in much
+trepidation, and the feeling was not lessened when he caught sight of
+several coppery faces peeping through the door. However, they ventured
+on no greater liberties and after a time went away.
+
+All at once a great uproar rose through the village. Shouting, whooping,
+screeching and all sorts of unimaginable noises rent the air. The sound
+of hurrying feet was heard, and it was evident that something of an
+extraordinary character was going on. Jack looked inquiringly at the
+squaw, but, though she must have known the explanation, she failed for
+obvious reasons to make it clear to the captive.
+
+Suddenly Ogallah came into the lodge. He uttered a few hurried words to
+his wife and then beckoned Jack to follow him. The latter had shoved his
+knife back in place, but did not venture to take his rifle which stood
+at the other side of the lodge.
+
+"I wonder what's up now," was the natural thought of the lad, as he
+hastened after him; "have they erected a stake in the middle of the
+village where I am to be roasted for the amusement of the rest, or am I
+to be put to a test which I won't be able to stand?"
+
+But fortunately the boy was mistaken in both his theories. The hubbub
+had no reference to him whatever.
+
+Beginning the night before, a party of bucks and squaws had been
+employed until long after daylight in cooking the carcass of a bear,
+that was plump, oily and in the best condition. It was not very large,
+but where there was so little waste, it can be seen there must have been
+considerable in the way of food.
+
+The animal was now fairly roasted and the time for feasting had come.
+Jack understood that much when he ventured outside the lodge and saw the
+numbers gathering around the "festive board." Naturally he clung close
+to his protector, but one of the singular features attending his
+captivity among this offshoot of the Sauk tribe of Indians, was the
+readiness with which they transferred their attention from one object to
+another. No one showed any curiosity in him when he appeared on the
+street--so to speak--but all pushed their way toward the one point of
+interest.
+
+The shouting and uproar ceased when fourteen warriors marched forth in
+Indian file, and, arranging themselves around the brown crisp mass of
+meat, made ready to fall to work, the others watching them. They were
+all fine looking fellows, their faces painted and their preparations
+complete for hostilities, with the exception that their rifles were left
+aside, merely for convenience sake, until the end of the festivities.
+
+Jack Carleton knew he was looking upon a war feast, as they are termed
+by the Indians, and which were more common among those people at that
+time than they are to-day. The bear had been carefully cooked expressly
+for them, and looked grotesquely tempting, as the crisped, browned, and
+oily carcass dripped over the pile of branches and green leaves to which
+the cooks had carried it.
+
+The American Indian is ridiculously superstitious, and he has as much
+terror of an odd number at a war feast, as we have of being one of
+thirteen at an ordinary dinner party. Under no circumstances would the
+Sauks have permitted such a defiance of fate itself.
+
+When the fourteen warriors had ranged themselves around the table, they
+stood for a minute or two, while the others held their breath in
+expectancy. The tallest Indian, who was the leader of the little
+company, suddenly whipped out his hunting knife and looked at the
+others, who imitated him with military promptness. Then he muttered some
+command, and immediately the whole number sprang upon the waiting
+carcass, which was carved up in a twinkling. Each cut himself an
+enormous slice, and, stepping back, began eating with the voracity of a
+wolf, while the others looked admiringly on. The spectators had held
+their peace so long that they broke forth again, not so loud as before,
+but grunting, chattering, and gesticulating like so many children, while
+Jack Carleton, taking good care to keep close to Ogallah his protector,
+furtively watched the scene.
+
+The capacity of the red man for fasting and feasting is almost
+incredible. He will go for days without a mouthful, and then, when an
+abundance of food is presented, will gorge himself to an extent that
+would be sure death to an ordinary human being, after which he will
+smoke, blink, and doze for several days more, just as the famous boa
+constrictors of Africa are accustomed to do.
+
+Such, however, is his habit only when driven by necessity. The Sauks
+lived too far south of the frozen regions to suffer such hardships, but
+one of the requirements of the war-feast was that each one of the party
+should eat all that he had cut from the carcass. To fail to do so was a
+sign of weakness sure to subject him to ridicule.
+
+So resolutely did the warriors address themselves to the task, as it may
+be called, that they succeeded with the exception of a single one. Two
+or three, however, found it all they could do, and another mouthful of
+the coarse, oily meat, would have raised a rebellion within their
+internal economy, which would have caused general wreck and desolation.
+
+The youthful warrior who failed was the one who was the most eager at
+the first for the feast. He toiled like a hero, and all went well until
+he reached the last half pound. The others, grinning queerly through
+their grease and paint, watched him as did the group on the outside of
+the circle, while he, fully alive to the fact that he was the center of
+attention, went to work as if resolved to do or die.
+
+It took several vigorous swallows to keep down the installment which had
+descended, while he held the last piece in his hand and surveyed it with
+doubtful eye. It finally rested uneasily on the stomach, and he looked
+more hopefully than ever at the remaining portion, suspended on the
+point of his hunting knife.
+
+Evidently he was not afraid of that, if what had preceded it would only
+keep quiet. Finally he made a desperate resolve and quickly crammed his
+mouth with the oleaginous stuff, upon which he began chewing with savage
+voracity. Possibly, if he could have got it masticated enough to force
+down his throat with only a few seconds' delay, all would have been
+well, but suddenly there was an upward heave of the chest, a sort of
+general earthquake; the eyes closed, and the mouth opened with a gape so
+prodigious that it seemed to extend from ear to ear, and threatened to
+bisect his head. That which followed may be left to the imagination of
+the reader.
+
+General laughter and taunts greeted the failure, in which Ogallah
+heartily joined; but the warrior took it in good part, and doubtless
+felt better than did any of the others participating in the scene of
+gluttony, inasmuch as his stomach was in its normal condition.
+
+The war feast finished, the fourteen resumed the form of a circle, stood
+motionless a few minutes, and, all at once, began dancing in the most
+furious manner. The spectators joined, Ogallah as before being among the
+most vigorous in the lead, and in a brief while the strange scene was
+presented of warriors, squaws, and children bounding about, swinging
+their arms and splitting their throats in the wildest excitement.
+
+"I don't suppose it will do for me to be the only idle one," said Jack
+Carleton with a laugh and a quick thrill, "so here goes!"
+
+And with a "loud whoop" he leaped high in air, and began shouting in as
+discordant tones as those around him. In truth, there was no more
+enthusiastic member of the company than young Carleton, who jumped,
+yelled, and conducted himself so much like an irrestrainable lunatic
+that a spectator would have supposed he was setting the cue for the
+others.
+
+Ogallah and several of the warriors glanced at the pale face with some
+curiosity, and probably a few comments were made upon the performance of
+the youth. Their precise tenor, as a matter of course, can only be
+conjectured, but Jack was confident they were of a complimentary
+character, for the heartiness which he showed must have pleased them.
+
+While going about in this hilarious fashion, there were many collisions
+and overturnings. Once Jack bumped so violently against some one that
+both turned their heads and glared at each other. The offender was the
+Indian youth whom Jack had beaten so handsomely in the wrestling bout.
+For an instant the dusky lad held his hand on the knife in his girdle,
+and was on the point of rushing at Jack; but the latter meaningly
+grasped the handle of his weapon, and returned his glare with equal
+fierceness.
+
+It was enough, and the revelry continued. Had the Sauks been in
+possession of firewater, the excitement would have intensified, until
+weapons would have been drawn and a general fight precipitated,
+accompanied with loss of more than one life. Such is the outcome of most
+of the similar feasts held among the red men all through the west: but
+there was not a drop of intoxicating stuff within reach of the village,
+and thus the murderous wind-up of the festival was averted.
+
+The dance lasted until many dropped from exhaustion. Jack Carleton was
+compelled to cease from sheer weakness, and staggering to one side, sat
+down on what he supposed was a log, but which proved to be a very live
+Indian who was also in quest of rest. Being extended on his face, he
+threw up his back, much after the manner of a mustang when "bucking,"
+and Jack was sent sprawling.
+
+"It don't make any difference," muttered the boy with a laugh, "for I'm
+so tired that I can rest in one place as well as another, and I'll wait
+here till the show is over."
+
+And wait he did for the conclusion, which came very speedily.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI.
+
+AN ALARMING DISCOVERY.
+
+
+When the war party grew weary of the furious dance, they stopped, formed
+themselves in Indian file, and with the leader at the head, marched to
+the tepee, where they had left their rifles. They reappeared a moment
+later, each bearing his weapon in hand, and quickly reformed as before.
+Then all uttered several loud whoops, to which the enthusiastic
+supporters responded with equal vim, and they marched in the same file
+and with the same steady step toward the forest on the other side the
+clearing. Right soon they vanished from view among the trees. They had
+gone in quest of scalps, but in the hunt more than one proud spirited
+brave was to lose his own natural head-gear, and of those who went
+forth, the majority never came back again.
+
+Now that the main cause of the hullabaloo was removed, the Sauks gained
+more time to view their immediate surroundings. When Jack tottered to
+one side to obtain the needed rest, he separated himself from Ogallah,
+who showed no signs of wearying of the terrific exercise.
+
+"I guess it will be as well for me to hunt him up," was the decision of
+the youth, "for he may need my care."
+
+But when the boy rose to his feet and looked around he saw nothing of
+the sachem, though all the rest of the village appeared to be in the
+immediate neighborhood. None of them had offered to molest Jack, but he
+felt great misgiving. Fortunately the lodge of the chieftain was not
+distant.
+
+While the dance was going on, an experience befell young Carleton which
+has not been told, but which should be given. In the bright glare of the
+morning sun, the countenance of every one was distinctly visible, and
+Jack was impressed by the fact that one heavy, squat redskin was viewing
+him with peculiar interest. He passed in front of the boy several times,
+and on each occasion cast a piercing glance at him.
+
+This of itself might not have been so noticeable but for the impression
+which deepened on Jack that he and the warrior had met at some other
+time and in some other place.
+
+He was impatient with himself because he could not recall the
+circumstances. Had it been on the other side of the Mississippi, it
+would have been no wonder, for, from his earliest boyhood he had been
+accustomed to seeing red men, and it would be impossible to remember
+them all; but he was convinced he had met the Indian since he and Otto
+had immigrated to Louisiana.
+
+Possibly Jack might have answered the question had he been given time to
+think over it without disturbance; but he had scarcely begun to look
+around for Ogallah, when he was alarmed by the demonstrations of the
+crowd around him. They began pushing forward, and the squaws and
+children showed an unpleasant disposition to lay hands on him.
+
+There was no use of standing on dignity. In a few minutes he would be
+hemmed in so he could not move, and the lodge of the chieftain was not
+far away. Shoving a little screeching girl from his path, Jack bounded
+away like a deer, straight for the shelter. The act was so sudden that
+it threw him in advance of the rest, but there were plenty of runners as
+fleet as he, and despite the start he gained, several were at his heels,
+and one of them came very near tripping him. Jack pressed on, and,
+within a rod of the entrance to the kingly wigwam, the Indian who made
+the attempt to trip him appeared at his side, and then threw himself
+directly in front.
+
+One glance showed the fugitive that it was the youth whom he had
+overthrown in the wrestling bout.
+
+"Oh, it's you, is it?" exclaimed Jack; "you haven't had enough yet!"
+
+And, quick as a flash, he drove his fist straight into the grinning
+visage with all the force he could concentrate in his good right arm.
+The amazed youth described a back somerset, his moccasins up in the air,
+and his ugly nose flattened to the shape of a crimson turnip. Then
+leaping over the prostrate figure, Jack made several bounds, and dove
+into the lodge just in time to avoid colliding with Ogallah, who had
+approached the door from the inside to learn the cause of the new
+tumult.
+
+The chief went far enough to obtain a good view of the audacious youth
+who was in the act of climbing to his feet, and groping for his nose and
+principal features in a blind way, as though doubtful whether any of
+them were left. The clamoring rioters were scattered once more, Ogallah
+adding a few words, probably meant as a warning against their
+persecuting his ward, for it may as well be stated that from that time
+forward the demonstrations against Jack were of a much less serious
+nature.
+
+"I suppose I've got to fight every time I go out of the lodge," said
+young Carleton, with a dogged shake of the head; "they mean to kill me
+whenever they gain the chance, and more than likely I'll have to go, but
+I'll make it cost them more than they count on. When I can't use my
+fists I'll use my knife."
+
+The mistress of the establishment, seating herself at the other end of
+the lodge, lit her pipe with as much indifference as though nothing
+unusual had taken place. Her mongrel pup came trotting along the space
+in his sidelong fashion and lay down with his nose against her slouchy
+moccasins, thereby proving his bravery, so far as any offense against
+his olfactories was concerned. Ogallah having made his speech and
+scattered the rabble, turned about and came slowly after the dog,
+seating himself near the middle of the lodge, where he also lit his
+long-stemmed pipe.
+
+Just then some one pushed the bison skin aside, and stepped within the
+residence. Despite his sluggish manner, Ogallah flirted his head like a
+flash, probably suspecting that one of Jack's tormentors had dared to
+follow him within his shelter. But the individual was a full-grown
+warrior, who would not have descended to such business, and the grunt of
+the sachem was meant as a cordial welcome to him who grunted in return.
+
+Jack Carleton also glanced at him, and was astonished not a little to
+observe that he was the same warrior who had scrutinized him so closely
+while the war feast was going on, and whom, the youth was well
+convinced, he had met elsewhere.
+
+There could be no mistake as to the interest which the visitor felt in
+the captive, for his black, penetrating eyes were not removed from him
+during the several minutes which followed his entry into the lodge. Not
+only that, but halting in front of the lad, he began talking and
+gesticulating with useless vigor, inasmuch as Jack could not gain an
+inkling of what was meant. Indeed, had the youth attempted afterward to
+describe the gestures, he would have referred to them all as pointless,
+excepting the series which consisted of a violent sweep of both arms to
+the westward, after pointing his finger at the wondering Jack Carleton.
+Altogether at a loss as to their significance, it was fortunate (as will
+appear hereafter), that the lad was able to recall and describe the
+motions to another, who had a hundred fold more woodcraft and mental
+acumen than he.
+
+Poor Jack could only shake his head and smile sadly by way of reply to
+this performance, and, after Ogallah had added something, the warrior
+ceased, took his seat beside the chief and employed himself in smoking
+and talking.
+
+"Who _can_ he be? He knows me and I--ah! I remember!"
+
+Sure enough, and why had he not thought of it before? He was one of the
+five Indians who had left the other five and gone off with Otto
+Relstaub, on the day that he and Jack Carleton were captured by the band
+so near their own home. More than that, Jack had seen the others that
+same morning in the village at the war feast, though the recollection of
+them was so shadowy that it had not caused him the perplexity produced
+by the appearance of the warrior before him.
+
+With the truth came the startling question--Where was Otto? While his
+captors were in the village, he certainly was elsewhere. What had become
+of him?
+
+The question fairly took away the breath of Jack and made him faint at
+heart.
+
+"He can't be at home, for Otto never could have made his escape from
+them; _he must be dead!_"
+
+The first declaration of the youth my reader knows was true, for the
+visit of Deerfoot, several days later to Martinsville, as has been
+described, proved it. As to the second theory, that will be investigated
+in due time.
+
+One of the most trying features of this occurrence was the certainty
+Jack felt that the Indian visitor was trying to tell him something about
+Otto. Those swinging arms, swaying head and apoplectic grunting carried
+a message within themselves, which, if translated would be found of
+great importance; but alas! the interpreter had not come.
+
+While the lad sat on the bison robe, reflecting over the matter, he
+became aware of the peculiar sensations that alarmed him some time
+before. His head was dizzy, a curious lightness took possession of his
+limbs, and he felt that if he should undertake to cross the lodge, he
+would stagger and fall like a drunken man.
+
+"I'm going to be ill," he said, pressing his hand to his forehead;
+"something is wrong with me."
+
+The shock which came with the conviction was deepened by the belief that
+he was about to go through the experience that had befallen poor Otto
+Relstaub.
+
+"He fell sick while tramping through the woods with the Indians, and
+they have either tomahawked or left him to die. These people with all
+their Medicine Men and Women know nothing about curing sick folks, and
+if I _do_ become ill that will be the end of me."
+
+The boy was in anything but a cheerful frame of mind, but he faced the
+position like a hero. He did not lose heart, though he was sure that his
+situation was worse than ever before, and he did not forget any of the
+incidents of the journey from Kentucky to Louisiana, when many a time
+there seemed not the slightest ground for hope.
+
+After smoking awhile Ogallah and his visitor got up and went out doors.
+The chief was gone but a short time when he came back, and, as he
+resumed his seat, grunted out something to his squaw, who immediately
+laid down her pipe, tenderly shoved the nose of her dog aside and left
+the place.
+
+While Jack was wondering what the meaning of these movements could be,
+the attack of weakness which had alarmed him passed off, like the
+fleeing shadow of a cloud. It was followed by a natural rebound of
+spirits, and he too rose to his feet and walked toward the door.
+
+The sachem looked inquiringly at him, but showed no objection to his
+departure. The boy placed his hand at his waist to make sure his hunting
+knife was there, and at the entrance paused a moment in doubt.
+
+"I wonder whether they will set on me again," he said to himself; "if
+they do I will use my weapon--that's certain, and then there will be a
+bigger rumpus than before."
+
+The knowledge that the chief who had served so many times as friend was
+near at hand added much to Jack's courage, when he finally let the
+bison-skin door drop behind him.
+
+The explanation of the squaw's departure was manifest at once. She had a
+long sharpened stick in her hands, with which she was stirring the earth
+around some hills of corn growing on a small plot near their lodge.
+Extending his gaze, Jack saw many other squaws engaged in the same
+manner, but among them all was not a single man. They were lolling in
+their wigwams, smoking or dozing, or hunting in the woods for game or
+scalps.
+
+The younger members of the community seemed to be the happiest of all. A
+number were playing by the river, and some were plunging into the
+stream, swimming, diving, and disporting themselves like porpoises;
+others were deep in some kind of game, on the clearing near the woods,
+and all were as shouting and demonstrative as so many civilized
+youngsters engaged in a game of ball.
+
+Anxious to learn whether his last affray with his persecutors was likely
+to lessen or increase their hostility, Jack Carleton gradually advanced
+from the lodge until he was close to the group playing on the large
+cleared space, while those by the river were much nearer his refuge than
+he.
+
+This was assuming considerable risk, as all must admit, but the boy took
+it with much caution and with his eyes wide open, meaning to make the
+most hurried kind of retreat the instant it might become necessary.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII.
+
+"GAH-HAW-GE."
+
+
+Naturally enough, when Jack Carleton found himself standing close to the
+frolicking Indian boys on the clearing, he became interested in the game
+they were playing, which he saw was systematic, and in which all took
+part.
+
+Like amusements of that sort, it was simple in its character and he
+quickly caught its drift. The boys divided themselves into two parties
+equal in numbers, one of which was ranged in line at the right of the
+clearing near the wood, while the other did the same at the other goal,
+which was a stump close to the stream. Each boy held a stick with a
+forked end in his hand, that being the implement with which the game is
+played.
+
+When all was ready, one of the youthful Sauks walked out from the party
+near the woods, holding the stick with the crotch of a small branch
+supported at the point of bifurcation. This crotch was four or five
+inches in length, and as it was carried aloft, it looked like an
+inverted V, raised high so that all might see it.
+
+Pausing in the middle of the clearing, the dusky lad with a flirt of the
+stick, flung the crotch a dozen feet in air and uttered a shout which
+was echoed by every one of the waiting players. Both sides made a
+furious rush toward the middle of the playground, where they came
+together like two mountain torrents, and the fun began. The strife was
+to get the crotch of wood to one of the goals, and each side fought as
+strenuously to help it along toward his own, as a side of foot-ball
+players struggle to do the opposite in a rough and tumble fight for the
+college championship.
+
+Inasmuch as the only helps to be employed were the long, forked sticks
+carried in their hands, it will be seen that the game offered a
+boundless field for the roughest sort of play, mingled with no little
+dexterity and skill. Some swarthy-hued rascal, while on a dead run,
+would thrust the point of his stick under the crotch, and lifting it
+high above his head, start or rather continue with might and main toward
+his goal. At that time, as, indeed, at every minute, each young American
+was literally yelling like so many "wild Indians." Desperately as the
+youth ran, others more fleet of foot speedily overtook him, and one,
+reaching forward while going like a deer, lifted the crotch from the
+other stick, and circling gracefully about, sped for his own goal. But
+some youth at his heels leaped in air and with a sweep of his own stick
+struck the other and sent the crotch spinning and doubling through the
+air. A dozen other sticks were plunged after it, but it fell to the
+ground, and then the fight reached its climax. The parties became one
+wild, desperate, shouting, yelling, scrambling mob. Legs and arms seemed
+to be flying everywhere, and the wonder was that a score of limbs and
+necks were not broken. But it rarely hurts a boy to become hurt, and
+though bruises were plenty, no one suffered serious harm. After a few
+minutes' struggle, the crotch would be seen perched on the stick of one
+of the boys, who, fighting his way through the mob, ran with astonishing
+speed, with friends and foes converging upon him, and the certainty that
+he would be tripped and sent flying heels over head, before he could
+reach safety.
+
+After awhile, when the prize had been gradually worked toward the goal
+of the stronger party, some youth, by a piece of skill and daring,
+would make a dash for home and bear down all opposition. It followed, of
+course, that his side had won, and, after a brief rest, the game was
+renewed and pressed with the same vigor as before.
+
+This Indian boy's game is still played by many Indian tribes. Among the
+Senecas it is called "Gah-haw-ge," and I make no doubt that more than
+one reader of these pages has witnessed the exciting amusement, which so
+thrilled the blood of Jack Carleton that he could hardly restrain
+himself from taking part in the fun. But he had no crotched stick,
+without which he would have been a cypher, and then, as he had never
+attempted the game, he knew he possessed no skill. The venture would
+have been rash, for in the excited state of the Indian youths, and armed
+as they were with sticks, it is almost certain that at some stage of the
+game they would have turned on the pale face and beaten him to death.
+
+The rough amusement lasted fully two hours, during which Jack Carleton
+and many of the warriors were interested spectators. At last the
+youngsters became weary and the sport ended. As the stumpy youths
+straggled apart, the perspiration on their faces caused them to shine
+like burnished copper. All at once one of them emitted a whoop and broke
+into a swift run, the rest instantly falling in behind him, and speeding
+with the same hilarious jollity.
+
+The heart of Jack Carleton stood still, for the leading Indian was
+coming straight toward him.
+
+"They're aiming for me," was his conclusion, as he gripped the handle of
+his knife and half drew it from his girdle.
+
+But the whooping youth swerved a little to the right, and was ten feet
+away from the terrified captive when he dashed by with unabated speed.
+He did not so much as glance at Jack, nor did the procession of
+screeching, bobbing moon-faces, as they streamed past, give him the
+least attention.
+
+The lad who set off with the lead, kept it up with undiminished speed,
+until he reached the edge of the river. Then he made a leap high upward
+and outward. Jack saw the crouching figure, with the head bent forward,
+the arms crooked at the elbow, and the legs doubled at the knees, during
+the single breath that it seemed suspended in the air. Then describing a
+beautiful parabola, he descended, and striking the water, sent the spray
+flying in every direction, while the body went to the bottom. The others
+followed, so fast that the dusky forms dropped like hailstones, tumbled
+over each other, splashed, dove, frolicked, shouted, and acted with the
+same abandon as before.
+
+It is by such sports and training that the American Indian acquires his
+fleetness, high health, and powers of endurance.
+
+But Jack had grown weary of watching the antics of the youngsters, and
+turned about and walked homeward. He saw from the position of the sun
+that it was near noon, and he was hungry; but he was more impressed by
+the change of treatment since his last affray than by anything else. He
+walked past five separate wigwams before reaching the imperial
+residence, which for the time being was his own. There were warriors,
+girls, and squaws lounging near each one. They raised their repellant
+faces and looked at the captive with no little curiosity, but offered
+him no harm.
+
+When half way home, the flapping door of one of the conical wigwams was
+pushed aside, and the stooping figure of a large Indian boy
+straightened up and walked toward Jack, who, with an odd feeling,
+recognized him as the youth whom he had overthrown in wrestling, and
+afterwards knocked off his feet by a blow in the face.
+
+"I wonder whether he means to attack me?" Jack asked himself, in doubt
+for the moment as to what he should do. At first he thought he would
+turn aside so as to give the young Sauk plenty of room; but that struck
+him as impolitic, for it would show cowardice.
+
+"No, I won't give him an inch; he is alone, and if he wants another row,
+I'm agreeable."
+
+It was hard for Jack to restrain a smile when he looked at the face of
+the Indian. It was exceptionally repulsive in the first place, but the
+violent blow on the nose had caused that organ to assume double its
+original proportion, and there was a puffy, bulbous look about the whole
+countenance which showed how strongly it "sympathized" with the injured
+part.
+
+Although the American Indian, as a rule, can go a long time, like the
+eagle, without winking his eyes, this youth was obliged to keep up a
+continual blinking, which added to his grotesque appearance, as with
+shoulders thrown back and a sidelong scowl he strode toward the river.
+Jack returned the scowl with interest, and it scarcely need be said that
+the two did not speak as they passed by.
+
+Feeling some fear of treachery, the captive kept his ears open, and
+watched over his shoulder until he reached his own wigwam, where he
+stood for a moment and gazed in the direction of the river, which was
+partly shut out by one of the intervening lodges. He was just in time to
+see the young Sauk of the battered countenance leap into the river,
+where, doubtless, he was able to do much toward reducing the
+inflammation of his organ of smell.
+
+When the captive entered his home as it may be called, he saw the
+chieftain stretched flat on his back and snoring frightfully. The dog
+was asleep on the other side the fire, and the squaw, after toiling so
+long in the "corn field," was preparing the mid-day meal. She was a type
+of her sex as found among the aborigines, as her husband, even though a
+monarch, was a type of the lazy vagabond known as the American warrior.
+
+At the side of the queen lay the gourd which usually contained water.
+Peeping into the round hole of the upper side, she shook the utensil,
+and the few drops within jingled like silver. She snatched it up, looked
+toward Jack, and grunted and nodded her head. If the lad could not
+understand the language of the visitor sometime before, he had no such
+difficulty in the case of the squaw. With real eagerness he sprang
+forward and hastened out of the wigwam to procure what was needed.
+
+The one visit which he made the spring in the morning had rendered him
+familiar with the route, and it took but a minute or two for him to fill
+the gourd and start on his return. He found that a number of young girls
+had followed him, and were at his heels all the way back; but, though
+they talked a good deal about him, and displayed as much curiosity as
+their brothers, they did not molest him. Once, when they ventured rather
+too close, Jack whipped out his knife, raised it on high, and made a
+leap at them, expanding his eyes to their widest extent, and shouting in
+his most terrifying tone, "Boo!"
+
+It produced the effect desired. The young frights scattered with screams
+of terror, and hardly ventured to peep out of their homes at the ogre
+striding by.
+
+When Jack entered the lodge he found Ogallah awake. Evidently he was not
+in good humor, for his manner showed he was scolding his much better
+half, who accepted it all without reply or notice. No doubt she received
+it as part of the inevitable.
+
+The chief, however, refrained from following the civilized custom of
+beating the wife, and when the meat and a species of boiled greens were
+laid on the block of wood which answered for a table, his ill-mood
+seemed to have passed, and he ate with his usual relish and enjoyment.
+
+Jack Carleton crossed his legs like a tailor at his side of the board,
+but before he could eat a mouthful a violent nausea seized him, his head
+swam, and he was on the verge of fainting. Ogallah and his squaw noticed
+his white face and looked wonderingly at him.
+
+"I'm very ill!" gasped Jack, springing to his feet, staggering a few
+steps, and then lunging forward on the bison skin, where he flung
+himself down like one without hope.
+
+The violence of the attack quickly subsided, but there remained a
+faintness which drove away every particle of appetite, and it was well
+that such was the case, for had he taken any food in his condition the
+result must have been serious.
+
+Meanwhile the squaw had assumed her place at the table by her liege
+lord, and both were champing their meal as though time was limited, and
+there was no call to feel any interest in the poor boy who lay on his
+rude couch, well assured that his last illness was upon him.
+
+"What do they care for _me_?" muttered Jack, his fright yielding to a
+feeling of resentment, as the violence of the attack subsided. "I wonder
+that they spared my life so long. They would have been more merciful had
+they slain me in the woods as they did Otto, instead of bringing me here
+to be tormented to death, and as I know they mean to do with me."
+
+Lying on his arm, he glared at the couple with a revengeful feeling that
+was extraordinary under the circumstances. A morbid conviction fastened
+itself upon him that Ogallah had taken him to his lodge for the purpose
+of keeping him until he was in the best physical condition, when he
+would subject him to a series of torturing and fatal ceremonies for the
+amusement of the entire village.
+
+In the middle of these remarkable sensations exhausted nature succumbed,
+and the captive fell asleep.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII.
+
+A PATIENT OF THE MEDICINE MAN.
+
+
+When Jack Carleton awoke, it was night and the rain was falling. He was
+feverish and his brain was so overwrought that it was a full minute
+before he could call to mind where he was. His slumber had been
+disturbed toward the latter part by dreams as wild, vague and
+unimaginable as those which taunt the brain of the opium eater.
+
+When he remembered that he was in the wigwam of Ogallah, the chieftain,
+he turned upon his side and raised his head on his elbow. The fire at
+the other end of the apartment that had been burning brightly, had gone
+down somewhat, but enough remained to light up the interior so that the
+familiar objects could be seen with considerable distinctness.
+
+He observed the figure of the sachem stretched out in the dilapidated
+slouchiness peculiar to himself. He did not bother to remove any of his
+clothing, and, though the place was quite chilly he drew none of the
+bison robes over him. He had lain down on one, but had managed in some
+way to kick it half way across the lodge, and his couch, therefore, was
+the simple earth, which served better than a kingly bed of eider down
+could have done.
+
+The favorite posture of the queenly consort was not a prone one, but
+that of crouching in a heap near the coals, where, with a blanket that
+had never been washed since it was put together years before, gathered
+about her shoulders, her skinny arms clasping her knees and her head
+bowed forward, she would sleep for hours at a time. The reflection of
+the flickering flames against her figure caused it to look grotesque in
+the fitful light, and the captive gazed at her for a long time, led to
+do so by an infatuation which was not strange under the circumstances.
+
+There, too, was the dog which, could he have been given his way, would
+have done nothing all his life but sleep and eat. As was his custom, he
+was at the feet of his mistress, a position which he seemed to prefer
+above all others. Then the blankets, deer and bison skins, and rude
+articles hanging about the room, the two columns in the center
+supporting the clumsy roof, the craggy logs and sticks at the side, the
+hanging skin which served as a door and was barely visible, the tumble
+down appearance of everything, and withal the solemn stillness which
+brooded within the lodge: all these made the scene weird and impressive
+in a striking degree.
+
+The fire burned so fitfully that it threw ghostly shadows about the
+apartment, sometimes flooding it with light, and again falling so low
+that the other end of the lodge could not be seen at all. Without, the
+night could not have been more dismal. There was no thunder or
+lightning, and the rain fell with that steady patter on the leaves,
+which at ordinary times forms the most soothing accompaniment of sleep,
+but which to Jack Carleton only added to his dismal dejection of
+spirits.
+
+The roof of the lodge was so thick and diversified in its composition
+that the music of the patter on the shingles was lost. At intervals the
+wind stirred the limbs, and, though none of the trees were very close,
+the lad could hear the soughing among the branches, as the hunter hears
+it in early autumn when the leaves begin to fall.
+
+Could the melancholy croaking of frogs in the distance have fallen on
+the ears of the boy, he would have had all the factors that go to bring
+on the most absolute loneliness of which a human being is capable.
+Unfortunately Jack did not need that addition to render his misery
+complete, for it was furnished by his own condition and situation.
+
+"I am many long, long miles from home," he reflected, as a sharp pain
+gyrated through his brain, and the flickering fire seemed to be bobbing
+up and down and back and forth in a witches' dance; "and little hope is
+there of my ever seeing mother again. Ah, if I was only there now!"
+
+He let his head fall back and heaved a deep sigh. He recalled his plain
+but comfortable bed, which became the most deliciously comfortable the
+mind can conceive, when his mother shoved the blankets in about him, or
+"tucked him up," as she never failed to do every evening he was at home;
+the good-night kiss from those affectionate lips; the magic touch of
+those fingers which pushed back the hair from his forehead, ere she
+bent over him with the last salute; the loving, caressing care when he
+was threatened with the slightest illness, which made the boy long for
+illness for the sake of such care: these and other blessed memories came
+back with a power which caused the eyes to overflow with sorrow.
+
+Ah, fortunate is that boy, even though his years carry him to the verge
+of full manhood, who has his mother to watch over his waking and
+sleeping hours, and her prayers to follow his footsteps through life.
+
+The pattering rain, the sighing wind, and the ghostly, semi-darkness
+soothed the sachem and his wife, but Jack Carleton was as wide awake as
+when pushing across the Mississippi in the half overturned canoe, with
+the fierce Shawanoes firing at him and his friends. Probably, in the
+entire Indian village, he was the only one who was awake. Had a band of
+Sioux or Iroquois stolen through the woods and descended on the Sauks
+they would have been found defenceless and unprepared.
+
+Through one of the crevices behind Jack, came a draught of wind which,
+striking him on his shoulders, caused him to shiver. He moved a little
+distance away, and drew the bison robe closer about him, for though a
+raging fever was coursing through his veins, he knew the danger of
+subjecting himself to such exposure.
+
+He was consumed with thirst, and seeing the clumsy gourd by the side of
+the sleeping squaw, he crawled forward on his hands and knees in the
+hope of finding water in it. Fortunately there was an abundance and he
+took a long, deep draught of the fluid, which was not very fresh nor
+cold, but which was the most refreshing he had ever swallowed.
+
+Creeping back to his primitive couch, he continued a deep mental
+discussion of the question whether the best thing he could do was not to
+steal out of the lodge and make a break for home. There could be little,
+if any doubt, as to the ease with which such a start could be made. He
+had only to rise to his feet, pass through the deer-skin door, which was
+merely tied in position, and he could travel miles before morning and
+before his absence would be noted. The falling rain would obliterate his
+trail, so that the keen eyes of the Sauks would be unable to follow it,
+and he could make assurance doubly sure by taking to the water until a
+bloodhound would turn up his nose in disgust. Furthermore, he was
+confident that he would be able to obtain possession of his rifle and
+enough ammunition with which to provide himself food on the way home.
+
+This was what may be called the rose-colored view of the scheme, which
+had a much more practical side. While under ordinary circumstances Jack
+would have been able to take care of himself at a much greater distance
+from home, and in a hostile country, yet the alarming fact remained,
+that he was seriously ill and such exposure was almost certain to drive
+him delirious, with the certainty of death to follow very speedily.
+
+Though he took such a gloomy view of his own position among the Sauks
+(whose tribal name, of course, he had not yet learned), he was not
+without a certain degree of hope. He had suffered no harm thus far and
+it is always the unexpected which happens. While he had declared to
+himself that Ogallah was simply training him for the torture, as it may
+be expressed, yet it might be the chieftain being without children,
+meant to adopt him as a son. If such was his intention, manifestly, the
+best thing for Jack to do was to lie still and prayerfully await the
+issue of events. No doubt if you or I were in his sad predicament, that
+is the course that would have been followed, but Jack could not bring
+himself to submit to such inactivity when the prospect of liberty was
+before him. Allowance, too, must be made for the condition of the boy.
+He was scarcely himself, when, compressing his lips, he muttered,
+
+"I won't stay here! They mean to kill me and I may as well die in the
+woods! I will take my gun and go out in the night and storm, and trust
+in God to befriend me as He has always done."
+
+Aye, so He had; and so He will always befriend us, if we but use our
+opportunities and fly not in His face.
+
+Carefully he rose to his feet, and, gathering the bison robe around his
+fevered frame, glanced at the two unconscious figures, and then at the
+form of his rifle leaning against the side of the lodge and dimly
+revealed in the flickering firelight.
+
+As he stepped forward to recover his gun, everything in the room swam
+before his eyes, a million bees seemed to be humming in his brain, and,
+clutching the air in a vague way, he sank back on his couch with a
+groan, which awakened Ogallah and his squaw. The chief came to the
+sitting position with a surprising quickness, while the wife opened her
+eyes and glared through the dim firelight at the figure. The dog
+slumbered on.
+
+Ogallah seeing that it was only the captive who was probably dying, lay
+back again on the bare earth and resumed his sleep. The woman watched
+the lad for several minutes as if she felt some interest in learning
+whether a pale face passed away in the same manner as one of her own
+race. Inasmuch as the sick boy was so long in settling the question, she
+closed her eyes and awaited a more convenient season.
+
+From the moment Jack Carleton succumbed, helpless in the grasp of the
+fiery fever, he became sick nigh unto death. Those who have been so
+afflicted need no attempt to tell his experience or feelings. Why he
+should have fallen so critically ill, cannot be judged with certainty,
+nor is it a question of importance; the superinducing cause probably lay
+in the nervous strain to which he was subjected.
+
+He instantly became delirious and remained so through the night. He
+talked of his mother, of Deerfoot, of Otto, and of others; was fleeing
+from indescribable dangers, and he frequently cried out in his fright.
+The chief and his squaw heard him and understood the cause, but never
+raised their hands to give him help.
+
+Jack became more quiet toward morning and fell into a fitful sleep which
+lasted until the day was far advanced. Then, when he opened his eyes,
+his brain still somewhat clouded, he uttered a gasp of dismay and
+terror.
+
+Crouching in the lodge beside him was the most frightful object on which
+he had ever looked. It had the form of a man, but was covered with skins
+like those of a bear and bison, and a long thick horn projected from
+each corner of the forehead. The face, which glared out from this
+unsightly dress, was covered with daubs, rings and splashes of red,
+white and black paint, applied in the most fantastic fashion. The black
+eyes, encircled by yellow rings, suggested a resemblance to some serpent
+or reptilian monster. The figure held a kind of rattle made of hollow
+horn in either hand, and was watching the countenance of the sick boy
+with close attention. When he saw the eyes open, he made a leap in the
+air, began a doleful chant, swayed the rattles and leaped about the
+lodge in the most grotesque dance that can be imagined. Ogallah and his
+squaw were not present, so Jack had the hideous creature all to himself.
+
+Enough sense remained with the boy for him to know that he was the
+Medicine Man of the tribe, whom the chieftain had been kind enough to
+send to his help. Instead of giving the youth the few simple remedies he
+required, he resorted to incantation and sorcery as has been their
+custom for hundreds of years. The barbarian fraud continued to chant and
+rattle and dance back and forth, until Jack's eyes grew weary of
+following the performance. The mind, too, which was so nigh its own
+master in the morning, grew weaker, and finally let go its hold.
+Sometimes the waltzing Medicine Man suddenly lengthened to the height of
+a dozen yards; sometimes he was bobbing about on his head, and again he
+was ten times as broad as he was long, and hopping up and down on one
+short leg. From the other side of the lodge he often made a bound that
+landed him on the bison skin, which lay over the breast of the sick boy,
+where he executed a final tattoo that drove the last vestige of
+consciousness from him.
+
+It was all a torturing jumble of wild and grim fancies, with occasional
+glimmerings of reason, which led Jack to clutch the air as if he would
+not let them go; but they whisked away in spite of all he could do, and
+a black "rayless void" descended upon and gathered round about him,
+until the mind was lost in its own overturnings and struggles, and all
+consciousness of being departed.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX.
+
+CONVALESCENCE.
+
+
+As nearly as can be ascertained, Jack Carleton lay the major part of
+four days in the Indian lodge, sick nigh unto death, with his brain
+topsy turvy. During that time he never received a drop of medicine, and
+scarcely any attention. The chief was gone most of each day, and the
+squaw spent many hours out doors, looking after her "farm." When the
+patient became unusually wild, she would give him a drink of water and
+attend to his wants. A few of the Indians peeped through the door, but
+as a whole they showed surprising indifference to the fate of the
+captive. Had he died, it is not likely he would have been given even
+Indian burial.
+
+Several times the Medicine Man put in an appearance, and danced and
+hooted and sounded his rattles about the lodge, after which he took
+himself off and would not be seen again for many hours.
+
+On the fourth day, while Jack was lying motionless on his bison skin and
+looking up to the composite roof, his full reason returned to him.
+Indeed, his brain appeared to have been clarified by the scorching
+ordeal through which it had passed, and he saw things with crystalline
+clearness. Turning his head, he found he was alone in the lodge, and, as
+nearly as he could judge, the afternoon was half gone. The fire had died
+out, but the room was quite warm, showing there had been a rise of
+temperature since the night of the rain. Peering through the crevices
+nearest him, he observed the sunlight was shining, and could catch
+twinkling glimpses of Indians moving hither and thither; but there was
+no outcry or unusual noise, and business was moving along in its
+accustomed channel.
+
+With some trepidation and misgiving, Jack rose on his elbow and then
+carefully assumed the sitting position. Every vestige of dizziness had
+fled, and his head was as clear as a bell. He was sensible, too, of a
+faint and increasing desire for food; but he was equally conscious that
+he was very weak, and it must be days before he could recover his normal
+strength.
+
+After sitting for a few minutes, he threw the bison skin from him, and
+rose to his feet. Having held the prone position so long, he felt
+decidedly queer when he stood erect once more. But he walked back and
+forth, and knew within himself that the crisis of his illness had passed
+and he was convalescent.
+
+Of course it was Jack's vigorous constitution and the recuperating power
+of nature which, under Heaven, brought him round. The medicine man had
+no more to do with his recovery than have many of our modern medicine
+men, who, sit beside the gasping patient, feel his pulse, look at his
+tongue and experiment with the credulous dupe.
+
+Jack Carleton possessed enough sense to appreciate his condition. Very
+little sickness had he ever known in life, but there had been plenty of
+it around him, and his mother was one of those nurses, whose knowledge
+far exceeded that of the ordinary physician, and whose presence in the
+sick room is of itself a balm and blessing.
+
+The boy knew, therefore, from what he had learned from her, that the
+time had come when he must be extremely careful what he ate and how he
+conducted himself. Moving over to the unattractive table, he found some
+scraps of meat left. They were partly cooked, but likely as good for him
+as anything could have been. He ate considerable, chewing it finely, and
+finding his appetite satisfied much sooner than he anticipated.
+
+But that for which Jack longed above everything else was a plunge in the
+cool water. His underclothing sorely needed changing, and he would have
+been absolutely happy could he have been in the hands of his tidy mother
+if only for a brief while.
+
+However, there was no help for him, and he could only wait and hope for
+better things. After he had resumed his seat on the bison skins, a
+project took shape in his mind, which was certainly a wise and prudent
+one, with promises of good results. Knowing he was recovering rapidly,
+he resolved to keep the fact from his captors. While still gaining
+strength and vigor, he would feign weakness and illness, on the watch
+for a chance that was sure to come sooner or later, and which he would
+thus be able to improve to the utmost.
+
+Convalescence revived with ten-fold force the desire to end his Indian
+captivity and return home. Uncertain as he was of the time that had
+passed since starting on his hunt, he knew that it was long enough to
+awaken the most poignant anguish on the part of his loved mother, who
+must suffer far more, before, under the most favorable circumstances, he
+could return.
+
+When it was growing dark, Ogallah and his squaw entered. The latter
+quickly had the fire going and, as its glow filled the room, both looked
+inquiringly at the patient on the other side the lodge. He in turn
+assumed, so far as it was possible, the appearance of a person in the
+last collapse, and took care that the expression of his countenance
+should show no more intelligence and vivacity than that of an idiot.
+
+The couple exchanged a few words, probably referring to Jack, but they
+seemed to care little for him, and he was glad that he excited so slight
+interest, since they were less likely to suspect the deception he was
+practicing upon them. The squaw, after cooking the meat, brought a piece
+over to Jack, who stared in an absurd fashion before shaking his head,
+and she turned about and resumed her place by the table, after which
+she lit her pipe and squatted near the fire.
+
+The patient soon fell into a refreshing sleep, which lasted until it
+began growing light, when he awoke, feeling so well that it was hard to
+keep from leaping in the air with a shout, and dashing out doors. He was
+sure that he could hold his own in a game of _gah-haw-ge_, if the chance
+were only given.
+
+But he resolutely forced down his bounding spirits, though he could not
+suppress the feeling of hunger which was fast assuming a ravenous
+intensity. When the squaw offered him a half cooked piece of meat, he
+snatched at it with such wolf-like fierceness that the squaw recoiled
+with a grunt of dismay. Jack made sure he had secured the prize, when he
+devoured every particle, which luckily was enough fully to satisfy his
+appetite.
+
+Whenever the boy saw the chief or his squaw looking at him, he assumed
+the role of a dunce, and it must be confessed he played it with
+unquestionable fidelity to nature. He probably afforded considerable
+amusement to the royal couple who could have had no suspicion that the
+hopeful youth was essaying a part.
+
+When the forenoon was well along, the chief and his squaw went out, the
+latter probably to do the manual labor, while the former occupied
+himself with "sitting around" and criticising the style in which she ran
+the agricultural department of the household. The dog rose, stretched,
+yawned and then lay down again and resumed his slumber. Jack was
+meditating what was best to do, when the door was pushed aside, and the
+frightful-looking Medicine Man crouched to the middle of the lodge and
+glared at the patient, who looked calmly back again, as though he felt
+no special interest in him or anything else, but all the same Jack
+watched him with more entertainment than he had ever felt before.
+
+First of all, the man with the horns and rattles, took amazingly long
+steps on the toes of his moccasins around the apartment between the two
+"columns" which supported the roof, as though afraid of awaking the
+baby. At the end of each circumambulation, he would squat like a frog
+about to leap off the bank into the water, and glare at the boy, the
+corners of whose mouth were twitching with laughter at the grotesque
+performance.
+
+When tired of this, the Medicine Man stopped in the middle of the
+apartment, and all at once began using his rattles to the utmost, and
+dancing with the vigor of a howling dervish. He accompanied, or rather
+added to the racket, by a series of "hooh-hoohs!" which were not loud,
+but exceedingly dismal in their effect.
+
+The sudden turmoil awoke the canine, which raised his head, and
+surveying the scene for a moment, rose, as if in disgust, and started to
+trot outdoors to escape the annoyance. As he did so, he passed directly
+behind the Medicine Man, who, of course, did not see him. At the proper
+moment he made a backward leap, struck both legs against the dog, and
+then tumbled over him on his back, with his heels pointing toward the
+roof. The angered pup, with a yelp of pain and rage, turned about,
+inserted his teeth in the most favorable part of the body, and then
+limped out of the wigwam with a few more cries, expressive of his
+feelings. The Medicine Man gave one frenzied kick and screech as the
+teeth of the canine sank into his flesh, and, scrambling to his feet,
+dashed out of the lodge with no thought of the dignity belonging to his
+exalted character.
+
+Jack Carleton rolled over on his back and laughed till the tears ran
+down his cheeks and he could scarcely breathe. It was the funniest scene
+on which he had ever looked, and the reaction, following his long mental
+depression, shook him from head to foot with mirth, as he had never been
+shaken before. He could not have restrained himself had his life been at
+stake. After awhile, he would rub the tears from his eyes, and break
+forth again, until, absolutely, he could laugh no more.
+
+Laughter is one of the best tonics in the world, and that which
+convulsed Jack Carleton was the very medicine he needed. Though still
+weak, he felt so well that he could not have felt better.
+
+"I've no business here," he exclaimed, coming sharply to the upright
+position and running his fingers through his hair in a business-like
+fashion; "every nerve in my body is just yearning for the cool breath of
+the woods, and I feel as though I could run and tumble over the
+mountains all day and feel the better for it. But I must keep it up till
+the way opens."
+
+After thinking over the matter, he decided to venture outside. Rising to
+his feet, he walked briskly to the door, pulled the skin aside and
+passed out, immediately assuming the manner and style of a boy who was
+barely able to walk and then only with the greatest pain.
+
+He expected a crowd would instantly gather around him, but he actually
+limped all the way to the spring without attracting any special
+attention. It was inevitable that a number should see him, and two
+youngsters called out something, but he made no response and they
+forebore to molest him further.
+
+"If I should meet that chap that has found out he can't wrestle as well
+as he thought he could, he will hardly be able to keep his hands off me.
+Maybe he would find he had made another mistake, and maybe it would be I
+who was off my reckoning. However, I've my knife with me, and I will use
+that on him if there is any need of it, but I hope there won't be."
+
+The water tasted deliciously cool and pure, and he bathed his hands and
+face again and again in it. He longed to take a plunge into the river,
+but that would have been impolitic, and he restrained the yearning until
+a more convenient season should offer.
+
+Jack finally turned about and began plodding homeward, his eyes and
+ears open for all that could be seen and heard. It was a clear warm day,
+and the village was unusually quiet. Some of the squaws were working
+with their primitive hoes, the children were frolicking along the edge
+of the wood, where the shade protected them from the sun, and the
+warriors were lolling within the tepees or among the trees. More than
+likely the major part of the large boys were hunting or fishing.
+
+Sure enough, Jack was still beyond the limits of the village, when he
+saw his old antagonist walking toward him. The Indian lad was alone, but
+several squaws and warriors were watching his movements, as though he
+had promised them some lively proceedings. Jack noticed that his nose
+had assumed its normal proportions, from which he concluded that more
+time than was actually the case had elapsed since he himself was
+prostrated by illness. The pugnacious youth advanced in his wary
+fashion, gradually slackening his gait until nearly opposite the pale
+face, who felt that the exigencies of the situation demanded he should
+brace up so as to impress the youth with the peril of attacking him.
+
+While several paces separated the two, the Indian came to a halt, as if
+waiting for the other. It would not do to show any timidity, and,
+without changing in the least his pace, the pale faced youth partly drew
+his knife from his girdle and muttered with a savage scowl:
+
+"I'm ready for you, young man!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX.
+
+OUT IN THE WORLD.
+
+
+It cannot be doubted that the Indian youth intended to make an assault
+on Jack Carleton. He must have known of his prostrating illness and
+concluded that he was a much less dangerous individual than when they
+first met; but there was something in the flash of the captive's eye and
+a meaning in the act of drawing his knife part way from his girdle,
+which caused the young Sauk to hesitate. Evidently he concluded that
+much could be said for and against the prudence of opening hostilities.
+
+Jack strode forward, with his shoulders thrown back and a scowl, as
+though he preferred that the youth should make the attack. He kept his
+gaze on the savage until some distance beyond him, the latter turning as
+if on a pivot and narrowly watching him to the very door of the lodge.
+Jack then withdrew his attention and took a survey of matters in front.
+
+The same quiet which he had noticed a short time before held reign. The
+few Indians moving about paid no attention to the lad, with the
+exception, perhaps, of one: that was Ogallah, the chieftain who had just
+noticed him on his return from the spring. The noble head of the band
+was lolling in the shade of one of the wigwams, discussing affairs of
+state with one of his cabinet, when he observed the youth. Summoning all
+his latent energy, he rose to his feet and strolled in the direction of
+his own home. The moment Jack saw him, he assumed the most woe-begone
+appearance it was possible to wear. The defiant attitude and manner,
+which were a challenge of themselves, vanished: the shoulders drooped
+forward: the step became slouchy and uncertain, and the poor fellow
+looked as if about to sink to the ground in a final collapse.
+
+Pretending not to see the sachem, Jack feebly drew the bison skin aside
+and pitched into the lodge. Glancing around, he found he was alone,
+whereupon he strode straight across the space, lay back on his couch,
+and kicked up his heels like a crowing infant.
+
+"I must work off some of this steam or I shall burst," he said to
+himself, rolling and tumbling about in the very abandon of rapid
+convalescence: "It's hard work for me to play sick, but it must be done
+for the big prize that is at stake."
+
+He kept close watch on the entrance, and, when a hand suddenly drew the
+skin aside and the bent figure of the chieftain came through and
+straightened up within the lodge, young Carleton had the appearance of a
+person whose sands of life were nearly run out.
+
+Ogallah walked forward and examined him closely. He saw a youth who was
+unquestionably a "pale face," staring vacantly at him for a few seconds,
+and who then rolled on his face with a groan that must have been heard
+some distance beyond the lodge. Restless flingings of the limbs
+followed, and, when the sachem turned away, he must have concluded that
+it would never be his privilege to adopt the young gentleman into his
+family.
+
+Toward night the squaw and dog appeared and the domestic economy of the
+aboriginal residence went on as before. When a piece of cooked meat was
+brought to Jack, he devoured it with a ferocity which threatened
+incurable dyspepsia, and he swallowed a goodly draught of water freshly
+brought from the spring.
+
+Recalling the mistake he made while on the journey through the woods to
+the village, Jack Carleton resolved he would not fail through any
+similar forgetfulness. He fell asleep at that time on account of his
+exhaustion, but now the case was different: he had had enough slumber to
+last two days, while his brain was so clear and full of the scheme that
+it was impossible for him to rest until after it had been tested.
+
+Nothing is more weary than the waiting which one has to undergo when
+placed in his position. The hours drag by with scarcely moving
+footsteps, and before the turn of night comes, one is apt to believe the
+break of day is at hand. From his couch, Jack furtively watched how
+things went, which was much the same as he had seen before.
+
+The pup ate until they would give him no more and then stretched out at
+the feet of the squaw, who, having finished her meal, lit her pipe and
+puffed away with the dull animal enjoyment natural to her race. The
+chief himself led in that respect, and the two kept it up, as it seemed
+to Jack, doubly as long as ever before. At last they lay down and
+slept.
+
+The captive had noted where his rifle was placed. It leaned against the
+side of the lodge where it had stood every time he saw it, so that, if
+he could steal out of the place in the night without arousing the
+inmates, it would be easy for him to take the gun with him.
+
+The fire flickered and burned up, then sank, flared up again, and at
+last went into a steady decline, which left the room filled with a dull
+glow that would have failed to identify the objects in sight had not the
+boy been familiar with their appearance.
+
+When convinced that the two were sound asleep, Jack repeated the prayer
+that had trembled so many times on his lips, rose as silently as a
+shadow, and began moving across the lodge on tip-toes to where his
+invaluable rifle leaned. Lightly would that warrior have need to sleep
+to be aroused by such faint footfalls.
+
+The boy had not yet reached his weapon, when he was almost transfixed by
+the vivid recollection of the attempt he made to get away when on the
+journey to the village. He believed his liberty was secured, when he
+suddenly awoke to the fact that Ogallah and his warriors were trifling
+with him.
+
+Could it be the chief had read in the captive's face the evidence of his
+intention?
+
+This was the question which for the moment held life in suspense, while
+Jack Carleton stood in the middle of the dimly lit wigwam and gazed
+doubtingly toward the figures near the smoldering fire.
+
+"Likely enough he is only pretending he's asleep, and, just as I am sure
+the way is clear, he will spring to his feet and grab me."
+
+It was a startling thought indeed, and there were a few moments when the
+lad was actually unable to stir; but he quickly rallied and smiled at
+his own fears.
+
+"If I once get my gun in hand, he won't be able to stop me----"
+
+He was reaching forward to grasp it, when one of the embers fell apart,
+and a yellow twist of flame filled the apartment with a glow which
+revealed everything. Jack stopped with a faint gasp and turned his head,
+sure that the chief was on the point of leaping upon him; but he was as
+motionless as a log, and the hand of the boy was upraised again as he
+took another stealthy step forward. A half step more, and his fingers
+closed around the barrel. The touch of the cold iron sent a thrill
+through him, for it was like the palpable hand of Hope itself.
+
+The powder horn lay on the ground beside the weapon, the Indian having
+made no use of either since they came into his possession. The string
+was quickly flung over the shoulder of the boy, who then began moving in
+the same guarded fashion toward the door, throwing furtive glances over
+his shoulder at the king and queen, who did not dream of what was going
+on in their palace.
+
+Jack Carleton "crossed the Rubicon" when he lifted the rifle and powder
+horn from the ground. Had he been checked previous to that he would have
+turned back to his couch, and made the pretense that what he did was the
+result of a delirium. But with the possession of his weapon came a
+self-confidence that would permit no obstruction to divert him from his
+purpose. He would not have fired on the chief or his squaw (except to
+save his own life), for that would have been unpardonable cruelty, but
+he would have made a dash into the outer air, where he was sure of
+eluding his pursuers, so long as the night lasted.
+
+But the slumber of the couple was genuine. They did not stir or do
+anything except to breathe in their sonorous fashion. Jack took hold of
+the bison skin to draw it aside, when he found the door was locked. It
+was an easy matter, however, to unfasten it, and a single step placed
+him outside the wigwam.
+
+Instead of hurrying away, as his impatience prompted him to do, the
+youth stood several minutes surveying the scene around him. The Sauk
+village was asleep, and the scrutiny which he made of the collection of
+wigwams failed to show a single star-like twinkle of light. The night
+was clear, and a gibbous moon was high in the sky. Patches of clouds
+drifted in front of the orb, and fantastic shadows whisked across the
+clearing and over the wigwams and trees. The dwellings of the Indians
+looked unsightly and misshapen in the shifting light, and Jack felt as
+though he were gazing upon a village of the dead.
+
+Turning to the southward, he faced the narrow, winding river. From the
+front of the chieftain's lodge, he caught the glimmer of its surface
+and the murmur of its flow, as it swept by in the gloom on its way to
+the distant Gulf. A soft roaring sound, such as we notice when a
+sea-shell is held to the ear crept through the solitude like the voice
+of silence itself.
+
+Jack was impressed by the scene, but when he saw a shadowy figure flit
+between two of the wigwams, and was certain he heard a movement in the
+lodge behind him, he hastily concluded it was the time for action and
+not meditation. With a start that might have betrayed him, he quickly
+left his position and hastened away.
+
+It was natural that the many hours devoted by Jack during his
+convalescence, to forming his plan of procedure, should have fixed the
+plan he meant to follow. Thus it was that the few minutes spent in front
+of the chieftain's lodge were not occupied in debating the proper course
+to take, and, when he once made a start, he went straight ahead without
+turning to the right or left.
+
+The reader will readily see how great were the advantages on the side of
+the fugitive. He was certain of a fair start, which ought to have made
+his position absolutely safe, for if the American Indian is
+phenomenally skillful in following the trail of an enemy through the
+wilderness, that enemy, if he suspects such pursuit, ought to be able to
+throw him irrecoverably from the scent.
+
+Furthermore, it is scarcely conceivable that the trail of Jack Carleton
+could be taken at the door of Ogallah's wigwam and followed as the
+warriors trailed a fugitive through the woods; for the ground whereon he
+walked had been tramped hard by multitudinous feet, and the faint
+impressions of the boy's shoes could not be individualized among the
+thousand footprints. It was far different from fleeing from a camp in
+the woods, where his trail crossed and was interfered with by no other,
+and where the slightest depression or overturning of the leaves was like
+the impression on the dusty highway.
+
+The fugitive's first intention was to take to the woods, and guiding his
+course by the moon and sun, travel with all the speed and push at his
+command. Fortunately he was enabled to see that such a course was almost
+certain to bring disaster. Instead of doing that, he went directly to
+the river side, where he had seen the Indians frolicking in the water,
+and he himself had so often sighed for the same delicious privilege.
+
+There were five canoes partly drawn up the bank and waiting the will of
+their owner. They were made of bark with curved ends, fantastically
+painted, and each was capable of carrying, at least, six or eight
+able-bodied warriors. They were so light that the lad found no trouble
+in shoving the first clear of the shore, and sending it skimming out
+into the stream. As it slackened its pace, it turned part way round,
+like a bewildered swan, as if uncertain which way to go. Then it sailed
+triangularly down current, much after the manner of Ogallah's dog when
+on a trot.
+
+It was not more than fairly under way, when the second glided out after
+it, then the third, the fourth and finally the fifth and last. This
+contained Jack Carleton who took the long ashen paddle in hand and began
+plying it with considerable skill. He was paying less attention to his
+own progress than to the manipulation of the other canoes, which he had
+set free for a special purpose.
+
+He kept the five in the middle of the current until a fourth of a mile
+was passed. Then he gave one such a violent push that it ran its snout
+against the bank and stuck fast. Some distance down stream he repeated
+the man[oe]uvre with the second boat against the opposite shore,
+continuing the curious proceeding until he was alone in the single
+canoe, floating down stream.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXI.
+
+JOURNEYING EASTWARD.
+
+
+Jack Carleton reasoned in this wise:
+
+In the morning Ogallah would notice his absence from the lodge and would
+make immediate search for him. He would quickly learn that the entire
+navy of his nation had vanished as completely as has our own, and the
+conclusion would be warranted that it had either run away with the pale
+face or the pale face had run away with the navy: at any rate they had
+gone off in company and the hunt would begin.
+
+A quarter of a mile down stream, the first installment of the fleet
+would be found stranded on the southern shore, as though it was used to
+set the fashion followed by our country a century later. The conclusion
+would be formed that the audacious fugitive had landed at that point and
+plunged into the interior; but a brief examination would show the Sauks
+their mistake and they would rush on along the banks until the second
+craft was discovered, when the same disappointment would follow.
+
+This would continue until every one of the five canoes had been found
+and examined. Inasmuch as the fifth contained Jack himself, it will be
+seen that more care was required in his case; but the programme had been
+laid out to its minutest details while the enemy was a guest in the
+lodge of the king.
+
+After the fourth canoe had been stuck against the bank, the number lying
+on alternate sides, Jack removed his clothing and letting himself over
+the stern, plunged into the cool, refreshing current, where he dove,
+frolicked, sported, and enjoyed himself to the full--his happiness such
+that he could hardly refrain from shouting for very joy. He kept this up
+as long as prudent, when he clambered into the boat again, donned his
+clothing, floated a short distance further, and shot the craft into land
+with a force that held it fast.
+
+A brief calculation will show that the boy had gone something more than
+a mile from the Indian village, and he had secured what may well be
+termed a winning lead; but much still remained to be done. He was now
+about to leave the element where even the trained bloodhound would be at
+fault, and step upon the land, where the keen eye of the Sauk warrior
+would follow his footprints with the surety of fate itself. Hence it
+depended on his covering up the tell-tale trail, unless chance, against
+which no one can guard, should direct his pursuers to it.
+
+Both shores of the stream were covered with forest which grew to the
+edge of the water. In some places there was undergrowth which overhung
+the river, but it was not very plentiful. The position of the moon in
+the sky was such that most of the time the middle of the stream
+reflected its light, while the shores were in shadow. These looked
+indescribably gloomy, and but for bounding spirits which set the whole
+being of the lad aglow, he would have been oppressed to an unbearable
+degree. The course of the river for the first mile was remarkably
+straight, but it made a sweeping bend just before Jack ran his canoe
+into shore. His aim now was to quit the water without leaving any
+tell-tale traces behind. If he stepped ashore and walked away never so
+carefully, he would fail to do what was absolutely necessary. He
+believed he accomplished his purpose, by running the boat under some
+overhanging undergrowth, where he laboriously pulled it up the bank,
+until it could not be seen by any one passing up or down stream, and
+could be found by no one moving along the shore itself, unless he paused
+and made search at the exact spot. The probability of any Indian doing
+such a thing, it will be conceded, was as unlikely as it could be.
+
+But, on the other hand, the first step the fugitive took would leave an
+impression which would tell the whole story, and it now depended on the
+manner in which he overcame that special danger. Carefully sounding the
+water, Jack found it was quite shallow close to land. He therefore waded
+a full hundred yards from the canoe before leaving the stream, and then,
+with his clothing saturated to his knees, he stepped ashore, took a
+score of long careful steps straight away, and his flight, it may be
+said, was fairly begun.
+
+"I don't know that I have done so much after all," said he, when he had
+reached a point a hundred yards from the stream, "for some one of the
+Indians may strike my trail before sunrise to-morrow morning; but I have
+done all I can at the start, and if I can have a few miles the lead,
+it'll be no fun for them to overtake me."
+
+There was no reason why such an advantage should not be secured, for,
+although the moon was of no help to him in determining his course, he
+had studied the whole thing so carefully while lying in the lodge of the
+chieftain Ogallah, that he was as sure of the direction as if he held a
+mariner's compass in his hand.
+
+Jack, it will be borne in mind was in the southern portion of the
+present State of Missouri, the frontier settlement of Martinsville lying
+at no great distance westward from Kentucky, and north of the boundary
+line of Arkansas, as it has existed since the formation of that
+Territory and State. The Sauk party of Indians who made him captive had
+pursued an almost westerly direction, taking him well toward the Ozark
+region, if not actually within that mountainous section. It followed,
+therefore, that he should pursue the easterly course, for the stream
+along which he had been borne, had carried him almost due north, and it
+was not necessary for him to diverge in order to leave it well behind.
+
+The fugitive lost no time, but pushed through the wood as fast as he
+could. It was hard to restrain his desire to break into a run, but he
+did so, for nothing could have been gained and much was likely to be
+lost by such a course. Despite the bright moon overhead, few of its rays
+found their way through the dense vegetation and foliage. Though he
+encountered little undergrowth, yet he was compelled to use his hands as
+well as his eyes in order to escape painful accidents.
+
+The hours of darkness were valuable to Jack, yet he longed for daylight.
+He wanted to be able to see where he was going, and to use what little
+woodcraft he possessed. So long as he was obliged to keep one hand
+extended in front in order to save his face and neck, he could adopt no
+precautions to hide his footprints from the prying eyes of his enemies.
+He knew he was leaving a trail which was as easy for his enemies to
+follow, as though he walked in the yielding sand. Much as he regretted
+the fact, it could not be helped so long as the darkness lasted, and he
+wasted no efforts in the attempt to do so. It would be far otherwise
+when he should have daylight to help him.
+
+Fortunately perhaps, he had not long to wait. He had not gone far when
+he observed the increasing light which speedily announced the rising of
+the sun; but he was shocked to find that despite his care and previous
+experience in tramping through the wilderness, he had got much off his
+course. Instead of the orb appearing directly in front of him, as he
+expected it to do, it rose on his right hand, showing that instead of
+pursuing an easterly course he was going north--a direction which took
+him very little nearer his home than if he traveled directly opposite.
+
+As may be supposed, Jack had no sooner learned his mistake than he faced
+about and corrected it.
+
+"I've got my bearings now," he muttered confidently, "and I know too
+much about this business to drift off again. Hurrah!"
+
+He could not deny himself the luxury of one shout and the toss of his
+cap in the air. This completed, he strode forward with more dignified
+step, and settled down to work, after the manner of a sensible youth who
+appreciates the task before him. He calculated that he was two or three
+miles from the Indian village, much closer than was comfortable, and he
+could not stop to eat or rest until it should be increased. He felt that
+this day was to be the decisive one. If he could keep beyond the reach
+of his pursuers until the setting of the sun, he would throw them off
+his trail so effectively that they could never recover it.
+
+"And why shouldn't I do it?" he asked, confidently: "Deerfoot taught me
+how to hide my tracks, and I never can have a better chance than now,
+where everything is in my favor."
+
+He alluded to the number of streams, the rocky and diversified surface
+and the general rugged character of the country through which his
+journey was leading him.
+
+In such a region there must be numerous opportunities for covering his
+trail from the penetrating glance of those who had spent their lives in
+studying the ways of the woods. The stealthy tread of the shoe or
+moccasin over the flinty rock left no impression, but it was hardly
+possible to find enough of such surface to prove of value; but when he
+caught the gleam of water through the trees, his heart gave a leap of
+pleasure.
+
+"_This_ is what I wanted," he exclaimed, coming to a halt on the bank of
+a rapidly flowing creek, some fifty feet wide: "here is something that
+will wipe out a fellow's trail."
+
+The current was fairly clear and rapid. It was evidently deep, and it
+seemed to the lad that it was the compression of a considerably wider
+stream into a space that added velocity to its flow. Its general course,
+so far as he could learn, was eastwardly, and was therefore favorable to
+him.
+
+There was but the one way of utilizing the creek, and that was by
+floating over its surface. Jack could have strapped his gun to his back
+and swum a considerable distance, but that would have been a useless
+exertion attended by many discomforts. His purpose was to build a raft
+or float which would allow the current to carry him for a mile or so,
+when he could land and continue his journey.
+
+Better fortune than he anticipated awaited him. While moving along the
+shore in search of logs and decayed wood from which to construct his
+float, he was astonished to run plump upon an Indian canoe, which was
+drawn up the bank beyond the probability of discovery.
+
+"Well, now that _is_ lucky!" exclaimed the gratified lad, who quickly
+added the saving clause, "that is, I _hope_ it is, though where you
+find canoes, it is best to suspect Indians."
+
+He looked for them, but no sign greeted eye or ear. He supposed the boat
+belonged to the tribe which he had left the night before, though it was
+somewhat singular that it should have been moored such a distance from
+home. Possibly this was a much used ferry where something of the kind
+was found convenient.
+
+Nothing was to be gained by speculating about the ownership of the
+craft, but the part of wisdom was to make use of the means that was so
+fortunately placed within his reach. Without any delay, therefore, he
+shoved the frail structure into the water, leaping into it as it shot
+from shore. No paddle could be found on or about the vessel, and he used
+his rifle for the implement, as he had done more than once before.
+Holding it by the barrel, he swung the stock through the current and
+found it served his purpose well. A slight force is sufficient to propel
+an Indian canoe through or over the water, and the task was easy enough
+for Jack Carleton.
+
+"It may be this boat belongs to some other Indians who do not live very
+far off, and if they should come down and find me sailing away with it,
+I don't know what would follow."
+
+However, the opportunity was the very one he was anxious to secure, and
+he was too wise to allow any fancy that might cross his mind to frighten
+him from turning it to the best account. Guiding the canoe to the middle
+of the creek, he faced down current, and used his improvised paddle with
+all the skill and strength at his command. The stream, as I have said,
+ran rapidly, so that with his exertions he made good progress.
+
+He was struck with the similarity of the shores to those of the larger
+stream which ran by the Indian village. The wood was dense, and at
+intervals was so exuberant that it looked difficult for a rabbit to
+penetrate. Then came long spaces where the forest was so open that he
+could look far into its depths. The course of the creek was so winding
+that he could see only a short distance ahead, and several times his own
+momentum carried him close into land before he could accommodate himself
+to the abrupt curve around which he shot with no inconsiderable speed.
+
+There remained the comforting thought that every minute thus occupied
+was taking him further from his captors, who were without the means of
+following his trail; but at the very moment when Jack was felicitating
+himself on the fact, he was startled by a most alarming discovery.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXII.
+
+A MISCALCULATION.
+
+
+The youth had stopped paddling for a few minutes' rest, when he observed
+that he was close upon a broad clearing which came close to the water's
+edge. He had scarcely time to notice that much when he saw several large
+conical objects, and before he knew it, he was floating in front of an
+Indian village, numbering some twelve or fifteen wigwams. Squaws,
+children, and even warriors were lolling about very much as in the Sauk
+village, from which he had fled only a short time before.
+
+It fairly took away the breath of Jack. In all his fancies he had not
+once thought of anything like this, or he would have avoided running
+into what promised to prove a fatal trap.
+
+"My gracious!" he gasped, "this is a little too much of a good thing;
+it'll never do at all."
+
+The settlement was on the right hand bank of the stream, which just
+there had a northerly course. It was, therefore, on the shore where the
+fugitive desired to land. Dipping his improvised paddle, he drove the
+boat ahead with all the power he could command, and drew a breath of
+partial relief, when another sweeping curve shut him from sight.
+
+It was apparent that the Indians failed to grasp the situation in its
+entirety. They were accustomed to see white men hunting and trapping in
+that region, and they may have felt no wish to molest one of their
+number, though tempted so to do by his unprotected situation. At any
+rate, they stared at the canoe without offering to disturb its occupant.
+The black-eyed youngsters gaped wonderingly, and Jack saw several point
+in his direction, while they doubtless indulged in observations
+concerning him.
+
+But it need not be said that he was frightened almost out of his wits,
+and filled with self-disgust that he should have gone blindly into a
+peril against which a child ought to have mounted guard. The moment he
+felt he was out of sight of the redmen, who showed far less curiosity
+than he expected, he sprang ashore and shoved the canoe back into the
+current, which speedily carried it out of sight. Having landed, Jack
+hastened among the trees at the fastest gait possible. He was close to
+the village, although beyond sight. Glancing over his shoulder he
+expected every minute to see some of the dusky warriors, and to hear
+their whoops as they broke in pursuit.
+
+It must have been that this particular Indian village felt little if any
+interest in the white youth who paddled in front of their door, for not
+one of the number made a move by way of pursuit.
+
+When Jack had pushed through the wilderness for a couple of miles he
+formed the same conclusion, and dropped to a deliberate walk. The face
+of the country was rocky and broken, and he was confident that in many
+places he had left no trail at all. But, with that conviction came two
+others: he not only was tired but was excessively hungry. He had caught
+sight of game more than once while on the march, as it may be called,
+but refrained from firing through fear that the report of his gun would
+guide others who were hunting for him. At the same time he had twice
+heard the discharge of rifles at widely separated points. Probably they
+were fired by Indians on the hunt, or possibly some of the trappers of
+that section had not yet started on their long journey to St. Louis. At
+any rate when the sun had passed the meridian and the afternoon was well
+advanced, he made up his mind that he would take the first chance to
+secure food, no matter in what shape it presented itself.
+
+He smiled to himself, when within the succeeding ten minutes he caught
+sight of a young deer among the trees less than one hundred feet in
+advance. It bounded off affrighted by the figure of the youth, who,
+however, was so nigh that he brought it to the ground without
+difficulty.
+
+When he ran forward to dress it, he was surprised to find it had fallen
+within a rod of a ravine fifty feet deep.
+
+This ravine, which had evidently been a cañon or ancient bed of some
+mountain stream, was twenty yards or more in width, the rocky walls
+being covered with a mass of luxuriant, creeping vines, through which
+the gray of the rocks could be seen only at widely separated intervals.
+The bottom was piled up with the luxuriant vegetable growth of a soil
+surcharged with richness.
+
+Jack Carleton took only time enough to comprehend these points when he
+set to work kindling a fire against the trunk of a tree which grew close
+to the ravine. When that was fairly going, he cut the choicest slices
+from his game, and it was speedily broiled over the blaze. There was no
+water, so far as he knew, closer than the creek, but he did not
+specially miss it. Seasoned by his keen hunger, the venison was the very
+acme of deliciousness, and he ate until he craved no more.
+
+Then as he sat down on the leaves with his back to the tree opposite the
+blaze, he probably felt as comfortable as one in his situation could
+feel. He had pushed his strength almost to a dangerous verge, when rest
+became a luxury, and as he leaned against the shaggy bark behind him, it
+seemed as though he could sit thus for many hours without wishing to
+stir a limb.
+
+"I suppose," he said to himself in a drowsy tone, "that I ought to keep
+on the tramp until night, when I can crawl in behind some log and sleep
+till morning. It may be that one or two of the warriors from that last
+village are on my trail, but it don't look like it, and a fellow can't
+tramp forever without rest. I'll stop here for an hour or two, and then
+go ahead until dark. There's one thing certain,--I've thrown Ogallah and
+his friends so far off my track that they'll never be able to find it
+again."
+
+If any conclusion could be warranted, it would seem that this was of
+that nature, and yet by an extraordinary chain of circumstances the very
+danger which was supposed to have ended, was the one which came upon the
+fugitive.
+
+As he had anticipated, the method of his flight was discovered very
+early the succeeding morning, and many of the warriors and large boys
+started in pursuit. The hunt was pressed with a promptness and skill
+scarcely conceivable. It was inevitable that they should be puzzled by
+the singular proceeding with the canoes, and the pursuers became
+scattered, each intent on following out his own theory, as is the case
+with a party of detectives in these later days. The last boat was not
+found, but the identical youth who had fared so ill at the hands of
+Jack, came upon his trail where it left the river. His black eyes glowed
+with anticipated revenge, which is one of the most blissful emotions
+that can stir the heart of the American Indian.
+
+The young Sauk might have brought a half dozen older warriors around him
+by uttering a simple signal, but nothing could have induced him to do
+so. He had his gun, knife, and tomahawk,--all the weapons he could carry
+and all that were possibly needed. He had learned long before to trail
+his people through the labyrinthine forest, and in a year more he
+expected to go upon his first war trail. He hated with an
+inextinguishable hatred the pale face who had overthrown him in the
+wrestling bout and then had struck him a blow in the face, which,
+figuratively speaking, compelled him to carry his nose for several days
+in a sling. Ogallah had protected the sick pale face from molestation,
+but now the chief was the most eager for his death.
+
+The fugitive evidently believed he was safe against all pursuit, and it
+would therefore be the easier to surprise him. What greater feat could
+the young Sauk perform than to follow and secretly slay the detested
+lad? What a triumph it would be to return to the village with his scalp
+dangling at his girdle!
+
+Holding his peace (though it was hard to keep down the shout of joy that
+rose to his lips), he bounded away like a bloodhound in pursuit.
+
+Despite the precautions taken by Jack Carleton, the pursuer found
+little trouble in keeping to his trail, until it abruptly terminated on
+the bank of the creek, where advantage had been taken of the canoe.
+There he paused for a time at a loss what to do.
+
+Of course he knew of the Indian village at no great distance down stream
+and on the other side. Familiar as he was with the creek, he kept on
+until he reached a place where it broadened and was so shallow that he
+waded over without trouble. The red men whom he visited were friendly
+with the offshoot of the Sauk tribe, so that no risk was run in going
+among them. When he did so, as a matter of course, he gained the very
+information he was seeking; the canoe with the fugitive in it went by
+the village early in the morning. The pursuer declined the offer of help
+and went on alone. He was hardly outside the village when he struck the
+trail again, and, knowing he was at no great distance from the youth, he
+followed with a vigor and persistency that would not be denied.
+
+But during most of the time he was thus employed, Jack Carleton was
+similarly engaged, and, despite the energy of the young Sauk, the hours
+slipped by without bringing him a sight of the pale face, whose scalp he
+meant to bring back suspended to his girdle. The fugitive had about
+recovered his usual health, and he improved the time while it was his.
+Had he pushed forward until nightfall before halting for food or rest,
+he never would have been overtaken.
+
+But the signs showed the dusky youth that he was close upon the
+unsuspicious pale face, and he strode along with the care and skill of a
+veteran warrior. Finally his trained senses detected the smell of
+burning wood, and a moment later he caught sight of the camp-fire of
+Jack Carleton. The Indian stopped, and after some reconnoitering,
+concluded he could gain a better view from the other side the camp. With
+incredible pains he moved around to that side and was gratified by a
+success which glowed in his swarthy countenance and through his
+well-knit frame.
+
+He saw the pale face sitting on the ground, with his back against a
+tree, his mouth open, and his eyes closed. His gun rested on the ground
+beside him, and the wearied fugitive was asleep, and as helpless as an
+infant.
+
+The Sauk had only to raise his gun, take a quick aim, and shoot him
+dead, before he awoke or learned his danger. He could leap upon and
+finish him with his knife, but that would involve some risk to himself.
+He decided to drive his tomahawk into the skull of his victim, and to
+scalp him immediately after.
+
+As the first step toward doing so, he leaned his rifle against the
+nearest tree, so as to leave his arms free, and then, without any more
+ado, grasped the handle of his tomahawk and poised himself with the
+purpose of hurling it with resistless force and unerring aim. He was not
+twenty feet distant from Jack; but while in the very act of raising the
+missile above his head, his arm was struck a side blow so violent as
+almost to break the bone. The tomahawk flew from his grasp to the earth,
+and in a twinkling some one caught him around the waist, lifted him
+clear of the ground, ran rapidly the few paces necessary, and flung him
+over the rocks into the ravine!
+
+The Sauk struggled desperately to save himself, but he could not check,
+though he retarded his descent. He landed with a force that knocked the
+breath from him, but the abundance of vines and vegetable growth saved
+his life. After a time he slowly gathered himself together, and seeing
+nothing of the enemy who had handled him so ruthlessly, he slowly
+climbed to his feet and began picking his way out of the ravine.
+
+He was compelled to walk a long distance before reaching a place where
+he was able to clamber to the level ground above. When at last he
+managed to do so, he sat down on a fallen tree to rest and indulge in a
+retrospective survey.
+
+His rifle and tomahawk were irrecoverably gone, and nothing would have
+induced him to go back to look for them. If his right arm was not
+broken, it was so injured and lamed that a long time must elapse before
+he could use it, and altogether his enterprise could only be regarded as
+a disastrous failure.
+
+"It was an Indian that struck the tomahawk from my grasp," reflected the
+victimized Sauk; "he was a terrible warrior!"
+
+The youth was right in each respect, for the name of the Indian who made
+such short work with him was Deerfoot the Shawanoe.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIII.
+
+CONCLUSION.
+
+
+Jack Carleton was in the middle of a pleasant dream of home and friends,
+when a light touch on his shoulder caused him to open his eyes and look
+up with a quick, inquiring glance.
+
+"Helloa! Deerfoot, is that you?" he exclaimed, springing to his feet and
+grasping the hand of his old friend, on whose handsome features lingered
+the shadowy smile which told of the pleasure he felt in finding his
+beloved friend after such a long search.
+
+"Deerfoot is glad to take the hand of his brother and press it; he has
+hunted a good while for him and his heart was sad that he did not find
+him."
+
+"How, in the name of conscience, did you ever find me at all?" demanded
+Jack, who slapped him on his back, pinched his arm, and treated him
+with a familiarity which few dared show toward him.
+
+"I've had a very curious time, I can tell you, old fellow--helloa! where
+did that gun come from, and that tomahawk?" exclaimed the wondering
+youth, catching sight of the weapons.
+
+"'Twill be well if my brother does not stay here," replied the young
+Shawanoe, who, while he felt no particular fear of the Sauk whom he had
+flung into the ravine, saw the possibility of his procuring friends and
+coming back to revenge himself. Prudence suggested that the two should
+secure themselves against such peril. Deerfoot, therefore, picked up the
+tomahawk, shoved it into the girdle around his waist, grasped the rifle
+in his right hand, and strode forward with his free, easy, swinging
+gait. As there was no call for special caution, he told the story of his
+encounter with the young Sauk who had raised his tomahawk to brain his
+sleeping friend. Deerfoot's first intention was to drive an arrow
+through his body, but he chose the method already described of
+frustrating his purpose.
+
+To make his story complete, it was necessary for the young Shawanoe to
+begin with his visit to Jack's mother, and to describe the mental agony
+of the good parent over the unaccountable absence of her boy. Then he
+told of his meeting with the Sauk warrior, Hay-uta, who made such a
+determined effort to take his life. From him he learned that a white
+youth was a captive in the village, and he concluded, as a matter of
+course, that there were to be found both Jack and Otto, though no
+reference was made to the latter. The sagacious Shawanoe, however,
+discovered an important fact or two which I did not refer to in telling
+the incident. The first was that Hay-uta was one of the five Sauks who
+separated from the other five directly after the capture of the boys.
+With his company was Otto Relstaub, the Dutch youth, while Jack Carleton
+was with the other. Hay-uta and his friends were on their way to the
+village, and were almost within sight of it, when Hay-uta felt such
+dissatisfaction over their failure to bring back any scalps or plunder,
+that he drew off and declared he would not go home until he secured some
+prize of that nature. His encounter with Deerfoot followed. When he left
+the latter he went straight to his village. Deerfoot could have trailed
+him without trouble, but, inasmuch as the Sauk had departed in that
+manner, and the Shawanoe knew where his village lay, he purposely
+avoided his trail, and followed a course that diverged so far to the
+right that he first reached the village passed by Jack in his canoe. His
+arrival, as sometimes happens in this life, was in the very nick of
+time. From the red men, who showed a friendly disposition toward him, he
+learned that not only had a pale face youth passed down the stream in a
+canoe, but a young warrior aflame with passion was close behind him.
+
+The wise Deerfoot was quick to grasp the situation, and he set out
+hot-footed after the aforesaid flaming young warrior, and followed him
+with such celerity that he came in sight of him long before the Sauk
+arrived at the camp-fire. Little did the furious young Sauk dream, while
+panting with anticipated revenge, and aglow with exultation, that one of
+his own race was close upon his heels, ready to launch his deadly arrow
+at any moment, and only waiting to decide in what manner the Sauk should
+be "eliminated" from the whole business.
+
+Seated around the camp fire late that night, the two friends talked over
+the past. Jack gave full particulars of what befell him since his
+capture by the Indians, up to the hour when Deerfoot joined him. The
+young Shawanoe listened with great interest to the story, for it will be
+admitted that in many respects it was an extraordinary narrative. He
+told Jack that the people with whom he had passed more than a week were
+Sauks, under the leadership of the chieftain whose lodge had sheltered
+the prisoner during his captivity. The Sauks were a brave, warlike
+people, and this offshoot, which had located in that portion of Upper
+Louisiana, was among the most daring and vindictive of the tribe. Their
+leniency toward Jack was remarkable, and could only be accounted for on
+the supposition that Ogallah took a fancy to the youth and meant to
+adopt him into his family. It was not at all unlikely that Jack's
+suspicion that they were "training" him to figure in a scene of torture
+was correct. His escape, therefore, could not have been more opportune.
+
+Let not the reader accuse the two of indifference, because so little has
+been recorded in their conversation, concerning Otto Relstaub, the
+companion of both in more than one scene of peril, and held by them in
+strongest friendship. They had talked more of him than of any one else,
+though Jack's heart was oppressed by a great sorrow when he thought of
+his mother and her grief over his continued absence. Jack had asked
+Deerfoot over and over again as to his belief concerning their absent
+friend, but the Shawanoe, for a long time, evaded a direct answer.
+
+"I can tell you what _I_ think," said Jack with a compression of his
+lips and a shake of his head: "Otto is dead."
+
+"How did my brother meet his death?" calmly asked Deerfoot.
+
+"Those five warriors started by another route to the village and they
+meant to take him there as they took me. After Hay-uta, as I believe you
+call your friend, left, they made up their minds that it wasn't of any
+use to bother with poor Otto, and so they tomahawked or shot him."
+
+Having given his theory, Jack Carleton turned toward the young Shawanoe
+for his comment, but he sat looking intently in the fire and remained
+silent. Resolved that he should say something on the painful subject,
+Jack touched his arm.
+
+"Deerfoot, do you think I am right?"
+
+The Indian looked in his face and still mute, nodded his head to signify
+he agreed with him.
+
+"Poor Otto," added Jack with a sigh, "I wonder how his father and mother
+will feel when they learn that their boy will never come back."
+
+"They will mourn because the horse was not found," was the
+characteristic remark of Deerfoot.
+
+"You are right," exclaimed Jack, with a flash of the eye; "if old Jacob
+Relstaub could get his horse, I believe he and his wife would go on and
+smoke their pipes with as much piggish enjoyment as before, caring
+nothing for their only child. How different my mother!" he added in a
+softer voice: "she would give her life to save mine, as I would give
+mine to keep trouble from her. I say, Deerfoot, Otto and I were a couple
+of fools to start out to hunt a horse that had been lost so many days
+before and of which we hadn't the slightest trace--don't you think so?"
+
+The young Shawanoe once more turned and looked in his face with a
+mournful expression, and nodded his head with more emphasis than before.
+
+"I knew you would agree with me," assented Jack, "though, to tell the
+truth, I had very little hope myself that we would ever get sight of
+the animal, but old Jacob Relstaub really drove Otto out of his house
+and compelled him to go off on the wild goose hunt. I couldn't let him
+go alone and, with mother's consent, I kept him company."
+
+"My brother pleased the Great Spirit, and Deerfoot will pray that he
+shall ever act so that the Great Spirit will smile on him."
+
+"I shall most certainly try to do so," said Jack with a resolute shake
+of his head: "He has shown me a hundred-fold more mercies than I deserve
+and I mean to prove that I have some gratitude in me."
+
+The conversation went on in this fashion until the evening was far
+along, when Jack lay down near the fire, intending to sleep for the rest
+of the night. Deerfoot assured him there was no danger and as was his
+custom, the young Shawanoe brought forth his Bible to spend an hour or
+so in studying its pages. Before he had fixed upon the portion, Jack
+Carleton came to the sitting position and, with some excitement in his
+manner, said:
+
+"Deerfoot, I forgot to tell you something: I don't know how it came to
+slip my mind."
+
+The Indian looked in his face and quietly awaited his explanation.
+
+"One of those Sauks that belonged to Otto's party came into the lodge of
+Ogallah when I was there, and I think he tried to tell me something
+about Otto, but I couldn't understand his words or gestures."
+
+"Let my brother show Deerfoot what the movements were," said the other,
+manifesting much interest.
+
+They were so impressed on Jack Carleton that, springing to his feet, he
+placed himself in front of Deerfoot and reproduced most of the gestures,
+the words, of course, being gone. The Shawanoe fixed his eyes on his
+friend, and scrutinized every motion with eager eyes. Suddenly he sprang
+up with more feeling than he had shown in a long time. And well might he
+do so, for he had translated the sign language, as given to him by Jack
+Carleton, and it told a far different story than the one which both had
+adopted some time before.
+
+"Otto is alive," was the startling declaration of Deerfoot.
+
+"He is!" exclaimed the amazed Jack, "I should like to know who told you
+that."
+
+"That was what the Sauk warrior said to my brother; that was what he
+tried to tell him, but my brother did not understand his words."
+
+"Are you really sure Otto is alive?"
+
+"Deerfoot cannot be sure of that which his eyes do not behold; but such
+were the words of Hay-uta the Sauk; they did not kill Otto."
+
+"Then where _is_ he?"
+
+"He is a long ways off; we will hasten to the settlement that the heart
+of the mother of my brother shall be lightened. Then Deerfoot will lead
+his brother on the hunt for him who is so many miles away toward the
+setting sun."
+
+Within the following three days, Jack Carleton arrived home and was
+clasped in the arms of his mother, who rejoiced over his return as
+though it had been a very rising from the dead. Deerfoot had conducted
+him swiftly through the forest and not a hair of the head of either was
+harmed.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The limits of this work having been reached, it will be impossible in
+these pages to give an account of what befell Otto Relstaub, after his
+capture by the little band of Sauk Indians; but all that, as well as
+the eventful hunt for him by Deerfoot the Shawanoe and young Jack
+Carleton, shall be fully told in "Footprints in the Forest," which will
+form _Number Three of the Log Cabin Series_.
+
+
+
+THE END.
+
+
+
+
+Famous Castlemon Books.
+
+No author of the present day has become a greater favorite with boys
+than "Harry Castlemon," every book by him is sure to meet with hearty
+reception by young readers generally. His naturalness and vivacity leads
+his readers from page to page with breathless interest, and when one
+volume is finished the fascinated reader, like Oliver Twist, asks "for
+more."
+
+
+By Harry Castlemon.
+
+
+GUNBOAT SERIES.
+
+    Frank the Young Naturalist.
+    Frank in the Woods.
+    Frank on the Prairie.
+    Frank on a Gunboat.
+    Frank before Vicksburg.
+    Frank on the Lower Mississippi.
+
+
+GO AHEAD SERIES.
+
+    Go Ahead; or, The Fisher Boy's Motto.
+    No Moss; or, The Career of a Rolling Stone.
+    Tom Newcombe; or, The Boy of Bad Habits.
+
+
+ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES.
+
+    Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho.
+    Frank among the Rancheros.
+    Frank in the Mountains.
+
+
+SPORTSMAN'S CLUB SERIES.
+
+    The Sportsman's Club in the Saddle.
+    The Sportsman's Club Afloat.
+    The Sportsman's Club among the Trappers.
+
+
+FRANK NELSON SERIES.
+
+    Snowed up; or, The Sportsman's Club in the Mountains.
+    Frank Nelson in the Forecastle; or, the Sportsman's Club among the
+      Whalers.
+    The Boy Traders; or, The Sportsman's Club among the Boers.
+
+
+BOY TRAPPER SERIES.
+
+    The Buried Treasure; or, Old Jordan's "Haunt"
+    The Boy Trapper; or, How Dave filled the Order.
+    The Mail Carrier.
+
+
+ROUGHING IT SERIES.
+
+    George in Camp; or, Life on the Plains.
+    George at the Wheel; or, Life in a Pilot House.
+    George at the Fort; or, Life Among the Soldiers.
+
+
+ROD AND GUN SERIES.
+
+    Don Gordon's Shooting Box.
+    Rod and Gun.
+    The Young Wild Fowlers.
+
+
+
+
+Alger's Renowned Books.
+
+
+Horatio Alger, Jr., has attained distinction as one of the most popular
+writers of books for boys, and the following list comprises all of his
+best books.
+
+By Horatio Alger, Jr.
+
+
+RAGGED DICK SERIES.
+
+    Ragged Dick; or, Street Life in New York.
+    Fame and Fortune; or, The Progress of Richard Hunter.
+    Mark the Match Boy; or, Richard Hunter's Ward.
+    Rough and Ready; or, Life among the New York Newsboys.
+    Ben the Luggage Boy; or, Among the Wharves.
+    Rufus and Rose; or, The Fortunes of Rough and Ready.
+
+
+TATTERED TOM SERIES. (First Series.)
+
+    Tattered Tom; or, The Story of a Street Arab.
+    Paul the Peddler; or, The Adventures of a Young Street Merchant.
+    Phil the Fiddler; or, The Young Street Musician.
+    Slow and Sure; or, From the Sidewalk to the Shop.
+
+
+TATTERED TOM SERIES. (Second Series.)
+
+    Julius; or, The Street Boy Out West.
+    The Young Outlaw; or, Adrift in the World.
+    Sam's Chance and How He Improved it.
+    The Telegraph Boy.
+
+
+LUCK AND PLUCK SERIES. (First Series.)
+
+    Luck and Pluck; or, John Oakley's Inheritance.
+    Sink or Swim; or, Harry Raymond's Resolve.
+    Strong and Steady; or, Paddle Your Own Canoe.
+    Strive and Succeed; or, The Progress of Walter Conrad.
+
+
+LUCK AND PLUCK SERIES. (Second Series.)
+
+    Try and Trust; or, The Story of a Bound Boy.
+    Bound to Rise; or, How Harry Walton Rose in the World.
+    Risen from the Ranks; or, Harry Walton's Success.
+    Herbert Carter's Legacy; or, The Inventor's Son.
+
+
+BRAVE AND BOLD SERIES.
+
+    Brave and Bold; or, The Story of a Factory Boy.
+    Jack's Ward; or, The Boy Guardian.
+    Shifting for Himself; or, Gilbert Greyson's Fortunes.
+    Wait and Hope; or, Ben Bradford's Motto.
+
+
+CAMPAIGN SERIES.
+
+    Frank's Campaign; or, the Farm and the Camp.
+    Paul Prescott's Charge.
+    Charlie Codman's Cruise.
+
+
+PACIFIC SERIES.
+
+    The Young Adventurer; or, Tom's Trip Across the Plains.
+    The Young Miner; or, Tom Nelson in California.
+    The Young Explorer; or, Among the Sierras.
+    Ben's Nugget; or, A Boy's Search for Fortune. A Story of the Pacific
+      Coast.
+
+
+ATLANTIC SERIES
+
+    The Young Circus Rider; or, The Mystery of Robert Rudd.
+    Do and Dare; or, A Brave Boy's Fight for Fortune.
+    Hector's Inheritance; or, Boys of Smith Institute.
+
+
+
+
+By C. A. Stephens.
+
+
+Rare books for boys--bright, breezy, wholesome and instructive--full of
+adventure and incident, and information upon natural history--they blend
+instruction with amusement--contain much useful and valuable information
+upon the habits of animals, and plenty of adventure, fun and jollity.
+
+
+CAMPING OUT SERIES.
+
+    Camping Out. As recorded by "Kit."
+    Left on Labrador; or, The Cruise of the Schooner Yacht "Curlew."
+      As recorded by "Wash."
+    Off to the Geysers; or, The Young Yachters in Iceland. As recorded
+      by "Wade."
+    Lynx Hunting. From Notes by the Author of "Camping Out."
+    Fox Hunting. As recorded by "Raed."
+    On the Amazon; or, the Cruise of the "Rambler." As recorded by "Wash."
+
+
+
+
+By J. T. Trowbridge.
+
+
+These stories will rank among the best of Mr. Trowbridge's books for the
+young, and he has written some of the best of our juvenile literature.
+
+
+JACK HAZARD SERIES.
+
+    Jack Hazard and his Fortunes.
+    A Chance for Himself; or, Jack Hazard and his Treasure.
+    Doing his Best.
+    Fast Friends.
+    The Young Surveyor; or, Jack on the Prairies.
+    Lawrence's Adventures Among the Ice Cutters, Glass Makers, Coal
+       Miners, Iron Men and Ship Builders.
+
+
+
+
+By Edward S. Ellis.
+
+
+A New Series of Books for Boys, equal in interest to the "Castlemon" and
+"Alger" books. His power of description of Indian life and character is
+equal to the best of Cooper.
+
+
+BOY PIONEER SERIES.
+
+    Ned in the Block House; or, Life on the Frontier.
+    Ned in the Woods.
+    Ned on the River.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Camp-fire and Wigwam, by Edward Sylvester Ellis
+
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+
+Project Gutenberg's Camp-fire and Wigwam, by Edward Sylvester Ellis
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Camp-fire and Wigwam
+
+Author: Edward Sylvester Ellis
+
+Release Date: July 4, 2008 [EBook #25966]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CAMP-FIRE AND WIGWAM ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Taavi Kalju, Mary Meehan and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
+file was produced from images generously made available
+by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+<h1>CAMP-FIRE AND WIGWAM.</h1>
+
+<h2>By EDWARD S. ELLIS</h2>
+
+<h3>AUTHOR OF "NED IN THE BLOCK-HOUSE," "NED IN THE WOODS," "NED ON THE
+RIVER," "THE LOST TRAIL," ETC.</h3>
+
+
+
+<h3>PHILADELPHIA:<br />
+PORTER &amp; COATES.</h3>
+
+<h3><span class="smcap">Copyright</span>, 1885,<br />
+BY PORTER &amp; COATES.</h3>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<a name="ill01" id="ill01"></a>
+<img src="images/ill01.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<h3><span class="smcap">Jack's Wrestling Bout with the Young Indian.</span></h3>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CONTENTS.</h2>
+
+<!-- Autogenerated TOC. Modify or delete as required. -->
+<p>
+<a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.&mdash;AT HOME</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.&mdash;A DOUBTFUL ENTERPRISE</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.&mdash;WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPECTED</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.&mdash;CAPTORS AND CAPTIVES</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.&mdash;JOURNEYING SOUTHWARD</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.&mdash;AN INVOLUNTARY BATH</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.&mdash;TWO VISITORS</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.&mdash;A SURPRISE</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.&mdash;BY THE CAMP-FIRE</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.&mdash;WAITING AND HOPING</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.&mdash;THROUGH THE FOREST</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.&mdash;THE SIGNAL FIRES</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.&mdash;THE INDIAN VILLAGE</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.&mdash;ON THE MOUNTAIN CREST</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV.&mdash;THE RETURN AND DEPARTURE</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI.&mdash;A PERPLEXING QUESTION</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII.&mdash;TWO ACQUAINTANCES AND FRIENDS</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII.&mdash;THE TRAPPERS</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX.&mdash;DEERFOOT'S WOODCRAFT</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX.&mdash;SAUK AND SHAWANOE</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI.&mdash;CHRISTIAN AND PAGAN</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII.&mdash;AN ABORIGINAL SERMON</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII.&mdash;IN THE LODGE OF OGALLAH</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV.&mdash;A ROW</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXV">CHAPTER XXV.&mdash;THE WAR FEAST</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXVI">CHAPTER XXVI.&mdash;AN ALARMING DISCOVERY</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXVII">CHAPTER XXVII.&mdash;"GAH-HAW-GE"</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXVIII">CHAPTER XXVIII.&mdash;A PATIENT OF THE MEDICINE MAN</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXIX">CHAPTER XXIX.&mdash;CONVALESCENCE</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXX">CHAPTER XXX.&mdash;OUT IN THE WORLD</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXXI">CHAPTER XXXI.&mdash;JOURNEYING EASTWARD</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXXII">CHAPTER XXXII.&mdash;A MISCALCULATION</a><br />
+<a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIII">CHAPTER XXXIII.&mdash;CONCLUSION</a><br /><br />
+<a href="#Famous_Castlemon_Books">Famous Castlemon Books.</a><br />
+<a href="#Algers_Renowned_Books">Alger's Renowned Books.</a><br />
+<a href="#By_C_A_Stephens">By C. A. Stephens.</a><br />
+<a href="#By_J_T_Trowbridge">By J. T. Trowbridge.</a><br />
+<a href="#By_Edward_S_Ellis">By Edward S. Ellis.</a><br />
+</p>
+<!-- End Autogenerated TOC. -->
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2>
+
+
+<p><a href="#ill01"><span class="smcap">Jack's Wrestling Bout with the Young Indian</span></a></p>
+
+<p><a href="#ill02"><span class="smcap">A Narrow Escape</span></a></p>
+
+<p><a href="#ill03"><span class="smcap">The Signal</span></a></p>
+
+<p><a href="#ill04"><span class="smcap">Deerfoot's Victory</span></a></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CAMP-FIRE AND WIGWAM.</h2>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I.</h2>
+
+<h3>AT HOME.</h3>
+
+
+<p>On the evening of a dismal, rainy day in spring, a mother and her son
+were sitting in their log-cabin home in the southern portion of the
+present State of Missouri. The settlement bore the name of Martinsville,
+in honor of the leader of the little party of pioneers who had left
+Kentucky some months before, and, crossing the Mississippi, located in
+that portion of the vast territory known at that time as Louisiana.</p>
+
+<p>There were precisely twenty cabins, all of which had been constructed
+with a view to rugged strength, durability, and comfort. Lusty arms had
+felled the trees, that were cut the proper length and dovetailed in the
+usual manner at the corners, the crevices being filled with a species of
+plaster, made almost entirely from yellow clay. The interiors were
+generally divided into two apartments, with a broad fireplace and the
+rude furniture of the border. Colonel Martin himself, with the
+assistance of his two full-grown sons, erected a more pretentious
+dwelling with two stories and a loft, but the other houses, as has
+already been stated, were of such a simple and familiar character that
+the American reader needs no further description.</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Carleton was a widow, whose husband had been slain by Indians in
+Kentucky some time previous, and who, in the daily requirement of her
+duties, and in her great love for her only child, Jack, found some
+relief from the dreadful sorrow that overshadowed her life. Kind
+neighbors had lent willing hands, and her home was as well made as any
+in the settlement. Jack and his companion, Otto Relstaub, had arrived
+only a couple of days before, and each had wrought so hard in his
+respective household that they had scarcely found time to speak to or
+see each other.</p>
+
+<p>The evening meal had been eaten, the things cleared away, and wood
+heaped upon the fire which filled the little room with cheerful
+illumination. The mother was seated at one side, the silent
+spinning-wheel just beyond, while her deft fingers were busy with her
+knitting. Jack was half reclining on a rude bench opposite, recounting,
+in his boyish fashion, the adventures of himself and Otto on their
+memorable journey, which has been fully told in the "Lost Trail."</p>
+
+<p>The good mother possessed an education beyond the ordinary, and, knowing
+its great value, insisted upon her son improving his spare moments in
+study. Jack was well informed for his years, for no one could have been
+blessed with a better teacher, counselor, and friend, than he was. Even
+now, when we reintroduce him to the reader, he held an old-fashioned
+spelling-book in his hand. He had tried to give his attention to his
+lesson, but, boy-like, his mind persisted in wandering, and his mother,
+looking fondly across the fire, was so pleased to hear him chat and to
+ask and answer questions, that she could not find it in her heart to
+chide him.</p>
+
+<p>"You have never seen Deerfoot, have you, mother?" he asked, abruptly
+breaking in on his own narrative.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, I have seen him; he saved the life of your father."</p>
+
+<p>"What!" exclaimed Jack, straightening up and staring at his parent in
+open-mouthed amazement: "I never heard of that before."</p>
+
+<p>"Didn't Deerfoot tell you?"</p>
+
+<p>"He never hinted anything of the kind. He once asked me about father's
+death and about you, but I thought it was only a natural interest he
+felt on my account. But tell me how it was, mother."</p>
+
+<p>"Some months before your father's death, he was absent a couple of days
+on a hunt to the south of our home. He kindled a camp-fire in a deep
+valley, where the undergrowth was so dense that he felt sure of being
+safe against discovery. The night was very cold, and snow was flying in
+the air. Besides that, he had eaten nothing all day, and was anxious to
+broil a wild turkey he had shot just as it began to grow dark. He
+started the fire, ate his supper, and was in the act of lying down for
+the night, when a young Indian walked out from the woods, saying in the
+best of English that he was his friend. Your father told me that he was
+the most graceful and handsome youth he had ever looked upon&mdash;&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"That was Deerfoot!" exclaimed the delighted Jack.</p>
+
+<p>"There can be no doubt of it, for he told your father that such was his
+English name. I forget what his own people called him. Well, he said to
+your father, in the most quiet manner, that a party of Shawanoes were
+very near him. They had heard the report of his rifle, and, suspecting
+what it meant, were carefully arranging to capture him for the purpose
+of torture. Deerfoot had seen them, and, having also heard the gun,
+learned what was going on. If your father had stayed where he was five
+minutes longer, nothing could have saved him. I need not tell you that
+he did not stay. Under the guidance of Deerfoot he managed to extricate
+himself from his peril, and, by traveling the entire night, was beyond
+all danger when the sun rose again. Deerfoot did not leave him until
+certain he had no cause for fear. Then, when your father turned to thank
+him, he was gone. He had departed as silently as a shadow."</p>
+
+<p>"That was just like Deerfoot!" exclaimed Jack, with kindling eye; "it
+seems to me he is like Washington. Though he has been in any number of
+dangers, I don't believe he has so much as a scar on his little finger.
+He has been fired upon I don't know how often, but, like Washington, he
+carries a charmed life."</p>
+
+<p>The serious mother shook her head, and, looking over her knitting at her
+boy, made answer:</p>
+
+<p>"Such a thing is unknown in this world; more than likely he will fall by
+the knife or bullet of an enemy."</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose he is liable to be shot, like any one else; but the Indian
+that does it has got to be mighty smart to get ahead of him. Plenty of
+them have tried it with knife and tomahawk, but they never lived to try
+it on any one else. But that ain't the most wonderful part of it," added
+Jack, shaking his head and gesticulating in his excitement with both
+arms; "Deerfoot knows a good deal more about books than I do."</p>
+
+<p>"That does not imply that he possesses any remarkable education," said
+the mother, with a quiet smile.</p>
+
+<p>The boy flushed, and sinking back said:</p>
+
+<p>"I know I ain't the best-educated fellow in the settlement, but who ever
+heard of a young Indian knowing how to read and write? Why, that fellow
+can write the prettiest hand you ever saw. He carries a little Bible
+with him: the print is so fine I can hardly read it, but he will stretch
+out in the light of a poor camp-fire, and read it for an hour at a time.
+I can't understand where he picked it all up, but he told me about the
+Pacific Ocean, which is away beyond our country, and he spoke of the
+land where the Saviour lived when he was on earth. I never felt so
+ashamed of myself as I did when he sat down and told me such things. He
+can repeat verse after verse from the Bible; he pronounced the Lord's
+Prayer in Shawanoe, and then told me and Otto that if we would only use
+the English a little oftener the Great Spirit would hear us. What do you
+think of <i>that</i>?"</p>
+
+<p>"It is very good advice."</p>
+
+<p>"Of course it is, but the idea of a young Indian being that sort of
+fellow! Well, there's no use of talking," added Jack, as though unable
+to do justice to the theme, "he beats anything I ever heard of. If the
+truth should be written as to what he has done, and put in a book, I
+don't 'spose one person in a hundred would believe it. He promised to
+come and see us."</p>
+
+<p>"I hope he will," said the mother; "I shall always hold him in the
+highest esteem and gratitude for his kindness to your father and to
+you."</p>
+
+<p>"I tell you it would have gone rough with Otto and me if it hadn't been
+for him. I wonder how Otto is getting along?" said Jack, with an
+expression of misgiving on his face.</p>
+
+<p>"Why do you ask that?" inquired his mother.</p>
+
+<p>"I think Deerfoot was worried over him."</p>
+
+<p>"I do not understand you."</p>
+
+<p>"Why, you know Otto has got the meanest father in the whole United
+States of America&mdash;&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"Those are strong words," interrupted the parent reprovingly.</p>
+
+<p>"It is contrary to your teaching to talk that way, but you know, too,
+that it is the solemn truth. Deerfoot stopped at Jacob Relstaub's cabin,
+in this very settlement, some weeks ago, when it was raining harder than
+now, and asked for something to eat, and to stay all night. What do you
+'spose Relstaub did? He abused him and turned him away."</p>
+
+<p>"What a shame!" exclaimed the good woman indignantly. "Why did Deerfoot
+not come here or to one of the other cabins?"</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know, but he went off in the woods by himself. Otto tried to
+befriend him, and was whipped for it; but Deerfoot never forgot it, and
+he risked his life to help Otto and me."</p>
+
+<p>"It was very unkind in Mr. Relstaub, but you have not told me why you
+and Deerfoot were alarmed for Otto."</p>
+
+<p>"Otto had the best horse that his father owns. It ran away from us, and,
+though we tried hard to get him again, we couldn't, and Otto and I came
+home on foot. Knowing his father as well as we do, Deerfoot and I were
+afraid the poor fellow would be punished because he lost the animal. I
+haven't had a chance to say much to Otto, and when I did, I didn't want
+to ask him about it, but I would like to know whether he has been
+punished for what he couldn't help."</p>
+
+<p>"I can answer that question," said Mrs. Carleton, softly; "his father
+whipped him most cruelly yesterday."</p>
+
+<p>"The old scamp&mdash;&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"Tut, tut!" warned the parent, raising her finger, "it <i>was</i> cruel, but
+Otto will survive it, as he has many other times, and before many years
+he will become so large that his father will not be able to punish him."</p>
+
+<p>"I hope he will undertake it, and Otto will knock him&mdash;&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"Stop!" said the mother, more sternly, "you have already allowed your
+feelings to lead you too far."</p>
+
+<p>"Pardon me, mother," said Jack, humbly, "I would not hurt your feelings
+for the world; but there is such a contrast between his father and you,
+and his mother is just as bad&mdash;&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>Jack checked himself again, for his quick ear detected something. He
+turned quickly toward the door of the cabin, and his mother, reading the
+meaning of the movement, did the same, holding her fingers motionless
+while both listened.</p>
+
+<p>The rain beat upon the roof, dashed against the window-panes, and
+rattled on the logs of the cabin, with a melancholy sound that made the
+interior seem doubly cheerful by contrast. At times the wind roared
+among the trees, and some of the pattering drops found their way down
+the chimney, and hissed among the flaming brands, making tiny black
+points that were instantly wiped out by the ardor of the fire itself.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly the latch-string, which was only drawn in when the inmates were
+ready to retire, was pulled, the latch raised, the door opened, and Otto
+Relstaub, his garments dripping water, entered the room.</p>
+
+<p>"Good-evening!" he called, pausing a moment to close the door against
+the driving storm.</p>
+
+<p>Both greeted the visitor, and Jack, laying aside his book, advanced and
+warmly shook the hand of his friend, bringing him forward and giving him
+a seat on the bench, which was drawn still nearer the fire.</p>
+
+<p>Otto was attired very much as when we saw him last, but he did not carry
+his gun with him. He took off his peaked hat, shook the water from it,
+and then his broad, good-natured face, gleaming with moisture and rugged
+health, was raised to meet the mild, inquiring gaze of the lady, who
+asked him how he was.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, I ish well," he answered, speaking English much better than he did
+a short time previous, "I have been working so hard dot I couldn't come
+over before."</p>
+
+<p>"I'm real glad to see you," said Jack, cordially, slapping him on the
+back and making the water fly; "if you hadn't called to-night I would
+have dropped in to-morrow to see you. We've hardly had a chance to speak
+to each other since we got back."</p>
+
+<p>"No, dot ish so," said Otto, with a sigh. "Father, he makes me work
+harder as I never did, to make up for the time dot I wasted in play, he
+says. By Jiminy! I don't think dot was much play, do you, Jack?"</p>
+
+<p>"It was the worst play I ever went through; two boys never worked harder
+for their lives than did we, and if it hadn't been for Deerfoot, we
+never would have reached Martinsville. I suppose your father gave you a
+whipping for losing Toby?"</p>
+
+<p>"I should thinks he did! I hadn't been home one hours, when he went out
+and cut a stick, and used it up on me, and he doned the same yesterday."</p>
+
+<p>Jack was about to break forth into vigorous language, when his mother
+anticipated him. Her voice was slightly tremulous, for, despite her
+enforced calmness, she could not altogether restrain her feelings.</p>
+
+<p>"Surely he could not have understood the matter; I will speak to your
+mother."</p>
+
+<p>Otto shrugged his shoulders, with a laugh in which there was more
+sadness than mirth.</p>
+
+<p>"Moder is worse than him; she tole him he didn't whips me half enough,
+and so he tried it again yesterday. I heard her tells him to-night dot I
+needed more, so I slips out and comes over here before he could get
+everythings ready. May I stay here all night?"</p>
+
+<p>"All night!" repeated Jack, "you may stay a week&mdash;a month&mdash;a year&mdash;yes,
+<i>forever</i>."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't want to stay dot long," said Otto, with his pleasant laugh;
+"but fader, he tells me he will beat me every day till I brings back de
+horse."</p>
+
+<p>"Very well," said Jack, compressing his lips, "you won't go back till
+you get the horse&mdash;if it takes five years."</p>
+
+<p>"Did your father tell you to stay away till you recovered the animal?"
+asked Mrs. Carleton.</p>
+
+<p>"Dot vos just vot he says."</p>
+
+<p>"Then it is proper that you should obey him."</p>
+
+<p>Otto nodded his head to signify that his sentiments were those of his
+friends. He glanced slyly around the room, but did not explain what he
+was looking for, and, unfortunately, neither mother nor son suspected
+the meaning of the look; but Otto's hard-hearted parents had actually
+driven him from their home without allowing him to eat a mouthful of
+dinner or supper. He was suffering with hunger, but was plucky enough to
+bear it without complaining, since his friends had partaken and cleared
+away the table long before.</p>
+
+<p>"What do you intend to do?" asked Mrs. Carleton, who deeply sympathized
+with the poor lad.</p>
+
+<p>"I goes home in de mornings and gets my gun and powder-horn before they
+can whips me, and then I goes off to hunt for Toby."</p>
+
+<p>"And I'll go with you!" exclaimed the impulsive Jack, springing to his
+feet; "you'll let me, mother, won't you?" he asked, turning beseechingly
+toward her.</p>
+
+<p>Recalling the perils through which her only child had passed so
+recently, the widow could not but contemplate with dismay the prospect
+of having him venture into the wilderness again; but she felt deeply for
+poor honest Otto, who was so willing and good-natured, and who had shown
+such a desire to help her while her own boy was in Kentucky.</p>
+
+<p>Furthermore, she knew that Louisiana was a much less dangerous country
+than the Dark and Bloody Ground. Few of the Shawanoes, Hurons, and other
+actively hostile tribes ever crossed to the western side of the
+Mississippi, where the Osages gave little trouble to the settlers
+scattered through that immense territory.</p>
+
+<p>Otto's eyes sparkled when Jack Carleton leaped to his feet and declared
+he would go with him on the search for the lost horse (subject, of
+course, to the consent of his mother), and the German youth looked
+pleadingly toward the good woman, who, it is hardly necessary to say,
+yielded consent, giving with it a large amount of motherly counsel, to
+which the boys listened respectfully, though candor compels me to say
+that the thoughts of both were far away among the green woods, beside
+the sparkling streams, and in the shadows of the chasms, ravines, and
+gloomy mountains, whither, as they well knew, the curious search would
+lead them.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II.</h2>
+
+<h3>A DOUBTFUL ENTERPRISE.</h3>
+
+
+<p>One of the commendable habits of the early settlers and old-fashioned
+folks was that of retiring and rising early. They were ardent believers
+in the saying of Poor Richard that "early to bed, and early to rise,
+makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."</p>
+
+<p>It was not yet nine o'clock, when Jack and Otto, despite the deep
+interest they felt in their projected campaign, voluntarily withdrew to
+the other room, where they fell asleep within five minutes after their
+heads touched the pillow. The mother remained by the fire some time
+after the boys withdrew. Her small white fingers flitted hither back and
+forth, while her mild brown eyes seemed to look beyond the flashing
+needles, and into the glowing coals on the hearth. Her thoughts were sad
+and sorrowful, as they always were when she sat thus alone. They
+wandered back to that awful time when her loved husband was stricken
+down in defence of her and their little boy.</p>
+
+<p>But to-night she was thinking more of that boy than of the father. She
+saw how much like the latter he was growing, and she trembled when she
+recalled that he was soon to start on another excursion into the
+wilderness, to be gone for days, and likely for weeks, and with no
+certainty of ever returning again.</p>
+
+<p>As the night advanced, the fury of the storm diminished. At "low twelve"
+the fall of rain ceased altogether. The wind blew strongly, sometimes
+with a power which caused the strongest trees to bow their heads to the
+blast. As the morning approached, it died out altogether, and the sun
+rose on one of the fairest days that ever was seen.</p>
+
+<p>Early as was the orb, the inmates of the cabin were waiting to greet it
+when it appeared above the horizon. The boys were in high spirits over
+the beautiful morning, and both felt that it promised well for the
+venture before them.</p>
+
+<p>"I tell you <i>we're going to win</i>!" said Jack, compressing his lips and
+shaking his head. "I feel it in my bones, as your father says, just
+before a storm comes."</p>
+
+<p>"Dot's vot I dinks," assented Otto, whose only discomfort was his
+exceeding hunger: "Vot you dinks, Mrs. Carleton?"</p>
+
+<p>"I hope you will not be disappointed; that is the most I can say. Jack's
+feeling that you are going to succeed is simply his pleasure over the
+prospect of a ramble in the woods. We will eat breakfast, after which
+you can go home and make your preparations for the journey."</p>
+
+<p>When they were seated at the table and Otto's hunger was nearly
+satisfied, he told his friends with a grin, that it was the first food
+he had tasted in twenty-four hours. They were shocked, and both took him
+to task for his failure to make known the truth the evening before. He
+made the philosophic reply that if he had done so he would have missed
+the boundless enjoyment of such a meal as that of which he was then
+partaking.</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Carleton on rising in the morning felt that Otto ought not to be
+allowed to go on the expedition until after a further talk with his
+parents, who, despite what they had said, might be unwilling for him to
+engage in such an undertaking; but when she learned how the poor fellow
+had been made to suffer with hunger her feelings changed. It was hard to
+repress her indignation, and she made up her mind to talk to the cruel
+folks as they had never been talked to before; but she allowed no
+impatient word to escape her in the presence of their son. She simply
+advised him to depart as soon as he could upon the hunt for the horse,
+and not to return, if possible, until it was recovered or another
+obtained.</p>
+
+<p>"Dot is vot I does," replied Otto with a shake of his head and a
+determined expression; "Otto doesn't comes back till he brings some kind
+of animal&mdash;if it's only a 'coon or 'possum."</p>
+
+<p>When he walked over to his own home (the building for which was
+precisely the same as that of widow Carleton), his father and mother
+were eating their breakfast. They looked surlily at him as he entered,
+and the mother showed her incredible heartlessness by asking her only
+child in German:</p>
+
+<p>"Where is Toby that you lost?"</p>
+
+<p>"How can I tell, mother, except that he is in the woods? I tried hard to
+find him again, and had it not been for Deerfoot I would have lost my
+life; but he is gone."</p>
+
+<p>"Did I not tell you to go and not come back until you brought him with
+you?" demanded the father, glaring at his boy as though he was ready to
+throttle him.</p>
+
+<p>"So you did&mdash;so you did; but I couldn't do much last night, when it was
+so dark and stormy. I have come over to get my gun and ammunition."</p>
+
+<p>The father and mother looked in each other's faces, as though in doubt
+whether they would let the lad have the property, but before the
+question could be debated Otto had flung the powder-horn over his
+shoulders, adjusted the bullet-pouch, shoved the hunting-knife in the
+girdle at his waist, and walked to the front door, where he halted and
+looked back.</p>
+
+<p>"Can't I have breakfast before I go?"</p>
+
+<p>"No!" fairly shouted the father; "begone; you shall not have a mouthful
+under my roof till you bring back the colt you have lost."</p>
+
+<p>"Nobody wants anything you've got on <i>that</i> table," the lad was
+indignant enough to reply: "I've had one meal that was worth more than a
+dozen like that. Good-by!"</p>
+
+<p>And before the dumfounded parents could rally from the unparalleled
+impudence of the youth he was gone.</p>
+
+<p>When he reached the home of Jack Carleton, the latter was waiting and
+impatient to start. Jack had already kissed his mother good-by several
+times and he repeated the fond embrace. Tears were in the eyes of both,
+and the mother stood in the door of her cabin shading her eyes with her
+hand until the two passed from sight in the forest beyond the clearing.</p>
+
+<p>Several of the pioneers who were busy about the settlement greeted the
+boys and inquired their errand. Colonel Martin shook hands with them,
+and asked all the particulars of the business on which they were
+engaged. His age and position authorized him to ask such searching
+questions, had the couple been full-grown men instead of boys.</p>
+
+<p>Otto answered truthfully, and the colonel smiled grimly and shook his
+head.</p>
+
+<p>"It's mighty little chance you have of ever finding <i>that</i> horse again,
+but you may come upon another. Take my advice, however," added the
+colonel with a wink of his left eye, "make certain the owner isn't in
+sight when you walk off with the animal."</p>
+
+<p>"Why, colonel, you don't think we mean to steal a horse!" exclaimed the
+horrified Jack.</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly not&mdash;certainly not," the principal man of the settlement
+hastened to say, "I don't believe you could be persuaded to do such a
+thing&mdash;that is if the owner was looking."</p>
+
+<p>"We couldn't be persuaded to do such a thing <i>under any circumstances</i>,"
+exclaimed Jack, his face flushing over the idea that any one who knew
+him should suspect him capable of such a crime.</p>
+
+<p>"See here," said the colonel, dropping his voice and stepping in front
+of them, "you tell me you are going after a horse. Have you the money
+with you to buy one?"</p>
+
+<p>"No; we cannot get one <i>that</i> way."</p>
+
+<p>"I judged not; how then do you propose to obtain him?"</p>
+
+<p>"Toby, the colt belonging to Otto's father, is wandering in the woods
+not very far away&mdash;&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"How do you know he is?" interrupted the colonel.</p>
+
+<p>"Why, he was doing so only a few days ago."</p>
+
+<p>"That is no proof that he is keeping it up; in fact it is scarcely
+possible that such is the case. Recollect, my boy, that several tribes
+of Indians hunt through this portion of Louisiana, and they would be
+much quicker than you to observe the trail of a horse wearing an iron
+shoe; they would be inquiring enough also to investigate for themselves,
+and, when they came upon the colt, they would snap him up quicker than
+lightning."</p>
+
+<p>The boys felt that somehow or other the wonderful young Shawanoe would
+appear at the right moment and lend them the help which they were
+certain to need. Should he fail to do so, they could no more recapture
+and take the colt to his owner than they could penetrate into the Dark
+and Bloody Ground and bring back the great war chief Tecumseh as a
+prisoner.</p>
+
+<p>But neither Colonel Martin nor any one in the village knew anything
+about the extraordinary Indian youth, and, while Jack was asking himself
+whether he should linger long enough to explain the situation, the
+gentleman relieved them from the embarrassment by a hearty slap on the
+shoulder of Jack, and the exclamations:</p>
+
+<p>"I was once a boy myself! I haven't forgotten that jolly time: we
+always liked to have some sort of excuse when we went off on a frolic.
+You see what a lot of work there is to do in clearing the ground and
+getting it ready for cultivation; you would much rather be hunting and
+rambling through the woods; I can't say I blame you, so off with you,
+and when you come back with word that the horse was mean enough to keep
+out of your way, why we won't be too hard on you."</p>
+
+<p>And with another resounding slap, the hearty colonel gave the boys a
+vigorous shove which sent them forward among the trees, near which they
+had halted.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III.</h2>
+
+<h3>WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPECTED.</h3>
+
+
+<p>Jack Carleton was too sensible a youth to suppose that the Lost Trail
+could be found by a blind wandering through the immense expanse of
+wilderness, which stretched hundreds of miles in almost every direction
+from the little settlement of Martinsville. Both he and Otto had a
+strong hope, when they reached home after their stirring adventure with
+Deerfoot, that the colt Toby would follow them of his own accord. He
+belonged to a species possessing such unusual intelligence that there
+would have been nothing remarkable in such a proceeding, and the fact
+that he did not do so, gave ground for the belief that he had fallen
+into the hands of parties who prevented the animal from doing as he
+chose.</p>
+
+<p>One fact was clearly established; Toby had been within a comparatively
+short distance of the settlement, and, if he had remained anywhere in
+the neighborhood during the late storm, traces of him must be found
+without much difficulty. But one of the easiest things in the world is
+to theorize over any problem; to push that theory to a successful
+conclusion is altogether another matter.</p>
+
+<p>While it lacked a couple of hours of noon, the boys reached an elevated
+section which gave them an extended view in every direction. Looking to
+the eastward, Otto fancied he could detect the gleam of the distant
+Mississippi, but Jack assured him he was mistaken. Too many miles lay
+between them and the mighty Father of Waters for the eye to traverse the
+space.</p>
+
+<p>Young Carleton took off his cap and drew his handkerchief across his
+perspiring forehead. Then he sighed and smiled.</p>
+
+<p>"This doesn't appear so hopeful to me as it did last night, when we sat
+around the fire and talked it over; but of course we won't give up so
+long as there's the least hope."</p>
+
+<p>"And it won't do for me to give him up then," replied Otto, with a
+meaning shake of his head; "you don't know my fader as well as me."</p>
+
+<p>"I don't want to either," remarked Jack, who did not think it his duty
+to refrain from showing the contempt he felt for the miserly, cruel
+parent of his friend.</p>
+
+<p>"No," observed Otto, with a touch of that grim humor which he sometimes
+displayed, "I doesn't dinks dot you and him could have much fun
+together."</p>
+
+<p>The young friends were too accustomed to the immensity of nature, as
+displayed on every hand, to feel specially impressed by the scene which
+would have held any one else enthralled. It may be said they were "on
+business," though it had very much the appearance of sport.</p>
+
+<p>"Halloo! I expected it!" called out Jack Carleton, whose gaze abruptly
+rested on a point due southwest, and more than a mile away.</p>
+
+<p>His companion did not need the guidance of the outstretched arm and
+index finger leveled toward the distant spot, where the smoke of a
+camp-fire was seen climbing toward the blue sky. The scene on which the
+boys looked was similar to that which met the eye of Ned Preston and
+Deerfoot when they lay on the broad flat rock and gazed across at the
+signal-fire in the distance.</p>
+
+<p>The wooded country gradually sloped to the south and west from the
+elevation whereon the young friends had halted, slowly rising and
+undulating until the eye could follow the blue wavy outlines no further.
+At the point already named, and in the lowest portion of the intervening
+country, a camp-fire was burning. The smoke, as it filtered upward
+through the branches of the trees, and gradually dissolved in the pure
+air above, was seen with such distinctness that it caught the eye of
+Jack the moment it was turned in that direction.</p>
+
+<p>It was not a signal-fire, such as one is likely to detect when
+journeying through an Indian country, but the vapor from the camp of
+some body of men who were not making the slightest attempt to conceal
+themselves, for it cannot be conceived that they had any reason for
+doing so.</p>
+
+<p>If the party were Indians, they surely had no necessity for stationing a
+sentinel on the outskirts of their camp to watch for danger.</p>
+
+<p>Jack and Otto looked in each other's faces and smiled; the natural
+question had presented itself at the same moment. It was, "Can it be
+that the horse we are seeking is with them?"</p>
+
+<p>"The only way to find out is to go forward and see for ourselves," said
+Jack, after they had discussed the question for several minutes.</p>
+
+<p>"'Spose dot de horse is with them&mdash;what den?"</p>
+
+<p>Jack shrugged his shoulders.</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot used to say that he could never answer such a question until
+he knew exactly how everything stood. Now, we can't be certain whether
+they are Indians or white men, and I don't know as it makes much
+difference one way or the other, for our own horse thieves over in
+Kentucky were dreaded as much as were the Shawanoes. They were a good
+deal meaner, too, for they oppressed their own race."</p>
+
+<p>"Dot is vot I sometimes dinks of fader," was the unexpected remark of
+Otto; "if he was only a colored man or Injin I would have more respect
+for him; dot is so."</p>
+
+<p>"Come on; we have started out to do something, and we can't gain
+anything by staying here."</p>
+
+<p>The brief halt had refreshed the boys, and they now moved forward with
+their naturally vigorous and almost bounding steps. While they had much
+curiosity, and a somewhat singular misgiving, yet they were in no
+particular fear, for it was impossible to believe they were in any real
+peril.</p>
+
+<p>It was quite a tramp to reach the camp in which just then they felt so
+much interest, and the sun was close to meridian when Jack, who was
+slightly in advance, slackened his gait, and remarked in an undertone:</p>
+
+<p>"It can't be far&mdash;halloo!"</p>
+
+<p>While picking their way through the valley, they lost sight of the
+wavering column of vapor, except once or twice when they were able to
+catch a glimpse of it through the tree-tops. Jack's exclamation was
+caused by another sight of the murky column, which, as he suspected,
+proved to be little more than a hundred yards distant.</p>
+
+<p>There was so much undergrowth that nothing of the fire itself could be
+observed, though the smoke showed itself distinctly in the clear air
+above.</p>
+
+<p>"Vell, vot does we does now?" was the natural query of Otto, as he
+placed himself beside his young friend.</p>
+
+<p>"I guess we may as well keep on, until we find out who they are."</p>
+
+<p>"After we finds out vot we does den?"</p>
+
+<p>"We shall see&mdash;come on."</p>
+
+<p>It was simple prudence that they should speak in whispers, and step with
+as much care as if they were scouts entering the camp of an enemy. It
+would have been rashness to neglect so simple a precaution, no matter
+how favorable the circumstances.</p>
+
+<p>"Holds on!" whispered Otto, "I dinks I goes around the oder side while
+you takes a look on dis side."</p>
+
+<p>"There is no need of doing that," interposed Jack; "we found out the
+consequence of separating when in danger. You needn't keep behind me,
+but you may walk at my side."</p>
+
+<p>"All right," responded Otto, obeying the suggestion.</p>
+
+<p>A rod or two further, and something red gleamed, among the trees and
+undergrowth. Smoke was observed at the same moment, and immediately
+after came the hum of voices and the sight of persons stretched on the
+ground in lolling, indolent positions, while some were sitting on a
+fallen tree, and two were engaged in broiling some venison, which
+evidently was meant to furnish dinner for the rest. The majority were
+smoking a species of red clay pipe, and the appearance of the party
+suggested that they were resting after a laborious tramp through the
+woods.</p>
+
+<p>There were precisely ten, and they were Indians&mdash;every one. Jack could
+not be certain of the tribe to which they belonged, but inasmuch as it
+was apparent they were neither Shawanoes nor Hurons, he was confident
+they were Osages, though it was not impossible that their totem was
+another altogether.</p>
+
+<p>Several peculiarities about the strange Indians interested the youth.
+They were noticeably shorter in stature than the Hurons and Shawanoes
+whom they had been accustomed to meet on the other side of the
+Mississippi. The poetical American Indian is far different from the one
+in real life. It is rarely that a really handsome warrior or squaw is
+met. They are, generally a slouchy, frowsy, lazy, unclean people, of
+whom nothing is truer than that distance lends enchantment to their
+view.</p>
+
+<p>Those upon whom Jack and Otto gazed with natural curiosity, were not
+only shorter in stature, but of homelier countenance. Their eyes were
+smaller, more piggish, and further apart, their cheek-bones more
+prominent, the foreheads lower and more sloping, while Jack always
+asserted that they had much larger mouths than the Indians with whom he
+was familiar.</p>
+
+<p>While asking themselves whether it was wise to go any closer and to make
+their acquaintance, the lads stood side by side, each with the stock of
+his gun resting on the earth, while their whole attention was absorbed
+by the curious scene before them.</p>
+
+<p>It would naturally follow that if the Indian party was in such plain
+sight of the boys, they themselves must have been visible to the red men
+had they chosen to cast their searching glances towards the spot where
+the two were standing, even though the latter were partially hidden by
+the undergrowth.</p>
+
+<p>Had Jack and Otto been as vigilant and suspicious as they ought to have
+been, their misgivings would have been awakened by what took place
+within the next ten minutes. Two of the warriors, leaving their rifles
+where they were leaning against a fallen tree, leisurely rose and
+sauntered into the woods, taking a course directly opposite to that
+which would have led them to where the boys stood. The latter observed
+the movement, but thought nothing of it.</p>
+
+<p>"What do you say?" finally asked Jack, in a guarded voice; "shall we go
+forward and make their acquaintance?"</p>
+
+<p>"Dey haven't any horses that we can see, and I dinks dot we better goes
+away till some other time."</p>
+
+<p>"I am inclined to believe you are right&mdash;&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>At that moment, and without the least warning, a brawny, coppery arm
+shot over the shoulder of Jack Carleton, and, grasping his rifle with an
+iron grip, snatched it from him. At the same instant, a precisely
+similar movement deprived Otto Relstaub of his most important weapon,
+the two friends being made prisoners before they dreamed they were in
+the least danger.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV.</h2>
+
+<h3>CAPTORS AND CAPTIVES.</h3>
+
+
+<p>With an exclamation of affright, Jack Carleton whirled on his heel and
+found the broad, grinning face of one of the warriors almost against his
+own. Holding the rifle back, as if expecting an attempt to recover it,
+the savage thrust his head forward, with a tantalizing expression
+overspreading his ugly features. At the same moment he muttered
+something very rapidly in his own tongue. Not a word was understood by
+Jack, but he was sure the warrior said, "Ah, ha, young man, I've caught
+you, and you can't help yourself."</p>
+
+<p>The experience of Otto Relstaub was slightly different from that of his
+companion. When he found his rifle gone and a squatty Indian at his
+elbow, he was panic-stricken.</p>
+
+<p>"Mine gracious!" he exclaimed, "this ain't de best place for me; I dinks
+I goes to some oder place."</p>
+
+<p>Naturally he made a dash to retrace his steps, but the warrior was too
+quick for him. He had taken his second step only, when his captor
+grasped the ankle of the foot that was rising from the ground, and drew
+backward with such force that Otto sprawled on his face.</p>
+
+<p>Jack, who could not believe that these red men were of a very sanguinary
+disposition, laughed outright over the discomfiture of his friend.</p>
+
+<p>"Can't you kick him loose?" he called.</p>
+
+<p>"If he don't hang on too tight," replied Otto, trying with might and
+main to free himself.</p>
+
+<p>The moment the boys were captured, the attention of the entire company
+was centred upon them. All talking ceased, and every one stood up and
+looked toward the point of interest. Several went forward to meet the
+captives, and the general grin that lighted up the aboriginal
+countenances seemed to shed a mild sort of sunlight among and under the
+trees.</p>
+
+<p>"It's no use," said Jack to his friend; "we can't get away until they
+are ready to let us go."</p>
+
+<p>"Vot does they mean to do mit us?"</p>
+
+<p>"That is hard to tell," replied the young Kentuckian, with a serious
+countenance; "I don't know to what tribe they belong, but I believe
+they ain't half as bad as the Shawanoes."</p>
+
+<p>"Dey couldn't be any more cruel don dem," was the truthful observation
+of the young German.</p>
+
+<p>In the course of a few seconds the boys were fully introduced to the
+camp-fire of the strange Indians, who were not in war paint, and who, as
+the boys rightly believed, belonged to a less bloodthirsty totem than
+did the redskins on the eastern bank of the Mississippi.</p>
+
+<p>Every warrior was standing on his feet, and they all crowded around the
+boys, as though they had never seen any of their race until that moment.
+They continually talked in their guttural, grunting fashion, smiling and
+nodding their heads. Two of them pinched the limbs of the boys as though
+testing their muscle. So far from showing any alarm, Jack Carleton
+clenched his fist and elevated his arm, swaying the hand back and forth
+as if proud to display the development of his biceps. But Otto was in
+too doleful a mood to indulge in anything of the kind.</p>
+
+<p>As a matter of course, the Indians could not feel the slightest
+misgiving on account of their prisoners. They must have known of the
+settlement only a few miles distant, and they had not offered to disturb
+it, nor had they molested any of the pioneers when they ventured into
+the woods in quest of game.</p>
+
+<p>Such being the case, it can be readily seen that, so far as the settlers
+were concerned, the Indians were safe. Although within gunshot of
+Martinsville, the red men took no precaution at all against molestation
+from them.</p>
+
+<p>It struck Jack as curious that among the warriors gathered around them,
+not one had as yet spoken a word that he could understand. The American
+race have shown a quickness from the first to pick up expressions from
+the language of those near them. Who has forgotten Samoset's "Welcome,
+Englishmen!" uttered to the first settlers at Plymouth, who were at a
+loss to understand where the red man learned the pleasant words?</p>
+
+<p>Jack Carleton, who retained his self-possession much better than did his
+friend, listened hopefully for some word which he could recognize.</p>
+
+<p>While he was disappointed in that respect, he could not believe that he
+and Otto were in any imminent peril from their captors, though, on the
+other hand, he was very far from feeling safe against harm. With a
+coolness that must have awakened admiration among the barbarians, the
+youth, standing in the middle of the group, folded his arms, and
+smilingly looked in the repellant faces, none of which were at a greater
+altitude than his own.</p>
+
+<p>After pinching different parts of the bodies of the boys, the Indians
+seemed to be satisfied and stepped back. The majority sat down on the
+log, others sauntered away, relighting their pipes that had burned out,
+and the two who had been serving as cooks, gave their attention to the
+venison steak, whose appetizing odor filled the surrounding space.</p>
+
+<p>"Otto, we may as well take it quietly," said Jack, sauntering to the
+butt of the log, and seating himself, "they don't mean to tomahawk us
+just yet, and I hope they will give us some dinner before they dispose
+of us."</p>
+
+<p>The German imitated the action of Jack, but he did not share his
+self-possession. He shook his head in a way which showed he was far from
+feeling comfortable.</p>
+
+<p>"You seem more scared than when we were behind the logs, with the
+Shawanoes and Hurons on the outside," said Jack; "I don't understand how
+that can be. I am sure there is less to dread from these Indians than
+from them."</p>
+
+<p>"It ain't de Injins dot makes me feel so bad," replied Otto with a
+rueful expression, "but fader."</p>
+
+<p>"What's the matter with him?"</p>
+
+<p>"De colt is lost and now dey takes mine gun from me; if I goes back dot
+way, fader will whip me harder than ever."</p>
+
+<p>Jack was serious for a moment and then he laughed.</p>
+
+<p>"I never dreamed that <i>that</i> was your trouble. Of course, if you go home
+without your gun the old gentleman will be angry, but there is one good
+thing about the matter."</p>
+
+<p>"What's that?"</p>
+
+<p>"No matter what happens, he can't be any meaner and more cruel than he
+is now."</p>
+
+<p>Otto removed his tall, conical hat, looked thoughtfully down at the
+ground in front, and slowly scratched his head. Manifestly he was in
+deep thought. Suddenly he looked up, his face aglow.</p>
+
+<p>"Dot is so. I don't care now vot dey takes, I will valks home and tells
+fader and moder dot I lost it, den won't they be mad! Oh, mine
+gracious!"</p>
+
+<p>And leaning far back on the log and donning his hat, he slapped his knee
+with his right hand and shook all over with laughter. There is something
+contagious in such an exhibition, as we all know, and not only did Jack
+laugh in unison, but several of the warriors showed they were amused.</p>
+
+<p>"I thought all the time Otto was alarmed on account of the Indians,"
+said Jack to himself, "and it was nothing of the kind; he was only
+afraid that his father will be madder than ever when he goes back not
+only without the lost horse, but without some of the property he took
+away with him. Now that fear is gone and Otto begins to feel better than
+I do, for," thought the youth, looking around him, "we certainly are not
+in the best situation in the world."</p>
+
+<p>The youth could not help observing that while the Indians seemed to pay
+little attention to them, he and Otto were under strict surveillance. As
+no motion had been made to bind them, the boys could make a sudden
+break or dash for liberty whenever the whim took possession of them, but
+nothing could be gained and a great deal might be lost by such an
+attempt. Stumpy and heavy-set as were the warriors, they could easily
+outrun their captives, and rather than permit them to get away, they
+would doubtless riddle them with bullets. Consequently, while the same
+thought came to each of the friends more than once, as they sat
+conversing on the log, neither proposed any effort to get away.</p>
+
+<p>They had brought nothing in the shape of lunch with them, and it may be
+doubted whether any one of the Indians was more ravenously hungry than
+were they. It would go hard with them, if deprived of their share of the
+dinner, prepared by the aboriginal cooks.</p>
+
+<p>When the huge slices of venison were half broiled, the distribution
+followed. The cooks handled their hunting-knives with such deftness,
+that in a twinkling, as may be said, the jaws of the entire party were
+vigorously at work. After receiving their respective shares, few made
+the slightest use of their knives. The aborigines live and eat so much
+like wild animals, that, almost without exception, they possess
+admirable teeth which need no artificial assistance.</p>
+
+<p>"My gracious!" whispered Jack, "I believe they don't mean to give us so
+much as a bite."</p>
+
+<p>"If dey doesn't do so, den I dies mit hunger," was the despairing
+exclamation of Otto, who forgot that only a few hours had passed since
+he had partaken liberally of food. "I never felt so hungry as I feels
+now, and now I'm growing worser&mdash;&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>Something thumped against the side of the speaker's head with such force
+that his hat fell off. Jack had just time to see that it was a piece of
+cooked venison, when a similar blessing struck him.</p>
+
+<p>The two Indians were dexterous throwers, and they and half a dozen were
+grinning over the result.</p>
+
+<p>The result was satisfactory in every way to the victims, if such they
+may be considered, for, besides furnishing them with the much-needed
+nourishment, it was a strong proof of the indifference, if not the
+good-will of their captors. Had they felt ill inclined toward the boys,
+they would not have shown such kindness toward them.</p>
+
+<p>"When you are in Rome, do as the Romans do," laughed Jack, seating
+himself on the fallen tree and devouring the half-cooked meat with the
+gusto of those around him. Indeed he and Otto had eaten many a time in a
+similar style, and few persons find difficulty in making savages of
+themselves in every respect, whenever the inclination so to do takes
+possession of them.</p>
+
+<p>The boys would have relished double the amount of food, but enough had
+been given to remove all discomfort, and they would have found it hard
+to describe the thorough enjoyment the lunch imparted.</p>
+
+<p>But now that the troublesome question was answered, the thought of the
+youths naturally turned to the immediate future. Had these Indians
+formed any purpose respecting their prisoners? If so, what was it likely
+to be? Did they intend to kill them with rifle, tomahawk, or knife? Or
+would they be taken away captives? Did the red men belong to the Osage
+tribe of Indians, or was theirs some fiercer or milder totem from a
+distant part of the country?</p>
+
+<p>It is a fact that among many of the early settlements in Missouri and
+other Western States, the warriors who were occasionally encountered in
+the forests, or who fired from the cover of the trees, belonged to
+tribes whose hunting-grounds were many leagues away. They were not
+Shawanoe, Huron, Pottawatomie, Osage, Miami, Delaware, Illinois,
+Kickapoo, or Winnebago. Sometimes a veteran trapper recognized the dress
+and general appearance that he had noted among the red men to the
+northward, and far beyond the Assiniboine; others who had ventured
+hundreds of miles to the westward, remembered exchanging shots with
+similar dusky warriors on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains.</p>
+
+<p>Indeed it cannot be questioned that the American race not only produced
+warriors, orators, and magnificent leaders, but it had its travelers and
+explorers&mdash;the name being accepted in its restricted meaning.</p>
+
+<p>More than once Jack had wondered whether this party had not come from a
+long distance in the interior, perhaps hundreds of miles, and that
+having completed the errand on which they had journeyed so far, were now
+on their return.</p>
+
+<p>"If this is so," he said to Otto, when they observed the party making
+preparations to leave, "they will take us on a good long march."</p>
+
+<p>"I dinks maybe dey knocks us in the head, so as not to makes us feel bad
+apout going away from home."</p>
+
+<p>Further conversation was checked by some minutes of bustle and activity.
+The Indians seemed to have come very suddenly to the conclusion to
+depart, and the boys naturally shared the excitement; but possibly their
+dismay can be imagined, when it became apparent that the red men
+intended to divide into two parties, and that as a consequence the boys
+would have to part company, and who shall say whether it was to be for a
+few days, a few years, or forever?</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V.</h2>
+
+<h3>JOURNEYING SOUTHWARD.</h3>
+
+
+<p>It never occurred to Jack and Otto that their captors meant to separate
+until the division actually took place. As if by a general
+understanding, one half of the party moved to the right, and the rest
+partly to the left, the course of the former being due west, and of the
+latter directly south.</p>
+
+<p>"Halloo, Otto!" called Jack, turning his head and stopping among the
+members of his own division who were moving off; "they're going to part
+company."</p>
+
+<p>"Dot is vot it looks like; but I guess it ain't going to be for one
+great vile. Good-by!"</p>
+
+<p>Jack was unwilling to part with his friend in this abrupt fashion, and
+he started toward him with a view of shaking his hand. He did not dream
+that his movement would awaken the least opposition; but he presumed too
+much on the indulgence of the red men, for, before he could take three
+steps, one of the warriors caught his arm, and, with a violent wrench,
+flung him in the opposite direction.</p>
+
+<p>It required the utmost effort of Jack to save himself from falling, and
+a stinging pain ran through his shoulder. His hot Kentucky blood was
+aflame, and the instant he could poise his body he drew his knife and
+rushed upon the Indian with the fury of a tiger.</p>
+
+<p>"I'll show you that you can't treat me that way!" he exclaimed.</p>
+
+<p>The warrior whom he was about to assail faced him in a crouching
+posture, both hands resting on his knees, while his ugly countenance was
+bisected by a tantalizing grin which showed the molars of both jaws. His
+black eyes gleamed like those of a rattlesnake, and his whole attitude
+and manner showed that he was seeking to goad the lad to attack him.</p>
+
+<p>The impetus was not needed. Jack Carleton had no thought of hesitation,
+though even in his rage he felt that there was scarcely a shadow of hope
+that he would escape with his life from such an encounter.</p>
+
+<p>The moment Jack was close enough he bounded forward and made a sweeping
+blow, with the knife gripped in his right hand. Had the weapon struck
+where it was aimed, there would have been one Indian less before the
+spectators could have realized what had taken place. The other warriors
+were looking upon the picture as though in doubt of what was coming.
+Among those watching the scene was Otto Relstaub, whose eyes were
+riveted on his friend. The thrilling encounter had opened so suddenly
+that he fairly held his breath, certain that Jack would not live two
+minutes longer.</p>
+
+<p>But the knife of the boy missed its mark altogether. The keen point
+whizzed through empty air, the spiteful force of the blow turning the
+lad half way around on his feet, and leaving him utterly at the mercy of
+the warrior; the latter could have smitten him to the earth with the
+suddenness of the lightning stroke.</p>
+
+<p>But the Indian did not so much as draw his weapon. With a quickness
+which the eye could scarcely follow, he snatched the wrist of the boy's
+hand and bent it back with such force that poor Jack was glad to let the
+weapon fall to the ground. He was discomfited and helpless.</p>
+
+<p>Jack folded his arms, so as to bring the injured wrist against his left
+side and under his elbow. Pressing it close to his body, he shut his
+white lips and forced back the cry that struggled for utterance.</p>
+
+<p>With wonderful coolness the triumphant red man stooped to the ground,
+picked up the hunting-knife, and with the same expanse of grin,
+presented it to Jack, the handle toward him.</p>
+
+<p>"Takes him, Jack!" called out Otto, who was probably the most astounded
+spectator of the scene; "but don't try to kills him ag'in."</p>
+
+<p>Young Carleton for a moment was as bewildered as a child; but his good
+sense rapidly returned, and, with a smile in answer to that of the
+Indian, he accepted the weapon and shoved it back in its place.</p>
+
+<p>Jack was mortified beyond expression at the sorry show he had made. He
+had cut a ridiculous figure, and no wonder a general smile lighted up
+the faces of the red men gathered around.</p>
+
+<p>But the youth made a mistake when he believed he had lowered himself in
+the eyes of his captors. The American race (like all others) admire true
+courage and pluck, even though judgment may be lacking, and the
+dauntless style in which the young captive attacked his tormentor, when
+there was no prospect of success, awoke a responsive chord in the breast
+of all. Had Jack shown himself a coward, they might have treated him as
+they often did such captives; but the brave young fellow was in no
+danger, at least for the present.</p>
+
+<p>The occurrence took but a fraction of the time that has been occupied in
+the telling, and Jack was only given opportunity to replace the knife,
+when his captors, arranging themselves so as to surround him, resumed
+their march to the westward. Precisely at the same instant the other
+half of the company did the same in the other direction, and once more
+Otto Relstaub called out:</p>
+
+<p>"Good-by, Jack! good-by to you!"</p>
+
+<p>"Good-by, my friend!" shouted Jack, his heart filled with a deep
+misgiving over the singular event. "Keep up a good heart, though there's
+no telling whether we shall ever meet again."</p>
+
+<p>"If I get home before you gets dere I will tell Colonel Martin, and
+we'll follow you to the Rocky Mountains&mdash;&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>Even in that serious moment Jack Carleton broke into laughter when he
+saw that the usual fortune of Otto clung to him. His foot caught in
+some obstruction, and while in the act of waving his hand and exchanging
+greetings with his friend, he stumbled forward and went down. Clambering
+to his feet he turned to complete his words, but his captors seemed to
+have lost patience on account of the delay. One seized his right and
+another his left arm and began walking him rapidly off. The last sight
+which Jack gained of the fellow showed him between two Indians, who were
+hurrying him along with such vigor that his head rose and sank with each
+unwilling footstep, as though he was alternately lifted from and pressed
+down to the ground. A few seconds later and the intervening trees hid
+him from sight.</p>
+
+<p>It would have been difficult for Jack Carleton to describe his varied
+emotions when forced to admit the fact that he was an actual prisoner
+among a band of wandering Indians. The memorable journey from Kentucky
+into Louisiana had been attended by many stirring experiences, and more
+than once every avenue of escape seemed to be closed, but, now for the
+first time, he found himself a captive within a few miles of his own
+home.</p>
+
+<p>Whither would these red men take him? Did they mean to hold him a
+permanent captive, or, as is often the case with their race, would they
+put him to torture and finally to death? The settlements of Kentucky and
+Ohio were crimsoned with the deeds of the red men, and, though some
+tribes were less warlike than others, it was not to be supposed that any
+of them were distinguished for mercy and forbearance.</p>
+
+<p>"If Colonel Martin only knew this," thought Jack, while tramping
+forward, "it wouldn't take him long to gather the men together, and they
+would come down on these folks like a whirlwind; but Otto and I may be
+gone for weeks before any one will suspect we are in trouble. Even then
+they won't know what to do. No, sir," added Jack, compressing his lips,
+"whatever is done must be done by myself, and, with the help of heaven,
+I shall part company with these red men just as soon as the chance
+presents itself."</p>
+
+<p>Any one in the situation of Jack Carleton cannot lack for themes on
+which to employ his brain. It is safe to assert that the boy did more
+thinking while on that eventful march than he had done in the same space
+of time for years.</p>
+
+<p>It may be said that while the party were on the march, and the warriors
+were together, it was utterly out of the question for Jack to leave
+against their will. Three strode along in front, while two were in the
+rear. Every one was fleeter of foot than he, and they had six rifles in
+their possession, while he had none at all. Could he secure several
+hundred yards' start, they would have no difficulty in trailing and
+running him down, for the sky was clear, the sun bright, and the
+footprints of the boy would show as distinctly to the keen eyes of the
+red men as though made in the dust of the highway.</p>
+
+<p>No, he must wait for the darkness of the night, when a few yards between
+him and his enemies would prove like a stone wall; when insidious sleep
+would seal the eyes of the dusky barbarians, and he could steal out in
+the gloom, leaving them to wait for hours before taking up his trail.</p>
+
+<p>One person was continually in the thoughts of Jack Carleton&mdash;<i>Deerfoot</i>.
+"Where is he? Is he days' journey to the south? Is there any hope of him
+playing the part of a friend for Otto and me?"</p>
+
+<p>These and similar questions were asked again and again while the youth
+was tramping through the wood in the company of his captors, and his
+heart sank when his own good sense obliged him to answer each one in the
+most unsatisfactory manner.</p>
+
+<p>He recalled that Deerfoot parted with them only a few days before in a
+manner which implied that considerable time must pass before they would
+see each other again. The young Shawanoe could not suspect that when his
+friends reached home, they would immediately proceed to get into
+trouble, as they had just done.</p>
+
+<p>"No," added Jack, with a sigh, "from what I know and have heard of
+Deerfoot, he has a wonderful way of turning up when wanted, but it's no
+use to look for him in this case."</p>
+
+<p>The conclusion of the boy was a sensible one, and he resolutely faced
+the situation as it presented itself to him. It was most serious, and it
+may be said that every passing hour rendered it more so, for he was
+moving away from home, and thereby increasing the difficulties of
+returning thither, should it become his good fortune to gain the
+opportunity to do so.</p>
+
+<p>The warriors who were walking in front, followed the usual custom of
+their people&mdash;that is, they proceeded in Indian file, so that the boy
+was given a fair view only of the one immediately before him&mdash;the
+glimpses of the others being fragmentary. Glancing behind, he observed
+the same fact, so that the entire party made but the single trail, for
+Jack himself was wise enough to fall in with their custom.</p>
+
+<p>"It may be," he muttered, after traveling several miles in silence,
+"that they live hundreds of miles off and that I won't have a chance to
+leave them for weeks or months or&mdash;years," he added in a hushed voice,
+and with an additional heart-throb, "but I shall never be reconciled to
+live in the wigwams of the red men."</p>
+
+<p>It seemed curious to the young captive that a party of friends, like the
+Indians, should tramp mile after mile as they did without speaking a
+single word. Now and then, some one would utter an exclamation which
+sounded more like the grunt of a porker than anything else, but
+frequently they advanced steadily for an hour or more in perfect
+silence.</p>
+
+<p>Sometimes the forest was open and free from undergrowth, then it was
+cluttered up with running vines which would have annoyed any one
+unaccustomed to them, but which proved no obstacle to the Indians. In
+fact, they walked without showing the least regard to them. Where Jack,
+if leading, would have lifted his feet, they shoved ahead and without
+effort snapped and turned them aside as though they were so many
+cobwebs.</p>
+
+<p>"It all comes from training," concluded our friend, as he attempted to
+catch a switch which swung back and struck him across the face; "if I
+was alone, it would take me twice as long as it takes them, and then I
+would fare worse than they do."</p>
+
+<p>All at once, they came upon a creek. It was barely twenty feet in width,
+but muddy, swift and deep. There was something impressive in the speed
+with which the volume of water rushed through the woods, as if fleeing
+in a panic from some peril at its heels.</p>
+
+<p>The entire party came to a halt, ranging themselves along the bank and
+surveying the turbid torrents, as though they wished to talk with each
+other upon the best method of placing themselves on the other side.</p>
+
+<p>"I hope they won't swim it," Jack said to himself, "for their people
+make no allowance for those that are not as skillful as they, and I will
+get into trouble."</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI.</h2>
+
+<h3>AN INVOLUNTARY BATH.</h3>
+
+
+<p>It was not to be supposed that a party of Indians could be checked by a
+stream of water. If necessary they could swim across, but, inasmuch as
+the party separated, and while several went up, the rest walked down the
+stream, it was evident they were searching for a more suitable spot in
+which to make the passage.</p>
+
+<p>Jack Carleton followed the larger party, which had gone only a few rods
+when a whoop from the others made known they had found what was wanted.
+The rest immediately turned around and joined them.</p>
+
+<p>Jack saw at once that the means were provided for passing over dry shod.
+A tree, some six or eight inches in diameter, lay with the butt on one
+shore and the upper portion on the opposite bank. A glance showed that
+it had been felled by the axe of some pioneer, who probably thus formed
+a bridge for himself and friends. The limbs had been trimmed away, and
+the abraded bark proved that it had served a similar purpose for many
+wild beasts in passing to and fro. The faded color of the gashes in the
+trunk showed that a long time had passed since the bridge was made by
+the woodman's axe.</p>
+
+<p>Nothing better could be required, and several grunts of satisfaction
+escaped the warriors during the minute they stood together viewing the
+support that awaited the pressing of their feet.</p>
+
+<p>Jack Carleton stepped forward, but one of the Indians grasped his arm
+and drew him back so violently as almost to throw him to the ground. The
+boy looked wonderingly in his face, and saw that it was aglow with
+passion. He shook his head rapidly and spoke fast and furious.</p>
+
+<p>"I think I can guess what you mean," said Jack, stepping back, so as to
+allow the others to precede him, "and I will now await your commands."</p>
+
+<p>He stood still until three had gone over, when they beckoned him to
+follow. Jack had noticed that when the Indians were walking on the log,
+they were obliged to move carefully, for their foothold was narrow and
+the swift running current was apt to make one dizzy. The lad, however,
+stepped forward without hesitation and advanced slowly but with
+certainty.</p>
+
+<p>The three warriors, who stood facing him on the shore, showed that like
+Deerfoot the Shawanoe, they possessed a certain vein of waggery, for at
+the moment Jack was over the middle of the stream, one of them stooped,
+and, grasping the head of the trunk, moved it quickly fully a couple of
+feet to the right, all three bursting into an audible snicker at the
+same moment. The lad was looking downward, meanwhile stepping carefully,
+when he glanced across to learn the meaning of the action, the stooping
+Indian being in his field of vision.</p>
+
+<p>Jack understood the trick, but he was without the means of defeating it.
+He stooped quickly with the intention of grasping the support with both
+hands, but before he could do so, he lost his balance, flung his arms
+aloft, and down he went with a loud splash that sent the spray flying in
+all directions.</p>
+
+<p>No audience of countrymen ever laughed more heartily at the ancient
+jokes of a clown than did the five Indians when the boy disappeared
+under the water, his eyes staring with the shock of affright which came
+with his sudden contact with the current.</p>
+
+<p>Jack was a capital swimmer, and he was satisfied there was no wish to
+drown him; but he had scarcely passed below the surface, when it
+occurred to him that there was a possibility of turning the jest upon
+his captors. The water was very deep, and he kept sinking until his feet
+softly touched the bottom. As he gave himself the slight impulse which
+sent him upward again, he not only swam swiftly with the rapid current,
+but moved as close to shore as possible, and began creeping up the side
+of the bank.</p>
+
+<p>In doing this, he over-estimated his own strength. It took him a longer
+time to reach the surface than he calculated upon, and he narrowly
+escaped strangling; but he resolutely held out to the last second.</p>
+
+<p>At the moment the rushing waters seemed to roar through his brain, his
+crown cleft the surface, and he drew a deep inspiration of the blessed
+air; but, even in that trying moment, he kept his self-possession, and
+the breath was taken so softly that no ear beside his own knew it.</p>
+
+<p>He had emerged close to shore and directly under some overhanging brush,
+which was not so dense as he could wish, since he was able to see the
+warriors standing on the land and looking for him. It followed,
+therefore, that if they should scrutinize the bank very closely they
+would discover him; but the boy's hope lay in their lack of suspicion
+that such an artifice was in his mind.</p>
+
+<p>Several circumstances united to help the youth; the water was roiled, as
+has already been said, while the friction of the swift current against
+the shore made a noise which overcame the slight ripple caused by his
+own movements. Only his nose and eyes were kept above the surface, and
+the shrubbery which inclosed them made a tolerable screen, though less
+effective than he desired.</p>
+
+<p>Jack had landed, as may be said, a dozen yards below the log from which
+he had been thrown and on the side from which he set out, consequently
+he was opposite the five Indians who stood on the shore. He was led to
+do this from a natural desire to get as far away as he could from his
+captors, but it was a mistake on his part, for had he crawled under the
+other bank he would have been hidden altogether from the sight of the
+Indians.</p>
+
+<p>Holding to a wire-like root with his left hand, he swung around so as to
+face up stream, and, through the slight spaces in the shrubbery kept his
+eyes fixed intently on the brawny red men.</p>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<a name="ill02" id="ill02"></a>
+<img src="images/ill02.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<h3><span class="smcap">A Narrow Escape.</span></h3>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>Very soon the warriors looked at each other, and talked rapidly and with
+growing excitement. There could be no doubt they were discussing the
+unexpected shape matters had taken; the joke played on their captive had
+proven a very serious matter to him. It must have been that the
+pale-faced youth was unable to swim and was drowned. The white warrior
+was a pappoose.</p>
+
+<p>"By and by they will make search for me," was the thought of Jack
+Carleton, still retaining his hold, "and then will come the tug of war.
+It won't be the live boy they'll expect to find, but his dead body,
+bobbing up and down and back and forth, and yet I don't see why they
+will care to hunt me up."</p>
+
+<p>Whatever might be the issue, Jack was warranted in feeling hopeful, for
+he was sure the incident had taken a turn entirely unexpected to the
+warriors.</p>
+
+<p>"If I had only floated a little further down stream," he thought more
+than once, noticing a sharp bend made by the current, "I would have been
+in a good deal better situation than this, for I would have been out of
+their sight altogether."</p>
+
+<p>Several times he was on the point of letting go and dropping further
+down, but he dreaded some mistake which would draw attention to the
+spot. If he should try to swim under the surface, he might be forced to
+come up too soon, or might strike some obstruction in the stream that
+would fling him over as though he was a porpoise. It was the fear of a
+catastrophe of this nature which held him where he was, while he peered
+through the shrubbery like some wild animal glaring out from his covert
+upon his enemies.</p>
+
+<p>The face of every Indian was in sight, and he studied the expression of
+each broad, coppery countenance. He knew they were talking by the
+movements of the thin lips, and, despite the noise of the rushing
+stream, he heard one of them grunt several times. This particular
+warrior was shorter and more solidly built than the rest, and appeared
+to be some kind of a leader, for he had the most to say, and the boy
+noticed, while on the march, that he directed the actions of the rest.</p>
+
+<p>This Indian, as he stood, held his rifle in his right hand, while the
+thumb of his left was hooked over the belt at his waist, which supported
+his knife and tomahawk. His stomach protruded somewhat, and, when he
+spoke in his sententious manner, the belt would rise and sink in a
+spasmodic fashion which kept time with his words.</p>
+
+<p>Jack kept close watch of the black eyes, which, like those of
+professional hunters and scouts, were never at rest. They flitted hither
+and thither, up and down stream and even to the rear, as though danger
+were apprehended from that direction.</p>
+
+<p>What the boy was expecting and dreading was a search on the part of the
+Indians. None could know better than they how brief a time is required
+for a person to drown, and they were not long in arriving at the
+conclusion that the boy either was dead, or had left the stream at a
+point below. Three savages walked hastily over the creek on the log and
+began moving along shore, their serpent-like eyes scanning every foot of
+land and water that came in their field of vision. At the same time, the
+other two did the same from the opposite shore, and Jack Carleton knew
+that the crisis had come.</p>
+
+<p>He felt quite secure against being seen by the two who were traveling
+together, for he was able to dispose of the undergrowth so as to
+increase its usefulness. While one hand held fast to the tough root, he
+softly drew down the bush with the other, so that it interposed between
+him and the couple who were held in such dread. If the others should
+step to the edge of the stream and part the bushes, it would be all up
+with the frightened lad.</p>
+
+<p>The necessities of the case forced Jack to raise his head until both
+ears were above the surface, and thus, while he employed his eyes to
+follow the movements of the couple, he sought to use his ears to
+discover the approach of the trio, though the rushing torrent forbade
+full success in that respect.</p>
+
+<p>The two warriors were in plain sight as they slowly picked their way
+downward. Jack saw the upper parts of their bodies, and his heart
+throbbed faster when they faced about and came down to the edge of the
+water. However, they were still several yards above him, so that he was
+quite certain they did not suspect his hiding-place. When they halted
+and leaned over the stream, the fugitive gave no thought to those who
+were undoubtedly much closer, but sank until only forehead, eyes and
+nose were in the air, while the scanty bush was drawn still closer to
+his face.</p>
+
+<p>All at once, Jack's heart seemed to stand still; he saw that one of the
+Indians was looking straight at the spot where he was in hiding. The
+black orbs were centered upon him with such an inquiring expression,
+that he was sure he had been discovered. All hope was gone, until a
+moment after he observed that the savage was peering at the undergrowth
+below him, as though suspicious of everything which could afford any
+sort of a hiding-place.</p>
+
+<p>"He didn't see me after all," was the conclusion of the delighted boy,
+"and now if the others let me alone, I shall have a chance to give them
+the slip."</p>
+
+<p>Again the waists and shoulders of the two were observed moving slowly
+among the trees and undergrowth, until they passed out of sight, a
+considerable distance below the crouching fugitive. The relief of the
+latter was unspeakable, though he could not forget that other foes were
+also to be avoided.</p>
+
+<p>But minute after minute passed, and still Jack saw and heard nothing of
+the red men. With each passing minute his hopes rose, until at the end
+of half an hour, he felt that his safety was well nigh secured.</p>
+
+<p>"They have concluded I was drowned and my body is not likely to come to
+the surface for some time&mdash;anyway not until it is a long way from this
+spot. If they don't return, I'm safe."</p>
+
+<p>But a thrill of alarm passed through him more than once, when he
+recalled that the strategy he had employed was of such a simple nature
+that it ought to suggest itself to the red men. If such was the case
+they would be certain to return to the fallen tree, renew their search,
+and prosecute it with greater care.</p>
+
+<p>It was the dread of the latter which led Jack to creep carefully out of
+the stream, after he had been in hiding perhaps half an hour. Of course
+his clothing was saturated, and he had become chilled from his long
+submersion, so that his teeth rattled, and he trembled in every limb.
+Extended flat on the ground, he crawled with the utmost care until a
+couple of rods from the water. Then he stopped and listened. He was so
+far from the stream that its noise did not prevent him detecting any
+slight noise which might have been made by some other cause, but he
+heard nothing at all.</p>
+
+<p>There was still considerable undergrowth around him, so that he felt
+screened from the observation of any other Indians wandering in the
+vicinity.</p>
+
+<p>"They thought they were very cunning," muttered Jack, with a chuckle,
+"when they tumbled me into the water, but I played a trick on them worth
+two of their kind. I only wish there was some way of letting them know
+how completely I have outwitted them&mdash;&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>A cold shiver passed down the spine of Jack Carleton, when he distinctly
+heard a guttural, grunting laugh behind him. Turning like a flash, he
+saw the five Indian warriors from whom, up to that moment, he had
+believed he was free, standing within a rod, and all grinning to an
+extent that seemed to take the corners of their mouths around to their
+ears.</p>
+
+<p>The truth broke upon Jack: the red men had never lost sight of him,
+except for the moment he was under the water. They knew where he was
+when he supposed himself invisible, and they had been amusing themselves
+at his expense.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII.</h2>
+
+<h3>TWO VISITORS.</h3>
+
+
+<p>On the evening succeeding the departure of Jack Carleton and Otto
+Relstaub from the little settlement of Martinsville, the widowed mother
+of Jack was seated by her fireside engaged in knitting. The night was
+cold, and the huge sticks of wood were roaring and crackling in the
+broad fireplace, and throwing a cheerful glow and warmth through the
+room. The tallow candle on the mantel had not been lit, for there was no
+need of it, and, despite the loneliness and poverty of the sad-faced
+woman, there was an air of neatness and comfort about her home which
+would have tempted any one who could look through the narrow window into
+the homely, old-fashioned apartment.</p>
+
+<p>The deft fingers flew back and forth as regularly as the most delicate
+machinery, until all at once the lady stopped and allowed her hands to
+rest in her lap. At the same moment a sigh escaped her, and she looked
+into the glowing embers.</p>
+
+<p>It was not hard to guess where her thoughts were; they were with that
+only child who had gone forth in the woods to help the German lad look
+for the missing horse. Mrs. Carleton smiled as she reflected upon a
+certain absurdity which marked the whole business, for, look at it as
+she chose, there was something grotesque in the project of two youths
+setting out to hunt for a horse that had been wandering for days in a
+limitless wood. But the smile quickly gave way to the serious expression
+which not often left the face of the mother since that awful night when
+her husband was stricken down by the fierce red men of Kentucky.</p>
+
+<p>"I trust God will not forget my boy," were the almost inaudible words
+that came to her lips. "He has wonderfully preserved him through many
+perils, and my heart misgives me now that I allowed him to go from under
+my roof."</p>
+
+<p>Just then the latch-string was spitefully pulled, the door was pushed
+inward, and Jacob Relstaub entered. The angry man was short of stature,
+clumsily dressed, and the only weapon he carried was a heavy, knotted
+cane, if that may be termed such, which was his companion when moving
+about the sparse settlement. It has already been said that he was
+parsimonious, cross-grained, and cruel-hearted, and he had been in
+specially ill-temper since the return of his boy without the horse upon
+which so much value was set.</p>
+
+<p>The door swung to of itself, and the German, stopping short in the
+middle of the room, banged his cane upon the floor, and, looking
+savagely at the quiet lady who had nodded and bidden him good evening,
+demanded:</p>
+
+<p>"Vere is mine poy, Otto?"</p>
+
+<p>"Don't you know?" asked the widow in return, with a tone of surprise.</p>
+
+<p>"No, I does not; he says he goes off mit your poy, but dey both
+lies&mdash;don't it?"</p>
+
+<p>"My boy never tells a falsehood," was the quiet response of Mrs.
+Carleton, whose pale cheek slightly flushed. "Your Otto told the truth
+as you well know. Not only that, but he only obeyed you when he went out
+in the woods to run into all kinds of danger in search of an animal
+which I do not believe can possibly be found."</p>
+
+<p>"All poys ish bad," said the visitor with an impatient sniff, as he took
+off his cap and slouched to a chair on the opposite side of the fire.
+"Your poy ish badder dan any oder poy; mine Otto is lazy, and if he
+doesn't pring pack dot horse I vill pounds him till he don't live."</p>
+
+<p>"He may <i>never</i> come back," said the lady in a low, impressive voice
+which would have moved anyone else, but it was lost on the boorish
+visitor.</p>
+
+<p>"Hoof! No fear of dot; he alvays comes back ven ve doesn't vant him to
+come back."</p>
+
+<p>"Well," said Mrs. Carleton with a sigh, "I am sorry I let Jack go, for
+if he had insisted on staying home your boy would have done the same,
+though if I was in Otto's place I would consider the woods, with all
+their dangers and sufferings, preferable to living with a parent who is
+as unfeeling as you."</p>
+
+<p>Jacob Relstaub had both of his horny hands folded over the top of his
+heavy cane, which rested on the floor between his large shoes, while his
+cap, somewhat resembling the peaked head-gear of his boy, lay beside
+him. His broad, ill-favored countenance was darkened by a frown, and it
+was easy for the lady to see that the fellow still doubted her word. His
+manner of looking about the large room, and a habit of listening
+intently, as though he expected to bear approaching footsteps, showed
+that he suspected Otto was hiding somewhere in the cabin. Mrs. Carleton
+understood his feelings and she was annoyed to anger, for her sensitive
+nature felt the insult keenly. Beside, she despised the coarse nature of
+the man who seemed so totally lacking in humanity.</p>
+
+<p>The lady was on the point of reproving him with sharp words, when both
+were astonished by a gentle knock on the door, such a hail being
+contrary to all the rules of the frontier, when the latch-string is not
+drawn in. Both looked quickly toward the entrance, and the lady raised
+her voice and said:</p>
+
+<p>"The latch-string is out!"</p>
+
+<p>The words were yet on her lips when it was pulled, and the door swung
+inward.</p>
+
+<p>The firelight fell upon the figure of an Indian warrior, who stopped on
+the threshold as if he doubted whether he would be welcome when those
+within saw him. As he stood with the blank darkness behind him and the
+crimson glow from the burning logs lighting up the front of his body, he
+formed a most striking picture.</p>
+
+<p>He was the ideal of symmetry and manly beauty&mdash;one of those productions
+of the American race which are very rare, but which, when seen, are the
+nearest approach to physical and mental perfection that is ever attained
+in this world. He was about five feet ten inches in height, and with
+body and limbs in as perfect proportion as the chisel of Phidias ever
+carved from marble. Even his long, black hair, which hung luxuriantly
+and loosely about his shoulders, was of softer texture than is the rule
+with his people. Several stained eagle feathers slanted upward and
+outward from the crown, and a double row of brilliant beads encircled
+his neck. A fine gold bracelet clasped his left wrist, and the deer-skin
+hunting shirt and leggings were clean, and of the finest possible make.
+They retained their dull, yellow hue, but the girdle which clasped his
+body at the waist was of a red color, so bright that it seemed likely to
+attract dangerous attention in the forest. The leggings were fringed,
+and the delicate moccasins were also ornamented with colored beads. The
+heavy blanket which he carried during severe weather was lacking, for it
+would have been only an encumbrance when the climate was mild.</p>
+
+<p>Into the girdle were thrust a tomahawk and hunting knife, while a long
+bow was carried in his right hand, and a quiver full of arrows rested
+behind his right shoulder, where they could be snatched forth on the
+instant. The youthful warrior carried no firearms, for he depended alone
+on the primitive weapons which his people had used for centuries.</p>
+
+<p>Splendid as were the frame and limbs of the youth, the greatest
+attraction lay in his countenance. His features were classical in their
+regularity, excepting the nose, which was just enough aquiline to give
+character to his face, and take away the femininity which otherwise
+might cling to it.</p>
+
+<p>When he smiled in his faint, shadowy fashion, his teeth were seen to be
+small, white, regular, and without the slightest defect, while the
+lustrous black eyes glowed with light and feeling. Having closed the
+door behind him, he still hesitated to advance until assured he was
+welcome.</p>
+
+<p>Although Mrs. Carleton had never seen him before, she was certain of his
+identity, and, rising from her seat, she asked:</p>
+
+<p>"Are you Deerfoot the Shawanoe?"</p>
+
+<p>He smiled and inclined his head.</p>
+
+<p>"You are the friend of my boy, and of Otto, the son of Mr. Relstaub.
+There is no one in the world who could be more welcome than you. Come
+forward and take a seat nearer the fire."</p>
+
+<p>The dusky countenance flushed with pleasure, for the words were warmer
+than he was accustomed to hear.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot advanced a couple of steps, and, reaching over, drew the rude
+stool to him. His diffidence would not allow him to go very near the
+blaze.</p>
+
+<p>When Jacob Relstaub heard the name pronounced, he uttered an angry sniff
+and banged his cane upon the floor. He said nothing; but he detested the
+handsome Indian youth, whom he had driven from his door when he asked
+for shelter, and he knew he had been the companion of his boy on the
+stirring journey from Kentucky to Louisiana. It mattered not that the
+masterful woodcraft of the dusky friend had saved the life of Otto
+Relstaub; all that the German remembered was that the valuable horse was
+lost, and he blamed this Indian for it, as he censured Jack Carleton for
+the same misfortune. The man, however, said nothing for a few minutes.</p>
+
+<p>It was manifest from the manner of Deerfoot that he was disappointed
+because he did not meet Jack Carleton. He cast but a single glance
+around the apartment, which showed him his young friend was not present;
+then, as he gently seated himself, he looked into the pale face of the
+widow and said:</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot sees not his brother."</p>
+
+<p>"No; Jack and Otto set out on a long hunt this morning. They may be back
+in a few days and perhaps not for a fortnight."</p>
+
+<p>"Have they gone to look for the horse that was lost?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes," answered the lady, with a smile; "I am ashamed to say they have;
+but I ask your pardon; have you had supper? Will you not permit me to
+give you to eat?"</p>
+
+<p>She was about to rise when Deerfoot, who was resting his bow on the
+floor, while he grasped the center as though it was a cane, motioned
+with his left hand for her to retain her seat.</p>
+
+<p>"The mother of my friend is good and kind, but Deerfoot cannot eat."</p>
+
+<p>He appeared to be on the point of saying something more, but restrained
+himself. The mother was quick to perceive it, and a pang of dread
+stirred her heart.</p>
+
+<p>"What were you about to say?" she asked, in her abrupt fashion,
+suspending the knitting which she was in the very act of resuming.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot was too truthful to deceive her outright; but it is fair to
+presume he did not say all that was in his thoughts.</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot is sorry his brothers have gone to look for the horse."</p>
+
+<p>"Why?" quickly asked the mother.</p>
+
+<p>"They cannot find him."</p>
+
+<p>"Vy don't they finds him?" asked Jacob Relstaub, banging his cane again
+and glaring fiercely at the youth, as though ready to spring upon him.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot looked calmly in the forbidding countenance, and asked, more
+directly than was his custom:</p>
+
+<p>"Are you the father of my brother, Otto?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yaw; of course I ish. He is one pad poy, as you ish de wust Injin dot
+effer vasn't."</p>
+
+<p>Without the least visible excitement, and in the same deliberate
+monotone, Deerfoot still looking him straight in the face:</p>
+
+<p>"The father of Otto is a dog; he has no heart. The Great Spirit hides
+his face with shame when he looks upon him."</p>
+
+<p>"<span class="smcap">Vat</span>!" roared Jacob, half rising to his chair and grasping his knobby
+cane with both hands, while he trembled with rage. "You don't speak dot
+vays to me and I breaks your head."</p>
+
+<p>He suddenly straightened up, and all aglow with fury advanced upon
+Deerfoot, who placed his left hand on his knife, quietly arose and faced
+him, without speaking.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>A SURPRISE.</h3>
+
+
+<p>Jacob Relstaub was so accustomed to the undisturbed abuse of his son
+that he was struck almost speechless by the calm defiance of the Indian
+youth. When he saw the latter place his hand on the knife at his girdle,
+the German could not fail to know its meaning. He stopped short with his
+cane half raised and glared savagely at Deerfoot.</p>
+
+<p>"You means to kills me, eh, don't it? Yaw,&mdash;I sees,&mdash;I sees!"</p>
+
+<p>And shaking his head very fast, and muttering some vigorous words in his
+own language, he stamped towards the door, swung it open and passed out
+in the darkness. Deerfoot stood motionless, looking in the direction
+whence he had vanished, and then, without a word, sat down on the rude
+chair and looked toward Mrs. Carleton, seated as she was near the fire.</p>
+
+<p>The good lady was terrified, but the incident was so brief that it was
+over before she fairly understood its full meaning and the ill-natured
+caller was gone.</p>
+
+<p>"He is such a bad-tempered man that I'm afraid he will hurt you for
+this," said she, stepping hastily to the door, where she drew in the
+latch-string, thus locking the humble cabin against intruders. When she
+sat down, with her scared look and her words of misgiving on her lips,
+Deerfoot looked from the crackling fire into her countenance. As the
+yellow glow lit up his handsome features, they showed the faintest
+possible smile, which vanished the same moment it appeared. The
+matchless redskin must have appreciated the grim humor involved in the
+thought of his feeling any fear of the curmudgeon who had just gone.</p>
+
+<p>Previous to that the young Shawanoe had glanced around the cabin, and
+like another Houdin, impressed every point in his memory. He noted the
+narrow windows through which a hostile shot could be fired from the
+outside. He did not believe the late visitor would proceed to that
+length, but he shifted his seat to a point several feet away, where, if
+Relstaub relied on his previous knowledge for his aim, no possible harm
+could be done.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot made his change in such a quiet fashion, that his hostess had
+not the slightest suspicion of its meaning. She saw that he had simply
+moved closer to the fire. The space between her own chair and that of
+the visitor was such that there was no call for her to change her
+location: had there been the slightest, Deerfoot would not have
+permitted her to wait.</p>
+
+<p>"My brother will hurt no one," said he in his quiet fashion: "he is a
+bad man; he has a good boy, Otto; Deerfoot calls him his brother, and
+will do much for him; but Deerfoot does not like his father."</p>
+
+<p>"I was <i>so</i> afraid he would strike you with his cane," said the lady,
+still trembling over the remembrance, "and then you would have used your
+knife."</p>
+
+<p>The smile was more pronounced than before, but the words were scarcely
+audible.</p>
+
+<p>"He could not hurt Deerfoot and Deerfoot would not hurt him."</p>
+
+<p>The lady fully understood his meaning, and it lifted a great fear from
+her heart that Jacob Relstaub would return, demand admittance, and
+attack her guest. True, he might do so, but she saw that in such an
+event the results would be farcical rather than tragical.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot did not care to give any further thought to the despicable man.
+He had come to the settlement to visit Jack Carleton and Otto Relstaub,
+and found they were absent on a singular hunt for the horse that had
+been missing fully a week. His interest lay in them, and especially in
+Jack. He had heard most of the facts from the mother, but he now
+questioned her further in his gentle way until not a particle of
+information was left for her to give.</p>
+
+<p>The substance of that information has already been told the reader,&mdash;it
+being nothing more than the statement of their departure early that
+morning. The startling events which followed could not be suspected by
+the parent, who sat so quietly knitting and talking with the remarkable
+Indian youth on the other side of her hearthstone, as ignorant as she of
+the alarming situation in which both were placed.</p>
+
+<p>But while so quiet in his demeanor, the wonderful brain of the youth was
+always busy during his waking hours. He could not feel that there was
+cause for fear on account of his friends, for, as has already been
+shown, that portion of the enormous territory of Louisiana was peopled
+by Indians much less vicious in their hatred than were those who made
+Kentucky their hunting-ground. A fierce party of Shawanoes had followed
+the little party across the Mississippi the previous week, and they kept
+matters moving in a very lively manner, as the reader learned long ago;
+but it was not to be supposed that any of those daring and skillful
+warriors were in the neighborhood, for it was not conceivable that a
+cause existed for their presence.</p>
+
+<p>But a singular distrust took possession of Deerfoot. He could not
+account for it, except as he accounted for all inexplainable things, as
+being the direct prompting of the Great Spirit. Many a time the
+instinctive belief had come over him, and he had never failed to follow
+its guidance; the result in each instance proved that he did right, and
+he resolved to do the same in the present case, though it will be seen
+that he could take no real step forward until the coming of daylight.</p>
+
+<p>"You will stay here until morning," said Mrs. Carleton, looking into
+the face of her visitor and speaking as though the matter was not at all
+in the nature of a question.</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot may stay awhile, though he would rather sleep in the woods,
+where he can breathe the cool, pure air, and look at the stars, and
+listen to the whispers of the Great Spirit who watches over him when he
+is asleep or awake."</p>
+
+<p>"You can sleep on Jack's bed, and he will be pleased, when he comes
+home, to learn that you did so, though he will be sorry that he was not
+here to make you welcome."</p>
+
+<p>The Indian shook his head. He had no wish to lie on any such couch, and
+he had not done so since he was wounded and a prisoner in the hands of
+the white people.</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot will sit here and read until he becomes weary; then he will
+lie on the floor; and when he awakes he will seek his brothers who are
+hunting for the horse that has long been lost."</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Carleton had been told by Jack how skillfully Deerfoot could read
+and write, and she now ventured the hope that he would use the Bible
+which lay on the table at the side of the cabin. She was on the point
+of rising to get it for him, when he motioned her to keep her seat.</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot has his Bible with him."</p>
+
+<p>And then he drew the tiny volume with its wooden covers from the
+interior pocket of his hunting-shirt, and shifted his position so that
+his back was turned toward the fire, whose glow passed over his
+shoulders and fell upon the printed page. This gave him all the light he
+needed, and, after rustling the leaves for a moment, he began, in his
+low, sweet monotone.</p>
+
+<p>As may be supposed, he selected one of the chapters from Revelation,
+overflowing as it does with the most impressive grandeur and
+awe-inspiring glimpse of the mysterious life from whose portals no human
+being has ever turned back to whisper to the vast procession waiting to
+follow in his footsteps.</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Carleton saw that Deerfoot did not like her words of compliment and
+she therefore refrained. When he had finished, he closed the book and
+laid it away where he always carried it, and then the conversation went
+on in the same vein as before.</p>
+
+<p>But the hour was later than that to which the good lady was accustomed,
+and, despite the singular interest of the interview, she began to feel a
+slight drowsiness. When she placed her hand over her mouth and yawned,
+Deerfoot asked that she should retire. She consented, and bade him
+good-night and withdrew.</p>
+
+<p>He sat motionless until he was alone, when he once more drew out his
+Bible and resumed reading. The fire having smoldered, he stirred the
+sticks, turning the unburned ends among the coals, so that in a few
+moments the small room was filled with a brighter illumination than
+before. Leaning backward with the book in front of his face and his
+shapely legs extended in front, he studied with an interest more
+absorbing than was ever felt by the most devout novel reader. He seemed
+to lose all consciousness of time and place, and pored over the volume
+which to him was more precious than any treasure it is possible for the
+mind to conceive.</p>
+
+<p>By-and-by the fire burned low again and the light grew dim. Though the
+youth might have continued the perusal much longer, he finally ceased
+and put the book away for the night. Then, folding his arms, he looked
+into the smoldering embers before him. Every one knows how such a scene
+feeds the fancy and how imagination will run riot, while sitting alone
+late at night, with the wind moaning outside, while he watches the
+curious, grotesque, and endless procession of figures which take shape
+and action before him. No one but Deerfoot himself could tell what
+thoughts took shape in his brain, but they must have been of a
+melancholy, serious nature, for he drew a deep sigh, muttered a few
+words in prayer, and then deliberately lay down in the middle of the
+floor. He lay on his side, with his arm doubled under his head for a
+pillow, but had nothing but the hard planking beneath and nothing except
+his own clothing above.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot required little sleep, and within less than two hours after he
+had lain down, he opened his eyes and assumed the sitting position. The
+fire had burned so low that only a slight glow filled a part of the
+room, and he looked like some odd shadow, when he stepped silently
+forward and stirred the embers until they once more lit up the
+apartment. It was not yet morning, but he had concluded to wait no
+longer. He therefore picked up his bow and then, without making the
+least noise, opened and closed the door behind him.</p>
+
+<p>The young Shawanoe stood for a moment when he found himself in the clear
+air on the outside. It was a bright starlit night, and, when he glanced
+reverently upward at the thousands of blazing orbs, he saw that it still
+lacked two hours of daylight. The rude cabins were dimly outlined, as
+they faced each other in two irregular rows, those only which were the
+furthest away being invisible. All were dark and silent excepting one.
+He noticed the gleam of light from the window, and thought it likely
+that some one was watching by the bed of sickness; but the thought had
+hardly come to him when he recalled that it was the cabin of the German
+Relstaub, who had left him in such a rage.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot was still in front of the house of his friend, when the door of
+the cabin opened and the short, sturdy figure of Jacob Relstaub was
+outlined against the blazing fire and candle-light behind him. The truth
+was, he was so angered he could not sleep; he had tossed about until his
+rage became ungovernable, when he told his frau that he was going over
+to the widow Carleton's to chastise the rascally redskin that had dared
+to insult him to his face. The wife sought to dissuade him, but he was
+too angered to listen to reason; and, ordering her to stay in bed, he
+dressed, caught up his heavy cane, and plunged from the door of his
+home.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot drew back until sure he could not be seen, when he calmly
+awaited the approach of the irate man. The latter stamped forward,
+banging his heavy cane on the ground and muttering to himself:</p>
+
+<p>"Yaw, I preaks mine cane his head ofer&mdash;he talks to me&mdash;he calls me a
+rascal und eferydings vot I vas. I shows him&mdash;&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>Just then, when he was close to the cabin, a figure emerged from the
+darkness, moving as silently as if it was a section of the gloom itself,
+and advancing straight toward him. It was the execrated young Indian,
+grasping his long bow in his right hand, and holding his tomahawk in his
+left, with his body bent and his head thrust forward.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, mine gracious!" gasped Jacob Relstaub, his knees shaking and his
+staff dropping from his trembling hand, "it ish him!"</p>
+
+<p>He managed to twist his body around, so as to face the other way, and
+then he broke into a lumbering run for his cabin. He heard the sound of
+the swift moccasins behind him, and he ran as never before. His hat flew
+off, and odd quirps and pains developed themselves here and there in his
+frame, because of the unusual and violent exercise to which he subjected
+himself; but he kept forward, believing it was his only hope.
+Fortunately the run was brief, but when he reached the threshold he was
+in the last stage of exhaustion. He could not lift his foot high enough,
+and went sprawling headlong into the room, with a crash that startled
+his wife almost out of her senses.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot paused a moment surveying the wreck and ruin he had caused, and
+then quietly shoved his tomahawk back in place. He had accomplished all
+he wished, and was satisfied. His old shadowy smile lingered on his face
+as he turned aside, and, making his way between the settlers' cabins,
+disappeared in the woods.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX.</h2>
+
+<h3>BY THE CAMP-FIRE.</h3>
+
+
+<p>Jack Carleton cried in the bitterness of vexation and disappointment.
+After his daring attempt to get away, and when hope was a-flutter within
+him, he awoke to the fact that his captors were trifling with him. He
+surveyed the array of gleaming visages, and was sure that the leader
+indulged in a distinct wink and grotesque grimace, as expressive of his
+views of the situation. Inasmuch as not one of the red men could utter a
+syllable of English, perhaps it was as well that they should have
+recourse to the sign language. Jack himself was humiliated beyond
+expression. Finding he was discovered, he had risen to his feet and
+faced his captors with the best grace he could, and that, it need not be
+said, was scant indeed.</p>
+
+<p>The Indians grinned and grimaced while they walked around the lad, as if
+desirous of surveying him from different points. Jack dashed the tears
+from his eyes, and, compressing his lips, braved it out. He expected
+some indignity would be offered him, but there was none. This curious
+scene lasted only a few minutes, when the Indians gave the youth to
+understand that the journey westward was to be resumed. He was motioned
+to go forward, and was glad enough to obey, for his saturated clothes
+and his highly nervous condition set his teeth chattering and his body
+shaking as if with the ague.</p>
+
+<p>The afternoon was well along, and no great distance could be passed over
+before night. Jack dreaded their arrival at the Indian village before
+another halt. He was hopeful that in the stillness and darkness of night
+he would gain a chance to steal away from his captors, while the chance
+of doing so when with the tribe itself would be much more difficult.</p>
+
+<p>In one respect the wish of the youth was gratified. The party tramped
+along in Indian file, without the slightest pause, until the darkness
+began stealing among the trees. There was but the single warrior in
+front, the others following the lad. Suddenly the leader stooped down
+and paused. He was so close to Jack that evidently he meant to fling
+him over his shoulders, and the boy barely escaped such discomfiture.
+The others grinned again, and then the party appeared to fall apart and
+take different positions. Two vanished in the wood, while the others
+began hastily gathering dead limbs and decayed leaves. It seemed to Jack
+that less than three minutes had gone by when he saw the dim outlines of
+one of the warriors on his knees, striking the flint and steel, such as
+the pioneers, and, indeed, all persons, used in those days. The little
+lines of sparks shot back and forth, as they do upon the swiftly
+revolving emery wheel when the metal is pressed against it, and in a
+twinkling a tiny blaze was creeping among the little pile of leaves
+toward the top. The twist of flame darted in and out like the crimson
+tongue of some serpent, until it reached the air above, and in a very
+few minutes a roaring camp fire was under full headway.</p>
+
+<p>Jack saw that it had been kindled against the shaggy bark of an oak
+tree, which swept upward like a sealed chimney until lost in the gloom
+above. The gleam of water a short distance off made known what he had
+not suspected; a stream&mdash;only a few inches in depth and breadth&mdash;wound
+by the spot, without giving forth the slightest ripple. Water, it may be
+said, is indispensable to such an encampment, and a party of aborigines
+scarcely ever halts at night without being near it.</p>
+
+<p>As the glow of the fire spread, it fell upon the figures of the
+warriors, who looked grim and uncanny. Jack folded his arms and stood in
+the full glow, as though seeking a bath in the firelight. But for his
+recent experience, he might have been tempted to make a dash for
+liberty; but his clothing was still wet from that furious essay, and he
+was clearly of the opinion that the only thing for him to do was to make
+his captors believe (if it was possible) that he had given over all hope
+of getting away. Could he lull their suspicion, it would be a most
+important point accomplished; but the youth might well feel misgivings
+on that point, for it presupposed a stupidity on the part of the Indians
+contrary to what he knew concerning them.</p>
+
+<p>It must not be thought that the boy believed he could make the warriors
+think he was content to remain their prisoner; that would have been the
+height of absurdity; but he did seek to convince them by his manner that
+he had given up the intention of running away, because he knew the
+attempt must be hopeless. Having failed so completely, he was not
+foolish enough to repeat the essay, when he was likely to anger the
+Indians to that point that they would punish him for it.</p>
+
+<p>It will be understood, therefore, why Jack Carleton remained standing
+with folded arms, while his captors were busying themselves around him.
+He looked at the flames as they crept up against the bark and scorched
+the rough coat of the massive oak, and he noted more than one furtive
+glance cast toward him. He pretended to see them not, but stood gloomy,
+sorrowful, and despairing.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly the dull crack of a rifle rang out, and Jack started. His first
+impression was that a party of white men or Indians had attacked them,
+but when he noticed the indifference of those around, he saw his
+mistake. They did not so much as look to the right or left, nor make any
+remark to each other. Evidently they expected something of the kind.</p>
+
+<p>Within the space of five minutes, the two warriors who had left a short
+time before, reappeared. The foremost carried his rifle at a trail and
+had no game, but his companion, directly behind him, held by the feet a
+large wild gobbler, shot but a short time previous.</p>
+
+<p>Jack Carleton could not but wonder how it was this dusky hunter was able
+to secure the bird on such short notice. The turkeys, at the time he
+started to look for them, must have all gone to roost among the trees.
+The gloom was such that it was almost impossible for the keenest eye to
+distinguish them. They may have given some evidence of their presence,
+but Jack was surprised over the success of the red men in obtaining
+supper before, as may be said, the fire could be made ready to roast it.</p>
+
+<p>"Otto and I have hunted for hours in Kentucky where the game is as
+abundant as it is here, and we were not able to gain the first shot at
+any sort of game. There must be some secret about this performance which
+I don't understand, though Deerfoot, with his bow and arrow, never
+failed to meet with the same success."</p>
+
+<p>The American Indian is by no means fastidious in his tastes, and the
+manner in which they handled the game would hardly have satisfied a
+party of modern hunters. Sometimes the red man half cooks his bird
+without bothering himself with plucking out the feathers, and again he
+doesn't take the trouble even to scorch his food. In the present
+instance, they ripped off the principal part of the feathers, removed
+the interior, and cutting the framework into several sections, laid them
+directly on the coals that were spread out to receive them.</p>
+
+<p>They began the broiling or scorching operation at once, and the smell of
+the burning meat was of the most appetizing nature. Jack caught a sniff
+and it literally made his "mouth water," for despite his unpleasant
+situation, his appetite was such as every person in vigorous health is
+certain to feel at regular intervals.</p>
+
+<p>"I wonder whether they mean to slight me," he suddenly asked himself
+with a feeling of dismay; "if they do, I don't know what will become of
+me, for I'm sure I never was so a-hungered in all my life."</p>
+
+<p>But I hasten to say that the disaster which the prisoner feared did not
+come to him. Although the bird was unusually large, two or three of the
+warriors could have devoured it with ease. As it was, therefore, it
+afforded rather scant rations to the company, but Jack Carleton was
+remembered and received a juicy slice of the game, which could not have
+tasted better had it been hung up in the cold for a week and then cooked
+by his mother. Ah, what art shall ever furnish a sauce like that of
+hunger itself! The meal finished, the party disposed of themselves for
+the night. Their red clay pipes, with the long reeds for stems, were
+produced, filled with tobacco and lit from the fire in front of them.
+The blankets&mdash;which were anything but clean&mdash;were spread out on the
+ground and their owners assumed all sorts of lazy attitudes, puffed
+their pipes, and occasionally grunted a few words to each other.</p>
+
+<p>As Jack had no blanket of his own he reclined on the leaves, which were
+comfortable as he could wish. He took pains to place himself as near the
+camp fire as he could bear, so as to show his captors he did not mean to
+attempt to get away.</p>
+
+<p>Several times during the march and while at supper, Jack heard the
+leader addressed, as he believed, by name. He could not catch the
+precise word, but it sounded, as nearly as he could tell, like
+"Ogallah," which of itself resembles the name of a tribe of western
+Indians.</p>
+
+<p>Jack waited till he had heard it again, and then, from the manner in
+which it was spoken, he was convinced it was the real name of the leader
+of the party,&mdash;that is as near as he could pronounce it.</p>
+
+<p>By and by there came a lull in the disjointed conversation; the indolent
+red men were lolling on their blankets, and the leader was sitting
+cross-legged like a Turk, sending rings of smoke upward and watching
+them as they curled inward upon themselves and climbed out of sight. The
+dimensions of his mouth were that ample that he could have done the same
+on either side of the stem without removing it from between his teeth.</p>
+
+<p>Jack Carleton looked straight at him for a few seconds, and then,
+imitating the guttural style of those around as best he could,
+pronounced in a distinct voice the single word&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"<i>Ogallah!</i>"</p>
+
+<p>At that moment the chin of the chief was in the air and a procession of
+rings were tumbling over each other as they hastened from between his
+lips. He dropped his head as abruptly as if some one had struck him in
+the throat, and with his mouth still in circular shape allowed the rings
+to go to ruin, while he stared in amazement at the boy who had
+pronounced his name. The others showed as much wonder as did the
+chieftain. They also stared at the lad and then gave expressions to
+their feelings in their guttural, grunting fashion.</p>
+
+<p>It was quite embarrassing to Jack Carleton, who blushed, looked
+confused, and then tried hard to appear as though he did not feel
+specially proud over his performance. The leader addressed some words to
+him, as if suspecting he understood his language after all, but Jack
+could only smile and shake his head to signify that he had already
+exhibited his full proficiency in the tongue of his captors.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X.</h2>
+
+<h3>WAITING AND HOPING.</h3>
+
+
+<p>It would be hard to measure the effect of the little achievement of Jack
+Carleton upon the Indians who held him captive. He had pronounced the
+name of the chieftain with such clearness that every one recognized it.
+After all it was no great exploit, and it may have been the red men
+feigned a goodly portion of the astonishment they seemed to feel.</p>
+
+<p>Jack did not make any more essays in that direction, and a few minutes
+later the vagabonds gave their principal attention to their pipes. One
+of them gathered an armful of brush and flung it on the fire; and
+another, rising to his feet, turned his back toward the blaze with his
+hands together behind him, as though the warmth was very pleasant. While
+he stood thus, he held the stem of his pipe in his mouth and looked
+absently at the boy, who could not see the face of the red man with much
+distinctness, as it was in shadow.</p>
+
+<p>The fuel just thrown on the flames increased the warmth to such a degree
+that those who were the nearest shifted their position. The warrior who
+was on his feet stepped forward a single pace, and was still standing in
+his idle fashion with his hands half folded behind him, when a spark
+flew outward with a snap, and dropped down the neck of the unsuspicious
+red man. When he felt the burn, like the thrust of a big needle, he
+sprang several feet in the air, and began frantically clutching at the
+tormenting substance. The second or third attempt secured the spark,
+which clung to his hand, burning his fingers to that extent that he
+emitted a rasping exclamation, bounded upward, and by a particularly
+vigorous flirt of his hand freed it of the spark, which then expired of
+itself.</p>
+
+<p>As I have said, no man has less humor in his composition than the North
+American Indian, and yet it is not by any means lacking in him. It
+assumes odd forms at times, and too often seems based on the physical
+suffering of some person or animal; but in the instance of which I am
+speaking, every one of the spectators was filled with mirth. The
+laughter shook them from head to foot, though with all its vigor it
+could not have been heard fifty feet away.</p>
+
+<p>Jack Carleton had been so long depressed that something like a reaction
+came over him. He threw his head back and the woods rang with his hearty
+mirth as they never rang before. If there was any one else within half a
+mile, he must have wondered what all the uproar meant.</p>
+
+<p>The cause of this amusement conducted himself very much like a civilized
+being. When he had rubbed the blistered spot on the back of his neck
+with the scorched hand, he glared angrily at the others, as if he saw no
+adequate cause for the unusual mirth; then when it broke out afresh, he
+made a weak attempt to join in, but failing to do so, he sullenly seated
+himself on the ground and looked as glum as a man meditating some wicked
+deed.</p>
+
+<p>All at once, he turned toward Jack Carleton with such a fierce scowl
+that the boy was sobered. He believed with reason that the Indian was
+ready to leap upon him with his knife, punishing him in that dreadful
+manner for the provocation he felt toward the rest.</p>
+
+<p>"I guess I have laughed enough," was the prudent thought of the boy,
+who straightway tried to look as if he sympathized with the red man for
+his slight misfortune.</p>
+
+<p>Jack could not tell how well he succeeded in imparting a pitying
+expression to his countenance, but all disposition to laugh at the
+warrior's mishap had departed, and it is not improbable that the youth
+owed his life to the fact.</p>
+
+<p>Although the overflowing mirth soon ended, there were a number of smiles
+on the faces of the warriors for a long time afterward, doubtless caused
+by the remembrance of the laughable performance earlier in the evening.</p>
+
+<p>As the halt was for the night, the boy could hardly suppress his
+curiosity to see what shape matters would take. His strong hope was that
+he would be allowed to lie where he then sat, and that none of the
+warriors would arrange it so he could not change his position without
+awaking him.</p>
+
+<p>It looked as if the prayer of Jack was to be granted. More wood was
+thrown on the fire, and the Indians took but a brief time to dispose
+themselves for slumber. The pipes were laid away, their guns examined,
+and each placed his weapon alongside of him, as though it was his
+intimate friend, from whose body he expected to obtain the warmth to
+keep him comfortable through the night. The savage who held Jack's gun
+was the only silent and reserved member of the party. The boy had heard
+him utter less than half a dozen words since the journey began. He was
+shorter and more squatty than the others, and his whole aim in life
+appeared to be a desire to please Ogallah, their chief. During the
+hilarity that reigned a short time before, he had grinned at his
+companion, but his mirth was less hearty than that of the rest.</p>
+
+<p>The blankets were spread out on the leaves to their fullest extent, and
+then the warriors lay down, with their backs against each other and
+their moccasins pointing toward the fire. Then the covering was gathered
+up in front of each and flung over behind, where the folds interlapped,
+all that remained visible being a part of the black hair and the
+feathers in the crowns of the warriors, who seemed to find not the least
+difficulty in breathing with their heads swathed and bandaged up like a
+wounded limb.</p>
+
+<p>Two couples were thus formed, who were separated by the space of six or
+eight feet, while a rod beyond burned the camp-fire against the shaggy
+trunk of the oak. The intervening area and some distance away was
+lighted by the flames which had eaten into the bark, until the solid
+wood beneath was charred and blackened by the heat. Ogallah, the chief,
+strode to a point midway between the fire and the couples, flung his
+blanket on the ground, and, pointing down to it, motioned to Jack
+Carleton to come forward and use it for his couch.</p>
+
+<p>This was not the most agreeable order to receive, but it might have been
+much worse, and he obeyed with a readiness that looked genuine, though
+it could not have been entirely so. Jack nodded to the chief, as he took
+his seat and gathered the heavy folds around him, lay down on his right
+side, with his face toward the fire. Ogallah looked at the lad, whose
+knees almost touched his chin, and muttering to himself, walked back to
+the oak and sat with his back against it, his feet close to his body and
+his arms folded in front.</p>
+
+<p>The chief was about one-fourth of the way around the oak from the
+camp-fire, so that the light revealed his entire left side, and his not
+very attractive profile, the whole being thrown against the blank
+darkness beyond, which shut the rest of his body from view. This
+proceeding indicated that Ogallah meant to act the part of sentinel
+while his warriors slept. He did not require the blanket, as would have
+been the case had he lain down to slumber, and he was magnanimous
+enough, therefore, to turn it over the captive, who would have been as
+well pleased never to touch it.</p>
+
+<p>It cannot be supposed that the sachem and his warriors were in any fear
+of disturbance during the darkness, for they were in a country with
+which they were familiar, and they knew no dangerous enemies were within
+many miles of them. Had they met a party belonging to another tribe,
+more than likely the two, as a matter of principle, would have fallen
+upon each other like so many tigers; but none of their own race was
+hunting for them, and the white settlers were altogether out of the
+question. But the possibility of peril&mdash;remote though it might
+be&mdash;always hangs over the hunter, as indeed it does over us all, and the
+red men had no thought of trusting themselves to slumber without one of
+their number standing guard over the rest.</p>
+
+<p>Sleep is so insidious in its approach that the sentry, as a usual thing,
+can only fight it off by incessant action. So long as he paces back and
+forth, his senses stay with him, but when he sits down a minute or so to
+rest, unconsciousness is sure to come. But Ogallah would not have
+assumed the easy position had he not felt sure of his self-control. It
+will be perceived that he had so placed himself that he had a perfect
+view of the camp, while he could see all that was possible of the
+surrounding gloom. If required, he could use the oak as a shield, and
+only a slight signal was needed on his part to rouse the sleeping
+warriors to instant wakefulness.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, if he keeps awake," thought Jack Carleton, peeping through the
+folds of his blanket with his half-closed eyes, "it don't look as though
+there will be much chance for me, but if he drops into a doze I may slip
+off, and I won't need much of a start to get away from him."</p>
+
+<p>The most natural query would be as to which was more likely to fall
+asleep&mdash;the Indian or the boy. Ordinarily a youngster like Jack would
+have been no match for the warrior, who had been trained to privation,
+suffering, hardship, self-denial and watchfulness from his earliest
+infancy; but it need not be said that the state of one's mind has
+everything to do with his ability to slumber and secure rest therefrom.
+Ogallah was mentally quiet; he had gone through a severe tramp, but no
+more so than had been the case hundreds of times, and he was accustomed
+to sleep at that hour. Such was the case also with Jack Carleton, but he
+was in a fever of hope and nervousness, which made it hard for him to
+hold his eyes partly closed in his effort to counterfeit
+unconsciousness. It was accepted as a matter of course that the four
+warriors who were lying down would speedily glide into the land of
+dreams, since such was their wish. Slight as is the noise which is
+sufficient to rouse a sleeping Indian, young Carleton would have felt no
+misgiving respecting those so near him; it was Ogallah, the sentinel
+chieftain, whom he feared.</p>
+
+<p>"If he suspects that I mean to try something of the kind," was the
+conclusion of Jack, "he will not close his eyes any longer than to wink.
+But I'll watch him."</p>
+
+<p>This task which the boy set himself was of the most trying nature. Had
+his mind been composed he would have fallen asleep within five minutes,
+but he was never more wide awake in all his life than he was two hours
+after he had lain down with the Indian blanket wrapped about him, and
+his face toward the camp-fire.</p>
+
+<p>During that period, so far as he was able to see, the Indian had not
+moved so much as a muscle, and Jack himself had done very little more.
+Lying on his right side, with his arm doubled under him for a pillow,
+the cumbrous blanket enclosing him from head to foot, an irregular
+opening in front of his face allowed him to peer through the folds at
+the camp-fire, the oak, and the chieftain. The last still sat leaning
+slightly backward, with his shoulders against the trunk, his arms folded
+over his knees, while he seemed to be gazing off into vacancy. The heels
+of his moccasins remained close against the thighs, so that the form of
+the Indian bore quite a resemblance to the letter N.</p>
+
+<p>The flickering light from the camp-fire disclosed as it did at first,
+the side and profile of the chieftain. Gradually the flames sank lower
+and there came moments when the sentinel was scarcely visible. Then,
+all at once, the fire would flare up for a few seconds and the figure
+would be in brighter relief than before. Again the eyes of Jack would
+rebel against the extreme tension to which they were subjected. The
+Indian, instead of remaining with his back against the oak, would seem
+to be hitching forward and upward in the most grotesque fashion. After
+bumping about in the air for a time, he would sink, still bumping, to
+the ground, where he would hitch backward to his place by the tree. Then
+the latter, instead of standing as motionless as a rock, showed signs of
+restlessness. It would begin by swaying back and forth until it too was
+waltzing in an unearthly fashion around the camp-fire. Again the
+surrounding gloom became studded with blinking stars, ogres and the most
+grotesque figures, which performed in an indescribable fashion. Darkness
+and light alternated, until the boy feared he was losing the power of
+vision altogether; but it will be understood that this was the natural
+protest of the eye against the painful and long continued strain to
+which it was subjected.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI.</h2>
+
+<h3>THROUGH THE FOREST.</h3>
+
+
+<p>Jack Carleton occasionally gave his eyes fitful rest by holding them
+closed for a few moments, but the tantalizing visions did not leave him
+even then. His arm became so painfully cramped under his head that he
+was compelled to shift his position; and he seized the occasion to
+readjust his limbs, which were also becoming wearied because of the long
+time he had held them motionless. He was prudent enough, however, to
+give the whole movement the seeming of a natural action done in sleep.
+He flung himself about for a few seconds, and then rolled back almost in
+the same posture, apparently resuming his heavy slumber.</p>
+
+<p>But through the half closed eyelids, on which the dull glow of the
+camp-fire fell, he was peering at the faint outlines of the figure
+against the oak. He was sure Ogallah would start and rise to his feet,
+ready to check any steps on the part of the captive looking toward
+flight.</p>
+
+<p>But not the slightest stir was made, and the astonished lad, with a
+painful throb of his heart, said to himself:</p>
+
+<p>"He is asleep! Now is my chance!"</p>
+
+<p>It seemed to be too good to be true, and yet it certainly had that
+appearance. For some time past, Jack had known from the regular
+breathing of the figures near him that the couples wrapped up in their
+blankets were unconscious. Certainly there could be no doubt about the
+one who had been burned by the spark of fire, for he snored amain, like
+the "seven sleepers."</p>
+
+<p>It is at such times that one's senses are wonderfully acute, and Jack
+Carleton not only saw but heard with unusual keenness. With his ear
+close to, but not touching the ground, he distinctly caught a rippling
+sound in the streamlet which flowed so near. The fact that he heard it
+was proof that it was caused by some "foreign interference," since it
+was entirely different from the slight rippling noise along the banks.</p>
+
+<p>The first thought of Jack was that it was Deerfoot come to his rescue,
+and he could not but think how completely he would be master of the
+situation, should he suddenly rise to his feet in front of Ogallah and
+give him to understand he was not to move or speak; but a second thought
+destroyed the hope. It was exceedingly improbable that the young
+Shawanoe was within a score of miles, but while it was possible that he
+might be hunting somewhere in the forest, it was incredible that he
+would have betrayed his presence near camp in the manner named.</p>
+
+<p>Jack had barely reached this correct conclusion, when, peering at the
+figure of Ogallah, as it was faintly shown, he caught the gleam of the
+eyes of a wild beast just beyond, and in a direct line with the chief.
+The eyes were large, round and quite close together, with that
+phosphorescent, flickering glow often shown by animals when the light is
+faint.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>That</i> will settle the question whether Ogallah is asleep or not," said
+the boy, watching with an intensity of interest which cannot be
+described.</p>
+
+<p>Whatever the nature of the animal, he was evidently on a reconnaissance,
+and had no purpose of venturing closer until satisfied the path was
+clear to do so. It must have been that he cared very little one way or
+the other, for while the two orbs were glaring upon Jack, they vanished
+with a suddenness that suggested that some one had seized his tail and
+flung him back into the gloom from which he first emerged.</p>
+
+<p>It was incredible, too, that the chief should have sat quiet and
+motionless with a wild beast so near him, unless he was asleep, but the
+possibility of being mistaken after all, kept Jack from stirring for
+fully a half hour longer.</p>
+
+<p>The time seemed much later than it really was, when the boy rose on his
+elbow and hesitated, while he looked intently around and listened for
+the slightest sound. He glanced right and left at the figures shrouded
+in the blankets, but they might have been so many dead men. He could
+barely discern their outlines in the gloom, for the fire was slowly, but
+steadily, sinking. Several times he had asked himself whether it would
+not be wise to wait until it died out altogether, but he was too
+strongly convinced that the night was nearly gone, and he would need
+every minute in which to widen the distance between him and his
+pursuers.</p>
+
+<p>"No," he murmured, "it won't do to wait another second."</p>
+
+<p>He was on one knee, with his hand pressing the ground, when the largest
+stick on the fire burned in two in the middle, and the larger portion
+rolled back and in front of the chief. The disturbance caused it to
+flare up for the moment with a glare which revealed the figure of
+Ogallah more distinctly than at any time since he had taken his
+position.</p>
+
+<p>Jack Carleton paused in his painful movement and became like a figure
+cut in marble, staring straight at the warrior brought into such
+unexpected prominence. As he did so, he saw that Ogallah was not only
+wide awake, but had turned his head, and was looking straight at him.
+The cunning fellow had not slept a wink from the moment he took his
+singular position. He had noted the wolf which ventured close enough to
+take a peep into camp, but, well aware that there was no danger, and
+convinced also that his captive was awaiting the chance to steal away,
+he held himself as rigid as iron until such an attempt should be made.</p>
+
+<p>Poor Jack almost fainted in a collapse of despair. He saw that his
+captors had trifled with him from the beginning, and with a sigh of
+utter wretchedness, he dropped back on the ground, feeling that it was
+worse than useless for him to expect or hope to outwit those cunning
+children of the forest.</p>
+
+<p>Reaction followed, and the lad speedily sank into a deep slumber which
+lasted until the sun had risen and the party had broken camp and were
+ready to resume their journey. Even then it was necessary for Ogallah to
+thrust his moccasin against him before he opened his eyes and stared
+confusedly around. The sight of the warriors who stood ready to move,
+recalled Jack to his hapless situation. He rubbed his eyes, and sprang
+to his feet, and walking to the streamlet lay down, took a draught of
+the cool, refreshing water in which he bathed his face, wiping it off
+with his handkerchief, and then turned about to signify that he awaited
+orders.</p>
+
+<p>He wondered that no signs of breakfast were to be seen, and at first
+suspected that his captors had partaken while he slept, but afterward
+concluded that like all their people they were anything but regular in
+their meals, especially when on the tramp.</p>
+
+<p>Without any ceremony, the journey was taken up, Ogallah again walking at
+the head, with the other four at the rear of the boy. They adopted their
+favorite custom of walking in Indian file, each warrior stepping in the
+tracks of the one in front. Jack was wise enough to adhere to the
+practice, so that had any one sought to follow the party, he would have
+noted but the single trail, though a skilled red or white man would have
+been quick to discover the precise number of the company.</p>
+
+<p>"We have traveled a good many miles since yesterday noon," thought Jack,
+"and it must be that we are not far from the Indian village. If that is
+so, it won't do for me to make any other attempt to run away. Ogallah
+knows I am anxious to go, for he saw me try it twice, and he will take
+good care that I don't try it again."</p>
+
+<p>Still, while taking this sensible view of the matter, Jack Carleton
+compressed his lips with the resolution that he would not throw away a
+single chance. If it should prove that many miles still lay before them
+and that several nights were to be spent on the road, he meant to do his
+utmost to give his captors the slip.</p>
+
+<p>The journey assumed the most monotonous character. It was simply tramp,
+tramp, without the least rest or variation. Jack was sure he had never
+seen such sameness in the forest, lasting mile after mile. There were
+the towering trees, their leafy branches interlocked overhead, the same
+array of shaggy columns of bark, spreading limbs and sparse undergrowth.
+Sometimes Ogallah would step so rapidly that a branch which he brushed
+from his path would swing back and switch the lad in the face, and once
+or twice a running vine would be uprooted by a vigorous fling or kick of
+the foot.</p>
+
+<p>But all this time the squat figure of the chief advanced like a machine.
+Jack noticed the swing of the muscular arms, the play of the legs and
+the occasional slight turning or ducking of the head. The straggling
+black hair, with the painted eagle feathers drooping like the plume of a
+lady's hat, the blanket slung loosely over the shoulders, the fringed
+hunting shirt and leggings, the faded moccasins, so soft that they
+spread out of all manner of shape when the weight of the body rested on
+them:&mdash;all these and much more were impressed upon the mind of the boy
+with a distinctness that he was certain would last him all through life.</p>
+
+<p>"My gracious!" thought he, "they have come from a long distance; what
+could have taken them down near Martinsville and so near the
+Mississippi? I wonder whether it is possible the tribes who live on this
+side the river ever cross over to look at the country on the other
+shore. It would not be strange if they did so, but it don't seem like an
+Indian to do that sort of thing. Can it be these warriors have their
+hunting grounds away out toward the Rocky Mountains? If so, I shall have
+a fine time in finding my way back home."</p>
+
+<p>The youth did not allow himself to consider the possibility that he
+would never have the chance to attempt the journey. The shuddering fear
+which first took hold of him was gone. Closely as the captors guarded
+him, he was persuaded they meant to inflict no personal harm&mdash;at least
+while on their way through the woods.</p>
+
+<p>It was a serious question indeed as to what would be his treatment after
+reaching the Indian settlement. The American race is cruel, treacherous,
+and revengeful, and though the red men frequently hold prisoners for
+months and years, they more frequently subject them to torture and
+death. It will be understood, therefore, why Jack Carleton was so
+anxious to make his escape from the party before they could arrive home.</p>
+
+<p>Present discomforts often drive away future horrors, and, by the time
+the sun was overhead, Jack gave his principal thought to one thing&mdash;the
+question of food. He was a-hungered, and viewed with a mental groan the
+prospect of keeping on the march until sunset, before securing anything
+to eat.</p>
+
+<p>"I have gone a full day many a time without food," he said, as he
+tramped along, "but it seems to me I never was as ravenous as now. I
+believe I could eat a pair of boiled moccasins, that is, if they had
+never been in use."</p>
+
+<p>He was ashamed of his weakness, and resolutely refrained from giving any
+evidence of his suffering, but when he detected the pale green foliage
+of the fragrant birch, he ventured to step out of the trail, break off a
+branch and chew the bark, thus securing temporary relief from the
+gnawing discomfort.</p>
+
+<p>High noon came, but no halt had been made. The lad had left the trail
+several times, and the warriors themselves were more careless about
+their own footsteps, but seemed to have no desire to partake of food.</p>
+
+<p>The first shock of surprise came when the party suddenly emerged from
+the woods and paused on the bank of a deep, swift stream, fully a
+hundred yards wide. The current, like the smaller one, was yellow and
+roiled, and the boy looked upon it with a feeling akin to dismay.
+Recalling the indignity to which he had been subjected earlier in the
+day, he dreaded trusting himself in the water again.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>This</i> time they may take it into their heads to drown me," was his
+thought.</p>
+
+<p>But his nerves were not subjected to the trial. Nothing showed more
+clearly the wonderful woodcraft of the Indians than the fact that, after
+journeying many long leagues through the wilderness, without the
+slightest trail to guide them, they struck the stream within a hundred
+yards of the point at which they aimed from the first.</p>
+
+<p>This was proven by the action of the warriors themselves. After talking
+together for a few minutes, two of them walked a short distance up the
+bank and drew a large canoe from under the shore, where they had left it
+when journeying in the other direction.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE SIGNAL FIRES.</h3>
+
+
+<p>The canoe was made of bark, with the ends turned up in the usual
+fashion. Two long paddles belonging to it lay within, and were taken by
+the warriors, who paddled it down to where the party were in waiting.
+All stepped carefully inside, and the same Indians who brought it from
+its hiding place turned the prow toward the other shore and began
+swinging the paddles with the freedom and vigor peculiar to their
+people. Jack was the last to seat himself, and he held fast as best he
+could, dreading some of the rude jokes of his captors.</p>
+
+<p>When all were in position, and the craft began moving, great care was
+necessary, for it sank to the gunwales, and a slight disturbance would
+be enough to overturn the frail boat. Although Jack feared such an
+occurrence, yet the Indians themselves were no more desirous it should
+take place than was he.</p>
+
+<p>He naturally fixed his eyes on the line of warriors seated in front of
+him. All faced the shore they were approaching, and the couple using the
+paddles dipped first one end on the right and the other end on the left
+of the canoe. They put forth little exertion. Had they chosen to do so,
+they could have tripled the speed, though most likely an upset would
+have been the consequence.</p>
+
+<p>The middle of the stream was not reached, when a small fish leaped out
+of the water in front and fell back again. Ogallah uttered an
+exclamation, and, reaching his hand over the side of the boat, held it
+several inches under the surface. The two Indians not using the paddles
+did the same, just as a party of young people will do when taking a
+pleasure sail over some calm lake.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly Ogallah gave a quick flirt of the submerged hand, flinging the
+sparkling water over all. Something flashed in the sunlight, and a plump
+fish, weighing fully a pound, dropped into the canoe. Almost immediately
+the other two warriors did the same, one of them securing a prize
+weighing as much as both the others. The fact was, the boat was passing
+through something like a school of fish, and the red men found no
+difficulty in capturing a number.</p>
+
+<p>"That looks like dinner," thought Jack with a chuckle, as he also dipped
+his hand to grope for the finny delicacies. He had less than a minute to
+wait when something cold and smooth touched his fingers. He made a
+desperate clutch, sinking his arm to his elbow, but the fish was too
+quick, and darted beyond his reach, just as Ogallah landed another
+tempting one.</p>
+
+<p>Several more were taken, but Jack could not succeed in closing his
+fingers quickly enough to keep the fish from slipping away. By the time
+the other side of the stream was reached, a good supply had been
+secured, and the boy forgot his sorrow in the pleasure of anticipating
+that his hunger would be fully satisfied.</p>
+
+<p>Happily he was not disappointed in this respect, for, while the oarsmen
+were drawing the boat out of the water, the others were preparing the
+fire with which to cook the fish, that were speedily dressed. They were
+the "white" species common in the west, and when browned to a juicy
+crisp, formed as luscious a meal as any epicure could ask. Best of all,
+there was an abundance, and Jack Carleton ate until he wanted no more.</p>
+
+<p>Having tramped so many miles since the rising of the sun, Ogallah and
+his warriors were disposed to enjoy a good rest.</p>
+
+<p>Their pipes were relighted and they lolled about in the same lazy
+fashion, paying no special heed to Jack, who knew the unwisdom of making
+any effort to get away.</p>
+
+<p>All this convinced the boy that the party had still a considerable
+distance to travel. Had they been in the neighborhood of their village,
+they would have pushed on without stopping. At any rate, they would not
+have paused to kindle the camp-fire and to cook a meal at mid-day.</p>
+
+<p>"It must be," Jack said to himself, with several nods of his head, "that
+we are to spend another night on the road: if that is so, I'll make a
+break if I have to suffer for it."</p>
+
+<p>These were vaunting words, but he was in earnest. Except for the hope
+thus renewed within him, the youth would have given way to the
+drowsiness which became quite common with the rest, but a line of
+speculation was started which kept his mind occupied during the full
+hour the party dawdled about the camp-fire.</p>
+
+<p>At the end of the time named, the ashes were knocked from the pipes,
+several stretched their limbs and yawned, and the sullen-faced warrior
+who had been taking care of Jack's rifle, passed it back to him with
+some surly word, which most likely meant that thereafter the captive
+should bear his own burdens. The boy was glad enough to regain his
+weapon, but he smiled when he observed that it had no charge in it. His
+captors were determined not to put temptation in his way.</p>
+
+<p>It took the company a considerable time to "shake themselves together."
+They straggled and kept irregular step, and finally, when they began
+ascending a slope, where the ground was much broken and covered with
+stones, they gave it up altogether. The ascent continued until they
+found themselves on an elevation several hundred feet high, and so
+devoid of vegetation that a view was gained which covered an area of
+hundreds of square miles in every direction.</p>
+
+<p>Standing on this lookout, as it may be called, the Indians devoted a
+number of minutes to such survey. No employment just then could be more
+entertaining, and Jack Carleton adopted it.</p>
+
+<p>The scene was too similar to those with which the reader of these pages
+has become familiar to need any lengthened reference in this place. It
+was green, billowy forest in every direction. Here and there a stream
+wound like a silver ribbon through the emerald wilderness, sometimes
+gleaming in the sunlight, and then disappearing among the vegetation, to
+reappear miles away, and finally to vanish from sight altogether as it
+wound its way toward the Gulf. At remote points the trained eye could
+detect the thin, wavy column of vapor motionless against the sky, a mute
+witness that beings other than those on the hill were stealing through
+the vast solitude in their quest for game or prey.</p>
+
+<p>Inasmuch as Jack Carleton readily detected these "signs," as the hunter
+terms them, it followed they must have been noted by the Indians
+themselves; but they gave no evidence of any excitement on that account.
+It was natural that such evidences of the presence of other persons in
+the immense territory should present themselves.</p>
+
+<p>But the youth failed to find that for which he specially looked.
+Observing the chieftain gazing earnestly toward the west, he did the
+same, expecting to catch sight of the Indian village where Ogallah and
+his warriors made their home. He descried a wooded ridge stretching
+across his field of vision, but not the first resemblance to village or
+wigwam could be discovered.</p>
+
+<p>"He is not looking for <i>that</i>," thought Jack, "but is expecting some
+signal which will appear on the ridge."</p>
+
+<p>One of the other Indians was peering with equal intentness at the same
+point, but the minutes passed and nothing presented itself. Jack joined
+in the scrutiny, but he could not succeed where they failed.</p>
+
+<p>All at once the sachem seemed to lose patience. He said some vigorous
+things, accompanied by equally vigorous gestures, and then the whole
+party began hastily gathering wood. In a short while this was kindled
+and burning strongly. When the flames were fairly going, one of the
+warriors who had collected several handfuls of damp leaves by digging
+under the dry ones, dropped them carefully on the blaze. It looked at
+first as if the fire would be put out, but it struggled upward, and
+by-and-by a column of dense black smoke stained the sky like the smutty
+finger of some giant tracing a wavy line across it.</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<a name="ill03" id="ill03"></a>
+<img src="images/ill03.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<h3><span class="smcap">The Signal</span></h3>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>Then Ogallah and one of his men held his blanket spread out so as almost
+to force the thick smoke to the ground, but such was not their purpose.
+The blanket was abruptly lifted, then swayed in a peculiar fashion, the
+two moving in perfect unison, without speaking, and repeating their
+pantomime with the regularity of machinery, for the space of fully ten
+minutes.</p>
+
+<p>The results were singular. The inky column of vapor was broken into a
+number of sections, as may be said, so that when viewed from a distance
+the figure was that of a black broad band of enormous height, separated
+by belts of colorless air into a dozen pieces or divisions, the upper
+ones gradually melting into nothingness. Besides this, so deftly had the
+red men manipulated the fire and blanket, that these divisions showed a
+peculiar wavy appearance, which would have excited wondering remark, no
+matter by whom seen.</p>
+
+<p>"It is a signal to some one on the ridge yonder," was the conclusion of
+Jack, who watched the proceeding with much interest.</p>
+
+<p>Having finished, Ogallah and the warrior threw the blanket on the
+ground, and the whole five gazed at the ridge miles away. For a time
+perfect silence reigned, and then one of the dusky watchers uttered an
+exclamation, to which the chief responded with a grunt.</p>
+
+<p>While scanning the distant ridge, Jack detected a black brush of vapor
+climbing slowly above the trees. It broke clean off, and as it went on
+upward, was inclosed by clear air on all sides. But it was not long
+before a second, third, fourth, and fifth appeared. Parties were
+answering the signal of the chief in precisely the same manner that he
+made it. The only difference was in the number, of which there were only
+the five. Those, however, were sufficient, as the parties making it were
+well aware.</p>
+
+<p>This aboriginal system of telegraphy, which has been in use from time
+immemorial, is still a favorite means of communication among the Indians
+of the West. More than once the news of the signing of some important
+treaty, or the war movement of tribes, has been flashed by means of
+signal fires from mountain top to mountain top over a distance of
+hundreds of miles.</p>
+
+<p>The information given by the answering signal fire was satisfactory to
+the chief Ogallah, who resumed the journey at a leisurely pace, making
+no effort to walk in the close Indian file that he and his warriors did
+when further away from home.</p>
+
+<p>"If we reach the village before going into camp," concluded Jack, "we
+must keep moving until after dark. The sun is setting and the ridge is
+still a good ways off."</p>
+
+<p>It soon became manifest that the red men had no purpose of tiring
+themselves by walking. They were at the base of the ridge when they came
+upon a small stream which dashed down the mountain side with a musical
+plash, forming currents, eddies, and cascades, while in the depths of
+some pebbly pool it was as silent and clear as liquid mountain air.</p>
+
+<p>The afternoon was more sultry than the early portion of the day, and
+every member of the company quaffed his fill from the refreshing
+element. Jack's heart gave a great bound of hope when he saw that
+Ogallah meant to spend the night there. He was strongly convinced that
+he would gain an opportunity to steal away during the darkness, which
+promised to be denser than on the previous night. Although the day had
+been clear and beautiful, yet the clouds gathered after the sun went
+down, and there were signs of a storm. Low mutterings of distant thunder
+and the fitful flashes of lightning showed the interchange of
+electricity between the earth and sky, though it might not develop to
+any great extent for many hours to come.</p>
+
+<p>No hunt was made for game, and after the abundant meal earlier in the
+day, Jack could not complain if compelled to fast until morning. A fire
+was kindled precisely as before, a sturdy oak forming the background,
+while the others lolled around it and smoked their long-stemmed pipes.</p>
+
+<p>When Jack Carleton was invited to retire to his couch by the sullen
+warrior, he obeyed as though pleased with the prospect of a full night's
+rest. Ogallah stretched out with one of his men, while the ill-tempered
+member sat down with his back against the tree, as though desirous of
+imitating his leader in every respect.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE INDIAN VILLAGE.</h3>
+
+
+<p>"There's one thing certain," said Jack Carleton to himself, as he
+gathered the Indian blanket around his shoulders, like one lying down to
+pleasant dreams, "I can keep awake a good deal more easily than I did
+last night. I'm pretty tired, but I slept so much toward morning that it
+will be no trouble to go twenty-four hours without any more."</p>
+
+<p>The temperature was milder than at that time, so that the lad found the
+thick blanket uncomfortably warm when wrapped closely around him. He
+flung out his feet and arms as a child often does with its bed
+coverings, and adjusted his body so as to keep his eye on the sentinel,
+without (as the captive believed) any suspicion of his intention.</p>
+
+<p>The other couples sank into refreshing slumber within a few minutes
+after lying down, and it certainly was singular that the warrior who
+sat half revealed, with his back against the tree, should have
+continued as motionless as did the chief Ogallah the evening before. It
+was impossible that two scenes should resemble each other more closely
+than those named.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't believe he can keep it up as long as the old fellow did. If he
+tries it, he will be dreaming, and when he and the rest awake, they will
+find I am miles off and going with might and main for home. My gracious!
+but I shall have a long distance to travel, and it will be hard work to
+keep out of their way."</p>
+
+<p>Fixing his eyes on the form as it was shown by the flickering camp-fire,
+Jack prepared to watch with more patience than he showed in the former
+instance. The sound of the splashing brook and the soft stirring of the
+night wind were soothing to the tired boy. By-and-by his eyelids
+drooped, then closed, and his senses passed from him. Never was he sunk
+in sounder sleep.</p>
+
+<p>Nothing occurred to disturb him, and he slept hour after hour, never
+opening his eyes until it was broad daylight and Ogallah and his
+warriors were astir.</p>
+
+<p>Jack was chagrined beyond expression when he found what he had done,
+or, rather, what he had failed to do. The opportunity for which he had
+sighed so long had slipped irrevocably from his grasp. So convinced was
+he of this fact that he gave over all thought of escape while on the
+journey.</p>
+
+<p>"The Indian village can't be far off, and I must now go ahead and take
+my chances. But this is getting tiresome."</p>
+
+<p>The last remark referred to the absence of any preparations for
+breakfast. He had made no complaint the evening before, but it was a
+hardship to continue his fast. Inasmuch, however, as there was no help
+for it, he submitted without a murmur.</p>
+
+<p>There was now no pretence of treading in each other's footsteps, but the
+party straggled up the ridge like a lot of weary pedestrians. No one
+seemed to pay any attention to the single captive, most likely because
+there was no call to do so. He might desire to make a break for liberty,
+but he could not go further than they were willing to permit.</p>
+
+<p>The top of the ridge was marked by a bare spot, where some charred
+sticks showed a fire had been recently kindled. There could be no doubt
+that it was there the answering signal had been made to the call of
+Ogallah.</p>
+
+<p>But looking down the western slope of the ridge, Jack Carleton's eyes
+rested on a scene more interesting than any that had met his gaze since
+leaving home. Less than a mile off, close to the shore of a winding
+stream and in the middle of a partially cleared space, stood the Indian
+village toward which his footsteps had been tending for nearly two days,
+and where he was likely to spend an indefinite captivity.</p>
+
+<p>The stream was perhaps a hundred feet in width. It shone brightly in the
+morning sun, and the current was clearer than that of the river crossed
+the day before. It wound its way westward as far as the eye could follow
+it, flowing into a tributary of the Osage, thence to the Missouri, and
+so on to the Gulf of Mexico.</p>
+
+<p>The Indian village numbered between twenty and thirty lodges, wigwams or
+dwellings as they may be called. Some of them were made of bison and
+deer skins, and were of irregular, conical shape; others were mere huts,
+covered with grass, leaves, limbs and dirt, while one or two were
+mainly composed of stones piled in the form of rude walls and roofed in
+the rude fashion described.</p>
+
+<p>These primitive structures were scattered irregularly over a space of
+half an acre, which might be called a clearing, inasmuch as only a few
+stumps and broken trees were to be seen. But nothing in the way of corn
+or vegetables was growing, and the air of dilapidation, untidiness and
+squalor pervading the whole scene, was characteristic of the race, and
+was that which robs it of the romance which in the minds of many
+attaches to the name of the American Indian.</p>
+
+<p>Viewed from the ridge, Jack could see figures moving to and fro in the
+aimless manner natural to such indolent people. There were children
+running and playing among the stumps and dwellings&mdash;half naked little
+knots of humanity, who in a few years would become the repulsive squaws
+or terrible warriors of the tribe. Three of the youngsters were having a
+high time with a canoe lying against the shore. They were splashing the
+water over each other, plunging into the stream and scrambling out again
+without regard to the wear or tear of their clothing, and playing all
+sorts of tricks on each other, while a half dozen playmates were
+standing on the bank laughing so heartily that a spectator would have
+found it hard to understand why the American race is so often described
+as of a melancholy temperament.</p>
+
+<p>Now and then some squaw could be seen trudging along under a load of
+sticks, while more than likely her lazy husband was asleep within the
+wigwam. A half dozen warriors strolled off toward the woods, rifles in
+hand, and most likely with the intention of going upon a hunt. Just
+before leaving the clearing, one of them caught sight of the group on
+the top of the ridge. Immediately they swung their arms and sent several
+ringing whoops across as a salutation to their friends.</p>
+
+<p>Ogallah answered, and he and his party moved down the slope toward their
+homes. Having saluted each other in this fashion, the warriors of the
+village speedily vanished in the wood. They must have known that the
+returning company had a prisoner with them, but it will be seen they
+felt no particular interest in the matter.</p>
+
+<p>But if such was the fact respecting the hunters, it was far different
+with those who were left behind. The moment the five warriors emerged
+from the wood, with the captive walking among them, the whole village
+was thrown in a turmoil of excitement. Squaws and children rushed
+forward, men came to the entrances of their wigwams, and some strolled
+out to make a closer investigation of the matter.</p>
+
+<p>It was a trying moment to Jack Carleton, for it may be said that he had
+discounted it during the preceding day. He forced himself to smile, and
+when the chattering, grunting, shouting crowd gathered around him so
+closely that he was forced to stop walking, he shook, so far as he
+could, most of the scores of hands that were pushed against him.</p>
+
+<p>All this was well enough, but it was not long before their attention
+took an unpleasant form. Some of the half grown bucks either feigned or
+really were angered because Jack could not give them heed, and struck
+him with the flat of their hands about the chest and shoulders. The boy
+turned when the first blow was delivered, and the Indian indulged in a
+taunting grimace. Jack clenched his fist and was on the point of
+striking him in the face when his good sense restrained him. He needed
+no one to tell him the consequences of such rashness.</p>
+
+<p>The attentions soon became so boisterous that Ogallah interfered. He
+flung the crowd right and left, commanding them to disperse, and then
+beckoned the youth to follow him toward a lodge near the center of the
+village. Jack was glad enough to do so, and was speedily relieved of
+annoyance.</p>
+
+<p>The sachem conducted the boy to his own dwelling where none of the
+curious dare follow him, though the crowd gathered on the outside and
+peeped within, like so many persons seeking a free survey of a circus.</p>
+
+<p>Suspecting that this was likely to be his new home for an indefinite
+time, Jack Carleton was quick to acquaint himself with the interior. The
+structure, as I have said, stood near the middle of the village, and was
+the largest of the collection. It is rare that an aboriginal building
+bears such resemblance to those made by the white men of the border, for
+the American race has never shown any aptitude in architecture.</p>
+
+<p>Ogallah's house was a log cabin, perhaps twenty feet long by half as
+many wide. The logs were roughly dovetailed at the corners, but none of
+the numerous crevices were stopped by mortar or clay, and daylight
+could be discerned through many a rent, which in cold weather admitted
+the keen cutting wind.</p>
+
+<p>A single opening served as a door. Aboriginal ingenuity could not pass
+beyond this rude contrivance, so having opened the way for ingress and
+egress, the builder was content to hang a bison skin as a curtain. This
+could be readily pulled aside by any one, and the door locked by
+fastening the corners. Windows are a sinful extravagance to the American
+Indian, and there was not one in the village to which Jack Carleton was
+taken. When the open door, the burning fire, the hole which answered for
+a chimney, and the numerous crevices did not give enough light for the
+interior, the occupants went outside to obtain it.</p>
+
+<p>Having put up the four walls of logs and roofed them with branches,
+covered with leaves, dirt and grass, Ogallah was content to lean back,
+fold his arms and smoke his pipe in placid triumph. The floor was the
+earth, worn hard and smooth by the feet of the family, and the fire was
+kindled on the ground at the further end, where the vapor found its way
+through the irregular opening made for the purpose. There was nothing in
+the nature of a chair or bench in the place. Bison and deer robes
+formed the couches, and the pegs driven in the logs held blankets, bows,
+and furs of animals (most of the last, however, lying on the ground),
+leggings and other articles worn by the chieftain and his wife.</p>
+
+<p>These two were the only occupants of the place previous to the coming of
+Jack Carleton. Ogallah was in middle life, and had been the father of
+but a single son, who died while yet a papoose. His wife was tall and
+muscular, evidently a woman with a strong will, and well worthy to be
+the consort of an Indian chief. She did not rush to her husband and
+embrace him the moment she caught sight of him. Indeed, she had not
+ventured outside the lodge, though she could not have failed to hear the
+unusual turmoil.</p>
+
+<p>She would not have been human had she not shown some curiosity
+respecting her husband's companion. Jack doffed his hat and bowed to her
+with elaborate courtesy, after which he leaned his rifle against the
+side of the wigwam and folded his arms. The squaw surveyed him for a
+full minute, during which he stood as if awaiting her commands, and
+then, turning to her husband, the two held a short but vigorous
+conversation.</p>
+
+<p>The wife must have been expecting him, for she was engaged in cooking
+some venison in the usual aboriginal fashion, and, to the great relief
+of the boy, the two were not kept waiting for their meal. Seating
+themselves cross-legged on the ground, the half-cooked meat was taken in
+their hands, and, with no other utensils than his hunting knife, each
+made his morning meal.</p>
+
+<p>And so at last Jack Carleton was a captive among a tribe of Indians
+whose totem was unknown to him. Whether he was to remain with them until
+manhood, or whether he was to be put to death long before that period,
+were questions whose answers he did not dare try to conjecture.</p>
+
+<p>His situation was a most extraordinary one, as every reader will admit.
+He knew of more than one instance where children who were captured when
+quite small, had become so attached to the rude ways and wild life of
+the red men, that they refused to go back to their own people when the
+offer presented itself, but it was too late in the day for such an
+experience to befall him.</p>
+
+<p>And now, for a time, we must leave Jack Carleton to himself, while we
+give attention to other incidents which are destined to have a bearing
+on his fate.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV.</h2>
+
+<h3>ON THE MOUNTAIN CREST.</h3>
+
+
+<p>The reader has not forgotten the encounter between Jacob Relstaub and
+Deerfoot, the Shawanoe, when the former plunged headlong through his own
+door in mortal fear that the tomahawk of the youthful warrior would be
+sent crashing through his brain; but, much as Deerfoot despised the
+German, he had no thought of visiting injury upon him. Shoving back the
+weapon to its place in his girdle, he therefore strode off in the
+forest, never pausing in his walk until the sun appeared above the
+horizon. He was then many miles from Martinsville, his face turned
+toward the southwest.</p>
+
+<p>Throwing himself on his face, he quaffed his fill from a small, clear
+stream, whose current was only moderately cool, and then, assuming an
+easy posture on the ground, gave himself over to deep thought.</p>
+
+<p>The question which he was seeking to answer was as to his duty. He had
+gone to the settlement to see his young friends, and learned that they
+had started some hours before on a hunting expedition. Such a proceeding
+was so natural, and, withal, so common, that any one expressing wonder
+thereat was likely to be laughed at for his words. The boys of the
+frontier learn to handle the rifle when much younger than either Otto
+Relstaub or Jack Carleton, and they were sometimes absent for days at a
+time without causing any misgiving on the part of their parents.</p>
+
+<p>Why, then, should Deerfoot be perplexed over the matter, when even the
+mother of Jack expressed no fear concerning him?</p>
+
+<p>Why, indeed? That was the query which puzzled the young warrior. It has
+already been said it was the custom of Deerfoot to follow a certain
+inexplainable intuition which often came to his help in his moments of
+doubt. In the present instance, something seemed to whisper that it was
+his duty to look after the boys, but the whisper was so low&mdash;as may be
+said&mdash;that he hesitated to obey it, led to do so by a doubt as to
+whether, after all, it was that instinctive prompting which hitherto
+had guided him so infallibly in many of his daring enterprises and
+undertakings.</p>
+
+<p>It was characteristic of the warrior that, after spending a long time in
+such anxious thought, he should draw his Bible from the inner pocket of
+his hunting shirt, and begin looking through its pages for guidance.
+There were certain portions that were favorites of his, and, without
+searching, the volume opened to one after another of these places; but
+seek as much as he chose, he could find nothing that bore on the problem
+he wished to solve.</p>
+
+<p>"The Great Spirit wills that Deerfoot shall settle the question for
+himself," was his conclusion, as he returned the treasure to its place.</p>
+
+<p>It may as well be admitted that the principal cause of Deerfoot's
+hesitation cannot be given at this time. There was an urgent reason why
+he should make haste to the southwest, and he longed to break into his
+easy, loping trot, which he was able to maintain without fatigue from
+rise of morn till set of sun. But the same strange impulse which sent
+him into the settlement to inquire concerning his friends, still kept
+them in his thoughts.</p>
+
+<p>But he was not the youth to torment himself in this manner, hour after
+hour, and he finally compressed his thin lips and muttered:</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot will return in a few days, and then, if his brothers are still
+gone, he will hunt for them."</p>
+
+<p>This was not a satisfactory conclusion, but he followed it with his
+usual promptness. He was in the very act of rising from the ground, when
+his quick ear caught a faint footfall. Like a flash he raised his head,
+and observed a noble buck approaching the water with the purpose of
+drinking from it. It was not to be expected that the animal had any fear
+of hunters in such a solitary place, and he came forward with a proud
+step, as though master of the wilderness.</p>
+
+<p>The Shawanoe waited until he was within fifty feet, when the buck
+stopped short, and threw up his head as though he scented danger in the
+air. At that instant Deerfoot bounded to his feet as if thrown upward by
+a spring-board, and with a slight whoop, dashed straight at the animal,
+swinging his arms and jumping from side to side in the most grotesque
+fashion.</p>
+
+<p>Few animals of the forest are more timid than the deer, which, like the
+bear, is found in almost every portion of the American continent. The
+buck with one swift whirl on his hoofs, faced the other way, and was off
+like an arrow, shooting between the trees, through the undergrowth, and
+bounding over obstructions as though they were not worth his notice. The
+ordinary hunter might have found time to fire one shot, when the game
+would have vanished like a bird on the wing, before he could reload; but
+the occasion was a good one for Deerfoot to display his wonderful
+fleetness, and he was in the mood to do so. He had made his gestures and
+uttered his cries for the very purpose of terrifying the animal into
+doing his utmost, and he did it.</p>
+
+<p>With his head thrown back, so that his antlers almost rested on his
+back, he plunged forward with amazing swiftness; but when he had gone
+two hundred yards, he saw the same light, willowy figure almost on his
+haunch. He even flung up his arms and shouted again, as if urging him to
+a higher rate of speed. And such was the truth; Deerfoot was running as
+fast as the game, and he was able to run still faster.</p>
+
+<p>The buck bounded up a steep slope, and with one tremendous leap cleared
+a craggy rock in his path. He had barely done so, when the young
+Shawanoe was after him, going over with a lightness and grace that
+showed no special effort. The pursuer was on his haunches, and the
+animal, with glaring eyeballs and a horrified sniff, seemed to bound off
+with the speed of the wind. But of what avail? The warrior was not to be
+shaken off. With a speed which none of his race could equal, it was only
+play for him to outrun the deer. Years before (as I have told in another
+place), Deerfoot, for mere sport, pursued one of the fleetest of horses,
+and kept it up hour after hour, until he ran down the steed. He was
+doing the same to the buck. There was not a moment from the first when
+he could not have launched an arrow that would have brought the game to
+the ground; he was near enough to drive his tomahawk into the neck, but
+he did nothing of that nature. Inasmuch as he was running the race, he
+meant it should be a fair one, and neither should take any advantage
+over the other.</p>
+
+<p>What terrifying imaginings took possession of the buck when he awoke to
+the fact that it was impossible to escape the dreadful being clinging
+to his hips, cannot be understood by any of us, but that which followed,
+incredible as it may seem, is an indisputable fact.</p>
+
+<p>The singular race was kept up for slightly more than a mile, during
+every fraction of which the fugitive put forth his highest possible
+effort. Such a terrific strain cannot fail to tell upon the most highly
+trained animal, and so, despite all he could do, the buck found himself
+unable to keep up his prodigious tension. He was losing ground, and he
+could not fail to know that escape was out of the question: he was as
+much doomed as if surrounded and driven at bay by a dozen hunters and
+their hounds. He was still running at his highest bent, when he suddenly
+deviated to the right, and, with shocking violence, plunged squarely
+against the trunk of a beech, and, falling over on his side, gave a few
+convulsive struggles and died. Beyond question, the buck, when awake to
+the fact that there was no hope for him, deliberately committed suicide
+by breaking his neck.</p>
+
+<p>The young Shawanoe paused, and looked down upon the quivering form with
+feelings of pity.</p>
+
+<p>"Why did he do that? Deerfoot felt too much sorrow to harm him; he only
+sought to show him he could run the faster; but he will run no more, and
+Deerfoot will eat."</p>
+
+<p>The spot was suitable, and, within less time than would be supposed, the
+warrior was seated on the ground, deliberately masticating a liberal
+slice of broiled venison. Doubtless it would have been improved could he
+have hung it in a cellar or tree for several days, but it wasn't
+convenient to do so, and Deerfoot therefore ate it as he could obtain
+it, and was satisfied therewith.</p>
+
+<p>No water was within reach, the Indian following the healthful practice
+of the wild animals themselves, of not partaking of drink while eating
+food.</p>
+
+<p>The meal finished, Deerfoot did not conduct himself like one who was
+still in doubt as to the course he ought to follow. He had solved the
+question earlier in the day, and, though the conclusion he reached was
+not fully satisfactory, he resolutely forced aside all further thought
+respecting it, and gave his attention simply to that which was before
+him. His dinner required only a short time, when he resumed his journey,
+if such it may be termed. He walked with his usual noiseless gait, in
+which could be detected not the slightest weakness or exhaustion
+resulting from his terrific run.</p>
+
+<p>The young Shawanoe was advancing toward the mountainous portion of the
+present State of Missouri. The Ozark range, or its spurs, cover one-half
+of that large State, and their recesses afford hunting grounds and
+retreats such as are surpassed by no other portion of the continent.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot turned his footsteps toward a high promontory some miles
+distant. It was the most elevated among many others, and formed a
+landmark visible over a very extensive area. The youthful warrior did
+not hasten his footsteps, for there was no call to do so, but he
+steadily approached the mountain, up which he tramped in his leisurely
+fashion, until he paused on the very highest point.</p>
+
+<p>The journey was long, and when he came to a halt the sun was far down
+the western horizon. The summit of the mountain was covered with rocks
+and boulders, with here and there a few scrubby pines. Nothing could be
+more unattractive than the broken, stony soil, but the view which was
+spread out before him who climbed to the top was enough to kindle the
+eye of a stoic, and make the heart overflow with love and awe toward the
+great Being who made it all.</p>
+
+<p>But the eye can become accustomed to the grandest scenes, and, although
+Deerfoot leaned on the rock beside him, and allowed his keen vision to
+wander over the magnificent panorama, it did not cause an additional
+pulse-beat. When he had glanced at the mountains, the valleys between,
+the broken country, the forests, the diversified scenery in every
+direction, his gaze rested on another promontory similar to the one he
+had climbed.</p>
+
+<p>It was several miles distant, in a directly southern course, and was
+nearly or quite two hundred feet higher than the one on which he stood.
+The latter, like those to which reference has been made, was of the
+nature of a ridge, while the one on which his eyes were fixed was a
+diminutive Teneriffe as to its form.</p>
+
+<p>While the manner of Deerfoot indicated very plainly that he expected to
+see something out of the usual order of things, yet it looked very much
+as if he would have been pleased over his failure to do so. No painter
+could limn a more striking picture than that which was formed by
+Deerfoot, at the close of that beautiful spring day, when, as the sun
+was setting, he stood on the elevation and gazed across the intervening
+country.</p>
+
+<p>His right elbow rested on the top of the rock, and his right leg
+supported the weight of his body. The lower half of the left leg was
+slung across the other, the toe of the moccasin touching the earth. The
+right hand dropped over the side of the rock, and lightly held the long
+bow which leaned against the same support. The posture was that of
+elegant ease, and the best calculated to bring out in clear relief the
+Apollo-like splendor of his figure. The luxuriant black hair streaming
+over the shoulders, the gaudy eagle feathers thrust in at the crown, the
+lustrous black eyes, the slightly Roman nose, the rows of colored beads
+around the neck, the dull yellow of the hunting shirt, the quiver of
+arrows behind the right shoulder, the red sash, holding knife and
+tomahawk, the gold bracelet on the left wrist, the fringed border of his
+hunting shirt about the knees, the brilliant fringes to the leggings,
+the pretty moccasins, and the shapeliness of form, limb and
+feature&mdash;all these made up the poetical Indian, which, sad to say, is
+almost as rare among his race as the black diamond is in nature.</p>
+
+<p>But such was Deerfoot the Shawanoe.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE RETURN AND DEPARTURE.</h3>
+
+
+<p>Easy and negligent as was the posture assumed by Deerfoot the Shawanoe,
+his eyes were never at rest. Resting for a moment on the promontory,
+they darted to the right and left down the valley, and even took in the
+shifting clouds in the sky above. But it was the peak which riveted his
+attention, and which was scrutinized with minute closeness until the
+gathering gloom shut it from sight.</p>
+
+<p>It was not fairly dark when he kindled a fire on the very highest point,
+and then placing himself so far from it that the glare could not
+interfere with his sight, he looked out in the night. The darkness was
+such that nothing could be seen beyond his immediate surroundings, but
+he knew where to look for that which he expected and yet did not want to
+see. For fully an hour the Shawanoe held his motionless attitude, gazing
+as fixedly to the southward as ever an eagle stared at the sun. Then
+that for which he was waiting appeared.</p>
+
+<p>From the very crest of the distant mountain peak, a flaming arrow
+suddenly began climbing toward the stars. Up, up it went, as does the
+rocket on a summer night, going slower and slower, like an old man
+plodding up hill, until, wearied out, it paused, and, for one instant
+remained stationary in the air, as if doubtful whether to push on or to
+fall back. The flaming point swung over until it pointed toward the
+ground, when it shot downward with ever increasing swiftness until it
+vanished. It must have struck within a yard of the spot from which it
+had been driven upward.</p>
+
+<p>It was very rarely that Deerfoot showed excitement. He had drawn his
+knife and challenged the great Tecumseh to mortal conflict, and he had
+faced death a score of times in the most dreadful shapes, but very
+rarely, if ever, was his heart stirred as by the sight of the burning
+arrow on the distant mountain peak.</p>
+
+<p>He straightened up with a quick inspiration, and his eyes followed the
+course of the fiery missile from the moment of its appearance until it
+vanished.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>They have called for Deerfoot!</i>"</p>
+
+<p>These were the remarkable words which fell from his lips, as he plunged
+down the mountain side like one who knew a question of life and death
+was before him. Although Deerfoot had formed a friendship for Jack
+Carleton and Otto Relstaub similar to that which he had felt for Ned
+Preston and Wildblossom Brown, yet it must be admitted that they were
+not the only ones to whom he was strongly attached, and in whose fate he
+felt as deep an interest as in that of any human being&mdash;all of which
+shall be made clear in another place and at another time.</p>
+
+<p>It was just one week later that Deerfoot made his appearance near the
+settlement, and, pausing at a point which commanded a view of the
+collection of cabins, he spent several minutes in surveying them and the
+pioneers. He had traveled many miles, and been through some singularly
+stirring scenes since he last looked upon Martinsville, but the gracious
+Being that had protected him all his life, did not desert him in his
+extremity, and the frame was as supple and free from weakness or injury
+as when he faced the other way.</p>
+
+<p>When the burning arrow summoned Deerfoot down the mountain side, he was
+glad indeed that he had decided the question whether or not he should
+hunt for the boys as he did, for, had he done otherwise, the opportunity
+that has been described could not have come to him; but, when his duty
+was ended, the old doubt came back, until he had been driven to return
+in order that he might settle the question forever.</p>
+
+<p>Looking down on the little settlement of Martinsville, he studied the
+curious scene, for he was so close that he could identify every person
+whom he knew. The settlement, as the reader has been told, consisted of
+two rows of log cabins, facing each other. They numbered about a score,
+and the street was fifty feet wide. Besides that, each cabin had the
+same space between itself and its neighbor, so that, few as were the
+structures, they were scattered over considerable ground.</p>
+
+<p>This ground, as well as much of it beyond, had been well cleared, and
+the earth cultivated. There were horses and oxen to draw plows and help
+bear the burdens. Besides the hunters' cabins, there were storehouses,
+barns, and structures made for convenience or necessity. From most of
+the soil that had been overturned were sprouting corn, potatoes, and
+other vegetables. The time was not distant when the wilderness should
+blossom as the rose.</p>
+
+<p>A block-house near the middle of the settlement had been half completed,
+when, so far as could be seen, the work was abandoned. The rule with the
+frontier settlements was to put up a building in which all could take
+refuge, should danger threaten; but often the fort was so hastily and
+poorly made that it became a matter of weakness rather than of strength.
+Colonel Martin and his brother pioneers reached the conclusion that they
+were showing altogether too much haste in rearing the structure, and
+they deferred its completion to a more convenient season. Their duty to
+their families, as they saw it, justified them in taking such a step,
+especially in view of the fact that the Indians of the surrounding
+country were not likely ever to cause them trouble.</p>
+
+<p>The cleared land, as it was called, was still disfigured by numerous
+unsightly stumps, around which the rude plow was pulled; but here and
+there men were working to remove them, and ultimately all would be
+uprooted and destroyed.</p>
+
+<p>On the edge of the clearing, three woodsmen were swinging their axes and
+burying their keen edges in the hearts of the monarchs of the wood.
+Deerfoot looked at them several minutes, noticing as he had done before,
+with childish wonder, how long it took the sound caused by the blows to
+reach him. When one of the choppers stopped to breathe and leaned on his
+axe, the sound of two blows came to the listener, and when he resumed
+work, the youth saw him in the act of striking the third time before the
+sound was heard.</p>
+
+<p>The scene was one of activity and industry. Even the children seemed to
+have work instead of play to occupy them. The women, as a matter of
+course, were among the busiest, and rarely did one of them appear at the
+door of her cabin. When she did so, it was only for a very brief while.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot was looking fixedly at one of the houses near the middle of the
+settlement, when a squatty figure, with a conical hat, a heavy cane, and
+smoking a pipe, came out and walked slowly toward a cabin only a short
+distance off. The Indian smiled in his momentary, shadowy fashion when
+he recognized Jacob Relstaub, whom he had frightened almost out of his
+wits a week before. No doubt the German had told the incident many
+times afterward, and would always insist he escaped by a veritable
+hair's breadth.</p>
+
+<p>But Deerfoot was troubled in mind, for among all whom he saw he
+recognized neither Jack Carleton nor Otto Relstaub. It was not likely
+that, if they had returned from their hunt, both would continue
+invisible very long; but when minute after minute passed without showing
+either, his heart sank.</p>
+
+<p>The Shawanoe knew a scene would be probable if Jacob Relstaub caught
+sight of him, so he avoided the wrathful German. The appearance of the
+handsome warrior moving among the cabins, naturally awakened some
+interest. Men and children looked at him as he went by, and several of
+the latter followed him. Deerfoot saluted all whose eyes met his,
+calling out: "Good day; how is my brother?" in as excellent English as
+any of them could have employed.</p>
+
+<p>The Indian, it may be supposed, was known to nearly every one by
+reputation. Most of the settlers had heard of his exploits when they and
+he lived in Kentucky; they knew he guided Otto Relstaub and Jack
+Carleton on their perilous journey from the Dark and Bloody Ground into
+Louisiana; they were aware, too, that he could read and write, and was
+one of the most sagacious and valuable friends the settlers ever had or
+could have. The story which Jacob Relstaub told was therefore received
+with much doubt, and no one who listened felt any distrust of the
+loyalty of the young Shawanoe. More than one declared on general
+principles that Relstaub would have been served right had the warrior
+handled him roughly, as it was well known he could have done had he been
+so minded.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot walked quietly along the primitive street until opposite the
+door of Widow Carleton's cabin. Without hesitation, he pulled the latch
+string and stepped within. There was no start or change of expression
+when he glanced about the apartment, but that single glance told him the
+story.</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Carleton was standing at the table on the other side of the room,
+occupied with the dishes that had served at the morning meal. Her back
+was toward the visitor, but she turned like a flash when she heard the
+door open. The scared, expectant, disappointed, and apprehensive
+expression that flitted over her countenance, like the passing of a
+cloud across a summer landscape, made known the truth to the sagacious
+Shawanoe.</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot's brother has not come back from his long hunt," he said, in
+his usual voice, as he bowed and advanced to the middle of the
+apartment.</p>
+
+<p>"O Deerfoot!" moaned the mother, as, with tremulous lip, she sank into
+the nearest chair and looked pleadingly toward him, holding her apron
+ready to raise to her eyes; "tell me where is my Jack!"</p>
+
+<p>"My friend told Deerfoot that his brother had gone to hunt the horse
+that has wandered off."</p>
+
+<p>"But that was more than a week ago; he ought to have come back a good
+while since. O Deerfoot&mdash;&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>"But the horse has wandered many miles, and it will take my brother a
+long time to find him," interrupted the visitor, who dreaded the scene
+which he saw was sure to come.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you think they are still hunting for him?" she asked with a sudden,
+yearning eagerness that went to the heart of the Indian. He could not
+speak an untruth, nor could he admit the great fear that almost stopped
+the beating of his heart.</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot cannot answer his friend; but he hopes soon to take the hand
+of his brother."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, that will never be&mdash;it can never be. My poor Jack!"</p>
+
+<p>Her grief could be restrained no longer. The apron was abruptly raised
+to the eyes, and as the white hands were pressed against the face her
+whole frame shook with emotion. Deerfoot looked steadily at the pitiful
+scene, but he knew not what to say or do. It was a vivid illustration of
+this strange nature of ours that the youth, who absolutely knew not what
+fear was, and who had seen the glittering tomahawk crash its way into
+the brain without a throb of pity, now found his utmost self-command
+hardly able to save him from breaking down as utterly as did the parent
+before him. He hastily swallowed the lump that kept rising in his
+throat, blinked his eyes very rapidly, coughed, fidgeted on the bench
+whereon he sat, and, finally, looked away and upward at the rude
+rafters, so as to avoid the sight of the sobbing woman.</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot is a pappoose," he muttered angrily, "that he weeps when he
+knows not what for; he is a dog that whines before his master strikes
+him."</p>
+
+<p>A brief but resolute struggle gave him the mastery over his emotions,
+though for a few seconds he dared not look towards his hostess. When he
+timidly ventured to do so, she was rubbing her eyes with the corner of
+her apron. The tempest of grief had passed, and she was regaining
+mastery of herself, thereby rendering great help to the valiant warrior.</p>
+
+<p>"I know that it may be possible that Jack and Otto have gone on a longer
+hunt than before, but they did not expect to be away more than three or
+four days, and Jack would not willingly bring sorrow to his mother."</p>
+
+<p>"My brother may have gone so far that he has lost his way, and is slow
+in finding it again."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you think so, Deerfoot?"</p>
+
+<p>The Indian fidgeted, but he could not avoid an answer.</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot does not know; he cannot think right; he is in sore trouble
+for his brothers."</p>
+
+<p>"No one can help them like you. O Deerfoot, won't you find my Jack and
+bring him home to me?"</p>
+
+<p>The youthful warrior rose to his feet, and looking her in the face,
+spoke the words, "<i>I will!</i>" Then he turned and strode out of the door.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI.</h2>
+
+<h3>A PERPLEXING QUESTION.</h3>
+
+
+<p>Deerfoot, the Shawanoe, had entered upon the most difficult task of his
+life. He had undertaken to follow up and befriend the youths who had
+disappeared more than a week previous, and who had left not the
+slightest clue as to where they had gone, nor what direction they had
+taken.</p>
+
+<p>In these days, when a friend sets out to trace a person who is seeking
+to hide himself, he is always able to pick up some knowledge that will
+give valuable help in his search. The habits of the individual, some
+intentions, or rather wishes, to which he may have given utterance a
+long time before, his little peculiarities of manner, which are sure to
+betray themselves, no matter how complete the disguise&mdash;these, and other
+points, are certain to afford the help the hunter through the cities and
+towns and country requires.</p>
+
+<p>But my reader will observe the vast difference between a case such as
+occurs every day, and that which confronted the young Indian. Two boys
+had gone into the woods more than a week before, on a long hunt, and
+were now missing; it was his task to find them. Could it be done?</p>
+
+<p>Had Deerfoot taken up the pursuit shortly after the departure of the
+boys, he could have sped over their trail like a bloodhound. There could
+have been no escaping him; but since they left home, rain had fallen,
+and even that marvel of canine sagacity could not have trailed them
+through the wilderness. It was idle, therefore, for Deerfoot to seek for
+that which did not exist; no trail was to be found; at least, none in
+that neighborhood. In all his calculations, he did not build the
+slightest hope on that foundation. Had he done so, he would have sought
+to take up the shadowy footprints from where the boys left the
+settlement; but the utmost he did was to learn the general direction
+taken by them, when they entered upon one of the wildest expeditions
+that can be imagined.</p>
+
+<p>Hundreds and thousands of square miles of mountain and forest were
+spread out before him. The vast territory of Louisiana, as it was then
+called, stretched away to the Gulf of Mexico, and spread toward the
+setting sun until stopped by the walls of the Rocky Mountains. The youth
+could spend his life in wandering over that prodigious area, without
+coming upon or gaining the slightest traces of a thousand people whom he
+might wish to find. The conclusion was inevitable that he must pursue
+some intelligent course, or he never could succeed.</p>
+
+<p>It should be said that Deerfoot had not the slightest doubt of a grave
+misfortune having befallen his friends. Jack Carleton never would
+willingly remain from home for so long a period; he was too affectionate
+a son to grieve his mother by such a course. He and Otto Relstaub,
+therefore, were either prisoners in the hands of Indians, or they had
+been put to death.</p>
+
+<p>Just the faintest possible fear troubled the young Shawanoe. He recalled
+the incidents which had marked the journey of himself and the boys from
+Kentucky, only a short time before. The Shawanoes, the fiercest and most
+cunning of all the Indian tribes, had not only pursued them to the
+river's edge, but had followed them across the Mississippi, coming
+within a hair's breadth of destroying the two boys who were making such
+haste toward Martinsville. Had any of those Shawanoes pushed the pursuit
+still further? Had they lingered near the settlement, awaiting just such
+an opportunity as was given by Jack and Otto when they went off on their
+hunt?</p>
+
+<p>This was the phase of the question which for a long time tortured
+Deerfoot. He felt that it was improbable that danger existed in that
+shape. The Shawanoes had no special cause for enmity against the boys.
+If they should venture into Louisiana to revenge themselves upon any
+one, it would be upon Deerfoot. Nothing was more certain than that he
+had not been molested by any of his old enemies, for a good many days
+previously, nor had they been anywhere near him during that period.</p>
+
+<p>But the cunning Indian, like his shrewd white brother, may do the very
+thing least expected. Might they not capture and make off with the boys,
+for the very purpose of leading Deerfoot on a long pursuit, in which the
+advantage would be wholly against him?</p>
+
+<p>But the field of conjecture thus opened was limitless. Deerfoot might
+have spent hours in theorizing and speculating, and still have been as
+far from the truth as at the beginning; he might have formed schemes,
+perfect in every detail, only to find, on investigation, that they were
+wrong in every particular. The elaborate structures which the detective
+rears are often builded on sand, and tumble to fragments on the
+slightest touch.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot was convinced that the boys either were captives in the hands
+of Indians, or they were dead. Had they been slain by red men&mdash;and it
+was not conceivable that both could have met death in any other way&mdash;it
+was useless to hunt for their remains, since only fortunate chance could
+end a search that might last a century.</p>
+
+<p>But if the boys had been carried off, there was hope of gaining trace of
+them, though that might involve endless wanderings to and fro, through
+the mountains and wilderness. Such a hunt, prosecuted on a systematic
+plan for a certain time, without any results, would satisfy Deerfoot
+that the boys, like many older ones, had met their death in the lonely
+depths of the wilderness, where no human eye would ever look upon them
+again.</p>
+
+<p>My reader, who has been let into the secret of the boys' disappearance,
+will perceive that Deerfoot was hovering around the truth, though he was
+still barred by difficulties almost insurmountable.</p>
+
+<p>Suppose he should make up his mind that Jack and Otto were at that
+moment with the red men, in what manner&mdash;except by an almost
+interminable search&mdash;could he learn what tribe held them prisoners?</p>
+
+<p>In the autumn of 1778, Frances Slocum, a little girl five years old, was
+stolen from her home in Wyoming Valley, and carried away by Delaware
+Indians. For a period of fifty-nine years the search for her was
+prosecuted with more or less earnestness. Thousands of dollars were
+spent, scores of persons were engaged at the same time in the hunt,
+journeys were made among the Western tribes, friendly Indians themselves
+were enlisted in the work, and yet, although the searchers were often
+within a few miles of her, they never picked up the first clue. After
+the lapse of more than half a century, when all hope had been abandoned
+by the surviving friends, the whereabouts of the woman became known,
+through an occurrence that was as purely an accident as was anything
+that ever took place in this world.</p>
+
+<p>Admitting the unapproachable woodcraft and skill of the young Shawanoe,
+yet he could not do the impossible. Could he be spared a hundred years,
+possibly he might make the grand round of his people on the American
+continent, but in the meantime, what of his friends for whom he would be
+making this extended tour?</p>
+
+<p>If so it should be that the boys were in the power of the Shawanoes, or
+Miamis, or Delawares, they were far to the east of the Mississippi; if
+with the Wyandots, they were also east of the Father of Waters, and
+probably in the vicinity of Lake Erie; if with the Ojibwas, to the
+northward along Lake Huron; if with the Ottawas, they were the same
+distance north, but on the shores of Lake Michigan; if with the
+Pottawatomies, further south on the same lake; if in the villages of the
+Kickapoos, or Winnebagoes, or Menomonies, it was on the southern and
+western shores of the same body of water; if with the Ottigamies, or
+Sacs, or Foxes, or in the land of the Assinoboine, the hunt must be of
+the most prolonged character.</p>
+
+<p>Still further, the vast bulk of the western continent stretched westward
+toward the Pacific. When Deerfoot faced the setting sun, he knew he was
+looking over the rim of one of the grandest countries of the globe. He
+had fair ideas of the vast prairies, enormous streams, prodigious
+mountains and almost illimitable area, which awaited the development of
+the coming centuries.</p>
+
+<p>One other suggestive fact was known to Deerfoot: representatives of the
+Indian tribes among the foothills of the Rocky Mountains had exchanged
+shots with the white explorers on the banks of the Mississippi. It is an
+error to suppose that the American savage confines his wanderings to a
+limited space. The majority do so, but, as I have said, the race
+produces in its way its quota of venturesome explorers, who now and then
+are encountered many hundreds of miles from home.</p>
+
+<p>Within the preceding few weeks, Deerfoot had met two warriors among the
+Ozark mountains, who, he saw at a glance, came from a long distance and
+probably had never before been in that section. Neither they nor
+Deerfoot could speak a word the other could understand, but the sign
+language is universal among the North American Indians, and they were
+soon conversing like a party of trained mutes.</p>
+
+<p>To the amazement of the young Shawanoe, he learned they were on their
+way to the Mississippi. They either would not or could not make clear
+their errand, but Deerfoot suspected it was that of gaining a glimpse of
+the civilization which as yet had not appeared in the West. Though the
+strangers were somewhat shy and suspicious, they offered no harm to the
+young Shawanoe, who, of course, showed only friendship toward them. From
+them he gained not a little rude information of the marvelous region
+which has since become familiar to the world.</p>
+
+<p>The fear, therefore, of Deerfoot was that some wandering band from the
+extreme West had captured the boys, and were at that very hour pushing
+toward the Pacific with them. It would require a long, long time to
+learn the truth, which, in all probability, would prove a bitter
+disappointment.</p>
+
+<p>From what has been said in this fragmentary manner, the reader may gain
+an idea of the almost infinite difficulties by which Deerfoot was
+confronted. Like a trained detective, however, he saw that much valuable
+time had been lost and a start must be made without further delay; and,
+furthermore, that the first step must be based on something tangible, or
+it would come to naught. The element of chance plays a leading part in
+such problems, and it may be questioned whether luck is not often a more
+powerful helper than skill.</p>
+
+<p>After leaving the settlement, Deerfoot naturally climbed to the nearest
+elevation which gave a view of the surrounding country, and it was while
+he was looking over the scene that his thoughts took the turn indicated
+by the preceding part of this chapter.</p>
+
+<p>It may be said that that for which he was searching was a starting
+point. "Where shall I begin?" was the question which remained unanswered
+until the sun was half way to meridian.</p>
+
+<p>The principal view of the young warrior was to the south and west, for
+the conviction was strong that thither he must look for the shadowy clue
+which he prayed might lead him to success. Several miles southward a
+camp-fire was burning, as was shown by the bluish vapor that seemed to
+stand still against the clear sky; the same distance to the southeast
+was a slighter evidence of another camp-fire, while to the southwest was
+still another, the vapor so thin and faint that the experienced eye of
+the Shawanoe told him the party spending the previous night there had
+gone early in the morning, leaving the fire to burn itself slowly out.</p>
+
+<p>Evidently the thing for Deerfoot to do was to visit one or all of the
+camps in quest of the clue which the chances were a thousand to one he
+would never find. Which should he first seek?</p>
+
+<p>The bravest of men has a tinge of superstition in his nature, and with
+all of Deerfoot's daring and profoundly devout nature, he was as
+superstitious in some respects as a child. He could not decide by means
+of his Bible the precise course to follow, for one of his principles was
+that he alone must determine his precise course of action, the Great
+Spirit holding him accountable only for the manner in which he did, or
+sought to do, that which he clearly saw was his duty.</p>
+
+<p>The hunting knife was whipped from his girdle, and, holding the point
+between his thumb and finger, he flung it a rod above his head. It
+turned over and over in going up and descending, and, when it struck
+the ground, landed on the hilt. Deerfoot looked down on the implement
+and saw that the point was turned toward the camp-fire which was
+furthest west.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII"></a>CHAPTER XVII.</h2>
+
+<h3>TWO ACQUAINTANCES AND FRIENDS.</h3>
+
+
+<p>The question was settled. Nothing short of positive knowledge could have
+led Deerfoot to change his mind as to the right course to pursue.</p>
+
+<p>Stooping over, he picked up his hunting knife, thrust it in his girdle,
+and strode down the slope in the direction of the camp, which he knew
+was deserted early that morning. It was a long way to travel, but it was
+nothing to the lissome warrior, who would have broken into a run could
+he have felt any assurance of gaining any benefit by doing so.</p>
+
+<p>Climbing around the boulders and rocks, leaping over chasms, pushing
+through matted undergrowth, and turning aside only when forced to do so,
+Deerfoot pressed to the southwest until three-fourths of the distance
+was passed. Most of that time the shadowy vapor had been beyond sight,
+for he did not take the trouble to look for it when the intervening
+vegetation interfered. He could not make any mistake as to the right
+course, and it was therefore unnecessary for him to take his bearings;
+but now, when he knew he could not be far from his destination, he came
+to the surface, as it may be said of a diver in an emerald sea, and
+indulged in a deliberate survey of his surroundings.</p>
+
+<p>The first glance at the camp caused his eyes to sparkle, for it conveyed
+an interesting fact: instead of the smoke being so thin that it was
+scarcely visible, it was much denser and more plenteous. That simply
+showed that the camp was no longer a deserted one. Whoever had gone away
+in the morning had returned, and was at that moment on the ground. More
+than likely there were several of them, and, as the day was half gone,
+they were preparing their noontide meal.</p>
+
+<p>At any rate the Shawanoe was sure to find some one there, and he
+hastened his footsteps, though he could feel but slight hope that
+whatever he saw or learned would have a bearing on the business in which
+his whole soul was engaged.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot approached the camp with his usual caution, his supposition
+being that a company of Indians were resting there for a brief time. If
+they were Osages, or, indeed, any other tribe, except Hurons or
+Wyandots, he would not hesitate to go forward and greet them, for there
+ought to be no danger incurred in doing so. The same would be the case
+with the whites, though some care might be necessary to convince them no
+treachery was intended.</p>
+
+<p>The first glimpse showed the Indian that only a single white man was
+present. He was preparing dinner, the preliminary step being a stirring
+of the smoldering camp-fire, which gave forth the tell-tale smoke. He
+was a striking individual, though a stranger to Deerfoot.</p>
+
+<p>The fire itself was small, and was burning in an open space where the
+whole neighborhood served as a chimney. Several feet off was a
+half-decayed log, on which the man was sitting, his elbows on his knees,
+and a long stick held loosely in his hands. This he used as a poker, and
+it served his purpose well. A close approach to the fire was apt to be
+unpleasant on account of the heat, so he sat a short distance off, and
+managed things in a comfortable fashion. Now and then he poked the
+embers until the end of the vegetable poker broke into a blaze, when he
+withdrew it and whipped it on the ground till the flame was put out. His
+rifle leaned against an adjoining tree within easy distance, and the
+short clay pipe in his mouth, from which he sent out an occasional puff,
+added to his apparently peaceful frame of mind.</p>
+
+<p>The striking point about the hunter was his magnificent physical
+manhood. He was more than six feet high, with immense shoulders and
+chest, an enormous beard of a coal black color, which grew almost to his
+keen black eyes, and descended over his chest in a silken, wavy mass. He
+was attired in the ordinary hunting costume of the border, and looked as
+if he might be one of those men who had spent their lives in the
+Louisiana wilderness, hunting and trapping animals for their peltries,
+which were sold at some of the advanced posts of civilization.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot suspected the man was the owner of a horse which must be in the
+vicinity, for it was hardly likely that he would wander aimlessly around
+in the mountains and woods for the mere sake of doing so, but no animal
+could be seen, and without speculating long over the matter, the young
+Shawanoe walked forward to the camp.</p>
+
+<p>While doing so, the stranger was giving his full attention to the fire
+and his culinary duties. The wood had burned until there were enough
+coals, when he arose and raked them apart, so as to afford a surface of
+glowing embers. Then he turned back and took up a huge slice of meat,
+which had been skewered on the prongs of a long stick. Balancing this
+very cleverly, he held the meat down until it was almost against the
+crimson coals. He could have done the same with the blaze, but he
+preferred this method.</p>
+
+<p>Almost instantly the meat began to crisp and scorch and shrink, and to
+give off an odor which would have tortured a hungry man. The cook
+quickly exposed the other side to the heat, reversing several times,
+when the venison was cooked in as appetizing a form as could be wished.</p>
+
+<p>The man gave such close attention to his task that he never turned his
+head to observe the figure of an Indian warrior standing only a rod or
+two away. Having finished his work, he carefully spread the meat on some
+green oak leaves, arranged on the log. Its size was such that it
+suggested a door mat burned somewhat out of shape.</p>
+
+<p>"There," said the hunter, with a contented expression, seating himself
+as if to guard the prize against disturbance; "the boys can't growl over
+that&mdash;hello, where'd <i>you</i> come from?"</p>
+
+<p>He had caught sight of Deerfoot, advancing noiselessly toward him, and
+the man was startled (though he strove to conceal it) by the fact that
+the other was nearer to his rifle than was the owner.</p>
+
+<p>The Indian saluted him in his courteous fashion, and with a view of
+removing his fears, walked on until the relative position of him and the
+man were changed, and the latter was nearer his gun.</p>
+
+<p>Then he paused, retaining his standing position, and with a slight
+smile, said:</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot is glad that his brother is not ill."</p>
+
+<p>Undoubtedly that brother was relieved to find in case of dispute he
+could reach his gun before the dusky youth, but he could hardly believe
+the warrior voluntarily gave up the enormous advantage thus held for a
+moment or two. Throwing his shoulders back, he looked straight in the
+eyes of Deerfoot, and then rising to his feet, extended his hand. As if
+conscious of his superior height, he towered aloft and looked down on
+the graceful youth who met his gaze with a confiding expression that
+would have won the heart of any one.</p>
+
+<p>The abundant beard hid the mouth of the white man, but the movement of
+the cheeks, the gathering wrinkles under the eyes, and the gleam of his
+white teeth through the black meshes, showed he was smiling. Instead of
+saluting in the usual fashion, he brought his hand down with a flourish,
+and grasping the palm of the youth pressed it with a vigor which made
+him wince.</p>
+
+<p>"So you're Deerfoot, are you? I mean the young Shawanoe that used to
+hunt through Kentucky and Missouri."</p>
+
+<p>The Indian nodded his head to signify that he was the individual whom
+the other had in mind.</p>
+
+<p>"I'm Burt Hawkins&mdash;you remember me?" asked he, still pumping the arm of
+Deerfoot, who was compelled to admit he had never before heard the name,
+nor could he remember ever having looked upon his face.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, you have done so, whether you remember it or not: three years
+ago, which, I reckon, was about the time you began tramping through the
+woods for the benefit of the white man, I was on a scout with Kenton and
+some of the boys, over in Kentucky. We got caught in a blinding snow
+storm, and all came near going under with a rush. Things got so bad that
+Kenton said we would have to give up, for, tough as he was, he was
+weakening. The snow was driving so hard you couldn't see six feet in
+front of you. Cold! Well, the wind was of that kind that it went right
+through your bones as though it was a knife. Night was coming on, and we
+were in the middle of the woods, twenty miles from everywhere. The only
+thing we could do was to let out a yell once in a while, and fire off
+our guns. I don't think there was one among the five that had the first
+grain of hope. Kenton was leading and I was at his heels; all I could
+see was his tall figure, covered from head to foot with snow, as he
+plodded along with the grit he always showed.</p>
+
+<p>"The first thing I knowed some one j'ined us&mdash;a young, likely looking
+Injin, which his name was Deerfoot. He had heard our guns and dropped
+down from somewhere. You're grinning, old chap, so I guess there ain't
+much use of telling the rest, 'cause you know it. I'll never forget how
+you led us into that cave, where you had fixed up the logs and bark so
+that no snow flakes couldn't get in. There was a fire burning, and some
+buffalo meat cooking, and we couldn't have been better fixed if we had
+been lodged with Colonel Preston at Live Oaks or in St. Louis."</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot has not forgotten," said the smiling Indian, seating himself
+beside Hawkins on the log; "but my brother did not look then as he looks
+now."</p>
+
+<p>Again the head of the trapper was thrown back, his white teeth shone
+through his immense whiskers, the wrinkles gathered at the corner of his
+eyes, and his musical laugh rang out from the capillary depths. Burt was
+proud of his beard, as he well might be. Few people in those days wore
+such an ornament, and those who did so were sure to attract attention.</p>
+
+<p>"You talk like a level-headed gentleman, Deerfoot, for all this (here he
+stroked the glossy whiskers) has grown since then. I shouldn't wonder if
+it <i>did</i> change my looks somewhat. You're a blamed smart redskin,
+Deerfoot," added Burt, who seemed to be in high spirits; "but I don't
+believe you can beat it."</p>
+
+<p>It was the turn of Deerfoot to laugh, and he did so with much
+heartiness, though without any noise.</p>
+
+<p>"No; the hair of Deerfoot grows on his head; he would be sad if it
+covered his face."</p>
+
+<p>"So would I, for it would make a confounded queer looking creatur' of
+you. I would like to see an Injin got up in that style; just think of
+Tecumseh with a big mustache and whiskers! Beavers!"</p>
+
+<p>The conceit was equally enjoyed by Deerfoot, who fairly shook with
+mirth. He recalled the time when he confronted the mighty chieftain,
+with drawn knife and compressed lips, and the picture of that terrible
+being, with his face covered by whiskers, was a drop from the sublime to
+the ridiculous, which would have brought a laugh to any one.</p>
+
+<p>Burt Hawkins evidently held his visitor in esteem, for, reaching out his
+horny hand, he gently passed his fingers over the cheek nearest him, and
+then drew it across the chin.</p>
+
+<p>"No; there's no beard there. It's as smooth as the cheeks of my little
+five-year old Peggy at home. It always struck me as qu'ar that Injins
+don't have beards, but I s'pose it's because the old fellows, several
+thousand years ago, began plucking out the hairs that came on the face,
+and their children have kept it up so long that it has discouraged the
+industry in them regions. See?"</p>
+
+<p>To assist Deerfoot to catch the force of his illustration, Burt gave him
+several digs in the ribs. This familiarity would have been annoying
+under most circumstances, but it was manifest from the manner of the
+warrior that he rather enjoyed the effusiveness of the magnificent
+fellow.</p>
+
+<p>"Why is my brother in the woods alone?" he asked, when matters calmed
+down.</p>
+
+<p>"I can't say I'm exactly alone, Deerfoot, for Kit Kellogg and Tom
+Crumpet ain't fur off, and that meat thar is gettin' cold waiting for
+them to come and gobble it; if they ain't here in a few minutes you and
+me will insert our teeth. We've been trappin' all winter down to the
+south'rd and have got a good pile of peltries; we've got 'em gathered,
+and loaded, too, and are on our way to St. Louis with 'em; warm weather
+is comin', and the furs are beginnin' to get poor, so we shall hang our
+harps on the willers till cold weather begins agin."</p>
+
+<p>"My brothers are coming," said Deerfoot, quietly, referring to two other
+hunters who at that moment put in an appearance.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII"></a>CHAPTER XVIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE TRAPPERS.</h3>
+
+
+<p>The new arrivals resembled Burt Hawkins in their dress and
+accoutrements. They wore coon-skin caps, hunting dress, leggings, coarse
+shoes, etc., and each carried a long rifle and hunting knife as his
+weapons. They were rugged, powerful fellows, whose long experience in
+the wilderness had given them a knowledge of its ways and mysteries,
+beyond that of ordinary men. They were hardy and active, with the
+faculties of hearing, seeing and smelling cultivated to a point almost
+incredible. They contrasted with Hawkins in one respect; both wore their
+faces smooth. Although far removed from civilization, they kept
+themselves provided with the means of shaving their cheeks. Perhaps
+through indifference, their beards were sometimes allowed to grow for
+weeks, but they made sure they were in presentable shape when they rode
+into the trading post of St. Louis, with their peltries, and, receiving
+pay therefor, joined their families in that frontier town.</p>
+
+<p>The three men had been hunters and trappers for many years. Sometimes
+they pursued their work alone, and sometimes in the company of others.
+They trapped principally for beavers and otters, though they generally
+bagged a few foxes and other fur-bearing animals. A hundred years ago,
+there were numerous beaver runs in the central portions of our country,
+and for a long time many men were employed in gathering their valuable
+furs, hundred and thousands of which were brought from the mountain
+streams and solitudes of the West to St. Louis, whence they were sent
+eastward and distributed.</p>
+
+<p>The trapper's pursuit has always been a severe one, for, aside from the
+fierce storms, sudden changes, and violent weather, the men as a rule
+were exposed to the rifles of lurking Indians, who resented the
+intrusion of any one into their territory. And yet there was an
+attraction about the solitary life, far beyond the confines of
+civilization, which took men from their families and buried them in the
+wilderness, frequently for years at a time. It is not difficult to
+understand the fascination which kept Daniel Boone wandering for months
+through the woods and cane-brakes of Kentucky, without a single
+companion and with the Indians almost continually at his heels.</p>
+
+<p>When Burt Hawkins and his two friends left St. Louis, late in summer or
+early in the fall, each rode a mule or horse, besides having two pack
+animals to carry their supplies and peltries. They followed some faintly
+marked trail, made perhaps by the hoofs of their own animals, and did
+not reach their destination for several weeks. When they halted, it was
+among the tributaries of the Missouri, which have their rise in the
+Ozark range in the present State of Missouri.</p>
+
+<p>The traps and implements which from time to time were taken westward,
+were not, as a matter of course, brought back, for that would have
+encumbered their animals to no purpose. When warm weather approached and
+the fur bearers began shedding their hair, the traps were gathered and
+stowed away until needed again in the autumn. Then the skins that had
+been taken from time to time through the winter, were brought forth and
+strapped on the backs of the animals, and the journey homeward was
+begun. There was no trouble for the trappers to "float their sticks,"
+as the expression went; for the Northwest Fur Company and other wealthy
+corporations had their agents in St. Louis and at other points, where
+they were glad to buy at liberal prices all the peltries within reach.</p>
+
+<p>No trapper was likely to accumulate wealth by the method named, but it
+cost him little to live, and frequently during the summer he found some
+other employment that brought return for his labor.</p>
+
+<p>Hawkins, Kellogg and Crumpet were on their way home, having started a
+little later than their custom, and they had reached the point referred
+to on the preceding night, when they halted and went into camp. In the
+morning, when they began to reload their animals, it was found that a
+rifle belonging to Kit Kellogg was missing. It had been strapped on the
+package which one of the mules carried, but had worked loose and fallen
+unnoticed to the ground. It was too valuable to be abandoned, and Kit
+and Crumpet started back to hunt for it. They went on foot, leaving the
+animals cropping some succulent grass a short distance away.</p>
+
+<p>The quadrupeds underwent a hard time during the winter, when grass was
+scanty, so that such halts were appreciated by them. The spot where they
+were grazing was far enough removed to screen them from the sight of
+Deerfoot, when he was reconnoitering the camp. While two of the company
+were hunting for the weapon, the third remained behind, smoking his
+pipe, and, when the time came, prepared dinner against the return of the
+other ones. The meat was good, but not so delicate as the beaver tails
+on which they frequently feasted during the cold season.</p>
+
+<p>It has been said more than once that the Indians along the western bank
+of the Mississippi were less aggressive than those who so often
+crimsoned the soil of Kentucky and Ohio with the blood of the pioneers.
+Such was the truth, but those who were found on the very outermost
+fringe of civilization, from far up toward the headwaters of the
+Yellowstone down to the Gulf, were anything but harmless creatures. As
+the more warlike tribes in the East were pushed over into that region,
+they carried their vindictive natures with them, and the reader knows
+too well the history of the great West to require anything further to
+be said in that direction.</p>
+
+<p>When Hawkins went to the beaver-runs with his friends in the autumn
+preceding his meeting with Deerfoot, he had as his companions, besides
+the two named, a third&mdash;Albert Rushton, who, like the others, was a
+veteran trapper. One snowy day in mid-winter, when the weather was
+unusually severe, he started on his round of his division of the traps
+and never came back. His prolonged absence led to a search, and his dead
+body was found beside one of the demolished traps. The bullet hole
+through his forehead and the missing scalp that had been torn from his
+crown, told plainly the manner of his death.</p>
+
+<p>This was a shocking occurrence, but the fate of Rushton was that to
+which every one of his friends was liable, and they did not sit down and
+repine over what could not be helped. The saddest thought connected with
+the matter was that one of the three must break the news to the invalid
+wife, who lived with her two children in one of the frontier settlements
+through which they passed on the way to St. Louis.</p>
+
+<p>When Deerfoot told Hawkins the others were returning, the trapper
+turned his head and saw that Kellogg had found the missing rifle. The
+couple looked sharply at the warrior as they advanced, and evidently
+were surprised to see him in camp. Kellogg and Crumpet were men in
+middle life, strong limbed, sinewy and vigilant.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot rose from the log whereon he was sitting, and extended his hand
+to each in turn, as Hawkins pronounced his name. Kit Kellogg scrutinized
+him and shook his hand with considerable warmth. Crumpet did the same,
+though with less cordiality in his manner. It was plain (and plainer to
+none than Deerfoot) that he was one of that numerous class of
+frontiersmen who regard the American Indian as an unmitigated nuisance,
+which, so far as possible, every white man should do his utmost to
+abate. He had been engaged in more than one desperate encounter with
+them and his hatred was of the most ferocious nature. It was not to be
+expected, however, that his detestation would show itself without regard
+to time and place. Kellogg and Hawkins watched him with some curiosity,
+as he extended his horny hand and shook that of the handsome Indian
+youth.</p>
+
+<p>"You've heard of Deerfoot," added Burt, as he proceeded to divide the
+enormous piece of meat into quarters; "he is the youngster that helped
+Colonel Preston and his friends from the Wyandots at the time the
+block-house was burned."</p>
+
+<p>"How should we hear of it," asked Crumpet with a growl, "when we was on
+this side of the Mississippi?"</p>
+
+<p>"Wasn't I over in Kentucky about three years ago? I rather think I was,
+and would have been froze to death with Simon Kenton and a few of the
+other boys if it hadn't been for this copper-colored rascal&mdash;ain't that
+so, Deerfoot?"</p>
+
+<p>And that the young warrior might not err as to the one who was expected
+to impart light on the subject, Burt gave him a resounding whack on the
+shoulder that almost knocked him off the log. The youth was in the act
+of conveying some of the meat to his mouth when saluted in that fashion,
+and it came like the shock of an earthquake.</p>
+
+<p>"Why can't you talk with a fellow," asked Kellogg, "without breaking his
+neck?"</p>
+
+<p>"Whose neck is broke?"</p>
+
+<p>"Why that fellow's is pretty well jarred."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, as long as <i>he</i> don't object I don't see what it is to <i>you</i>,"
+was the good-natured response of Hawkins, who resumed chewing the juicy
+meat.</p>
+
+<p>"Some of these days, somebody will give you a whack in return when you
+ain't expecting it, and it will be a whack too that will cure you of
+that sort of business. I believe, Deerfoot, that you are a Shawanoe,
+ain't you?"</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot is a Shawanoe," was the answer, his jaws at work on the food
+just furnished him.</p>
+
+<p>"I've heard tell of you; you're the chap that always uses a bow and
+arrow instead of a gun?"</p>
+
+<p>The youth answered the query by a nod of the head. As he did so, Tom
+Crumpet, who sat further away, vigorously working his jaws, uttered a
+contemptuous grunt. Kit turned his head and looked inquiringly at him.</p>
+
+<p>"Maybe you think he can't use the bow and arrow. I s'pose, Deerfoot,
+that's the bow you fired the arrow through the window of the block-house
+that was nigh a hundred yards off, with a letter tied around it, and
+fired it agin out on the flatboat with another piece of paper twisted
+around it&mdash;isn't that so?"</p>
+
+<p>Despite his loose-jointed sentences, Deerfoot caught his meaning well
+enough to nod his head in the affirmative.</p>
+
+<p>"Did you see it done?" asked Crumpet, with a grin at Hawkins.</p>
+
+<p>"How could I see it when I wasn't there?"</p>
+
+<p>"I guess no one else was there," growled Tom; "I've noticed whenever
+that sort of business is going on it's always a good ways off, and the
+people as sees it are the kind that don't amount to much in the way of
+telling the truth."</p>
+
+<p>These were irritating words, made more so by the contemptuous manner in
+which they were spoken. Deerfoot clearly understood their meaning, but
+he showed no offence because of them. He was not vain of his wonderful
+skill in woodcraft, and, though he had a fiery temper, which sometimes
+flashed to the surface, he could not be disturbed by any slurs upon his
+attainments.</p>
+
+<p>Kit Kellogg was impatient with his companion, but he knew him so well
+that he did not discuss the matter. Had not the beard of Burt Hawkins
+hidden his countenance, the others would have perceived the flush which
+overspread it. He was angered, and said, hotly:</p>
+
+<p>"It might do for some folks to say that other folks didn't tell the
+truth, but I don't think <i>you're</i> the one to say it."</p>
+
+<p>Crumpet champed his meat in silence, using his hunting knife for fork
+and knife, and drinking water from the tin cup which he had filled a
+short distance away, and from which the others, excepting Deerfoot, also
+drank. Instead of answering the slur of Hawkins, he acted as though he
+did not fully catch his meaning, and did not care to learn. What he had
+said, however, rankled in the heart of Burt, who, holding his peace
+until all were through eating, addressed the surly fellow:</p>
+
+<p>"If you doubt the skill of Deerfoot, I'll make you a wager that he can
+outshoot you, you using your gun and he his bow and arrow, or you can
+both use a gun."</p>
+
+<p>"He might do all that," said Kellogg, with a twinkle of the eye, "and it
+wouldn't prove that Tom was any sort of a marksman."</p>
+
+<p>Crumpet was able to catch the meaning of that remark, and it goaded him
+almost to the striking point.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIX" id="CHAPTER_XIX"></a>CHAPTER XIX.</h2>
+
+<h3>DEERFOOT'S WOODCRAFT.</h3>
+
+
+<p>Neither Deerfoot nor the trapper wished to engage in the trial of skill
+suggested by Burt Hawkins. Crumpet feared that if such a test took place
+he would be worsted, in which event he would never hear the last of it
+from his friends. He might well shrink, therefore, from such a contest.</p>
+
+<p>The Shawanoe knew he could surpass the trapper if he exerted himself, as
+he most certainly would do. Crumpet's ill-nature would be embittered,
+and matters were likely to take an unpleasant shape. When Hawkins turned
+toward him, therefore, expecting him to bound to his feet and invite the
+challenge, he shook his head:</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot's arrows are few, and he saves them for game or his enemies."</p>
+
+<p>"And therein is wise," added Kellogg, shrewd enough to see the situation
+in all its bearings.</p>
+
+<p>Crumpet said nothing, but was greatly relieved, while Hawkins gave a
+sniff of disgust.</p>
+
+<p>"Some folks are very free with their tongues, but when you come down to
+business they ain't there; howsumever, let that go; we've got our extra
+rifle, and I s'pose we might as well keep up the tramp toward St. Louis.
+Deerfoot, can't you go with us?"</p>
+
+<p>He shook his head, and said:</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot is hunting for two friends who are lost; he must not sleep nor
+tarry on the way."</p>
+
+<p>"How is that?" asked Burt, while the others listened with interest. The
+young Shawanoe told, in his characteristic manner, the story which is
+already well known to the reader. While doing so he watched each
+countenance closely, hoping (though he could give no reason for such
+hope) to catch some sign of a shadowy knowledge of that for which he was
+seeking, but he was disappointed.</p>
+
+<p>"One thing is sartin," remarked Burt Hawkins, when the story was fully
+told, "them boys ain't dead."</p>
+
+<p>"I agree with you," said Kellogg, with an emphatic nod of the head, in
+which even the surly Crumpet joined. Deerfoot was surprised at this
+unanimity, and inquired of Hawkins his reason for his belief.</p>
+
+<p>"'Cause it's agin common sense; when two young men go out in the woods
+to hunt game, both of 'em ain't going to get killed: that isn't the
+fashion now-a-days. One of 'em might be hurt, but if that was so, and
+the other couldn't get away, the Injins would take him off and keep him.
+More than likely the varmints carried away both, and if you make a good
+hunt for three or four thousand miles around, you'll get track of 'em."</p>
+
+<p>"I think I know a better plan than that," said Kellogg, and, as the
+others looked inquiringly toward him, he said, "both of them chaps have
+been took by Injins who'll keep them awhile. One of these days the boys
+will find a chance to give 'em the slip, and they'll leave on some dark
+night and strike for home."</p>
+
+<p>"It isn't likely both 'll have a show to do that at the same time," said
+Crumpet, speaking with more courtesy than he had yet shown, and
+manifesting much interest in the matter.</p>
+
+<p>"No; one will have to leave a good while before the other, and then the
+one that is left will be watched that much sharper, but all he's got to
+do is to bide his time."</p>
+
+<p>"When one of my brothers comes through the woods to his home, the other
+will come with him," said Deerfoot, confident as he was that neither
+Jack Carleton nor Otto Relstaub would desert the other, when placed in
+any kind of danger.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot was confirmed in his theory of the disappearance of his young
+friends, for it agreed with what he had formed after leaving the
+settlement that morning. But, admitting it was the correct theory, the
+vast difficulty of locating the boys still confronted him. They might be
+journeying far southward in the land of the Creeks and Chickasaws, or to
+the homes of the Dacotah in the frozen north, or westward toward the
+Rocky Mountains.</p>
+
+<p>Kellogg and Crumpet now fell into an earnest discussion of the question,
+for, though agreeing in the main, they differed on minor points, in
+which each was persistent in his views. Deerfoot listened to every word,
+for, like a wise man, he was anxious to gain all the knowledge he could
+from others.</p>
+
+<p>But he noticed that for several minutes Burt Hawkins took no part in the
+conversation. He had sat down again on the log, thrown one leg over
+another, and was slowly stroking his handsome beard, while his gaze was
+fixed on the ground in front. He was evidently in deep thought.</p>
+
+<p>Such was the fact, and just as the lull came, he reached his conclusion.
+Deliberately rising to his full height, he walked over to where Deerfoot
+stood, and with another slap on his shoulder, said:</p>
+
+<p>"See here, young man!"</p>
+
+<p>The warrior faced him, earnest, attentive, and interested. Burt shifted
+the weight of his body, so that it rested on his right leg; he looked
+down in the eyes of Deerfoot, his brow wrinkled as in the case when a
+man is about to deliver himself of the most important and original
+thoughts of his life. Then he began wabbling the index finger of his
+right hand in the face of the warrior, as a man with the important and
+original thought is inclined to do. He commenced to wabble quite slowly,
+gradually increasing the amplitude of the vibrations, and passing his
+finger so close to the countenance of the Shawanoe that it seemed
+almost to graze the end of his nose. He spoke slowly, pointing his words
+with his swaying finger:</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot, I've got the question answered; listen to me: them boys have
+been tooken away by Injins; I know it; now where have the Injins gone?
+You ought to know as much about your race as me, but you don't; do what
+I tell you; go to the south till you come to some Injin village; make
+your inquiries there; if they haven't got the boys, they'll know whether
+the tribe that took 'em passed through their country, 'cause they
+couldn't very well do so without some of their warriors finding it out.
+If none of them don't know nothing about no such party, you can make up
+your mind you're barking up the wrong tree; then take an excursion west
+and do the same thing; then, if you don't learn anything, try toward the
+north; there ain't any use in going eastward, for common sense will
+teach you they haint been tooken that way; a chap with your good sense
+will pick up some clue that'll show you the way through."</p>
+
+<p>"My brother speaks the words of wisdom," said Deerfoot, who was much
+impressed by the utterances of the trapper: "Deerfoot will not forget
+what he has said; he will carry his words with him and they shall be his
+guide; Deerfoot says good-bye."</p>
+
+<p>And with a courteous salute to the three, the young warrior walked a few
+steps, broke into a light run, and was out of sight before his intention
+was fairly understood. The trappers looked in each others' faces,
+laughed, made some characteristic remarks, and then turned to their own
+business.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot the Shawanoe had determined to follow the advice given by Burt
+Hawkins the trapper. It certainly was singular that such an
+extraordinary woodman as the Indian should profit by the counsel of a
+white man, even though he was a veteran; but Deerfoot had studied the
+problem so long that his brain was confused, and, having fixed his own
+line of conduct, he only needed the endorsement of some sturdy character
+like the hunter. He had received that endorsement, and now he could not
+use too much haste.</p>
+
+<p>His intention was to journey rapidly southward, in the direction of the
+present State of Arkansas, until he should reach some of the Indian
+villages that were there a hundred years ago. He would push his
+inquiries among them, just as Burt Hawkins had suggested, pressing the
+search in other directions, until able to pick up some clue. After that,
+it would be an easy matter to determine the line of policy that would
+lead to success.</p>
+
+<p>Any one engaged in such a task as that on which the young Shawanoe had
+entered, needs to take all the observations he can, for the knowledge
+thus gained is sure to be of great help. The Indian scanned the country
+opening to the southward, and, as was his custom, turned his face toward
+the first elevation which would give him the view he was so desirous of
+obtaining.</p>
+
+<p>The elevation was similar to those with which the reader became familiar
+long ago, and the sun had not yet reached the horizon when the lithe
+warrior had climbed to the crest of the ridge, and was scanning the
+wilderness which opened to the south and west. He was in a region where
+he was warranted in looking for Indian villages, and his penetrating
+eyes traveled over the area with a minuteness of search hardly
+imaginable by the reader. The country was so broken by mountain, hill,
+and wood, that the survey was much less extended than would be supposed.
+He was disappointed in one respect, however: he could detect no Indian
+village in the whole range of vision.</p>
+
+<p>But, besides the dim smoke from the camp he had left a short time
+before, he observed another to the westward, and a third to the south;
+he concluded to make his way to the last, though he half suspected it
+was the camp of another party of trappers, from whom he could not gather
+the first morsel of information.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot pushed toward the valley, less than a mile distant, from which
+the tell-tale vapor ascended, and was quite close to the camp, when he
+became aware that an altogether unexpected state of affairs existed.
+Despite his usual caution, his approach was detected, and the Shawanoe
+found himself in no little peril.</p>
+
+<p>It is difficult, if not impossible, to make clear how it was Deerfoot
+discovered this singular state of affairs; but he was more than a
+hundred yards from the camp, which was screened by a dense undergrowth
+and rocks, when he stopped abruptly, warned to do so by that subtle
+instinct which is like a sixth sense.</p>
+
+<p>He did not leap behind a tree, nor fall on his face and creep to the
+rear of the large boulder on his right, but he stood erect, using the
+faculties of hearing and sight with a delicate power and unerring skill
+which were marvelous in the highest degree.</p>
+
+<p>The black eyes glanced around, as he slowly turned his head from side to
+side, and he saw everything in front, rear, at his right, left, and
+above, among the limbs and on the ground. He heard the silken rustling
+of several leaves in the top of a beach overhead, and he knew it was
+caused by one of those slight puffs of wind which make themselves known
+in that manner.</p>
+
+<p>The inhalation through his nostrils brought the faint odor of the elm,
+the oak, the hickory, the chestnut, the sycamore, and the resinous pine.
+He identified them, I say, as well as the peculiar and indescribable
+odor given off by the decaying leaves, the mossy rocks, and even the
+rotting twigs and branches; but among them all he detected nothing of a
+foreign nature.</p>
+
+<p>But it was his hearing upon which he mainly depended, though his eyes
+were forced to their highest skill. When the pinnated leaf of a hickory
+was shaken loose by the wind puff it had hardly floated from its stem
+before he caught sight of it, and followed it in its downward course
+until it fluttered slowly to the ground.</p>
+
+<p>It may be said that the danger which threatened Deerfoot was "in the
+air," if it be conceivable that there is anything in the expression. He
+was as certain of it as he was of his own existence, and yet he stood
+motionless, displaying an incredible confidence in his ability to
+discover the nature of the peril before it could take effective shape.</p>
+
+<p>Had he leaped lightly behind a tree, he might have placed himself on the
+side which would have left him exposed to the stealthy shot; had he
+dropped to the ground and crept to one side of the moss-covered boulder,
+the same fatal mistake was likely to be made. Therefore he stood as
+rigid as iron, until he could learn the direction from which he was
+threatened.</p>
+
+<p>A rustling no louder than that made by the oscillation of a falling leaf
+came from a point some distance ahead and on his right. So soft indeed
+was the sound that it cannot be explained how the human ear could be
+trained to the point of hearing it.</p>
+
+<p>But it was that for which Deerfoot the Shawanoe was waiting, and it gave
+him the knowledge he sought.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XX" id="CHAPTER_XX"></a>CHAPTER XX.</h2>
+
+<h3>SAUK AND SHAWANOE.</h3>
+
+
+<p>At the instant the almost inaudible rustling struck the ear of Deerfoot
+the Shawanoe, he caught sight of a rifle barrel as it was thrust among
+the undergrowth and aimed at him. It was the faintest possible sound,
+caused by the pushing aside of the leaves which he heard, and which he
+was expecting for a full minute to hear. The lightning-like glance cast
+toward the point showed him the dark barrel, and the ferocious gleam of
+the face of an Indian, crouching on one knee just beyond.</p>
+
+<p>The warrior who aimed the weapon meant to send the bullet through the
+chest of the youth, whose approach, stealthy as it was, he had detected.
+The distance was so slight that the briefest possible time was required
+to make his aim certain; but while in the very act of doing so, the
+sinewy youth vanished like a puff of vapor.</p>
+
+<p>The savage was dumfounded, for nothing of the kind had ever occurred, so
+far as his experience went, and it was unexplainable to him. He had used
+the proverbial caution of his people, and he knew from the expectant
+position of the youth that his suspicions were excited, but he could not
+comprehend by what means he had passed so suddenly from sight. The red
+man was in the very act of pressing the trigger when he discovered he
+was not aiming at any target.</p>
+
+<p>If the Indian tongue contained an execration, it may well be imagined
+that a most vigorous one escaped the lips of the baffled redskin, who
+was shut out from his prize at the moment of closing his fingers upon
+it.</p>
+
+<p>The warrior was a brawny, full-grown Indian, almost in middle life, who
+had sunk on one knee and brought his gun to his shoulder, after briefly
+studying the form which had approached his lurking place. He had never
+seen the stranger until that moment, and he only knew that he belonged
+to some totem unknown to him. It was probable that his home was on the
+eastern shore of the Mississippi, and he resented the intrusion upon his
+hunting grounds as he did that of a white man: consequently he was as
+quick to take the life of one as of the other.</p>
+
+<p>Finding that his intended victim had disappeared beyond all question,
+the next step of the fierce assassin was to solve the meaning of the
+unaccountable occurrence. He noiselessly straightened up, and craning
+his head forward peeped through the undergrowth. All that he saw was the
+huge boulder or rock, within a few feet of where the youth had been
+standing. It followed, therefore that he had flung himself behind it,
+and was hiding there at that moment.</p>
+
+<p>The painted visage glowed with a baleful light, for he was assured his
+triumph was postponed only for a few moments. The boulder might serve as
+a shelter while the relative positions of the two were the same, but it
+was in the power of the savage to change that by putting forth only
+moderate skill.</p>
+
+<p>Taking care not to reveal himself, he began a guarded movement to the
+right, his course being the same as if starting to describe a circle
+about the hiding place. It will be seen that if he could accomplish this
+without exposing himself to the fire of the other, he would not need to
+go far before gaining a view of the opposite side of the boulder, and
+necessarily of him who was seeking to screen himself from discovery. To
+do this, however, the victim must remain where he was, for manifestly,
+if he shifted his position correspondingly, he would continue invisible,
+but he counted himself fortunate that he had noticed the peculiar
+configuration of the boulder, which rendered such a man[oe]uvre beyond
+the power of an ordinary warrior. As for himself, he had no personal
+fear, for the trees were so numerous that he could use them to shield
+his body while leaping from one to the other, while in many places he
+could steal along the ground without the possibility of detection.</p>
+
+<p>If the fool had but known the woodcraft of the youth against whom he was
+so eager to pit himself, he would have turned and fled from the spot as
+from a plague; but he had never heard the name of Deerfoot, and little
+dreamed of the skill of the extraordinary youth.</p>
+
+<p>The warrior stooped, crept, leaped, and stole through the wood with a
+celerity that was astonishing. Within a very short time after beginning
+the movement, he had described one-fourth of the circle and gained the
+view he wished. It must be remembered, too, that he had kept the boulder
+under such close surveillance as to be morally certain the youth could
+not shift his position without being observed.</p>
+
+<p>But to his amazement he saw nothing of his victim. The flat slope and
+the leafy ground were free from anything resembling a human being. He
+stood peering from behind the tree, and at his wit's end to know what it
+meant. He held his rifle so that the hammer could be raised the moment
+the necessity came, and he must have felt that the wiser course was for
+him to leave the spot without further search.</p>
+
+<p>Probably such would have been his course had he not heard a most
+alarming sound directly behind him. It was the faint cough of a person
+seeking to clear his throat. The Indian turned like a flash, and saw the
+dusky youth a rod distant, holding his bow loosely in his right hand,
+while his terrible left was drawn back over his shoulder, the fingers
+clenching the handle of his tomahawk. His position was precisely that of
+one who was on the very point of launching the deadly missile which
+would have cloven the skull, as though made of card-board. He had taken
+the posture, and then uttered the slight cough with a view of "calling
+the attention" of the party of the first part to the fact, and he
+succeeded. The elder was in the position of the hunter who while seeking
+the tiger awoke to the fact that the tiger was seeking him.</p>
+
+<p>The warrior, whose face was daubed with red, black and yellow paint, was
+literally struck dumb. He had been engaged in many an encounter with
+strange Indians, but never had the affray been introduced in a more
+favorable manner to himself, and never had he been more utterly
+overwhelmed.</p>
+
+<p>He saw that the youth was merely holding his tomahawk; the very second
+it was needed, he could drive it into his chest or brain. He was too
+proud to ask for mercy, for he had no thought it would be granted. He
+could only face his master and await his doom.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot was not the one to prolong the wretchedness of another, no
+matter if his most deadly enemy. He stood with his left foot slightly
+advanced and his muscles gathered, so that he did not require the
+slightest preparation, and, having held the pose just long enough to
+make sure it had produced its full effect, he slowly lowered the
+tomahawk, keeping his eyes fixed on his enemy. When the weapon was at
+his side, he said:</p>
+
+<p>"The Sauk is a wolf; he steals behind the hunter that he may leap on his
+shoulders when he sleeps; but the hunter heard the sound of his claws on
+the leaves and turned upon him."</p>
+
+<p>These words were uttered in the mongrel tongue of the Sauk, for
+Deerfoot, after a careful inspection of the painted warrior, was quite
+sure he belonged to that restless and warlike tribe. He had encountered
+the people before, though at rare intervals, and he had hunted with a
+pioneer who was familiar with the tongue. The youth detected so many
+resemblances to other aboriginal languages with which he was familiar
+that he quickly mastered it and could speak it like a native.</p>
+
+<p>The warrior, as has been said, was a brawny savage, well on toward
+middle life. He was attired in the usual fashion among the Indians, his
+dress looking slouchy and untidy. His straggling black hair, instead of
+being ornamented with eagle feathers, was gathered in a knot, so as to
+form what is often called a scalp-lock, and to proclaim the fact that
+the wearer of the same challenged any one to take it if he could.
+Besides his long rifle, he carried his knife and tomahawk, after the
+manner of his people. He would have proved a dangerous foe in a
+hand-to-hand struggle, but he was deprived of whatever advantage he
+might have possessed by being taken at such overwhelming disadvantage.</p>
+
+<p>He caught every word uttered by Deerfoot, who had not mistaken his
+totem. He had no thought that the youth intended to show him mercy, but
+believed he was indulging in a little preliminary sermonizing&mdash;so to
+speak&mdash;before claiming his scalp for the ridge-pole of his wigwam.</p>
+
+<p>The words of Deerfoot served to awaken the Sauk from his paralysis, and,
+throwing his head back, he said:</p>
+
+<p>"The Sauk is no wolf; the Shawanoe is the fox that steals upon the
+hunting grounds of the Sauks."</p>
+
+<p>"The lands that stretch to the rising and setting sun belong not to the
+Shawanoe nor Sauk nor Huron, but the Great Spirit, who loves his
+children to chase the buffalo and hunt the deer and bear where they can
+be found; but why should the Sauk and the Shawanoe be enemies?"</p>
+
+<p>And to give point to the question, Deerfoot advanced and offered his
+hand. The Sauk concealed his surprise and gave the fingers a warm grasp,
+but while doing so each looked distrustfully in the face of the other.
+The frightful stains on the broad face of the elder did not alarm
+Deerfoot, who had seen much more frightful countenances among his own
+people. He gazed calmly into the eyes of the warrior, as the two stood
+close together with their hands clasped. The Indian is an adept in
+concealing whatever emotions may stir him, but Deerfoot saw the savage
+was puzzled over his action. He could not but know that the Shawanoes
+were the most warlike Indians in the Mississippi Valley, and one of the
+last weaknesses of which they could be accused was that of showing mercy
+to an enemy.</p>
+
+<p>One point was necessary for Deerfoot to establish. If the Sauk was
+alone, nothing was to be feared from him; but if he had brother warriors
+within call, the youth had need to be on his guard.</p>
+
+<p>"Why does the brother of Deerfoot hunt the woods alone?" asked the
+young Shawanoe, introducing himself in this characteristic fashion.</p>
+
+<p>"Because Hay-uta fears not to go everywhere alone; from the ridge-pole
+of his wigwam flutter the scalps of the Shawanoes, the Hurons, the
+Foxes, the Osages, and the strange red man whom he has met and slain in
+the forest."</p>
+
+<p>The old nature in Deerfoot prompted him to take this vaunting warrior to
+task. The answer of the Sauk was indefinite, but the youth could wait a
+few minutes for the information he sought.</p>
+
+<p>"Hay-uta, the Man-Who-Runs-Without-Falling, has not taken the scalp of
+Deerfoot, <i>and cannot do so</i>!"</p>
+
+<p>The flash of the eye which accompanied these words added to their force.
+Before they could receive reply the youth added:</p>
+
+<p>"Hay-uta is a brave man when he talks to squaws; less than twenty great
+suns have passed over the head of Deerfoot, but he is not afraid of the
+Man-Who-Runs-Without-Falling."</p>
+
+<p>Indian nature is quick to resent such taunts, and beyond a doubt the hot
+blood flushed the skin beneath the paint. Deerfoot noted the glitter of
+the eye, and a twitch of the muscles of the arm whose hand rested on the
+knife, as he made answer:</p>
+
+<p>"The Shawanoe is a dog that crept up behind the Sauk, without giving him
+warning; the rattlesnake speaks, but the Shawanoe does not."</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot was angered by these words because they were untrue.</p>
+
+<p>"The Shawanoe was walking through the wood, when the Great Spirit
+whispered, 'Take care; a snake is crawling through the grass; he is
+called Hay-uta; he will strike his fangs through the moccasin of
+Deerfoot, unless he crushes him with his heel; Hay-uta was not brave,
+because he hid behind a tree, and he pointed his gun through the bushes,
+meaning to shoot the Shawanoe before he could chant a word of his
+death-song.'"</p>
+
+<p>This charge was an exasperating one, and instantly raised the anger of
+the warrior to white heat.</p>
+
+<p>"The dog of a Shawanoe holds his tomahawk and bow; let him lay them
+aside as Hay-uta does his weapon, and then it shall be shown who is the
+brave warrior."</p>
+
+<p>It was a curious fact that while this wrathful conversation was going
+on, the couple had been steadily backing away from each other. The act
+showed that in spite of the token of comity that had just passed between
+them, they were mutually so suspicious as to be ready to fly at each
+other. The last taunt forced the quarrel to the exploding point.
+Deerfoot slipped the cord which held the quiver of arrows in place over
+his head, by a motion so quick as scarcely to be perceptible, flung his
+bow a rod from him, tossed his tomahawk a dozen feet away, and whipping
+out his hunting-knife, grasped it with his left hand, and defiantly
+confronted the Sauk, who was scarcely behind him in taking up the gauge
+of battle.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXI" id="CHAPTER_XXI"></a>CHAPTER XXI.</h2>
+
+<h3>CHRISTIAN AND PAGAN.</h3>
+
+
+<p>The North American Indian is treacherous by nature, and will take any
+advantage over a foe, no matter what its nature. The Sauk had failed to
+bring down Deerfoot by the same unscrupulous means he had employed in
+other instances, but he was on the watch to repeat his tactics.</p>
+
+<p>When uttering the taunt which brought about the personal collision, he
+flung his gun from him, and seized the handle of his tomahawk, as if
+with the purpose of throwing that also aside, the manner of his
+challenge implying that he meant the battle should be fought with the
+knives alone. Even the sagacious Deerfoot did not suspect him for the
+moment, when, on the point of grasping his knife, as he did when defying
+Tecumseh, the Sauk drew back his tomahawk and hurled it with incredible
+swiftness at the head of Deerfoot. There was a vicious spitefulness in
+the act which sent the missile as if fired from a gun.</p>
+
+<p>Nothing could have attested the Shawanoe's miraculous activity and
+quickness of eye so clearly as did the ease with which he dodged the
+weapon. The flirt of his head was like that of the loon which dives
+below the path of the bullet after it sees the flash of the gun. The
+tomahawk struck the ground, went end over end, flinging the dirt and
+leaves about, and after ricocheting a couple of times, whirled against
+the trunk of a small sapling and stopped.</p>
+
+<p>The act placed the two on the same footing. Each held only his
+hunting-knife. The treachery of the Sauk took place without a word being
+spoken either by himself or his foe. It was unnecessary, for there could
+be nothing to say.</p>
+
+<p>Having avoided the tomahawk, Deerfoot advanced upon Hay-uta with his
+knife grasped in his left hand, while the Sauk did precisely the same
+thing as regarded him.</p>
+
+<p>They were stripped for the fight, and were in deadly earnest. The Sauk
+had learned of the panther-like agility of the Shawanoe, and he knew no
+light task was before him. It would not be child's play to wrench the
+scalp-lock from the crown of the handsome warrior who was not afraid of
+any man, but Hay-uta was warranted in feeling a strong confidence in his
+own strength and prowess.</p>
+
+<p>The warriors approached each other with the watchfulness of a couple of
+gladiators, seeking each others' lives for the sake of giving amusement
+to a Roman populace. Both slightly crouched, with their heads bent
+forward, their eyes fixed, while they stepped softly about, seeking an
+opening into which the keenly-pointed hunting knife might be driven with
+a furious vigor, that would render a second blow useless.</p>
+
+<p>The situation was one where the slightest forgetfulness or mishap would
+prove fatal to him who made it. Both realized the fact, and did their
+utmost to guard against it.</p>
+
+<p>When a couple of yards separated the combatants, they approached no
+closer, but began slowly circling around each other in the same stealthy
+fashion. The action of the Sauk convinced Deerfoot that his enemy had no
+friends in that section, for, if any were within call, he would have
+summoned them before the quarrel had gone so far. He could have called
+any one to his help by signal, and neglect to do so was proof that there
+was none to summon. Had Hay-uta done anything of the kind, Deerfoot
+would have leaped upon him and ended the battle in a twinkling.</p>
+
+<p>Partly around, and then back again, the two seemed to oscillate, their
+motions corresponding so closely that it was as if both were moved by
+the same delicate machinery between them.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly Deerfoot feinted, like a skillful boxer, with the hand which
+grasped his knife. The vigilant Sauk was equally quick to parry and
+counter. He was as spry as a cat, and never once took his burning eyes
+from the face of the hated youth. Then he feinted in turn, and the
+Shawanoe, by his action, showed he was prepared for any demonstration,
+no matter what.</p>
+
+<p>These preliminaries continued several minutes, when Deerfoot, in moving
+to the left, caught the toe of his moccasin in some obstruction and
+stumbled. He threw up his arms, as one will instinctively do, and for a
+single second was off his guard, though he recovered with incredible
+quickness. Any spectator of the strange combat would have given a gasp
+of terror, for the instant the stumble took place, the Sauk bounded
+forward with upraised knife and brought it down with a sweep like that
+of a panther's paw.</p>
+
+<p>But what seemed an accident on the part of Deerfoot was done with
+deliberate intent. He wearied of the idle circling, and, confident of
+his own ability to outwit his antagonist, he dropped his guard for the
+very purpose of drawing out the other. Hay-uta was so certain of his own
+triumph that he made the mistake which the skillful fighter never makes;
+he drew upon his own strength and self-poise by emitting a shout of
+exultation; but the downward sweeping arm clove vacancy only, and ere he
+could recover he was struck in the chest by the head of Deerfoot, who
+butted him with the force of a Japanese wrestler, sending the warrior
+several feet over on his back. The shock was so unexpected, as well as
+tremendous, that the knife flew from his hand, and he nearly fainted
+from sheer weakness.</p>
+
+<p>Inasmuch as Deerfoot was able to butt him in that style, it will be
+admitted that it would have been equally easy for him to have buried his
+knife to the hilt in the body of his enemy, but he chose not to do so.
+Instead, he quietly picked up the weapon and held one in each hand,
+while the Sauk was entirely disarmed. The latter had been frightfully
+jarred. The blow in the stomach fairly lifted him off his feet and drove
+the wind from his lungs. He lay for a moment, with his lips compressed,
+his body griped with pain, and with no more ability to defend himself
+than an infant. He kept his black eyes fixed on the youthful conqueror
+while writhing, and the latter stood off several paces and calmly
+confronted him, as though viewing the natural phase of such a contest.</p>
+
+<p>But the Sauk was quick to recover, and his old enmity seemed to blaze up
+with ten-fold intensity.</p>
+
+<p>"The Shawanoe is a buffalo," said he, from behind his gleaming paint;
+"he fights like the buffalo when his foe is stronger and braver than
+he."</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot flung the knife of the warrior to him.</p>
+
+<p>"The Shawanoe will fight as a buffalo no more; he will now use his
+knife; let the Sauk do what he can."</p>
+
+<p>A brave warrior could take no exception to this declaration, accompanied
+as it was by such significant action; but it cannot be conceived that
+the Sauk was free from misgiving, when knowing, as he did, that he held
+the position of contestant only through the grace of his youthful
+antagonist, who a moment before could have pierced his heart with his
+hunting knife.</p>
+
+<p>Having displayed the character of a battering ram, Deerfoot now assumed
+another.</p>
+
+<p>"The Sauk is afraid of Deerfoot; he dare not attack him until he
+stumbles; Deerfoot's heart was oppressed with pity when he saw the fear
+of Hay-uta, and he stumbled that it might give Hay-uta the courage the
+Great Spirit did not give him."</p>
+
+<p>These were taunting words, but, convinced they were spoken with the
+purpose of disturbing his self-possession, the Sauk only compressed his
+lips the tighter, and held himself ready to seize the first chance that
+presented itself. His recent experience had taught him a lesson which he
+could not forget.</p>
+
+<p>Bending his knees until he assumed a crouching posture, the Sank
+centered his burning gaze on the face of Deerfoot, drew back his lips
+until his white teeth showed like those of a wild cat, and uttered a
+tremulous, sibilant sound, as if he were a serpent ready to burst with
+venom.</p>
+
+<p>If he meant to frighten Deerfoot he failed, for the mishap of the Sauk
+was too recent to allow such impression to be made. The figure of the
+crouching warrior was startling in its hideousness, but there was never
+a moment from the opening of the singular contest, when the young
+Shawanoe did not feel secure in his mastery of the situation.</p>
+
+<p>The feinting and retreating went on several minutes longer, when all at
+once Deerfoot caught an expression, which the paint on the face of his
+antagonist could not hide, that showed he had resolved on forcing the
+fight to a conclusion. A couple of quick feints followed, and then
+Hay-uta leaped forward, meaning to force Deerfoot to the earth. Had the
+Shawanoe remained quiet, such would have been the result, but he was too
+supple to be entangled in that manner. He withdrew, so that when his
+enemy landed on the spot, he found himself still confronted by the
+defiant youth, who had recoiled but the single step necessary to escape
+the blow. Hay-uta, without a second's pause, bounded toward him again,
+and brought down his right arm like a flash; but, as before, it cleft
+the empty air, and the youth confronted him with his shadowy smile and
+defiant expression.</p>
+
+<p>Then, as if feeling he had retreated far enough, the Shawanoe advanced
+on his muscular foe, who drew back as if to brace himself for the
+assault. Deerfoot uttered no sound, but when he bounded lightly from the
+ground, Hay-uta knew the crisis had come; the trifling had ended.</p>
+
+<p>The Shawanoe, when close enough to strike, made a dozen circular sweeps
+of his good left hand, as though he had rested it on the rim of a wheel
+that was spinning with bewildering swiftness. No eye could follow the
+knife in its circlings. There was one smooth gleam like the polished
+periphery of the "driver" of a locomotive.</p>
+
+<p>The foes, as is always the case, looked straight in each other's eyes,
+but every limb and portion of the body, being in the field of vision,
+was clearly seen. The peculiar act of Deerfoot produced the effect
+intended. The vision of Hay-uta became confused and dizzy, and before he
+could rally the Shawanoe struck his blow.</p>
+
+<p>He could have killed the other as easily as he would have slain a bear,
+but he chose not to do so. Instead, he brought his fist down on the
+upper part of his right wrist with a quick violence, which, for the
+second time, knocked the knife from the grasp of the more sinewy
+warrior. So deftly was the trick done that the weapon of the Sauk flew a
+dozen feet straight up in the air, turning rapidly end over end and
+falling between the two.</p>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter">
+<a name="ill04" id="ill04"></a>
+<img src="images/ill04.jpg" alt=""/>
+</div>
+
+<h3><span class="smcap">Deerfoot's Victory.</span></h3>
+
+<hr style="width: 45%;" />
+
+<p>If Hay-uta was subject to the will of Deerfoot a minute before, it will
+be seen that now he was helpless. He had been again disarmed, while the
+lithe youth still grasped his own weapon with the power to drive it home
+whenever he so willed.</p>
+
+<p>The last act of Deerfoot accomplished its purpose. Hay-uta at first was
+self-confident; again, he was hopeful; but the latter time he was
+disarmed, his confidence vanished. He saw that much as he had despised
+the youth whose life he sought, he was his inferior in every respect. He
+was no match for him in a fight, nor could he approach him in his
+peerless woodcraft. The question of supremacy was settled forever.</p>
+
+<p>Slowly recoiling a couple of steps, he folded his arms, and, with a
+dignity that was touching, said, in a slow, deliberate voice, with his
+softened gaze fixed on the countenance of his conqueror:</p>
+
+<p>"Hay-uta is a dog whose teeth have fallen out; he can fight no more; he
+is ashamed to go back to his people; the son of a pale face who is
+there, when he learns the truth, will point his finger at him and laugh;
+Hay-uta cannot go to his lodge; let Deerfoot bury his knife in his
+heart!"</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot seeks not the life of Hay-uta; had he wished it, he could have
+had it long ago; but Deerfoot is a Christian; he will do Hay-uta no
+harm."</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXII" id="CHAPTER_XXII"></a>CHAPTER XXII.</h2>
+
+<h3>AN ABORIGINAL SERMON.</h3>
+
+
+<p>If Hay-uta the Sauk had been astonished by the action of his youthful
+conqueror, he was now more astonished by his words; but the former in a
+measure prepared him for the latter, and he saw why it was the
+remarkable warrior had refused to take his life when the opportunity had
+been his, and when too he knew that he whom he was fighting would show
+him no mercy.</p>
+
+<p>Hay-uta, like many of his people, had listened to the words of the
+missionaries&mdash;those strange people who underwent hunger, thirst, and
+suffering that they might preach the Word of Life to those who had never
+heard of that wonderful Being that died to save a lost world, and who
+taught that forgiveness, kindness, and love were the duty of every one.
+Hay-uta, I say, had listened to the words of those people, but only to
+turn away with a scornful smile, for he was sure the creed was one to
+which the American Indian could never give his faith.</p>
+
+<p>The red man remembered that those priests and missionaries called
+themselves Christians, and lo! the most skillful warrior upon whom he
+had ever looked, now stood before him and declared that he too was a
+Christian. Not only that, but he proved it by his works, for he refused
+to tear the reeking scalp from the head of his enemy, when that enemy
+was vanquished!</p>
+
+<p>Once more Deerfoot picked the knife of Hay-uta from the ground and
+handed it (the point toward himself) to the Sauk. The latter accepted it
+and pushed it back in place behind the girdle that spanned his waist.
+Then at a signal from Deerfoot he recovered his rifle and tomahawk, as
+Deerfoot did his hatchet and bow and quiver. Without a word, the two
+walked the short distance to camp, Hay-uta slightly in the lead.</p>
+
+<p>The camp was of the simplest character, consisting of a pile of sticks,
+leaves, and branches which served as a couch, beside furnishing fuel for
+the fire when he cooked his food. A long, heavy blanket was partly
+folded and lying on the heap of branches, where it had served as a
+pillow for the warrior, who was different from most of his people in
+using that artificial help to slumber.</p>
+
+<p>The water, which is such a necessity for parties halting in the
+wilderness, was obtained from a tiny stream that trickled down the rocks
+just beyond, after which it sank out of sight in the mountain to
+reappear at some point far removed. The wood and undergrowth that
+surrounded the camp of the Sauk were very close and dense, so that the
+view in every direction was shut off, unless one should climb the
+tallest tree and take his survey from that perch.</p>
+
+<p>When Hay-uta halted in front of his camp-fire he turned about and
+extended his hand to Deerfoot.</p>
+
+<p>"Will Deerfoot tell Hay-uta about the Great Spirit of the white man?"</p>
+
+<p>"He is the Great Spirit of the red man as well as of the white," replied
+the Shawanoe, seating himself on the ground, where he was opposite the
+Sauk, who slowly resumed his seat on the pile of sticks and branches.
+"He loves all his children&mdash;him with the face of the night, the Miami,
+the Huron, the Shawanoe, the Delaware, the Sauk and Fox, the white man,
+and all those who live far beyond the great water which rolls against
+the shores of our land. He loves them all, and He hides his face with
+grief when he sees them quarrel and try to kill each other. If His
+children will do as He tells them to do, they will be happy in this
+world and in the hunting grounds where they shall live forever."</p>
+
+<p>Hay-uta remembered that this agreed with what he had heard the
+missionaries say, but he recalled also that there was something more.</p>
+
+<p>"Where does the Great Spirit that Deerfoot tells me about live?"</p>
+
+<p>The Shawanoe pointed reverently upward.</p>
+
+<p>"Far beyond the clouds, the sun, and the stars; He lives there, and
+there all shall go who do His will. A long time ago, before the white
+men came across the great water, He sent His Son from Heaven to earth;
+the Son went about doing good, and died, to save those He loved from
+sorrow and death."</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot tells me what the Great Spirit says to him; how does he hear
+the Great Spirit speak?"</p>
+
+<p>Without changing his half-reclining posture, the Shawanoe drew forth his
+small Bible from the inner pocket of his hunting shirt, the other
+watching with amazement the action. Opening the sacred volume, he read
+in his low, musical voice:</p>
+
+<p>"'Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.</p>
+
+<p>"'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.</p>
+
+<p>"'Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the children of
+God.</p>
+
+<p>"'Ye have heard that it has been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor, and
+hate thine enemy:</p>
+
+<p>"'But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
+good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use
+you, and persecute you.'"</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot read these extracts from the Sermon on the Mount, with which he
+was so familiar that he could have repeated it all without looking at
+the printed page. Then raising his eyes to the wondering face of
+Hay-uta, he added:</p>
+
+<p>"Let my brother listen, for these are the words of the Great Spirit,
+which he speaks to all his children; if they will obey, there shall be
+no unhappiness in the world:</p>
+
+<p>"'<i>Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to
+you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.</i>'"</p>
+
+<p>The Sauk warrior was never so stirred in all his life. He had seen white
+men read from books, and he held a misty idea of how it was done, but he
+never knew one of his own race who could interpret the meaning of the
+curious figures made by some incomprehensible means on paper.</p>
+
+<p>It was impossible that he should grasp the height and depth of that
+sublime utterance, which is of itself the very essence of the Christian
+religion; but they were as clear as sunlight to Deerfoot, who had
+pondered them many a time since he sat at the feet of good Mrs. Preston,
+who presented him with the Word of Life.</p>
+
+<p>Closing the Book and putting it away, he proceeded to preach his sermon
+to the Sauk warrior. Deerfoot assumed the sitting position, and used
+both hands in his frequent gestures. Hay-uta reclined on his side,
+supporting himself on one elbow, while he fixed his eyes on his teacher
+and drank in every word.</p>
+
+<p>"The Great Spirit made all people&mdash;the white, the red, the black man,
+and him whose face is the color of the breast of Deerfoot's hunting
+shirtfor there are men whose skins are yellow, and others who are
+brown. He wishes them to live like brothers, but they do not. More of
+the pale faces are evil than good; they use the red men ill, and the red
+man loves to fight his enemies, but they grieve the Great Spirit. Let
+Hay-uta pray to the Great Spirit; let him never lie down or rise without
+talking to Him; let him stay his hand when it would strike a blow in
+anger; let him forgive his foes; let him seek to do the will of the
+Great Spirit, and a sweet peace shall fill his heart, such as he never
+knew before. Let my brother do that; let him tell the good news to his
+friends; let him listen to the words of the missionaries and talk to his
+people.</p>
+
+<p>"The father of Deerfoot was a chief of the Shawanoes, who loved to
+fight; Deerfoot when a child was a wildcat in his hate of his enemies
+and of the pale faces; but the Great Spirit whispered in his ear, and he
+became another being. It was the Great Spirit who told him just now that
+danger threatened him. Hay-uta knows that Deerfoot could have slain him
+had he wished to do so; but he never wished him ill; he first showed him
+he was his master, that Hay-uta might listen to his words; will my
+brother forget what Deerfoot has said to him?"</p>
+
+<p>Every being, whether groping in the night of barbarism or walled in by
+the skepticism of an advanced civilization, has felt at one time or
+another, an irrestrainable longing to draw aside the veil which shuts
+out the great hereafter, and solve the mystery of the life that is to
+come. Many a time is the heart stirred to its uttermost depths by the
+chastening hand of affliction, or when gazing on the glories of the
+stars and firmament, or when listening to the meanings of the vast deep,
+the soft sighing of the winds in the forest, or the lisping prayer of
+infancy. No proof of the immortality of the soul can equal that of its
+very yearning for immortality, and dim, strange, half-heard whisperings
+of the Beyond become voices more convincing than all the scientific
+scoffing and brilliant ridicule of those whose learning carries them
+beyond the trusting faith of childhood, and stops just short of the
+grandeur of the light of perfect knowledge.</p>
+
+<p>When Deerfoot addressed his question to the Sauk warrior, the latter did
+not answer, but continued gazing into his face as though he heard not
+the words, and his thoughts were far away. The Shawanoe was wise enough
+to suspect the truth, and refrained from repeating the question. He,
+too, held his peace, and for several minutes the strange scene lasted.
+The two Indians looked at each other without speaking.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the afternoon was drawing to a close, and darkness was
+creeping through the forest. The camp-fire had burned so low that it
+gave out no light, and the figures of the warriors began to grow
+indistinct.</p>
+
+<p>Deerfoot felt that he had sowed the seed, and he had only to wait for it
+to bear fruit. He arose, and stepping closer to the fire, stirred it
+until it gave forth a flame which lit up the surrounding gloom. Still
+Hay-uta remained motionless and silent.</p>
+
+<p>Perhaps it has not escaped the notice of the reader that when the Sauk
+stood with folded arms before his conqueror, and asked him to bury his
+knife in his heart, he said that the son of the pale face would point
+the finger of scorn at him. Deerfoot noticed the curious words, and he
+felt that the moment had come when he should learn their full meaning.</p>
+
+<p>"Where is the village of my brother?" he asked in his gentle way.</p>
+
+<p>The Sauk aroused himself and slowly rose to his feet. Glancing through
+the firelight at his questioner, he pointed to the west.</p>
+
+<p>"Two suns' journey away is the home of Hay-uta. There are his squaw and
+pappoose. He left them two suns ago to hunt for the scalps of his
+enemies; but he will hunt no more; he will go home, and on his way will
+think of the words that Deerfoot has said to him."</p>
+
+<p>"It is well he should do so; but my brother spoke of the son of the pale
+face. Why is he in the village of the Sauks?"</p>
+
+<p>"He was brought there in the last moon; the Sauks found two pale faces
+in the woods."</p>
+
+<p>"Where is the other?"</p>
+
+<p>"Some of the Sauks took him by another path; Hay-uta knows not where he
+is."</p>
+
+<p>"Was harm done him?"</p>
+
+<p>"Hay-uta cannot answer."</p>
+
+<p>"Tell me of the pale face that is in the village of the Sauks with my
+brother."</p>
+
+<p>The warrior, assisted by the questions of Deerfoot, who kept down the
+deep interest he felt, told all he knew. When he had finished, as the
+reader may well suspect, Deerfoot was sure he had gained most important
+knowledge. He was satisfied beyond all doubt that the prisoner in the
+village of the Sauks was Jack Carleton, whom he had set out to find, and
+for whom he feared he would have to hunt for many moons before learning
+whether he was alive or dead.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly the Sauk rose to his feet and stood in the attitude of
+listening, as though he had caught some signal. Deerfoot knew he was
+mistaken, for had it been otherwise, he too would have noticed it.</p>
+
+<p>"Hay-uta bids his brother good bye," was the abrupt exclamation of the
+warrior, who caught up his blanket and, without another word, passed
+from sight in the wood, leaving the astonished Deerfoot alone.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIII" id="CHAPTER_XXIII"></a>CHAPTER XXIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>IN THE LODGE OF OGALLAH.</h3>
+
+
+<p>From what has been told concerning Deerfoot, the reader knows that the
+tribe which held Jack Carleton prisoner were Sauks, or Sacs, as the name
+is often spelled. They belonged to the great Algonquin division, and,
+when first known to Europeans, inhabited the country near Detroit River
+and Saginaw Bay, but were driven beyond Lake Michigan by the powerful
+Iroquois. They themselves were of a restless and warlike nature and were
+the bitter enemies of the Sioux and Iroquois. They were the allies of
+the famous war-chief Pontiac who besieged Detroit so long, and, during
+the Revolution fought on the side of the English. They were closely
+associated with the Foxes, and frequently moved from one section of the
+country to another, in which respect they resembled the majority of
+American Indians.</p>
+
+<p>The chief who has been referred to as Ogallah was one of the most
+fiery-tempered and quarrelsome members of the Sauk tribe. In one of the
+expeditions against the Sioux, he not only performed wonderful deeds of
+daring, but tomahawked several of his own warriors, because, in his
+judgment, they showed a timidity in attacking the common foe. One of the
+Sauks who fell by the hand of the wrathful sachem was the brother of the
+leading chief. This precipitated a fierce quarrel between the two, the
+upshot of which was that Ogallah, and a number of followers, drew off
+from the main tribe and began "keeping house" for themselves. Migrating
+southward with the purpose of placing a long stretch of country between
+them and the parent tribe, they finally erected their lodges on the
+banks of a stream on the Ozark region, in what is now Southern Missouri
+and upper Arkansas.</p>
+
+<p>I have already said the Indians gave the white men little trouble in
+that section during the pioneer days. In that respect, no comparison can
+be made with Kentucky and Ohio. As early as 1720, the lead deposits in
+Missouri attracted notice, and its oldest town, Saint Genevieve, was
+founded in 1755. St. Louis became the depot for the fur trade of the
+vast region beyond, and at the breaking out of the Revolution, was a
+town of considerable importance.</p>
+
+<p>The warrior Hay-uta with whom Deerfoot had his remarkable interview was
+a fair representative of the Sauk nation, and especially of that
+division which was under the following of Ogallah. Some of the warriors
+were constantly roaming through the wilderness in quest of scalps. While
+they were nothing loth to engage in a scrimmage with the hunters and
+trappers, yet they preferred those of their own race above all others.
+No Sioux or Iroquois could have approached within hundreds of miles
+without the certainty of an encounter with the warlike Sauks.</p>
+
+<p>The Sauk party which appeared so close to the settlement of Martinsville
+had been out for several weeks looking for "game" in the form of Sioux,
+who lived far to the northward. They had found some of it too, and were
+returning home in a leisurely manner. They took a careful survey of the
+settlement, and even discussed the wisdom of making an attack on it; but
+they saw it could not be destroyed by so small a force, and though they
+might have shot several of the settlers before they could know their
+danger, they decided to pass on without making any demonstration at
+all.</p>
+
+<p>When Jack Carleton and Otto Relstaub walked up to the party, it was no
+more than natural that they should be made prisoners. No particular
+reason can be assigned for the separation of the party, one division of
+which took Jack and the other Otto, except that a survey of the land
+passed over could be better made by that means. However, this point will
+be dwelt upon more fully in another place.</p>
+
+<p>Probably no person ever played the part of captive among a tribe of
+savages without devoting most of his thoughts to the question of escape.
+It is inevitable that he should do so, for the fate is so painful in
+every respect that, but for the hope, one would be ready to lie down and
+die.</p>
+
+<p>Jack had turned the question over and over in his mind, and had done his
+utmost to give his captors the slip while on the road, but misfortune
+attended every venture, and at last he found himself in the lodge of the
+chieftain Ogallah himself, where it looked as if he was likely to remain
+indefinitely.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, this beats everything," he exclaimed, after finishing the meal
+and seating himself at the side of the lodge, so as to be out of the way
+of the housewife, as she moved back and forth and here and there while
+attending to her duties; "I've come a long distance through the woods,
+and it'll take some time to find my way back to Martinsville, after I
+once make a start."</p>
+
+<p>He could not persuade himself that his captivity might last for months
+and possibly for years. He was confident that no matter how vigilant the
+watch maintained, he would gain a chance to give the Indians the slip
+within two or three days at the furthest.</p>
+
+<p>"I did my best to make Ogallah and the others think I wasn't anxious to
+leave, but the work was all thrown away. These people are not fools, and
+no matter how well I may act, they know of a surety that the whole
+prayer of my life is to part company with them."</p>
+
+<p>The conclusion reached by Jack was common sense, though the
+story-writers sometimes make it appear that the keen minded American
+Indian may be duped in that transparent fashion. The utmost that Jack
+Carleton could hope to do was to show his captors that, while he longed
+to return to his friends, he saw no means of doing so, and therefore
+was not likely to make the attempt. Such he resolved would be his
+course.</p>
+
+<p>The boy was fatigued in mind and body, and, when he bowed his head in
+prayer (much to the astonishment of Ogallah and his squaw), and lay down
+on the bison robe, he sank into a refreshing slumber, from which he did
+not awake until morning, and then, when he did so, he came to his senses
+with a yell that almost raised the roof.</p>
+
+<p>The Sauks, like all their race, were extremely fond of dogs, and the
+mongrel curs seemed to be everywhere. Jack had noticed them trotting
+through the village, playing with the children and basking in the sun. A
+number sniffed at his heels, as he passed by with Ogallah, but did not
+offer to disturb him.</p>
+
+<p>The chief was the owner of a mangy cur, which seemed to have been off on
+some private business of his own, when his master returned, inasmuch as
+he did not put in an appearance until early the following morning, when
+he trotted sideways up to the lodge and entered, as he could readily do,
+inasmuch as the "latch string was always out." The canine was quick to
+notice the stranger lying on the bison skin with his eyes closed and his
+mouth open. With an angry growl he trotted in the same sidelong fashion
+across the space, and pushing his nose under Jack's legs gave him a
+smart bite, just below the knee, as though he meant to devour him, and
+concluded that was the best part of his anatomy on which to make a
+beginning.</p>
+
+<p>The foregoing will explain why Jack Carleton awoke with a yell and
+stared around him for an explanation of the insult. The vigor of his
+kicks, and the resonant nature of his cries, filled the dog with a
+panic, and he skurried out of the lodge with his tail between his legs,
+and cast affrighted glances behind him.</p>
+
+<p>"Confound the cur," muttered Jack, rubbing the injured limb, "is that
+the style of these dogs when a stranger calls?"</p>
+
+<p>Ogallah was entering the door of his home just as the canine was going
+out. Suspecting what mischief he had been committing, he placed his
+moccasin under the brute and elevated him several feet in the air, with
+a force which caused him to turn end over end, with an accompaniment of
+yelps and howls which were kept up until he was out of sight and
+hearing.</p>
+
+<p>The wife of Ogallah was preparing breakfast, which was of the simplest
+character, consisting of nothing but meat cooked over the coals as on
+the evening before. There was nothing in the nature of vegetables,
+though something of the kind was growing on the cleared land without.</p>
+
+<p>Jack longed for the pure, fresh air of the outside. The smoke of the
+chieftain's pipe, the smell of burning meat, and the untidiness of the
+place and people, left a stale odor, which was nauseating to one
+unaccustomed to it.</p>
+
+<p>He wanted a drink of cold water as it bubbled from the earth, and,
+rising to his feet, passed outdoors. The squaw merely glanced up, while
+Ogallah addressed several rapidly spoken words to him. Then recollecting
+that nothing he said could be understood, he smiled grimly, and turned
+his back on the lad.</p>
+
+<p>Reaching the outside, Jack stood still for a minute, uncertain what
+course to take. The warriors, squaws, and children were astir; but no
+one seemed to observe him when he paused in front of the chieftain's
+lodge.</p>
+
+<p>"I'll try the river," was his conclusion, as he stepped briskly off, his
+heart beating rapidly, for he knew from his experience of the previous
+night, that much curiosity respecting him was felt, and he was certain
+to attract annoying attention. But he reached the stream, where he
+stooped and bathed his face and hands, wiping them on the handkerchief
+he carried, and still heard and saw nothing to cause misgiving.</p>
+
+<p>"I wonder whether they drink from this," he said, rising to his feet,
+and looking around; "I can't say that I fancy it, for it isn't as clear
+as it looked to be when I was further off; then the youngsters bathe and
+play in it&mdash;helloa!"</p>
+
+<p>He saw an Indian woman making her way toward one of the wigwams on the
+edge of the village, carrying a large gourd of water in her arms. It was
+filled almost to the brim, and slopped over the edge, as it was
+disturbed by her movement in walking. It was fair to conclude that she
+had taken it from the spring for which Jack was looking, and he
+immediately moved toward her. She stopped abruptly when she saw him
+approach, and stared in such open-mouthed amazement that it was evident
+that this was the first glance she had obtained of the captive.</p>
+
+<p>Jack made signs of comity, and sheered off so as to reach the path
+considerably to the rear of the squaw, who, with a grunt, made an
+equally wide circuit in the opposite direction, so that the two avoided
+each other by a liberal space of ground.</p>
+
+<p>The boy saw that he was moving over a well-worn path, which he was
+confident led to the spring he wished to find. Nearly every step was
+marked by the drippings of water from the gourd of the woman he had just
+met.</p>
+
+<p>Sure enough, he had gone less than a hundred yards beyond the village
+when he came upon the spring, which bubbled from under the twisted black
+roots of an oak, throwing up the sand in a continual fountain-like
+tumble of melted silver. The lad looked down at it for a moment, and
+then sinking to his hands and knees, pressed his lips against the cold,
+crystal-fluid, the most refreshing element in all nature.</p>
+
+<p>Had not his nose and eyes been so close to the water, Jack Carleton
+would have caught the reflection of another face just behind his own&mdash;a
+face which would have driven all thirst away and caused him to bound to
+his feet, as though he had heard the whirr of a coiled rattlesnake at
+his elbow.</p>
+
+<p>But Jack saw and suspected nothing. He had taken three good swallows
+when some one gave the back of his head such a smart push, that the nose
+was shoved down among the silver sands, which streamed from his face, as
+he sprang to his feet, and stared gasping, blinking, and furious.</p>
+
+<p>"Who the deuce did that?" he demanded, forgetting himself in his anger.</p>
+
+<p>His own eyes answered the question. Three Indian boys were standing,
+laughing as if ready to hurt themselves over his discomfiture. Two of
+them were very nearly the height and age of Jack, while the third, who
+had played the trick on him, was older and taller.</p>
+
+<p>The captive was angry enough to assail all three, and it required a
+smart exercise of the will to restrain himself. But he saw the folly of
+such a step. The affray would quickly bring others to the spot, and very
+speedily Jack would find himself attacked by overwhelming numbers, and
+possibly would be beaten to death. No; he must use ordinary prudence
+and swallow the insult.</p>
+
+<p>He looked in the grinning faces of the homely youths, and made quite a
+successful effort to join their laughter (though precious little mirth
+was there in the essay), and then started back toward the lodge of
+Ogallah.</p>
+
+<p>The youth tried to walk with a dignified step, but he was sadly thrown
+out by a dexterous trip from one of the moccasins, which sent him
+stumbling forward with a very narrow escape from falling on his hands
+and knees.</p>
+
+<p>It was the tallest of the three who had tripped him, and all laughed
+like a lot of clowns, as the angered Jack glared at them.</p>
+
+<p>"I wish I had you alone," muttered the boy between his set teeth; "I
+wouldn't need more than five minutes to give you a lesson you'd remember
+all your life."</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIV" id="CHAPTER_XXIV"></a>CHAPTER XXIV.</h2>
+
+<h3>A ROW.</h3>
+
+
+<p>Jack Carleton saw that he was caught in an exceedingly unpleasant
+dilemma. He had a considerable distance to walk to reach the lodge of
+Ogallah and was sure to be tormented all the way. He could not feel
+certain even, that the wigwam of the chieftain would afford him
+protection, while nothing could be more manifest than that this was but
+the beginning of a series of numberless persecutions to which he would
+be subjected.</p>
+
+<p>He was allowed to take six or eight steps in peace, when one of the
+Indian boys slipped up behind and with his foot struck his heel, just as
+it left the ground. This threw the toe behind Jack's other leg and
+caused him to stumble again, though, as he was expecting something of
+the kind, he recovered himself with more ease.</p>
+
+<p>A few seconds later, Jack was passing among the different lodges, and
+walking rapidly toward that of the chieftain. His presence became known
+to the whole village in a very brief time, and the younger portion came
+flocking around him, as though he was some wonderful curiosity, which,
+under the circumstances, was the fact.</p>
+
+<p>Ogallah was among those who came to the front of the lodges to learn
+what caused the uproar. When he caught sight of Jack, he called out
+something and made excited gestures to him. The boy supposed they were
+intended to hurry his return, and finding his persecutors closing around
+him, he broke into a run.</p>
+
+<p>Then the stones and clods began to fly. The whole rabble joined in, and
+when the poor captive dodged into the wigwam, he was bruised and half
+frightened to death. He watched the entrance in terror, but his
+tormentors did not dare follow him into the home of their chief, who
+would have been quick to resent such an invasion of his dignity and
+rights.</p>
+
+<p>Jack was panting and frightened, but he had received no serious hurts.
+What alarmed him, more than everything else, was the foreshadowing thus
+made of the treatment in store for him.</p>
+
+<p>"I can't stand this," was his thought, after he had partly regained his
+composure. "I shall have to stay in here altogether or run the gauntlet
+every time I go out."</p>
+
+<p>But all this time, Ogallah kept talking and making vigorous gestures to
+him. The chief had followed him to the middle of the lodge, where the
+two sat on the ground cross-legged and began eating the meat which the
+squaw had prepared. She did not join them, and the boy had little
+appetite after his exciting experience. The gestures of Ogallah
+continued so long that it was evident he was seeking to say something of
+importance to Jack.</p>
+
+<p>"I wonder what the old fellow means," muttered the lad, ceasing his meal
+and studying the gyrating arms and spluttering countenance. The
+chieftain was striking the air as if fighting an imaginary foe, and
+then, pointing toward Jack he nodded his head vigorously and again
+pointed to the outside.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly the meaning of the pantomime broke upon the youth.</p>
+
+<p>"By gracious! if he isn't urging me to sail into those fellows. I say,
+Ogallah, will you back me up and see that I have fair play?"</p>
+
+<p>Jack raised his voice to a loud key, as though that would help the
+chieftain understand his words; but it could not be expected that he
+would grasp their meaning, as they were not punctuated with any gesture
+and accompanied only by an eager expression of countenance.</p>
+
+<p>But Ogallah probably saw that the youth had caught <i>his</i> meaning, for he
+nodded his head and grinned with delight.</p>
+
+<p>"If he will only keep the crowd off me," said Jack to himself, "I won't
+ask anything better than a chance to get even with that big fellow and
+after him the other two, if they want to take a hand in the fun."</p>
+
+<p>The voices and turmoil in front of the lodge showed that the crowd were
+there waiting for Jack to come forth, that they might continue the
+amusement which was interrupted by his flight. The lad spent a minute or
+two in conversing by means of gestures with the chief, whose meaning
+seemed plainer now that he had caught the gist of his first proposal.</p>
+
+<p>"I am quite sure he promises to see that I have fair play," thought
+Jack; "but, if I am mistaken I shall get into a pretty scrape. Anything,
+however, is preferable to this state of affairs, and it must be ended
+one way or another very soon."</p>
+
+<p>Ogallah showed a childish delight when he saw that the youth had made up
+his mind to have a bout with the ringleaders who had started out to make
+life a burden to him. Even the squaw partook of the general excitement
+and followed the two out doors.</p>
+
+<p>The chieftain cleared the way for the captive, who was greeted with the
+most uproarious cries as soon as seen by the company, which numbered
+over a hundred bucks, squaws and children, exclusive of the dogs which
+added to the unearthly racket by their barking, yelping and howling.</p>
+
+<p>Jack Carleton kept well under the wing of Ogallah until he could see
+what was to take place. The chief talked for a short time with several
+of his warriors, who closed around him, the rest holding him in such awe
+that they refrained from disturbing the prisoner until permission was
+given.</p>
+
+<p>It was quickly settled: Ogallah and two of his men cleared a space a rod
+square and then beckoned to Jack, who walked defiantly to the middle of
+it and folded his arms.</p>
+
+<p>"Something must be done pretty soon," was his thought, as he scanned the
+scowling, laughing, shouting mob. "They would like to tear me to pieces,
+and, if they come all at once, they will do it too."</p>
+
+<p>The three Indian youths who had assailed Jack at the spring, leaped
+about and were as frantically eager as so many bull-dogs to fly at the
+poor fellow, who was never in sorer need of a powerful friend.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly one of them received the signal, and, with a whoop of delight,
+he lowered his head and ran at Jack like a Japanese wrestler or a mad
+bull. The boy saw he meant to butt him in the stomach, and if he did so
+he would suffer serious injury. Forewarned was forearmed in his case,
+and, leaping aside, he tripped the Indian as he shot by, and sent him
+sprawling on his hands and knees. The uproar was deafening, but the
+contest, it may be said, had only opened, and the young Sauk bounded to
+his feet as if made of India Rubber. His coppery face was aglow with
+passion, and, pausing but an instant, he made a second rush, though this
+time he kept his head up, and spread out his arms so as to prevent Jack
+escaping him.</p>
+
+<p>Jack did not want to escape. He seized his assailant at the same moment
+that the latter grasped him, and in a twinkling they were interlocked
+and struggling like tigers. But the dusky youth was not only younger and
+slighter than Jack, but he was not so strong. Furthermore, his skill in
+wrestling was less than that of the white youth, who, like all the
+youths of the border, was trained in the rough, athletic exercise so
+popular with every people.</p>
+
+<p>The contest was as brief as it was fierce. Suddenly a pair of moccasins
+kicked the air, and the presumptuous young Sauk went to the earth as if
+flung from the top of a church steeple. The shock was tremendous and
+caused a momentary hush, for it looked as if he had been killed.</p>
+
+<p>The mother of the overthrown wrestler ran forward from the crowd, and
+with wild lamentations, bent over him. When she saw him move and found
+he was not dead, she whirled about, and, with a shriek, made for Jack
+Carleton, who dreaded just such an attack; but Ogallah seized her arm
+ere she reached the frightened youth, and flung her back with a
+violence and a threat which stopped her from repeating the attack.</p>
+
+<p>This incident gave Jack great encouragement, for it confirmed his belief
+that the sachem meant he should have fair treatment, and would allow no
+dishonest advantage to be taken of him.</p>
+
+<p>The second dusky youth, who was slighter than Jack, was signalled to
+advance to the attack, but to the surprise of all, he shook his head in
+dissent and declined to come forward. The manner in which his companion
+had been handled was enough to convince him that the most prudent thing
+for him to do was to play the part of spectator only.</p>
+
+<p>Not so, however, with the larger and older youth, who had arrived almost
+at man's estate. He was quite an athlete among his people, and could
+scarcely restrain his eagerness to attack the pale face, who had
+vanquished an opponent younger and weaker than himself. Ogallah nodded
+his head, and, amid a noise which may be called applause, the young
+warrior strode forward and laid his hands on Jack, who, realizing the
+difficult task before him, was resolute, watchful, and yet confident.</p>
+
+<p>The young Sauk seemed to be left handed, like Deerfoot, the Shawanoe,
+for he placed himself on the right of Jack, and slid his arm over the
+boy's neck, while Jack assumed his favorite hold with his right. The
+Indian was slightly the taller, and was naked to the waist, which was
+encircled by a girdle, containing no weapons, below which were his
+breech clout, leggings and moccasins. There was nothing on his arms, his
+costume being that of a professional Indian wrestler "stripped for the
+fray."</p>
+
+<p>When he slid his arm over Jack's neck, he bent his head forward so that
+he could look down at their feet. Jack thus found the black hair, parted
+in the middle and dangling over the coppery shoulders, directly under
+his eyes. He noted the large, misshapen nose, the narrow forehead,
+immensely broad temples, and uncouth lower jaw, and, during the few
+seconds they were waiting, reflected what an ugly warrior the youth was
+certain to prove if he lived a few years longer.</p>
+
+<p>He was the ringleader among Jack's persecutors, and the lad determined
+to conquer him if within the range of the most desperate effort. The
+style in which he took hold of the pale face told the latter that he
+possessed considerable skill, and it would be a mistake to estimate him
+too lightly.</p>
+
+<p>Jack reached over his left hand to grasp the right of his antagonist,
+but the latter declined to take it, and the free hands, therefore, were
+held, as may be said, in reserve to be used as inclination prompted.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly the Sauk kicked one of Jack's heels forward and made a quick
+strong effort to fling him backward. It was done with great deftness,
+and came within a hair of laying Jack flat on his back. He recovered
+himself by a fierce effort, and the attempt was instantly repeated, but
+he saved himself in better shape than before.</p>
+
+<p>Again the two crouched side by side, each with an arm over the other,
+and watching like cats for the chance to seize an advantage. As a
+feeler, Jack tried the same trick his foe had used, but the Sauk was too
+watchful and was scarcely disturbed. All at once the pale face slid his
+arm down until it rested on the girdle at the waist of the Indian. Then
+joining his two hands and pressing him until he could hardly breathe,
+Jack raised him like a flash, clear of his feet, and made as if to
+throw him forward on his face. At the instant the Sauk put forth his
+frantic efforts to save himself from going in that direction, Jack
+reversed the enginery, and sent him backward on his head with a shock
+that made the ground tremble.</p>
+
+<p>The fall was terrific, and looking down at the motionless figure, Jack
+believed he had broken his neck.</p>
+
+<p>"I hope I have," he muttered in the flush of his excitement, "but that
+kind are tough&mdash;helloa!"</p>
+
+<p>The prostrate youth began to gasp and make spasmodic movements of his
+limbs&mdash;enough to prove he was alive.</p>
+
+<p>While Jack stood surveying him, as if waiting another attack, the mob
+broke into the most frightful yells and made a rush for him. He had
+overthrown those that had been matched against him, and now they meant
+to kill him; but Jack's faith in Ogallah was not misplaced. He and his
+brother warriors interfered in such a vigorous manner that not a hair of
+the boy's head was harmed, and, turning around, he walked into the lodge
+of the chieftain, conscious that he had won a great victory.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXV" id="CHAPTER_XXV"></a>CHAPTER XXV.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE WAR FEAST.</h3>
+
+
+<p>Jack Carleton's triumph over the Indian youth was complete. In a fair
+wrestling bout he had flung him to the ground with a force that drove
+the breath from his body, and gave him a more vivid idea of the white
+man's views of that athletic amusement than he had ever entertained
+before. But what was to be the outcome of this affair was more than the
+boy could guess. Physical prowess always commands respect whether the
+spectators be civilized or savage; but it does not insure against
+persecution.</p>
+
+<p>"I have made them more revengeful than before," was the thought of the
+youth, after he hurried back into Ogallah's lodge, and sat panting from
+his exertion: "they hate me because I am of another race and am in their
+hands. They are afraid of the chief and, therefore, they will be more
+careful and I must be the same."</p>
+
+<p>There could be no mistake as to the sentiments of the sachem and his
+squaw. They were delighted with the ability shown by the pale-faced
+youth who had evidently overthrown the young champion of the village.
+Ogallah grinned and chattered with his wife who grinned and chattered in
+turn. Then the former patted Jack on the back and talked very fast. The
+boy could not doubt that he was uttering the most high flown compliments
+and he did a great deal of smiling and bowing in response. The squaw was
+more demonstrative, for, after bustling about the half-expired fire for
+awhile, she brought forward a piece of meat which she had taken extra
+pains in cooking and placed it at his disposal. Jack was not suffering
+from hunger, but he very gladly ate the food and nodded in
+acknowledgment.</p>
+
+<p>The crowd around the entrance became so noisy that the chieftain
+suddenly lost patience, and, springing to his feet, he dashed the bison
+skin door aside and speedily scattered them.</p>
+
+<p>As Jack sat on the lodge floor, rapidly recovering from his severe
+exertion, he became conscious of a peculiar feeling which manifested
+itself at intervals. When he moved, he was slightly dizzy and his heart
+gave several throbs that were more rapid and spasmodic than usual. He
+remained quiet, wondering what it could mean, but feeling much inclined
+to lay it to the exciting scene through which he had just passed. When
+he began to feel alarmed it passed off.</p>
+
+<p>But if Jack counted on finding all the hours dull and monotonous, from
+being compelled to stay within the tepee or wigwam of the Sauk
+chieftain, he was greatly mistaken. Shortly after eating his
+supplementary breakfast, Ogallah went out, leaving the youth alone with
+the squaw. This caused Jack some misgiving, for he feared his enemies
+might take advantage of the warrior's absence to punish him for his
+victory over the Indian youth. For some minutes he was in much
+trepidation, and the feeling was not lessened when he caught sight of
+several coppery faces peeping through the door. However, they ventured
+on no greater liberties and after a time went away.</p>
+
+<p>All at once a great uproar rose through the village. Shouting, whooping,
+screeching and all sorts of unimaginable noises rent the air. The sound
+of hurrying feet was heard, and it was evident that something of an
+extraordinary character was going on. Jack looked inquiringly at the
+squaw, but, though she must have known the explanation, she failed for
+obvious reasons to make it clear to the captive.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly Ogallah came into the lodge. He uttered a few hurried words to
+his wife and then beckoned Jack to follow him. The latter had shoved his
+knife back in place, but did not venture to take his rifle which stood
+at the other side of the lodge.</p>
+
+<p>"I wonder what's up now," was the natural thought of the lad, as he
+hastened after him; "have they erected a stake in the middle of the
+village where I am to be roasted for the amusement of the rest, or am I
+to be put to a test which I won't be able to stand?"</p>
+
+<p>But fortunately the boy was mistaken in both his theories. The hubbub
+had no reference to him whatever.</p>
+
+<p>Beginning the night before, a party of bucks and squaws had been
+employed until long after daylight in cooking the carcass of a bear,
+that was plump, oily and in the best condition. It was not very large,
+but where there was so little waste, it can be seen there must have been
+considerable in the way of food.</p>
+
+<p>The animal was now fairly roasted and the time for feasting had come.
+Jack understood that much when he ventured outside the lodge and saw the
+numbers gathering around the "festive board." Naturally he clung close
+to his protector, but one of the singular features attending his
+captivity among this offshoot of the Sauk tribe of Indians, was the
+readiness with which they transferred their attention from one object to
+another. No one showed any curiosity in him when he appeared on the
+street&mdash;so to speak&mdash;but all pushed their way toward the one point of
+interest.</p>
+
+<p>The shouting and uproar ceased when fourteen warriors marched forth in
+Indian file, and, arranging themselves around the brown crisp mass of
+meat, made ready to fall to work, the others watching them. They were
+all fine looking fellows, their faces painted and their preparations
+complete for hostilities, with the exception that their rifles were left
+aside, merely for convenience sake, until the end of the festivities.</p>
+
+<p>Jack Carleton knew he was looking upon a war feast, as they are termed
+by the Indians, and which were more common among those people at that
+time than they are to-day. The bear had been carefully cooked expressly
+for them, and looked grotesquely tempting, as the crisped, browned, and
+oily carcass dripped over the pile of branches and green leaves to which
+the cooks had carried it.</p>
+
+<p>The American Indian is ridiculously superstitious, and he has as much
+terror of an odd number at a war feast, as we have of being one of
+thirteen at an ordinary dinner party. Under no circumstances would the
+Sauks have permitted such a defiance of fate itself.</p>
+
+<p>When the fourteen warriors had ranged themselves around the table, they
+stood for a minute or two, while the others held their breath in
+expectancy. The tallest Indian, who was the leader of the little
+company, suddenly whipped out his hunting knife and looked at the
+others, who imitated him with military promptness. Then he muttered some
+command, and immediately the whole number sprang upon the waiting
+carcass, which was carved up in a twinkling. Each cut himself an
+enormous slice, and, stepping back, began eating with the voracity of a
+wolf, while the others looked admiringly on. The spectators had held
+their peace so long that they broke forth again, not so loud as before,
+but grunting, chattering, and gesticulating like so many children, while
+Jack Carleton, taking good care to keep close to Ogallah his protector,
+furtively watched the scene.</p>
+
+<p>The capacity of the red man for fasting and feasting is almost
+incredible. He will go for days without a mouthful, and then, when an
+abundance of food is presented, will gorge himself to an extent that
+would be sure death to an ordinary human being, after which he will
+smoke, blink, and doze for several days more, just as the famous boa
+constrictors of Africa are accustomed to do.</p>
+
+<p>Such, however, is his habit only when driven by necessity. The Sauks
+lived too far south of the frozen regions to suffer such hardships, but
+one of the requirements of the war-feast was that each one of the party
+should eat all that he had cut from the carcass. To fail to do so was a
+sign of weakness sure to subject him to ridicule.</p>
+
+<p>So resolutely did the warriors address themselves to the task, as it may
+be called, that they succeeded with the exception of a single one. Two
+or three, however, found it all they could do, and another mouthful of
+the coarse, oily meat, would have raised a rebellion within their
+internal economy, which would have caused general wreck and desolation.</p>
+
+<p>The youthful warrior who failed was the one who was the most eager at
+the first for the feast. He toiled like a hero, and all went well until
+he reached the last half pound. The others, grinning queerly through
+their grease and paint, watched him as did the group on the outside of
+the circle, while he, fully alive to the fact that he was the center of
+attention, went to work as if resolved to do or die.</p>
+
+<p>It took several vigorous swallows to keep down the installment which had
+descended, while he held the last piece in his hand and surveyed it with
+doubtful eye. It finally rested uneasily on the stomach, and he looked
+more hopefully than ever at the remaining portion, suspended on the
+point of his hunting knife.</p>
+
+<p>Evidently he was not afraid of that, if what had preceded it would only
+keep quiet. Finally he made a desperate resolve and quickly crammed his
+mouth with the oleaginous stuff, upon which he began chewing with savage
+voracity. Possibly, if he could have got it masticated enough to force
+down his throat with only a few seconds' delay, all would have been
+well, but suddenly there was an upward heave of the chest, a sort of
+general earthquake; the eyes closed, and the mouth opened with a gape so
+prodigious that it seemed to extend from ear to ear, and threatened to
+bisect his head. That which followed may be left to the imagination of
+the reader.</p>
+
+<p>General laughter and taunts greeted the failure, in which Ogallah
+heartily joined; but the warrior took it in good part, and doubtless
+felt better than did any of the others participating in the scene of
+gluttony, inasmuch as his stomach was in its normal condition.</p>
+
+<p>The war feast finished, the fourteen resumed the form of a circle, stood
+motionless a few minutes, and, all at once, began dancing in the most
+furious manner. The spectators joined, Ogallah as before being among the
+most vigorous in the lead, and in a brief while the strange scene was
+presented of warriors, squaws, and children bounding about, swinging
+their arms and splitting their throats in the wildest excitement.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't suppose it will do for me to be the only idle one," said Jack
+Carleton with a laugh and a quick thrill, "so here goes!"</p>
+
+<p>And with a "loud whoop" he leaped high in air, and began shouting in as
+discordant tones as those around him. In truth, there was no more
+enthusiastic member of the company than young Carleton, who jumped,
+yelled, and conducted himself so much like an irrestrainable lunatic
+that a spectator would have supposed he was setting the cue for the
+others.</p>
+
+<p>Ogallah and several of the warriors glanced at the pale face with some
+curiosity, and probably a few comments were made upon the performance of
+the youth. Their precise tenor, as a matter of course, can only be
+conjectured, but Jack was confident they were of a complimentary
+character, for the heartiness which he showed must have pleased them.</p>
+
+<p>While going about in this hilarious fashion, there were many collisions
+and overturnings. Once Jack bumped so violently against some one that
+both turned their heads and glared at each other. The offender was the
+Indian youth whom Jack had beaten so handsomely in the wrestling bout.
+For an instant the dusky lad held his hand on the knife in his girdle,
+and was on the point of rushing at Jack; but the latter meaningly
+grasped the handle of his weapon, and returned his glare with equal
+fierceness.</p>
+
+<p>It was enough, and the revelry continued. Had the Sauks been in
+possession of firewater, the excitement would have intensified, until
+weapons would have been drawn and a general fight precipitated,
+accompanied with loss of more than one life. Such is the outcome of most
+of the similar feasts held among the red men all through the west: but
+there was not a drop of intoxicating stuff within reach of the village,
+and thus the murderous wind-up of the festival was averted.</p>
+
+<p>The dance lasted until many dropped from exhaustion. Jack Carleton was
+compelled to cease from sheer weakness, and staggering to one side, sat
+down on what he supposed was a log, but which proved to be a very live
+Indian who was also in quest of rest. Being extended on his face, he
+threw up his back, much after the manner of a mustang when "bucking,"
+and Jack was sent sprawling.</p>
+
+<p>"It don't make any difference," muttered the boy with a laugh, "for I'm
+so tired that I can rest in one place as well as another, and I'll wait
+here till the show is over."</p>
+
+<p>And wait he did for the conclusion, which came very speedily.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVI" id="CHAPTER_XXVI"></a>CHAPTER XXVI.</h2>
+
+<h3>AN ALARMING DISCOVERY.</h3>
+
+
+<p>When the war party grew weary of the furious dance, they stopped, formed
+themselves in Indian file, and with the leader at the head, marched to
+the tepee, where they had left their rifles. They reappeared a moment
+later, each bearing his weapon in hand, and quickly reformed as before.
+Then all uttered several loud whoops, to which the enthusiastic
+supporters responded with equal vim, and they marched in the same file
+and with the same steady step toward the forest on the other side the
+clearing. Right soon they vanished from view among the trees. They had
+gone in quest of scalps, but in the hunt more than one proud spirited
+brave was to lose his own natural head-gear, and of those who went
+forth, the majority never came back again.</p>
+
+<p>Now that the main cause of the hullabaloo was removed, the Sauks gained
+more time to view their immediate surroundings. When Jack tottered to
+one side to obtain the needed rest, he separated himself from Ogallah,
+who showed no signs of wearying of the terrific exercise.</p>
+
+<p>"I guess it will be as well for me to hunt him up," was the decision of
+the youth, "for he may need my care."</p>
+
+<p>But when the boy rose to his feet and looked around he saw nothing of
+the sachem, though all the rest of the village appeared to be in the
+immediate neighborhood. None of them had offered to molest Jack, but he
+felt great misgiving. Fortunately the lodge of the chieftain was not
+distant.</p>
+
+<p>While the dance was going on, an experience befell young Carleton which
+has not been told, but which should be given. In the bright glare of the
+morning sun, the countenance of every one was distinctly visible, and
+Jack was impressed by the fact that one heavy, squat redskin was viewing
+him with peculiar interest. He passed in front of the boy several times,
+and on each occasion cast a piercing glance at him.</p>
+
+<p>This of itself might not have been so noticeable but for the impression
+which deepened on Jack that he and the warrior had met at some other
+time and in some other place.</p>
+
+<p>He was impatient with himself because he could not recall the
+circumstances. Had it been on the other side of the Mississippi, it
+would have been no wonder, for, from his earliest boyhood he had been
+accustomed to seeing red men, and it would be impossible to remember
+them all; but he was convinced he had met the Indian since he and Otto
+had immigrated to Louisiana.</p>
+
+<p>Possibly Jack might have answered the question had he been given time to
+think over it without disturbance; but he had scarcely begun to look
+around for Ogallah, when he was alarmed by the demonstrations of the
+crowd around him. They began pushing forward, and the squaws and
+children showed an unpleasant disposition to lay hands on him.</p>
+
+<p>There was no use of standing on dignity. In a few minutes he would be
+hemmed in so he could not move, and the lodge of the chieftain was not
+far away. Shoving a little screeching girl from his path, Jack bounded
+away like a deer, straight for the shelter. The act was so sudden that
+it threw him in advance of the rest, but there were plenty of runners as
+fleet as he, and despite the start he gained, several were at his heels,
+and one of them came very near tripping him. Jack pressed on, and,
+within a rod of the entrance to the kingly wigwam, the Indian who made
+the attempt to trip him appeared at his side, and then threw himself
+directly in front.</p>
+
+<p>One glance showed the fugitive that it was the youth whom he had
+overthrown in the wrestling bout.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, it's you, is it?" exclaimed Jack; "you haven't had enough yet!"</p>
+
+<p>And, quick as a flash, he drove his fist straight into the grinning
+visage with all the force he could concentrate in his good right arm.
+The amazed youth described a back somerset, his moccasins up in the air,
+and his ugly nose flattened to the shape of a crimson turnip. Then
+leaping over the prostrate figure, Jack made several bounds, and dove
+into the lodge just in time to avoid colliding with Ogallah, who had
+approached the door from the inside to learn the cause of the new
+tumult.</p>
+
+<p>The chief went far enough to obtain a good view of the audacious youth
+who was in the act of climbing to his feet, and groping for his nose and
+principal features in a blind way, as though doubtful whether any of
+them were left. The clamoring rioters were scattered once more, Ogallah
+adding a few words, probably meant as a warning against their
+persecuting his ward, for it may as well be stated that from that time
+forward the demonstrations against Jack were of a much less serious
+nature.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose I've got to fight every time I go out of the lodge," said
+young Carleton, with a dogged shake of the head; "they mean to kill me
+whenever they gain the chance, and more than likely I'll have to go, but
+I'll make it cost them more than they count on. When I can't use my
+fists I'll use my knife."</p>
+
+<p>The mistress of the establishment, seating herself at the other end of
+the lodge, lit her pipe with as much indifference as though nothing
+unusual had taken place. Her mongrel pup came trotting along the space
+in his sidelong fashion and lay down with his nose against her slouchy
+moccasins, thereby proving his bravery, so far as any offense against
+his olfactories was concerned. Ogallah having made his speech and
+scattered the rabble, turned about and came slowly after the dog,
+seating himself near the middle of the lodge, where he also lit his
+long-stemmed pipe.</p>
+
+<p>Just then some one pushed the bison skin aside, and stepped within the
+residence. Despite his sluggish manner, Ogallah flirted his head like a
+flash, probably suspecting that one of Jack's tormentors had dared to
+follow him within his shelter. But the individual was a full-grown
+warrior, who would not have descended to such business, and the grunt of
+the sachem was meant as a cordial welcome to him who grunted in return.</p>
+
+<p>Jack Carleton also glanced at him, and was astonished not a little to
+observe that he was the same warrior who had scrutinized him so closely
+while the war feast was going on, and whom, the youth was well
+convinced, he had met elsewhere.</p>
+
+<p>There could be no mistake as to the interest which the visitor felt in
+the captive, for his black, penetrating eyes were not removed from him
+during the several minutes which followed his entry into the lodge. Not
+only that, but halting in front of the lad, he began talking and
+gesticulating with useless vigor, inasmuch as Jack could not gain an
+inkling of what was meant. Indeed, had the youth attempted afterward to
+describe the gestures, he would have referred to them all as pointless,
+excepting the series which consisted of a violent sweep of both arms to
+the westward, after pointing his finger at the wondering Jack Carleton.
+Altogether at a loss as to their significance, it was fortunate (as will
+appear hereafter), that the lad was able to recall and describe the
+motions to another, who had a hundred fold more woodcraft and mental
+acumen than he.</p>
+
+<p>Poor Jack could only shake his head and smile sadly by way of reply to
+this performance, and, after Ogallah had added something, the warrior
+ceased, took his seat beside the chief and employed himself in smoking
+and talking.</p>
+
+<p>"Who <i>can</i> he be? He knows me and I&mdash;ah! I remember!"</p>
+
+<p>Sure enough, and why had he not thought of it before? He was one of the
+five Indians who had left the other five and gone off with Otto
+Relstaub, on the day that he and Jack Carleton were captured by the band
+so near their own home. More than that, Jack had seen the others that
+same morning in the village at the war feast, though the recollection of
+them was so shadowy that it had not caused him the perplexity produced
+by the appearance of the warrior before him.</p>
+
+<p>With the truth came the startling question&mdash;Where was Otto? While his
+captors were in the village, he certainly was elsewhere. What had become
+of him?</p>
+
+<p>The question fairly took away the breath of Jack and made him faint at
+heart.</p>
+
+<p>"He can't be at home, for Otto never could have made his escape from
+them; <i>he must be dead!</i>"</p>
+
+<p>The first declaration of the youth my reader knows was true, for the
+visit of Deerfoot, several days later to Martinsville, as has been
+described, proved it. As to the second theory, that will be investigated
+in due time.</p>
+
+<p>One of the most trying features of this occurrence was the certainty
+Jack felt that the Indian visitor was trying to tell him something about
+Otto. Those swinging arms, swaying head and apoplectic grunting carried
+a message within themselves, which, if translated would be found of
+great importance; but alas! the interpreter had not come.</p>
+
+<p>While the lad sat on the bison robe, reflecting over the matter, he
+became aware of the peculiar sensations that alarmed him some time
+before. His head was dizzy, a curious lightness took possession of his
+limbs, and he felt that if he should undertake to cross the lodge, he
+would stagger and fall like a drunken man.</p>
+
+<p>"I'm going to be ill," he said, pressing his hand to his forehead;
+"something is wrong with me."</p>
+
+<p>The shock which came with the conviction was deepened by the belief that
+he was about to go through the experience that had befallen poor Otto
+Relstaub.</p>
+
+<p>"He fell sick while tramping through the woods with the Indians, and
+they have either tomahawked or left him to die. These people with all
+their Medicine Men and Women know nothing about curing sick folks, and
+if I <i>do</i> become ill that will be the end of me."</p>
+
+<p>The boy was in anything but a cheerful frame of mind, but he faced the
+position like a hero. He did not lose heart, though he was sure that his
+situation was worse than ever before, and he did not forget any of the
+incidents of the journey from Kentucky to Louisiana, when many a time
+there seemed not the slightest ground for hope.</p>
+
+<p>After smoking awhile Ogallah and his visitor got up and went out doors.
+The chief was gone but a short time when he came back, and, as he
+resumed his seat, grunted out something to his squaw, who immediately
+laid down her pipe, tenderly shoved the nose of her dog aside and left
+the place.</p>
+
+<p>While Jack was wondering what the meaning of these movements could be,
+the attack of weakness which had alarmed him passed off, like the
+fleeing shadow of a cloud. It was followed by a natural rebound of
+spirits, and he too rose to his feet and walked toward the door.</p>
+
+<p>The sachem looked inquiringly at him, but showed no objection to his
+departure. The boy placed his hand at his waist to make sure his hunting
+knife was there, and at the entrance paused a moment in doubt.</p>
+
+<p>"I wonder whether they will set on me again," he said to himself; "if
+they do I will use my weapon&mdash;that's certain, and then there will be a
+bigger rumpus than before."</p>
+
+<p>The knowledge that the chief who had served so many times as friend was
+near at hand added much to Jack's courage, when he finally let the
+bison-skin door drop behind him.</p>
+
+<p>The explanation of the squaw's departure was manifest at once. She had a
+long sharpened stick in her hands, with which she was stirring the earth
+around some hills of corn growing on a small plot near their lodge.
+Extending his gaze, Jack saw many other squaws engaged in the same
+manner, but among them all was not a single man. They were lolling in
+their wigwams, smoking or dozing, or hunting in the woods for game or
+scalps.</p>
+
+<p>The younger members of the community seemed to be the happiest of all. A
+number were playing by the river, and some were plunging into the
+stream, swimming, diving, and disporting themselves like porpoises;
+others were deep in some kind of game, on the clearing near the woods,
+and all were as shouting and demonstrative as so many civilized
+youngsters engaged in a game of ball.</p>
+
+<p>Anxious to learn whether his last affray with his persecutors was likely
+to lessen or increase their hostility, Jack Carleton gradually advanced
+from the lodge until he was close to the group playing on the large
+cleared space, while those by the river were much nearer his refuge than
+he.</p>
+
+<p>This was assuming considerable risk, as all must admit, but the boy took
+it with much caution and with his eyes wide open, meaning to make the
+most hurried kind of retreat the instant it might become necessary.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVII" id="CHAPTER_XXVII"></a>CHAPTER XXVII.</h2>
+
+<h3>"GAH-HAW-GE."</h3>
+
+
+<p>Naturally enough, when Jack Carleton found himself standing close to the
+frolicking Indian boys on the clearing, he became interested in the game
+they were playing, which he saw was systematic, and in which all took
+part.</p>
+
+<p>Like amusements of that sort, it was simple in its character and he
+quickly caught its drift. The boys divided themselves into two parties
+equal in numbers, one of which was ranged in line at the right of the
+clearing near the wood, while the other did the same at the other goal,
+which was a stump close to the stream. Each boy held a stick with a
+forked end in his hand, that being the implement with which the game is
+played.</p>
+
+<p>When all was ready, one of the youthful Sauks walked out from the party
+near the woods, holding the stick with the crotch of a small branch
+supported at the point of bifurcation. This crotch was four or five
+inches in length, and as it was carried aloft, it looked like an
+inverted V, raised high so that all might see it.</p>
+
+<p>Pausing in the middle of the clearing, the dusky lad with a flirt of the
+stick, flung the crotch a dozen feet in air and uttered a shout which
+was echoed by every one of the waiting players. Both sides made a
+furious rush toward the middle of the playground, where they came
+together like two mountain torrents, and the fun began. The strife was
+to get the crotch of wood to one of the goals, and each side fought as
+strenuously to help it along toward his own, as a side of foot-ball
+players struggle to do the opposite in a rough and tumble fight for the
+college championship.</p>
+
+<p>Inasmuch as the only helps to be employed were the long, forked sticks
+carried in their hands, it will be seen that the game offered a
+boundless field for the roughest sort of play, mingled with no little
+dexterity and skill. Some swarthy-hued rascal, while on a dead run,
+would thrust the point of his stick under the crotch, and lifting it
+high above his head, start or rather continue with might and main toward
+his goal. At that time, as, indeed, at every minute, each young American
+was literally yelling like so many "wild Indians." Desperately as the
+youth ran, others more fleet of foot speedily overtook him, and one,
+reaching forward while going like a deer, lifted the crotch from the
+other stick, and circling gracefully about, sped for his own goal. But
+some youth at his heels leaped in air and with a sweep of his own stick
+struck the other and sent the crotch spinning and doubling through the
+air. A dozen other sticks were plunged after it, but it fell to the
+ground, and then the fight reached its climax. The parties became one
+wild, desperate, shouting, yelling, scrambling mob. Legs and arms seemed
+to be flying everywhere, and the wonder was that a score of limbs and
+necks were not broken. But it rarely hurts a boy to become hurt, and
+though bruises were plenty, no one suffered serious harm. After a few
+minutes' struggle, the crotch would be seen perched on the stick of one
+of the boys, who, fighting his way through the mob, ran with astonishing
+speed, with friends and foes converging upon him, and the certainty that
+he would be tripped and sent flying heels over head, before he could
+reach safety.</p>
+
+<p>After awhile, when the prize had been gradually worked toward the goal
+of the stronger party, some youth, by a piece of skill and daring,
+would make a dash for home and bear down all opposition. It followed, of
+course, that his side had won, and, after a brief rest, the game was
+renewed and pressed with the same vigor as before.</p>
+
+<p>This Indian boy's game is still played by many Indian tribes. Among the
+Senecas it is called "Gah-haw-ge," and I make no doubt that more than
+one reader of these pages has witnessed the exciting amusement, which so
+thrilled the blood of Jack Carleton that he could hardly restrain
+himself from taking part in the fun. But he had no crotched stick,
+without which he would have been a cypher, and then, as he had never
+attempted the game, he knew he possessed no skill. The venture would
+have been rash, for in the excited state of the Indian youths, and armed
+as they were with sticks, it is almost certain that at some stage of the
+game they would have turned on the pale face and beaten him to death.</p>
+
+<p>The rough amusement lasted fully two hours, during which Jack Carleton
+and many of the warriors were interested spectators. At last the
+youngsters became weary and the sport ended. As the stumpy youths
+straggled apart, the perspiration on their faces caused them to shine
+like burnished copper. All at once one of them emitted a whoop and broke
+into a swift run, the rest instantly falling in behind him, and speeding
+with the same hilarious jollity.</p>
+
+<p>The heart of Jack Carleton stood still, for the leading Indian was
+coming straight toward him.</p>
+
+<p>"They're aiming for me," was his conclusion, as he gripped the handle of
+his knife and half drew it from his girdle.</p>
+
+<p>But the whooping youth swerved a little to the right, and was ten feet
+away from the terrified captive when he dashed by with unabated speed.
+He did not so much as glance at Jack, nor did the procession of
+screeching, bobbing moon-faces, as they streamed past, give him the
+least attention.</p>
+
+<p>The lad who set off with the lead, kept it up with undiminished speed,
+until he reached the edge of the river. Then he made a leap high upward
+and outward. Jack saw the crouching figure, with the head bent forward,
+the arms crooked at the elbow, and the legs doubled at the knees, during
+the single breath that it seemed suspended in the air. Then describing a
+beautiful parabola, he descended, and striking the water, sent the spray
+flying in every direction, while the body went to the bottom. The others
+followed, so fast that the dusky forms dropped like hailstones, tumbled
+over each other, splashed, dove, frolicked, shouted, and acted with the
+same abandon as before.</p>
+
+<p>It is by such sports and training that the American Indian acquires his
+fleetness, high health, and powers of endurance.</p>
+
+<p>But Jack had grown weary of watching the antics of the youngsters, and
+turned about and walked homeward. He saw from the position of the sun
+that it was near noon, and he was hungry; but he was more impressed by
+the change of treatment since his last affray than by anything else. He
+walked past five separate wigwams before reaching the imperial
+residence, which for the time being was his own. There were warriors,
+girls, and squaws lounging near each one. They raised their repellant
+faces and looked at the captive with no little curiosity, but offered
+him no harm.</p>
+
+<p>When half way home, the flapping door of one of the conical wigwams was
+pushed aside, and the stooping figure of a large Indian boy
+straightened up and walked toward Jack, who, with an odd feeling,
+recognized him as the youth whom he had overthrown in wrestling, and
+afterwards knocked off his feet by a blow in the face.</p>
+
+<p>"I wonder whether he means to attack me?" Jack asked himself, in doubt
+for the moment as to what he should do. At first he thought he would
+turn aside so as to give the young Sauk plenty of room; but that struck
+him as impolitic, for it would show cowardice.</p>
+
+<p>"No, I won't give him an inch; he is alone, and if he wants another row,
+I'm agreeable."</p>
+
+<p>It was hard for Jack to restrain a smile when he looked at the face of
+the Indian. It was exceptionally repulsive in the first place, but the
+violent blow on the nose had caused that organ to assume double its
+original proportion, and there was a puffy, bulbous look about the whole
+countenance which showed how strongly it "sympathized" with the injured
+part.</p>
+
+<p>Although the American Indian, as a rule, can go a long time, like the
+eagle, without winking his eyes, this youth was obliged to keep up a
+continual blinking, which added to his grotesque appearance, as with
+shoulders thrown back and a sidelong scowl he strode toward the river.
+Jack returned the scowl with interest, and it scarcely need be said that
+the two did not speak as they passed by.</p>
+
+<p>Feeling some fear of treachery, the captive kept his ears open, and
+watched over his shoulder until he reached his own wigwam, where he
+stood for a moment and gazed in the direction of the river, which was
+partly shut out by one of the intervening lodges. He was just in time to
+see the young Sauk of the battered countenance leap into the river,
+where, doubtless, he was able to do much toward reducing the
+inflammation of his organ of smell.</p>
+
+<p>When the captive entered his home as it may be called, he saw the
+chieftain stretched flat on his back and snoring frightfully. The dog
+was asleep on the other side the fire, and the squaw, after toiling so
+long in the "corn field," was preparing the mid-day meal. She was a type
+of her sex as found among the aborigines, as her husband, even though a
+monarch, was a type of the lazy vagabond known as the American warrior.</p>
+
+<p>At the side of the queen lay the gourd which usually contained water.
+Peeping into the round hole of the upper side, she shook the utensil,
+and the few drops within jingled like silver. She snatched it up, looked
+toward Jack, and grunted and nodded her head. If the lad could not
+understand the language of the visitor sometime before, he had no such
+difficulty in the case of the squaw. With real eagerness he sprang
+forward and hastened out of the wigwam to procure what was needed.</p>
+
+<p>The one visit which he made the spring in the morning had rendered him
+familiar with the route, and it took but a minute or two for him to fill
+the gourd and start on his return. He found that a number of young girls
+had followed him, and were at his heels all the way back; but, though
+they talked a good deal about him, and displayed as much curiosity as
+their brothers, they did not molest him. Once, when they ventured rather
+too close, Jack whipped out his knife, raised it on high, and made a
+leap at them, expanding his eyes to their widest extent, and shouting in
+his most terrifying tone, "Boo!"</p>
+
+<p>It produced the effect desired. The young frights scattered with screams
+of terror, and hardly ventured to peep out of their homes at the ogre
+striding by.</p>
+
+<p>When Jack entered the lodge he found Ogallah awake. Evidently he was not
+in good humor, for his manner showed he was scolding his much better
+half, who accepted it all without reply or notice. No doubt she received
+it as part of the inevitable.</p>
+
+<p>The chief, however, refrained from following the civilized custom of
+beating the wife, and when the meat and a species of boiled greens were
+laid on the block of wood which answered for a table, his ill-mood
+seemed to have passed, and he ate with his usual relish and enjoyment.</p>
+
+<p>Jack Carleton crossed his legs like a tailor at his side of the board,
+but before he could eat a mouthful a violent nausea seized him, his head
+swam, and he was on the verge of fainting. Ogallah and his squaw noticed
+his white face and looked wonderingly at him.</p>
+
+<p>"I'm very ill!" gasped Jack, springing to his feet, staggering a few
+steps, and then lunging forward on the bison skin, where he flung
+himself down like one without hope.</p>
+
+<p>The violence of the attack quickly subsided, but there remained a
+faintness which drove away every particle of appetite, and it was well
+that such was the case, for had he taken any food in his condition the
+result must have been serious.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the squaw had assumed her place at the table by her liege
+lord, and both were champing their meal as though time was limited, and
+there was no call to feel any interest in the poor boy who lay on his
+rude couch, well assured that his last illness was upon him.</p>
+
+<p>"What do they care for <i>me</i>?" muttered Jack, his fright yielding to a
+feeling of resentment, as the violence of the attack subsided. "I wonder
+that they spared my life so long. They would have been more merciful had
+they slain me in the woods as they did Otto, instead of bringing me here
+to be tormented to death, and as I know they mean to do with me."</p>
+
+<p>Lying on his arm, he glared at the couple with a revengeful feeling that
+was extraordinary under the circumstances. A morbid conviction fastened
+itself upon him that Ogallah had taken him to his lodge for the purpose
+of keeping him until he was in the best physical condition, when he
+would subject him to a series of torturing and fatal ceremonies for the
+amusement of the entire village.</p>
+
+<p>In the middle of these remarkable sensations exhausted nature succumbed,
+and the captive fell asleep.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVIII" id="CHAPTER_XXVIII"></a>CHAPTER XXVIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>A PATIENT OF THE MEDICINE MAN.</h3>
+
+
+<p>When Jack Carleton awoke, it was night and the rain was falling. He was
+feverish and his brain was so overwrought that it was a full minute
+before he could call to mind where he was. His slumber had been
+disturbed toward the latter part by dreams as wild, vague and
+unimaginable as those which taunt the brain of the opium eater.</p>
+
+<p>When he remembered that he was in the wigwam of Ogallah, the chieftain,
+he turned upon his side and raised his head on his elbow. The fire at
+the other end of the apartment that had been burning brightly, had gone
+down somewhat, but enough remained to light up the interior so that the
+familiar objects could be seen with considerable distinctness.</p>
+
+<p>He observed the figure of the sachem stretched out in the dilapidated
+slouchiness peculiar to himself. He did not bother to remove any of his
+clothing, and, though the place was quite chilly he drew none of the
+bison robes over him. He had lain down on one, but had managed in some
+way to kick it half way across the lodge, and his couch, therefore, was
+the simple earth, which served better than a kingly bed of eider down
+could have done.</p>
+
+<p>The favorite posture of the queenly consort was not a prone one, but
+that of crouching in a heap near the coals, where, with a blanket that
+had never been washed since it was put together years before, gathered
+about her shoulders, her skinny arms clasping her knees and her head
+bowed forward, she would sleep for hours at a time. The reflection of
+the flickering flames against her figure caused it to look grotesque in
+the fitful light, and the captive gazed at her for a long time, led to
+do so by an infatuation which was not strange under the circumstances.</p>
+
+<p>There, too, was the dog which, could he have been given his way, would
+have done nothing all his life but sleep and eat. As was his custom, he
+was at the feet of his mistress, a position which he seemed to prefer
+above all others. Then the blankets, deer and bison skins, and rude
+articles hanging about the room, the two columns in the center
+supporting the clumsy roof, the craggy logs and sticks at the side, the
+hanging skin which served as a door and was barely visible, the tumble
+down appearance of everything, and withal the solemn stillness which
+brooded within the lodge: all these made the scene weird and impressive
+in a striking degree.</p>
+
+<p>The fire burned so fitfully that it threw ghostly shadows about the
+apartment, sometimes flooding it with light, and again falling so low
+that the other end of the lodge could not be seen at all. Without, the
+night could not have been more dismal. There was no thunder or
+lightning, and the rain fell with that steady patter on the leaves,
+which at ordinary times forms the most soothing accompaniment of sleep,
+but which to Jack Carleton only added to his dismal dejection of
+spirits.</p>
+
+<p>The roof of the lodge was so thick and diversified in its composition
+that the music of the patter on the shingles was lost. At intervals the
+wind stirred the limbs, and, though none of the trees were very close,
+the lad could hear the soughing among the branches, as the hunter hears
+it in early autumn when the leaves begin to fall.</p>
+
+<p>Could the melancholy croaking of frogs in the distance have fallen on
+the ears of the boy, he would have had all the factors that go to bring
+on the most absolute loneliness of which a human being is capable.
+Unfortunately Jack did not need that addition to render his misery
+complete, for it was furnished by his own condition and situation.</p>
+
+<p>"I am many long, long miles from home," he reflected, as a sharp pain
+gyrated through his brain, and the flickering fire seemed to be bobbing
+up and down and back and forth in a witches' dance; "and little hope is
+there of my ever seeing mother again. Ah, if I was only there now!"</p>
+
+<p>He let his head fall back and heaved a deep sigh. He recalled his plain
+but comfortable bed, which became the most deliciously comfortable the
+mind can conceive, when his mother shoved the blankets in about him, or
+"tucked him up," as she never failed to do every evening he was at home;
+the good-night kiss from those affectionate lips; the magic touch of
+those fingers which pushed back the hair from his forehead, ere she
+bent over him with the last salute; the loving, caressing care when he
+was threatened with the slightest illness, which made the boy long for
+illness for the sake of such care: these and other blessed memories came
+back with a power which caused the eyes to overflow with sorrow.</p>
+
+<p>Ah, fortunate is that boy, even though his years carry him to the verge
+of full manhood, who has his mother to watch over his waking and
+sleeping hours, and her prayers to follow his footsteps through life.</p>
+
+<p>The pattering rain, the sighing wind, and the ghostly, semi-darkness
+soothed the sachem and his wife, but Jack Carleton was as wide awake as
+when pushing across the Mississippi in the half overturned canoe, with
+the fierce Shawanoes firing at him and his friends. Probably, in the
+entire Indian village, he was the only one who was awake. Had a band of
+Sioux or Iroquois stolen through the woods and descended on the Sauks
+they would have been found defenceless and unprepared.</p>
+
+<p>Through one of the crevices behind Jack, came a draught of wind which,
+striking him on his shoulders, caused him to shiver. He moved a little
+distance away, and drew the bison robe closer about him, for though a
+raging fever was coursing through his veins, he knew the danger of
+subjecting himself to such exposure.</p>
+
+<p>He was consumed with thirst, and seeing the clumsy gourd by the side of
+the sleeping squaw, he crawled forward on his hands and knees in the
+hope of finding water in it. Fortunately there was an abundance and he
+took a long, deep draught of the fluid, which was not very fresh nor
+cold, but which was the most refreshing he had ever swallowed.</p>
+
+<p>Creeping back to his primitive couch, he continued a deep mental
+discussion of the question whether the best thing he could do was not to
+steal out of the lodge and make a break for home. There could be little,
+if any doubt, as to the ease with which such a start could be made. He
+had only to rise to his feet, pass through the deer-skin door, which was
+merely tied in position, and he could travel miles before morning and
+before his absence would be noted. The falling rain would obliterate his
+trail, so that the keen eyes of the Sauks would be unable to follow it,
+and he could make assurance doubly sure by taking to the water until a
+bloodhound would turn up his nose in disgust. Furthermore, he was
+confident that he would be able to obtain possession of his rifle and
+enough ammunition with which to provide himself food on the way home.</p>
+
+<p>This was what may be called the rose-colored view of the scheme, which
+had a much more practical side. While under ordinary circumstances Jack
+would have been able to take care of himself at a much greater distance
+from home, and in a hostile country, yet the alarming fact remained,
+that he was seriously ill and such exposure was almost certain to drive
+him delirious, with the certainty of death to follow very speedily.</p>
+
+<p>Though he took such a gloomy view of his own position among the Sauks
+(whose tribal name, of course, he had not yet learned), he was not
+without a certain degree of hope. He had suffered no harm thus far and
+it is always the unexpected which happens. While he had declared to
+himself that Ogallah was simply training him for the torture, as it may
+be expressed, yet it might be the chieftain being without children,
+meant to adopt him as a son. If such was his intention, manifestly, the
+best thing for Jack to do was to lie still and prayerfully await the
+issue of events. No doubt if you or I were in his sad predicament, that
+is the course that would have been followed, but Jack could not bring
+himself to submit to such inactivity when the prospect of liberty was
+before him. Allowance, too, must be made for the condition of the boy.
+He was scarcely himself, when, compressing his lips, he muttered,</p>
+
+<p>"I won't stay here! They mean to kill me and I may as well die in the
+woods! I will take my gun and go out in the night and storm, and trust
+in God to befriend me as He has always done."</p>
+
+<p>Aye, so He had; and so He will always befriend us, if we but use our
+opportunities and fly not in His face.</p>
+
+<p>Carefully he rose to his feet, and, gathering the bison robe around his
+fevered frame, glanced at the two unconscious figures, and then at the
+form of his rifle leaning against the side of the lodge and dimly
+revealed in the flickering firelight.</p>
+
+<p>As he stepped forward to recover his gun, everything in the room swam
+before his eyes, a million bees seemed to be humming in his brain, and,
+clutching the air in a vague way, he sank back on his couch with a
+groan, which awakened Ogallah and his squaw. The chief came to the
+sitting position with a surprising quickness, while the wife opened her
+eyes and glared through the dim firelight at the figure. The dog
+slumbered on.</p>
+
+<p>Ogallah seeing that it was only the captive who was probably dying, lay
+back again on the bare earth and resumed his sleep. The woman watched
+the lad for several minutes as if she felt some interest in learning
+whether a pale face passed away in the same manner as one of her own
+race. Inasmuch as the sick boy was so long in settling the question, she
+closed her eyes and awaited a more convenient season.</p>
+
+<p>From the moment Jack Carleton succumbed, helpless in the grasp of the
+fiery fever, he became sick nigh unto death. Those who have been so
+afflicted need no attempt to tell his experience or feelings. Why he
+should have fallen so critically ill, cannot be judged with certainty,
+nor is it a question of importance; the superinducing cause probably lay
+in the nervous strain to which he was subjected.</p>
+
+<p>He instantly became delirious and remained so through the night. He
+talked of his mother, of Deerfoot, of Otto, and of others; was fleeing
+from indescribable dangers, and he frequently cried out in his fright.
+The chief and his squaw heard him and understood the cause, but never
+raised their hands to give him help.</p>
+
+<p>Jack became more quiet toward morning and fell into a fitful sleep which
+lasted until the day was far advanced. Then, when he opened his eyes,
+his brain still somewhat clouded, he uttered a gasp of dismay and
+terror.</p>
+
+<p>Crouching in the lodge beside him was the most frightful object on which
+he had ever looked. It had the form of a man, but was covered with skins
+like those of a bear and bison, and a long thick horn projected from
+each corner of the forehead. The face, which glared out from this
+unsightly dress, was covered with daubs, rings and splashes of red,
+white and black paint, applied in the most fantastic fashion. The black
+eyes, encircled by yellow rings, suggested a resemblance to some serpent
+or reptilian monster. The figure held a kind of rattle made of hollow
+horn in either hand, and was watching the countenance of the sick boy
+with close attention. When he saw the eyes open, he made a leap in the
+air, began a doleful chant, swayed the rattles and leaped about the
+lodge in the most grotesque dance that can be imagined. Ogallah and his
+squaw were not present, so Jack had the hideous creature all to himself.</p>
+
+<p>Enough sense remained with the boy for him to know that he was the
+Medicine Man of the tribe, whom the chieftain had been kind enough to
+send to his help. Instead of giving the youth the few simple remedies he
+required, he resorted to incantation and sorcery as has been their
+custom for hundreds of years. The barbarian fraud continued to chant and
+rattle and dance back and forth, until Jack's eyes grew weary of
+following the performance. The mind, too, which was so nigh its own
+master in the morning, grew weaker, and finally let go its hold.
+Sometimes the waltzing Medicine Man suddenly lengthened to the height of
+a dozen yards; sometimes he was bobbing about on his head, and again he
+was ten times as broad as he was long, and hopping up and down on one
+short leg. From the other side of the lodge he often made a bound that
+landed him on the bison skin, which lay over the breast of the sick boy,
+where he executed a final tattoo that drove the last vestige of
+consciousness from him.</p>
+
+<p>It was all a torturing jumble of wild and grim fancies, with occasional
+glimmerings of reason, which led Jack to clutch the air as if he would
+not let them go; but they whisked away in spite of all he could do, and
+a black "rayless void" descended upon and gathered round about him,
+until the mind was lost in its own overturnings and struggles, and all
+consciousness of being departed.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIX" id="CHAPTER_XXIX"></a>CHAPTER XXIX.</h2>
+
+<h3>CONVALESCENCE.</h3>
+
+
+<p>As nearly as can be ascertained, Jack Carleton lay the major part of
+four days in the Indian lodge, sick nigh unto death, with his brain
+topsy turvy. During that time he never received a drop of medicine, and
+scarcely any attention. The chief was gone most of each day, and the
+squaw spent many hours out doors, looking after her "farm." When the
+patient became unusually wild, she would give him a drink of water and
+attend to his wants. A few of the Indians peeped through the door, but
+as a whole they showed surprising indifference to the fate of the
+captive. Had he died, it is not likely he would have been given even
+Indian burial.</p>
+
+<p>Several times the Medicine Man put in an appearance, and danced and
+hooted and sounded his rattles about the lodge, after which he took
+himself off and would not be seen again for many hours.</p>
+
+<p>On the fourth day, while Jack was lying motionless on his bison skin and
+looking up to the composite roof, his full reason returned to him.
+Indeed, his brain appeared to have been clarified by the scorching
+ordeal through which it had passed, and he saw things with crystalline
+clearness. Turning his head, he found he was alone in the lodge, and, as
+nearly as he could judge, the afternoon was half gone. The fire had died
+out, but the room was quite warm, showing there had been a rise of
+temperature since the night of the rain. Peering through the crevices
+nearest him, he observed the sunlight was shining, and could catch
+twinkling glimpses of Indians moving hither and thither; but there was
+no outcry or unusual noise, and business was moving along in its
+accustomed channel.</p>
+
+<p>With some trepidation and misgiving, Jack rose on his elbow and then
+carefully assumed the sitting position. Every vestige of dizziness had
+fled, and his head was as clear as a bell. He was sensible, too, of a
+faint and increasing desire for food; but he was equally conscious that
+he was very weak, and it must be days before he could recover his normal
+strength.</p>
+
+<p>After sitting for a few minutes, he threw the bison skin from him, and
+rose to his feet. Having held the prone position so long, he felt
+decidedly queer when he stood erect once more. But he walked back and
+forth, and knew within himself that the crisis of his illness had passed
+and he was convalescent.</p>
+
+<p>Of course it was Jack's vigorous constitution and the recuperating power
+of nature which, under Heaven, brought him round. The medicine man had
+no more to do with his recovery than have many of our modern medicine
+men, who, sit beside the gasping patient, feel his pulse, look at his
+tongue and experiment with the credulous dupe.</p>
+
+<p>Jack Carleton possessed enough sense to appreciate his condition. Very
+little sickness had he ever known in life, but there had been plenty of
+it around him, and his mother was one of those nurses, whose knowledge
+far exceeded that of the ordinary physician, and whose presence in the
+sick room is of itself a balm and blessing.</p>
+
+<p>The boy knew, therefore, from what he had learned from her, that the
+time had come when he must be extremely careful what he ate and how he
+conducted himself. Moving over to the unattractive table, he found some
+scraps of meat left. They were partly cooked, but likely as good for him
+as anything could have been. He ate considerable, chewing it finely, and
+finding his appetite satisfied much sooner than he anticipated.</p>
+
+<p>But that for which Jack longed above everything else was a plunge in the
+cool water. His underclothing sorely needed changing, and he would have
+been absolutely happy could he have been in the hands of his tidy mother
+if only for a brief while.</p>
+
+<p>However, there was no help for him, and he could only wait and hope for
+better things. After he had resumed his seat on the bison skins, a
+project took shape in his mind, which was certainly a wise and prudent
+one, with promises of good results. Knowing he was recovering rapidly,
+he resolved to keep the fact from his captors. While still gaining
+strength and vigor, he would feign weakness and illness, on the watch
+for a chance that was sure to come sooner or later, and which he would
+thus be able to improve to the utmost.</p>
+
+<p>Convalescence revived with ten-fold force the desire to end his Indian
+captivity and return home. Uncertain as he was of the time that had
+passed since starting on his hunt, he knew that it was long enough to
+awaken the most poignant anguish on the part of his loved mother, who
+must suffer far more, before, under the most favorable circumstances, he
+could return.</p>
+
+<p>When it was growing dark, Ogallah and his squaw entered. The latter
+quickly had the fire going and, as its glow filled the room, both looked
+inquiringly at the patient on the other side the lodge. He in turn
+assumed, so far as it was possible, the appearance of a person in the
+last collapse, and took care that the expression of his countenance
+should show no more intelligence and vivacity than that of an idiot.</p>
+
+<p>The couple exchanged a few words, probably referring to Jack, but they
+seemed to care little for him, and he was glad that he excited so slight
+interest, since they were less likely to suspect the deception he was
+practicing upon them. The squaw, after cooking the meat, brought a piece
+over to Jack, who stared in an absurd fashion before shaking his head,
+and she turned about and resumed her place by the table, after which
+she lit her pipe and squatted near the fire.</p>
+
+<p>The patient soon fell into a refreshing sleep, which lasted until it
+began growing light, when he awoke, feeling so well that it was hard to
+keep from leaping in the air with a shout, and dashing out doors. He was
+sure that he could hold his own in a game of <i>gah-haw-ge</i>, if the chance
+were only given.</p>
+
+<p>But he resolutely forced down his bounding spirits, though he could not
+suppress the feeling of hunger which was fast assuming a ravenous
+intensity. When the squaw offered him a half cooked piece of meat, he
+snatched at it with such wolf-like fierceness that the squaw recoiled
+with a grunt of dismay. Jack made sure he had secured the prize, when he
+devoured every particle, which luckily was enough fully to satisfy his
+appetite.</p>
+
+<p>Whenever the boy saw the chief or his squaw looking at him, he assumed
+the role of a dunce, and it must be confessed he played it with
+unquestionable fidelity to nature. He probably afforded considerable
+amusement to the royal couple who could have had no suspicion that the
+hopeful youth was essaying a part.</p>
+
+<p>When the forenoon was well along, the chief and his squaw went out, the
+latter probably to do the manual labor, while the former occupied
+himself with "sitting around" and criticising the style in which she ran
+the agricultural department of the household. The dog rose, stretched,
+yawned and then lay down again and resumed his slumber. Jack was
+meditating what was best to do, when the door was pushed aside, and the
+frightful-looking Medicine Man crouched to the middle of the lodge and
+glared at the patient, who looked calmly back again, as though he felt
+no special interest in him or anything else, but all the same Jack
+watched him with more entertainment than he had ever felt before.</p>
+
+<p>First of all, the man with the horns and rattles, took amazingly long
+steps on the toes of his moccasins around the apartment between the two
+"columns" which supported the roof, as though afraid of awaking the
+baby. At the end of each circumambulation, he would squat like a frog
+about to leap off the bank into the water, and glare at the boy, the
+corners of whose mouth were twitching with laughter at the grotesque
+performance.</p>
+
+<p>When tired of this, the Medicine Man stopped in the middle of the
+apartment, and all at once began using his rattles to the utmost, and
+dancing with the vigor of a howling dervish. He accompanied, or rather
+added to the racket, by a series of "hooh-hoohs!" which were not loud,
+but exceedingly dismal in their effect.</p>
+
+<p>The sudden turmoil awoke the canine, which raised his head, and
+surveying the scene for a moment, rose, as if in disgust, and started to
+trot outdoors to escape the annoyance. As he did so, he passed directly
+behind the Medicine Man, who, of course, did not see him. At the proper
+moment he made a backward leap, struck both legs against the dog, and
+then tumbled over him on his back, with his heels pointing toward the
+roof. The angered pup, with a yelp of pain and rage, turned about,
+inserted his teeth in the most favorable part of the body, and then
+limped out of the wigwam with a few more cries, expressive of his
+feelings. The Medicine Man gave one frenzied kick and screech as the
+teeth of the canine sank into his flesh, and, scrambling to his feet,
+dashed out of the lodge with no thought of the dignity belonging to his
+exalted character.</p>
+
+<p>Jack Carleton rolled over on his back and laughed till the tears ran
+down his cheeks and he could scarcely breathe. It was the funniest scene
+on which he had ever looked, and the reaction, following his long mental
+depression, shook him from head to foot with mirth, as he had never been
+shaken before. He could not have restrained himself had his life been at
+stake. After awhile, he would rub the tears from his eyes, and break
+forth again, until, absolutely, he could laugh no more.</p>
+
+<p>Laughter is one of the best tonics in the world, and that which
+convulsed Jack Carleton was the very medicine he needed. Though still
+weak, he felt so well that he could not have felt better.</p>
+
+<p>"I've no business here," he exclaimed, coming sharply to the upright
+position and running his fingers through his hair in a business-like
+fashion; "every nerve in my body is just yearning for the cool breath of
+the woods, and I feel as though I could run and tumble over the
+mountains all day and feel the better for it. But I must keep it up till
+the way opens."</p>
+
+<p>After thinking over the matter, he decided to venture outside. Rising to
+his feet, he walked briskly to the door, pulled the skin aside and
+passed out, immediately assuming the manner and style of a boy who was
+barely able to walk and then only with the greatest pain.</p>
+
+<p>He expected a crowd would instantly gather around him, but he actually
+limped all the way to the spring without attracting any special
+attention. It was inevitable that a number should see him, and two
+youngsters called out something, but he made no response and they
+forebore to molest him further.</p>
+
+<p>"If I should meet that chap that has found out he can't wrestle as well
+as he thought he could, he will hardly be able to keep his hands off me.
+Maybe he would find he had made another mistake, and maybe it would be I
+who was off my reckoning. However, I've my knife with me, and I will use
+that on him if there is any need of it, but I hope there won't be."</p>
+
+<p>The water tasted deliciously cool and pure, and he bathed his hands and
+face again and again in it. He longed to take a plunge into the river,
+but that would have been impolitic, and he restrained the yearning until
+a more convenient season should offer.</p>
+
+<p>Jack finally turned about and began plodding homeward, his eyes and
+ears open for all that could be seen and heard. It was a clear warm day,
+and the village was unusually quiet. Some of the squaws were working
+with their primitive hoes, the children were frolicking along the edge
+of the wood, where the shade protected them from the sun, and the
+warriors were lolling within the tepees or among the trees. More than
+likely the major part of the large boys were hunting or fishing.</p>
+
+<p>Sure enough, Jack was still beyond the limits of the village, when he
+saw his old antagonist walking toward him. The Indian lad was alone, but
+several squaws and warriors were watching his movements, as though he
+had promised them some lively proceedings. Jack noticed that his nose
+had assumed its normal proportions, from which he concluded that more
+time than was actually the case had elapsed since he himself was
+prostrated by illness. The pugnacious youth advanced in his wary
+fashion, gradually slackening his gait until nearly opposite the pale
+face, who felt that the exigencies of the situation demanded he should
+brace up so as to impress the youth with the peril of attacking him.</p>
+
+<p>While several paces separated the two, the Indian came to a halt, as if
+waiting for the other. It would not do to show any timidity, and,
+without changing in the least his pace, the pale faced youth partly drew
+his knife from his girdle and muttered with a savage scowl:</p>
+
+<p>"I'm ready for you, young man!"</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXX" id="CHAPTER_XXX"></a>CHAPTER XXX.</h2>
+
+<h3>OUT IN THE WORLD.</h3>
+
+
+<p>It cannot be doubted that the Indian youth intended to make an assault
+on Jack Carleton. He must have known of his prostrating illness and
+concluded that he was a much less dangerous individual than when they
+first met; but there was something in the flash of the captive's eye and
+a meaning in the act of drawing his knife part way from his girdle,
+which caused the young Sauk to hesitate. Evidently he concluded that
+much could be said for and against the prudence of opening hostilities.</p>
+
+<p>Jack strode forward, with his shoulders thrown back and a scowl, as
+though he preferred that the youth should make the attack. He kept his
+gaze on the savage until some distance beyond him, the latter turning as
+if on a pivot and narrowly watching him to the very door of the lodge.
+Jack then withdrew his attention and took a survey of matters in front.</p>
+
+<p>The same quiet which he had noticed a short time before held reign. The
+few Indians moving about paid no attention to the lad, with the
+exception, perhaps, of one: that was Ogallah, the chieftain who had just
+noticed him on his return from the spring. The noble head of the band
+was lolling in the shade of one of the wigwams, discussing affairs of
+state with one of his cabinet, when he observed the youth. Summoning all
+his latent energy, he rose to his feet and strolled in the direction of
+his own home. The moment Jack saw him, he assumed the most woe-begone
+appearance it was possible to wear. The defiant attitude and manner,
+which were a challenge of themselves, vanished: the shoulders drooped
+forward: the step became slouchy and uncertain, and the poor fellow
+looked as if about to sink to the ground in a final collapse.</p>
+
+<p>Pretending not to see the sachem, Jack feebly drew the bison skin aside
+and pitched into the lodge. Glancing around, he found he was alone,
+whereupon he strode straight across the space, lay back on his couch,
+and kicked up his heels like a crowing infant.</p>
+
+<p>"I must work off some of this steam or I shall burst," he said to
+himself, rolling and tumbling about in the very abandon of rapid
+convalescence: "It's hard work for me to play sick, but it must be done
+for the big prize that is at stake."</p>
+
+<p>He kept close watch on the entrance, and, when a hand suddenly drew the
+skin aside and the bent figure of the chieftain came through and
+straightened up within the lodge, young Carleton had the appearance of a
+person whose sands of life were nearly run out.</p>
+
+<p>Ogallah walked forward and examined him closely. He saw a youth who was
+unquestionably a "pale face," staring vacantly at him for a few seconds,
+and who then rolled on his face with a groan that must have been heard
+some distance beyond the lodge. Restless flingings of the limbs
+followed, and, when the sachem turned away, he must have concluded that
+it would never be his privilege to adopt the young gentleman into his
+family.</p>
+
+<p>Toward night the squaw and dog appeared and the domestic economy of the
+aboriginal residence went on as before. When a piece of cooked meat was
+brought to Jack, he devoured it with a ferocity which threatened
+incurable dyspepsia, and he swallowed a goodly draught of water freshly
+brought from the spring.</p>
+
+<p>Recalling the mistake he made while on the journey through the woods to
+the village, Jack Carleton resolved he would not fail through any
+similar forgetfulness. He fell asleep at that time on account of his
+exhaustion, but now the case was different: he had had enough slumber to
+last two days, while his brain was so clear and full of the scheme that
+it was impossible for him to rest until after it had been tested.</p>
+
+<p>Nothing is more weary than the waiting which one has to undergo when
+placed in his position. The hours drag by with scarcely moving
+footsteps, and before the turn of night comes, one is apt to believe the
+break of day is at hand. From his couch, Jack furtively watched how
+things went, which was much the same as he had seen before.</p>
+
+<p>The pup ate until they would give him no more and then stretched out at
+the feet of the squaw, who, having finished her meal, lit her pipe and
+puffed away with the dull animal enjoyment natural to her race. The
+chief himself led in that respect, and the two kept it up, as it seemed
+to Jack, doubly as long as ever before. At last they lay down and
+slept.</p>
+
+<p>The captive had noted where his rifle was placed. It leaned against the
+side of the lodge where it had stood every time he saw it, so that, if
+he could steal out of the place in the night without arousing the
+inmates, it would be easy for him to take the gun with him.</p>
+
+<p>The fire flickered and burned up, then sank, flared up again, and at
+last went into a steady decline, which left the room filled with a dull
+glow that would have failed to identify the objects in sight had not the
+boy been familiar with their appearance.</p>
+
+<p>When convinced that the two were sound asleep, Jack repeated the prayer
+that had trembled so many times on his lips, rose as silently as a
+shadow, and began moving across the lodge on tip-toes to where his
+invaluable rifle leaned. Lightly would that warrior have need to sleep
+to be aroused by such faint footfalls.</p>
+
+<p>The boy had not yet reached his weapon, when he was almost transfixed by
+the vivid recollection of the attempt he made to get away when on the
+journey to the village. He believed his liberty was secured, when he
+suddenly awoke to the fact that Ogallah and his warriors were trifling
+with him.</p>
+
+<p>Could it be the chief had read in the captive's face the evidence of his
+intention?</p>
+
+<p>This was the question which for the moment held life in suspense, while
+Jack Carleton stood in the middle of the dimly lit wigwam and gazed
+doubtingly toward the figures near the smoldering fire.</p>
+
+<p>"Likely enough he is only pretending he's asleep, and, just as I am sure
+the way is clear, he will spring to his feet and grab me."</p>
+
+<p>It was a startling thought indeed, and there were a few moments when the
+lad was actually unable to stir; but he quickly rallied and smiled at
+his own fears.</p>
+
+<p>"If I once get my gun in hand, he won't be able to stop me&mdash;&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>He was reaching forward to grasp it, when one of the embers fell apart,
+and a yellow twist of flame filled the apartment with a glow which
+revealed everything. Jack stopped with a faint gasp and turned his head,
+sure that the chief was on the point of leaping upon him; but he was as
+motionless as a log, and the hand of the boy was upraised again as he
+took another stealthy step forward. A half step more, and his fingers
+closed around the barrel. The touch of the cold iron sent a thrill
+through him, for it was like the palpable hand of Hope itself.</p>
+
+<p>The powder horn lay on the ground beside the weapon, the Indian having
+made no use of either since they came into his possession. The string
+was quickly flung over the shoulder of the boy, who then began moving in
+the same guarded fashion toward the door, throwing furtive glances over
+his shoulder at the king and queen, who did not dream of what was going
+on in their palace.</p>
+
+<p>Jack Carleton "crossed the Rubicon" when he lifted the rifle and powder
+horn from the ground. Had he been checked previous to that he would have
+turned back to his couch, and made the pretense that what he did was the
+result of a delirium. But with the possession of his weapon came a
+self-confidence that would permit no obstruction to divert him from his
+purpose. He would not have fired on the chief or his squaw (except to
+save his own life), for that would have been unpardonable cruelty, but
+he would have made a dash into the outer air, where he was sure of
+eluding his pursuers, so long as the night lasted.</p>
+
+<p>But the slumber of the couple was genuine. They did not stir or do
+anything except to breathe in their sonorous fashion. Jack took hold of
+the bison skin to draw it aside, when he found the door was locked. It
+was an easy matter, however, to unfasten it, and a single step placed
+him outside the wigwam.</p>
+
+<p>Instead of hurrying away, as his impatience prompted him to do, the
+youth stood several minutes surveying the scene around him. The Sauk
+village was asleep, and the scrutiny which he made of the collection of
+wigwams failed to show a single star-like twinkle of light. The night
+was clear, and a gibbous moon was high in the sky. Patches of clouds
+drifted in front of the orb, and fantastic shadows whisked across the
+clearing and over the wigwams and trees. The dwellings of the Indians
+looked unsightly and misshapen in the shifting light, and Jack felt as
+though he were gazing upon a village of the dead.</p>
+
+<p>Turning to the southward, he faced the narrow, winding river. From the
+front of the chieftain's lodge, he caught the glimmer of its surface
+and the murmur of its flow, as it swept by in the gloom on its way to
+the distant Gulf. A soft roaring sound, such as we notice when a
+sea-shell is held to the ear crept through the solitude like the voice
+of silence itself.</p>
+
+<p>Jack was impressed by the scene, but when he saw a shadowy figure flit
+between two of the wigwams, and was certain he heard a movement in the
+lodge behind him, he hastily concluded it was the time for action and
+not meditation. With a start that might have betrayed him, he quickly
+left his position and hastened away.</p>
+
+<p>It was natural that the many hours devoted by Jack during his
+convalescence, to forming his plan of procedure, should have fixed the
+plan he meant to follow. Thus it was that the few minutes spent in front
+of the chieftain's lodge were not occupied in debating the proper course
+to take, and, when he once made a start, he went straight ahead without
+turning to the right or left.</p>
+
+<p>The reader will readily see how great were the advantages on the side of
+the fugitive. He was certain of a fair start, which ought to have made
+his position absolutely safe, for if the American Indian is
+phenomenally skillful in following the trail of an enemy through the
+wilderness, that enemy, if he suspects such pursuit, ought to be able to
+throw him irrecoverably from the scent.</p>
+
+<p>Furthermore, it is scarcely conceivable that the trail of Jack Carleton
+could be taken at the door of Ogallah's wigwam and followed as the
+warriors trailed a fugitive through the woods; for the ground whereon he
+walked had been tramped hard by multitudinous feet, and the faint
+impressions of the boy's shoes could not be individualized among the
+thousand footprints. It was far different from fleeing from a camp in
+the woods, where his trail crossed and was interfered with by no other,
+and where the slightest depression or overturning of the leaves was like
+the impression on the dusty highway.</p>
+
+<p>The fugitive's first intention was to take to the woods, and guiding his
+course by the moon and sun, travel with all the speed and push at his
+command. Fortunately he was enabled to see that such a course was almost
+certain to bring disaster. Instead of doing that, he went directly to
+the river side, where he had seen the Indians frolicking in the water,
+and he himself had so often sighed for the same delicious privilege.</p>
+
+<p>There were five canoes partly drawn up the bank and waiting the will of
+their owner. They were made of bark with curved ends, fantastically
+painted, and each was capable of carrying, at least, six or eight
+able-bodied warriors. They were so light that the lad found no trouble
+in shoving the first clear of the shore, and sending it skimming out
+into the stream. As it slackened its pace, it turned part way round,
+like a bewildered swan, as if uncertain which way to go. Then it sailed
+triangularly down current, much after the manner of Ogallah's dog when
+on a trot.</p>
+
+<p>It was not more than fairly under way, when the second glided out after
+it, then the third, the fourth and finally the fifth and last. This
+contained Jack Carleton who took the long ashen paddle in hand and began
+plying it with considerable skill. He was paying less attention to his
+own progress than to the manipulation of the other canoes, which he had
+set free for a special purpose.</p>
+
+<p>He kept the five in the middle of the current until a fourth of a mile
+was passed. Then he gave one such a violent push that it ran its snout
+against the bank and stuck fast. Some distance down stream he repeated
+the man[oe]uvre with the second boat against the opposite shore,
+continuing the curious proceeding until he was alone in the single
+canoe, floating down stream.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXI" id="CHAPTER_XXXI"></a>CHAPTER XXXI.</h2>
+
+<h3>JOURNEYING EASTWARD.</h3>
+
+
+<p>Jack Carleton reasoned in this wise:</p>
+
+<p>In the morning Ogallah would notice his absence from the lodge and would
+make immediate search for him. He would quickly learn that the entire
+navy of his nation had vanished as completely as has our own, and the
+conclusion would be warranted that it had either run away with the pale
+face or the pale face had run away with the navy: at any rate they had
+gone off in company and the hunt would begin.</p>
+
+<p>A quarter of a mile down stream, the first installment of the fleet
+would be found stranded on the southern shore, as though it was used to
+set the fashion followed by our country a century later. The conclusion
+would be formed that the audacious fugitive had landed at that point and
+plunged into the interior; but a brief examination would show the Sauks
+their mistake and they would rush on along the banks until the second
+craft was discovered, when the same disappointment would follow.</p>
+
+<p>This would continue until every one of the five canoes had been found
+and examined. Inasmuch as the fifth contained Jack himself, it will be
+seen that more care was required in his case; but the programme had been
+laid out to its minutest details while the enemy was a guest in the
+lodge of the king.</p>
+
+<p>After the fourth canoe had been stuck against the bank, the number lying
+on alternate sides, Jack removed his clothing and letting himself over
+the stern, plunged into the cool, refreshing current, where he dove,
+frolicked, sported, and enjoyed himself to the full&mdash;his happiness such
+that he could hardly refrain from shouting for very joy. He kept this up
+as long as prudent, when he clambered into the boat again, donned his
+clothing, floated a short distance further, and shot the craft into land
+with a force that held it fast.</p>
+
+<p>A brief calculation will show that the boy had gone something more than
+a mile from the Indian village, and he had secured what may well be
+termed a winning lead; but much still remained to be done. He was now
+about to leave the element where even the trained bloodhound would be at
+fault, and step upon the land, where the keen eye of the Sauk warrior
+would follow his footprints with the surety of fate itself. Hence it
+depended on his covering up the tell-tale trail, unless chance, against
+which no one can guard, should direct his pursuers to it.</p>
+
+<p>Both shores of the stream were covered with forest which grew to the
+edge of the water. In some places there was undergrowth which overhung
+the river, but it was not very plentiful. The position of the moon in
+the sky was such that most of the time the middle of the stream
+reflected its light, while the shores were in shadow. These looked
+indescribably gloomy, and but for bounding spirits which set the whole
+being of the lad aglow, he would have been oppressed to an unbearable
+degree. The course of the river for the first mile was remarkably
+straight, but it made a sweeping bend just before Jack ran his canoe
+into shore. His aim now was to quit the water without leaving any
+tell-tale traces behind. If he stepped ashore and walked away never so
+carefully, he would fail to do what was absolutely necessary. He
+believed he accomplished his purpose, by running the boat under some
+overhanging undergrowth, where he laboriously pulled it up the bank,
+until it could not be seen by any one passing up or down stream, and
+could be found by no one moving along the shore itself, unless he paused
+and made search at the exact spot. The probability of any Indian doing
+such a thing, it will be conceded, was as unlikely as it could be.</p>
+
+<p>But, on the other hand, the first step the fugitive took would leave an
+impression which would tell the whole story, and it now depended on the
+manner in which he overcame that special danger. Carefully sounding the
+water, Jack found it was quite shallow close to land. He therefore waded
+a full hundred yards from the canoe before leaving the stream, and then,
+with his clothing saturated to his knees, he stepped ashore, took a
+score of long careful steps straight away, and his flight, it may be
+said, was fairly begun.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know that I have done so much after all," said he, when he had
+reached a point a hundred yards from the stream, "for some one of the
+Indians may strike my trail before sunrise to-morrow morning; but I have
+done all I can at the start, and if I can have a few miles the lead,
+it'll be no fun for them to overtake me."</p>
+
+<p>There was no reason why such an advantage should not be secured, for,
+although the moon was of no help to him in determining his course, he
+had studied the whole thing so carefully while lying in the lodge of the
+chieftain Ogallah, that he was as sure of the direction as if he held a
+mariner's compass in his hand.</p>
+
+<p>Jack, it will be borne in mind was in the southern portion of the
+present State of Missouri, the frontier settlement of Martinsville lying
+at no great distance westward from Kentucky, and north of the boundary
+line of Arkansas, as it has existed since the formation of that
+Territory and State. The Sauk party of Indians who made him captive had
+pursued an almost westerly direction, taking him well toward the Ozark
+region, if not actually within that mountainous section. It followed,
+therefore, that he should pursue the easterly course, for the stream
+along which he had been borne, had carried him almost due north, and it
+was not necessary for him to diverge in order to leave it well behind.</p>
+
+<p>The fugitive lost no time, but pushed through the wood as fast as he
+could. It was hard to restrain his desire to break into a run, but he
+did so, for nothing could have been gained and much was likely to be
+lost by such a course. Despite the bright moon overhead, few of its rays
+found their way through the dense vegetation and foliage. Though he
+encountered little undergrowth, yet he was compelled to use his hands as
+well as his eyes in order to escape painful accidents.</p>
+
+<p>The hours of darkness were valuable to Jack, yet he longed for daylight.
+He wanted to be able to see where he was going, and to use what little
+woodcraft he possessed. So long as he was obliged to keep one hand
+extended in front in order to save his face and neck, he could adopt no
+precautions to hide his footprints from the prying eyes of his enemies.
+He knew he was leaving a trail which was as easy for his enemies to
+follow, as though he walked in the yielding sand. Much as he regretted
+the fact, it could not be helped so long as the darkness lasted, and he
+wasted no efforts in the attempt to do so. It would be far otherwise
+when he should have daylight to help him.</p>
+
+<p>Fortunately perhaps, he had not long to wait. He had not gone far when
+he observed the increasing light which speedily announced the rising of
+the sun; but he was shocked to find that despite his care and previous
+experience in tramping through the wilderness, he had got much off his
+course. Instead of the orb appearing directly in front of him, as he
+expected it to do, it rose on his right hand, showing that instead of
+pursuing an easterly course he was going north&mdash;a direction which took
+him very little nearer his home than if he traveled directly opposite.</p>
+
+<p>As may be supposed, Jack had no sooner learned his mistake than he faced
+about and corrected it.</p>
+
+<p>"I've got my bearings now," he muttered confidently, "and I know too
+much about this business to drift off again. Hurrah!"</p>
+
+<p>He could not deny himself the luxury of one shout and the toss of his
+cap in the air. This completed, he strode forward with more dignified
+step, and settled down to work, after the manner of a sensible youth who
+appreciates the task before him. He calculated that he was two or three
+miles from the Indian village, much closer than was comfortable, and he
+could not stop to eat or rest until it should be increased. He felt that
+this day was to be the decisive one. If he could keep beyond the reach
+of his pursuers until the setting of the sun, he would throw them off
+his trail so effectively that they could never recover it.</p>
+
+<p>"And why shouldn't I do it?" he asked, confidently: "Deerfoot taught me
+how to hide my tracks, and I never can have a better chance than now,
+where everything is in my favor."</p>
+
+<p>He alluded to the number of streams, the rocky and diversified surface
+and the general rugged character of the country through which his
+journey was leading him.</p>
+
+<p>In such a region there must be numerous opportunities for covering his
+trail from the penetrating glance of those who had spent their lives in
+studying the ways of the woods. The stealthy tread of the shoe or
+moccasin over the flinty rock left no impression, but it was hardly
+possible to find enough of such surface to prove of value; but when he
+caught the gleam of water through the trees, his heart gave a leap of
+pleasure.</p>
+
+<p>"<i>This</i> is what I wanted," he exclaimed, coming to a halt on the bank of
+a rapidly flowing creek, some fifty feet wide: "here is something that
+will wipe out a fellow's trail."</p>
+
+<p>The current was fairly clear and rapid. It was evidently deep, and it
+seemed to the lad that it was the compression of a considerably wider
+stream into a space that added velocity to its flow. Its general course,
+so far as he could learn, was eastwardly, and was therefore favorable to
+him.</p>
+
+<p>There was but the one way of utilizing the creek, and that was by
+floating over its surface. Jack could have strapped his gun to his back
+and swum a considerable distance, but that would have been a useless
+exertion attended by many discomforts. His purpose was to build a raft
+or float which would allow the current to carry him for a mile or so,
+when he could land and continue his journey.</p>
+
+<p>Better fortune than he anticipated awaited him. While moving along the
+shore in search of logs and decayed wood from which to construct his
+float, he was astonished to run plump upon an Indian canoe, which was
+drawn up the bank beyond the probability of discovery.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, now that <i>is</i> lucky!" exclaimed the gratified lad, who quickly
+added the saving clause, "that is, I <i>hope</i> it is, though where you
+find canoes, it is best to suspect Indians."</p>
+
+<p>He looked for them, but no sign greeted eye or ear. He supposed the boat
+belonged to the tribe which he had left the night before, though it was
+somewhat singular that it should have been moored such a distance from
+home. Possibly this was a much used ferry where something of the kind
+was found convenient.</p>
+
+<p>Nothing was to be gained by speculating about the ownership of the
+craft, but the part of wisdom was to make use of the means that was so
+fortunately placed within his reach. Without any delay, therefore, he
+shoved the frail structure into the water, leaping into it as it shot
+from shore. No paddle could be found on or about the vessel, and he used
+his rifle for the implement, as he had done more than once before.
+Holding it by the barrel, he swung the stock through the current and
+found it served his purpose well. A slight force is sufficient to propel
+an Indian canoe through or over the water, and the task was easy enough
+for Jack Carleton.</p>
+
+<p>"It may be this boat belongs to some other Indians who do not live very
+far off, and if they should come down and find me sailing away with it,
+I don't know what would follow."</p>
+
+<p>However, the opportunity was the very one he was anxious to secure, and
+he was too wise to allow any fancy that might cross his mind to frighten
+him from turning it to the best account. Guiding the canoe to the middle
+of the creek, he faced down current, and used his improvised paddle with
+all the skill and strength at his command. The stream, as I have said,
+ran rapidly, so that with his exertions he made good progress.</p>
+
+<p>He was struck with the similarity of the shores to those of the larger
+stream which ran by the Indian village. The wood was dense, and at
+intervals was so exuberant that it looked difficult for a rabbit to
+penetrate. Then came long spaces where the forest was so open that he
+could look far into its depths. The course of the creek was so winding
+that he could see only a short distance ahead, and several times his own
+momentum carried him close into land before he could accommodate himself
+to the abrupt curve around which he shot with no inconsiderable speed.</p>
+
+<p>There remained the comforting thought that every minute thus occupied
+was taking him further from his captors, who were without the means of
+following his trail; but at the very moment when Jack was felicitating
+himself on the fact, he was startled by a most alarming discovery.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXII" id="CHAPTER_XXXII"></a>CHAPTER XXXII.</h2>
+
+<h3>A MISCALCULATION.</h3>
+
+
+<p>The youth had stopped paddling for a few minutes' rest, when he observed
+that he was close upon a broad clearing which came close to the water's
+edge. He had scarcely time to notice that much when he saw several large
+conical objects, and before he knew it, he was floating in front of an
+Indian village, numbering some twelve or fifteen wigwams. Squaws,
+children, and even warriors were lolling about very much as in the Sauk
+village, from which he had fled only a short time before.</p>
+
+<p>It fairly took away the breath of Jack. In all his fancies he had not
+once thought of anything like this, or he would have avoided running
+into what promised to prove a fatal trap.</p>
+
+<p>"My gracious!" he gasped, "this is a little too much of a good thing;
+it'll never do at all."</p>
+
+<p>The settlement was on the right hand bank of the stream, which just
+there had a northerly course. It was, therefore, on the shore where the
+fugitive desired to land. Dipping his improvised paddle, he drove the
+boat ahead with all the power he could command, and drew a breath of
+partial relief, when another sweeping curve shut him from sight.</p>
+
+<p>It was apparent that the Indians failed to grasp the situation in its
+entirety. They were accustomed to see white men hunting and trapping in
+that region, and they may have felt no wish to molest one of their
+number, though tempted so to do by his unprotected situation. At any
+rate, they stared at the canoe without offering to disturb its occupant.
+The black-eyed youngsters gaped wonderingly, and Jack saw several point
+in his direction, while they doubtless indulged in observations
+concerning him.</p>
+
+<p>But it need not be said that he was frightened almost out of his wits,
+and filled with self-disgust that he should have gone blindly into a
+peril against which a child ought to have mounted guard. The moment he
+felt he was out of sight of the redmen, who showed far less curiosity
+than he expected, he sprang ashore and shoved the canoe back into the
+current, which speedily carried it out of sight. Having landed, Jack
+hastened among the trees at the fastest gait possible. He was close to
+the village, although beyond sight. Glancing over his shoulder he
+expected every minute to see some of the dusky warriors, and to hear
+their whoops as they broke in pursuit.</p>
+
+<p>It must have been that this particular Indian village felt little if any
+interest in the white youth who paddled in front of their door, for not
+one of the number made a move by way of pursuit.</p>
+
+<p>When Jack had pushed through the wilderness for a couple of miles he
+formed the same conclusion, and dropped to a deliberate walk. The face
+of the country was rocky and broken, and he was confident that in many
+places he had left no trail at all. But, with that conviction came two
+others: he not only was tired but was excessively hungry. He had caught
+sight of game more than once while on the march, as it may be called,
+but refrained from firing through fear that the report of his gun would
+guide others who were hunting for him. At the same time he had twice
+heard the discharge of rifles at widely separated points. Probably they
+were fired by Indians on the hunt, or possibly some of the trappers of
+that section had not yet started on their long journey to St. Louis. At
+any rate when the sun had passed the meridian and the afternoon was well
+advanced, he made up his mind that he would take the first chance to
+secure food, no matter in what shape it presented itself.</p>
+
+<p>He smiled to himself, when within the succeeding ten minutes he caught
+sight of a young deer among the trees less than one hundred feet in
+advance. It bounded off affrighted by the figure of the youth, who,
+however, was so nigh that he brought it to the ground without
+difficulty.</p>
+
+<p>When he ran forward to dress it, he was surprised to find it had fallen
+within a rod of a ravine fifty feet deep.</p>
+
+<p>This ravine, which had evidently been a ca&ntilde;on or ancient bed of some
+mountain stream, was twenty yards or more in width, the rocky walls
+being covered with a mass of luxuriant, creeping vines, through which
+the gray of the rocks could be seen only at widely separated intervals.
+The bottom was piled up with the luxuriant vegetable growth of a soil
+surcharged with richness.</p>
+
+<p>Jack Carleton took only time enough to comprehend these points when he
+set to work kindling a fire against the trunk of a tree which grew close
+to the ravine. When that was fairly going, he cut the choicest slices
+from his game, and it was speedily broiled over the blaze. There was no
+water, so far as he knew, closer than the creek, but he did not
+specially miss it. Seasoned by his keen hunger, the venison was the very
+acme of deliciousness, and he ate until he craved no more.</p>
+
+<p>Then as he sat down on the leaves with his back to the tree opposite the
+blaze, he probably felt as comfortable as one in his situation could
+feel. He had pushed his strength almost to a dangerous verge, when rest
+became a luxury, and as he leaned against the shaggy bark behind him, it
+seemed as though he could sit thus for many hours without wishing to
+stir a limb.</p>
+
+<p>"I suppose," he said to himself in a drowsy tone, "that I ought to keep
+on the tramp until night, when I can crawl in behind some log and sleep
+till morning. It may be that one or two of the warriors from that last
+village are on my trail, but it don't look like it, and a fellow can't
+tramp forever without rest. I'll stop here for an hour or two, and then
+go ahead until dark. There's one thing certain,&mdash;I've thrown Ogallah and
+his friends so far off my track that they'll never be able to find it
+again."</p>
+
+<p>If any conclusion could be warranted, it would seem that this was of
+that nature, and yet by an extraordinary chain of circumstances the very
+danger which was supposed to have ended, was the one which came upon the
+fugitive.</p>
+
+<p>As he had anticipated, the method of his flight was discovered very
+early the succeeding morning, and many of the warriors and large boys
+started in pursuit. The hunt was pressed with a promptness and skill
+scarcely conceivable. It was inevitable that they should be puzzled by
+the singular proceeding with the canoes, and the pursuers became
+scattered, each intent on following out his own theory, as is the case
+with a party of detectives in these later days. The last boat was not
+found, but the identical youth who had fared so ill at the hands of
+Jack, came upon his trail where it left the river. His black eyes glowed
+with anticipated revenge, which is one of the most blissful emotions
+that can stir the heart of the American Indian.</p>
+
+<p>The young Sauk might have brought a half dozen older warriors around him
+by uttering a simple signal, but nothing could have induced him to do
+so. He had his gun, knife, and tomahawk,&mdash;all the weapons he could carry
+and all that were possibly needed. He had learned long before to trail
+his people through the labyrinthine forest, and in a year more he
+expected to go upon his first war trail. He hated with an
+inextinguishable hatred the pale face who had overthrown him in the
+wrestling bout and then had struck him a blow in the face, which,
+figuratively speaking, compelled him to carry his nose for several days
+in a sling. Ogallah had protected the sick pale face from molestation,
+but now the chief was the most eager for his death.</p>
+
+<p>The fugitive evidently believed he was safe against all pursuit, and it
+would therefore be the easier to surprise him. What greater feat could
+the young Sauk perform than to follow and secretly slay the detested
+lad? What a triumph it would be to return to the village with his scalp
+dangling at his girdle!</p>
+
+<p>Holding his peace (though it was hard to keep down the shout of joy that
+rose to his lips), he bounded away like a bloodhound in pursuit.</p>
+
+<p>Despite the precautions taken by Jack Carleton, the pursuer found
+little trouble in keeping to his trail, until it abruptly terminated on
+the bank of the creek, where advantage had been taken of the canoe.
+There he paused for a time at a loss what to do.</p>
+
+<p>Of course he knew of the Indian village at no great distance down stream
+and on the other side. Familiar as he was with the creek, he kept on
+until he reached a place where it broadened and was so shallow that he
+waded over without trouble. The red men whom he visited were friendly
+with the offshoot of the Sauk tribe, so that no risk was run in going
+among them. When he did so, as a matter of course, he gained the very
+information he was seeking; the canoe with the fugitive in it went by
+the village early in the morning. The pursuer declined the offer of help
+and went on alone. He was hardly outside the village when he struck the
+trail again, and, knowing he was at no great distance from the youth, he
+followed with a vigor and persistency that would not be denied.</p>
+
+<p>But during most of the time he was thus employed, Jack Carleton was
+similarly engaged, and, despite the energy of the young Sauk, the hours
+slipped by without bringing him a sight of the pale face, whose scalp he
+meant to bring back suspended to his girdle. The fugitive had about
+recovered his usual health, and he improved the time while it was his.
+Had he pushed forward until nightfall before halting for food or rest,
+he never would have been overtaken.</p>
+
+<p>But the signs showed the dusky youth that he was close upon the
+unsuspicious pale face, and he strode along with the care and skill of a
+veteran warrior. Finally his trained senses detected the smell of
+burning wood, and a moment later he caught sight of the camp-fire of
+Jack Carleton. The Indian stopped, and after some reconnoitering,
+concluded he could gain a better view from the other side the camp. With
+incredible pains he moved around to that side and was gratified by a
+success which glowed in his swarthy countenance and through his
+well-knit frame.</p>
+
+<p>He saw the pale face sitting on the ground, with his back against a
+tree, his mouth open, and his eyes closed. His gun rested on the ground
+beside him, and the wearied fugitive was asleep, and as helpless as an
+infant.</p>
+
+<p>The Sauk had only to raise his gun, take a quick aim, and shoot him
+dead, before he awoke or learned his danger. He could leap upon and
+finish him with his knife, but that would involve some risk to himself.
+He decided to drive his tomahawk into the skull of his victim, and to
+scalp him immediately after.</p>
+
+<p>As the first step toward doing so, he leaned his rifle against the
+nearest tree, so as to leave his arms free, and then, without any more
+ado, grasped the handle of his tomahawk and poised himself with the
+purpose of hurling it with resistless force and unerring aim. He was not
+twenty feet distant from Jack; but while in the very act of raising the
+missile above his head, his arm was struck a side blow so violent as
+almost to break the bone. The tomahawk flew from his grasp to the earth,
+and in a twinkling some one caught him around the waist, lifted him
+clear of the ground, ran rapidly the few paces necessary, and flung him
+over the rocks into the ravine!</p>
+
+<p>The Sauk struggled desperately to save himself, but he could not check,
+though he retarded his descent. He landed with a force that knocked the
+breath from him, but the abundance of vines and vegetable growth saved
+his life. After a time he slowly gathered himself together, and seeing
+nothing of the enemy who had handled him so ruthlessly, he slowly
+climbed to his feet and began picking his way out of the ravine.</p>
+
+<p>He was compelled to walk a long distance before reaching a place where
+he was able to clamber to the level ground above. When at last he
+managed to do so, he sat down on a fallen tree to rest and indulge in a
+retrospective survey.</p>
+
+<p>His rifle and tomahawk were irrecoverably gone, and nothing would have
+induced him to go back to look for them. If his right arm was not
+broken, it was so injured and lamed that a long time must elapse before
+he could use it, and altogether his enterprise could only be regarded as
+a disastrous failure.</p>
+
+<p>"It was an Indian that struck the tomahawk from my grasp," reflected the
+victimized Sauk; "he was a terrible warrior!"</p>
+
+<p>The youth was right in each respect, for the name of the Indian who made
+such short work with him was Deerfoot the Shawanoe.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXIII" id="CHAPTER_XXXIII"></a>CHAPTER XXXIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>CONCLUSION.</h3>
+
+
+<p>Jack Carleton was in the middle of a pleasant dream of home and friends,
+when a light touch on his shoulder caused him to open his eyes and look
+up with a quick, inquiring glance.</p>
+
+<p>"Helloa! Deerfoot, is that you?" he exclaimed, springing to his feet and
+grasping the hand of his old friend, on whose handsome features lingered
+the shadowy smile which told of the pleasure he felt in finding his
+beloved friend after such a long search.</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot is glad to take the hand of his brother and press it; he has
+hunted a good while for him and his heart was sad that he did not find
+him."</p>
+
+<p>"How, in the name of conscience, did you ever find me at all?" demanded
+Jack, who slapped him on his back, pinched his arm, and treated him
+with a familiarity which few dared show toward him.</p>
+
+<p>"I've had a very curious time, I can tell you, old fellow&mdash;helloa! where
+did that gun come from, and that tomahawk?" exclaimed the wondering
+youth, catching sight of the weapons.</p>
+
+<p>"'Twill be well if my brother does not stay here," replied the young
+Shawanoe, who, while he felt no particular fear of the Sauk whom he had
+flung into the ravine, saw the possibility of his procuring friends and
+coming back to revenge himself. Prudence suggested that the two should
+secure themselves against such peril. Deerfoot, therefore, picked up the
+tomahawk, shoved it into the girdle around his waist, grasped the rifle
+in his right hand, and strode forward with his free, easy, swinging
+gait. As there was no call for special caution, he told the story of his
+encounter with the young Sauk who had raised his tomahawk to brain his
+sleeping friend. Deerfoot's first intention was to drive an arrow
+through his body, but he chose the method already described of
+frustrating his purpose.</p>
+
+<p>To make his story complete, it was necessary for the young Shawanoe to
+begin with his visit to Jack's mother, and to describe the mental agony
+of the good parent over the unaccountable absence of her boy. Then he
+told of his meeting with the Sauk warrior, Hay-uta, who made such a
+determined effort to take his life. From him he learned that a white
+youth was a captive in the village, and he concluded, as a matter of
+course, that there were to be found both Jack and Otto, though no
+reference was made to the latter. The sagacious Shawanoe, however,
+discovered an important fact or two which I did not refer to in telling
+the incident. The first was that Hay-uta was one of the five Sauks who
+separated from the other five directly after the capture of the boys.
+With his company was Otto Relstaub, the Dutch youth, while Jack Carleton
+was with the other. Hay-uta and his friends were on their way to the
+village, and were almost within sight of it, when Hay-uta felt such
+dissatisfaction over their failure to bring back any scalps or plunder,
+that he drew off and declared he would not go home until he secured some
+prize of that nature. His encounter with Deerfoot followed. When he left
+the latter he went straight to his village. Deerfoot could have trailed
+him without trouble, but, inasmuch as the Sauk had departed in that
+manner, and the Shawanoe knew where his village lay, he purposely
+avoided his trail, and followed a course that diverged so far to the
+right that he first reached the village passed by Jack in his canoe. His
+arrival, as sometimes happens in this life, was in the very nick of
+time. From the red men, who showed a friendly disposition toward him, he
+learned that not only had a pale face youth passed down the stream in a
+canoe, but a young warrior aflame with passion was close behind him.</p>
+
+<p>The wise Deerfoot was quick to grasp the situation, and he set out
+hot-footed after the aforesaid flaming young warrior, and followed him
+with such celerity that he came in sight of him long before the Sauk
+arrived at the camp-fire. Little did the furious young Sauk dream, while
+panting with anticipated revenge, and aglow with exultation, that one of
+his own race was close upon his heels, ready to launch his deadly arrow
+at any moment, and only waiting to decide in what manner the Sauk should
+be "eliminated" from the whole business.</p>
+
+<p>Seated around the camp fire late that night, the two friends talked over
+the past. Jack gave full particulars of what befell him since his
+capture by the Indians, up to the hour when Deerfoot joined him. The
+young Shawanoe listened with great interest to the story, for it will be
+admitted that in many respects it was an extraordinary narrative. He
+told Jack that the people with whom he had passed more than a week were
+Sauks, under the leadership of the chieftain whose lodge had sheltered
+the prisoner during his captivity. The Sauks were a brave, warlike
+people, and this offshoot, which had located in that portion of Upper
+Louisiana, was among the most daring and vindictive of the tribe. Their
+leniency toward Jack was remarkable, and could only be accounted for on
+the supposition that Ogallah took a fancy to the youth and meant to
+adopt him into his family. It was not at all unlikely that Jack's
+suspicion that they were "training" him to figure in a scene of torture
+was correct. His escape, therefore, could not have been more opportune.</p>
+
+<p>Let not the reader accuse the two of indifference, because so little has
+been recorded in their conversation, concerning Otto Relstaub, the
+companion of both in more than one scene of peril, and held by them in
+strongest friendship. They had talked more of him than of any one else,
+though Jack's heart was oppressed by a great sorrow when he thought of
+his mother and her grief over his continued absence. Jack had asked
+Deerfoot over and over again as to his belief concerning their absent
+friend, but the Shawanoe, for a long time, evaded a direct answer.</p>
+
+<p>"I can tell you what <i>I</i> think," said Jack with a compression of his
+lips and a shake of his head: "Otto is dead."</p>
+
+<p>"How did my brother meet his death?" calmly asked Deerfoot.</p>
+
+<p>"Those five warriors started by another route to the village and they
+meant to take him there as they took me. After Hay-uta, as I believe you
+call your friend, left, they made up their minds that it wasn't of any
+use to bother with poor Otto, and so they tomahawked or shot him."</p>
+
+<p>Having given his theory, Jack Carleton turned toward the young Shawanoe
+for his comment, but he sat looking intently in the fire and remained
+silent. Resolved that he should say something on the painful subject,
+Jack touched his arm.</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot, do you think I am right?"</p>
+
+<p>The Indian looked in his face and still mute, nodded his head to signify
+he agreed with him.</p>
+
+<p>"Poor Otto," added Jack with a sigh, "I wonder how his father and mother
+will feel when they learn that their boy will never come back."</p>
+
+<p>"They will mourn because the horse was not found," was the
+characteristic remark of Deerfoot.</p>
+
+<p>"You are right," exclaimed Jack, with a flash of the eye; "if old Jacob
+Relstaub could get his horse, I believe he and his wife would go on and
+smoke their pipes with as much piggish enjoyment as before, caring
+nothing for their only child. How different my mother!" he added in a
+softer voice: "she would give her life to save mine, as I would give
+mine to keep trouble from her. I say, Deerfoot, Otto and I were a couple
+of fools to start out to hunt a horse that had been lost so many days
+before and of which we hadn't the slightest trace&mdash;don't you think so?"</p>
+
+<p>The young Shawanoe once more turned and looked in his face with a
+mournful expression, and nodded his head with more emphasis than before.</p>
+
+<p>"I knew you would agree with me," assented Jack, "though, to tell the
+truth, I had very little hope myself that we would ever get sight of
+the animal, but old Jacob Relstaub really drove Otto out of his house
+and compelled him to go off on the wild goose hunt. I couldn't let him
+go alone and, with mother's consent, I kept him company."</p>
+
+<p>"My brother pleased the Great Spirit, and Deerfoot will pray that he
+shall ever act so that the Great Spirit will smile on him."</p>
+
+<p>"I shall most certainly try to do so," said Jack with a resolute shake
+of his head: "He has shown me a hundred-fold more mercies than I deserve
+and I mean to prove that I have some gratitude in me."</p>
+
+<p>The conversation went on in this fashion until the evening was far
+along, when Jack lay down near the fire, intending to sleep for the rest
+of the night. Deerfoot assured him there was no danger and as was his
+custom, the young Shawanoe brought forth his Bible to spend an hour or
+so in studying its pages. Before he had fixed upon the portion, Jack
+Carleton came to the sitting position and, with some excitement in his
+manner, said:</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot, I forgot to tell you something: I don't know how it came to
+slip my mind."</p>
+
+<p>The Indian looked in his face and quietly awaited his explanation.</p>
+
+<p>"One of those Sauks that belonged to Otto's party came into the lodge of
+Ogallah when I was there, and I think he tried to tell me something
+about Otto, but I couldn't understand his words or gestures."</p>
+
+<p>"Let my brother show Deerfoot what the movements were," said the other,
+manifesting much interest.</p>
+
+<p>They were so impressed on Jack Carleton that, springing to his feet, he
+placed himself in front of Deerfoot and reproduced most of the gestures,
+the words, of course, being gone. The Shawanoe fixed his eyes on his
+friend, and scrutinized every motion with eager eyes. Suddenly he sprang
+up with more feeling than he had shown in a long time. And well might he
+do so, for he had translated the sign language, as given to him by Jack
+Carleton, and it told a far different story than the one which both had
+adopted some time before.</p>
+
+<p>"Otto is alive," was the startling declaration of Deerfoot.</p>
+
+<p>"He is!" exclaimed the amazed Jack, "I should like to know who told you
+that."</p>
+
+<p>"That was what the Sauk warrior said to my brother; that was what he
+tried to tell him, but my brother did not understand his words."</p>
+
+<p>"Are you really sure Otto is alive?"</p>
+
+<p>"Deerfoot cannot be sure of that which his eyes do not behold; but such
+were the words of Hay-uta the Sauk; they did not kill Otto."</p>
+
+<p>"Then where <i>is</i> he?"</p>
+
+<p>"He is a long ways off; we will hasten to the settlement that the heart
+of the mother of my brother shall be lightened. Then Deerfoot will lead
+his brother on the hunt for him who is so many miles away toward the
+setting sun."</p>
+
+<p>Within the following three days, Jack Carleton arrived home and was
+clasped in the arms of his mother, who rejoiced over his return as
+though it had been a very rising from the dead. Deerfoot had conducted
+him swiftly through the forest and not a hair of the head of either was
+harmed.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>The limits of this work having been reached, it will be impossible in
+these pages to give an account of what befell Otto Relstaub, after his
+capture by the little band of Sauk Indians; but all that, as well as
+the eventful hunt for him by Deerfoot the Shawanoe and young Jack
+Carleton, shall be fully told in "Footprints in the Forest," which will
+form <i>Number Three of the Log Cabin Series</i>.</p>
+
+
+
+<h3>THE END.</h3>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="Famous_Castlemon_Books" id="Famous_Castlemon_Books"></a>Famous Castlemon Books.</h2>
+
+<p>No author of the present day has become a greater favorite with boys
+than "Harry Castlemon," every book by him is sure to meet with hearty
+reception by young readers generally. His naturalness and vivacity leads
+his readers from page to page with breathless interest, and when one
+volume is finished the fascinated reader, like Oliver Twist, asks "for
+more."</p>
+
+
+<h3>By Harry Castlemon.</h3>
+
+
+<h3>GUNBOAT SERIES.</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Frank the Young Naturalist.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Frank in the Woods.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Frank on the Prairie.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Frank on a Gunboat.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Frank before Vicksburg.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Frank on the Lower Mississippi.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<h3>GO AHEAD SERIES.</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Go Ahead; or, The Fisher Boy's Motto.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">No Moss; or, The Career of a Rolling Stone.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Tom Newcombe; or, The Boy of Bad Habits.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<h3>ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES.</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Frank among the Rancheros.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Frank in the Mountains.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<h3>SPORTSMAN'S CLUB SERIES.</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">The Sportsman's Club in the Saddle.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The Sportsman's Club Afloat.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The Sportsman's Club among the Trappers.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<h3>FRANK NELSON SERIES.</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Snowed up; or, The Sportsman's Club in the Mountains.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Frank Nelson in the Forecastle; or, the Sportsman's Club among the Whalers.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The Boy Traders; or, The Sportsman's Club among the Boers.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<h3>BOY TRAPPER SERIES.</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">The Buried Treasure; or, Old Jordan's "Haunt"<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The Boy Trapper; or, How Dave filled the Order.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The Mail Carrier.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<h3>ROUGHING IT SERIES.</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">George in Camp; or, Life on the Plains.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">George at the Wheel; or, Life in a Pilot House.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">George at the Fort; or, Life Among the Soldiers.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<h3>ROD AND GUN SERIES.</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Don Gordon's Shooting Box.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Rod and Gun.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The Young Wild Fowlers.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="Algers_Renowned_Books" id="Algers_Renowned_Books"></a>Alger's Renowned Books.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Horatio Alger, Jr., has attained distinction as one of the most popular
+writers of books for boys, and the following list comprises all of his
+best books.</p>
+
+<h3>By Horatio Alger, Jr.</h3>
+
+
+<h3>RAGGED DICK SERIES.</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Ragged Dick; or, Street Life in New York.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Fame and Fortune; or, The Progress of Richard Hunter.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Mark the Match Boy; or, Richard Hunter's Ward.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Rough and Ready; or, Life among the New York Newsboys.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Ben the Luggage Boy; or, Among the Wharves.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Rufus and Rose; or, The Fortunes of Rough and Ready.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<h3>TATTERED TOM SERIES.<br /> (<span class="smcap">First Series.</span>)</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Tattered Tom; or, The Story of a Street Arab.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Paul the Peddler; or, The Adventures of a Young Street Merchant.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Phil the Fiddler; or, The Young Street Musician.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Slow and Sure; or, From the Sidewalk to the Shop.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<h3>TATTERED TOM SERIES.<br /> (<span class="smcap">Second Series.</span>)</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Julius; or, The Street Boy Out West.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The Young Outlaw; or, Adrift in the World.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Sam's Chance and How He Improved it.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The Telegraph Boy.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<h3>LUCK AND PLUCK SERIES.<br /> (<span class="smcap">First Series.</span>)</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Luck and Pluck; or, John Oakley's Inheritance.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Sink or Swim; or, Harry Raymond's Resolve.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Strong and Steady; or, Paddle Your Own Canoe.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Strive and Succeed; or, The Progress of Walter Conrad.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<h3>LUCK AND PLUCK SERIES.<br /> (<span class="smcap">Second Series.</span>)</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Try and Trust; or, The Story of a Bound Boy.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Bound to Rise; or, How Harry Walton Rose in the World.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Risen from the Ranks; or, Harry Walton's Success.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Herbert Carter's Legacy; or, The Inventor's Son.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<h3>BRAVE AND BOLD SERIES.</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Brave and Bold; or, The Story of a Factory Boy.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Jack's Ward; or, The Boy Guardian.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Shifting for Himself; or, Gilbert Greyson's Fortunes.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Wait and Hope; or, Ben Bradford's Motto.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<h3>CAMPAIGN SERIES.</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Frank's Campaign; or, the Farm and the Camp.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Paul Prescott's Charge.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Charlie Codman's Cruise.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<h3>PACIFIC SERIES.</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">The Young Adventurer; or, Tom's Trip Across the Plains.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The Young Miner; or, Tom Nelson in California.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The Young Explorer; or, Among the Sierras.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Ben's Nugget; or, A Boy's Search for Fortune. A Story of the Pacific Coast.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<h3>ATLANTIC SERIES</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">The Young Circus Rider; or, The Mystery of Robert Rudd.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Do and Dare; or, A Brave Boy's Fight for Fortune.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Hector's Inheritance; or, Boys of Smith Institute.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="By_C_A_Stephens" id="By_C_A_Stephens"></a>By C. A. Stephens.</h2>
+
+
+<p>Rare books for boys&mdash;bright, breezy, wholesome and instructive&mdash;full of
+adventure and incident, and information upon natural history&mdash;they blend
+instruction with amusement&mdash;contain much useful and valuable information
+upon the habits of animals, and plenty of adventure, fun and jollity.</p>
+
+
+<h3>CAMPING OUT SERIES.</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Camping Out. As recorded by "Kit."<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Left on Labrador; or, The Cruise of the Schooner Yacht "Curlew." As recorded by "Wash."<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Off to the Geysers; or, The Young Yachters in Iceland. As recorded by "Wade."<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Lynx Hunting. From Notes by the Author of "Camping Out."<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Fox Hunting. As recorded by "Raed."<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">On the Amazon; or, the Cruise of the "Rambler." As recorded by "Wash."<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="By_J_T_Trowbridge" id="By_J_T_Trowbridge"></a>By J. T. Trowbridge.</h2>
+
+
+<p>These stories will rank among the best of Mr. Trowbridge's books for the
+young, and he has written some of the best of our juvenile literature.</p>
+
+
+<h3>JACK HAZARD SERIES.</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Jack Hazard and his Fortunes.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">A Chance for Himself; or, Jack Hazard and his Treasure.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Doing his Best.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Fast Friends.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The Young Surveyor; or, Jack on the Prairies.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Lawrence's Adventures Among the Ice Cutters, Glass Makers, Coal by "Wade."<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="By_Edward_S_Ellis" id="By_Edward_S_Ellis"></a>By Edward S. Ellis.</h2>
+
+
+<p>A New Series of Books for Boys, equal in interest to the "Castlemon" and
+"Alger" books. His power of description of Indian life and character is
+equal to the best of Cooper.</p>
+
+
+<h3>BOY PIONEER SERIES.</h3>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Ned in the Block House; or, Life on the Frontier.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Ned in the Woods.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Ned on the River.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Camp-fire and Wigwam, by Edward Sylvester Ellis
+
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+</body>
+</html>
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+Project Gutenberg's Camp-fire and Wigwam, by Edward Sylvester Ellis
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Camp-fire and Wigwam
+
+Author: Edward Sylvester Ellis
+
+Release Date: July 4, 2008 [EBook #25966]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CAMP-FIRE AND WIGWAM ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Taavi Kalju, Mary Meehan and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
+file was produced from images generously made available
+by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                              CAMP-FIRE AND WIGWAM.
+
+                                By EDWARD S. ELLIS
+
+AUTHOR OF "NED IN THE BLOCK-HOUSE," "NED IN THE WOODS," "NED ON THE
+RIVER," "THE LOST TRAIL," ETC.
+
+
+PHILADELPHIA:
+PORTER & COATES.
+
+COPYRIGHT, 1885,
+BY PORTER & COATES.
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: JACK'S WRESTLING BOUT WITH THE YOUNG INDIAN.]
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+        I.--AT HOME
+
+       II.--A DOUBTFUL ENTERPRISE
+
+      III.--WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPECTED
+
+       IV.--CAPTORS AND CAPTIVES
+
+        V.--JOURNEYING SOUTHWARD
+
+       VI.--AN INVOLUNTARY BATH
+
+      VII.--TWO VISITORS
+
+     VIII.--A SURPRISE
+
+       IX.--BY THE CAMP-FIRE
+
+        X.--WAITING AND HOPING
+
+       XI.--THROUGH THE FOREST
+
+      XII.--THE SIGNAL FIRES
+
+     XIII.--THE INDIAN VILLAGE
+
+      XIV.--ON THE MOUNTAIN CREST
+
+       XV.--THE RETURN AND DEPARTURE
+
+      XVI.--A PERPLEXING QUESTION
+
+     XVII.--TWO ACQUAINTANCES AND FRIENDS
+
+    XVIII.--THE TRAPPERS
+
+      XIX.--DEERFOOT'S WOODCRAFT
+
+       XX.--SAUK AND SHAWANOE
+
+      XXI.--CHRISTIAN AND PAGAN
+
+     XXII.--AN ABORIGINAL SERMON
+
+    XXIII.--IN THE LODGE OF OGALLAH
+
+     XXIV.--A ROW
+
+      XXV.--THE WAR FEAST
+
+     XXVI.--AN ALARMING DISCOVERY
+
+    XXVII.--"GAH-HAW-GE"
+
+   XXVIII.--A PATIENT OF THE MEDICINE MAN
+
+     XXIX.--CONVALESCENCE
+
+      XXX.--OUT IN THE WORLD
+
+     XXXI.--JOURNEYING EASTWARD
+
+    XXXII.--A MISCALCULATION
+
+   XXXIII.--CONCLUSION
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+JACK'S WRESTLING BOUT WITH THE YOUNG INDIAN
+
+A NARROW ESCAPE
+
+THE SIGNAL
+
+DEERFOOT'S VICTORY
+
+
+
+
+CAMP-FIRE AND WIGWAM.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+AT HOME.
+
+
+On the evening of a dismal, rainy day in spring, a mother and her son
+were sitting in their log-cabin home in the southern portion of the
+present State of Missouri. The settlement bore the name of Martinsville,
+in honor of the leader of the little party of pioneers who had left
+Kentucky some months before, and, crossing the Mississippi, located in
+that portion of the vast territory known at that time as Louisiana.
+
+There were precisely twenty cabins, all of which had been constructed
+with a view to rugged strength, durability, and comfort. Lusty arms had
+felled the trees, that were cut the proper length and dovetailed in the
+usual manner at the corners, the crevices being filled with a species of
+plaster, made almost entirely from yellow clay. The interiors were
+generally divided into two apartments, with a broad fireplace and the
+rude furniture of the border. Colonel Martin himself, with the
+assistance of his two full-grown sons, erected a more pretentious
+dwelling with two stories and a loft, but the other houses, as has
+already been stated, were of such a simple and familiar character that
+the American reader needs no further description.
+
+Mrs. Carleton was a widow, whose husband had been slain by Indians in
+Kentucky some time previous, and who, in the daily requirement of her
+duties, and in her great love for her only child, Jack, found some
+relief from the dreadful sorrow that overshadowed her life. Kind
+neighbors had lent willing hands, and her home was as well made as any
+in the settlement. Jack and his companion, Otto Relstaub, had arrived
+only a couple of days before, and each had wrought so hard in his
+respective household that they had scarcely found time to speak to or
+see each other.
+
+The evening meal had been eaten, the things cleared away, and wood
+heaped upon the fire which filled the little room with cheerful
+illumination. The mother was seated at one side, the silent
+spinning-wheel just beyond, while her deft fingers were busy with her
+knitting. Jack was half reclining on a rude bench opposite, recounting,
+in his boyish fashion, the adventures of himself and Otto on their
+memorable journey, which has been fully told in the "Lost Trail."
+
+The good mother possessed an education beyond the ordinary, and, knowing
+its great value, insisted upon her son improving his spare moments in
+study. Jack was well informed for his years, for no one could have been
+blessed with a better teacher, counselor, and friend, than he was. Even
+now, when we reintroduce him to the reader, he held an old-fashioned
+spelling-book in his hand. He had tried to give his attention to his
+lesson, but, boy-like, his mind persisted in wandering, and his mother,
+looking fondly across the fire, was so pleased to hear him chat and to
+ask and answer questions, that she could not find it in her heart to
+chide him.
+
+"You have never seen Deerfoot, have you, mother?" he asked, abruptly
+breaking in on his own narrative.
+
+"Yes, I have seen him; he saved the life of your father."
+
+"What!" exclaimed Jack, straightening up and staring at his parent in
+open-mouthed amazement: "I never heard of that before."
+
+"Didn't Deerfoot tell you?"
+
+"He never hinted anything of the kind. He once asked me about father's
+death and about you, but I thought it was only a natural interest he
+felt on my account. But tell me how it was, mother."
+
+"Some months before your father's death, he was absent a couple of days
+on a hunt to the south of our home. He kindled a camp-fire in a deep
+valley, where the undergrowth was so dense that he felt sure of being
+safe against discovery. The night was very cold, and snow was flying in
+the air. Besides that, he had eaten nothing all day, and was anxious to
+broil a wild turkey he had shot just as it began to grow dark. He
+started the fire, ate his supper, and was in the act of lying down for
+the night, when a young Indian walked out from the woods, saying in the
+best of English that he was his friend. Your father told me that he was
+the most graceful and handsome youth he had ever looked upon----"
+
+"That was Deerfoot!" exclaimed the delighted Jack.
+
+"There can be no doubt of it, for he told your father that such was his
+English name. I forget what his own people called him. Well, he said to
+your father, in the most quiet manner, that a party of Shawanoes were
+very near him. They had heard the report of his rifle, and, suspecting
+what it meant, were carefully arranging to capture him for the purpose
+of torture. Deerfoot had seen them, and, having also heard the gun,
+learned what was going on. If your father had stayed where he was five
+minutes longer, nothing could have saved him. I need not tell you that
+he did not stay. Under the guidance of Deerfoot he managed to extricate
+himself from his peril, and, by traveling the entire night, was beyond
+all danger when the sun rose again. Deerfoot did not leave him until
+certain he had no cause for fear. Then, when your father turned to thank
+him, he was gone. He had departed as silently as a shadow."
+
+"That was just like Deerfoot!" exclaimed Jack, with kindling eye; "it
+seems to me he is like Washington. Though he has been in any number of
+dangers, I don't believe he has so much as a scar on his little finger.
+He has been fired upon I don't know how often, but, like Washington, he
+carries a charmed life."
+
+The serious mother shook her head, and, looking over her knitting at her
+boy, made answer:
+
+"Such a thing is unknown in this world; more than likely he will fall by
+the knife or bullet of an enemy."
+
+"I suppose he is liable to be shot, like any one else; but the Indian
+that does it has got to be mighty smart to get ahead of him. Plenty of
+them have tried it with knife and tomahawk, but they never lived to try
+it on any one else. But that ain't the most wonderful part of it," added
+Jack, shaking his head and gesticulating in his excitement with both
+arms; "Deerfoot knows a good deal more about books than I do."
+
+"That does not imply that he possesses any remarkable education," said
+the mother, with a quiet smile.
+
+The boy flushed, and sinking back said:
+
+"I know I ain't the best-educated fellow in the settlement, but who ever
+heard of a young Indian knowing how to read and write? Why, that fellow
+can write the prettiest hand you ever saw. He carries a little Bible
+with him: the print is so fine I can hardly read it, but he will stretch
+out in the light of a poor camp-fire, and read it for an hour at a time.
+I can't understand where he picked it all up, but he told me about the
+Pacific Ocean, which is away beyond our country, and he spoke of the
+land where the Saviour lived when he was on earth. I never felt so
+ashamed of myself as I did when he sat down and told me such things. He
+can repeat verse after verse from the Bible; he pronounced the Lord's
+Prayer in Shawanoe, and then told me and Otto that if we would only use
+the English a little oftener the Great Spirit would hear us. What do you
+think of _that_?"
+
+"It is very good advice."
+
+"Of course it is, but the idea of a young Indian being that sort of
+fellow! Well, there's no use of talking," added Jack, as though unable
+to do justice to the theme, "he beats anything I ever heard of. If the
+truth should be written as to what he has done, and put in a book, I
+don't 'spose one person in a hundred would believe it. He promised to
+come and see us."
+
+"I hope he will," said the mother; "I shall always hold him in the
+highest esteem and gratitude for his kindness to your father and to
+you."
+
+"I tell you it would have gone rough with Otto and me if it hadn't been
+for him. I wonder how Otto is getting along?" said Jack, with an
+expression of misgiving on his face.
+
+"Why do you ask that?" inquired his mother.
+
+"I think Deerfoot was worried over him."
+
+"I do not understand you."
+
+"Why, you know Otto has got the meanest father in the whole United
+States of America----"
+
+"Those are strong words," interrupted the parent reprovingly.
+
+"It is contrary to your teaching to talk that way, but you know, too,
+that it is the solemn truth. Deerfoot stopped at Jacob Relstaub's cabin,
+in this very settlement, some weeks ago, when it was raining harder than
+now, and asked for something to eat, and to stay all night. What do you
+'spose Relstaub did? He abused him and turned him away."
+
+"What a shame!" exclaimed the good woman indignantly. "Why did Deerfoot
+not come here or to one of the other cabins?"
+
+"I don't know, but he went off in the woods by himself. Otto tried to
+befriend him, and was whipped for it; but Deerfoot never forgot it, and
+he risked his life to help Otto and me."
+
+"It was very unkind in Mr. Relstaub, but you have not told me why you
+and Deerfoot were alarmed for Otto."
+
+"Otto had the best horse that his father owns. It ran away from us, and,
+though we tried hard to get him again, we couldn't, and Otto and I came
+home on foot. Knowing his father as well as we do, Deerfoot and I were
+afraid the poor fellow would be punished because he lost the animal. I
+haven't had a chance to say much to Otto, and when I did, I didn't want
+to ask him about it, but I would like to know whether he has been
+punished for what he couldn't help."
+
+"I can answer that question," said Mrs. Carleton, softly; "his father
+whipped him most cruelly yesterday."
+
+"The old scamp----"
+
+"Tut, tut!" warned the parent, raising her finger, "it _was_ cruel, but
+Otto will survive it, as he has many other times, and before many years
+he will become so large that his father will not be able to punish him."
+
+"I hope he will undertake it, and Otto will knock him----"
+
+"Stop!" said the mother, more sternly, "you have already allowed your
+feelings to lead you too far."
+
+"Pardon me, mother," said Jack, humbly, "I would not hurt your feelings
+for the world; but there is such a contrast between his father and you,
+and his mother is just as bad----"
+
+Jack checked himself again, for his quick ear detected something. He
+turned quickly toward the door of the cabin, and his mother, reading the
+meaning of the movement, did the same, holding her fingers motionless
+while both listened.
+
+The rain beat upon the roof, dashed against the window-panes, and
+rattled on the logs of the cabin, with a melancholy sound that made the
+interior seem doubly cheerful by contrast. At times the wind roared
+among the trees, and some of the pattering drops found their way down
+the chimney, and hissed among the flaming brands, making tiny black
+points that were instantly wiped out by the ardor of the fire itself.
+
+Suddenly the latch-string, which was only drawn in when the inmates were
+ready to retire, was pulled, the latch raised, the door opened, and Otto
+Relstaub, his garments dripping water, entered the room.
+
+"Good-evening!" he called, pausing a moment to close the door against
+the driving storm.
+
+Both greeted the visitor, and Jack, laying aside his book, advanced and
+warmly shook the hand of his friend, bringing him forward and giving him
+a seat on the bench, which was drawn still nearer the fire.
+
+Otto was attired very much as when we saw him last, but he did not carry
+his gun with him. He took off his peaked hat, shook the water from it,
+and then his broad, good-natured face, gleaming with moisture and rugged
+health, was raised to meet the mild, inquiring gaze of the lady, who
+asked him how he was.
+
+"Oh, I ish well," he answered, speaking English much better than he did
+a short time previous, "I have been working so hard dot I couldn't come
+over before."
+
+"I'm real glad to see you," said Jack, cordially, slapping him on the
+back and making the water fly; "if you hadn't called to-night I would
+have dropped in to-morrow to see you. We've hardly had a chance to speak
+to each other since we got back."
+
+"No, dot ish so," said Otto, with a sigh. "Father, he makes me work
+harder as I never did, to make up for the time dot I wasted in play, he
+says. By Jiminy! I don't think dot was much play, do you, Jack?"
+
+"It was the worst play I ever went through; two boys never worked harder
+for their lives than did we, and if it hadn't been for Deerfoot, we
+never would have reached Martinsville. I suppose your father gave you a
+whipping for losing Toby?"
+
+"I should thinks he did! I hadn't been home one hours, when he went out
+and cut a stick, and used it up on me, and he doned the same yesterday."
+
+Jack was about to break forth into vigorous language, when his mother
+anticipated him. Her voice was slightly tremulous, for, despite her
+enforced calmness, she could not altogether restrain her feelings.
+
+"Surely he could not have understood the matter; I will speak to your
+mother."
+
+Otto shrugged his shoulders, with a laugh in which there was more
+sadness than mirth.
+
+"Moder is worse than him; she tole him he didn't whips me half enough,
+and so he tried it again yesterday. I heard her tells him to-night dot I
+needed more, so I slips out and comes over here before he could get
+everythings ready. May I stay here all night?"
+
+"All night!" repeated Jack, "you may stay a week--a month--a year--yes,
+_forever_."
+
+"I don't want to stay dot long," said Otto, with his pleasant laugh;
+"but fader, he tells me he will beat me every day till I brings back de
+horse."
+
+"Very well," said Jack, compressing his lips, "you won't go back till
+you get the horse--if it takes five years."
+
+"Did your father tell you to stay away till you recovered the animal?"
+asked Mrs. Carleton.
+
+"Dot vos just vot he says."
+
+"Then it is proper that you should obey him."
+
+Otto nodded his head to signify that his sentiments were those of his
+friends. He glanced slyly around the room, but did not explain what he
+was looking for, and, unfortunately, neither mother nor son suspected
+the meaning of the look; but Otto's hard-hearted parents had actually
+driven him from their home without allowing him to eat a mouthful of
+dinner or supper. He was suffering with hunger, but was plucky enough to
+bear it without complaining, since his friends had partaken and cleared
+away the table long before.
+
+"What do you intend to do?" asked Mrs. Carleton, who deeply sympathized
+with the poor lad.
+
+"I goes home in de mornings and gets my gun and powder-horn before they
+can whips me, and then I goes off to hunt for Toby."
+
+"And I'll go with you!" exclaimed the impulsive Jack, springing to his
+feet; "you'll let me, mother, won't you?" he asked, turning beseechingly
+toward her.
+
+Recalling the perils through which her only child had passed so
+recently, the widow could not but contemplate with dismay the prospect
+of having him venture into the wilderness again; but she felt deeply for
+poor honest Otto, who was so willing and good-natured, and who had shown
+such a desire to help her while her own boy was in Kentucky.
+
+Furthermore, she knew that Louisiana was a much less dangerous country
+than the Dark and Bloody Ground. Few of the Shawanoes, Hurons, and other
+actively hostile tribes ever crossed to the western side of the
+Mississippi, where the Osages gave little trouble to the settlers
+scattered through that immense territory.
+
+Otto's eyes sparkled when Jack Carleton leaped to his feet and declared
+he would go with him on the search for the lost horse (subject, of
+course, to the consent of his mother), and the German youth looked
+pleadingly toward the good woman, who, it is hardly necessary to say,
+yielded consent, giving with it a large amount of motherly counsel, to
+which the boys listened respectfully, though candor compels me to say
+that the thoughts of both were far away among the green woods, beside
+the sparkling streams, and in the shadows of the chasms, ravines, and
+gloomy mountains, whither, as they well knew, the curious search would
+lead them.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+A DOUBTFUL ENTERPRISE.
+
+
+One of the commendable habits of the early settlers and old-fashioned
+folks was that of retiring and rising early. They were ardent believers
+in the saying of Poor Richard that "early to bed, and early to rise,
+makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
+
+It was not yet nine o'clock, when Jack and Otto, despite the deep
+interest they felt in their projected campaign, voluntarily withdrew to
+the other room, where they fell asleep within five minutes after their
+heads touched the pillow. The mother remained by the fire some time
+after the boys withdrew. Her small white fingers flitted hither back and
+forth, while her mild brown eyes seemed to look beyond the flashing
+needles, and into the glowing coals on the hearth. Her thoughts were sad
+and sorrowful, as they always were when she sat thus alone. They
+wandered back to that awful time when her loved husband was stricken
+down in defence of her and their little boy.
+
+But to-night she was thinking more of that boy than of the father. She
+saw how much like the latter he was growing, and she trembled when she
+recalled that he was soon to start on another excursion into the
+wilderness, to be gone for days, and likely for weeks, and with no
+certainty of ever returning again.
+
+As the night advanced, the fury of the storm diminished. At "low twelve"
+the fall of rain ceased altogether. The wind blew strongly, sometimes
+with a power which caused the strongest trees to bow their heads to the
+blast. As the morning approached, it died out altogether, and the sun
+rose on one of the fairest days that ever was seen.
+
+Early as was the orb, the inmates of the cabin were waiting to greet it
+when it appeared above the horizon. The boys were in high spirits over
+the beautiful morning, and both felt that it promised well for the
+venture before them.
+
+"I tell you _we're going to win_!" said Jack, compressing his lips and
+shaking his head. "I feel it in my bones, as your father says, just
+before a storm comes."
+
+"Dot's vot I dinks," assented Otto, whose only discomfort was his
+exceeding hunger: "Vot you dinks, Mrs. Carleton?"
+
+"I hope you will not be disappointed; that is the most I can say. Jack's
+feeling that you are going to succeed is simply his pleasure over the
+prospect of a ramble in the woods. We will eat breakfast, after which
+you can go home and make your preparations for the journey."
+
+When they were seated at the table and Otto's hunger was nearly
+satisfied, he told his friends with a grin, that it was the first food
+he had tasted in twenty-four hours. They were shocked, and both took him
+to task for his failure to make known the truth the evening before. He
+made the philosophic reply that if he had done so he would have missed
+the boundless enjoyment of such a meal as that of which he was then
+partaking.
+
+Mrs. Carleton on rising in the morning felt that Otto ought not to be
+allowed to go on the expedition until after a further talk with his
+parents, who, despite what they had said, might be unwilling for him to
+engage in such an undertaking; but when she learned how the poor fellow
+had been made to suffer with hunger her feelings changed. It was hard to
+repress her indignation, and she made up her mind to talk to the cruel
+folks as they had never been talked to before; but she allowed no
+impatient word to escape her in the presence of their son. She simply
+advised him to depart as soon as he could upon the hunt for the horse,
+and not to return, if possible, until it was recovered or another
+obtained.
+
+"Dot is vot I does," replied Otto with a shake of his head and a
+determined expression; "Otto doesn't comes back till he brings some kind
+of animal--if it's only a 'coon or 'possum."
+
+When he walked over to his own home (the building for which was
+precisely the same as that of widow Carleton), his father and mother
+were eating their breakfast. They looked surlily at him as he entered,
+and the mother showed her incredible heartlessness by asking her only
+child in German:
+
+"Where is Toby that you lost?"
+
+"How can I tell, mother, except that he is in the woods? I tried hard to
+find him again, and had it not been for Deerfoot I would have lost my
+life; but he is gone."
+
+"Did I not tell you to go and not come back until you brought him with
+you?" demanded the father, glaring at his boy as though he was ready to
+throttle him.
+
+"So you did--so you did; but I couldn't do much last night, when it was
+so dark and stormy. I have come over to get my gun and ammunition."
+
+The father and mother looked in each other's faces, as though in doubt
+whether they would let the lad have the property, but before the
+question could be debated Otto had flung the powder-horn over his
+shoulders, adjusted the bullet-pouch, shoved the hunting-knife in the
+girdle at his waist, and walked to the front door, where he halted and
+looked back.
+
+"Can't I have breakfast before I go?"
+
+"No!" fairly shouted the father; "begone; you shall not have a mouthful
+under my roof till you bring back the colt you have lost."
+
+"Nobody wants anything you've got on _that_ table," the lad was
+indignant enough to reply: "I've had one meal that was worth more than a
+dozen like that. Good-by!"
+
+And before the dumfounded parents could rally from the unparalleled
+impudence of the youth he was gone.
+
+When he reached the home of Jack Carleton, the latter was waiting and
+impatient to start. Jack had already kissed his mother good-by several
+times and he repeated the fond embrace. Tears were in the eyes of both,
+and the mother stood in the door of her cabin shading her eyes with her
+hand until the two passed from sight in the forest beyond the clearing.
+
+Several of the pioneers who were busy about the settlement greeted the
+boys and inquired their errand. Colonel Martin shook hands with them,
+and asked all the particulars of the business on which they were
+engaged. His age and position authorized him to ask such searching
+questions, had the couple been full-grown men instead of boys.
+
+Otto answered truthfully, and the colonel smiled grimly and shook his
+head.
+
+"It's mighty little chance you have of ever finding _that_ horse again,
+but you may come upon another. Take my advice, however," added the
+colonel with a wink of his left eye, "make certain the owner isn't in
+sight when you walk off with the animal."
+
+"Why, colonel, you don't think we mean to steal a horse!" exclaimed the
+horrified Jack.
+
+"Certainly not--certainly not," the principal man of the settlement
+hastened to say, "I don't believe you could be persuaded to do such a
+thing--that is if the owner was looking."
+
+"We couldn't be persuaded to do such a thing _under any circumstances_,"
+exclaimed Jack, his face flushing over the idea that any one who knew
+him should suspect him capable of such a crime.
+
+"See here," said the colonel, dropping his voice and stepping in front
+of them, "you tell me you are going after a horse. Have you the money
+with you to buy one?"
+
+"No; we cannot get one _that_ way."
+
+"I judged not; how then do you propose to obtain him?"
+
+"Toby, the colt belonging to Otto's father, is wandering in the woods
+not very far away----"
+
+"How do you know he is?" interrupted the colonel.
+
+"Why, he was doing so only a few days ago."
+
+"That is no proof that he is keeping it up; in fact it is scarcely
+possible that such is the case. Recollect, my boy, that several tribes
+of Indians hunt through this portion of Louisiana, and they would be
+much quicker than you to observe the trail of a horse wearing an iron
+shoe; they would be inquiring enough also to investigate for themselves,
+and, when they came upon the colt, they would snap him up quicker than
+lightning."
+
+The boys felt that somehow or other the wonderful young Shawanoe would
+appear at the right moment and lend them the help which they were
+certain to need. Should he fail to do so, they could no more recapture
+and take the colt to his owner than they could penetrate into the Dark
+and Bloody Ground and bring back the great war chief Tecumseh as a
+prisoner.
+
+But neither Colonel Martin nor any one in the village knew anything
+about the extraordinary Indian youth, and, while Jack was asking himself
+whether he should linger long enough to explain the situation, the
+gentleman relieved them from the embarrassment by a hearty slap on the
+shoulder of Jack, and the exclamations:
+
+"I was once a boy myself! I haven't forgotten that jolly time: we
+always liked to have some sort of excuse when we went off on a frolic.
+You see what a lot of work there is to do in clearing the ground and
+getting it ready for cultivation; you would much rather be hunting and
+rambling through the woods; I can't say I blame you, so off with you,
+and when you come back with word that the horse was mean enough to keep
+out of your way, why we won't be too hard on you."
+
+And with another resounding slap, the hearty colonel gave the boys a
+vigorous shove which sent them forward among the trees, near which they
+had halted.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPECTED.
+
+
+Jack Carleton was too sensible a youth to suppose that the Lost Trail
+could be found by a blind wandering through the immense expanse of
+wilderness, which stretched hundreds of miles in almost every direction
+from the little settlement of Martinsville. Both he and Otto had a
+strong hope, when they reached home after their stirring adventure with
+Deerfoot, that the colt Toby would follow them of his own accord. He
+belonged to a species possessing such unusual intelligence that there
+would have been nothing remarkable in such a proceeding, and the fact
+that he did not do so, gave ground for the belief that he had fallen
+into the hands of parties who prevented the animal from doing as he
+chose.
+
+One fact was clearly established; Toby had been within a comparatively
+short distance of the settlement, and, if he had remained anywhere in
+the neighborhood during the late storm, traces of him must be found
+without much difficulty. But one of the easiest things in the world is
+to theorize over any problem; to push that theory to a successful
+conclusion is altogether another matter.
+
+While it lacked a couple of hours of noon, the boys reached an elevated
+section which gave them an extended view in every direction. Looking to
+the eastward, Otto fancied he could detect the gleam of the distant
+Mississippi, but Jack assured him he was mistaken. Too many miles lay
+between them and the mighty Father of Waters for the eye to traverse the
+space.
+
+Young Carleton took off his cap and drew his handkerchief across his
+perspiring forehead. Then he sighed and smiled.
+
+"This doesn't appear so hopeful to me as it did last night, when we sat
+around the fire and talked it over; but of course we won't give up so
+long as there's the least hope."
+
+"And it won't do for me to give him up then," replied Otto, with a
+meaning shake of his head; "you don't know my fader as well as me."
+
+"I don't want to either," remarked Jack, who did not think it his duty
+to refrain from showing the contempt he felt for the miserly, cruel
+parent of his friend.
+
+"No," observed Otto, with a touch of that grim humor which he sometimes
+displayed, "I doesn't dinks dot you and him could have much fun
+together."
+
+The young friends were too accustomed to the immensity of nature, as
+displayed on every hand, to feel specially impressed by the scene which
+would have held any one else enthralled. It may be said they were "on
+business," though it had very much the appearance of sport.
+
+"Halloo! I expected it!" called out Jack Carleton, whose gaze abruptly
+rested on a point due southwest, and more than a mile away.
+
+His companion did not need the guidance of the outstretched arm and
+index finger leveled toward the distant spot, where the smoke of a
+camp-fire was seen climbing toward the blue sky. The scene on which the
+boys looked was similar to that which met the eye of Ned Preston and
+Deerfoot when they lay on the broad flat rock and gazed across at the
+signal-fire in the distance.
+
+The wooded country gradually sloped to the south and west from the
+elevation whereon the young friends had halted, slowly rising and
+undulating until the eye could follow the blue wavy outlines no further.
+At the point already named, and in the lowest portion of the intervening
+country, a camp-fire was burning. The smoke, as it filtered upward
+through the branches of the trees, and gradually dissolved in the pure
+air above, was seen with such distinctness that it caught the eye of
+Jack the moment it was turned in that direction.
+
+It was not a signal-fire, such as one is likely to detect when
+journeying through an Indian country, but the vapor from the camp of
+some body of men who were not making the slightest attempt to conceal
+themselves, for it cannot be conceived that they had any reason for
+doing so.
+
+If the party were Indians, they surely had no necessity for stationing a
+sentinel on the outskirts of their camp to watch for danger.
+
+Jack and Otto looked in each other's faces and smiled; the natural
+question had presented itself at the same moment. It was, "Can it be
+that the horse we are seeking is with them?"
+
+"The only way to find out is to go forward and see for ourselves," said
+Jack, after they had discussed the question for several minutes.
+
+"'Spose dot de horse is with them--what den?"
+
+Jack shrugged his shoulders.
+
+"Deerfoot used to say that he could never answer such a question until
+he knew exactly how everything stood. Now, we can't be certain whether
+they are Indians or white men, and I don't know as it makes much
+difference one way or the other, for our own horse thieves over in
+Kentucky were dreaded as much as were the Shawanoes. They were a good
+deal meaner, too, for they oppressed their own race."
+
+"Dot is vot I sometimes dinks of fader," was the unexpected remark of
+Otto; "if he was only a colored man or Injin I would have more respect
+for him; dot is so."
+
+"Come on; we have started out to do something, and we can't gain
+anything by staying here."
+
+The brief halt had refreshed the boys, and they now moved forward with
+their naturally vigorous and almost bounding steps. While they had much
+curiosity, and a somewhat singular misgiving, yet they were in no
+particular fear, for it was impossible to believe they were in any real
+peril.
+
+It was quite a tramp to reach the camp in which just then they felt so
+much interest, and the sun was close to meridian when Jack, who was
+slightly in advance, slackened his gait, and remarked in an undertone:
+
+"It can't be far--halloo!"
+
+While picking their way through the valley, they lost sight of the
+wavering column of vapor, except once or twice when they were able to
+catch a glimpse of it through the tree-tops. Jack's exclamation was
+caused by another sight of the murky column, which, as he suspected,
+proved to be little more than a hundred yards distant.
+
+There was so much undergrowth that nothing of the fire itself could be
+observed, though the smoke showed itself distinctly in the clear air
+above.
+
+"Vell, vot does we does now?" was the natural query of Otto, as he
+placed himself beside his young friend.
+
+"I guess we may as well keep on, until we find out who they are."
+
+"After we finds out vot we does den?"
+
+"We shall see--come on."
+
+It was simple prudence that they should speak in whispers, and step with
+as much care as if they were scouts entering the camp of an enemy. It
+would have been rashness to neglect so simple a precaution, no matter
+how favorable the circumstances.
+
+"Holds on!" whispered Otto, "I dinks I goes around the oder side while
+you takes a look on dis side."
+
+"There is no need of doing that," interposed Jack; "we found out the
+consequence of separating when in danger. You needn't keep behind me,
+but you may walk at my side."
+
+"All right," responded Otto, obeying the suggestion.
+
+A rod or two further, and something red gleamed, among the trees and
+undergrowth. Smoke was observed at the same moment, and immediately
+after came the hum of voices and the sight of persons stretched on the
+ground in lolling, indolent positions, while some were sitting on a
+fallen tree, and two were engaged in broiling some venison, which
+evidently was meant to furnish dinner for the rest. The majority were
+smoking a species of red clay pipe, and the appearance of the party
+suggested that they were resting after a laborious tramp through the
+woods.
+
+There were precisely ten, and they were Indians--every one. Jack could
+not be certain of the tribe to which they belonged, but inasmuch as it
+was apparent they were neither Shawanoes nor Hurons, he was confident
+they were Osages, though it was not impossible that their totem was
+another altogether.
+
+Several peculiarities about the strange Indians interested the youth.
+They were noticeably shorter in stature than the Hurons and Shawanoes
+whom they had been accustomed to meet on the other side of the
+Mississippi. The poetical American Indian is far different from the one
+in real life. It is rarely that a really handsome warrior or squaw is
+met. They are, generally a slouchy, frowsy, lazy, unclean people, of
+whom nothing is truer than that distance lends enchantment to their
+view.
+
+Those upon whom Jack and Otto gazed with natural curiosity, were not
+only shorter in stature, but of homelier countenance. Their eyes were
+smaller, more piggish, and further apart, their cheek-bones more
+prominent, the foreheads lower and more sloping, while Jack always
+asserted that they had much larger mouths than the Indians with whom he
+was familiar.
+
+While asking themselves whether it was wise to go any closer and to make
+their acquaintance, the lads stood side by side, each with the stock of
+his gun resting on the earth, while their whole attention was absorbed
+by the curious scene before them.
+
+It would naturally follow that if the Indian party was in such plain
+sight of the boys, they themselves must have been visible to the red men
+had they chosen to cast their searching glances towards the spot where
+the two were standing, even though the latter were partially hidden by
+the undergrowth.
+
+Had Jack and Otto been as vigilant and suspicious as they ought to have
+been, their misgivings would have been awakened by what took place
+within the next ten minutes. Two of the warriors, leaving their rifles
+where they were leaning against a fallen tree, leisurely rose and
+sauntered into the woods, taking a course directly opposite to that
+which would have led them to where the boys stood. The latter observed
+the movement, but thought nothing of it.
+
+"What do you say?" finally asked Jack, in a guarded voice; "shall we go
+forward and make their acquaintance?"
+
+"Dey haven't any horses that we can see, and I dinks dot we better goes
+away till some other time."
+
+"I am inclined to believe you are right----"
+
+At that moment, and without the least warning, a brawny, coppery arm
+shot over the shoulder of Jack Carleton, and, grasping his rifle with an
+iron grip, snatched it from him. At the same instant, a precisely
+similar movement deprived Otto Relstaub of his most important weapon,
+the two friends being made prisoners before they dreamed they were in
+the least danger.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+CAPTORS AND CAPTIVES.
+
+
+With an exclamation of affright, Jack Carleton whirled on his heel and
+found the broad, grinning face of one of the warriors almost against his
+own. Holding the rifle back, as if expecting an attempt to recover it,
+the savage thrust his head forward, with a tantalizing expression
+overspreading his ugly features. At the same moment he muttered
+something very rapidly in his own tongue. Not a word was understood by
+Jack, but he was sure the warrior said, "Ah, ha, young man, I've caught
+you, and you can't help yourself."
+
+The experience of Otto Relstaub was slightly different from that of his
+companion. When he found his rifle gone and a squatty Indian at his
+elbow, he was panic-stricken.
+
+"Mine gracious!" he exclaimed, "this ain't de best place for me; I dinks
+I goes to some oder place."
+
+Naturally he made a dash to retrace his steps, but the warrior was too
+quick for him. He had taken his second step only, when his captor
+grasped the ankle of the foot that was rising from the ground, and drew
+backward with such force that Otto sprawled on his face.
+
+Jack, who could not believe that these red men were of a very sanguinary
+disposition, laughed outright over the discomfiture of his friend.
+
+"Can't you kick him loose?" he called.
+
+"If he don't hang on too tight," replied Otto, trying with might and
+main to free himself.
+
+The moment the boys were captured, the attention of the entire company
+was centred upon them. All talking ceased, and every one stood up and
+looked toward the point of interest. Several went forward to meet the
+captives, and the general grin that lighted up the aboriginal
+countenances seemed to shed a mild sort of sunlight among and under the
+trees.
+
+"It's no use," said Jack to his friend; "we can't get away until they
+are ready to let us go."
+
+"Vot does they mean to do mit us?"
+
+"That is hard to tell," replied the young Kentuckian, with a serious
+countenance; "I don't know to what tribe they belong, but I believe
+they ain't half as bad as the Shawanoes."
+
+"Dey couldn't be any more cruel don dem," was the truthful observation
+of the young German.
+
+In the course of a few seconds the boys were fully introduced to the
+camp-fire of the strange Indians, who were not in war paint, and who, as
+the boys rightly believed, belonged to a less bloodthirsty totem than
+did the redskins on the eastern bank of the Mississippi.
+
+Every warrior was standing on his feet, and they all crowded around the
+boys, as though they had never seen any of their race until that moment.
+They continually talked in their guttural, grunting fashion, smiling and
+nodding their heads. Two of them pinched the limbs of the boys as though
+testing their muscle. So far from showing any alarm, Jack Carleton
+clenched his fist and elevated his arm, swaying the hand back and forth
+as if proud to display the development of his biceps. But Otto was in
+too doleful a mood to indulge in anything of the kind.
+
+As a matter of course, the Indians could not feel the slightest
+misgiving on account of their prisoners. They must have known of the
+settlement only a few miles distant, and they had not offered to disturb
+it, nor had they molested any of the pioneers when they ventured into
+the woods in quest of game.
+
+Such being the case, it can be readily seen that, so far as the settlers
+were concerned, the Indians were safe. Although within gunshot of
+Martinsville, the red men took no precaution at all against molestation
+from them.
+
+It struck Jack as curious that among the warriors gathered around them,
+not one had as yet spoken a word that he could understand. The American
+race have shown a quickness from the first to pick up expressions from
+the language of those near them. Who has forgotten Samoset's "Welcome,
+Englishmen!" uttered to the first settlers at Plymouth, who were at a
+loss to understand where the red man learned the pleasant words?
+
+Jack Carleton, who retained his self-possession much better than did his
+friend, listened hopefully for some word which he could recognize.
+
+While he was disappointed in that respect, he could not believe that he
+and Otto were in any imminent peril from their captors, though, on the
+other hand, he was very far from feeling safe against harm. With a
+coolness that must have awakened admiration among the barbarians, the
+youth, standing in the middle of the group, folded his arms, and
+smilingly looked in the repellant faces, none of which were at a greater
+altitude than his own.
+
+After pinching different parts of the bodies of the boys, the Indians
+seemed to be satisfied and stepped back. The majority sat down on the
+log, others sauntered away, relighting their pipes that had burned out,
+and the two who had been serving as cooks, gave their attention to the
+venison steak, whose appetizing odor filled the surrounding space.
+
+"Otto, we may as well take it quietly," said Jack, sauntering to the
+butt of the log, and seating himself, "they don't mean to tomahawk us
+just yet, and I hope they will give us some dinner before they dispose
+of us."
+
+The German imitated the action of Jack, but he did not share his
+self-possession. He shook his head in a way which showed he was far from
+feeling comfortable.
+
+"You seem more scared than when we were behind the logs, with the
+Shawanoes and Hurons on the outside," said Jack; "I don't understand how
+that can be. I am sure there is less to dread from these Indians than
+from them."
+
+"It ain't de Injins dot makes me feel so bad," replied Otto with a
+rueful expression, "but fader."
+
+"What's the matter with him?"
+
+"De colt is lost and now dey takes mine gun from me; if I goes back dot
+way, fader will whip me harder than ever."
+
+Jack was serious for a moment and then he laughed.
+
+"I never dreamed that _that_ was your trouble. Of course, if you go home
+without your gun the old gentleman will be angry, but there is one good
+thing about the matter."
+
+"What's that?"
+
+"No matter what happens, he can't be any meaner and more cruel than he
+is now."
+
+Otto removed his tall, conical hat, looked thoughtfully down at the
+ground in front, and slowly scratched his head. Manifestly he was in
+deep thought. Suddenly he looked up, his face aglow.
+
+"Dot is so. I don't care now vot dey takes, I will valks home and tells
+fader and moder dot I lost it, den won't they be mad! Oh, mine
+gracious!"
+
+And leaning far back on the log and donning his hat, he slapped his knee
+with his right hand and shook all over with laughter. There is something
+contagious in such an exhibition, as we all know, and not only did Jack
+laugh in unison, but several of the warriors showed they were amused.
+
+"I thought all the time Otto was alarmed on account of the Indians,"
+said Jack to himself, "and it was nothing of the kind; he was only
+afraid that his father will be madder than ever when he goes back not
+only without the lost horse, but without some of the property he took
+away with him. Now that fear is gone and Otto begins to feel better than
+I do, for," thought the youth, looking around him, "we certainly are not
+in the best situation in the world."
+
+The youth could not help observing that while the Indians seemed to pay
+little attention to them, he and Otto were under strict surveillance. As
+no motion had been made to bind them, the boys could make a sudden
+break or dash for liberty whenever the whim took possession of them, but
+nothing could be gained and a great deal might be lost by such an
+attempt. Stumpy and heavy-set as were the warriors, they could easily
+outrun their captives, and rather than permit them to get away, they
+would doubtless riddle them with bullets. Consequently, while the same
+thought came to each of the friends more than once, as they sat
+conversing on the log, neither proposed any effort to get away.
+
+They had brought nothing in the shape of lunch with them, and it may be
+doubted whether any one of the Indians was more ravenously hungry than
+were they. It would go hard with them, if deprived of their share of the
+dinner, prepared by the aboriginal cooks.
+
+When the huge slices of venison were half broiled, the distribution
+followed. The cooks handled their hunting-knives with such deftness,
+that in a twinkling, as may be said, the jaws of the entire party were
+vigorously at work. After receiving their respective shares, few made
+the slightest use of their knives. The aborigines live and eat so much
+like wild animals, that, almost without exception, they possess
+admirable teeth which need no artificial assistance.
+
+"My gracious!" whispered Jack, "I believe they don't mean to give us so
+much as a bite."
+
+"If dey doesn't do so, den I dies mit hunger," was the despairing
+exclamation of Otto, who forgot that only a few hours had passed since
+he had partaken liberally of food. "I never felt so hungry as I feels
+now, and now I'm growing worser----"
+
+Something thumped against the side of the speaker's head with such force
+that his hat fell off. Jack had just time to see that it was a piece of
+cooked venison, when a similar blessing struck him.
+
+The two Indians were dexterous throwers, and they and half a dozen were
+grinning over the result.
+
+The result was satisfactory in every way to the victims, if such they
+may be considered, for, besides furnishing them with the much-needed
+nourishment, it was a strong proof of the indifference, if not the
+good-will of their captors. Had they felt ill inclined toward the boys,
+they would not have shown such kindness toward them.
+
+"When you are in Rome, do as the Romans do," laughed Jack, seating
+himself on the fallen tree and devouring the half-cooked meat with the
+gusto of those around him. Indeed he and Otto had eaten many a time in a
+similar style, and few persons find difficulty in making savages of
+themselves in every respect, whenever the inclination so to do takes
+possession of them.
+
+The boys would have relished double the amount of food, but enough had
+been given to remove all discomfort, and they would have found it hard
+to describe the thorough enjoyment the lunch imparted.
+
+But now that the troublesome question was answered, the thought of the
+youths naturally turned to the immediate future. Had these Indians
+formed any purpose respecting their prisoners? If so, what was it likely
+to be? Did they intend to kill them with rifle, tomahawk, or knife? Or
+would they be taken away captives? Did the red men belong to the Osage
+tribe of Indians, or was theirs some fiercer or milder totem from a
+distant part of the country?
+
+It is a fact that among many of the early settlements in Missouri and
+other Western States, the warriors who were occasionally encountered in
+the forests, or who fired from the cover of the trees, belonged to
+tribes whose hunting-grounds were many leagues away. They were not
+Shawanoe, Huron, Pottawatomie, Osage, Miami, Delaware, Illinois,
+Kickapoo, or Winnebago. Sometimes a veteran trapper recognized the dress
+and general appearance that he had noted among the red men to the
+northward, and far beyond the Assiniboine; others who had ventured
+hundreds of miles to the westward, remembered exchanging shots with
+similar dusky warriors on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
+
+Indeed it cannot be questioned that the American race not only produced
+warriors, orators, and magnificent leaders, but it had its travelers and
+explorers--the name being accepted in its restricted meaning.
+
+More than once Jack had wondered whether this party had not come from a
+long distance in the interior, perhaps hundreds of miles, and that
+having completed the errand on which they had journeyed so far, were now
+on their return.
+
+"If this is so," he said to Otto, when they observed the party making
+preparations to leave, "they will take us on a good long march."
+
+"I dinks maybe dey knocks us in the head, so as not to makes us feel bad
+apout going away from home."
+
+Further conversation was checked by some minutes of bustle and activity.
+The Indians seemed to have come very suddenly to the conclusion to
+depart, and the boys naturally shared the excitement; but possibly their
+dismay can be imagined, when it became apparent that the red men
+intended to divide into two parties, and that as a consequence the boys
+would have to part company, and who shall say whether it was to be for a
+few days, a few years, or forever?
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+JOURNEYING SOUTHWARD.
+
+
+It never occurred to Jack and Otto that their captors meant to separate
+until the division actually took place. As if by a general
+understanding, one half of the party moved to the right, and the rest
+partly to the left, the course of the former being due west, and of the
+latter directly south.
+
+"Halloo, Otto!" called Jack, turning his head and stopping among the
+members of his own division who were moving off; "they're going to part
+company."
+
+"Dot is vot it looks like; but I guess it ain't going to be for one
+great vile. Good-by!"
+
+Jack was unwilling to part with his friend in this abrupt fashion, and
+he started toward him with a view of shaking his hand. He did not dream
+that his movement would awaken the least opposition; but he presumed too
+much on the indulgence of the red men, for, before he could take three
+steps, one of the warriors caught his arm, and, with a violent wrench,
+flung him in the opposite direction.
+
+It required the utmost effort of Jack to save himself from falling, and
+a stinging pain ran through his shoulder. His hot Kentucky blood was
+aflame, and the instant he could poise his body he drew his knife and
+rushed upon the Indian with the fury of a tiger.
+
+"I'll show you that you can't treat me that way!" he exclaimed.
+
+The warrior whom he was about to assail faced him in a crouching
+posture, both hands resting on his knees, while his ugly countenance was
+bisected by a tantalizing grin which showed the molars of both jaws. His
+black eyes gleamed like those of a rattlesnake, and his whole attitude
+and manner showed that he was seeking to goad the lad to attack him.
+
+The impetus was not needed. Jack Carleton had no thought of hesitation,
+though even in his rage he felt that there was scarcely a shadow of hope
+that he would escape with his life from such an encounter.
+
+The moment Jack was close enough he bounded forward and made a sweeping
+blow, with the knife gripped in his right hand. Had the weapon struck
+where it was aimed, there would have been one Indian less before the
+spectators could have realized what had taken place. The other warriors
+were looking upon the picture as though in doubt of what was coming.
+Among those watching the scene was Otto Relstaub, whose eyes were
+riveted on his friend. The thrilling encounter had opened so suddenly
+that he fairly held his breath, certain that Jack would not live two
+minutes longer.
+
+But the knife of the boy missed its mark altogether. The keen point
+whizzed through empty air, the spiteful force of the blow turning the
+lad half way around on his feet, and leaving him utterly at the mercy of
+the warrior; the latter could have smitten him to the earth with the
+suddenness of the lightning stroke.
+
+But the Indian did not so much as draw his weapon. With a quickness
+which the eye could scarcely follow, he snatched the wrist of the boy's
+hand and bent it back with such force that poor Jack was glad to let the
+weapon fall to the ground. He was discomfited and helpless.
+
+Jack folded his arms, so as to bring the injured wrist against his left
+side and under his elbow. Pressing it close to his body, he shut his
+white lips and forced back the cry that struggled for utterance.
+
+With wonderful coolness the triumphant red man stooped to the ground,
+picked up the hunting-knife, and with the same expanse of grin,
+presented it to Jack, the handle toward him.
+
+"Takes him, Jack!" called out Otto, who was probably the most astounded
+spectator of the scene; "but don't try to kills him ag'in."
+
+Young Carleton for a moment was as bewildered as a child; but his good
+sense rapidly returned, and, with a smile in answer to that of the
+Indian, he accepted the weapon and shoved it back in its place.
+
+Jack was mortified beyond expression at the sorry show he had made. He
+had cut a ridiculous figure, and no wonder a general smile lighted up
+the faces of the red men gathered around.
+
+But the youth made a mistake when he believed he had lowered himself in
+the eyes of his captors. The American race (like all others) admire true
+courage and pluck, even though judgment may be lacking, and the
+dauntless style in which the young captive attacked his tormentor, when
+there was no prospect of success, awoke a responsive chord in the breast
+of all. Had Jack shown himself a coward, they might have treated him as
+they often did such captives; but the brave young fellow was in no
+danger, at least for the present.
+
+The occurrence took but a fraction of the time that has been occupied in
+the telling, and Jack was only given opportunity to replace the knife,
+when his captors, arranging themselves so as to surround him, resumed
+their march to the westward. Precisely at the same instant the other
+half of the company did the same in the other direction, and once more
+Otto Relstaub called out:
+
+"Good-by, Jack! good-by to you!"
+
+"Good-by, my friend!" shouted Jack, his heart filled with a deep
+misgiving over the singular event. "Keep up a good heart, though there's
+no telling whether we shall ever meet again."
+
+"If I get home before you gets dere I will tell Colonel Martin, and
+we'll follow you to the Rocky Mountains----"
+
+Even in that serious moment Jack Carleton broke into laughter when he
+saw that the usual fortune of Otto clung to him. His foot caught in
+some obstruction, and while in the act of waving his hand and exchanging
+greetings with his friend, he stumbled forward and went down. Clambering
+to his feet he turned to complete his words, but his captors seemed to
+have lost patience on account of the delay. One seized his right and
+another his left arm and began walking him rapidly off. The last sight
+which Jack gained of the fellow showed him between two Indians, who were
+hurrying him along with such vigor that his head rose and sank with each
+unwilling footstep, as though he was alternately lifted from and pressed
+down to the ground. A few seconds later and the intervening trees hid
+him from sight.
+
+It would have been difficult for Jack Carleton to describe his varied
+emotions when forced to admit the fact that he was an actual prisoner
+among a band of wandering Indians. The memorable journey from Kentucky
+into Louisiana had been attended by many stirring experiences, and more
+than once every avenue of escape seemed to be closed, but, now for the
+first time, he found himself a captive within a few miles of his own
+home.
+
+Whither would these red men take him? Did they mean to hold him a
+permanent captive, or, as is often the case with their race, would they
+put him to torture and finally to death? The settlements of Kentucky and
+Ohio were crimsoned with the deeds of the red men, and, though some
+tribes were less warlike than others, it was not to be supposed that any
+of them were distinguished for mercy and forbearance.
+
+"If Colonel Martin only knew this," thought Jack, while tramping
+forward, "it wouldn't take him long to gather the men together, and they
+would come down on these folks like a whirlwind; but Otto and I may be
+gone for weeks before any one will suspect we are in trouble. Even then
+they won't know what to do. No, sir," added Jack, compressing his lips,
+"whatever is done must be done by myself, and, with the help of heaven,
+I shall part company with these red men just as soon as the chance
+presents itself."
+
+Any one in the situation of Jack Carleton cannot lack for themes on
+which to employ his brain. It is safe to assert that the boy did more
+thinking while on that eventful march than he had done in the same space
+of time for years.
+
+It may be said that while the party were on the march, and the warriors
+were together, it was utterly out of the question for Jack to leave
+against their will. Three strode along in front, while two were in the
+rear. Every one was fleeter of foot than he, and they had six rifles in
+their possession, while he had none at all. Could he secure several
+hundred yards' start, they would have no difficulty in trailing and
+running him down, for the sky was clear, the sun bright, and the
+footprints of the boy would show as distinctly to the keen eyes of the
+red men as though made in the dust of the highway.
+
+No, he must wait for the darkness of the night, when a few yards between
+him and his enemies would prove like a stone wall; when insidious sleep
+would seal the eyes of the dusky barbarians, and he could steal out in
+the gloom, leaving them to wait for hours before taking up his trail.
+
+One person was continually in the thoughts of Jack Carleton--_Deerfoot_.
+"Where is he? Is he days' journey to the south? Is there any hope of him
+playing the part of a friend for Otto and me?"
+
+These and similar questions were asked again and again while the youth
+was tramping through the wood in the company of his captors, and his
+heart sank when his own good sense obliged him to answer each one in the
+most unsatisfactory manner.
+
+He recalled that Deerfoot parted with them only a few days before in a
+manner which implied that considerable time must pass before they would
+see each other again. The young Shawanoe could not suspect that when his
+friends reached home, they would immediately proceed to get into
+trouble, as they had just done.
+
+"No," added Jack, with a sigh, "from what I know and have heard of
+Deerfoot, he has a wonderful way of turning up when wanted, but it's no
+use to look for him in this case."
+
+The conclusion of the boy was a sensible one, and he resolutely faced
+the situation as it presented itself to him. It was most serious, and it
+may be said that every passing hour rendered it more so, for he was
+moving away from home, and thereby increasing the difficulties of
+returning thither, should it become his good fortune to gain the
+opportunity to do so.
+
+The warriors who were walking in front, followed the usual custom of
+their people--that is, they proceeded in Indian file, so that the boy
+was given a fair view only of the one immediately before him--the
+glimpses of the others being fragmentary. Glancing behind, he observed
+the same fact, so that the entire party made but the single trail, for
+Jack himself was wise enough to fall in with their custom.
+
+"It may be," he muttered, after traveling several miles in silence,
+"that they live hundreds of miles off and that I won't have a chance to
+leave them for weeks or months or--years," he added in a hushed voice,
+and with an additional heart-throb, "but I shall never be reconciled to
+live in the wigwams of the red men."
+
+It seemed curious to the young captive that a party of friends, like the
+Indians, should tramp mile after mile as they did without speaking a
+single word. Now and then, some one would utter an exclamation which
+sounded more like the grunt of a porker than anything else, but
+frequently they advanced steadily for an hour or more in perfect
+silence.
+
+Sometimes the forest was open and free from undergrowth, then it was
+cluttered up with running vines which would have annoyed any one
+unaccustomed to them, but which proved no obstacle to the Indians. In
+fact, they walked without showing the least regard to them. Where Jack,
+if leading, would have lifted his feet, they shoved ahead and without
+effort snapped and turned them aside as though they were so many
+cobwebs.
+
+"It all comes from training," concluded our friend, as he attempted to
+catch a switch which swung back and struck him across the face; "if I
+was alone, it would take me twice as long as it takes them, and then I
+would fare worse than they do."
+
+All at once, they came upon a creek. It was barely twenty feet in width,
+but muddy, swift and deep. There was something impressive in the speed
+with which the volume of water rushed through the woods, as if fleeing
+in a panic from some peril at its heels.
+
+The entire party came to a halt, ranging themselves along the bank and
+surveying the turbid torrents, as though they wished to talk with each
+other upon the best method of placing themselves on the other side.
+
+"I hope they won't swim it," Jack said to himself, "for their people
+make no allowance for those that are not as skillful as they, and I will
+get into trouble."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+AN INVOLUNTARY BATH.
+
+
+It was not to be supposed that a party of Indians could be checked by a
+stream of water. If necessary they could swim across, but, inasmuch as
+the party separated, and while several went up, the rest walked down the
+stream, it was evident they were searching for a more suitable spot in
+which to make the passage.
+
+Jack Carleton followed the larger party, which had gone only a few rods
+when a whoop from the others made known they had found what was wanted.
+The rest immediately turned around and joined them.
+
+Jack saw at once that the means were provided for passing over dry shod.
+A tree, some six or eight inches in diameter, lay with the butt on one
+shore and the upper portion on the opposite bank. A glance showed that
+it had been felled by the axe of some pioneer, who probably thus formed
+a bridge for himself and friends. The limbs had been trimmed away, and
+the abraded bark proved that it had served a similar purpose for many
+wild beasts in passing to and fro. The faded color of the gashes in the
+trunk showed that a long time had passed since the bridge was made by
+the woodman's axe.
+
+Nothing better could be required, and several grunts of satisfaction
+escaped the warriors during the minute they stood together viewing the
+support that awaited the pressing of their feet.
+
+Jack Carleton stepped forward, but one of the Indians grasped his arm
+and drew him back so violently as almost to throw him to the ground. The
+boy looked wonderingly in his face, and saw that it was aglow with
+passion. He shook his head rapidly and spoke fast and furious.
+
+"I think I can guess what you mean," said Jack, stepping back, so as to
+allow the others to precede him, "and I will now await your commands."
+
+He stood still until three had gone over, when they beckoned him to
+follow. Jack had noticed that when the Indians were walking on the log,
+they were obliged to move carefully, for their foothold was narrow and
+the swift running current was apt to make one dizzy. The lad, however,
+stepped forward without hesitation and advanced slowly but with
+certainty.
+
+The three warriors, who stood facing him on the shore, showed that like
+Deerfoot the Shawanoe, they possessed a certain vein of waggery, for at
+the moment Jack was over the middle of the stream, one of them stooped,
+and, grasping the head of the trunk, moved it quickly fully a couple of
+feet to the right, all three bursting into an audible snicker at the
+same moment. The lad was looking downward, meanwhile stepping carefully,
+when he glanced across to learn the meaning of the action, the stooping
+Indian being in his field of vision.
+
+Jack understood the trick, but he was without the means of defeating it.
+He stooped quickly with the intention of grasping the support with both
+hands, but before he could do so, he lost his balance, flung his arms
+aloft, and down he went with a loud splash that sent the spray flying in
+all directions.
+
+No audience of countrymen ever laughed more heartily at the ancient
+jokes of a clown than did the five Indians when the boy disappeared
+under the water, his eyes staring with the shock of affright which came
+with his sudden contact with the current.
+
+Jack was a capital swimmer, and he was satisfied there was no wish to
+drown him; but he had scarcely passed below the surface, when it
+occurred to him that there was a possibility of turning the jest upon
+his captors. The water was very deep, and he kept sinking until his feet
+softly touched the bottom. As he gave himself the slight impulse which
+sent him upward again, he not only swam swiftly with the rapid current,
+but moved as close to shore as possible, and began creeping up the side
+of the bank.
+
+In doing this, he over-estimated his own strength. It took him a longer
+time to reach the surface than he calculated upon, and he narrowly
+escaped strangling; but he resolutely held out to the last second.
+
+At the moment the rushing waters seemed to roar through his brain, his
+crown cleft the surface, and he drew a deep inspiration of the blessed
+air; but, even in that trying moment, he kept his self-possession, and
+the breath was taken so softly that no ear beside his own knew it.
+
+He had emerged close to shore and directly under some overhanging brush,
+which was not so dense as he could wish, since he was able to see the
+warriors standing on the land and looking for him. It followed,
+therefore, that if they should scrutinize the bank very closely they
+would discover him; but the boy's hope lay in their lack of suspicion
+that such an artifice was in his mind.
+
+Several circumstances united to help the youth; the water was roiled, as
+has already been said, while the friction of the swift current against
+the shore made a noise which overcame the slight ripple caused by his
+own movements. Only his nose and eyes were kept above the surface, and
+the shrubbery which inclosed them made a tolerable screen, though less
+effective than he desired.
+
+Jack had landed, as may be said, a dozen yards below the log from which
+he had been thrown and on the side from which he set out, consequently
+he was opposite the five Indians who stood on the shore. He was led to
+do this from a natural desire to get as far away as he could from his
+captors, but it was a mistake on his part, for had he crawled under the
+other bank he would have been hidden altogether from the sight of the
+Indians.
+
+Holding to a wire-like root with his left hand, he swung around so as to
+face up stream, and, through the slight spaces in the shrubbery kept his
+eyes fixed intently on the brawny red men.
+
+[Illustration: A NARROW ESCAPE.]
+
+Very soon the warriors looked at each other, and talked rapidly and with
+growing excitement. There could be no doubt they were discussing the
+unexpected shape matters had taken; the joke played on their captive had
+proven a very serious matter to him. It must have been that the
+pale-faced youth was unable to swim and was drowned. The white warrior
+was a pappoose.
+
+"By and by they will make search for me," was the thought of Jack
+Carleton, still retaining his hold, "and then will come the tug of war.
+It won't be the live boy they'll expect to find, but his dead body,
+bobbing up and down and back and forth, and yet I don't see why they
+will care to hunt me up."
+
+Whatever might be the issue, Jack was warranted in feeling hopeful, for
+he was sure the incident had taken a turn entirely unexpected to the
+warriors.
+
+"If I had only floated a little further down stream," he thought more
+than once, noticing a sharp bend made by the current, "I would have been
+in a good deal better situation than this, for I would have been out of
+their sight altogether."
+
+Several times he was on the point of letting go and dropping further
+down, but he dreaded some mistake which would draw attention to the
+spot. If he should try to swim under the surface, he might be forced to
+come up too soon, or might strike some obstruction in the stream that
+would fling him over as though he was a porpoise. It was the fear of a
+catastrophe of this nature which held him where he was, while he peered
+through the shrubbery like some wild animal glaring out from his covert
+upon his enemies.
+
+The face of every Indian was in sight, and he studied the expression of
+each broad, coppery countenance. He knew they were talking by the
+movements of the thin lips, and, despite the noise of the rushing
+stream, he heard one of them grunt several times. This particular
+warrior was shorter and more solidly built than the rest, and appeared
+to be some kind of a leader, for he had the most to say, and the boy
+noticed, while on the march, that he directed the actions of the rest.
+
+This Indian, as he stood, held his rifle in his right hand, while the
+thumb of his left was hooked over the belt at his waist, which supported
+his knife and tomahawk. His stomach protruded somewhat, and, when he
+spoke in his sententious manner, the belt would rise and sink in a
+spasmodic fashion which kept time with his words.
+
+Jack kept close watch of the black eyes, which, like those of
+professional hunters and scouts, were never at rest. They flitted hither
+and thither, up and down stream and even to the rear, as though danger
+were apprehended from that direction.
+
+What the boy was expecting and dreading was a search on the part of the
+Indians. None could know better than they how brief a time is required
+for a person to drown, and they were not long in arriving at the
+conclusion that the boy either was dead, or had left the stream at a
+point below. Three savages walked hastily over the creek on the log and
+began moving along shore, their serpent-like eyes scanning every foot of
+land and water that came in their field of vision. At the same time, the
+other two did the same from the opposite shore, and Jack Carleton knew
+that the crisis had come.
+
+He felt quite secure against being seen by the two who were traveling
+together, for he was able to dispose of the undergrowth so as to
+increase its usefulness. While one hand held fast to the tough root, he
+softly drew down the bush with the other, so that it interposed between
+him and the couple who were held in such dread. If the others should
+step to the edge of the stream and part the bushes, it would be all up
+with the frightened lad.
+
+The necessities of the case forced Jack to raise his head until both
+ears were above the surface, and thus, while he employed his eyes to
+follow the movements of the couple, he sought to use his ears to
+discover the approach of the trio, though the rushing torrent forbade
+full success in that respect.
+
+The two warriors were in plain sight as they slowly picked their way
+downward. Jack saw the upper parts of their bodies, and his heart
+throbbed faster when they faced about and came down to the edge of the
+water. However, they were still several yards above him, so that he was
+quite certain they did not suspect his hiding-place. When they halted
+and leaned over the stream, the fugitive gave no thought to those who
+were undoubtedly much closer, but sank until only forehead, eyes and
+nose were in the air, while the scanty bush was drawn still closer to
+his face.
+
+All at once, Jack's heart seemed to stand still; he saw that one of the
+Indians was looking straight at the spot where he was in hiding. The
+black orbs were centered upon him with such an inquiring expression,
+that he was sure he had been discovered. All hope was gone, until a
+moment after he observed that the savage was peering at the undergrowth
+below him, as though suspicious of everything which could afford any
+sort of a hiding-place.
+
+"He didn't see me after all," was the conclusion of the delighted boy,
+"and now if the others let me alone, I shall have a chance to give them
+the slip."
+
+Again the waists and shoulders of the two were observed moving slowly
+among the trees and undergrowth, until they passed out of sight, a
+considerable distance below the crouching fugitive. The relief of the
+latter was unspeakable, though he could not forget that other foes were
+also to be avoided.
+
+But minute after minute passed, and still Jack saw and heard nothing of
+the red men. With each passing minute his hopes rose, until at the end
+of half an hour, he felt that his safety was well nigh secured.
+
+"They have concluded I was drowned and my body is not likely to come to
+the surface for some time--anyway not until it is a long way from this
+spot. If they don't return, I'm safe."
+
+But a thrill of alarm passed through him more than once, when he
+recalled that the strategy he had employed was of such a simple nature
+that it ought to suggest itself to the red men. If such was the case
+they would be certain to return to the fallen tree, renew their search,
+and prosecute it with greater care.
+
+It was the dread of the latter which led Jack to creep carefully out of
+the stream, after he had been in hiding perhaps half an hour. Of course
+his clothing was saturated, and he had become chilled from his long
+submersion, so that his teeth rattled, and he trembled in every limb.
+Extended flat on the ground, he crawled with the utmost care until a
+couple of rods from the water. Then he stopped and listened. He was so
+far from the stream that its noise did not prevent him detecting any
+slight noise which might have been made by some other cause, but he
+heard nothing at all.
+
+There was still considerable undergrowth around him, so that he felt
+screened from the observation of any other Indians wandering in the
+vicinity.
+
+"They thought they were very cunning," muttered Jack, with a chuckle,
+"when they tumbled me into the water, but I played a trick on them worth
+two of their kind. I only wish there was some way of letting them know
+how completely I have outwitted them----"
+
+A cold shiver passed down the spine of Jack Carleton, when he distinctly
+heard a guttural, grunting laugh behind him. Turning like a flash, he
+saw the five Indian warriors from whom, up to that moment, he had
+believed he was free, standing within a rod, and all grinning to an
+extent that seemed to take the corners of their mouths around to their
+ears.
+
+The truth broke upon Jack: the red men had never lost sight of him,
+except for the moment he was under the water. They knew where he was
+when he supposed himself invisible, and they had been amusing themselves
+at his expense.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+TWO VISITORS.
+
+
+On the evening succeeding the departure of Jack Carleton and Otto
+Relstaub from the little settlement of Martinsville, the widowed mother
+of Jack was seated by her fireside engaged in knitting. The night was
+cold, and the huge sticks of wood were roaring and crackling in the
+broad fireplace, and throwing a cheerful glow and warmth through the
+room. The tallow candle on the mantel had not been lit, for there was no
+need of it, and, despite the loneliness and poverty of the sad-faced
+woman, there was an air of neatness and comfort about her home which
+would have tempted any one who could look through the narrow window into
+the homely, old-fashioned apartment.
+
+The deft fingers flew back and forth as regularly as the most delicate
+machinery, until all at once the lady stopped and allowed her hands to
+rest in her lap. At the same moment a sigh escaped her, and she looked
+into the glowing embers.
+
+It was not hard to guess where her thoughts were; they were with that
+only child who had gone forth in the woods to help the German lad look
+for the missing horse. Mrs. Carleton smiled as she reflected upon a
+certain absurdity which marked the whole business, for, look at it as
+she chose, there was something grotesque in the project of two youths
+setting out to hunt for a horse that had been wandering for days in a
+limitless wood. But the smile quickly gave way to the serious expression
+which not often left the face of the mother since that awful night when
+her husband was stricken down by the fierce red men of Kentucky.
+
+"I trust God will not forget my boy," were the almost inaudible words
+that came to her lips. "He has wonderfully preserved him through many
+perils, and my heart misgives me now that I allowed him to go from under
+my roof."
+
+Just then the latch-string was spitefully pulled, the door was pushed
+inward, and Jacob Relstaub entered. The angry man was short of stature,
+clumsily dressed, and the only weapon he carried was a heavy, knotted
+cane, if that may be termed such, which was his companion when moving
+about the sparse settlement. It has already been said that he was
+parsimonious, cross-grained, and cruel-hearted, and he had been in
+specially ill-temper since the return of his boy without the horse upon
+which so much value was set.
+
+The door swung to of itself, and the German, stopping short in the
+middle of the room, banged his cane upon the floor, and, looking
+savagely at the quiet lady who had nodded and bidden him good evening,
+demanded:
+
+"Vere is mine poy, Otto?"
+
+"Don't you know?" asked the widow in return, with a tone of surprise.
+
+"No, I does not; he says he goes off mit your poy, but dey both
+lies--don't it?"
+
+"My boy never tells a falsehood," was the quiet response of Mrs.
+Carleton, whose pale cheek slightly flushed. "Your Otto told the truth
+as you well know. Not only that, but he only obeyed you when he went out
+in the woods to run into all kinds of danger in search of an animal
+which I do not believe can possibly be found."
+
+"All poys ish bad," said the visitor with an impatient sniff, as he took
+off his cap and slouched to a chair on the opposite side of the fire.
+"Your poy ish badder dan any oder poy; mine Otto is lazy, and if he
+doesn't pring pack dot horse I vill pounds him till he don't live."
+
+"He may _never_ come back," said the lady in a low, impressive voice
+which would have moved anyone else, but it was lost on the boorish
+visitor.
+
+"Hoof! No fear of dot; he alvays comes back ven ve doesn't vant him to
+come back."
+
+"Well," said Mrs. Carleton with a sigh, "I am sorry I let Jack go, for
+if he had insisted on staying home your boy would have done the same,
+though if I was in Otto's place I would consider the woods, with all
+their dangers and sufferings, preferable to living with a parent who is
+as unfeeling as you."
+
+Jacob Relstaub had both of his horny hands folded over the top of his
+heavy cane, which rested on the floor between his large shoes, while his
+cap, somewhat resembling the peaked head-gear of his boy, lay beside
+him. His broad, ill-favored countenance was darkened by a frown, and it
+was easy for the lady to see that the fellow still doubted her word. His
+manner of looking about the large room, and a habit of listening
+intently, as though he expected to bear approaching footsteps, showed
+that he suspected Otto was hiding somewhere in the cabin. Mrs. Carleton
+understood his feelings and she was annoyed to anger, for her sensitive
+nature felt the insult keenly. Beside, she despised the coarse nature of
+the man who seemed so totally lacking in humanity.
+
+The lady was on the point of reproving him with sharp words, when both
+were astonished by a gentle knock on the door, such a hail being
+contrary to all the rules of the frontier, when the latch-string is not
+drawn in. Both looked quickly toward the entrance, and the lady raised
+her voice and said:
+
+"The latch-string is out!"
+
+The words were yet on her lips when it was pulled, and the door swung
+inward.
+
+The firelight fell upon the figure of an Indian warrior, who stopped on
+the threshold as if he doubted whether he would be welcome when those
+within saw him. As he stood with the blank darkness behind him and the
+crimson glow from the burning logs lighting up the front of his body, he
+formed a most striking picture.
+
+He was the ideal of symmetry and manly beauty--one of those productions
+of the American race which are very rare, but which, when seen, are the
+nearest approach to physical and mental perfection that is ever attained
+in this world. He was about five feet ten inches in height, and with
+body and limbs in as perfect proportion as the chisel of Phidias ever
+carved from marble. Even his long, black hair, which hung luxuriantly
+and loosely about his shoulders, was of softer texture than is the rule
+with his people. Several stained eagle feathers slanted upward and
+outward from the crown, and a double row of brilliant beads encircled
+his neck. A fine gold bracelet clasped his left wrist, and the deer-skin
+hunting shirt and leggings were clean, and of the finest possible make.
+They retained their dull, yellow hue, but the girdle which clasped his
+body at the waist was of a red color, so bright that it seemed likely to
+attract dangerous attention in the forest. The leggings were fringed,
+and the delicate moccasins were also ornamented with colored beads. The
+heavy blanket which he carried during severe weather was lacking, for it
+would have been only an encumbrance when the climate was mild.
+
+Into the girdle were thrust a tomahawk and hunting knife, while a long
+bow was carried in his right hand, and a quiver full of arrows rested
+behind his right shoulder, where they could be snatched forth on the
+instant. The youthful warrior carried no firearms, for he depended alone
+on the primitive weapons which his people had used for centuries.
+
+Splendid as were the frame and limbs of the youth, the greatest
+attraction lay in his countenance. His features were classical in their
+regularity, excepting the nose, which was just enough aquiline to give
+character to his face, and take away the femininity which otherwise
+might cling to it.
+
+When he smiled in his faint, shadowy fashion, his teeth were seen to be
+small, white, regular, and without the slightest defect, while the
+lustrous black eyes glowed with light and feeling. Having closed the
+door behind him, he still hesitated to advance until assured he was
+welcome.
+
+Although Mrs. Carleton had never seen him before, she was certain of his
+identity, and, rising from her seat, she asked:
+
+"Are you Deerfoot the Shawanoe?"
+
+He smiled and inclined his head.
+
+"You are the friend of my boy, and of Otto, the son of Mr. Relstaub.
+There is no one in the world who could be more welcome than you. Come
+forward and take a seat nearer the fire."
+
+The dusky countenance flushed with pleasure, for the words were warmer
+than he was accustomed to hear.
+
+Deerfoot advanced a couple of steps, and, reaching over, drew the rude
+stool to him. His diffidence would not allow him to go very near the
+blaze.
+
+When Jacob Relstaub heard the name pronounced, he uttered an angry sniff
+and banged his cane upon the floor. He said nothing; but he detested the
+handsome Indian youth, whom he had driven from his door when he asked
+for shelter, and he knew he had been the companion of his boy on the
+stirring journey from Kentucky to Louisiana. It mattered not that the
+masterful woodcraft of the dusky friend had saved the life of Otto
+Relstaub; all that the German remembered was that the valuable horse was
+lost, and he blamed this Indian for it, as he censured Jack Carleton for
+the same misfortune. The man, however, said nothing for a few minutes.
+
+It was manifest from the manner of Deerfoot that he was disappointed
+because he did not meet Jack Carleton. He cast but a single glance
+around the apartment, which showed him his young friend was not present;
+then, as he gently seated himself, he looked into the pale face of the
+widow and said:
+
+"Deerfoot sees not his brother."
+
+"No; Jack and Otto set out on a long hunt this morning. They may be back
+in a few days and perhaps not for a fortnight."
+
+"Have they gone to look for the horse that was lost?"
+
+"Yes," answered the lady, with a smile; "I am ashamed to say they have;
+but I ask your pardon; have you had supper? Will you not permit me to
+give you to eat?"
+
+She was about to rise when Deerfoot, who was resting his bow on the
+floor, while he grasped the center as though it was a cane, motioned
+with his left hand for her to retain her seat.
+
+"The mother of my friend is good and kind, but Deerfoot cannot eat."
+
+He appeared to be on the point of saying something more, but restrained
+himself. The mother was quick to perceive it, and a pang of dread
+stirred her heart.
+
+"What were you about to say?" she asked, in her abrupt fashion,
+suspending the knitting which she was in the very act of resuming.
+
+Deerfoot was too truthful to deceive her outright; but it is fair to
+presume he did not say all that was in his thoughts.
+
+"Deerfoot is sorry his brothers have gone to look for the horse."
+
+"Why?" quickly asked the mother.
+
+"They cannot find him."
+
+"Vy don't they finds him?" asked Jacob Relstaub, banging his cane again
+and glaring fiercely at the youth, as though ready to spring upon him.
+
+Deerfoot looked calmly in the forbidding countenance, and asked, more
+directly than was his custom:
+
+"Are you the father of my brother, Otto?"
+
+"Yaw; of course I ish. He is one pad poy, as you ish de wust Injin dot
+effer vasn't."
+
+Without the least visible excitement, and in the same deliberate
+monotone, Deerfoot still looking him straight in the face:
+
+"The father of Otto is a dog; he has no heart. The Great Spirit hides
+his face with shame when he looks upon him."
+
+"VAT!" roared Jacob, half rising to his chair and grasping his knobby
+cane with both hands, while he trembled with rage. "You don't speak dot
+vays to me and I breaks your head."
+
+He suddenly straightened up, and all aglow with fury advanced upon
+Deerfoot, who placed his left hand on his knife, quietly arose and faced
+him, without speaking.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+A SURPRISE.
+
+
+Jacob Relstaub was so accustomed to the undisturbed abuse of his son
+that he was struck almost speechless by the calm defiance of the Indian
+youth. When he saw the latter place his hand on the knife at his girdle,
+the German could not fail to know its meaning. He stopped short with his
+cane half raised and glared savagely at Deerfoot.
+
+"You means to kills me, eh, don't it? Yaw,--I sees,--I sees!"
+
+And shaking his head very fast, and muttering some vigorous words in his
+own language, he stamped towards the door, swung it open and passed out
+in the darkness. Deerfoot stood motionless, looking in the direction
+whence he had vanished, and then, without a word, sat down on the rude
+chair and looked toward Mrs. Carleton, seated as she was near the fire.
+
+The good lady was terrified, but the incident was so brief that it was
+over before she fairly understood its full meaning and the ill-natured
+caller was gone.
+
+"He is such a bad-tempered man that I'm afraid he will hurt you for
+this," said she, stepping hastily to the door, where she drew in the
+latch-string, thus locking the humble cabin against intruders. When she
+sat down, with her scared look and her words of misgiving on her lips,
+Deerfoot looked from the crackling fire into her countenance. As the
+yellow glow lit up his handsome features, they showed the faintest
+possible smile, which vanished the same moment it appeared. The
+matchless redskin must have appreciated the grim humor involved in the
+thought of his feeling any fear of the curmudgeon who had just gone.
+
+Previous to that the young Shawanoe had glanced around the cabin, and
+like another Houdin, impressed every point in his memory. He noted the
+narrow windows through which a hostile shot could be fired from the
+outside. He did not believe the late visitor would proceed to that
+length, but he shifted his seat to a point several feet away, where, if
+Relstaub relied on his previous knowledge for his aim, no possible harm
+could be done.
+
+Deerfoot made his change in such a quiet fashion, that his hostess had
+not the slightest suspicion of its meaning. She saw that he had simply
+moved closer to the fire. The space between her own chair and that of
+the visitor was such that there was no call for her to change her
+location: had there been the slightest, Deerfoot would not have
+permitted her to wait.
+
+"My brother will hurt no one," said he in his quiet fashion: "he is a
+bad man; he has a good boy, Otto; Deerfoot calls him his brother, and
+will do much for him; but Deerfoot does not like his father."
+
+"I was _so_ afraid he would strike you with his cane," said the lady,
+still trembling over the remembrance, "and then you would have used your
+knife."
+
+The smile was more pronounced than before, but the words were scarcely
+audible.
+
+"He could not hurt Deerfoot and Deerfoot would not hurt him."
+
+The lady fully understood his meaning, and it lifted a great fear from
+her heart that Jacob Relstaub would return, demand admittance, and
+attack her guest. True, he might do so, but she saw that in such an
+event the results would be farcical rather than tragical.
+
+Deerfoot did not care to give any further thought to the despicable man.
+He had come to the settlement to visit Jack Carleton and Otto Relstaub,
+and found they were absent on a singular hunt for the horse that had
+been missing fully a week. His interest lay in them, and especially in
+Jack. He had heard most of the facts from the mother, but he now
+questioned her further in his gentle way until not a particle of
+information was left for her to give.
+
+The substance of that information has already been told the reader,--it
+being nothing more than the statement of their departure early that
+morning. The startling events which followed could not be suspected by
+the parent, who sat so quietly knitting and talking with the remarkable
+Indian youth on the other side of her hearthstone, as ignorant as she of
+the alarming situation in which both were placed.
+
+But while so quiet in his demeanor, the wonderful brain of the youth was
+always busy during his waking hours. He could not feel that there was
+cause for fear on account of his friends, for, as has already been
+shown, that portion of the enormous territory of Louisiana was peopled
+by Indians much less vicious in their hatred than were those who made
+Kentucky their hunting-ground. A fierce party of Shawanoes had followed
+the little party across the Mississippi the previous week, and they kept
+matters moving in a very lively manner, as the reader learned long ago;
+but it was not to be supposed that any of those daring and skillful
+warriors were in the neighborhood, for it was not conceivable that a
+cause existed for their presence.
+
+But a singular distrust took possession of Deerfoot. He could not
+account for it, except as he accounted for all inexplainable things, as
+being the direct prompting of the Great Spirit. Many a time the
+instinctive belief had come over him, and he had never failed to follow
+its guidance; the result in each instance proved that he did right, and
+he resolved to do the same in the present case, though it will be seen
+that he could take no real step forward until the coming of daylight.
+
+"You will stay here until morning," said Mrs. Carleton, looking into
+the face of her visitor and speaking as though the matter was not at all
+in the nature of a question.
+
+"Deerfoot may stay awhile, though he would rather sleep in the woods,
+where he can breathe the cool, pure air, and look at the stars, and
+listen to the whispers of the Great Spirit who watches over him when he
+is asleep or awake."
+
+"You can sleep on Jack's bed, and he will be pleased, when he comes
+home, to learn that you did so, though he will be sorry that he was not
+here to make you welcome."
+
+The Indian shook his head. He had no wish to lie on any such couch, and
+he had not done so since he was wounded and a prisoner in the hands of
+the white people.
+
+"Deerfoot will sit here and read until he becomes weary; then he will
+lie on the floor; and when he awakes he will seek his brothers who are
+hunting for the horse that has long been lost."
+
+Mrs. Carleton had been told by Jack how skillfully Deerfoot could read
+and write, and she now ventured the hope that he would use the Bible
+which lay on the table at the side of the cabin. She was on the point
+of rising to get it for him, when he motioned her to keep her seat.
+
+"Deerfoot has his Bible with him."
+
+And then he drew the tiny volume with its wooden covers from the
+interior pocket of his hunting-shirt, and shifted his position so that
+his back was turned toward the fire, whose glow passed over his
+shoulders and fell upon the printed page. This gave him all the light he
+needed, and, after rustling the leaves for a moment, he began, in his
+low, sweet monotone.
+
+As may be supposed, he selected one of the chapters from Revelation,
+overflowing as it does with the most impressive grandeur and
+awe-inspiring glimpse of the mysterious life from whose portals no human
+being has ever turned back to whisper to the vast procession waiting to
+follow in his footsteps.
+
+Mrs. Carleton saw that Deerfoot did not like her words of compliment and
+she therefore refrained. When he had finished, he closed the book and
+laid it away where he always carried it, and then the conversation went
+on in the same vein as before.
+
+But the hour was later than that to which the good lady was accustomed,
+and, despite the singular interest of the interview, she began to feel a
+slight drowsiness. When she placed her hand over her mouth and yawned,
+Deerfoot asked that she should retire. She consented, and bade him
+good-night and withdrew.
+
+He sat motionless until he was alone, when he once more drew out his
+Bible and resumed reading. The fire having smoldered, he stirred the
+sticks, turning the unburned ends among the coals, so that in a few
+moments the small room was filled with a brighter illumination than
+before. Leaning backward with the book in front of his face and his
+shapely legs extended in front, he studied with an interest more
+absorbing than was ever felt by the most devout novel reader. He seemed
+to lose all consciousness of time and place, and pored over the volume
+which to him was more precious than any treasure it is possible for the
+mind to conceive.
+
+By-and-by the fire burned low again and the light grew dim. Though the
+youth might have continued the perusal much longer, he finally ceased
+and put the book away for the night. Then, folding his arms, he looked
+into the smoldering embers before him. Every one knows how such a scene
+feeds the fancy and how imagination will run riot, while sitting alone
+late at night, with the wind moaning outside, while he watches the
+curious, grotesque, and endless procession of figures which take shape
+and action before him. No one but Deerfoot himself could tell what
+thoughts took shape in his brain, but they must have been of a
+melancholy, serious nature, for he drew a deep sigh, muttered a few
+words in prayer, and then deliberately lay down in the middle of the
+floor. He lay on his side, with his arm doubled under his head for a
+pillow, but had nothing but the hard planking beneath and nothing except
+his own clothing above.
+
+Deerfoot required little sleep, and within less than two hours after he
+had lain down, he opened his eyes and assumed the sitting position. The
+fire had burned so low that only a slight glow filled a part of the
+room, and he looked like some odd shadow, when he stepped silently
+forward and stirred the embers until they once more lit up the
+apartment. It was not yet morning, but he had concluded to wait no
+longer. He therefore picked up his bow and then, without making the
+least noise, opened and closed the door behind him.
+
+The young Shawanoe stood for a moment when he found himself in the clear
+air on the outside. It was a bright starlit night, and, when he glanced
+reverently upward at the thousands of blazing orbs, he saw that it still
+lacked two hours of daylight. The rude cabins were dimly outlined, as
+they faced each other in two irregular rows, those only which were the
+furthest away being invisible. All were dark and silent excepting one.
+He noticed the gleam of light from the window, and thought it likely
+that some one was watching by the bed of sickness; but the thought had
+hardly come to him when he recalled that it was the cabin of the German
+Relstaub, who had left him in such a rage.
+
+Deerfoot was still in front of the house of his friend, when the door of
+the cabin opened and the short, sturdy figure of Jacob Relstaub was
+outlined against the blazing fire and candle-light behind him. The truth
+was, he was so angered he could not sleep; he had tossed about until his
+rage became ungovernable, when he told his frau that he was going over
+to the widow Carleton's to chastise the rascally redskin that had dared
+to insult him to his face. The wife sought to dissuade him, but he was
+too angered to listen to reason; and, ordering her to stay in bed, he
+dressed, caught up his heavy cane, and plunged from the door of his
+home.
+
+Deerfoot drew back until sure he could not be seen, when he calmly
+awaited the approach of the irate man. The latter stamped forward,
+banging his heavy cane on the ground and muttering to himself:
+
+"Yaw, I preaks mine cane his head ofer--he talks to me--he calls me a
+rascal und eferydings vot I vas. I shows him----"
+
+Just then, when he was close to the cabin, a figure emerged from the
+darkness, moving as silently as if it was a section of the gloom itself,
+and advancing straight toward him. It was the execrated young Indian,
+grasping his long bow in his right hand, and holding his tomahawk in his
+left, with his body bent and his head thrust forward.
+
+"Oh, mine gracious!" gasped Jacob Relstaub, his knees shaking and his
+staff dropping from his trembling hand, "it ish him!"
+
+He managed to twist his body around, so as to face the other way, and
+then he broke into a lumbering run for his cabin. He heard the sound of
+the swift moccasins behind him, and he ran as never before. His hat flew
+off, and odd quirps and pains developed themselves here and there in his
+frame, because of the unusual and violent exercise to which he subjected
+himself; but he kept forward, believing it was his only hope.
+Fortunately the run was brief, but when he reached the threshold he was
+in the last stage of exhaustion. He could not lift his foot high enough,
+and went sprawling headlong into the room, with a crash that startled
+his wife almost out of her senses.
+
+Deerfoot paused a moment surveying the wreck and ruin he had caused, and
+then quietly shoved his tomahawk back in place. He had accomplished all
+he wished, and was satisfied. His old shadowy smile lingered on his face
+as he turned aside, and, making his way between the settlers' cabins,
+disappeared in the woods.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+BY THE CAMP-FIRE.
+
+
+Jack Carleton cried in the bitterness of vexation and disappointment.
+After his daring attempt to get away, and when hope was a-flutter within
+him, he awoke to the fact that his captors were trifling with him. He
+surveyed the array of gleaming visages, and was sure that the leader
+indulged in a distinct wink and grotesque grimace, as expressive of his
+views of the situation. Inasmuch as not one of the red men could utter a
+syllable of English, perhaps it was as well that they should have
+recourse to the sign language. Jack himself was humiliated beyond
+expression. Finding he was discovered, he had risen to his feet and
+faced his captors with the best grace he could, and that, it need not be
+said, was scant indeed.
+
+The Indians grinned and grimaced while they walked around the lad, as if
+desirous of surveying him from different points. Jack dashed the tears
+from his eyes, and, compressing his lips, braved it out. He expected
+some indignity would be offered him, but there was none. This curious
+scene lasted only a few minutes, when the Indians gave the youth to
+understand that the journey westward was to be resumed. He was motioned
+to go forward, and was glad enough to obey, for his saturated clothes
+and his highly nervous condition set his teeth chattering and his body
+shaking as if with the ague.
+
+The afternoon was well along, and no great distance could be passed over
+before night. Jack dreaded their arrival at the Indian village before
+another halt. He was hopeful that in the stillness and darkness of night
+he would gain a chance to steal away from his captors, while the chance
+of doing so when with the tribe itself would be much more difficult.
+
+In one respect the wish of the youth was gratified. The party tramped
+along in Indian file, without the slightest pause, until the darkness
+began stealing among the trees. There was but the single warrior in
+front, the others following the lad. Suddenly the leader stooped down
+and paused. He was so close to Jack that evidently he meant to fling
+him over his shoulders, and the boy barely escaped such discomfiture.
+The others grinned again, and then the party appeared to fall apart and
+take different positions. Two vanished in the wood, while the others
+began hastily gathering dead limbs and decayed leaves. It seemed to Jack
+that less than three minutes had gone by when he saw the dim outlines of
+one of the warriors on his knees, striking the flint and steel, such as
+the pioneers, and, indeed, all persons, used in those days. The little
+lines of sparks shot back and forth, as they do upon the swiftly
+revolving emery wheel when the metal is pressed against it, and in a
+twinkling a tiny blaze was creeping among the little pile of leaves
+toward the top. The twist of flame darted in and out like the crimson
+tongue of some serpent, until it reached the air above, and in a very
+few minutes a roaring camp fire was under full headway.
+
+Jack saw that it had been kindled against the shaggy bark of an oak
+tree, which swept upward like a sealed chimney until lost in the gloom
+above. The gleam of water a short distance off made known what he had
+not suspected; a stream--only a few inches in depth and breadth--wound
+by the spot, without giving forth the slightest ripple. Water, it may be
+said, is indispensable to such an encampment, and a party of aborigines
+scarcely ever halts at night without being near it.
+
+As the glow of the fire spread, it fell upon the figures of the
+warriors, who looked grim and uncanny. Jack folded his arms and stood in
+the full glow, as though seeking a bath in the firelight. But for his
+recent experience, he might have been tempted to make a dash for
+liberty; but his clothing was still wet from that furious essay, and he
+was clearly of the opinion that the only thing for him to do was to make
+his captors believe (if it was possible) that he had given over all hope
+of getting away. Could he lull their suspicion, it would be a most
+important point accomplished; but the youth might well feel misgivings
+on that point, for it presupposed a stupidity on the part of the Indians
+contrary to what he knew concerning them.
+
+It must not be thought that the boy believed he could make the warriors
+think he was content to remain their prisoner; that would have been the
+height of absurdity; but he did seek to convince them by his manner that
+he had given up the intention of running away, because he knew the
+attempt must be hopeless. Having failed so completely, he was not
+foolish enough to repeat the essay, when he was likely to anger the
+Indians to that point that they would punish him for it.
+
+It will be understood, therefore, why Jack Carleton remained standing
+with folded arms, while his captors were busying themselves around him.
+He looked at the flames as they crept up against the bark and scorched
+the rough coat of the massive oak, and he noted more than one furtive
+glance cast toward him. He pretended to see them not, but stood gloomy,
+sorrowful, and despairing.
+
+Suddenly the dull crack of a rifle rang out, and Jack started. His first
+impression was that a party of white men or Indians had attacked them,
+but when he noticed the indifference of those around, he saw his
+mistake. They did not so much as look to the right or left, nor make any
+remark to each other. Evidently they expected something of the kind.
+
+Within the space of five minutes, the two warriors who had left a short
+time before, reappeared. The foremost carried his rifle at a trail and
+had no game, but his companion, directly behind him, held by the feet a
+large wild gobbler, shot but a short time previous.
+
+Jack Carleton could not but wonder how it was this dusky hunter was able
+to secure the bird on such short notice. The turkeys, at the time he
+started to look for them, must have all gone to roost among the trees.
+The gloom was such that it was almost impossible for the keenest eye to
+distinguish them. They may have given some evidence of their presence,
+but Jack was surprised over the success of the red men in obtaining
+supper before, as may be said, the fire could be made ready to roast it.
+
+"Otto and I have hunted for hours in Kentucky where the game is as
+abundant as it is here, and we were not able to gain the first shot at
+any sort of game. There must be some secret about this performance which
+I don't understand, though Deerfoot, with his bow and arrow, never
+failed to meet with the same success."
+
+The American Indian is by no means fastidious in his tastes, and the
+manner in which they handled the game would hardly have satisfied a
+party of modern hunters. Sometimes the red man half cooks his bird
+without bothering himself with plucking out the feathers, and again he
+doesn't take the trouble even to scorch his food. In the present
+instance, they ripped off the principal part of the feathers, removed
+the interior, and cutting the framework into several sections, laid them
+directly on the coals that were spread out to receive them.
+
+They began the broiling or scorching operation at once, and the smell of
+the burning meat was of the most appetizing nature. Jack caught a sniff
+and it literally made his "mouth water," for despite his unpleasant
+situation, his appetite was such as every person in vigorous health is
+certain to feel at regular intervals.
+
+"I wonder whether they mean to slight me," he suddenly asked himself
+with a feeling of dismay; "if they do, I don't know what will become of
+me, for I'm sure I never was so a-hungered in all my life."
+
+But I hasten to say that the disaster which the prisoner feared did not
+come to him. Although the bird was unusually large, two or three of the
+warriors could have devoured it with ease. As it was, therefore, it
+afforded rather scant rations to the company, but Jack Carleton was
+remembered and received a juicy slice of the game, which could not have
+tasted better had it been hung up in the cold for a week and then cooked
+by his mother. Ah, what art shall ever furnish a sauce like that of
+hunger itself! The meal finished, the party disposed of themselves for
+the night. Their red clay pipes, with the long reeds for stems, were
+produced, filled with tobacco and lit from the fire in front of them.
+The blankets--which were anything but clean--were spread out on the
+ground and their owners assumed all sorts of lazy attitudes, puffed
+their pipes, and occasionally grunted a few words to each other.
+
+As Jack had no blanket of his own he reclined on the leaves, which were
+comfortable as he could wish. He took pains to place himself as near the
+camp fire as he could bear, so as to show his captors he did not mean to
+attempt to get away.
+
+Several times during the march and while at supper, Jack heard the
+leader addressed, as he believed, by name. He could not catch the
+precise word, but it sounded, as nearly as he could tell, like
+"Ogallah," which of itself resembles the name of a tribe of western
+Indians.
+
+Jack waited till he had heard it again, and then, from the manner in
+which it was spoken, he was convinced it was the real name of the leader
+of the party,--that is as near as he could pronounce it.
+
+By and by there came a lull in the disjointed conversation; the indolent
+red men were lolling on their blankets, and the leader was sitting
+cross-legged like a Turk, sending rings of smoke upward and watching
+them as they curled inward upon themselves and climbed out of sight. The
+dimensions of his mouth were that ample that he could have done the same
+on either side of the stem without removing it from between his teeth.
+
+Jack Carleton looked straight at him for a few seconds, and then,
+imitating the guttural style of those around as best he could,
+pronounced in a distinct voice the single word--
+
+"_Ogallah!_"
+
+At that moment the chin of the chief was in the air and a procession of
+rings were tumbling over each other as they hastened from between his
+lips. He dropped his head as abruptly as if some one had struck him in
+the throat, and with his mouth still in circular shape allowed the rings
+to go to ruin, while he stared in amazement at the boy who had
+pronounced his name. The others showed as much wonder as did the
+chieftain. They also stared at the lad and then gave expressions to
+their feelings in their guttural, grunting fashion.
+
+It was quite embarrassing to Jack Carleton, who blushed, looked
+confused, and then tried hard to appear as though he did not feel
+specially proud over his performance. The leader addressed some words to
+him, as if suspecting he understood his language after all, but Jack
+could only smile and shake his head to signify that he had already
+exhibited his full proficiency in the tongue of his captors.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+WAITING AND HOPING.
+
+
+It would be hard to measure the effect of the little achievement of Jack
+Carleton upon the Indians who held him captive. He had pronounced the
+name of the chieftain with such clearness that every one recognized it.
+After all it was no great exploit, and it may have been the red men
+feigned a goodly portion of the astonishment they seemed to feel.
+
+Jack did not make any more essays in that direction, and a few minutes
+later the vagabonds gave their principal attention to their pipes. One
+of them gathered an armful of brush and flung it on the fire; and
+another, rising to his feet, turned his back toward the blaze with his
+hands together behind him, as though the warmth was very pleasant. While
+he stood thus, he held the stem of his pipe in his mouth and looked
+absently at the boy, who could not see the face of the red man with much
+distinctness, as it was in shadow.
+
+The fuel just thrown on the flames increased the warmth to such a degree
+that those who were the nearest shifted their position. The warrior who
+was on his feet stepped forward a single pace, and was still standing in
+his idle fashion with his hands half folded behind him, when a spark
+flew outward with a snap, and dropped down the neck of the unsuspicious
+red man. When he felt the burn, like the thrust of a big needle, he
+sprang several feet in the air, and began frantically clutching at the
+tormenting substance. The second or third attempt secured the spark,
+which clung to his hand, burning his fingers to that extent that he
+emitted a rasping exclamation, bounded upward, and by a particularly
+vigorous flirt of his hand freed it of the spark, which then expired of
+itself.
+
+As I have said, no man has less humor in his composition than the North
+American Indian, and yet it is not by any means lacking in him. It
+assumes odd forms at times, and too often seems based on the physical
+suffering of some person or animal; but in the instance of which I am
+speaking, every one of the spectators was filled with mirth. The
+laughter shook them from head to foot, though with all its vigor it
+could not have been heard fifty feet away.
+
+Jack Carleton had been so long depressed that something like a reaction
+came over him. He threw his head back and the woods rang with his hearty
+mirth as they never rang before. If there was any one else within half a
+mile, he must have wondered what all the uproar meant.
+
+The cause of this amusement conducted himself very much like a civilized
+being. When he had rubbed the blistered spot on the back of his neck
+with the scorched hand, he glared angrily at the others, as if he saw no
+adequate cause for the unusual mirth; then when it broke out afresh, he
+made a weak attempt to join in, but failing to do so, he sullenly seated
+himself on the ground and looked as glum as a man meditating some wicked
+deed.
+
+All at once, he turned toward Jack Carleton with such a fierce scowl
+that the boy was sobered. He believed with reason that the Indian was
+ready to leap upon him with his knife, punishing him in that dreadful
+manner for the provocation he felt toward the rest.
+
+"I guess I have laughed enough," was the prudent thought of the boy,
+who straightway tried to look as if he sympathized with the red man for
+his slight misfortune.
+
+Jack could not tell how well he succeeded in imparting a pitying
+expression to his countenance, but all disposition to laugh at the
+warrior's mishap had departed, and it is not improbable that the youth
+owed his life to the fact.
+
+Although the overflowing mirth soon ended, there were a number of smiles
+on the faces of the warriors for a long time afterward, doubtless caused
+by the remembrance of the laughable performance earlier in the evening.
+
+As the halt was for the night, the boy could hardly suppress his
+curiosity to see what shape matters would take. His strong hope was that
+he would be allowed to lie where he then sat, and that none of the
+warriors would arrange it so he could not change his position without
+awaking him.
+
+It looked as if the prayer of Jack was to be granted. More wood was
+thrown on the fire, and the Indians took but a brief time to dispose
+themselves for slumber. The pipes were laid away, their guns examined,
+and each placed his weapon alongside of him, as though it was his
+intimate friend, from whose body he expected to obtain the warmth to
+keep him comfortable through the night. The savage who held Jack's gun
+was the only silent and reserved member of the party. The boy had heard
+him utter less than half a dozen words since the journey began. He was
+shorter and more squatty than the others, and his whole aim in life
+appeared to be a desire to please Ogallah, their chief. During the
+hilarity that reigned a short time before, he had grinned at his
+companion, but his mirth was less hearty than that of the rest.
+
+The blankets were spread out on the leaves to their fullest extent, and
+then the warriors lay down, with their backs against each other and
+their moccasins pointing toward the fire. Then the covering was gathered
+up in front of each and flung over behind, where the folds interlapped,
+all that remained visible being a part of the black hair and the
+feathers in the crowns of the warriors, who seemed to find not the least
+difficulty in breathing with their heads swathed and bandaged up like a
+wounded limb.
+
+Two couples were thus formed, who were separated by the space of six or
+eight feet, while a rod beyond burned the camp-fire against the shaggy
+trunk of the oak. The intervening area and some distance away was
+lighted by the flames which had eaten into the bark, until the solid
+wood beneath was charred and blackened by the heat. Ogallah, the chief,
+strode to a point midway between the fire and the couples, flung his
+blanket on the ground, and, pointing down to it, motioned to Jack
+Carleton to come forward and use it for his couch.
+
+This was not the most agreeable order to receive, but it might have been
+much worse, and he obeyed with a readiness that looked genuine, though
+it could not have been entirely so. Jack nodded to the chief, as he took
+his seat and gathered the heavy folds around him, lay down on his right
+side, with his face toward the fire. Ogallah looked at the lad, whose
+knees almost touched his chin, and muttering to himself, walked back to
+the oak and sat with his back against it, his feet close to his body and
+his arms folded in front.
+
+The chief was about one-fourth of the way around the oak from the
+camp-fire, so that the light revealed his entire left side, and his not
+very attractive profile, the whole being thrown against the blank
+darkness beyond, which shut the rest of his body from view. This
+proceeding indicated that Ogallah meant to act the part of sentinel
+while his warriors slept. He did not require the blanket, as would have
+been the case had he lain down to slumber, and he was magnanimous
+enough, therefore, to turn it over the captive, who would have been as
+well pleased never to touch it.
+
+It cannot be supposed that the sachem and his warriors were in any fear
+of disturbance during the darkness, for they were in a country with
+which they were familiar, and they knew no dangerous enemies were within
+many miles of them. Had they met a party belonging to another tribe,
+more than likely the two, as a matter of principle, would have fallen
+upon each other like so many tigers; but none of their own race was
+hunting for them, and the white settlers were altogether out of the
+question. But the possibility of peril--remote though it might
+be--always hangs over the hunter, as indeed it does over us all, and the
+red men had no thought of trusting themselves to slumber without one of
+their number standing guard over the rest.
+
+Sleep is so insidious in its approach that the sentry, as a usual thing,
+can only fight it off by incessant action. So long as he paces back and
+forth, his senses stay with him, but when he sits down a minute or so to
+rest, unconsciousness is sure to come. But Ogallah would not have
+assumed the easy position had he not felt sure of his self-control. It
+will be perceived that he had so placed himself that he had a perfect
+view of the camp, while he could see all that was possible of the
+surrounding gloom. If required, he could use the oak as a shield, and
+only a slight signal was needed on his part to rouse the sleeping
+warriors to instant wakefulness.
+
+"Now, if he keeps awake," thought Jack Carleton, peeping through the
+folds of his blanket with his half-closed eyes, "it don't look as though
+there will be much chance for me, but if he drops into a doze I may slip
+off, and I won't need much of a start to get away from him."
+
+The most natural query would be as to which was more likely to fall
+asleep--the Indian or the boy. Ordinarily a youngster like Jack would
+have been no match for the warrior, who had been trained to privation,
+suffering, hardship, self-denial and watchfulness from his earliest
+infancy; but it need not be said that the state of one's mind has
+everything to do with his ability to slumber and secure rest therefrom.
+Ogallah was mentally quiet; he had gone through a severe tramp, but no
+more so than had been the case hundreds of times, and he was accustomed
+to sleep at that hour. Such was the case also with Jack Carleton, but he
+was in a fever of hope and nervousness, which made it hard for him to
+hold his eyes partly closed in his effort to counterfeit
+unconsciousness. It was accepted as a matter of course that the four
+warriors who were lying down would speedily glide into the land of
+dreams, since such was their wish. Slight as is the noise which is
+sufficient to rouse a sleeping Indian, young Carleton would have felt no
+misgiving respecting those so near him; it was Ogallah, the sentinel
+chieftain, whom he feared.
+
+"If he suspects that I mean to try something of the kind," was the
+conclusion of Jack, "he will not close his eyes any longer than to wink.
+But I'll watch him."
+
+This task which the boy set himself was of the most trying nature. Had
+his mind been composed he would have fallen asleep within five minutes,
+but he was never more wide awake in all his life than he was two hours
+after he had lain down with the Indian blanket wrapped about him, and
+his face toward the camp-fire.
+
+During that period, so far as he was able to see, the Indian had not
+moved so much as a muscle, and Jack himself had done very little more.
+Lying on his right side, with his arm doubled under him for a pillow,
+the cumbrous blanket enclosing him from head to foot, an irregular
+opening in front of his face allowed him to peer through the folds at
+the camp-fire, the oak, and the chieftain. The last still sat leaning
+slightly backward, with his shoulders against the trunk, his arms folded
+over his knees, while he seemed to be gazing off into vacancy. The heels
+of his moccasins remained close against the thighs, so that the form of
+the Indian bore quite a resemblance to the letter N.
+
+The flickering light from the camp-fire disclosed as it did at first,
+the side and profile of the chieftain. Gradually the flames sank lower
+and there came moments when the sentinel was scarcely visible. Then,
+all at once, the fire would flare up for a few seconds and the figure
+would be in brighter relief than before. Again the eyes of Jack would
+rebel against the extreme tension to which they were subjected. The
+Indian, instead of remaining with his back against the oak, would seem
+to be hitching forward and upward in the most grotesque fashion. After
+bumping about in the air for a time, he would sink, still bumping, to
+the ground, where he would hitch backward to his place by the tree. Then
+the latter, instead of standing as motionless as a rock, showed signs of
+restlessness. It would begin by swaying back and forth until it too was
+waltzing in an unearthly fashion around the camp-fire. Again the
+surrounding gloom became studded with blinking stars, ogres and the most
+grotesque figures, which performed in an indescribable fashion. Darkness
+and light alternated, until the boy feared he was losing the power of
+vision altogether; but it will be understood that this was the natural
+protest of the eye against the painful and long continued strain to
+which it was subjected.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+THROUGH THE FOREST.
+
+
+Jack Carleton occasionally gave his eyes fitful rest by holding them
+closed for a few moments, but the tantalizing visions did not leave him
+even then. His arm became so painfully cramped under his head that he
+was compelled to shift his position; and he seized the occasion to
+readjust his limbs, which were also becoming wearied because of the long
+time he had held them motionless. He was prudent enough, however, to
+give the whole movement the seeming of a natural action done in sleep.
+He flung himself about for a few seconds, and then rolled back almost in
+the same posture, apparently resuming his heavy slumber.
+
+But through the half closed eyelids, on which the dull glow of the
+camp-fire fell, he was peering at the faint outlines of the figure
+against the oak. He was sure Ogallah would start and rise to his feet,
+ready to check any steps on the part of the captive looking toward
+flight.
+
+But not the slightest stir was made, and the astonished lad, with a
+painful throb of his heart, said to himself:
+
+"He is asleep! Now is my chance!"
+
+It seemed to be too good to be true, and yet it certainly had that
+appearance. For some time past, Jack had known from the regular
+breathing of the figures near him that the couples wrapped up in their
+blankets were unconscious. Certainly there could be no doubt about the
+one who had been burned by the spark of fire, for he snored amain, like
+the "seven sleepers."
+
+It is at such times that one's senses are wonderfully acute, and Jack
+Carleton not only saw but heard with unusual keenness. With his ear
+close to, but not touching the ground, he distinctly caught a rippling
+sound in the streamlet which flowed so near. The fact that he heard it
+was proof that it was caused by some "foreign interference," since it
+was entirely different from the slight rippling noise along the banks.
+
+The first thought of Jack was that it was Deerfoot come to his rescue,
+and he could not but think how completely he would be master of the
+situation, should he suddenly rise to his feet in front of Ogallah and
+give him to understand he was not to move or speak; but a second thought
+destroyed the hope. It was exceedingly improbable that the young
+Shawanoe was within a score of miles, but while it was possible that he
+might be hunting somewhere in the forest, it was incredible that he
+would have betrayed his presence near camp in the manner named.
+
+Jack had barely reached this correct conclusion, when, peering at the
+figure of Ogallah, as it was faintly shown, he caught the gleam of the
+eyes of a wild beast just beyond, and in a direct line with the chief.
+The eyes were large, round and quite close together, with that
+phosphorescent, flickering glow often shown by animals when the light is
+faint.
+
+"_That_ will settle the question whether Ogallah is asleep or not," said
+the boy, watching with an intensity of interest which cannot be
+described.
+
+Whatever the nature of the animal, he was evidently on a reconnaissance,
+and had no purpose of venturing closer until satisfied the path was
+clear to do so. It must have been that he cared very little one way or
+the other, for while the two orbs were glaring upon Jack, they vanished
+with a suddenness that suggested that some one had seized his tail and
+flung him back into the gloom from which he first emerged.
+
+It was incredible, too, that the chief should have sat quiet and
+motionless with a wild beast so near him, unless he was asleep, but the
+possibility of being mistaken after all, kept Jack from stirring for
+fully a half hour longer.
+
+The time seemed much later than it really was, when the boy rose on his
+elbow and hesitated, while he looked intently around and listened for
+the slightest sound. He glanced right and left at the figures shrouded
+in the blankets, but they might have been so many dead men. He could
+barely discern their outlines in the gloom, for the fire was slowly, but
+steadily, sinking. Several times he had asked himself whether it would
+not be wise to wait until it died out altogether, but he was too
+strongly convinced that the night was nearly gone, and he would need
+every minute in which to widen the distance between him and his
+pursuers.
+
+"No," he murmured, "it won't do to wait another second."
+
+He was on one knee, with his hand pressing the ground, when the largest
+stick on the fire burned in two in the middle, and the larger portion
+rolled back and in front of the chief. The disturbance caused it to
+flare up for the moment with a glare which revealed the figure of
+Ogallah more distinctly than at any time since he had taken his
+position.
+
+Jack Carleton paused in his painful movement and became like a figure
+cut in marble, staring straight at the warrior brought into such
+unexpected prominence. As he did so, he saw that Ogallah was not only
+wide awake, but had turned his head, and was looking straight at him.
+The cunning fellow had not slept a wink from the moment he took his
+singular position. He had noted the wolf which ventured close enough to
+take a peep into camp, but, well aware that there was no danger, and
+convinced also that his captive was awaiting the chance to steal away,
+he held himself as rigid as iron until such an attempt should be made.
+
+Poor Jack almost fainted in a collapse of despair. He saw that his
+captors had trifled with him from the beginning, and with a sigh of
+utter wretchedness, he dropped back on the ground, feeling that it was
+worse than useless for him to expect or hope to outwit those cunning
+children of the forest.
+
+Reaction followed, and the lad speedily sank into a deep slumber which
+lasted until the sun had risen and the party had broken camp and were
+ready to resume their journey. Even then it was necessary for Ogallah to
+thrust his moccasin against him before he opened his eyes and stared
+confusedly around. The sight of the warriors who stood ready to move,
+recalled Jack to his hapless situation. He rubbed his eyes, and sprang
+to his feet, and walking to the streamlet lay down, took a draught of
+the cool, refreshing water in which he bathed his face, wiping it off
+with his handkerchief, and then turned about to signify that he awaited
+orders.
+
+He wondered that no signs of breakfast were to be seen, and at first
+suspected that his captors had partaken while he slept, but afterward
+concluded that like all their people they were anything but regular in
+their meals, especially when on the tramp.
+
+Without any ceremony, the journey was taken up, Ogallah again walking at
+the head, with the other four at the rear of the boy. They adopted their
+favorite custom of walking in Indian file, each warrior stepping in the
+tracks of the one in front. Jack was wise enough to adhere to the
+practice, so that had any one sought to follow the party, he would have
+noted but the single trail, though a skilled red or white man would have
+been quick to discover the precise number of the company.
+
+"We have traveled a good many miles since yesterday noon," thought Jack,
+"and it must be that we are not far from the Indian village. If that is
+so, it won't do for me to make any other attempt to run away. Ogallah
+knows I am anxious to go, for he saw me try it twice, and he will take
+good care that I don't try it again."
+
+Still, while taking this sensible view of the matter, Jack Carleton
+compressed his lips with the resolution that he would not throw away a
+single chance. If it should prove that many miles still lay before them
+and that several nights were to be spent on the road, he meant to do his
+utmost to give his captors the slip.
+
+The journey assumed the most monotonous character. It was simply tramp,
+tramp, without the least rest or variation. Jack was sure he had never
+seen such sameness in the forest, lasting mile after mile. There were
+the towering trees, their leafy branches interlocked overhead, the same
+array of shaggy columns of bark, spreading limbs and sparse undergrowth.
+Sometimes Ogallah would step so rapidly that a branch which he brushed
+from his path would swing back and switch the lad in the face, and once
+or twice a running vine would be uprooted by a vigorous fling or kick of
+the foot.
+
+But all this time the squat figure of the chief advanced like a machine.
+Jack noticed the swing of the muscular arms, the play of the legs and
+the occasional slight turning or ducking of the head. The straggling
+black hair, with the painted eagle feathers drooping like the plume of a
+lady's hat, the blanket slung loosely over the shoulders, the fringed
+hunting shirt and leggings, the faded moccasins, so soft that they
+spread out of all manner of shape when the weight of the body rested on
+them:--all these and much more were impressed upon the mind of the boy
+with a distinctness that he was certain would last him all through life.
+
+"My gracious!" thought he, "they have come from a long distance; what
+could have taken them down near Martinsville and so near the
+Mississippi? I wonder whether it is possible the tribes who live on this
+side the river ever cross over to look at the country on the other
+shore. It would not be strange if they did so, but it don't seem like an
+Indian to do that sort of thing. Can it be these warriors have their
+hunting grounds away out toward the Rocky Mountains? If so, I shall have
+a fine time in finding my way back home."
+
+The youth did not allow himself to consider the possibility that he
+would never have the chance to attempt the journey. The shuddering fear
+which first took hold of him was gone. Closely as the captors guarded
+him, he was persuaded they meant to inflict no personal harm--at least
+while on their way through the woods.
+
+It was a serious question indeed as to what would be his treatment after
+reaching the Indian settlement. The American race is cruel, treacherous,
+and revengeful, and though the red men frequently hold prisoners for
+months and years, they more frequently subject them to torture and
+death. It will be understood, therefore, why Jack Carleton was so
+anxious to make his escape from the party before they could arrive home.
+
+Present discomforts often drive away future horrors, and, by the time
+the sun was overhead, Jack gave his principal thought to one thing--the
+question of food. He was a-hungered, and viewed with a mental groan the
+prospect of keeping on the march until sunset, before securing anything
+to eat.
+
+"I have gone a full day many a time without food," he said, as he
+tramped along, "but it seems to me I never was as ravenous as now. I
+believe I could eat a pair of boiled moccasins, that is, if they had
+never been in use."
+
+He was ashamed of his weakness, and resolutely refrained from giving any
+evidence of his suffering, but when he detected the pale green foliage
+of the fragrant birch, he ventured to step out of the trail, break off a
+branch and chew the bark, thus securing temporary relief from the
+gnawing discomfort.
+
+High noon came, but no halt had been made. The lad had left the trail
+several times, and the warriors themselves were more careless about
+their own footsteps, but seemed to have no desire to partake of food.
+
+The first shock of surprise came when the party suddenly emerged from
+the woods and paused on the bank of a deep, swift stream, fully a
+hundred yards wide. The current, like the smaller one, was yellow and
+roiled, and the boy looked upon it with a feeling akin to dismay.
+Recalling the indignity to which he had been subjected earlier in the
+day, he dreaded trusting himself in the water again.
+
+"_This_ time they may take it into their heads to drown me," was his
+thought.
+
+But his nerves were not subjected to the trial. Nothing showed more
+clearly the wonderful woodcraft of the Indians than the fact that, after
+journeying many long leagues through the wilderness, without the
+slightest trail to guide them, they struck the stream within a hundred
+yards of the point at which they aimed from the first.
+
+This was proven by the action of the warriors themselves. After talking
+together for a few minutes, two of them walked a short distance up the
+bank and drew a large canoe from under the shore, where they had left it
+when journeying in the other direction.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+THE SIGNAL FIRES.
+
+
+The canoe was made of bark, with the ends turned up in the usual
+fashion. Two long paddles belonging to it lay within, and were taken by
+the warriors, who paddled it down to where the party were in waiting.
+All stepped carefully inside, and the same Indians who brought it from
+its hiding place turned the prow toward the other shore and began
+swinging the paddles with the freedom and vigor peculiar to their
+people. Jack was the last to seat himself, and he held fast as best he
+could, dreading some of the rude jokes of his captors.
+
+When all were in position, and the craft began moving, great care was
+necessary, for it sank to the gunwales, and a slight disturbance would
+be enough to overturn the frail boat. Although Jack feared such an
+occurrence, yet the Indians themselves were no more desirous it should
+take place than was he.
+
+He naturally fixed his eyes on the line of warriors seated in front of
+him. All faced the shore they were approaching, and the couple using the
+paddles dipped first one end on the right and the other end on the left
+of the canoe. They put forth little exertion. Had they chosen to do so,
+they could have tripled the speed, though most likely an upset would
+have been the consequence.
+
+The middle of the stream was not reached, when a small fish leaped out
+of the water in front and fell back again. Ogallah uttered an
+exclamation, and, reaching his hand over the side of the boat, held it
+several inches under the surface. The two Indians not using the paddles
+did the same, just as a party of young people will do when taking a
+pleasure sail over some calm lake.
+
+Suddenly Ogallah gave a quick flirt of the submerged hand, flinging the
+sparkling water over all. Something flashed in the sunlight, and a plump
+fish, weighing fully a pound, dropped into the canoe. Almost immediately
+the other two warriors did the same, one of them securing a prize
+weighing as much as both the others. The fact was, the boat was passing
+through something like a school of fish, and the red men found no
+difficulty in capturing a number.
+
+"That looks like dinner," thought Jack with a chuckle, as he also dipped
+his hand to grope for the finny delicacies. He had less than a minute to
+wait when something cold and smooth touched his fingers. He made a
+desperate clutch, sinking his arm to his elbow, but the fish was too
+quick, and darted beyond his reach, just as Ogallah landed another
+tempting one.
+
+Several more were taken, but Jack could not succeed in closing his
+fingers quickly enough to keep the fish from slipping away. By the time
+the other side of the stream was reached, a good supply had been
+secured, and the boy forgot his sorrow in the pleasure of anticipating
+that his hunger would be fully satisfied.
+
+Happily he was not disappointed in this respect, for, while the oarsmen
+were drawing the boat out of the water, the others were preparing the
+fire with which to cook the fish, that were speedily dressed. They were
+the "white" species common in the west, and when browned to a juicy
+crisp, formed as luscious a meal as any epicure could ask. Best of all,
+there was an abundance, and Jack Carleton ate until he wanted no more.
+
+Having tramped so many miles since the rising of the sun, Ogallah and
+his warriors were disposed to enjoy a good rest.
+
+Their pipes were relighted and they lolled about in the same lazy
+fashion, paying no special heed to Jack, who knew the unwisdom of making
+any effort to get away.
+
+All this convinced the boy that the party had still a considerable
+distance to travel. Had they been in the neighborhood of their village,
+they would have pushed on without stopping. At any rate, they would not
+have paused to kindle the camp-fire and to cook a meal at mid-day.
+
+"It must be," Jack said to himself, with several nods of his head, "that
+we are to spend another night on the road: if that is so, I'll make a
+break if I have to suffer for it."
+
+These were vaunting words, but he was in earnest. Except for the hope
+thus renewed within him, the youth would have given way to the
+drowsiness which became quite common with the rest, but a line of
+speculation was started which kept his mind occupied during the full
+hour the party dawdled about the camp-fire.
+
+At the end of the time named, the ashes were knocked from the pipes,
+several stretched their limbs and yawned, and the sullen-faced warrior
+who had been taking care of Jack's rifle, passed it back to him with
+some surly word, which most likely meant that thereafter the captive
+should bear his own burdens. The boy was glad enough to regain his
+weapon, but he smiled when he observed that it had no charge in it. His
+captors were determined not to put temptation in his way.
+
+It took the company a considerable time to "shake themselves together."
+They straggled and kept irregular step, and finally, when they began
+ascending a slope, where the ground was much broken and covered with
+stones, they gave it up altogether. The ascent continued until they
+found themselves on an elevation several hundred feet high, and so
+devoid of vegetation that a view was gained which covered an area of
+hundreds of square miles in every direction.
+
+Standing on this lookout, as it may be called, the Indians devoted a
+number of minutes to such survey. No employment just then could be more
+entertaining, and Jack Carleton adopted it.
+
+The scene was too similar to those with which the reader of these pages
+has become familiar to need any lengthened reference in this place. It
+was green, billowy forest in every direction. Here and there a stream
+wound like a silver ribbon through the emerald wilderness, sometimes
+gleaming in the sunlight, and then disappearing among the vegetation, to
+reappear miles away, and finally to vanish from sight altogether as it
+wound its way toward the Gulf. At remote points the trained eye could
+detect the thin, wavy column of vapor motionless against the sky, a mute
+witness that beings other than those on the hill were stealing through
+the vast solitude in their quest for game or prey.
+
+Inasmuch as Jack Carleton readily detected these "signs," as the hunter
+terms them, it followed they must have been noted by the Indians
+themselves; but they gave no evidence of any excitement on that account.
+It was natural that such evidences of the presence of other persons in
+the immense territory should present themselves.
+
+But the youth failed to find that for which he specially looked.
+Observing the chieftain gazing earnestly toward the west, he did the
+same, expecting to catch sight of the Indian village where Ogallah and
+his warriors made their home. He descried a wooded ridge stretching
+across his field of vision, but not the first resemblance to village or
+wigwam could be discovered.
+
+"He is not looking for _that_," thought Jack, "but is expecting some
+signal which will appear on the ridge."
+
+One of the other Indians was peering with equal intentness at the same
+point, but the minutes passed and nothing presented itself. Jack joined
+in the scrutiny, but he could not succeed where they failed.
+
+All at once the sachem seemed to lose patience. He said some vigorous
+things, accompanied by equally vigorous gestures, and then the whole
+party began hastily gathering wood. In a short while this was kindled
+and burning strongly. When the flames were fairly going, one of the
+warriors who had collected several handfuls of damp leaves by digging
+under the dry ones, dropped them carefully on the blaze. It looked at
+first as if the fire would be put out, but it struggled upward, and
+by-and-by a column of dense black smoke stained the sky like the smutty
+finger of some giant tracing a wavy line across it.
+
+[Illustration: THE SIGNAL]
+
+Then Ogallah and one of his men held his blanket spread out so as almost
+to force the thick smoke to the ground, but such was not their purpose.
+The blanket was abruptly lifted, then swayed in a peculiar fashion, the
+two moving in perfect unison, without speaking, and repeating their
+pantomime with the regularity of machinery, for the space of fully ten
+minutes.
+
+The results were singular. The inky column of vapor was broken into a
+number of sections, as may be said, so that when viewed from a distance
+the figure was that of a black broad band of enormous height, separated
+by belts of colorless air into a dozen pieces or divisions, the upper
+ones gradually melting into nothingness. Besides this, so deftly had the
+red men manipulated the fire and blanket, that these divisions showed a
+peculiar wavy appearance, which would have excited wondering remark, no
+matter by whom seen.
+
+"It is a signal to some one on the ridge yonder," was the conclusion of
+Jack, who watched the proceeding with much interest.
+
+Having finished, Ogallah and the warrior threw the blanket on the
+ground, and the whole five gazed at the ridge miles away. For a time
+perfect silence reigned, and then one of the dusky watchers uttered an
+exclamation, to which the chief responded with a grunt.
+
+While scanning the distant ridge, Jack detected a black brush of vapor
+climbing slowly above the trees. It broke clean off, and as it went on
+upward, was inclosed by clear air on all sides. But it was not long
+before a second, third, fourth, and fifth appeared. Parties were
+answering the signal of the chief in precisely the same manner that he
+made it. The only difference was in the number, of which there were only
+the five. Those, however, were sufficient, as the parties making it were
+well aware.
+
+This aboriginal system of telegraphy, which has been in use from time
+immemorial, is still a favorite means of communication among the Indians
+of the West. More than once the news of the signing of some important
+treaty, or the war movement of tribes, has been flashed by means of
+signal fires from mountain top to mountain top over a distance of
+hundreds of miles.
+
+The information given by the answering signal fire was satisfactory to
+the chief Ogallah, who resumed the journey at a leisurely pace, making
+no effort to walk in the close Indian file that he and his warriors did
+when further away from home.
+
+"If we reach the village before going into camp," concluded Jack, "we
+must keep moving until after dark. The sun is setting and the ridge is
+still a good ways off."
+
+It soon became manifest that the red men had no purpose of tiring
+themselves by walking. They were at the base of the ridge when they came
+upon a small stream which dashed down the mountain side with a musical
+plash, forming currents, eddies, and cascades, while in the depths of
+some pebbly pool it was as silent and clear as liquid mountain air.
+
+The afternoon was more sultry than the early portion of the day, and
+every member of the company quaffed his fill from the refreshing
+element. Jack's heart gave a great bound of hope when he saw that
+Ogallah meant to spend the night there. He was strongly convinced that
+he would gain an opportunity to steal away during the darkness, which
+promised to be denser than on the previous night. Although the day had
+been clear and beautiful, yet the clouds gathered after the sun went
+down, and there were signs of a storm. Low mutterings of distant thunder
+and the fitful flashes of lightning showed the interchange of
+electricity between the earth and sky, though it might not develop to
+any great extent for many hours to come.
+
+No hunt was made for game, and after the abundant meal earlier in the
+day, Jack could not complain if compelled to fast until morning. A fire
+was kindled precisely as before, a sturdy oak forming the background,
+while the others lolled around it and smoked their long-stemmed pipes.
+
+When Jack Carleton was invited to retire to his couch by the sullen
+warrior, he obeyed as though pleased with the prospect of a full night's
+rest. Ogallah stretched out with one of his men, while the ill-tempered
+member sat down with his back against the tree, as though desirous of
+imitating his leader in every respect.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+THE INDIAN VILLAGE.
+
+
+"There's one thing certain," said Jack Carleton to himself, as he
+gathered the Indian blanket around his shoulders, like one lying down to
+pleasant dreams, "I can keep awake a good deal more easily than I did
+last night. I'm pretty tired, but I slept so much toward morning that it
+will be no trouble to go twenty-four hours without any more."
+
+The temperature was milder than at that time, so that the lad found the
+thick blanket uncomfortably warm when wrapped closely around him. He
+flung out his feet and arms as a child often does with its bed
+coverings, and adjusted his body so as to keep his eye on the sentinel,
+without (as the captive believed) any suspicion of his intention.
+
+The other couples sank into refreshing slumber within a few minutes
+after lying down, and it certainly was singular that the warrior who
+sat half revealed, with his back against the tree, should have
+continued as motionless as did the chief Ogallah the evening before. It
+was impossible that two scenes should resemble each other more closely
+than those named.
+
+"I don't believe he can keep it up as long as the old fellow did. If he
+tries it, he will be dreaming, and when he and the rest awake, they will
+find I am miles off and going with might and main for home. My gracious!
+but I shall have a long distance to travel, and it will be hard work to
+keep out of their way."
+
+Fixing his eyes on the form as it was shown by the flickering camp-fire,
+Jack prepared to watch with more patience than he showed in the former
+instance. The sound of the splashing brook and the soft stirring of the
+night wind were soothing to the tired boy. By-and-by his eyelids
+drooped, then closed, and his senses passed from him. Never was he sunk
+in sounder sleep.
+
+Nothing occurred to disturb him, and he slept hour after hour, never
+opening his eyes until it was broad daylight and Ogallah and his
+warriors were astir.
+
+Jack was chagrined beyond expression when he found what he had done,
+or, rather, what he had failed to do. The opportunity for which he had
+sighed so long had slipped irrevocably from his grasp. So convinced was
+he of this fact that he gave over all thought of escape while on the
+journey.
+
+"The Indian village can't be far off, and I must now go ahead and take
+my chances. But this is getting tiresome."
+
+The last remark referred to the absence of any preparations for
+breakfast. He had made no complaint the evening before, but it was a
+hardship to continue his fast. Inasmuch, however, as there was no help
+for it, he submitted without a murmur.
+
+There was now no pretence of treading in each other's footsteps, but the
+party straggled up the ridge like a lot of weary pedestrians. No one
+seemed to pay any attention to the single captive, most likely because
+there was no call to do so. He might desire to make a break for liberty,
+but he could not go further than they were willing to permit.
+
+The top of the ridge was marked by a bare spot, where some charred
+sticks showed a fire had been recently kindled. There could be no doubt
+that it was there the answering signal had been made to the call of
+Ogallah.
+
+But looking down the western slope of the ridge, Jack Carleton's eyes
+rested on a scene more interesting than any that had met his gaze since
+leaving home. Less than a mile off, close to the shore of a winding
+stream and in the middle of a partially cleared space, stood the Indian
+village toward which his footsteps had been tending for nearly two days,
+and where he was likely to spend an indefinite captivity.
+
+The stream was perhaps a hundred feet in width. It shone brightly in the
+morning sun, and the current was clearer than that of the river crossed
+the day before. It wound its way westward as far as the eye could follow
+it, flowing into a tributary of the Osage, thence to the Missouri, and
+so on to the Gulf of Mexico.
+
+The Indian village numbered between twenty and thirty lodges, wigwams or
+dwellings as they may be called. Some of them were made of bison and
+deer skins, and were of irregular, conical shape; others were mere huts,
+covered with grass, leaves, limbs and dirt, while one or two were
+mainly composed of stones piled in the form of rude walls and roofed in
+the rude fashion described.
+
+These primitive structures were scattered irregularly over a space of
+half an acre, which might be called a clearing, inasmuch as only a few
+stumps and broken trees were to be seen. But nothing in the way of corn
+or vegetables was growing, and the air of dilapidation, untidiness and
+squalor pervading the whole scene, was characteristic of the race, and
+was that which robs it of the romance which in the minds of many
+attaches to the name of the American Indian.
+
+Viewed from the ridge, Jack could see figures moving to and fro in the
+aimless manner natural to such indolent people. There were children
+running and playing among the stumps and dwellings--half naked little
+knots of humanity, who in a few years would become the repulsive squaws
+or terrible warriors of the tribe. Three of the youngsters were having a
+high time with a canoe lying against the shore. They were splashing the
+water over each other, plunging into the stream and scrambling out again
+without regard to the wear or tear of their clothing, and playing all
+sorts of tricks on each other, while a half dozen playmates were
+standing on the bank laughing so heartily that a spectator would have
+found it hard to understand why the American race is so often described
+as of a melancholy temperament.
+
+Now and then some squaw could be seen trudging along under a load of
+sticks, while more than likely her lazy husband was asleep within the
+wigwam. A half dozen warriors strolled off toward the woods, rifles in
+hand, and most likely with the intention of going upon a hunt. Just
+before leaving the clearing, one of them caught sight of the group on
+the top of the ridge. Immediately they swung their arms and sent several
+ringing whoops across as a salutation to their friends.
+
+Ogallah answered, and he and his party moved down the slope toward their
+homes. Having saluted each other in this fashion, the warriors of the
+village speedily vanished in the wood. They must have known that the
+returning company had a prisoner with them, but it will be seen they
+felt no particular interest in the matter.
+
+But if such was the fact respecting the hunters, it was far different
+with those who were left behind. The moment the five warriors emerged
+from the wood, with the captive walking among them, the whole village
+was thrown in a turmoil of excitement. Squaws and children rushed
+forward, men came to the entrances of their wigwams, and some strolled
+out to make a closer investigation of the matter.
+
+It was a trying moment to Jack Carleton, for it may be said that he had
+discounted it during the preceding day. He forced himself to smile, and
+when the chattering, grunting, shouting crowd gathered around him so
+closely that he was forced to stop walking, he shook, so far as he
+could, most of the scores of hands that were pushed against him.
+
+All this was well enough, but it was not long before their attention
+took an unpleasant form. Some of the half grown bucks either feigned or
+really were angered because Jack could not give them heed, and struck
+him with the flat of their hands about the chest and shoulders. The boy
+turned when the first blow was delivered, and the Indian indulged in a
+taunting grimace. Jack clenched his fist and was on the point of
+striking him in the face when his good sense restrained him. He needed
+no one to tell him the consequences of such rashness.
+
+The attentions soon became so boisterous that Ogallah interfered. He
+flung the crowd right and left, commanding them to disperse, and then
+beckoned the youth to follow him toward a lodge near the center of the
+village. Jack was glad enough to do so, and was speedily relieved of
+annoyance.
+
+The sachem conducted the boy to his own dwelling where none of the
+curious dare follow him, though the crowd gathered on the outside and
+peeped within, like so many persons seeking a free survey of a circus.
+
+Suspecting that this was likely to be his new home for an indefinite
+time, Jack Carleton was quick to acquaint himself with the interior. The
+structure, as I have said, stood near the middle of the village, and was
+the largest of the collection. It is rare that an aboriginal building
+bears such resemblance to those made by the white men of the border, for
+the American race has never shown any aptitude in architecture.
+
+Ogallah's house was a log cabin, perhaps twenty feet long by half as
+many wide. The logs were roughly dovetailed at the corners, but none of
+the numerous crevices were stopped by mortar or clay, and daylight
+could be discerned through many a rent, which in cold weather admitted
+the keen cutting wind.
+
+A single opening served as a door. Aboriginal ingenuity could not pass
+beyond this rude contrivance, so having opened the way for ingress and
+egress, the builder was content to hang a bison skin as a curtain. This
+could be readily pulled aside by any one, and the door locked by
+fastening the corners. Windows are a sinful extravagance to the American
+Indian, and there was not one in the village to which Jack Carleton was
+taken. When the open door, the burning fire, the hole which answered for
+a chimney, and the numerous crevices did not give enough light for the
+interior, the occupants went outside to obtain it.
+
+Having put up the four walls of logs and roofed them with branches,
+covered with leaves, dirt and grass, Ogallah was content to lean back,
+fold his arms and smoke his pipe in placid triumph. The floor was the
+earth, worn hard and smooth by the feet of the family, and the fire was
+kindled on the ground at the further end, where the vapor found its way
+through the irregular opening made for the purpose. There was nothing in
+the nature of a chair or bench in the place. Bison and deer robes
+formed the couches, and the pegs driven in the logs held blankets, bows,
+and furs of animals (most of the last, however, lying on the ground),
+leggings and other articles worn by the chieftain and his wife.
+
+These two were the only occupants of the place previous to the coming of
+Jack Carleton. Ogallah was in middle life, and had been the father of
+but a single son, who died while yet a papoose. His wife was tall and
+muscular, evidently a woman with a strong will, and well worthy to be
+the consort of an Indian chief. She did not rush to her husband and
+embrace him the moment she caught sight of him. Indeed, she had not
+ventured outside the lodge, though she could not have failed to hear the
+unusual turmoil.
+
+She would not have been human had she not shown some curiosity
+respecting her husband's companion. Jack doffed his hat and bowed to her
+with elaborate courtesy, after which he leaned his rifle against the
+side of the wigwam and folded his arms. The squaw surveyed him for a
+full minute, during which he stood as if awaiting her commands, and
+then, turning to her husband, the two held a short but vigorous
+conversation.
+
+The wife must have been expecting him, for she was engaged in cooking
+some venison in the usual aboriginal fashion, and, to the great relief
+of the boy, the two were not kept waiting for their meal. Seating
+themselves cross-legged on the ground, the half-cooked meat was taken in
+their hands, and, with no other utensils than his hunting knife, each
+made his morning meal.
+
+And so at last Jack Carleton was a captive among a tribe of Indians
+whose totem was unknown to him. Whether he was to remain with them until
+manhood, or whether he was to be put to death long before that period,
+were questions whose answers he did not dare try to conjecture.
+
+His situation was a most extraordinary one, as every reader will admit.
+He knew of more than one instance where children who were captured when
+quite small, had become so attached to the rude ways and wild life of
+the red men, that they refused to go back to their own people when the
+offer presented itself, but it was too late in the day for such an
+experience to befall him.
+
+And now, for a time, we must leave Jack Carleton to himself, while we
+give attention to other incidents which are destined to have a bearing
+on his fate.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+ON THE MOUNTAIN CREST.
+
+
+The reader has not forgotten the encounter between Jacob Relstaub and
+Deerfoot, the Shawanoe, when the former plunged headlong through his own
+door in mortal fear that the tomahawk of the youthful warrior would be
+sent crashing through his brain; but, much as Deerfoot despised the
+German, he had no thought of visiting injury upon him. Shoving back the
+weapon to its place in his girdle, he therefore strode off in the
+forest, never pausing in his walk until the sun appeared above the
+horizon. He was then many miles from Martinsville, his face turned
+toward the southwest.
+
+Throwing himself on his face, he quaffed his fill from a small, clear
+stream, whose current was only moderately cool, and then, assuming an
+easy posture on the ground, gave himself over to deep thought.
+
+The question which he was seeking to answer was as to his duty. He had
+gone to the settlement to see his young friends, and learned that they
+had started some hours before on a hunting expedition. Such a proceeding
+was so natural, and, withal, so common, that any one expressing wonder
+thereat was likely to be laughed at for his words. The boys of the
+frontier learn to handle the rifle when much younger than either Otto
+Relstaub or Jack Carleton, and they were sometimes absent for days at a
+time without causing any misgiving on the part of their parents.
+
+Why, then, should Deerfoot be perplexed over the matter, when even the
+mother of Jack expressed no fear concerning him?
+
+Why, indeed? That was the query which puzzled the young warrior. It has
+already been said it was the custom of Deerfoot to follow a certain
+inexplainable intuition which often came to his help in his moments of
+doubt. In the present instance, something seemed to whisper that it was
+his duty to look after the boys, but the whisper was so low--as may be
+said--that he hesitated to obey it, led to do so by a doubt as to
+whether, after all, it was that instinctive prompting which hitherto
+had guided him so infallibly in many of his daring enterprises and
+undertakings.
+
+It was characteristic of the warrior that, after spending a long time in
+such anxious thought, he should draw his Bible from the inner pocket of
+his hunting shirt, and begin looking through its pages for guidance.
+There were certain portions that were favorites of his, and, without
+searching, the volume opened to one after another of these places; but
+seek as much as he chose, he could find nothing that bore on the problem
+he wished to solve.
+
+"The Great Spirit wills that Deerfoot shall settle the question for
+himself," was his conclusion, as he returned the treasure to its place.
+
+It may as well be admitted that the principal cause of Deerfoot's
+hesitation cannot be given at this time. There was an urgent reason why
+he should make haste to the southwest, and he longed to break into his
+easy, loping trot, which he was able to maintain without fatigue from
+rise of morn till set of sun. But the same strange impulse which sent
+him into the settlement to inquire concerning his friends, still kept
+them in his thoughts.
+
+But he was not the youth to torment himself in this manner, hour after
+hour, and he finally compressed his thin lips and muttered:
+
+"Deerfoot will return in a few days, and then, if his brothers are still
+gone, he will hunt for them."
+
+This was not a satisfactory conclusion, but he followed it with his
+usual promptness. He was in the very act of rising from the ground, when
+his quick ear caught a faint footfall. Like a flash he raised his head,
+and observed a noble buck approaching the water with the purpose of
+drinking from it. It was not to be expected that the animal had any fear
+of hunters in such a solitary place, and he came forward with a proud
+step, as though master of the wilderness.
+
+The Shawanoe waited until he was within fifty feet, when the buck
+stopped short, and threw up his head as though he scented danger in the
+air. At that instant Deerfoot bounded to his feet as if thrown upward by
+a spring-board, and with a slight whoop, dashed straight at the animal,
+swinging his arms and jumping from side to side in the most grotesque
+fashion.
+
+Few animals of the forest are more timid than the deer, which, like the
+bear, is found in almost every portion of the American continent. The
+buck with one swift whirl on his hoofs, faced the other way, and was off
+like an arrow, shooting between the trees, through the undergrowth, and
+bounding over obstructions as though they were not worth his notice. The
+ordinary hunter might have found time to fire one shot, when the game
+would have vanished like a bird on the wing, before he could reload; but
+the occasion was a good one for Deerfoot to display his wonderful
+fleetness, and he was in the mood to do so. He had made his gestures and
+uttered his cries for the very purpose of terrifying the animal into
+doing his utmost, and he did it.
+
+With his head thrown back, so that his antlers almost rested on his
+back, he plunged forward with amazing swiftness; but when he had gone
+two hundred yards, he saw the same light, willowy figure almost on his
+haunch. He even flung up his arms and shouted again, as if urging him to
+a higher rate of speed. And such was the truth; Deerfoot was running as
+fast as the game, and he was able to run still faster.
+
+The buck bounded up a steep slope, and with one tremendous leap cleared
+a craggy rock in his path. He had barely done so, when the young
+Shawanoe was after him, going over with a lightness and grace that
+showed no special effort. The pursuer was on his haunches, and the
+animal, with glaring eyeballs and a horrified sniff, seemed to bound off
+with the speed of the wind. But of what avail? The warrior was not to be
+shaken off. With a speed which none of his race could equal, it was only
+play for him to outrun the deer. Years before (as I have told in another
+place), Deerfoot, for mere sport, pursued one of the fleetest of horses,
+and kept it up hour after hour, until he ran down the steed. He was
+doing the same to the buck. There was not a moment from the first when
+he could not have launched an arrow that would have brought the game to
+the ground; he was near enough to drive his tomahawk into the neck, but
+he did nothing of that nature. Inasmuch as he was running the race, he
+meant it should be a fair one, and neither should take any advantage
+over the other.
+
+What terrifying imaginings took possession of the buck when he awoke to
+the fact that it was impossible to escape the dreadful being clinging
+to his hips, cannot be understood by any of us, but that which followed,
+incredible as it may seem, is an indisputable fact.
+
+The singular race was kept up for slightly more than a mile, during
+every fraction of which the fugitive put forth his highest possible
+effort. Such a terrific strain cannot fail to tell upon the most highly
+trained animal, and so, despite all he could do, the buck found himself
+unable to keep up his prodigious tension. He was losing ground, and he
+could not fail to know that escape was out of the question: he was as
+much doomed as if surrounded and driven at bay by a dozen hunters and
+their hounds. He was still running at his highest bent, when he suddenly
+deviated to the right, and, with shocking violence, plunged squarely
+against the trunk of a beech, and, falling over on his side, gave a few
+convulsive struggles and died. Beyond question, the buck, when awake to
+the fact that there was no hope for him, deliberately committed suicide
+by breaking his neck.
+
+The young Shawanoe paused, and looked down upon the quivering form with
+feelings of pity.
+
+"Why did he do that? Deerfoot felt too much sorrow to harm him; he only
+sought to show him he could run the faster; but he will run no more, and
+Deerfoot will eat."
+
+The spot was suitable, and, within less time than would be supposed, the
+warrior was seated on the ground, deliberately masticating a liberal
+slice of broiled venison. Doubtless it would have been improved could he
+have hung it in a cellar or tree for several days, but it wasn't
+convenient to do so, and Deerfoot therefore ate it as he could obtain
+it, and was satisfied therewith.
+
+No water was within reach, the Indian following the healthful practice
+of the wild animals themselves, of not partaking of drink while eating
+food.
+
+The meal finished, Deerfoot did not conduct himself like one who was
+still in doubt as to the course he ought to follow. He had solved the
+question earlier in the day, and, though the conclusion he reached was
+not fully satisfactory, he resolutely forced aside all further thought
+respecting it, and gave his attention simply to that which was before
+him. His dinner required only a short time, when he resumed his journey,
+if such it may be termed. He walked with his usual noiseless gait, in
+which could be detected not the slightest weakness or exhaustion
+resulting from his terrific run.
+
+The young Shawanoe was advancing toward the mountainous portion of the
+present State of Missouri. The Ozark range, or its spurs, cover one-half
+of that large State, and their recesses afford hunting grounds and
+retreats such as are surpassed by no other portion of the continent.
+
+Deerfoot turned his footsteps toward a high promontory some miles
+distant. It was the most elevated among many others, and formed a
+landmark visible over a very extensive area. The youthful warrior did
+not hasten his footsteps, for there was no call to do so, but he
+steadily approached the mountain, up which he tramped in his leisurely
+fashion, until he paused on the very highest point.
+
+The journey was long, and when he came to a halt the sun was far down
+the western horizon. The summit of the mountain was covered with rocks
+and boulders, with here and there a few scrubby pines. Nothing could be
+more unattractive than the broken, stony soil, but the view which was
+spread out before him who climbed to the top was enough to kindle the
+eye of a stoic, and make the heart overflow with love and awe toward the
+great Being who made it all.
+
+But the eye can become accustomed to the grandest scenes, and, although
+Deerfoot leaned on the rock beside him, and allowed his keen vision to
+wander over the magnificent panorama, it did not cause an additional
+pulse-beat. When he had glanced at the mountains, the valleys between,
+the broken country, the forests, the diversified scenery in every
+direction, his gaze rested on another promontory similar to the one he
+had climbed.
+
+It was several miles distant, in a directly southern course, and was
+nearly or quite two hundred feet higher than the one on which he stood.
+The latter, like those to which reference has been made, was of the
+nature of a ridge, while the one on which his eyes were fixed was a
+diminutive Teneriffe as to its form.
+
+While the manner of Deerfoot indicated very plainly that he expected to
+see something out of the usual order of things, yet it looked very much
+as if he would have been pleased over his failure to do so. No painter
+could limn a more striking picture than that which was formed by
+Deerfoot, at the close of that beautiful spring day, when, as the sun
+was setting, he stood on the elevation and gazed across the intervening
+country.
+
+His right elbow rested on the top of the rock, and his right leg
+supported the weight of his body. The lower half of the left leg was
+slung across the other, the toe of the moccasin touching the earth. The
+right hand dropped over the side of the rock, and lightly held the long
+bow which leaned against the same support. The posture was that of
+elegant ease, and the best calculated to bring out in clear relief the
+Apollo-like splendor of his figure. The luxuriant black hair streaming
+over the shoulders, the gaudy eagle feathers thrust in at the crown, the
+lustrous black eyes, the slightly Roman nose, the rows of colored beads
+around the neck, the dull yellow of the hunting shirt, the quiver of
+arrows behind the right shoulder, the red sash, holding knife and
+tomahawk, the gold bracelet on the left wrist, the fringed border of his
+hunting shirt about the knees, the brilliant fringes to the leggings,
+the pretty moccasins, and the shapeliness of form, limb and
+feature--all these made up the poetical Indian, which, sad to say, is
+almost as rare among his race as the black diamond is in nature.
+
+But such was Deerfoot the Shawanoe.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+THE RETURN AND DEPARTURE.
+
+
+Easy and negligent as was the posture assumed by Deerfoot the Shawanoe,
+his eyes were never at rest. Resting for a moment on the promontory,
+they darted to the right and left down the valley, and even took in the
+shifting clouds in the sky above. But it was the peak which riveted his
+attention, and which was scrutinized with minute closeness until the
+gathering gloom shut it from sight.
+
+It was not fairly dark when he kindled a fire on the very highest point,
+and then placing himself so far from it that the glare could not
+interfere with his sight, he looked out in the night. The darkness was
+such that nothing could be seen beyond his immediate surroundings, but
+he knew where to look for that which he expected and yet did not want to
+see. For fully an hour the Shawanoe held his motionless attitude, gazing
+as fixedly to the southward as ever an eagle stared at the sun. Then
+that for which he was waiting appeared.
+
+From the very crest of the distant mountain peak, a flaming arrow
+suddenly began climbing toward the stars. Up, up it went, as does the
+rocket on a summer night, going slower and slower, like an old man
+plodding up hill, until, wearied out, it paused, and, for one instant
+remained stationary in the air, as if doubtful whether to push on or to
+fall back. The flaming point swung over until it pointed toward the
+ground, when it shot downward with ever increasing swiftness until it
+vanished. It must have struck within a yard of the spot from which it
+had been driven upward.
+
+It was very rarely that Deerfoot showed excitement. He had drawn his
+knife and challenged the great Tecumseh to mortal conflict, and he had
+faced death a score of times in the most dreadful shapes, but very
+rarely, if ever, was his heart stirred as by the sight of the burning
+arrow on the distant mountain peak.
+
+He straightened up with a quick inspiration, and his eyes followed the
+course of the fiery missile from the moment of its appearance until it
+vanished.
+
+"_They have called for Deerfoot!_"
+
+These were the remarkable words which fell from his lips, as he plunged
+down the mountain side like one who knew a question of life and death
+was before him. Although Deerfoot had formed a friendship for Jack
+Carleton and Otto Relstaub similar to that which he had felt for Ned
+Preston and Wildblossom Brown, yet it must be admitted that they were
+not the only ones to whom he was strongly attached, and in whose fate he
+felt as deep an interest as in that of any human being--all of which
+shall be made clear in another place and at another time.
+
+It was just one week later that Deerfoot made his appearance near the
+settlement, and, pausing at a point which commanded a view of the
+collection of cabins, he spent several minutes in surveying them and the
+pioneers. He had traveled many miles, and been through some singularly
+stirring scenes since he last looked upon Martinsville, but the gracious
+Being that had protected him all his life, did not desert him in his
+extremity, and the frame was as supple and free from weakness or injury
+as when he faced the other way.
+
+When the burning arrow summoned Deerfoot down the mountain side, he was
+glad indeed that he had decided the question whether or not he should
+hunt for the boys as he did, for, had he done otherwise, the opportunity
+that has been described could not have come to him; but, when his duty
+was ended, the old doubt came back, until he had been driven to return
+in order that he might settle the question forever.
+
+Looking down on the little settlement of Martinsville, he studied the
+curious scene, for he was so close that he could identify every person
+whom he knew. The settlement, as the reader has been told, consisted of
+two rows of log cabins, facing each other. They numbered about a score,
+and the street was fifty feet wide. Besides that, each cabin had the
+same space between itself and its neighbor, so that, few as were the
+structures, they were scattered over considerable ground.
+
+This ground, as well as much of it beyond, had been well cleared, and
+the earth cultivated. There were horses and oxen to draw plows and help
+bear the burdens. Besides the hunters' cabins, there were storehouses,
+barns, and structures made for convenience or necessity. From most of
+the soil that had been overturned were sprouting corn, potatoes, and
+other vegetables. The time was not distant when the wilderness should
+blossom as the rose.
+
+A block-house near the middle of the settlement had been half completed,
+when, so far as could be seen, the work was abandoned. The rule with the
+frontier settlements was to put up a building in which all could take
+refuge, should danger threaten; but often the fort was so hastily and
+poorly made that it became a matter of weakness rather than of strength.
+Colonel Martin and his brother pioneers reached the conclusion that they
+were showing altogether too much haste in rearing the structure, and
+they deferred its completion to a more convenient season. Their duty to
+their families, as they saw it, justified them in taking such a step,
+especially in view of the fact that the Indians of the surrounding
+country were not likely ever to cause them trouble.
+
+The cleared land, as it was called, was still disfigured by numerous
+unsightly stumps, around which the rude plow was pulled; but here and
+there men were working to remove them, and ultimately all would be
+uprooted and destroyed.
+
+On the edge of the clearing, three woodsmen were swinging their axes and
+burying their keen edges in the hearts of the monarchs of the wood.
+Deerfoot looked at them several minutes, noticing as he had done before,
+with childish wonder, how long it took the sound caused by the blows to
+reach him. When one of the choppers stopped to breathe and leaned on his
+axe, the sound of two blows came to the listener, and when he resumed
+work, the youth saw him in the act of striking the third time before the
+sound was heard.
+
+The scene was one of activity and industry. Even the children seemed to
+have work instead of play to occupy them. The women, as a matter of
+course, were among the busiest, and rarely did one of them appear at the
+door of her cabin. When she did so, it was only for a very brief while.
+
+Deerfoot was looking fixedly at one of the houses near the middle of the
+settlement, when a squatty figure, with a conical hat, a heavy cane, and
+smoking a pipe, came out and walked slowly toward a cabin only a short
+distance off. The Indian smiled in his momentary, shadowy fashion when
+he recognized Jacob Relstaub, whom he had frightened almost out of his
+wits a week before. No doubt the German had told the incident many
+times afterward, and would always insist he escaped by a veritable
+hair's breadth.
+
+But Deerfoot was troubled in mind, for among all whom he saw he
+recognized neither Jack Carleton nor Otto Relstaub. It was not likely
+that, if they had returned from their hunt, both would continue
+invisible very long; but when minute after minute passed without showing
+either, his heart sank.
+
+The Shawanoe knew a scene would be probable if Jacob Relstaub caught
+sight of him, so he avoided the wrathful German. The appearance of the
+handsome warrior moving among the cabins, naturally awakened some
+interest. Men and children looked at him as he went by, and several of
+the latter followed him. Deerfoot saluted all whose eyes met his,
+calling out: "Good day; how is my brother?" in as excellent English as
+any of them could have employed.
+
+The Indian, it may be supposed, was known to nearly every one by
+reputation. Most of the settlers had heard of his exploits when they and
+he lived in Kentucky; they knew he guided Otto Relstaub and Jack
+Carleton on their perilous journey from the Dark and Bloody Ground into
+Louisiana; they were aware, too, that he could read and write, and was
+one of the most sagacious and valuable friends the settlers ever had or
+could have. The story which Jacob Relstaub told was therefore received
+with much doubt, and no one who listened felt any distrust of the
+loyalty of the young Shawanoe. More than one declared on general
+principles that Relstaub would have been served right had the warrior
+handled him roughly, as it was well known he could have done had he been
+so minded.
+
+Deerfoot walked quietly along the primitive street until opposite the
+door of Widow Carleton's cabin. Without hesitation, he pulled the latch
+string and stepped within. There was no start or change of expression
+when he glanced about the apartment, but that single glance told him the
+story.
+
+Mrs. Carleton was standing at the table on the other side of the room,
+occupied with the dishes that had served at the morning meal. Her back
+was toward the visitor, but she turned like a flash when she heard the
+door open. The scared, expectant, disappointed, and apprehensive
+expression that flitted over her countenance, like the passing of a
+cloud across a summer landscape, made known the truth to the sagacious
+Shawanoe.
+
+"Deerfoot's brother has not come back from his long hunt," he said, in
+his usual voice, as he bowed and advanced to the middle of the
+apartment.
+
+"O Deerfoot!" moaned the mother, as, with tremulous lip, she sank into
+the nearest chair and looked pleadingly toward him, holding her apron
+ready to raise to her eyes; "tell me where is my Jack!"
+
+"My friend told Deerfoot that his brother had gone to hunt the horse
+that has wandered off."
+
+"But that was more than a week ago; he ought to have come back a good
+while since. O Deerfoot----"
+
+"But the horse has wandered many miles, and it will take my brother a
+long time to find him," interrupted the visitor, who dreaded the scene
+which he saw was sure to come.
+
+"Do you think they are still hunting for him?" she asked with a sudden,
+yearning eagerness that went to the heart of the Indian. He could not
+speak an untruth, nor could he admit the great fear that almost stopped
+the beating of his heart.
+
+"Deerfoot cannot answer his friend; but he hopes soon to take the hand
+of his brother."
+
+"Oh, that will never be--it can never be. My poor Jack!"
+
+Her grief could be restrained no longer. The apron was abruptly raised
+to the eyes, and as the white hands were pressed against the face her
+whole frame shook with emotion. Deerfoot looked steadily at the pitiful
+scene, but he knew not what to say or do. It was a vivid illustration of
+this strange nature of ours that the youth, who absolutely knew not what
+fear was, and who had seen the glittering tomahawk crash its way into
+the brain without a throb of pity, now found his utmost self-command
+hardly able to save him from breaking down as utterly as did the parent
+before him. He hastily swallowed the lump that kept rising in his
+throat, blinked his eyes very rapidly, coughed, fidgeted on the bench
+whereon he sat, and, finally, looked away and upward at the rude
+rafters, so as to avoid the sight of the sobbing woman.
+
+"Deerfoot is a pappoose," he muttered angrily, "that he weeps when he
+knows not what for; he is a dog that whines before his master strikes
+him."
+
+A brief but resolute struggle gave him the mastery over his emotions,
+though for a few seconds he dared not look towards his hostess. When he
+timidly ventured to do so, she was rubbing her eyes with the corner of
+her apron. The tempest of grief had passed, and she was regaining
+mastery of herself, thereby rendering great help to the valiant warrior.
+
+"I know that it may be possible that Jack and Otto have gone on a longer
+hunt than before, but they did not expect to be away more than three or
+four days, and Jack would not willingly bring sorrow to his mother."
+
+"My brother may have gone so far that he has lost his way, and is slow
+in finding it again."
+
+"Do you think so, Deerfoot?"
+
+The Indian fidgeted, but he could not avoid an answer.
+
+"Deerfoot does not know; he cannot think right; he is in sore trouble
+for his brothers."
+
+"No one can help them like you. O Deerfoot, won't you find my Jack and
+bring him home to me?"
+
+The youthful warrior rose to his feet, and looking her in the face,
+spoke the words, "_I will!_" Then he turned and strode out of the door.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+
+A PERPLEXING QUESTION.
+
+
+Deerfoot, the Shawanoe, had entered upon the most difficult task of his
+life. He had undertaken to follow up and befriend the youths who had
+disappeared more than a week previous, and who had left not the
+slightest clue as to where they had gone, nor what direction they had
+taken.
+
+In these days, when a friend sets out to trace a person who is seeking
+to hide himself, he is always able to pick up some knowledge that will
+give valuable help in his search. The habits of the individual, some
+intentions, or rather wishes, to which he may have given utterance a
+long time before, his little peculiarities of manner, which are sure to
+betray themselves, no matter how complete the disguise--these, and other
+points, are certain to afford the help the hunter through the cities and
+towns and country requires.
+
+But my reader will observe the vast difference between a case such as
+occurs every day, and that which confronted the young Indian. Two boys
+had gone into the woods more than a week before, on a long hunt, and
+were now missing; it was his task to find them. Could it be done?
+
+Had Deerfoot taken up the pursuit shortly after the departure of the
+boys, he could have sped over their trail like a bloodhound. There could
+have been no escaping him; but since they left home, rain had fallen,
+and even that marvel of canine sagacity could not have trailed them
+through the wilderness. It was idle, therefore, for Deerfoot to seek for
+that which did not exist; no trail was to be found; at least, none in
+that neighborhood. In all his calculations, he did not build the
+slightest hope on that foundation. Had he done so, he would have sought
+to take up the shadowy footprints from where the boys left the
+settlement; but the utmost he did was to learn the general direction
+taken by them, when they entered upon one of the wildest expeditions
+that can be imagined.
+
+Hundreds and thousands of square miles of mountain and forest were
+spread out before him. The vast territory of Louisiana, as it was then
+called, stretched away to the Gulf of Mexico, and spread toward the
+setting sun until stopped by the walls of the Rocky Mountains. The youth
+could spend his life in wandering over that prodigious area, without
+coming upon or gaining the slightest traces of a thousand people whom he
+might wish to find. The conclusion was inevitable that he must pursue
+some intelligent course, or he never could succeed.
+
+It should be said that Deerfoot had not the slightest doubt of a grave
+misfortune having befallen his friends. Jack Carleton never would
+willingly remain from home for so long a period; he was too affectionate
+a son to grieve his mother by such a course. He and Otto Relstaub,
+therefore, were either prisoners in the hands of Indians, or they had
+been put to death.
+
+Just the faintest possible fear troubled the young Shawanoe. He recalled
+the incidents which had marked the journey of himself and the boys from
+Kentucky, only a short time before. The Shawanoes, the fiercest and most
+cunning of all the Indian tribes, had not only pursued them to the
+river's edge, but had followed them across the Mississippi, coming
+within a hair's breadth of destroying the two boys who were making such
+haste toward Martinsville. Had any of those Shawanoes pushed the pursuit
+still further? Had they lingered near the settlement, awaiting just such
+an opportunity as was given by Jack and Otto when they went off on their
+hunt?
+
+This was the phase of the question which for a long time tortured
+Deerfoot. He felt that it was improbable that danger existed in that
+shape. The Shawanoes had no special cause for enmity against the boys.
+If they should venture into Louisiana to revenge themselves upon any
+one, it would be upon Deerfoot. Nothing was more certain than that he
+had not been molested by any of his old enemies, for a good many days
+previously, nor had they been anywhere near him during that period.
+
+But the cunning Indian, like his shrewd white brother, may do the very
+thing least expected. Might they not capture and make off with the boys,
+for the very purpose of leading Deerfoot on a long pursuit, in which the
+advantage would be wholly against him?
+
+But the field of conjecture thus opened was limitless. Deerfoot might
+have spent hours in theorizing and speculating, and still have been as
+far from the truth as at the beginning; he might have formed schemes,
+perfect in every detail, only to find, on investigation, that they were
+wrong in every particular. The elaborate structures which the detective
+rears are often builded on sand, and tumble to fragments on the
+slightest touch.
+
+Deerfoot was convinced that the boys either were captives in the hands
+of Indians, or they were dead. Had they been slain by red men--and it
+was not conceivable that both could have met death in any other way--it
+was useless to hunt for their remains, since only fortunate chance could
+end a search that might last a century.
+
+But if the boys had been carried off, there was hope of gaining trace of
+them, though that might involve endless wanderings to and fro, through
+the mountains and wilderness. Such a hunt, prosecuted on a systematic
+plan for a certain time, without any results, would satisfy Deerfoot
+that the boys, like many older ones, had met their death in the lonely
+depths of the wilderness, where no human eye would ever look upon them
+again.
+
+My reader, who has been let into the secret of the boys' disappearance,
+will perceive that Deerfoot was hovering around the truth, though he was
+still barred by difficulties almost insurmountable.
+
+Suppose he should make up his mind that Jack and Otto were at that
+moment with the red men, in what manner--except by an almost
+interminable search--could he learn what tribe held them prisoners?
+
+In the autumn of 1778, Frances Slocum, a little girl five years old, was
+stolen from her home in Wyoming Valley, and carried away by Delaware
+Indians. For a period of fifty-nine years the search for her was
+prosecuted with more or less earnestness. Thousands of dollars were
+spent, scores of persons were engaged at the same time in the hunt,
+journeys were made among the Western tribes, friendly Indians themselves
+were enlisted in the work, and yet, although the searchers were often
+within a few miles of her, they never picked up the first clue. After
+the lapse of more than half a century, when all hope had been abandoned
+by the surviving friends, the whereabouts of the woman became known,
+through an occurrence that was as purely an accident as was anything
+that ever took place in this world.
+
+Admitting the unapproachable woodcraft and skill of the young Shawanoe,
+yet he could not do the impossible. Could he be spared a hundred years,
+possibly he might make the grand round of his people on the American
+continent, but in the meantime, what of his friends for whom he would be
+making this extended tour?
+
+If so it should be that the boys were in the power of the Shawanoes, or
+Miamis, or Delawares, they were far to the east of the Mississippi; if
+with the Wyandots, they were also east of the Father of Waters, and
+probably in the vicinity of Lake Erie; if with the Ojibwas, to the
+northward along Lake Huron; if with the Ottawas, they were the same
+distance north, but on the shores of Lake Michigan; if with the
+Pottawatomies, further south on the same lake; if in the villages of the
+Kickapoos, or Winnebagoes, or Menomonies, it was on the southern and
+western shores of the same body of water; if with the Ottigamies, or
+Sacs, or Foxes, or in the land of the Assinoboine, the hunt must be of
+the most prolonged character.
+
+Still further, the vast bulk of the western continent stretched westward
+toward the Pacific. When Deerfoot faced the setting sun, he knew he was
+looking over the rim of one of the grandest countries of the globe. He
+had fair ideas of the vast prairies, enormous streams, prodigious
+mountains and almost illimitable area, which awaited the development of
+the coming centuries.
+
+One other suggestive fact was known to Deerfoot: representatives of the
+Indian tribes among the foothills of the Rocky Mountains had exchanged
+shots with the white explorers on the banks of the Mississippi. It is an
+error to suppose that the American savage confines his wanderings to a
+limited space. The majority do so, but, as I have said, the race
+produces in its way its quota of venturesome explorers, who now and then
+are encountered many hundreds of miles from home.
+
+Within the preceding few weeks, Deerfoot had met two warriors among the
+Ozark mountains, who, he saw at a glance, came from a long distance and
+probably had never before been in that section. Neither they nor
+Deerfoot could speak a word the other could understand, but the sign
+language is universal among the North American Indians, and they were
+soon conversing like a party of trained mutes.
+
+To the amazement of the young Shawanoe, he learned they were on their
+way to the Mississippi. They either would not or could not make clear
+their errand, but Deerfoot suspected it was that of gaining a glimpse of
+the civilization which as yet had not appeared in the West. Though the
+strangers were somewhat shy and suspicious, they offered no harm to the
+young Shawanoe, who, of course, showed only friendship toward them. From
+them he gained not a little rude information of the marvelous region
+which has since become familiar to the world.
+
+The fear, therefore, of Deerfoot was that some wandering band from the
+extreme West had captured the boys, and were at that very hour pushing
+toward the Pacific with them. It would require a long, long time to
+learn the truth, which, in all probability, would prove a bitter
+disappointment.
+
+From what has been said in this fragmentary manner, the reader may gain
+an idea of the almost infinite difficulties by which Deerfoot was
+confronted. Like a trained detective, however, he saw that much valuable
+time had been lost and a start must be made without further delay; and,
+furthermore, that the first step must be based on something tangible, or
+it would come to naught. The element of chance plays a leading part in
+such problems, and it may be questioned whether luck is not often a more
+powerful helper than skill.
+
+After leaving the settlement, Deerfoot naturally climbed to the nearest
+elevation which gave a view of the surrounding country, and it was while
+he was looking over the scene that his thoughts took the turn indicated
+by the preceding part of this chapter.
+
+It may be said that that for which he was searching was a starting
+point. "Where shall I begin?" was the question which remained unanswered
+until the sun was half way to meridian.
+
+The principal view of the young warrior was to the south and west, for
+the conviction was strong that thither he must look for the shadowy clue
+which he prayed might lead him to success. Several miles southward a
+camp-fire was burning, as was shown by the bluish vapor that seemed to
+stand still against the clear sky; the same distance to the southeast
+was a slighter evidence of another camp-fire, while to the southwest was
+still another, the vapor so thin and faint that the experienced eye of
+the Shawanoe told him the party spending the previous night there had
+gone early in the morning, leaving the fire to burn itself slowly out.
+
+Evidently the thing for Deerfoot to do was to visit one or all of the
+camps in quest of the clue which the chances were a thousand to one he
+would never find. Which should he first seek?
+
+The bravest of men has a tinge of superstition in his nature, and with
+all of Deerfoot's daring and profoundly devout nature, he was as
+superstitious in some respects as a child. He could not decide by means
+of his Bible the precise course to follow, for one of his principles was
+that he alone must determine his precise course of action, the Great
+Spirit holding him accountable only for the manner in which he did, or
+sought to do, that which he clearly saw was his duty.
+
+The hunting knife was whipped from his girdle, and, holding the point
+between his thumb and finger, he flung it a rod above his head. It
+turned over and over in going up and descending, and, when it struck
+the ground, landed on the hilt. Deerfoot looked down on the implement
+and saw that the point was turned toward the camp-fire which was
+furthest west.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+
+TWO ACQUAINTANCES AND FRIENDS.
+
+
+The question was settled. Nothing short of positive knowledge could have
+led Deerfoot to change his mind as to the right course to pursue.
+
+Stooping over, he picked up his hunting knife, thrust it in his girdle,
+and strode down the slope in the direction of the camp, which he knew
+was deserted early that morning. It was a long way to travel, but it was
+nothing to the lissome warrior, who would have broken into a run could
+he have felt any assurance of gaining any benefit by doing so.
+
+Climbing around the boulders and rocks, leaping over chasms, pushing
+through matted undergrowth, and turning aside only when forced to do so,
+Deerfoot pressed to the southwest until three-fourths of the distance
+was passed. Most of that time the shadowy vapor had been beyond sight,
+for he did not take the trouble to look for it when the intervening
+vegetation interfered. He could not make any mistake as to the right
+course, and it was therefore unnecessary for him to take his bearings;
+but now, when he knew he could not be far from his destination, he came
+to the surface, as it may be said of a diver in an emerald sea, and
+indulged in a deliberate survey of his surroundings.
+
+The first glance at the camp caused his eyes to sparkle, for it conveyed
+an interesting fact: instead of the smoke being so thin that it was
+scarcely visible, it was much denser and more plenteous. That simply
+showed that the camp was no longer a deserted one. Whoever had gone away
+in the morning had returned, and was at that moment on the ground. More
+than likely there were several of them, and, as the day was half gone,
+they were preparing their noontide meal.
+
+At any rate the Shawanoe was sure to find some one there, and he
+hastened his footsteps, though he could feel but slight hope that
+whatever he saw or learned would have a bearing on the business in which
+his whole soul was engaged.
+
+Deerfoot approached the camp with his usual caution, his supposition
+being that a company of Indians were resting there for a brief time. If
+they were Osages, or, indeed, any other tribe, except Hurons or
+Wyandots, he would not hesitate to go forward and greet them, for there
+ought to be no danger incurred in doing so. The same would be the case
+with the whites, though some care might be necessary to convince them no
+treachery was intended.
+
+The first glimpse showed the Indian that only a single white man was
+present. He was preparing dinner, the preliminary step being a stirring
+of the smoldering camp-fire, which gave forth the tell-tale smoke. He
+was a striking individual, though a stranger to Deerfoot.
+
+The fire itself was small, and was burning in an open space where the
+whole neighborhood served as a chimney. Several feet off was a
+half-decayed log, on which the man was sitting, his elbows on his knees,
+and a long stick held loosely in his hands. This he used as a poker, and
+it served his purpose well. A close approach to the fire was apt to be
+unpleasant on account of the heat, so he sat a short distance off, and
+managed things in a comfortable fashion. Now and then he poked the
+embers until the end of the vegetable poker broke into a blaze, when he
+withdrew it and whipped it on the ground till the flame was put out. His
+rifle leaned against an adjoining tree within easy distance, and the
+short clay pipe in his mouth, from which he sent out an occasional puff,
+added to his apparently peaceful frame of mind.
+
+The striking point about the hunter was his magnificent physical
+manhood. He was more than six feet high, with immense shoulders and
+chest, an enormous beard of a coal black color, which grew almost to his
+keen black eyes, and descended over his chest in a silken, wavy mass. He
+was attired in the ordinary hunting costume of the border, and looked as
+if he might be one of those men who had spent their lives in the
+Louisiana wilderness, hunting and trapping animals for their peltries,
+which were sold at some of the advanced posts of civilization.
+
+Deerfoot suspected the man was the owner of a horse which must be in the
+vicinity, for it was hardly likely that he would wander aimlessly around
+in the mountains and woods for the mere sake of doing so, but no animal
+could be seen, and without speculating long over the matter, the young
+Shawanoe walked forward to the camp.
+
+While doing so, the stranger was giving his full attention to the fire
+and his culinary duties. The wood had burned until there were enough
+coals, when he arose and raked them apart, so as to afford a surface of
+glowing embers. Then he turned back and took up a huge slice of meat,
+which had been skewered on the prongs of a long stick. Balancing this
+very cleverly, he held the meat down until it was almost against the
+crimson coals. He could have done the same with the blaze, but he
+preferred this method.
+
+Almost instantly the meat began to crisp and scorch and shrink, and to
+give off an odor which would have tortured a hungry man. The cook
+quickly exposed the other side to the heat, reversing several times,
+when the venison was cooked in as appetizing a form as could be wished.
+
+The man gave such close attention to his task that he never turned his
+head to observe the figure of an Indian warrior standing only a rod or
+two away. Having finished his work, he carefully spread the meat on some
+green oak leaves, arranged on the log. Its size was such that it
+suggested a door mat burned somewhat out of shape.
+
+"There," said the hunter, with a contented expression, seating himself
+as if to guard the prize against disturbance; "the boys can't growl over
+that--hello, where'd _you_ come from?"
+
+He had caught sight of Deerfoot, advancing noiselessly toward him, and
+the man was startled (though he strove to conceal it) by the fact that
+the other was nearer to his rifle than was the owner.
+
+The Indian saluted him in his courteous fashion, and with a view of
+removing his fears, walked on until the relative position of him and the
+man were changed, and the latter was nearer his gun.
+
+Then he paused, retaining his standing position, and with a slight
+smile, said:
+
+"Deerfoot is glad that his brother is not ill."
+
+Undoubtedly that brother was relieved to find in case of dispute he
+could reach his gun before the dusky youth, but he could hardly believe
+the warrior voluntarily gave up the enormous advantage thus held for a
+moment or two. Throwing his shoulders back, he looked straight in the
+eyes of Deerfoot, and then rising to his feet, extended his hand. As if
+conscious of his superior height, he towered aloft and looked down on
+the graceful youth who met his gaze with a confiding expression that
+would have won the heart of any one.
+
+The abundant beard hid the mouth of the white man, but the movement of
+the cheeks, the gathering wrinkles under the eyes, and the gleam of his
+white teeth through the black meshes, showed he was smiling. Instead of
+saluting in the usual fashion, he brought his hand down with a flourish,
+and grasping the palm of the youth pressed it with a vigor which made
+him wince.
+
+"So you're Deerfoot, are you? I mean the young Shawanoe that used to
+hunt through Kentucky and Missouri."
+
+The Indian nodded his head to signify that he was the individual whom
+the other had in mind.
+
+"I'm Burt Hawkins--you remember me?" asked he, still pumping the arm of
+Deerfoot, who was compelled to admit he had never before heard the name,
+nor could he remember ever having looked upon his face.
+
+"Well, you have done so, whether you remember it or not: three years
+ago, which, I reckon, was about the time you began tramping through the
+woods for the benefit of the white man, I was on a scout with Kenton and
+some of the boys, over in Kentucky. We got caught in a blinding snow
+storm, and all came near going under with a rush. Things got so bad that
+Kenton said we would have to give up, for, tough as he was, he was
+weakening. The snow was driving so hard you couldn't see six feet in
+front of you. Cold! Well, the wind was of that kind that it went right
+through your bones as though it was a knife. Night was coming on, and we
+were in the middle of the woods, twenty miles from everywhere. The only
+thing we could do was to let out a yell once in a while, and fire off
+our guns. I don't think there was one among the five that had the first
+grain of hope. Kenton was leading and I was at his heels; all I could
+see was his tall figure, covered from head to foot with snow, as he
+plodded along with the grit he always showed.
+
+"The first thing I knowed some one j'ined us--a young, likely looking
+Injin, which his name was Deerfoot. He had heard our guns and dropped
+down from somewhere. You're grinning, old chap, so I guess there ain't
+much use of telling the rest, 'cause you know it. I'll never forget how
+you led us into that cave, where you had fixed up the logs and bark so
+that no snow flakes couldn't get in. There was a fire burning, and some
+buffalo meat cooking, and we couldn't have been better fixed if we had
+been lodged with Colonel Preston at Live Oaks or in St. Louis."
+
+"Deerfoot has not forgotten," said the smiling Indian, seating himself
+beside Hawkins on the log; "but my brother did not look then as he looks
+now."
+
+Again the head of the trapper was thrown back, his white teeth shone
+through his immense whiskers, the wrinkles gathered at the corner of his
+eyes, and his musical laugh rang out from the capillary depths. Burt was
+proud of his beard, as he well might be. Few people in those days wore
+such an ornament, and those who did so were sure to attract attention.
+
+"You talk like a level-headed gentleman, Deerfoot, for all this (here he
+stroked the glossy whiskers) has grown since then. I shouldn't wonder if
+it _did_ change my looks somewhat. You're a blamed smart redskin,
+Deerfoot," added Burt, who seemed to be in high spirits; "but I don't
+believe you can beat it."
+
+It was the turn of Deerfoot to laugh, and he did so with much
+heartiness, though without any noise.
+
+"No; the hair of Deerfoot grows on his head; he would be sad if it
+covered his face."
+
+"So would I, for it would make a confounded queer looking creatur' of
+you. I would like to see an Injin got up in that style; just think of
+Tecumseh with a big mustache and whiskers! Beavers!"
+
+The conceit was equally enjoyed by Deerfoot, who fairly shook with
+mirth. He recalled the time when he confronted the mighty chieftain,
+with drawn knife and compressed lips, and the picture of that terrible
+being, with his face covered by whiskers, was a drop from the sublime to
+the ridiculous, which would have brought a laugh to any one.
+
+Burt Hawkins evidently held his visitor in esteem, for, reaching out his
+horny hand, he gently passed his fingers over the cheek nearest him, and
+then drew it across the chin.
+
+"No; there's no beard there. It's as smooth as the cheeks of my little
+five-year old Peggy at home. It always struck me as qu'ar that Injins
+don't have beards, but I s'pose it's because the old fellows, several
+thousand years ago, began plucking out the hairs that came on the face,
+and their children have kept it up so long that it has discouraged the
+industry in them regions. See?"
+
+To assist Deerfoot to catch the force of his illustration, Burt gave him
+several digs in the ribs. This familiarity would have been annoying
+under most circumstances, but it was manifest from the manner of the
+warrior that he rather enjoyed the effusiveness of the magnificent
+fellow.
+
+"Why is my brother in the woods alone?" he asked, when matters calmed
+down.
+
+"I can't say I'm exactly alone, Deerfoot, for Kit Kellogg and Tom
+Crumpet ain't fur off, and that meat thar is gettin' cold waiting for
+them to come and gobble it; if they ain't here in a few minutes you and
+me will insert our teeth. We've been trappin' all winter down to the
+south'rd and have got a good pile of peltries; we've got 'em gathered,
+and loaded, too, and are on our way to St. Louis with 'em; warm weather
+is comin', and the furs are beginnin' to get poor, so we shall hang our
+harps on the willers till cold weather begins agin."
+
+"My brothers are coming," said Deerfoot, quietly, referring to two other
+hunters who at that moment put in an appearance.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+THE TRAPPERS.
+
+
+The new arrivals resembled Burt Hawkins in their dress and
+accoutrements. They wore coon-skin caps, hunting dress, leggings, coarse
+shoes, etc., and each carried a long rifle and hunting knife as his
+weapons. They were rugged, powerful fellows, whose long experience in
+the wilderness had given them a knowledge of its ways and mysteries,
+beyond that of ordinary men. They were hardy and active, with the
+faculties of hearing, seeing and smelling cultivated to a point almost
+incredible. They contrasted with Hawkins in one respect; both wore their
+faces smooth. Although far removed from civilization, they kept
+themselves provided with the means of shaving their cheeks. Perhaps
+through indifference, their beards were sometimes allowed to grow for
+weeks, but they made sure they were in presentable shape when they rode
+into the trading post of St. Louis, with their peltries, and, receiving
+pay therefor, joined their families in that frontier town.
+
+The three men had been hunters and trappers for many years. Sometimes
+they pursued their work alone, and sometimes in the company of others.
+They trapped principally for beavers and otters, though they generally
+bagged a few foxes and other fur-bearing animals. A hundred years ago,
+there were numerous beaver runs in the central portions of our country,
+and for a long time many men were employed in gathering their valuable
+furs, hundred and thousands of which were brought from the mountain
+streams and solitudes of the West to St. Louis, whence they were sent
+eastward and distributed.
+
+The trapper's pursuit has always been a severe one, for, aside from the
+fierce storms, sudden changes, and violent weather, the men as a rule
+were exposed to the rifles of lurking Indians, who resented the
+intrusion of any one into their territory. And yet there was an
+attraction about the solitary life, far beyond the confines of
+civilization, which took men from their families and buried them in the
+wilderness, frequently for years at a time. It is not difficult to
+understand the fascination which kept Daniel Boone wandering for months
+through the woods and cane-brakes of Kentucky, without a single
+companion and with the Indians almost continually at his heels.
+
+When Burt Hawkins and his two friends left St. Louis, late in summer or
+early in the fall, each rode a mule or horse, besides having two pack
+animals to carry their supplies and peltries. They followed some faintly
+marked trail, made perhaps by the hoofs of their own animals, and did
+not reach their destination for several weeks. When they halted, it was
+among the tributaries of the Missouri, which have their rise in the
+Ozark range in the present State of Missouri.
+
+The traps and implements which from time to time were taken westward,
+were not, as a matter of course, brought back, for that would have
+encumbered their animals to no purpose. When warm weather approached and
+the fur bearers began shedding their hair, the traps were gathered and
+stowed away until needed again in the autumn. Then the skins that had
+been taken from time to time through the winter, were brought forth and
+strapped on the backs of the animals, and the journey homeward was
+begun. There was no trouble for the trappers to "float their sticks,"
+as the expression went; for the Northwest Fur Company and other wealthy
+corporations had their agents in St. Louis and at other points, where
+they were glad to buy at liberal prices all the peltries within reach.
+
+No trapper was likely to accumulate wealth by the method named, but it
+cost him little to live, and frequently during the summer he found some
+other employment that brought return for his labor.
+
+Hawkins, Kellogg and Crumpet were on their way home, having started a
+little later than their custom, and they had reached the point referred
+to on the preceding night, when they halted and went into camp. In the
+morning, when they began to reload their animals, it was found that a
+rifle belonging to Kit Kellogg was missing. It had been strapped on the
+package which one of the mules carried, but had worked loose and fallen
+unnoticed to the ground. It was too valuable to be abandoned, and Kit
+and Crumpet started back to hunt for it. They went on foot, leaving the
+animals cropping some succulent grass a short distance away.
+
+The quadrupeds underwent a hard time during the winter, when grass was
+scanty, so that such halts were appreciated by them. The spot where they
+were grazing was far enough removed to screen them from the sight of
+Deerfoot, when he was reconnoitering the camp. While two of the company
+were hunting for the weapon, the third remained behind, smoking his
+pipe, and, when the time came, prepared dinner against the return of the
+other ones. The meat was good, but not so delicate as the beaver tails
+on which they frequently feasted during the cold season.
+
+It has been said more than once that the Indians along the western bank
+of the Mississippi were less aggressive than those who so often
+crimsoned the soil of Kentucky and Ohio with the blood of the pioneers.
+Such was the truth, but those who were found on the very outermost
+fringe of civilization, from far up toward the headwaters of the
+Yellowstone down to the Gulf, were anything but harmless creatures. As
+the more warlike tribes in the East were pushed over into that region,
+they carried their vindictive natures with them, and the reader knows
+too well the history of the great West to require anything further to
+be said in that direction.
+
+When Hawkins went to the beaver-runs with his friends in the autumn
+preceding his meeting with Deerfoot, he had as his companions, besides
+the two named, a third--Albert Rushton, who, like the others, was a
+veteran trapper. One snowy day in mid-winter, when the weather was
+unusually severe, he started on his round of his division of the traps
+and never came back. His prolonged absence led to a search, and his dead
+body was found beside one of the demolished traps. The bullet hole
+through his forehead and the missing scalp that had been torn from his
+crown, told plainly the manner of his death.
+
+This was a shocking occurrence, but the fate of Rushton was that to
+which every one of his friends was liable, and they did not sit down and
+repine over what could not be helped. The saddest thought connected with
+the matter was that one of the three must break the news to the invalid
+wife, who lived with her two children in one of the frontier settlements
+through which they passed on the way to St. Louis.
+
+When Deerfoot told Hawkins the others were returning, the trapper
+turned his head and saw that Kellogg had found the missing rifle. The
+couple looked sharply at the warrior as they advanced, and evidently
+were surprised to see him in camp. Kellogg and Crumpet were men in
+middle life, strong limbed, sinewy and vigilant.
+
+Deerfoot rose from the log whereon he was sitting, and extended his hand
+to each in turn, as Hawkins pronounced his name. Kit Kellogg scrutinized
+him and shook his hand with considerable warmth. Crumpet did the same,
+though with less cordiality in his manner. It was plain (and plainer to
+none than Deerfoot) that he was one of that numerous class of
+frontiersmen who regard the American Indian as an unmitigated nuisance,
+which, so far as possible, every white man should do his utmost to
+abate. He had been engaged in more than one desperate encounter with
+them and his hatred was of the most ferocious nature. It was not to be
+expected, however, that his detestation would show itself without regard
+to time and place. Kellogg and Hawkins watched him with some curiosity,
+as he extended his horny hand and shook that of the handsome Indian
+youth.
+
+"You've heard of Deerfoot," added Burt, as he proceeded to divide the
+enormous piece of meat into quarters; "he is the youngster that helped
+Colonel Preston and his friends from the Wyandots at the time the
+block-house was burned."
+
+"How should we hear of it," asked Crumpet with a growl, "when we was on
+this side of the Mississippi?"
+
+"Wasn't I over in Kentucky about three years ago? I rather think I was,
+and would have been froze to death with Simon Kenton and a few of the
+other boys if it hadn't been for this copper-colored rascal--ain't that
+so, Deerfoot?"
+
+And that the young warrior might not err as to the one who was expected
+to impart light on the subject, Burt gave him a resounding whack on the
+shoulder that almost knocked him off the log. The youth was in the act
+of conveying some of the meat to his mouth when saluted in that fashion,
+and it came like the shock of an earthquake.
+
+"Why can't you talk with a fellow," asked Kellogg, "without breaking his
+neck?"
+
+"Whose neck is broke?"
+
+"Why that fellow's is pretty well jarred."
+
+"Well, as long as _he_ don't object I don't see what it is to _you_,"
+was the good-natured response of Hawkins, who resumed chewing the juicy
+meat.
+
+"Some of these days, somebody will give you a whack in return when you
+ain't expecting it, and it will be a whack too that will cure you of
+that sort of business. I believe, Deerfoot, that you are a Shawanoe,
+ain't you?"
+
+"Deerfoot is a Shawanoe," was the answer, his jaws at work on the food
+just furnished him.
+
+"I've heard tell of you; you're the chap that always uses a bow and
+arrow instead of a gun?"
+
+The youth answered the query by a nod of the head. As he did so, Tom
+Crumpet, who sat further away, vigorously working his jaws, uttered a
+contemptuous grunt. Kit turned his head and looked inquiringly at him.
+
+"Maybe you think he can't use the bow and arrow. I s'pose, Deerfoot,
+that's the bow you fired the arrow through the window of the block-house
+that was nigh a hundred yards off, with a letter tied around it, and
+fired it agin out on the flatboat with another piece of paper twisted
+around it--isn't that so?"
+
+Despite his loose-jointed sentences, Deerfoot caught his meaning well
+enough to nod his head in the affirmative.
+
+"Did you see it done?" asked Crumpet, with a grin at Hawkins.
+
+"How could I see it when I wasn't there?"
+
+"I guess no one else was there," growled Tom; "I've noticed whenever
+that sort of business is going on it's always a good ways off, and the
+people as sees it are the kind that don't amount to much in the way of
+telling the truth."
+
+These were irritating words, made more so by the contemptuous manner in
+which they were spoken. Deerfoot clearly understood their meaning, but
+he showed no offence because of them. He was not vain of his wonderful
+skill in woodcraft, and, though he had a fiery temper, which sometimes
+flashed to the surface, he could not be disturbed by any slurs upon his
+attainments.
+
+Kit Kellogg was impatient with his companion, but he knew him so well
+that he did not discuss the matter. Had not the beard of Burt Hawkins
+hidden his countenance, the others would have perceived the flush which
+overspread it. He was angered, and said, hotly:
+
+"It might do for some folks to say that other folks didn't tell the
+truth, but I don't think _you're_ the one to say it."
+
+Crumpet champed his meat in silence, using his hunting knife for fork
+and knife, and drinking water from the tin cup which he had filled a
+short distance away, and from which the others, excepting Deerfoot, also
+drank. Instead of answering the slur of Hawkins, he acted as though he
+did not fully catch his meaning, and did not care to learn. What he had
+said, however, rankled in the heart of Burt, who, holding his peace
+until all were through eating, addressed the surly fellow:
+
+"If you doubt the skill of Deerfoot, I'll make you a wager that he can
+outshoot you, you using your gun and he his bow and arrow, or you can
+both use a gun."
+
+"He might do all that," said Kellogg, with a twinkle of the eye, "and it
+wouldn't prove that Tom was any sort of a marksman."
+
+Crumpet was able to catch the meaning of that remark, and it goaded him
+almost to the striking point.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+
+DEERFOOT'S WOODCRAFT.
+
+
+Neither Deerfoot nor the trapper wished to engage in the trial of skill
+suggested by Burt Hawkins. Crumpet feared that if such a test took place
+he would be worsted, in which event he would never hear the last of it
+from his friends. He might well shrink, therefore, from such a contest.
+
+The Shawanoe knew he could surpass the trapper if he exerted himself, as
+he most certainly would do. Crumpet's ill-nature would be embittered,
+and matters were likely to take an unpleasant shape. When Hawkins turned
+toward him, therefore, expecting him to bound to his feet and invite the
+challenge, he shook his head:
+
+"Deerfoot's arrows are few, and he saves them for game or his enemies."
+
+"And therein is wise," added Kellogg, shrewd enough to see the situation
+in all its bearings.
+
+Crumpet said nothing, but was greatly relieved, while Hawkins gave a
+sniff of disgust.
+
+"Some folks are very free with their tongues, but when you come down to
+business they ain't there; howsumever, let that go; we've got our extra
+rifle, and I s'pose we might as well keep up the tramp toward St. Louis.
+Deerfoot, can't you go with us?"
+
+He shook his head, and said:
+
+"Deerfoot is hunting for two friends who are lost; he must not sleep nor
+tarry on the way."
+
+"How is that?" asked Burt, while the others listened with interest. The
+young Shawanoe told, in his characteristic manner, the story which is
+already well known to the reader. While doing so he watched each
+countenance closely, hoping (though he could give no reason for such
+hope) to catch some sign of a shadowy knowledge of that for which he was
+seeking, but he was disappointed.
+
+"One thing is sartin," remarked Burt Hawkins, when the story was fully
+told, "them boys ain't dead."
+
+"I agree with you," said Kellogg, with an emphatic nod of the head, in
+which even the surly Crumpet joined. Deerfoot was surprised at this
+unanimity, and inquired of Hawkins his reason for his belief.
+
+"'Cause it's agin common sense; when two young men go out in the woods
+to hunt game, both of 'em ain't going to get killed: that isn't the
+fashion now-a-days. One of 'em might be hurt, but if that was so, and
+the other couldn't get away, the Injins would take him off and keep him.
+More than likely the varmints carried away both, and if you make a good
+hunt for three or four thousand miles around, you'll get track of 'em."
+
+"I think I know a better plan than that," said Kellogg, and, as the
+others looked inquiringly toward him, he said, "both of them chaps have
+been took by Injins who'll keep them awhile. One of these days the boys
+will find a chance to give 'em the slip, and they'll leave on some dark
+night and strike for home."
+
+"It isn't likely both 'll have a show to do that at the same time," said
+Crumpet, speaking with more courtesy than he had yet shown, and
+manifesting much interest in the matter.
+
+"No; one will have to leave a good while before the other, and then the
+one that is left will be watched that much sharper, but all he's got to
+do is to bide his time."
+
+"When one of my brothers comes through the woods to his home, the other
+will come with him," said Deerfoot, confident as he was that neither
+Jack Carleton nor Otto Relstaub would desert the other, when placed in
+any kind of danger.
+
+Deerfoot was confirmed in his theory of the disappearance of his young
+friends, for it agreed with what he had formed after leaving the
+settlement that morning. But, admitting it was the correct theory, the
+vast difficulty of locating the boys still confronted him. They might be
+journeying far southward in the land of the Creeks and Chickasaws, or to
+the homes of the Dacotah in the frozen north, or westward toward the
+Rocky Mountains.
+
+Kellogg and Crumpet now fell into an earnest discussion of the question,
+for, though agreeing in the main, they differed on minor points, in
+which each was persistent in his views. Deerfoot listened to every word,
+for, like a wise man, he was anxious to gain all the knowledge he could
+from others.
+
+But he noticed that for several minutes Burt Hawkins took no part in the
+conversation. He had sat down again on the log, thrown one leg over
+another, and was slowly stroking his handsome beard, while his gaze was
+fixed on the ground in front. He was evidently in deep thought.
+
+Such was the fact, and just as the lull came, he reached his conclusion.
+Deliberately rising to his full height, he walked over to where Deerfoot
+stood, and with another slap on his shoulder, said:
+
+"See here, young man!"
+
+The warrior faced him, earnest, attentive, and interested. Burt shifted
+the weight of his body, so that it rested on his right leg; he looked
+down in the eyes of Deerfoot, his brow wrinkled as in the case when a
+man is about to deliver himself of the most important and original
+thoughts of his life. Then he began wabbling the index finger of his
+right hand in the face of the warrior, as a man with the important and
+original thought is inclined to do. He commenced to wabble quite slowly,
+gradually increasing the amplitude of the vibrations, and passing his
+finger so close to the countenance of the Shawanoe that it seemed
+almost to graze the end of his nose. He spoke slowly, pointing his words
+with his swaying finger:
+
+"Deerfoot, I've got the question answered; listen to me: them boys have
+been tooken away by Injins; I know it; now where have the Injins gone?
+You ought to know as much about your race as me, but you don't; do what
+I tell you; go to the south till you come to some Injin village; make
+your inquiries there; if they haven't got the boys, they'll know whether
+the tribe that took 'em passed through their country, 'cause they
+couldn't very well do so without some of their warriors finding it out.
+If none of them don't know nothing about no such party, you can make up
+your mind you're barking up the wrong tree; then take an excursion west
+and do the same thing; then, if you don't learn anything, try toward the
+north; there ain't any use in going eastward, for common sense will
+teach you they haint been tooken that way; a chap with your good sense
+will pick up some clue that'll show you the way through."
+
+"My brother speaks the words of wisdom," said Deerfoot, who was much
+impressed by the utterances of the trapper: "Deerfoot will not forget
+what he has said; he will carry his words with him and they shall be his
+guide; Deerfoot says good-bye."
+
+And with a courteous salute to the three, the young warrior walked a few
+steps, broke into a light run, and was out of sight before his intention
+was fairly understood. The trappers looked in each others' faces,
+laughed, made some characteristic remarks, and then turned to their own
+business.
+
+Deerfoot the Shawanoe had determined to follow the advice given by Burt
+Hawkins the trapper. It certainly was singular that such an
+extraordinary woodman as the Indian should profit by the counsel of a
+white man, even though he was a veteran; but Deerfoot had studied the
+problem so long that his brain was confused, and, having fixed his own
+line of conduct, he only needed the endorsement of some sturdy character
+like the hunter. He had received that endorsement, and now he could not
+use too much haste.
+
+His intention was to journey rapidly southward, in the direction of the
+present State of Arkansas, until he should reach some of the Indian
+villages that were there a hundred years ago. He would push his
+inquiries among them, just as Burt Hawkins had suggested, pressing the
+search in other directions, until able to pick up some clue. After that,
+it would be an easy matter to determine the line of policy that would
+lead to success.
+
+Any one engaged in such a task as that on which the young Shawanoe had
+entered, needs to take all the observations he can, for the knowledge
+thus gained is sure to be of great help. The Indian scanned the country
+opening to the southward, and, as was his custom, turned his face toward
+the first elevation which would give him the view he was so desirous of
+obtaining.
+
+The elevation was similar to those with which the reader became familiar
+long ago, and the sun had not yet reached the horizon when the lithe
+warrior had climbed to the crest of the ridge, and was scanning the
+wilderness which opened to the south and west. He was in a region where
+he was warranted in looking for Indian villages, and his penetrating
+eyes traveled over the area with a minuteness of search hardly
+imaginable by the reader. The country was so broken by mountain, hill,
+and wood, that the survey was much less extended than would be supposed.
+He was disappointed in one respect, however: he could detect no Indian
+village in the whole range of vision.
+
+But, besides the dim smoke from the camp he had left a short time
+before, he observed another to the westward, and a third to the south;
+he concluded to make his way to the last, though he half suspected it
+was the camp of another party of trappers, from whom he could not gather
+the first morsel of information.
+
+Deerfoot pushed toward the valley, less than a mile distant, from which
+the tell-tale vapor ascended, and was quite close to the camp, when he
+became aware that an altogether unexpected state of affairs existed.
+Despite his usual caution, his approach was detected, and the Shawanoe
+found himself in no little peril.
+
+It is difficult, if not impossible, to make clear how it was Deerfoot
+discovered this singular state of affairs; but he was more than a
+hundred yards from the camp, which was screened by a dense undergrowth
+and rocks, when he stopped abruptly, warned to do so by that subtle
+instinct which is like a sixth sense.
+
+He did not leap behind a tree, nor fall on his face and creep to the
+rear of the large boulder on his right, but he stood erect, using the
+faculties of hearing and sight with a delicate power and unerring skill
+which were marvelous in the highest degree.
+
+The black eyes glanced around, as he slowly turned his head from side to
+side, and he saw everything in front, rear, at his right, left, and
+above, among the limbs and on the ground. He heard the silken rustling
+of several leaves in the top of a beach overhead, and he knew it was
+caused by one of those slight puffs of wind which make themselves known
+in that manner.
+
+The inhalation through his nostrils brought the faint odor of the elm,
+the oak, the hickory, the chestnut, the sycamore, and the resinous pine.
+He identified them, I say, as well as the peculiar and indescribable
+odor given off by the decaying leaves, the mossy rocks, and even the
+rotting twigs and branches; but among them all he detected nothing of a
+foreign nature.
+
+But it was his hearing upon which he mainly depended, though his eyes
+were forced to their highest skill. When the pinnated leaf of a hickory
+was shaken loose by the wind puff it had hardly floated from its stem
+before he caught sight of it, and followed it in its downward course
+until it fluttered slowly to the ground.
+
+It may be said that the danger which threatened Deerfoot was "in the
+air," if it be conceivable that there is anything in the expression. He
+was as certain of it as he was of his own existence, and yet he stood
+motionless, displaying an incredible confidence in his ability to
+discover the nature of the peril before it could take effective shape.
+
+Had he leaped lightly behind a tree, he might have placed himself on the
+side which would have left him exposed to the stealthy shot; had he
+dropped to the ground and crept to one side of the moss-covered boulder,
+the same fatal mistake was likely to be made. Therefore he stood as
+rigid as iron, until he could learn the direction from which he was
+threatened.
+
+A rustling no louder than that made by the oscillation of a falling leaf
+came from a point some distance ahead and on his right. So soft indeed
+was the sound that it cannot be explained how the human ear could be
+trained to the point of hearing it.
+
+But it was that for which Deerfoot the Shawanoe was waiting, and it gave
+him the knowledge he sought.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+
+SAUK AND SHAWANOE.
+
+
+At the instant the almost inaudible rustling struck the ear of Deerfoot
+the Shawanoe, he caught sight of a rifle barrel as it was thrust among
+the undergrowth and aimed at him. It was the faintest possible sound,
+caused by the pushing aside of the leaves which he heard, and which he
+was expecting for a full minute to hear. The lightning-like glance cast
+toward the point showed him the dark barrel, and the ferocious gleam of
+the face of an Indian, crouching on one knee just beyond.
+
+The warrior who aimed the weapon meant to send the bullet through the
+chest of the youth, whose approach, stealthy as it was, he had detected.
+The distance was so slight that the briefest possible time was required
+to make his aim certain; but while in the very act of doing so, the
+sinewy youth vanished like a puff of vapor.
+
+The savage was dumfounded, for nothing of the kind had ever occurred, so
+far as his experience went, and it was unexplainable to him. He had used
+the proverbial caution of his people, and he knew from the expectant
+position of the youth that his suspicions were excited, but he could not
+comprehend by what means he had passed so suddenly from sight. The red
+man was in the very act of pressing the trigger when he discovered he
+was not aiming at any target.
+
+If the Indian tongue contained an execration, it may well be imagined
+that a most vigorous one escaped the lips of the baffled redskin, who
+was shut out from his prize at the moment of closing his fingers upon
+it.
+
+The warrior was a brawny, full-grown Indian, almost in middle life, who
+had sunk on one knee and brought his gun to his shoulder, after briefly
+studying the form which had approached his lurking place. He had never
+seen the stranger until that moment, and he only knew that he belonged
+to some totem unknown to him. It was probable that his home was on the
+eastern shore of the Mississippi, and he resented the intrusion upon his
+hunting grounds as he did that of a white man: consequently he was as
+quick to take the life of one as of the other.
+
+Finding that his intended victim had disappeared beyond all question,
+the next step of the fierce assassin was to solve the meaning of the
+unaccountable occurrence. He noiselessly straightened up, and craning
+his head forward peeped through the undergrowth. All that he saw was the
+huge boulder or rock, within a few feet of where the youth had been
+standing. It followed, therefore that he had flung himself behind it,
+and was hiding there at that moment.
+
+The painted visage glowed with a baleful light, for he was assured his
+triumph was postponed only for a few moments. The boulder might serve as
+a shelter while the relative positions of the two were the same, but it
+was in the power of the savage to change that by putting forth only
+moderate skill.
+
+Taking care not to reveal himself, he began a guarded movement to the
+right, his course being the same as if starting to describe a circle
+about the hiding place. It will be seen that if he could accomplish this
+without exposing himself to the fire of the other, he would not need to
+go far before gaining a view of the opposite side of the boulder, and
+necessarily of him who was seeking to screen himself from discovery. To
+do this, however, the victim must remain where he was, for manifestly,
+if he shifted his position correspondingly, he would continue invisible,
+but he counted himself fortunate that he had noticed the peculiar
+configuration of the boulder, which rendered such a man[oe]uvre beyond
+the power of an ordinary warrior. As for himself, he had no personal
+fear, for the trees were so numerous that he could use them to shield
+his body while leaping from one to the other, while in many places he
+could steal along the ground without the possibility of detection.
+
+If the fool had but known the woodcraft of the youth against whom he was
+so eager to pit himself, he would have turned and fled from the spot as
+from a plague; but he had never heard the name of Deerfoot, and little
+dreamed of the skill of the extraordinary youth.
+
+The warrior stooped, crept, leaped, and stole through the wood with a
+celerity that was astonishing. Within a very short time after beginning
+the movement, he had described one-fourth of the circle and gained the
+view he wished. It must be remembered, too, that he had kept the boulder
+under such close surveillance as to be morally certain the youth could
+not shift his position without being observed.
+
+But to his amazement he saw nothing of his victim. The flat slope and
+the leafy ground were free from anything resembling a human being. He
+stood peering from behind the tree, and at his wit's end to know what it
+meant. He held his rifle so that the hammer could be raised the moment
+the necessity came, and he must have felt that the wiser course was for
+him to leave the spot without further search.
+
+Probably such would have been his course had he not heard a most
+alarming sound directly behind him. It was the faint cough of a person
+seeking to clear his throat. The Indian turned like a flash, and saw the
+dusky youth a rod distant, holding his bow loosely in his right hand,
+while his terrible left was drawn back over his shoulder, the fingers
+clenching the handle of his tomahawk. His position was precisely that of
+one who was on the very point of launching the deadly missile which
+would have cloven the skull, as though made of card-board. He had taken
+the posture, and then uttered the slight cough with a view of "calling
+the attention" of the party of the first part to the fact, and he
+succeeded. The elder was in the position of the hunter who while seeking
+the tiger awoke to the fact that the tiger was seeking him.
+
+The warrior, whose face was daubed with red, black and yellow paint, was
+literally struck dumb. He had been engaged in many an encounter with
+strange Indians, but never had the affray been introduced in a more
+favorable manner to himself, and never had he been more utterly
+overwhelmed.
+
+He saw that the youth was merely holding his tomahawk; the very second
+it was needed, he could drive it into his chest or brain. He was too
+proud to ask for mercy, for he had no thought it would be granted. He
+could only face his master and await his doom.
+
+Deerfoot was not the one to prolong the wretchedness of another, no
+matter if his most deadly enemy. He stood with his left foot slightly
+advanced and his muscles gathered, so that he did not require the
+slightest preparation, and, having held the pose just long enough to
+make sure it had produced its full effect, he slowly lowered the
+tomahawk, keeping his eyes fixed on his enemy. When the weapon was at
+his side, he said:
+
+"The Sauk is a wolf; he steals behind the hunter that he may leap on his
+shoulders when he sleeps; but the hunter heard the sound of his claws on
+the leaves and turned upon him."
+
+These words were uttered in the mongrel tongue of the Sauk, for
+Deerfoot, after a careful inspection of the painted warrior, was quite
+sure he belonged to that restless and warlike tribe. He had encountered
+the people before, though at rare intervals, and he had hunted with a
+pioneer who was familiar with the tongue. The youth detected so many
+resemblances to other aboriginal languages with which he was familiar
+that he quickly mastered it and could speak it like a native.
+
+The warrior, as has been said, was a brawny savage, well on toward
+middle life. He was attired in the usual fashion among the Indians, his
+dress looking slouchy and untidy. His straggling black hair, instead of
+being ornamented with eagle feathers, was gathered in a knot, so as to
+form what is often called a scalp-lock, and to proclaim the fact that
+the wearer of the same challenged any one to take it if he could.
+Besides his long rifle, he carried his knife and tomahawk, after the
+manner of his people. He would have proved a dangerous foe in a
+hand-to-hand struggle, but he was deprived of whatever advantage he
+might have possessed by being taken at such overwhelming disadvantage.
+
+He caught every word uttered by Deerfoot, who had not mistaken his
+totem. He had no thought that the youth intended to show him mercy, but
+believed he was indulging in a little preliminary sermonizing--so to
+speak--before claiming his scalp for the ridge-pole of his wigwam.
+
+The words of Deerfoot served to awaken the Sauk from his paralysis, and,
+throwing his head back, he said:
+
+"The Sauk is no wolf; the Shawanoe is the fox that steals upon the
+hunting grounds of the Sauks."
+
+"The lands that stretch to the rising and setting sun belong not to the
+Shawanoe nor Sauk nor Huron, but the Great Spirit, who loves his
+children to chase the buffalo and hunt the deer and bear where they can
+be found; but why should the Sauk and the Shawanoe be enemies?"
+
+And to give point to the question, Deerfoot advanced and offered his
+hand. The Sauk concealed his surprise and gave the fingers a warm grasp,
+but while doing so each looked distrustfully in the face of the other.
+The frightful stains on the broad face of the elder did not alarm
+Deerfoot, who had seen much more frightful countenances among his own
+people. He gazed calmly into the eyes of the warrior, as the two stood
+close together with their hands clasped. The Indian is an adept in
+concealing whatever emotions may stir him, but Deerfoot saw the savage
+was puzzled over his action. He could not but know that the Shawanoes
+were the most warlike Indians in the Mississippi Valley, and one of the
+last weaknesses of which they could be accused was that of showing mercy
+to an enemy.
+
+One point was necessary for Deerfoot to establish. If the Sauk was
+alone, nothing was to be feared from him; but if he had brother warriors
+within call, the youth had need to be on his guard.
+
+"Why does the brother of Deerfoot hunt the woods alone?" asked the
+young Shawanoe, introducing himself in this characteristic fashion.
+
+"Because Hay-uta fears not to go everywhere alone; from the ridge-pole
+of his wigwam flutter the scalps of the Shawanoes, the Hurons, the
+Foxes, the Osages, and the strange red man whom he has met and slain in
+the forest."
+
+The old nature in Deerfoot prompted him to take this vaunting warrior to
+task. The answer of the Sauk was indefinite, but the youth could wait a
+few minutes for the information he sought.
+
+"Hay-uta, the Man-Who-Runs-Without-Falling, has not taken the scalp of
+Deerfoot, _and cannot do so_!"
+
+The flash of the eye which accompanied these words added to their force.
+Before they could receive reply the youth added:
+
+"Hay-uta is a brave man when he talks to squaws; less than twenty great
+suns have passed over the head of Deerfoot, but he is not afraid of the
+Man-Who-Runs-Without-Falling."
+
+Indian nature is quick to resent such taunts, and beyond a doubt the hot
+blood flushed the skin beneath the paint. Deerfoot noted the glitter of
+the eye, and a twitch of the muscles of the arm whose hand rested on the
+knife, as he made answer:
+
+"The Shawanoe is a dog that crept up behind the Sauk, without giving him
+warning; the rattlesnake speaks, but the Shawanoe does not."
+
+Deerfoot was angered by these words because they were untrue.
+
+"The Shawanoe was walking through the wood, when the Great Spirit
+whispered, 'Take care; a snake is crawling through the grass; he is
+called Hay-uta; he will strike his fangs through the moccasin of
+Deerfoot, unless he crushes him with his heel; Hay-uta was not brave,
+because he hid behind a tree, and he pointed his gun through the bushes,
+meaning to shoot the Shawanoe before he could chant a word of his
+death-song.'"
+
+This charge was an exasperating one, and instantly raised the anger of
+the warrior to white heat.
+
+"The dog of a Shawanoe holds his tomahawk and bow; let him lay them
+aside as Hay-uta does his weapon, and then it shall be shown who is the
+brave warrior."
+
+It was a curious fact that while this wrathful conversation was going
+on, the couple had been steadily backing away from each other. The act
+showed that in spite of the token of comity that had just passed between
+them, they were mutually so suspicious as to be ready to fly at each
+other. The last taunt forced the quarrel to the exploding point.
+Deerfoot slipped the cord which held the quiver of arrows in place over
+his head, by a motion so quick as scarcely to be perceptible, flung his
+bow a rod from him, tossed his tomahawk a dozen feet away, and whipping
+out his hunting-knife, grasped it with his left hand, and defiantly
+confronted the Sauk, who was scarcely behind him in taking up the gauge
+of battle.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+
+CHRISTIAN AND PAGAN.
+
+
+The North American Indian is treacherous by nature, and will take any
+advantage over a foe, no matter what its nature. The Sauk had failed to
+bring down Deerfoot by the same unscrupulous means he had employed in
+other instances, but he was on the watch to repeat his tactics.
+
+When uttering the taunt which brought about the personal collision, he
+flung his gun from him, and seized the handle of his tomahawk, as if
+with the purpose of throwing that also aside, the manner of his
+challenge implying that he meant the battle should be fought with the
+knives alone. Even the sagacious Deerfoot did not suspect him for the
+moment, when, on the point of grasping his knife, as he did when defying
+Tecumseh, the Sauk drew back his tomahawk and hurled it with incredible
+swiftness at the head of Deerfoot. There was a vicious spitefulness in
+the act which sent the missile as if fired from a gun.
+
+Nothing could have attested the Shawanoe's miraculous activity and
+quickness of eye so clearly as did the ease with which he dodged the
+weapon. The flirt of his head was like that of the loon which dives
+below the path of the bullet after it sees the flash of the gun. The
+tomahawk struck the ground, went end over end, flinging the dirt and
+leaves about, and after ricocheting a couple of times, whirled against
+the trunk of a small sapling and stopped.
+
+The act placed the two on the same footing. Each held only his
+hunting-knife. The treachery of the Sauk took place without a word being
+spoken either by himself or his foe. It was unnecessary, for there could
+be nothing to say.
+
+Having avoided the tomahawk, Deerfoot advanced upon Hay-uta with his
+knife grasped in his left hand, while the Sauk did precisely the same
+thing as regarded him.
+
+They were stripped for the fight, and were in deadly earnest. The Sauk
+had learned of the panther-like agility of the Shawanoe, and he knew no
+light task was before him. It would not be child's play to wrench the
+scalp-lock from the crown of the handsome warrior who was not afraid of
+any man, but Hay-uta was warranted in feeling a strong confidence in his
+own strength and prowess.
+
+The warriors approached each other with the watchfulness of a couple of
+gladiators, seeking each others' lives for the sake of giving amusement
+to a Roman populace. Both slightly crouched, with their heads bent
+forward, their eyes fixed, while they stepped softly about, seeking an
+opening into which the keenly-pointed hunting knife might be driven with
+a furious vigor, that would render a second blow useless.
+
+The situation was one where the slightest forgetfulness or mishap would
+prove fatal to him who made it. Both realized the fact, and did their
+utmost to guard against it.
+
+When a couple of yards separated the combatants, they approached no
+closer, but began slowly circling around each other in the same stealthy
+fashion. The action of the Sauk convinced Deerfoot that his enemy had no
+friends in that section, for, if any were within call, he would have
+summoned them before the quarrel had gone so far. He could have called
+any one to his help by signal, and neglect to do so was proof that there
+was none to summon. Had Hay-uta done anything of the kind, Deerfoot
+would have leaped upon him and ended the battle in a twinkling.
+
+Partly around, and then back again, the two seemed to oscillate, their
+motions corresponding so closely that it was as if both were moved by
+the same delicate machinery between them.
+
+Suddenly Deerfoot feinted, like a skillful boxer, with the hand which
+grasped his knife. The vigilant Sauk was equally quick to parry and
+counter. He was as spry as a cat, and never once took his burning eyes
+from the face of the hated youth. Then he feinted in turn, and the
+Shawanoe, by his action, showed he was prepared for any demonstration,
+no matter what.
+
+These preliminaries continued several minutes, when Deerfoot, in moving
+to the left, caught the toe of his moccasin in some obstruction and
+stumbled. He threw up his arms, as one will instinctively do, and for a
+single second was off his guard, though he recovered with incredible
+quickness. Any spectator of the strange combat would have given a gasp
+of terror, for the instant the stumble took place, the Sauk bounded
+forward with upraised knife and brought it down with a sweep like that
+of a panther's paw.
+
+But what seemed an accident on the part of Deerfoot was done with
+deliberate intent. He wearied of the idle circling, and, confident of
+his own ability to outwit his antagonist, he dropped his guard for the
+very purpose of drawing out the other. Hay-uta was so certain of his own
+triumph that he made the mistake which the skillful fighter never makes;
+he drew upon his own strength and self-poise by emitting a shout of
+exultation; but the downward sweeping arm clove vacancy only, and ere he
+could recover he was struck in the chest by the head of Deerfoot, who
+butted him with the force of a Japanese wrestler, sending the warrior
+several feet over on his back. The shock was so unexpected, as well as
+tremendous, that the knife flew from his hand, and he nearly fainted
+from sheer weakness.
+
+Inasmuch as Deerfoot was able to butt him in that style, it will be
+admitted that it would have been equally easy for him to have buried his
+knife to the hilt in the body of his enemy, but he chose not to do so.
+Instead, he quietly picked up the weapon and held one in each hand,
+while the Sauk was entirely disarmed. The latter had been frightfully
+jarred. The blow in the stomach fairly lifted him off his feet and drove
+the wind from his lungs. He lay for a moment, with his lips compressed,
+his body griped with pain, and with no more ability to defend himself
+than an infant. He kept his black eyes fixed on the youthful conqueror
+while writhing, and the latter stood off several paces and calmly
+confronted him, as though viewing the natural phase of such a contest.
+
+But the Sauk was quick to recover, and his old enmity seemed to blaze up
+with ten-fold intensity.
+
+"The Shawanoe is a buffalo," said he, from behind his gleaming paint;
+"he fights like the buffalo when his foe is stronger and braver than
+he."
+
+Deerfoot flung the knife of the warrior to him.
+
+"The Shawanoe will fight as a buffalo no more; he will now use his
+knife; let the Sauk do what he can."
+
+A brave warrior could take no exception to this declaration, accompanied
+as it was by such significant action; but it cannot be conceived that
+the Sauk was free from misgiving, when knowing, as he did, that he held
+the position of contestant only through the grace of his youthful
+antagonist, who a moment before could have pierced his heart with his
+hunting knife.
+
+Having displayed the character of a battering ram, Deerfoot now assumed
+another.
+
+"The Sauk is afraid of Deerfoot; he dare not attack him until he
+stumbles; Deerfoot's heart was oppressed with pity when he saw the fear
+of Hay-uta, and he stumbled that it might give Hay-uta the courage the
+Great Spirit did not give him."
+
+These were taunting words, but, convinced they were spoken with the
+purpose of disturbing his self-possession, the Sauk only compressed his
+lips the tighter, and held himself ready to seize the first chance that
+presented itself. His recent experience had taught him a lesson which he
+could not forget.
+
+Bending his knees until he assumed a crouching posture, the Sank
+centered his burning gaze on the face of Deerfoot, drew back his lips
+until his white teeth showed like those of a wild cat, and uttered a
+tremulous, sibilant sound, as if he were a serpent ready to burst with
+venom.
+
+If he meant to frighten Deerfoot he failed, for the mishap of the Sauk
+was too recent to allow such impression to be made. The figure of the
+crouching warrior was startling in its hideousness, but there was never
+a moment from the opening of the singular contest, when the young
+Shawanoe did not feel secure in his mastery of the situation.
+
+The feinting and retreating went on several minutes longer, when all at
+once Deerfoot caught an expression, which the paint on the face of his
+antagonist could not hide, that showed he had resolved on forcing the
+fight to a conclusion. A couple of quick feints followed, and then
+Hay-uta leaped forward, meaning to force Deerfoot to the earth. Had the
+Shawanoe remained quiet, such would have been the result, but he was too
+supple to be entangled in that manner. He withdrew, so that when his
+enemy landed on the spot, he found himself still confronted by the
+defiant youth, who had recoiled but the single step necessary to escape
+the blow. Hay-uta, without a second's pause, bounded toward him again,
+and brought down his right arm like a flash; but, as before, it cleft
+the empty air, and the youth confronted him with his shadowy smile and
+defiant expression.
+
+Then, as if feeling he had retreated far enough, the Shawanoe advanced
+on his muscular foe, who drew back as if to brace himself for the
+assault. Deerfoot uttered no sound, but when he bounded lightly from the
+ground, Hay-uta knew the crisis had come; the trifling had ended.
+
+The Shawanoe, when close enough to strike, made a dozen circular sweeps
+of his good left hand, as though he had rested it on the rim of a wheel
+that was spinning with bewildering swiftness. No eye could follow the
+knife in its circlings. There was one smooth gleam like the polished
+periphery of the "driver" of a locomotive.
+
+The foes, as is always the case, looked straight in each other's eyes,
+but every limb and portion of the body, being in the field of vision,
+was clearly seen. The peculiar act of Deerfoot produced the effect
+intended. The vision of Hay-uta became confused and dizzy, and before he
+could rally the Shawanoe struck his blow.
+
+He could have killed the other as easily as he would have slain a bear,
+but he chose not to do so. Instead, he brought his fist down on the
+upper part of his right wrist with a quick violence, which, for the
+second time, knocked the knife from the grasp of the more sinewy
+warrior. So deftly was the trick done that the weapon of the Sauk flew a
+dozen feet straight up in the air, turning rapidly end over end and
+falling between the two.
+
+[Illustration: DEERFOOT'S VICTORY.]
+
+If Hay-uta was subject to the will of Deerfoot a minute before, it will
+be seen that now he was helpless. He had been again disarmed, while the
+lithe youth still grasped his own weapon with the power to drive it home
+whenever he so willed.
+
+The last act of Deerfoot accomplished its purpose. Hay-uta at first was
+self-confident; again, he was hopeful; but the latter time he was
+disarmed, his confidence vanished. He saw that much as he had despised
+the youth whose life he sought, he was his inferior in every respect. He
+was no match for him in a fight, nor could he approach him in his
+peerless woodcraft. The question of supremacy was settled forever.
+
+Slowly recoiling a couple of steps, he folded his arms, and, with a
+dignity that was touching, said, in a slow, deliberate voice, with his
+softened gaze fixed on the countenance of his conqueror:
+
+"Hay-uta is a dog whose teeth have fallen out; he can fight no more; he
+is ashamed to go back to his people; the son of a pale face who is
+there, when he learns the truth, will point his finger at him and laugh;
+Hay-uta cannot go to his lodge; let Deerfoot bury his knife in his
+heart!"
+
+"Deerfoot seeks not the life of Hay-uta; had he wished it, he could have
+had it long ago; but Deerfoot is a Christian; he will do Hay-uta no
+harm."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+
+AN ABORIGINAL SERMON.
+
+
+If Hay-uta the Sauk had been astonished by the action of his youthful
+conqueror, he was now more astonished by his words; but the former in a
+measure prepared him for the latter, and he saw why it was the
+remarkable warrior had refused to take his life when the opportunity had
+been his, and when too he knew that he whom he was fighting would show
+him no mercy.
+
+Hay-uta, like many of his people, had listened to the words of the
+missionaries--those strange people who underwent hunger, thirst, and
+suffering that they might preach the Word of Life to those who had never
+heard of that wonderful Being that died to save a lost world, and who
+taught that forgiveness, kindness, and love were the duty of every one.
+Hay-uta, I say, had listened to the words of those people, but only to
+turn away with a scornful smile, for he was sure the creed was one to
+which the American Indian could never give his faith.
+
+The red man remembered that those priests and missionaries called
+themselves Christians, and lo! the most skillful warrior upon whom he
+had ever looked, now stood before him and declared that he too was a
+Christian. Not only that, but he proved it by his works, for he refused
+to tear the reeking scalp from the head of his enemy, when that enemy
+was vanquished!
+
+Once more Deerfoot picked the knife of Hay-uta from the ground and
+handed it (the point toward himself) to the Sauk. The latter accepted it
+and pushed it back in place behind the girdle that spanned his waist.
+Then at a signal from Deerfoot he recovered his rifle and tomahawk, as
+Deerfoot did his hatchet and bow and quiver. Without a word, the two
+walked the short distance to camp, Hay-uta slightly in the lead.
+
+The camp was of the simplest character, consisting of a pile of sticks,
+leaves, and branches which served as a couch, beside furnishing fuel for
+the fire when he cooked his food. A long, heavy blanket was partly
+folded and lying on the heap of branches, where it had served as a
+pillow for the warrior, who was different from most of his people in
+using that artificial help to slumber.
+
+The water, which is such a necessity for parties halting in the
+wilderness, was obtained from a tiny stream that trickled down the rocks
+just beyond, after which it sank out of sight in the mountain to
+reappear at some point far removed. The wood and undergrowth that
+surrounded the camp of the Sauk were very close and dense, so that the
+view in every direction was shut off, unless one should climb the
+tallest tree and take his survey from that perch.
+
+When Hay-uta halted in front of his camp-fire he turned about and
+extended his hand to Deerfoot.
+
+"Will Deerfoot tell Hay-uta about the Great Spirit of the white man?"
+
+"He is the Great Spirit of the red man as well as of the white," replied
+the Shawanoe, seating himself on the ground, where he was opposite the
+Sauk, who slowly resumed his seat on the pile of sticks and branches.
+"He loves all his children--him with the face of the night, the Miami,
+the Huron, the Shawanoe, the Delaware, the Sauk and Fox, the white man,
+and all those who live far beyond the great water which rolls against
+the shores of our land. He loves them all, and He hides his face with
+grief when he sees them quarrel and try to kill each other. If His
+children will do as He tells them to do, they will be happy in this
+world and in the hunting grounds where they shall live forever."
+
+Hay-uta remembered that this agreed with what he had heard the
+missionaries say, but he recalled also that there was something more.
+
+"Where does the Great Spirit that Deerfoot tells me about live?"
+
+The Shawanoe pointed reverently upward.
+
+"Far beyond the clouds, the sun, and the stars; He lives there, and
+there all shall go who do His will. A long time ago, before the white
+men came across the great water, He sent His Son from Heaven to earth;
+the Son went about doing good, and died, to save those He loved from
+sorrow and death."
+
+"Deerfoot tells me what the Great Spirit says to him; how does he hear
+the Great Spirit speak?"
+
+Without changing his half-reclining posture, the Shawanoe drew forth his
+small Bible from the inner pocket of his hunting shirt, the other
+watching with amazement the action. Opening the sacred volume, he read
+in his low, musical voice:
+
+"'Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
+
+"'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
+
+"'Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the children of
+God.
+
+"'Ye have heard that it has been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor, and
+hate thine enemy:
+
+"'But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
+good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use
+you, and persecute you.'"
+
+Deerfoot read these extracts from the Sermon on the Mount, with which he
+was so familiar that he could have repeated it all without looking at
+the printed page. Then raising his eyes to the wondering face of
+Hay-uta, he added:
+
+"Let my brother listen, for these are the words of the Great Spirit,
+which he speaks to all his children; if they will obey, there shall be
+no unhappiness in the world:
+
+"'_Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to
+you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets._'"
+
+The Sauk warrior was never so stirred in all his life. He had seen white
+men read from books, and he held a misty idea of how it was done, but he
+never knew one of his own race who could interpret the meaning of the
+curious figures made by some incomprehensible means on paper.
+
+It was impossible that he should grasp the height and depth of that
+sublime utterance, which is of itself the very essence of the Christian
+religion; but they were as clear as sunlight to Deerfoot, who had
+pondered them many a time since he sat at the feet of good Mrs. Preston,
+who presented him with the Word of Life.
+
+Closing the Book and putting it away, he proceeded to preach his sermon
+to the Sauk warrior. Deerfoot assumed the sitting position, and used
+both hands in his frequent gestures. Hay-uta reclined on his side,
+supporting himself on one elbow, while he fixed his eyes on his teacher
+and drank in every word.
+
+"The Great Spirit made all people--the white, the red, the black man,
+and him whose face is the color of the breast of Deerfoot's hunting
+shirtfor there are men whose skins are yellow, and others who are
+brown. He wishes them to live like brothers, but they do not. More of
+the pale faces are evil than good; they use the red men ill, and the red
+man loves to fight his enemies, but they grieve the Great Spirit. Let
+Hay-uta pray to the Great Spirit; let him never lie down or rise without
+talking to Him; let him stay his hand when it would strike a blow in
+anger; let him forgive his foes; let him seek to do the will of the
+Great Spirit, and a sweet peace shall fill his heart, such as he never
+knew before. Let my brother do that; let him tell the good news to his
+friends; let him listen to the words of the missionaries and talk to his
+people.
+
+"The father of Deerfoot was a chief of the Shawanoes, who loved to
+fight; Deerfoot when a child was a wildcat in his hate of his enemies
+and of the pale faces; but the Great Spirit whispered in his ear, and he
+became another being. It was the Great Spirit who told him just now that
+danger threatened him. Hay-uta knows that Deerfoot could have slain him
+had he wished to do so; but he never wished him ill; he first showed him
+he was his master, that Hay-uta might listen to his words; will my
+brother forget what Deerfoot has said to him?"
+
+Every being, whether groping in the night of barbarism or walled in by
+the skepticism of an advanced civilization, has felt at one time or
+another, an irrestrainable longing to draw aside the veil which shuts
+out the great hereafter, and solve the mystery of the life that is to
+come. Many a time is the heart stirred to its uttermost depths by the
+chastening hand of affliction, or when gazing on the glories of the
+stars and firmament, or when listening to the meanings of the vast deep,
+the soft sighing of the winds in the forest, or the lisping prayer of
+infancy. No proof of the immortality of the soul can equal that of its
+very yearning for immortality, and dim, strange, half-heard whisperings
+of the Beyond become voices more convincing than all the scientific
+scoffing and brilliant ridicule of those whose learning carries them
+beyond the trusting faith of childhood, and stops just short of the
+grandeur of the light of perfect knowledge.
+
+When Deerfoot addressed his question to the Sauk warrior, the latter did
+not answer, but continued gazing into his face as though he heard not
+the words, and his thoughts were far away. The Shawanoe was wise enough
+to suspect the truth, and refrained from repeating the question. He,
+too, held his peace, and for several minutes the strange scene lasted.
+The two Indians looked at each other without speaking.
+
+Meanwhile the afternoon was drawing to a close, and darkness was
+creeping through the forest. The camp-fire had burned so low that it
+gave out no light, and the figures of the warriors began to grow
+indistinct.
+
+Deerfoot felt that he had sowed the seed, and he had only to wait for it
+to bear fruit. He arose, and stepping closer to the fire, stirred it
+until it gave forth a flame which lit up the surrounding gloom. Still
+Hay-uta remained motionless and silent.
+
+Perhaps it has not escaped the notice of the reader that when the Sauk
+stood with folded arms before his conqueror, and asked him to bury his
+knife in his heart, he said that the son of the pale face would point
+the finger of scorn at him. Deerfoot noticed the curious words, and he
+felt that the moment had come when he should learn their full meaning.
+
+"Where is the village of my brother?" he asked in his gentle way.
+
+The Sauk aroused himself and slowly rose to his feet. Glancing through
+the firelight at his questioner, he pointed to the west.
+
+"Two suns' journey away is the home of Hay-uta. There are his squaw and
+pappoose. He left them two suns ago to hunt for the scalps of his
+enemies; but he will hunt no more; he will go home, and on his way will
+think of the words that Deerfoot has said to him."
+
+"It is well he should do so; but my brother spoke of the son of the pale
+face. Why is he in the village of the Sauks?"
+
+"He was brought there in the last moon; the Sauks found two pale faces
+in the woods."
+
+"Where is the other?"
+
+"Some of the Sauks took him by another path; Hay-uta knows not where he
+is."
+
+"Was harm done him?"
+
+"Hay-uta cannot answer."
+
+"Tell me of the pale face that is in the village of the Sauks with my
+brother."
+
+The warrior, assisted by the questions of Deerfoot, who kept down the
+deep interest he felt, told all he knew. When he had finished, as the
+reader may well suspect, Deerfoot was sure he had gained most important
+knowledge. He was satisfied beyond all doubt that the prisoner in the
+village of the Sauks was Jack Carleton, whom he had set out to find, and
+for whom he feared he would have to hunt for many moons before learning
+whether he was alive or dead.
+
+Suddenly the Sauk rose to his feet and stood in the attitude of
+listening, as though he had caught some signal. Deerfoot knew he was
+mistaken, for had it been otherwise, he too would have noticed it.
+
+"Hay-uta bids his brother good bye," was the abrupt exclamation of the
+warrior, who caught up his blanket and, without another word, passed
+from sight in the wood, leaving the astonished Deerfoot alone.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+IN THE LODGE OF OGALLAH.
+
+
+From what has been told concerning Deerfoot, the reader knows that the
+tribe which held Jack Carleton prisoner were Sauks, or Sacs, as the name
+is often spelled. They belonged to the great Algonquin division, and,
+when first known to Europeans, inhabited the country near Detroit River
+and Saginaw Bay, but were driven beyond Lake Michigan by the powerful
+Iroquois. They themselves were of a restless and warlike nature and were
+the bitter enemies of the Sioux and Iroquois. They were the allies of
+the famous war-chief Pontiac who besieged Detroit so long, and, during
+the Revolution fought on the side of the English. They were closely
+associated with the Foxes, and frequently moved from one section of the
+country to another, in which respect they resembled the majority of
+American Indians.
+
+The chief who has been referred to as Ogallah was one of the most
+fiery-tempered and quarrelsome members of the Sauk tribe. In one of the
+expeditions against the Sioux, he not only performed wonderful deeds of
+daring, but tomahawked several of his own warriors, because, in his
+judgment, they showed a timidity in attacking the common foe. One of the
+Sauks who fell by the hand of the wrathful sachem was the brother of the
+leading chief. This precipitated a fierce quarrel between the two, the
+upshot of which was that Ogallah, and a number of followers, drew off
+from the main tribe and began "keeping house" for themselves. Migrating
+southward with the purpose of placing a long stretch of country between
+them and the parent tribe, they finally erected their lodges on the
+banks of a stream on the Ozark region, in what is now Southern Missouri
+and upper Arkansas.
+
+I have already said the Indians gave the white men little trouble in
+that section during the pioneer days. In that respect, no comparison can
+be made with Kentucky and Ohio. As early as 1720, the lead deposits in
+Missouri attracted notice, and its oldest town, Saint Genevieve, was
+founded in 1755. St. Louis became the depot for the fur trade of the
+vast region beyond, and at the breaking out of the Revolution, was a
+town of considerable importance.
+
+The warrior Hay-uta with whom Deerfoot had his remarkable interview was
+a fair representative of the Sauk nation, and especially of that
+division which was under the following of Ogallah. Some of the warriors
+were constantly roaming through the wilderness in quest of scalps. While
+they were nothing loth to engage in a scrimmage with the hunters and
+trappers, yet they preferred those of their own race above all others.
+No Sioux or Iroquois could have approached within hundreds of miles
+without the certainty of an encounter with the warlike Sauks.
+
+The Sauk party which appeared so close to the settlement of Martinsville
+had been out for several weeks looking for "game" in the form of Sioux,
+who lived far to the northward. They had found some of it too, and were
+returning home in a leisurely manner. They took a careful survey of the
+settlement, and even discussed the wisdom of making an attack on it; but
+they saw it could not be destroyed by so small a force, and though they
+might have shot several of the settlers before they could know their
+danger, they decided to pass on without making any demonstration at
+all.
+
+When Jack Carleton and Otto Relstaub walked up to the party, it was no
+more than natural that they should be made prisoners. No particular
+reason can be assigned for the separation of the party, one division of
+which took Jack and the other Otto, except that a survey of the land
+passed over could be better made by that means. However, this point will
+be dwelt upon more fully in another place.
+
+Probably no person ever played the part of captive among a tribe of
+savages without devoting most of his thoughts to the question of escape.
+It is inevitable that he should do so, for the fate is so painful in
+every respect that, but for the hope, one would be ready to lie down and
+die.
+
+Jack had turned the question over and over in his mind, and had done his
+utmost to give his captors the slip while on the road, but misfortune
+attended every venture, and at last he found himself in the lodge of the
+chieftain Ogallah himself, where it looked as if he was likely to remain
+indefinitely.
+
+"Well, this beats everything," he exclaimed, after finishing the meal
+and seating himself at the side of the lodge, so as to be out of the way
+of the housewife, as she moved back and forth and here and there while
+attending to her duties; "I've come a long distance through the woods,
+and it'll take some time to find my way back to Martinsville, after I
+once make a start."
+
+He could not persuade himself that his captivity might last for months
+and possibly for years. He was confident that no matter how vigilant the
+watch maintained, he would gain a chance to give the Indians the slip
+within two or three days at the furthest.
+
+"I did my best to make Ogallah and the others think I wasn't anxious to
+leave, but the work was all thrown away. These people are not fools, and
+no matter how well I may act, they know of a surety that the whole
+prayer of my life is to part company with them."
+
+The conclusion reached by Jack was common sense, though the
+story-writers sometimes make it appear that the keen minded American
+Indian may be duped in that transparent fashion. The utmost that Jack
+Carleton could hope to do was to show his captors that, while he longed
+to return to his friends, he saw no means of doing so, and therefore
+was not likely to make the attempt. Such he resolved would be his
+course.
+
+The boy was fatigued in mind and body, and, when he bowed his head in
+prayer (much to the astonishment of Ogallah and his squaw), and lay down
+on the bison robe, he sank into a refreshing slumber, from which he did
+not awake until morning, and then, when he did so, he came to his senses
+with a yell that almost raised the roof.
+
+The Sauks, like all their race, were extremely fond of dogs, and the
+mongrel curs seemed to be everywhere. Jack had noticed them trotting
+through the village, playing with the children and basking in the sun. A
+number sniffed at his heels, as he passed by with Ogallah, but did not
+offer to disturb him.
+
+The chief was the owner of a mangy cur, which seemed to have been off on
+some private business of his own, when his master returned, inasmuch as
+he did not put in an appearance until early the following morning, when
+he trotted sideways up to the lodge and entered, as he could readily do,
+inasmuch as the "latch string was always out." The canine was quick to
+notice the stranger lying on the bison skin with his eyes closed and his
+mouth open. With an angry growl he trotted in the same sidelong fashion
+across the space, and pushing his nose under Jack's legs gave him a
+smart bite, just below the knee, as though he meant to devour him, and
+concluded that was the best part of his anatomy on which to make a
+beginning.
+
+The foregoing will explain why Jack Carleton awoke with a yell and
+stared around him for an explanation of the insult. The vigor of his
+kicks, and the resonant nature of his cries, filled the dog with a
+panic, and he skurried out of the lodge with his tail between his legs,
+and cast affrighted glances behind him.
+
+"Confound the cur," muttered Jack, rubbing the injured limb, "is that
+the style of these dogs when a stranger calls?"
+
+Ogallah was entering the door of his home just as the canine was going
+out. Suspecting what mischief he had been committing, he placed his
+moccasin under the brute and elevated him several feet in the air, with
+a force which caused him to turn end over end, with an accompaniment of
+yelps and howls which were kept up until he was out of sight and
+hearing.
+
+The wife of Ogallah was preparing breakfast, which was of the simplest
+character, consisting of nothing but meat cooked over the coals as on
+the evening before. There was nothing in the nature of vegetables,
+though something of the kind was growing on the cleared land without.
+
+Jack longed for the pure, fresh air of the outside. The smoke of the
+chieftain's pipe, the smell of burning meat, and the untidiness of the
+place and people, left a stale odor, which was nauseating to one
+unaccustomed to it.
+
+He wanted a drink of cold water as it bubbled from the earth, and,
+rising to his feet, passed outdoors. The squaw merely glanced up, while
+Ogallah addressed several rapidly spoken words to him. Then recollecting
+that nothing he said could be understood, he smiled grimly, and turned
+his back on the lad.
+
+Reaching the outside, Jack stood still for a minute, uncertain what
+course to take. The warriors, squaws, and children were astir; but no
+one seemed to observe him when he paused in front of the chieftain's
+lodge.
+
+"I'll try the river," was his conclusion, as he stepped briskly off, his
+heart beating rapidly, for he knew from his experience of the previous
+night, that much curiosity respecting him was felt, and he was certain
+to attract annoying attention. But he reached the stream, where he
+stooped and bathed his face and hands, wiping them on the handkerchief
+he carried, and still heard and saw nothing to cause misgiving.
+
+"I wonder whether they drink from this," he said, rising to his feet,
+and looking around; "I can't say that I fancy it, for it isn't as clear
+as it looked to be when I was further off; then the youngsters bathe and
+play in it--helloa!"
+
+He saw an Indian woman making her way toward one of the wigwams on the
+edge of the village, carrying a large gourd of water in her arms. It was
+filled almost to the brim, and slopped over the edge, as it was
+disturbed by her movement in walking. It was fair to conclude that she
+had taken it from the spring for which Jack was looking, and he
+immediately moved toward her. She stopped abruptly when she saw him
+approach, and stared in such open-mouthed amazement that it was evident
+that this was the first glance she had obtained of the captive.
+
+Jack made signs of comity, and sheered off so as to reach the path
+considerably to the rear of the squaw, who, with a grunt, made an
+equally wide circuit in the opposite direction, so that the two avoided
+each other by a liberal space of ground.
+
+The boy saw that he was moving over a well-worn path, which he was
+confident led to the spring he wished to find. Nearly every step was
+marked by the drippings of water from the gourd of the woman he had just
+met.
+
+Sure enough, he had gone less than a hundred yards beyond the village
+when he came upon the spring, which bubbled from under the twisted black
+roots of an oak, throwing up the sand in a continual fountain-like
+tumble of melted silver. The lad looked down at it for a moment, and
+then sinking to his hands and knees, pressed his lips against the cold,
+crystal-fluid, the most refreshing element in all nature.
+
+Had not his nose and eyes been so close to the water, Jack Carleton
+would have caught the reflection of another face just behind his own--a
+face which would have driven all thirst away and caused him to bound to
+his feet, as though he had heard the whirr of a coiled rattlesnake at
+his elbow.
+
+But Jack saw and suspected nothing. He had taken three good swallows
+when some one gave the back of his head such a smart push, that the nose
+was shoved down among the silver sands, which streamed from his face, as
+he sprang to his feet, and stared gasping, blinking, and furious.
+
+"Who the deuce did that?" he demanded, forgetting himself in his anger.
+
+His own eyes answered the question. Three Indian boys were standing,
+laughing as if ready to hurt themselves over his discomfiture. Two of
+them were very nearly the height and age of Jack, while the third, who
+had played the trick on him, was older and taller.
+
+The captive was angry enough to assail all three, and it required a
+smart exercise of the will to restrain himself. But he saw the folly of
+such a step. The affray would quickly bring others to the spot, and very
+speedily Jack would find himself attacked by overwhelming numbers, and
+possibly would be beaten to death. No; he must use ordinary prudence
+and swallow the insult.
+
+He looked in the grinning faces of the homely youths, and made quite a
+successful effort to join their laughter (though precious little mirth
+was there in the essay), and then started back toward the lodge of
+Ogallah.
+
+The youth tried to walk with a dignified step, but he was sadly thrown
+out by a dexterous trip from one of the moccasins, which sent him
+stumbling forward with a very narrow escape from falling on his hands
+and knees.
+
+It was the tallest of the three who had tripped him, and all laughed
+like a lot of clowns, as the angered Jack glared at them.
+
+"I wish I had you alone," muttered the boy between his set teeth; "I
+wouldn't need more than five minutes to give you a lesson you'd remember
+all your life."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV.
+
+A ROW.
+
+
+Jack Carleton saw that he was caught in an exceedingly unpleasant
+dilemma. He had a considerable distance to walk to reach the lodge of
+Ogallah and was sure to be tormented all the way. He could not feel
+certain even, that the wigwam of the chieftain would afford him
+protection, while nothing could be more manifest than that this was but
+the beginning of a series of numberless persecutions to which he would
+be subjected.
+
+He was allowed to take six or eight steps in peace, when one of the
+Indian boys slipped up behind and with his foot struck his heel, just as
+it left the ground. This threw the toe behind Jack's other leg and
+caused him to stumble again, though, as he was expecting something of
+the kind, he recovered himself with more ease.
+
+A few seconds later, Jack was passing among the different lodges, and
+walking rapidly toward that of the chieftain. His presence became known
+to the whole village in a very brief time, and the younger portion came
+flocking around him, as though he was some wonderful curiosity, which,
+under the circumstances, was the fact.
+
+Ogallah was among those who came to the front of the lodges to learn
+what caused the uproar. When he caught sight of Jack, he called out
+something and made excited gestures to him. The boy supposed they were
+intended to hurry his return, and finding his persecutors closing around
+him, he broke into a run.
+
+Then the stones and clods began to fly. The whole rabble joined in, and
+when the poor captive dodged into the wigwam, he was bruised and half
+frightened to death. He watched the entrance in terror, but his
+tormentors did not dare follow him into the home of their chief, who
+would have been quick to resent such an invasion of his dignity and
+rights.
+
+Jack was panting and frightened, but he had received no serious hurts.
+What alarmed him, more than everything else, was the foreshadowing thus
+made of the treatment in store for him.
+
+"I can't stand this," was his thought, after he had partly regained his
+composure. "I shall have to stay in here altogether or run the gauntlet
+every time I go out."
+
+But all this time, Ogallah kept talking and making vigorous gestures to
+him. The chief had followed him to the middle of the lodge, where the
+two sat on the ground cross-legged and began eating the meat which the
+squaw had prepared. She did not join them, and the boy had little
+appetite after his exciting experience. The gestures of Ogallah
+continued so long that it was evident he was seeking to say something of
+importance to Jack.
+
+"I wonder what the old fellow means," muttered the lad, ceasing his meal
+and studying the gyrating arms and spluttering countenance. The
+chieftain was striking the air as if fighting an imaginary foe, and
+then, pointing toward Jack he nodded his head vigorously and again
+pointed to the outside.
+
+Suddenly the meaning of the pantomime broke upon the youth.
+
+"By gracious! if he isn't urging me to sail into those fellows. I say,
+Ogallah, will you back me up and see that I have fair play?"
+
+Jack raised his voice to a loud key, as though that would help the
+chieftain understand his words; but it could not be expected that he
+would grasp their meaning, as they were not punctuated with any gesture
+and accompanied only by an eager expression of countenance.
+
+But Ogallah probably saw that the youth had caught _his_ meaning, for he
+nodded his head and grinned with delight.
+
+"If he will only keep the crowd off me," said Jack to himself, "I won't
+ask anything better than a chance to get even with that big fellow and
+after him the other two, if they want to take a hand in the fun."
+
+The voices and turmoil in front of the lodge showed that the crowd were
+there waiting for Jack to come forth, that they might continue the
+amusement which was interrupted by his flight. The lad spent a minute or
+two in conversing by means of gestures with the chief, whose meaning
+seemed plainer now that he had caught the gist of his first proposal.
+
+"I am quite sure he promises to see that I have fair play," thought
+Jack; "but, if I am mistaken I shall get into a pretty scrape. Anything,
+however, is preferable to this state of affairs, and it must be ended
+one way or another very soon."
+
+Ogallah showed a childish delight when he saw that the youth had made up
+his mind to have a bout with the ringleaders who had started out to make
+life a burden to him. Even the squaw partook of the general excitement
+and followed the two out doors.
+
+The chieftain cleared the way for the captive, who was greeted with the
+most uproarious cries as soon as seen by the company, which numbered
+over a hundred bucks, squaws and children, exclusive of the dogs which
+added to the unearthly racket by their barking, yelping and howling.
+
+Jack Carleton kept well under the wing of Ogallah until he could see
+what was to take place. The chief talked for a short time with several
+of his warriors, who closed around him, the rest holding him in such awe
+that they refrained from disturbing the prisoner until permission was
+given.
+
+It was quickly settled: Ogallah and two of his men cleared a space a rod
+square and then beckoned to Jack, who walked defiantly to the middle of
+it and folded his arms.
+
+"Something must be done pretty soon," was his thought, as he scanned the
+scowling, laughing, shouting mob. "They would like to tear me to pieces,
+and, if they come all at once, they will do it too."
+
+The three Indian youths who had assailed Jack at the spring, leaped
+about and were as frantically eager as so many bull-dogs to fly at the
+poor fellow, who was never in sorer need of a powerful friend.
+
+Suddenly one of them received the signal, and, with a whoop of delight,
+he lowered his head and ran at Jack like a Japanese wrestler or a mad
+bull. The boy saw he meant to butt him in the stomach, and if he did so
+he would suffer serious injury. Forewarned was forearmed in his case,
+and, leaping aside, he tripped the Indian as he shot by, and sent him
+sprawling on his hands and knees. The uproar was deafening, but the
+contest, it may be said, had only opened, and the young Sauk bounded to
+his feet as if made of India Rubber. His coppery face was aglow with
+passion, and, pausing but an instant, he made a second rush, though this
+time he kept his head up, and spread out his arms so as to prevent Jack
+escaping him.
+
+Jack did not want to escape. He seized his assailant at the same moment
+that the latter grasped him, and in a twinkling they were interlocked
+and struggling like tigers. But the dusky youth was not only younger and
+slighter than Jack, but he was not so strong. Furthermore, his skill in
+wrestling was less than that of the white youth, who, like all the
+youths of the border, was trained in the rough, athletic exercise so
+popular with every people.
+
+The contest was as brief as it was fierce. Suddenly a pair of moccasins
+kicked the air, and the presumptuous young Sauk went to the earth as if
+flung from the top of a church steeple. The shock was tremendous and
+caused a momentary hush, for it looked as if he had been killed.
+
+The mother of the overthrown wrestler ran forward from the crowd, and
+with wild lamentations, bent over him. When she saw him move and found
+he was not dead, she whirled about, and, with a shriek, made for Jack
+Carleton, who dreaded just such an attack; but Ogallah seized her arm
+ere she reached the frightened youth, and flung her back with a
+violence and a threat which stopped her from repeating the attack.
+
+This incident gave Jack great encouragement, for it confirmed his belief
+that the sachem meant he should have fair treatment, and would allow no
+dishonest advantage to be taken of him.
+
+The second dusky youth, who was slighter than Jack, was signalled to
+advance to the attack, but to the surprise of all, he shook his head in
+dissent and declined to come forward. The manner in which his companion
+had been handled was enough to convince him that the most prudent thing
+for him to do was to play the part of spectator only.
+
+Not so, however, with the larger and older youth, who had arrived almost
+at man's estate. He was quite an athlete among his people, and could
+scarcely restrain his eagerness to attack the pale face, who had
+vanquished an opponent younger and weaker than himself. Ogallah nodded
+his head, and, amid a noise which may be called applause, the young
+warrior strode forward and laid his hands on Jack, who, realizing the
+difficult task before him, was resolute, watchful, and yet confident.
+
+The young Sauk seemed to be left handed, like Deerfoot, the Shawanoe,
+for he placed himself on the right of Jack, and slid his arm over the
+boy's neck, while Jack assumed his favorite hold with his right. The
+Indian was slightly the taller, and was naked to the waist, which was
+encircled by a girdle, containing no weapons, below which were his
+breech clout, leggings and moccasins. There was nothing on his arms, his
+costume being that of a professional Indian wrestler "stripped for the
+fray."
+
+When he slid his arm over Jack's neck, he bent his head forward so that
+he could look down at their feet. Jack thus found the black hair, parted
+in the middle and dangling over the coppery shoulders, directly under
+his eyes. He noted the large, misshapen nose, the narrow forehead,
+immensely broad temples, and uncouth lower jaw, and, during the few
+seconds they were waiting, reflected what an ugly warrior the youth was
+certain to prove if he lived a few years longer.
+
+He was the ringleader among Jack's persecutors, and the lad determined
+to conquer him if within the range of the most desperate effort. The
+style in which he took hold of the pale face told the latter that he
+possessed considerable skill, and it would be a mistake to estimate him
+too lightly.
+
+Jack reached over his left hand to grasp the right of his antagonist,
+but the latter declined to take it, and the free hands, therefore, were
+held, as may be said, in reserve to be used as inclination prompted.
+
+Suddenly the Sauk kicked one of Jack's heels forward and made a quick
+strong effort to fling him backward. It was done with great deftness,
+and came within a hair of laying Jack flat on his back. He recovered
+himself by a fierce effort, and the attempt was instantly repeated, but
+he saved himself in better shape than before.
+
+Again the two crouched side by side, each with an arm over the other,
+and watching like cats for the chance to seize an advantage. As a
+feeler, Jack tried the same trick his foe had used, but the Sauk was too
+watchful and was scarcely disturbed. All at once the pale face slid his
+arm down until it rested on the girdle at the waist of the Indian. Then
+joining his two hands and pressing him until he could hardly breathe,
+Jack raised him like a flash, clear of his feet, and made as if to
+throw him forward on his face. At the instant the Sauk put forth his
+frantic efforts to save himself from going in that direction, Jack
+reversed the enginery, and sent him backward on his head with a shock
+that made the ground tremble.
+
+The fall was terrific, and looking down at the motionless figure, Jack
+believed he had broken his neck.
+
+"I hope I have," he muttered in the flush of his excitement, "but that
+kind are tough--helloa!"
+
+The prostrate youth began to gasp and make spasmodic movements of his
+limbs--enough to prove he was alive.
+
+While Jack stood surveying him, as if waiting another attack, the mob
+broke into the most frightful yells and made a rush for him. He had
+overthrown those that had been matched against him, and now they meant
+to kill him; but Jack's faith in Ogallah was not misplaced. He and his
+brother warriors interfered in such a vigorous manner that not a hair of
+the boy's head was harmed, and, turning around, he walked into the lodge
+of the chieftain, conscious that he had won a great victory.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV.
+
+THE WAR FEAST.
+
+
+Jack Carleton's triumph over the Indian youth was complete. In a fair
+wrestling bout he had flung him to the ground with a force that drove
+the breath from his body, and gave him a more vivid idea of the white
+man's views of that athletic amusement than he had ever entertained
+before. But what was to be the outcome of this affair was more than the
+boy could guess. Physical prowess always commands respect whether the
+spectators be civilized or savage; but it does not insure against
+persecution.
+
+"I have made them more revengeful than before," was the thought of the
+youth, after he hurried back into Ogallah's lodge, and sat panting from
+his exertion: "they hate me because I am of another race and am in their
+hands. They are afraid of the chief and, therefore, they will be more
+careful and I must be the same."
+
+There could be no mistake as to the sentiments of the sachem and his
+squaw. They were delighted with the ability shown by the pale-faced
+youth who had evidently overthrown the young champion of the village.
+Ogallah grinned and chattered with his wife who grinned and chattered in
+turn. Then the former patted Jack on the back and talked very fast. The
+boy could not doubt that he was uttering the most high flown compliments
+and he did a great deal of smiling and bowing in response. The squaw was
+more demonstrative, for, after bustling about the half-expired fire for
+awhile, she brought forward a piece of meat which she had taken extra
+pains in cooking and placed it at his disposal. Jack was not suffering
+from hunger, but he very gladly ate the food and nodded in
+acknowledgment.
+
+The crowd around the entrance became so noisy that the chieftain
+suddenly lost patience, and, springing to his feet, he dashed the bison
+skin door aside and speedily scattered them.
+
+As Jack sat on the lodge floor, rapidly recovering from his severe
+exertion, he became conscious of a peculiar feeling which manifested
+itself at intervals. When he moved, he was slightly dizzy and his heart
+gave several throbs that were more rapid and spasmodic than usual. He
+remained quiet, wondering what it could mean, but feeling much inclined
+to lay it to the exciting scene through which he had just passed. When
+he began to feel alarmed it passed off.
+
+But if Jack counted on finding all the hours dull and monotonous, from
+being compelled to stay within the tepee or wigwam of the Sauk
+chieftain, he was greatly mistaken. Shortly after eating his
+supplementary breakfast, Ogallah went out, leaving the youth alone with
+the squaw. This caused Jack some misgiving, for he feared his enemies
+might take advantage of the warrior's absence to punish him for his
+victory over the Indian youth. For some minutes he was in much
+trepidation, and the feeling was not lessened when he caught sight of
+several coppery faces peeping through the door. However, they ventured
+on no greater liberties and after a time went away.
+
+All at once a great uproar rose through the village. Shouting, whooping,
+screeching and all sorts of unimaginable noises rent the air. The sound
+of hurrying feet was heard, and it was evident that something of an
+extraordinary character was going on. Jack looked inquiringly at the
+squaw, but, though she must have known the explanation, she failed for
+obvious reasons to make it clear to the captive.
+
+Suddenly Ogallah came into the lodge. He uttered a few hurried words to
+his wife and then beckoned Jack to follow him. The latter had shoved his
+knife back in place, but did not venture to take his rifle which stood
+at the other side of the lodge.
+
+"I wonder what's up now," was the natural thought of the lad, as he
+hastened after him; "have they erected a stake in the middle of the
+village where I am to be roasted for the amusement of the rest, or am I
+to be put to a test which I won't be able to stand?"
+
+But fortunately the boy was mistaken in both his theories. The hubbub
+had no reference to him whatever.
+
+Beginning the night before, a party of bucks and squaws had been
+employed until long after daylight in cooking the carcass of a bear,
+that was plump, oily and in the best condition. It was not very large,
+but where there was so little waste, it can be seen there must have been
+considerable in the way of food.
+
+The animal was now fairly roasted and the time for feasting had come.
+Jack understood that much when he ventured outside the lodge and saw the
+numbers gathering around the "festive board." Naturally he clung close
+to his protector, but one of the singular features attending his
+captivity among this offshoot of the Sauk tribe of Indians, was the
+readiness with which they transferred their attention from one object to
+another. No one showed any curiosity in him when he appeared on the
+street--so to speak--but all pushed their way toward the one point of
+interest.
+
+The shouting and uproar ceased when fourteen warriors marched forth in
+Indian file, and, arranging themselves around the brown crisp mass of
+meat, made ready to fall to work, the others watching them. They were
+all fine looking fellows, their faces painted and their preparations
+complete for hostilities, with the exception that their rifles were left
+aside, merely for convenience sake, until the end of the festivities.
+
+Jack Carleton knew he was looking upon a war feast, as they are termed
+by the Indians, and which were more common among those people at that
+time than they are to-day. The bear had been carefully cooked expressly
+for them, and looked grotesquely tempting, as the crisped, browned, and
+oily carcass dripped over the pile of branches and green leaves to which
+the cooks had carried it.
+
+The American Indian is ridiculously superstitious, and he has as much
+terror of an odd number at a war feast, as we have of being one of
+thirteen at an ordinary dinner party. Under no circumstances would the
+Sauks have permitted such a defiance of fate itself.
+
+When the fourteen warriors had ranged themselves around the table, they
+stood for a minute or two, while the others held their breath in
+expectancy. The tallest Indian, who was the leader of the little
+company, suddenly whipped out his hunting knife and looked at the
+others, who imitated him with military promptness. Then he muttered some
+command, and immediately the whole number sprang upon the waiting
+carcass, which was carved up in a twinkling. Each cut himself an
+enormous slice, and, stepping back, began eating with the voracity of a
+wolf, while the others looked admiringly on. The spectators had held
+their peace so long that they broke forth again, not so loud as before,
+but grunting, chattering, and gesticulating like so many children, while
+Jack Carleton, taking good care to keep close to Ogallah his protector,
+furtively watched the scene.
+
+The capacity of the red man for fasting and feasting is almost
+incredible. He will go for days without a mouthful, and then, when an
+abundance of food is presented, will gorge himself to an extent that
+would be sure death to an ordinary human being, after which he will
+smoke, blink, and doze for several days more, just as the famous boa
+constrictors of Africa are accustomed to do.
+
+Such, however, is his habit only when driven by necessity. The Sauks
+lived too far south of the frozen regions to suffer such hardships, but
+one of the requirements of the war-feast was that each one of the party
+should eat all that he had cut from the carcass. To fail to do so was a
+sign of weakness sure to subject him to ridicule.
+
+So resolutely did the warriors address themselves to the task, as it may
+be called, that they succeeded with the exception of a single one. Two
+or three, however, found it all they could do, and another mouthful of
+the coarse, oily meat, would have raised a rebellion within their
+internal economy, which would have caused general wreck and desolation.
+
+The youthful warrior who failed was the one who was the most eager at
+the first for the feast. He toiled like a hero, and all went well until
+he reached the last half pound. The others, grinning queerly through
+their grease and paint, watched him as did the group on the outside of
+the circle, while he, fully alive to the fact that he was the center of
+attention, went to work as if resolved to do or die.
+
+It took several vigorous swallows to keep down the installment which had
+descended, while he held the last piece in his hand and surveyed it with
+doubtful eye. It finally rested uneasily on the stomach, and he looked
+more hopefully than ever at the remaining portion, suspended on the
+point of his hunting knife.
+
+Evidently he was not afraid of that, if what had preceded it would only
+keep quiet. Finally he made a desperate resolve and quickly crammed his
+mouth with the oleaginous stuff, upon which he began chewing with savage
+voracity. Possibly, if he could have got it masticated enough to force
+down his throat with only a few seconds' delay, all would have been
+well, but suddenly there was an upward heave of the chest, a sort of
+general earthquake; the eyes closed, and the mouth opened with a gape so
+prodigious that it seemed to extend from ear to ear, and threatened to
+bisect his head. That which followed may be left to the imagination of
+the reader.
+
+General laughter and taunts greeted the failure, in which Ogallah
+heartily joined; but the warrior took it in good part, and doubtless
+felt better than did any of the others participating in the scene of
+gluttony, inasmuch as his stomach was in its normal condition.
+
+The war feast finished, the fourteen resumed the form of a circle, stood
+motionless a few minutes, and, all at once, began dancing in the most
+furious manner. The spectators joined, Ogallah as before being among the
+most vigorous in the lead, and in a brief while the strange scene was
+presented of warriors, squaws, and children bounding about, swinging
+their arms and splitting their throats in the wildest excitement.
+
+"I don't suppose it will do for me to be the only idle one," said Jack
+Carleton with a laugh and a quick thrill, "so here goes!"
+
+And with a "loud whoop" he leaped high in air, and began shouting in as
+discordant tones as those around him. In truth, there was no more
+enthusiastic member of the company than young Carleton, who jumped,
+yelled, and conducted himself so much like an irrestrainable lunatic
+that a spectator would have supposed he was setting the cue for the
+others.
+
+Ogallah and several of the warriors glanced at the pale face with some
+curiosity, and probably a few comments were made upon the performance of
+the youth. Their precise tenor, as a matter of course, can only be
+conjectured, but Jack was confident they were of a complimentary
+character, for the heartiness which he showed must have pleased them.
+
+While going about in this hilarious fashion, there were many collisions
+and overturnings. Once Jack bumped so violently against some one that
+both turned their heads and glared at each other. The offender was the
+Indian youth whom Jack had beaten so handsomely in the wrestling bout.
+For an instant the dusky lad held his hand on the knife in his girdle,
+and was on the point of rushing at Jack; but the latter meaningly
+grasped the handle of his weapon, and returned his glare with equal
+fierceness.
+
+It was enough, and the revelry continued. Had the Sauks been in
+possession of firewater, the excitement would have intensified, until
+weapons would have been drawn and a general fight precipitated,
+accompanied with loss of more than one life. Such is the outcome of most
+of the similar feasts held among the red men all through the west: but
+there was not a drop of intoxicating stuff within reach of the village,
+and thus the murderous wind-up of the festival was averted.
+
+The dance lasted until many dropped from exhaustion. Jack Carleton was
+compelled to cease from sheer weakness, and staggering to one side, sat
+down on what he supposed was a log, but which proved to be a very live
+Indian who was also in quest of rest. Being extended on his face, he
+threw up his back, much after the manner of a mustang when "bucking,"
+and Jack was sent sprawling.
+
+"It don't make any difference," muttered the boy with a laugh, "for I'm
+so tired that I can rest in one place as well as another, and I'll wait
+here till the show is over."
+
+And wait he did for the conclusion, which came very speedily.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI.
+
+AN ALARMING DISCOVERY.
+
+
+When the war party grew weary of the furious dance, they stopped, formed
+themselves in Indian file, and with the leader at the head, marched to
+the tepee, where they had left their rifles. They reappeared a moment
+later, each bearing his weapon in hand, and quickly reformed as before.
+Then all uttered several loud whoops, to which the enthusiastic
+supporters responded with equal vim, and they marched in the same file
+and with the same steady step toward the forest on the other side the
+clearing. Right soon they vanished from view among the trees. They had
+gone in quest of scalps, but in the hunt more than one proud spirited
+brave was to lose his own natural head-gear, and of those who went
+forth, the majority never came back again.
+
+Now that the main cause of the hullabaloo was removed, the Sauks gained
+more time to view their immediate surroundings. When Jack tottered to
+one side to obtain the needed rest, he separated himself from Ogallah,
+who showed no signs of wearying of the terrific exercise.
+
+"I guess it will be as well for me to hunt him up," was the decision of
+the youth, "for he may need my care."
+
+But when the boy rose to his feet and looked around he saw nothing of
+the sachem, though all the rest of the village appeared to be in the
+immediate neighborhood. None of them had offered to molest Jack, but he
+felt great misgiving. Fortunately the lodge of the chieftain was not
+distant.
+
+While the dance was going on, an experience befell young Carleton which
+has not been told, but which should be given. In the bright glare of the
+morning sun, the countenance of every one was distinctly visible, and
+Jack was impressed by the fact that one heavy, squat redskin was viewing
+him with peculiar interest. He passed in front of the boy several times,
+and on each occasion cast a piercing glance at him.
+
+This of itself might not have been so noticeable but for the impression
+which deepened on Jack that he and the warrior had met at some other
+time and in some other place.
+
+He was impatient with himself because he could not recall the
+circumstances. Had it been on the other side of the Mississippi, it
+would have been no wonder, for, from his earliest boyhood he had been
+accustomed to seeing red men, and it would be impossible to remember
+them all; but he was convinced he had met the Indian since he and Otto
+had immigrated to Louisiana.
+
+Possibly Jack might have answered the question had he been given time to
+think over it without disturbance; but he had scarcely begun to look
+around for Ogallah, when he was alarmed by the demonstrations of the
+crowd around him. They began pushing forward, and the squaws and
+children showed an unpleasant disposition to lay hands on him.
+
+There was no use of standing on dignity. In a few minutes he would be
+hemmed in so he could not move, and the lodge of the chieftain was not
+far away. Shoving a little screeching girl from his path, Jack bounded
+away like a deer, straight for the shelter. The act was so sudden that
+it threw him in advance of the rest, but there were plenty of runners as
+fleet as he, and despite the start he gained, several were at his heels,
+and one of them came very near tripping him. Jack pressed on, and,
+within a rod of the entrance to the kingly wigwam, the Indian who made
+the attempt to trip him appeared at his side, and then threw himself
+directly in front.
+
+One glance showed the fugitive that it was the youth whom he had
+overthrown in the wrestling bout.
+
+"Oh, it's you, is it?" exclaimed Jack; "you haven't had enough yet!"
+
+And, quick as a flash, he drove his fist straight into the grinning
+visage with all the force he could concentrate in his good right arm.
+The amazed youth described a back somerset, his moccasins up in the air,
+and his ugly nose flattened to the shape of a crimson turnip. Then
+leaping over the prostrate figure, Jack made several bounds, and dove
+into the lodge just in time to avoid colliding with Ogallah, who had
+approached the door from the inside to learn the cause of the new
+tumult.
+
+The chief went far enough to obtain a good view of the audacious youth
+who was in the act of climbing to his feet, and groping for his nose and
+principal features in a blind way, as though doubtful whether any of
+them were left. The clamoring rioters were scattered once more, Ogallah
+adding a few words, probably meant as a warning against their
+persecuting his ward, for it may as well be stated that from that time
+forward the demonstrations against Jack were of a much less serious
+nature.
+
+"I suppose I've got to fight every time I go out of the lodge," said
+young Carleton, with a dogged shake of the head; "they mean to kill me
+whenever they gain the chance, and more than likely I'll have to go, but
+I'll make it cost them more than they count on. When I can't use my
+fists I'll use my knife."
+
+The mistress of the establishment, seating herself at the other end of
+the lodge, lit her pipe with as much indifference as though nothing
+unusual had taken place. Her mongrel pup came trotting along the space
+in his sidelong fashion and lay down with his nose against her slouchy
+moccasins, thereby proving his bravery, so far as any offense against
+his olfactories was concerned. Ogallah having made his speech and
+scattered the rabble, turned about and came slowly after the dog,
+seating himself near the middle of the lodge, where he also lit his
+long-stemmed pipe.
+
+Just then some one pushed the bison skin aside, and stepped within the
+residence. Despite his sluggish manner, Ogallah flirted his head like a
+flash, probably suspecting that one of Jack's tormentors had dared to
+follow him within his shelter. But the individual was a full-grown
+warrior, who would not have descended to such business, and the grunt of
+the sachem was meant as a cordial welcome to him who grunted in return.
+
+Jack Carleton also glanced at him, and was astonished not a little to
+observe that he was the same warrior who had scrutinized him so closely
+while the war feast was going on, and whom, the youth was well
+convinced, he had met elsewhere.
+
+There could be no mistake as to the interest which the visitor felt in
+the captive, for his black, penetrating eyes were not removed from him
+during the several minutes which followed his entry into the lodge. Not
+only that, but halting in front of the lad, he began talking and
+gesticulating with useless vigor, inasmuch as Jack could not gain an
+inkling of what was meant. Indeed, had the youth attempted afterward to
+describe the gestures, he would have referred to them all as pointless,
+excepting the series which consisted of a violent sweep of both arms to
+the westward, after pointing his finger at the wondering Jack Carleton.
+Altogether at a loss as to their significance, it was fortunate (as will
+appear hereafter), that the lad was able to recall and describe the
+motions to another, who had a hundred fold more woodcraft and mental
+acumen than he.
+
+Poor Jack could only shake his head and smile sadly by way of reply to
+this performance, and, after Ogallah had added something, the warrior
+ceased, took his seat beside the chief and employed himself in smoking
+and talking.
+
+"Who _can_ he be? He knows me and I--ah! I remember!"
+
+Sure enough, and why had he not thought of it before? He was one of the
+five Indians who had left the other five and gone off with Otto
+Relstaub, on the day that he and Jack Carleton were captured by the band
+so near their own home. More than that, Jack had seen the others that
+same morning in the village at the war feast, though the recollection of
+them was so shadowy that it had not caused him the perplexity produced
+by the appearance of the warrior before him.
+
+With the truth came the startling question--Where was Otto? While his
+captors were in the village, he certainly was elsewhere. What had become
+of him?
+
+The question fairly took away the breath of Jack and made him faint at
+heart.
+
+"He can't be at home, for Otto never could have made his escape from
+them; _he must be dead!_"
+
+The first declaration of the youth my reader knows was true, for the
+visit of Deerfoot, several days later to Martinsville, as has been
+described, proved it. As to the second theory, that will be investigated
+in due time.
+
+One of the most trying features of this occurrence was the certainty
+Jack felt that the Indian visitor was trying to tell him something about
+Otto. Those swinging arms, swaying head and apoplectic grunting carried
+a message within themselves, which, if translated would be found of
+great importance; but alas! the interpreter had not come.
+
+While the lad sat on the bison robe, reflecting over the matter, he
+became aware of the peculiar sensations that alarmed him some time
+before. His head was dizzy, a curious lightness took possession of his
+limbs, and he felt that if he should undertake to cross the lodge, he
+would stagger and fall like a drunken man.
+
+"I'm going to be ill," he said, pressing his hand to his forehead;
+"something is wrong with me."
+
+The shock which came with the conviction was deepened by the belief that
+he was about to go through the experience that had befallen poor Otto
+Relstaub.
+
+"He fell sick while tramping through the woods with the Indians, and
+they have either tomahawked or left him to die. These people with all
+their Medicine Men and Women know nothing about curing sick folks, and
+if I _do_ become ill that will be the end of me."
+
+The boy was in anything but a cheerful frame of mind, but he faced the
+position like a hero. He did not lose heart, though he was sure that his
+situation was worse than ever before, and he did not forget any of the
+incidents of the journey from Kentucky to Louisiana, when many a time
+there seemed not the slightest ground for hope.
+
+After smoking awhile Ogallah and his visitor got up and went out doors.
+The chief was gone but a short time when he came back, and, as he
+resumed his seat, grunted out something to his squaw, who immediately
+laid down her pipe, tenderly shoved the nose of her dog aside and left
+the place.
+
+While Jack was wondering what the meaning of these movements could be,
+the attack of weakness which had alarmed him passed off, like the
+fleeing shadow of a cloud. It was followed by a natural rebound of
+spirits, and he too rose to his feet and walked toward the door.
+
+The sachem looked inquiringly at him, but showed no objection to his
+departure. The boy placed his hand at his waist to make sure his hunting
+knife was there, and at the entrance paused a moment in doubt.
+
+"I wonder whether they will set on me again," he said to himself; "if
+they do I will use my weapon--that's certain, and then there will be a
+bigger rumpus than before."
+
+The knowledge that the chief who had served so many times as friend was
+near at hand added much to Jack's courage, when he finally let the
+bison-skin door drop behind him.
+
+The explanation of the squaw's departure was manifest at once. She had a
+long sharpened stick in her hands, with which she was stirring the earth
+around some hills of corn growing on a small plot near their lodge.
+Extending his gaze, Jack saw many other squaws engaged in the same
+manner, but among them all was not a single man. They were lolling in
+their wigwams, smoking or dozing, or hunting in the woods for game or
+scalps.
+
+The younger members of the community seemed to be the happiest of all. A
+number were playing by the river, and some were plunging into the
+stream, swimming, diving, and disporting themselves like porpoises;
+others were deep in some kind of game, on the clearing near the woods,
+and all were as shouting and demonstrative as so many civilized
+youngsters engaged in a game of ball.
+
+Anxious to learn whether his last affray with his persecutors was likely
+to lessen or increase their hostility, Jack Carleton gradually advanced
+from the lodge until he was close to the group playing on the large
+cleared space, while those by the river were much nearer his refuge than
+he.
+
+This was assuming considerable risk, as all must admit, but the boy took
+it with much caution and with his eyes wide open, meaning to make the
+most hurried kind of retreat the instant it might become necessary.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVII.
+
+"GAH-HAW-GE."
+
+
+Naturally enough, when Jack Carleton found himself standing close to the
+frolicking Indian boys on the clearing, he became interested in the game
+they were playing, which he saw was systematic, and in which all took
+part.
+
+Like amusements of that sort, it was simple in its character and he
+quickly caught its drift. The boys divided themselves into two parties
+equal in numbers, one of which was ranged in line at the right of the
+clearing near the wood, while the other did the same at the other goal,
+which was a stump close to the stream. Each boy held a stick with a
+forked end in his hand, that being the implement with which the game is
+played.
+
+When all was ready, one of the youthful Sauks walked out from the party
+near the woods, holding the stick with the crotch of a small branch
+supported at the point of bifurcation. This crotch was four or five
+inches in length, and as it was carried aloft, it looked like an
+inverted V, raised high so that all might see it.
+
+Pausing in the middle of the clearing, the dusky lad with a flirt of the
+stick, flung the crotch a dozen feet in air and uttered a shout which
+was echoed by every one of the waiting players. Both sides made a
+furious rush toward the middle of the playground, where they came
+together like two mountain torrents, and the fun began. The strife was
+to get the crotch of wood to one of the goals, and each side fought as
+strenuously to help it along toward his own, as a side of foot-ball
+players struggle to do the opposite in a rough and tumble fight for the
+college championship.
+
+Inasmuch as the only helps to be employed were the long, forked sticks
+carried in their hands, it will be seen that the game offered a
+boundless field for the roughest sort of play, mingled with no little
+dexterity and skill. Some swarthy-hued rascal, while on a dead run,
+would thrust the point of his stick under the crotch, and lifting it
+high above his head, start or rather continue with might and main toward
+his goal. At that time, as, indeed, at every minute, each young American
+was literally yelling like so many "wild Indians." Desperately as the
+youth ran, others more fleet of foot speedily overtook him, and one,
+reaching forward while going like a deer, lifted the crotch from the
+other stick, and circling gracefully about, sped for his own goal. But
+some youth at his heels leaped in air and with a sweep of his own stick
+struck the other and sent the crotch spinning and doubling through the
+air. A dozen other sticks were plunged after it, but it fell to the
+ground, and then the fight reached its climax. The parties became one
+wild, desperate, shouting, yelling, scrambling mob. Legs and arms seemed
+to be flying everywhere, and the wonder was that a score of limbs and
+necks were not broken. But it rarely hurts a boy to become hurt, and
+though bruises were plenty, no one suffered serious harm. After a few
+minutes' struggle, the crotch would be seen perched on the stick of one
+of the boys, who, fighting his way through the mob, ran with astonishing
+speed, with friends and foes converging upon him, and the certainty that
+he would be tripped and sent flying heels over head, before he could
+reach safety.
+
+After awhile, when the prize had been gradually worked toward the goal
+of the stronger party, some youth, by a piece of skill and daring,
+would make a dash for home and bear down all opposition. It followed, of
+course, that his side had won, and, after a brief rest, the game was
+renewed and pressed with the same vigor as before.
+
+This Indian boy's game is still played by many Indian tribes. Among the
+Senecas it is called "Gah-haw-ge," and I make no doubt that more than
+one reader of these pages has witnessed the exciting amusement, which so
+thrilled the blood of Jack Carleton that he could hardly restrain
+himself from taking part in the fun. But he had no crotched stick,
+without which he would have been a cypher, and then, as he had never
+attempted the game, he knew he possessed no skill. The venture would
+have been rash, for in the excited state of the Indian youths, and armed
+as they were with sticks, it is almost certain that at some stage of the
+game they would have turned on the pale face and beaten him to death.
+
+The rough amusement lasted fully two hours, during which Jack Carleton
+and many of the warriors were interested spectators. At last the
+youngsters became weary and the sport ended. As the stumpy youths
+straggled apart, the perspiration on their faces caused them to shine
+like burnished copper. All at once one of them emitted a whoop and broke
+into a swift run, the rest instantly falling in behind him, and speeding
+with the same hilarious jollity.
+
+The heart of Jack Carleton stood still, for the leading Indian was
+coming straight toward him.
+
+"They're aiming for me," was his conclusion, as he gripped the handle of
+his knife and half drew it from his girdle.
+
+But the whooping youth swerved a little to the right, and was ten feet
+away from the terrified captive when he dashed by with unabated speed.
+He did not so much as glance at Jack, nor did the procession of
+screeching, bobbing moon-faces, as they streamed past, give him the
+least attention.
+
+The lad who set off with the lead, kept it up with undiminished speed,
+until he reached the edge of the river. Then he made a leap high upward
+and outward. Jack saw the crouching figure, with the head bent forward,
+the arms crooked at the elbow, and the legs doubled at the knees, during
+the single breath that it seemed suspended in the air. Then describing a
+beautiful parabola, he descended, and striking the water, sent the spray
+flying in every direction, while the body went to the bottom. The others
+followed, so fast that the dusky forms dropped like hailstones, tumbled
+over each other, splashed, dove, frolicked, shouted, and acted with the
+same abandon as before.
+
+It is by such sports and training that the American Indian acquires his
+fleetness, high health, and powers of endurance.
+
+But Jack had grown weary of watching the antics of the youngsters, and
+turned about and walked homeward. He saw from the position of the sun
+that it was near noon, and he was hungry; but he was more impressed by
+the change of treatment since his last affray than by anything else. He
+walked past five separate wigwams before reaching the imperial
+residence, which for the time being was his own. There were warriors,
+girls, and squaws lounging near each one. They raised their repellant
+faces and looked at the captive with no little curiosity, but offered
+him no harm.
+
+When half way home, the flapping door of one of the conical wigwams was
+pushed aside, and the stooping figure of a large Indian boy
+straightened up and walked toward Jack, who, with an odd feeling,
+recognized him as the youth whom he had overthrown in wrestling, and
+afterwards knocked off his feet by a blow in the face.
+
+"I wonder whether he means to attack me?" Jack asked himself, in doubt
+for the moment as to what he should do. At first he thought he would
+turn aside so as to give the young Sauk plenty of room; but that struck
+him as impolitic, for it would show cowardice.
+
+"No, I won't give him an inch; he is alone, and if he wants another row,
+I'm agreeable."
+
+It was hard for Jack to restrain a smile when he looked at the face of
+the Indian. It was exceptionally repulsive in the first place, but the
+violent blow on the nose had caused that organ to assume double its
+original proportion, and there was a puffy, bulbous look about the whole
+countenance which showed how strongly it "sympathized" with the injured
+part.
+
+Although the American Indian, as a rule, can go a long time, like the
+eagle, without winking his eyes, this youth was obliged to keep up a
+continual blinking, which added to his grotesque appearance, as with
+shoulders thrown back and a sidelong scowl he strode toward the river.
+Jack returned the scowl with interest, and it scarcely need be said that
+the two did not speak as they passed by.
+
+Feeling some fear of treachery, the captive kept his ears open, and
+watched over his shoulder until he reached his own wigwam, where he
+stood for a moment and gazed in the direction of the river, which was
+partly shut out by one of the intervening lodges. He was just in time to
+see the young Sauk of the battered countenance leap into the river,
+where, doubtless, he was able to do much toward reducing the
+inflammation of his organ of smell.
+
+When the captive entered his home as it may be called, he saw the
+chieftain stretched flat on his back and snoring frightfully. The dog
+was asleep on the other side the fire, and the squaw, after toiling so
+long in the "corn field," was preparing the mid-day meal. She was a type
+of her sex as found among the aborigines, as her husband, even though a
+monarch, was a type of the lazy vagabond known as the American warrior.
+
+At the side of the queen lay the gourd which usually contained water.
+Peeping into the round hole of the upper side, she shook the utensil,
+and the few drops within jingled like silver. She snatched it up, looked
+toward Jack, and grunted and nodded her head. If the lad could not
+understand the language of the visitor sometime before, he had no such
+difficulty in the case of the squaw. With real eagerness he sprang
+forward and hastened out of the wigwam to procure what was needed.
+
+The one visit which he made the spring in the morning had rendered him
+familiar with the route, and it took but a minute or two for him to fill
+the gourd and start on his return. He found that a number of young girls
+had followed him, and were at his heels all the way back; but, though
+they talked a good deal about him, and displayed as much curiosity as
+their brothers, they did not molest him. Once, when they ventured rather
+too close, Jack whipped out his knife, raised it on high, and made a
+leap at them, expanding his eyes to their widest extent, and shouting in
+his most terrifying tone, "Boo!"
+
+It produced the effect desired. The young frights scattered with screams
+of terror, and hardly ventured to peep out of their homes at the ogre
+striding by.
+
+When Jack entered the lodge he found Ogallah awake. Evidently he was not
+in good humor, for his manner showed he was scolding his much better
+half, who accepted it all without reply or notice. No doubt she received
+it as part of the inevitable.
+
+The chief, however, refrained from following the civilized custom of
+beating the wife, and when the meat and a species of boiled greens were
+laid on the block of wood which answered for a table, his ill-mood
+seemed to have passed, and he ate with his usual relish and enjoyment.
+
+Jack Carleton crossed his legs like a tailor at his side of the board,
+but before he could eat a mouthful a violent nausea seized him, his head
+swam, and he was on the verge of fainting. Ogallah and his squaw noticed
+his white face and looked wonderingly at him.
+
+"I'm very ill!" gasped Jack, springing to his feet, staggering a few
+steps, and then lunging forward on the bison skin, where he flung
+himself down like one without hope.
+
+The violence of the attack quickly subsided, but there remained a
+faintness which drove away every particle of appetite, and it was well
+that such was the case, for had he taken any food in his condition the
+result must have been serious.
+
+Meanwhile the squaw had assumed her place at the table by her liege
+lord, and both were champing their meal as though time was limited, and
+there was no call to feel any interest in the poor boy who lay on his
+rude couch, well assured that his last illness was upon him.
+
+"What do they care for _me_?" muttered Jack, his fright yielding to a
+feeling of resentment, as the violence of the attack subsided. "I wonder
+that they spared my life so long. They would have been more merciful had
+they slain me in the woods as they did Otto, instead of bringing me here
+to be tormented to death, and as I know they mean to do with me."
+
+Lying on his arm, he glared at the couple with a revengeful feeling that
+was extraordinary under the circumstances. A morbid conviction fastened
+itself upon him that Ogallah had taken him to his lodge for the purpose
+of keeping him until he was in the best physical condition, when he
+would subject him to a series of torturing and fatal ceremonies for the
+amusement of the entire village.
+
+In the middle of these remarkable sensations exhausted nature succumbed,
+and the captive fell asleep.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVIII.
+
+A PATIENT OF THE MEDICINE MAN.
+
+
+When Jack Carleton awoke, it was night and the rain was falling. He was
+feverish and his brain was so overwrought that it was a full minute
+before he could call to mind where he was. His slumber had been
+disturbed toward the latter part by dreams as wild, vague and
+unimaginable as those which taunt the brain of the opium eater.
+
+When he remembered that he was in the wigwam of Ogallah, the chieftain,
+he turned upon his side and raised his head on his elbow. The fire at
+the other end of the apartment that had been burning brightly, had gone
+down somewhat, but enough remained to light up the interior so that the
+familiar objects could be seen with considerable distinctness.
+
+He observed the figure of the sachem stretched out in the dilapidated
+slouchiness peculiar to himself. He did not bother to remove any of his
+clothing, and, though the place was quite chilly he drew none of the
+bison robes over him. He had lain down on one, but had managed in some
+way to kick it half way across the lodge, and his couch, therefore, was
+the simple earth, which served better than a kingly bed of eider down
+could have done.
+
+The favorite posture of the queenly consort was not a prone one, but
+that of crouching in a heap near the coals, where, with a blanket that
+had never been washed since it was put together years before, gathered
+about her shoulders, her skinny arms clasping her knees and her head
+bowed forward, she would sleep for hours at a time. The reflection of
+the flickering flames against her figure caused it to look grotesque in
+the fitful light, and the captive gazed at her for a long time, led to
+do so by an infatuation which was not strange under the circumstances.
+
+There, too, was the dog which, could he have been given his way, would
+have done nothing all his life but sleep and eat. As was his custom, he
+was at the feet of his mistress, a position which he seemed to prefer
+above all others. Then the blankets, deer and bison skins, and rude
+articles hanging about the room, the two columns in the center
+supporting the clumsy roof, the craggy logs and sticks at the side, the
+hanging skin which served as a door and was barely visible, the tumble
+down appearance of everything, and withal the solemn stillness which
+brooded within the lodge: all these made the scene weird and impressive
+in a striking degree.
+
+The fire burned so fitfully that it threw ghostly shadows about the
+apartment, sometimes flooding it with light, and again falling so low
+that the other end of the lodge could not be seen at all. Without, the
+night could not have been more dismal. There was no thunder or
+lightning, and the rain fell with that steady patter on the leaves,
+which at ordinary times forms the most soothing accompaniment of sleep,
+but which to Jack Carleton only added to his dismal dejection of
+spirits.
+
+The roof of the lodge was so thick and diversified in its composition
+that the music of the patter on the shingles was lost. At intervals the
+wind stirred the limbs, and, though none of the trees were very close,
+the lad could hear the soughing among the branches, as the hunter hears
+it in early autumn when the leaves begin to fall.
+
+Could the melancholy croaking of frogs in the distance have fallen on
+the ears of the boy, he would have had all the factors that go to bring
+on the most absolute loneliness of which a human being is capable.
+Unfortunately Jack did not need that addition to render his misery
+complete, for it was furnished by his own condition and situation.
+
+"I am many long, long miles from home," he reflected, as a sharp pain
+gyrated through his brain, and the flickering fire seemed to be bobbing
+up and down and back and forth in a witches' dance; "and little hope is
+there of my ever seeing mother again. Ah, if I was only there now!"
+
+He let his head fall back and heaved a deep sigh. He recalled his plain
+but comfortable bed, which became the most deliciously comfortable the
+mind can conceive, when his mother shoved the blankets in about him, or
+"tucked him up," as she never failed to do every evening he was at home;
+the good-night kiss from those affectionate lips; the magic touch of
+those fingers which pushed back the hair from his forehead, ere she
+bent over him with the last salute; the loving, caressing care when he
+was threatened with the slightest illness, which made the boy long for
+illness for the sake of such care: these and other blessed memories came
+back with a power which caused the eyes to overflow with sorrow.
+
+Ah, fortunate is that boy, even though his years carry him to the verge
+of full manhood, who has his mother to watch over his waking and
+sleeping hours, and her prayers to follow his footsteps through life.
+
+The pattering rain, the sighing wind, and the ghostly, semi-darkness
+soothed the sachem and his wife, but Jack Carleton was as wide awake as
+when pushing across the Mississippi in the half overturned canoe, with
+the fierce Shawanoes firing at him and his friends. Probably, in the
+entire Indian village, he was the only one who was awake. Had a band of
+Sioux or Iroquois stolen through the woods and descended on the Sauks
+they would have been found defenceless and unprepared.
+
+Through one of the crevices behind Jack, came a draught of wind which,
+striking him on his shoulders, caused him to shiver. He moved a little
+distance away, and drew the bison robe closer about him, for though a
+raging fever was coursing through his veins, he knew the danger of
+subjecting himself to such exposure.
+
+He was consumed with thirst, and seeing the clumsy gourd by the side of
+the sleeping squaw, he crawled forward on his hands and knees in the
+hope of finding water in it. Fortunately there was an abundance and he
+took a long, deep draught of the fluid, which was not very fresh nor
+cold, but which was the most refreshing he had ever swallowed.
+
+Creeping back to his primitive couch, he continued a deep mental
+discussion of the question whether the best thing he could do was not to
+steal out of the lodge and make a break for home. There could be little,
+if any doubt, as to the ease with which such a start could be made. He
+had only to rise to his feet, pass through the deer-skin door, which was
+merely tied in position, and he could travel miles before morning and
+before his absence would be noted. The falling rain would obliterate his
+trail, so that the keen eyes of the Sauks would be unable to follow it,
+and he could make assurance doubly sure by taking to the water until a
+bloodhound would turn up his nose in disgust. Furthermore, he was
+confident that he would be able to obtain possession of his rifle and
+enough ammunition with which to provide himself food on the way home.
+
+This was what may be called the rose-colored view of the scheme, which
+had a much more practical side. While under ordinary circumstances Jack
+would have been able to take care of himself at a much greater distance
+from home, and in a hostile country, yet the alarming fact remained,
+that he was seriously ill and such exposure was almost certain to drive
+him delirious, with the certainty of death to follow very speedily.
+
+Though he took such a gloomy view of his own position among the Sauks
+(whose tribal name, of course, he had not yet learned), he was not
+without a certain degree of hope. He had suffered no harm thus far and
+it is always the unexpected which happens. While he had declared to
+himself that Ogallah was simply training him for the torture, as it may
+be expressed, yet it might be the chieftain being without children,
+meant to adopt him as a son. If such was his intention, manifestly, the
+best thing for Jack to do was to lie still and prayerfully await the
+issue of events. No doubt if you or I were in his sad predicament, that
+is the course that would have been followed, but Jack could not bring
+himself to submit to such inactivity when the prospect of liberty was
+before him. Allowance, too, must be made for the condition of the boy.
+He was scarcely himself, when, compressing his lips, he muttered,
+
+"I won't stay here! They mean to kill me and I may as well die in the
+woods! I will take my gun and go out in the night and storm, and trust
+in God to befriend me as He has always done."
+
+Aye, so He had; and so He will always befriend us, if we but use our
+opportunities and fly not in His face.
+
+Carefully he rose to his feet, and, gathering the bison robe around his
+fevered frame, glanced at the two unconscious figures, and then at the
+form of his rifle leaning against the side of the lodge and dimly
+revealed in the flickering firelight.
+
+As he stepped forward to recover his gun, everything in the room swam
+before his eyes, a million bees seemed to be humming in his brain, and,
+clutching the air in a vague way, he sank back on his couch with a
+groan, which awakened Ogallah and his squaw. The chief came to the
+sitting position with a surprising quickness, while the wife opened her
+eyes and glared through the dim firelight at the figure. The dog
+slumbered on.
+
+Ogallah seeing that it was only the captive who was probably dying, lay
+back again on the bare earth and resumed his sleep. The woman watched
+the lad for several minutes as if she felt some interest in learning
+whether a pale face passed away in the same manner as one of her own
+race. Inasmuch as the sick boy was so long in settling the question, she
+closed her eyes and awaited a more convenient season.
+
+From the moment Jack Carleton succumbed, helpless in the grasp of the
+fiery fever, he became sick nigh unto death. Those who have been so
+afflicted need no attempt to tell his experience or feelings. Why he
+should have fallen so critically ill, cannot be judged with certainty,
+nor is it a question of importance; the superinducing cause probably lay
+in the nervous strain to which he was subjected.
+
+He instantly became delirious and remained so through the night. He
+talked of his mother, of Deerfoot, of Otto, and of others; was fleeing
+from indescribable dangers, and he frequently cried out in his fright.
+The chief and his squaw heard him and understood the cause, but never
+raised their hands to give him help.
+
+Jack became more quiet toward morning and fell into a fitful sleep which
+lasted until the day was far advanced. Then, when he opened his eyes,
+his brain still somewhat clouded, he uttered a gasp of dismay and
+terror.
+
+Crouching in the lodge beside him was the most frightful object on which
+he had ever looked. It had the form of a man, but was covered with skins
+like those of a bear and bison, and a long thick horn projected from
+each corner of the forehead. The face, which glared out from this
+unsightly dress, was covered with daubs, rings and splashes of red,
+white and black paint, applied in the most fantastic fashion. The black
+eyes, encircled by yellow rings, suggested a resemblance to some serpent
+or reptilian monster. The figure held a kind of rattle made of hollow
+horn in either hand, and was watching the countenance of the sick boy
+with close attention. When he saw the eyes open, he made a leap in the
+air, began a doleful chant, swayed the rattles and leaped about the
+lodge in the most grotesque dance that can be imagined. Ogallah and his
+squaw were not present, so Jack had the hideous creature all to himself.
+
+Enough sense remained with the boy for him to know that he was the
+Medicine Man of the tribe, whom the chieftain had been kind enough to
+send to his help. Instead of giving the youth the few simple remedies he
+required, he resorted to incantation and sorcery as has been their
+custom for hundreds of years. The barbarian fraud continued to chant and
+rattle and dance back and forth, until Jack's eyes grew weary of
+following the performance. The mind, too, which was so nigh its own
+master in the morning, grew weaker, and finally let go its hold.
+Sometimes the waltzing Medicine Man suddenly lengthened to the height of
+a dozen yards; sometimes he was bobbing about on his head, and again he
+was ten times as broad as he was long, and hopping up and down on one
+short leg. From the other side of the lodge he often made a bound that
+landed him on the bison skin, which lay over the breast of the sick boy,
+where he executed a final tattoo that drove the last vestige of
+consciousness from him.
+
+It was all a torturing jumble of wild and grim fancies, with occasional
+glimmerings of reason, which led Jack to clutch the air as if he would
+not let them go; but they whisked away in spite of all he could do, and
+a black "rayless void" descended upon and gathered round about him,
+until the mind was lost in its own overturnings and struggles, and all
+consciousness of being departed.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIX.
+
+CONVALESCENCE.
+
+
+As nearly as can be ascertained, Jack Carleton lay the major part of
+four days in the Indian lodge, sick nigh unto death, with his brain
+topsy turvy. During that time he never received a drop of medicine, and
+scarcely any attention. The chief was gone most of each day, and the
+squaw spent many hours out doors, looking after her "farm." When the
+patient became unusually wild, she would give him a drink of water and
+attend to his wants. A few of the Indians peeped through the door, but
+as a whole they showed surprising indifference to the fate of the
+captive. Had he died, it is not likely he would have been given even
+Indian burial.
+
+Several times the Medicine Man put in an appearance, and danced and
+hooted and sounded his rattles about the lodge, after which he took
+himself off and would not be seen again for many hours.
+
+On the fourth day, while Jack was lying motionless on his bison skin and
+looking up to the composite roof, his full reason returned to him.
+Indeed, his brain appeared to have been clarified by the scorching
+ordeal through which it had passed, and he saw things with crystalline
+clearness. Turning his head, he found he was alone in the lodge, and, as
+nearly as he could judge, the afternoon was half gone. The fire had died
+out, but the room was quite warm, showing there had been a rise of
+temperature since the night of the rain. Peering through the crevices
+nearest him, he observed the sunlight was shining, and could catch
+twinkling glimpses of Indians moving hither and thither; but there was
+no outcry or unusual noise, and business was moving along in its
+accustomed channel.
+
+With some trepidation and misgiving, Jack rose on his elbow and then
+carefully assumed the sitting position. Every vestige of dizziness had
+fled, and his head was as clear as a bell. He was sensible, too, of a
+faint and increasing desire for food; but he was equally conscious that
+he was very weak, and it must be days before he could recover his normal
+strength.
+
+After sitting for a few minutes, he threw the bison skin from him, and
+rose to his feet. Having held the prone position so long, he felt
+decidedly queer when he stood erect once more. But he walked back and
+forth, and knew within himself that the crisis of his illness had passed
+and he was convalescent.
+
+Of course it was Jack's vigorous constitution and the recuperating power
+of nature which, under Heaven, brought him round. The medicine man had
+no more to do with his recovery than have many of our modern medicine
+men, who, sit beside the gasping patient, feel his pulse, look at his
+tongue and experiment with the credulous dupe.
+
+Jack Carleton possessed enough sense to appreciate his condition. Very
+little sickness had he ever known in life, but there had been plenty of
+it around him, and his mother was one of those nurses, whose knowledge
+far exceeded that of the ordinary physician, and whose presence in the
+sick room is of itself a balm and blessing.
+
+The boy knew, therefore, from what he had learned from her, that the
+time had come when he must be extremely careful what he ate and how he
+conducted himself. Moving over to the unattractive table, he found some
+scraps of meat left. They were partly cooked, but likely as good for him
+as anything could have been. He ate considerable, chewing it finely, and
+finding his appetite satisfied much sooner than he anticipated.
+
+But that for which Jack longed above everything else was a plunge in the
+cool water. His underclothing sorely needed changing, and he would have
+been absolutely happy could he have been in the hands of his tidy mother
+if only for a brief while.
+
+However, there was no help for him, and he could only wait and hope for
+better things. After he had resumed his seat on the bison skins, a
+project took shape in his mind, which was certainly a wise and prudent
+one, with promises of good results. Knowing he was recovering rapidly,
+he resolved to keep the fact from his captors. While still gaining
+strength and vigor, he would feign weakness and illness, on the watch
+for a chance that was sure to come sooner or later, and which he would
+thus be able to improve to the utmost.
+
+Convalescence revived with ten-fold force the desire to end his Indian
+captivity and return home. Uncertain as he was of the time that had
+passed since starting on his hunt, he knew that it was long enough to
+awaken the most poignant anguish on the part of his loved mother, who
+must suffer far more, before, under the most favorable circumstances, he
+could return.
+
+When it was growing dark, Ogallah and his squaw entered. The latter
+quickly had the fire going and, as its glow filled the room, both looked
+inquiringly at the patient on the other side the lodge. He in turn
+assumed, so far as it was possible, the appearance of a person in the
+last collapse, and took care that the expression of his countenance
+should show no more intelligence and vivacity than that of an idiot.
+
+The couple exchanged a few words, probably referring to Jack, but they
+seemed to care little for him, and he was glad that he excited so slight
+interest, since they were less likely to suspect the deception he was
+practicing upon them. The squaw, after cooking the meat, brought a piece
+over to Jack, who stared in an absurd fashion before shaking his head,
+and she turned about and resumed her place by the table, after which
+she lit her pipe and squatted near the fire.
+
+The patient soon fell into a refreshing sleep, which lasted until it
+began growing light, when he awoke, feeling so well that it was hard to
+keep from leaping in the air with a shout, and dashing out doors. He was
+sure that he could hold his own in a game of _gah-haw-ge_, if the chance
+were only given.
+
+But he resolutely forced down his bounding spirits, though he could not
+suppress the feeling of hunger which was fast assuming a ravenous
+intensity. When the squaw offered him a half cooked piece of meat, he
+snatched at it with such wolf-like fierceness that the squaw recoiled
+with a grunt of dismay. Jack made sure he had secured the prize, when he
+devoured every particle, which luckily was enough fully to satisfy his
+appetite.
+
+Whenever the boy saw the chief or his squaw looking at him, he assumed
+the role of a dunce, and it must be confessed he played it with
+unquestionable fidelity to nature. He probably afforded considerable
+amusement to the royal couple who could have had no suspicion that the
+hopeful youth was essaying a part.
+
+When the forenoon was well along, the chief and his squaw went out, the
+latter probably to do the manual labor, while the former occupied
+himself with "sitting around" and criticising the style in which she ran
+the agricultural department of the household. The dog rose, stretched,
+yawned and then lay down again and resumed his slumber. Jack was
+meditating what was best to do, when the door was pushed aside, and the
+frightful-looking Medicine Man crouched to the middle of the lodge and
+glared at the patient, who looked calmly back again, as though he felt
+no special interest in him or anything else, but all the same Jack
+watched him with more entertainment than he had ever felt before.
+
+First of all, the man with the horns and rattles, took amazingly long
+steps on the toes of his moccasins around the apartment between the two
+"columns" which supported the roof, as though afraid of awaking the
+baby. At the end of each circumambulation, he would squat like a frog
+about to leap off the bank into the water, and glare at the boy, the
+corners of whose mouth were twitching with laughter at the grotesque
+performance.
+
+When tired of this, the Medicine Man stopped in the middle of the
+apartment, and all at once began using his rattles to the utmost, and
+dancing with the vigor of a howling dervish. He accompanied, or rather
+added to the racket, by a series of "hooh-hoohs!" which were not loud,
+but exceedingly dismal in their effect.
+
+The sudden turmoil awoke the canine, which raised his head, and
+surveying the scene for a moment, rose, as if in disgust, and started to
+trot outdoors to escape the annoyance. As he did so, he passed directly
+behind the Medicine Man, who, of course, did not see him. At the proper
+moment he made a backward leap, struck both legs against the dog, and
+then tumbled over him on his back, with his heels pointing toward the
+roof. The angered pup, with a yelp of pain and rage, turned about,
+inserted his teeth in the most favorable part of the body, and then
+limped out of the wigwam with a few more cries, expressive of his
+feelings. The Medicine Man gave one frenzied kick and screech as the
+teeth of the canine sank into his flesh, and, scrambling to his feet,
+dashed out of the lodge with no thought of the dignity belonging to his
+exalted character.
+
+Jack Carleton rolled over on his back and laughed till the tears ran
+down his cheeks and he could scarcely breathe. It was the funniest scene
+on which he had ever looked, and the reaction, following his long mental
+depression, shook him from head to foot with mirth, as he had never been
+shaken before. He could not have restrained himself had his life been at
+stake. After awhile, he would rub the tears from his eyes, and break
+forth again, until, absolutely, he could laugh no more.
+
+Laughter is one of the best tonics in the world, and that which
+convulsed Jack Carleton was the very medicine he needed. Though still
+weak, he felt so well that he could not have felt better.
+
+"I've no business here," he exclaimed, coming sharply to the upright
+position and running his fingers through his hair in a business-like
+fashion; "every nerve in my body is just yearning for the cool breath of
+the woods, and I feel as though I could run and tumble over the
+mountains all day and feel the better for it. But I must keep it up till
+the way opens."
+
+After thinking over the matter, he decided to venture outside. Rising to
+his feet, he walked briskly to the door, pulled the skin aside and
+passed out, immediately assuming the manner and style of a boy who was
+barely able to walk and then only with the greatest pain.
+
+He expected a crowd would instantly gather around him, but he actually
+limped all the way to the spring without attracting any special
+attention. It was inevitable that a number should see him, and two
+youngsters called out something, but he made no response and they
+forebore to molest him further.
+
+"If I should meet that chap that has found out he can't wrestle as well
+as he thought he could, he will hardly be able to keep his hands off me.
+Maybe he would find he had made another mistake, and maybe it would be I
+who was off my reckoning. However, I've my knife with me, and I will use
+that on him if there is any need of it, but I hope there won't be."
+
+The water tasted deliciously cool and pure, and he bathed his hands and
+face again and again in it. He longed to take a plunge into the river,
+but that would have been impolitic, and he restrained the yearning until
+a more convenient season should offer.
+
+Jack finally turned about and began plodding homeward, his eyes and
+ears open for all that could be seen and heard. It was a clear warm day,
+and the village was unusually quiet. Some of the squaws were working
+with their primitive hoes, the children were frolicking along the edge
+of the wood, where the shade protected them from the sun, and the
+warriors were lolling within the tepees or among the trees. More than
+likely the major part of the large boys were hunting or fishing.
+
+Sure enough, Jack was still beyond the limits of the village, when he
+saw his old antagonist walking toward him. The Indian lad was alone, but
+several squaws and warriors were watching his movements, as though he
+had promised them some lively proceedings. Jack noticed that his nose
+had assumed its normal proportions, from which he concluded that more
+time than was actually the case had elapsed since he himself was
+prostrated by illness. The pugnacious youth advanced in his wary
+fashion, gradually slackening his gait until nearly opposite the pale
+face, who felt that the exigencies of the situation demanded he should
+brace up so as to impress the youth with the peril of attacking him.
+
+While several paces separated the two, the Indian came to a halt, as if
+waiting for the other. It would not do to show any timidity, and,
+without changing in the least his pace, the pale faced youth partly drew
+his knife from his girdle and muttered with a savage scowl:
+
+"I'm ready for you, young man!"
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXX.
+
+OUT IN THE WORLD.
+
+
+It cannot be doubted that the Indian youth intended to make an assault
+on Jack Carleton. He must have known of his prostrating illness and
+concluded that he was a much less dangerous individual than when they
+first met; but there was something in the flash of the captive's eye and
+a meaning in the act of drawing his knife part way from his girdle,
+which caused the young Sauk to hesitate. Evidently he concluded that
+much could be said for and against the prudence of opening hostilities.
+
+Jack strode forward, with his shoulders thrown back and a scowl, as
+though he preferred that the youth should make the attack. He kept his
+gaze on the savage until some distance beyond him, the latter turning as
+if on a pivot and narrowly watching him to the very door of the lodge.
+Jack then withdrew his attention and took a survey of matters in front.
+
+The same quiet which he had noticed a short time before held reign. The
+few Indians moving about paid no attention to the lad, with the
+exception, perhaps, of one: that was Ogallah, the chieftain who had just
+noticed him on his return from the spring. The noble head of the band
+was lolling in the shade of one of the wigwams, discussing affairs of
+state with one of his cabinet, when he observed the youth. Summoning all
+his latent energy, he rose to his feet and strolled in the direction of
+his own home. The moment Jack saw him, he assumed the most woe-begone
+appearance it was possible to wear. The defiant attitude and manner,
+which were a challenge of themselves, vanished: the shoulders drooped
+forward: the step became slouchy and uncertain, and the poor fellow
+looked as if about to sink to the ground in a final collapse.
+
+Pretending not to see the sachem, Jack feebly drew the bison skin aside
+and pitched into the lodge. Glancing around, he found he was alone,
+whereupon he strode straight across the space, lay back on his couch,
+and kicked up his heels like a crowing infant.
+
+"I must work off some of this steam or I shall burst," he said to
+himself, rolling and tumbling about in the very abandon of rapid
+convalescence: "It's hard work for me to play sick, but it must be done
+for the big prize that is at stake."
+
+He kept close watch on the entrance, and, when a hand suddenly drew the
+skin aside and the bent figure of the chieftain came through and
+straightened up within the lodge, young Carleton had the appearance of a
+person whose sands of life were nearly run out.
+
+Ogallah walked forward and examined him closely. He saw a youth who was
+unquestionably a "pale face," staring vacantly at him for a few seconds,
+and who then rolled on his face with a groan that must have been heard
+some distance beyond the lodge. Restless flingings of the limbs
+followed, and, when the sachem turned away, he must have concluded that
+it would never be his privilege to adopt the young gentleman into his
+family.
+
+Toward night the squaw and dog appeared and the domestic economy of the
+aboriginal residence went on as before. When a piece of cooked meat was
+brought to Jack, he devoured it with a ferocity which threatened
+incurable dyspepsia, and he swallowed a goodly draught of water freshly
+brought from the spring.
+
+Recalling the mistake he made while on the journey through the woods to
+the village, Jack Carleton resolved he would not fail through any
+similar forgetfulness. He fell asleep at that time on account of his
+exhaustion, but now the case was different: he had had enough slumber to
+last two days, while his brain was so clear and full of the scheme that
+it was impossible for him to rest until after it had been tested.
+
+Nothing is more weary than the waiting which one has to undergo when
+placed in his position. The hours drag by with scarcely moving
+footsteps, and before the turn of night comes, one is apt to believe the
+break of day is at hand. From his couch, Jack furtively watched how
+things went, which was much the same as he had seen before.
+
+The pup ate until they would give him no more and then stretched out at
+the feet of the squaw, who, having finished her meal, lit her pipe and
+puffed away with the dull animal enjoyment natural to her race. The
+chief himself led in that respect, and the two kept it up, as it seemed
+to Jack, doubly as long as ever before. At last they lay down and
+slept.
+
+The captive had noted where his rifle was placed. It leaned against the
+side of the lodge where it had stood every time he saw it, so that, if
+he could steal out of the place in the night without arousing the
+inmates, it would be easy for him to take the gun with him.
+
+The fire flickered and burned up, then sank, flared up again, and at
+last went into a steady decline, which left the room filled with a dull
+glow that would have failed to identify the objects in sight had not the
+boy been familiar with their appearance.
+
+When convinced that the two were sound asleep, Jack repeated the prayer
+that had trembled so many times on his lips, rose as silently as a
+shadow, and began moving across the lodge on tip-toes to where his
+invaluable rifle leaned. Lightly would that warrior have need to sleep
+to be aroused by such faint footfalls.
+
+The boy had not yet reached his weapon, when he was almost transfixed by
+the vivid recollection of the attempt he made to get away when on the
+journey to the village. He believed his liberty was secured, when he
+suddenly awoke to the fact that Ogallah and his warriors were trifling
+with him.
+
+Could it be the chief had read in the captive's face the evidence of his
+intention?
+
+This was the question which for the moment held life in suspense, while
+Jack Carleton stood in the middle of the dimly lit wigwam and gazed
+doubtingly toward the figures near the smoldering fire.
+
+"Likely enough he is only pretending he's asleep, and, just as I am sure
+the way is clear, he will spring to his feet and grab me."
+
+It was a startling thought indeed, and there were a few moments when the
+lad was actually unable to stir; but he quickly rallied and smiled at
+his own fears.
+
+"If I once get my gun in hand, he won't be able to stop me----"
+
+He was reaching forward to grasp it, when one of the embers fell apart,
+and a yellow twist of flame filled the apartment with a glow which
+revealed everything. Jack stopped with a faint gasp and turned his head,
+sure that the chief was on the point of leaping upon him; but he was as
+motionless as a log, and the hand of the boy was upraised again as he
+took another stealthy step forward. A half step more, and his fingers
+closed around the barrel. The touch of the cold iron sent a thrill
+through him, for it was like the palpable hand of Hope itself.
+
+The powder horn lay on the ground beside the weapon, the Indian having
+made no use of either since they came into his possession. The string
+was quickly flung over the shoulder of the boy, who then began moving in
+the same guarded fashion toward the door, throwing furtive glances over
+his shoulder at the king and queen, who did not dream of what was going
+on in their palace.
+
+Jack Carleton "crossed the Rubicon" when he lifted the rifle and powder
+horn from the ground. Had he been checked previous to that he would have
+turned back to his couch, and made the pretense that what he did was the
+result of a delirium. But with the possession of his weapon came a
+self-confidence that would permit no obstruction to divert him from his
+purpose. He would not have fired on the chief or his squaw (except to
+save his own life), for that would have been unpardonable cruelty, but
+he would have made a dash into the outer air, where he was sure of
+eluding his pursuers, so long as the night lasted.
+
+But the slumber of the couple was genuine. They did not stir or do
+anything except to breathe in their sonorous fashion. Jack took hold of
+the bison skin to draw it aside, when he found the door was locked. It
+was an easy matter, however, to unfasten it, and a single step placed
+him outside the wigwam.
+
+Instead of hurrying away, as his impatience prompted him to do, the
+youth stood several minutes surveying the scene around him. The Sauk
+village was asleep, and the scrutiny which he made of the collection of
+wigwams failed to show a single star-like twinkle of light. The night
+was clear, and a gibbous moon was high in the sky. Patches of clouds
+drifted in front of the orb, and fantastic shadows whisked across the
+clearing and over the wigwams and trees. The dwellings of the Indians
+looked unsightly and misshapen in the shifting light, and Jack felt as
+though he were gazing upon a village of the dead.
+
+Turning to the southward, he faced the narrow, winding river. From the
+front of the chieftain's lodge, he caught the glimmer of its surface
+and the murmur of its flow, as it swept by in the gloom on its way to
+the distant Gulf. A soft roaring sound, such as we notice when a
+sea-shell is held to the ear crept through the solitude like the voice
+of silence itself.
+
+Jack was impressed by the scene, but when he saw a shadowy figure flit
+between two of the wigwams, and was certain he heard a movement in the
+lodge behind him, he hastily concluded it was the time for action and
+not meditation. With a start that might have betrayed him, he quickly
+left his position and hastened away.
+
+It was natural that the many hours devoted by Jack during his
+convalescence, to forming his plan of procedure, should have fixed the
+plan he meant to follow. Thus it was that the few minutes spent in front
+of the chieftain's lodge were not occupied in debating the proper course
+to take, and, when he once made a start, he went straight ahead without
+turning to the right or left.
+
+The reader will readily see how great were the advantages on the side of
+the fugitive. He was certain of a fair start, which ought to have made
+his position absolutely safe, for if the American Indian is
+phenomenally skillful in following the trail of an enemy through the
+wilderness, that enemy, if he suspects such pursuit, ought to be able to
+throw him irrecoverably from the scent.
+
+Furthermore, it is scarcely conceivable that the trail of Jack Carleton
+could be taken at the door of Ogallah's wigwam and followed as the
+warriors trailed a fugitive through the woods; for the ground whereon he
+walked had been tramped hard by multitudinous feet, and the faint
+impressions of the boy's shoes could not be individualized among the
+thousand footprints. It was far different from fleeing from a camp in
+the woods, where his trail crossed and was interfered with by no other,
+and where the slightest depression or overturning of the leaves was like
+the impression on the dusty highway.
+
+The fugitive's first intention was to take to the woods, and guiding his
+course by the moon and sun, travel with all the speed and push at his
+command. Fortunately he was enabled to see that such a course was almost
+certain to bring disaster. Instead of doing that, he went directly to
+the river side, where he had seen the Indians frolicking in the water,
+and he himself had so often sighed for the same delicious privilege.
+
+There were five canoes partly drawn up the bank and waiting the will of
+their owner. They were made of bark with curved ends, fantastically
+painted, and each was capable of carrying, at least, six or eight
+able-bodied warriors. They were so light that the lad found no trouble
+in shoving the first clear of the shore, and sending it skimming out
+into the stream. As it slackened its pace, it turned part way round,
+like a bewildered swan, as if uncertain which way to go. Then it sailed
+triangularly down current, much after the manner of Ogallah's dog when
+on a trot.
+
+It was not more than fairly under way, when the second glided out after
+it, then the third, the fourth and finally the fifth and last. This
+contained Jack Carleton who took the long ashen paddle in hand and began
+plying it with considerable skill. He was paying less attention to his
+own progress than to the manipulation of the other canoes, which he had
+set free for a special purpose.
+
+He kept the five in the middle of the current until a fourth of a mile
+was passed. Then he gave one such a violent push that it ran its snout
+against the bank and stuck fast. Some distance down stream he repeated
+the man[oe]uvre with the second boat against the opposite shore,
+continuing the curious proceeding until he was alone in the single
+canoe, floating down stream.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXI.
+
+JOURNEYING EASTWARD.
+
+
+Jack Carleton reasoned in this wise:
+
+In the morning Ogallah would notice his absence from the lodge and would
+make immediate search for him. He would quickly learn that the entire
+navy of his nation had vanished as completely as has our own, and the
+conclusion would be warranted that it had either run away with the pale
+face or the pale face had run away with the navy: at any rate they had
+gone off in company and the hunt would begin.
+
+A quarter of a mile down stream, the first installment of the fleet
+would be found stranded on the southern shore, as though it was used to
+set the fashion followed by our country a century later. The conclusion
+would be formed that the audacious fugitive had landed at that point and
+plunged into the interior; but a brief examination would show the Sauks
+their mistake and they would rush on along the banks until the second
+craft was discovered, when the same disappointment would follow.
+
+This would continue until every one of the five canoes had been found
+and examined. Inasmuch as the fifth contained Jack himself, it will be
+seen that more care was required in his case; but the programme had been
+laid out to its minutest details while the enemy was a guest in the
+lodge of the king.
+
+After the fourth canoe had been stuck against the bank, the number lying
+on alternate sides, Jack removed his clothing and letting himself over
+the stern, plunged into the cool, refreshing current, where he dove,
+frolicked, sported, and enjoyed himself to the full--his happiness such
+that he could hardly refrain from shouting for very joy. He kept this up
+as long as prudent, when he clambered into the boat again, donned his
+clothing, floated a short distance further, and shot the craft into land
+with a force that held it fast.
+
+A brief calculation will show that the boy had gone something more than
+a mile from the Indian village, and he had secured what may well be
+termed a winning lead; but much still remained to be done. He was now
+about to leave the element where even the trained bloodhound would be at
+fault, and step upon the land, where the keen eye of the Sauk warrior
+would follow his footprints with the surety of fate itself. Hence it
+depended on his covering up the tell-tale trail, unless chance, against
+which no one can guard, should direct his pursuers to it.
+
+Both shores of the stream were covered with forest which grew to the
+edge of the water. In some places there was undergrowth which overhung
+the river, but it was not very plentiful. The position of the moon in
+the sky was such that most of the time the middle of the stream
+reflected its light, while the shores were in shadow. These looked
+indescribably gloomy, and but for bounding spirits which set the whole
+being of the lad aglow, he would have been oppressed to an unbearable
+degree. The course of the river for the first mile was remarkably
+straight, but it made a sweeping bend just before Jack ran his canoe
+into shore. His aim now was to quit the water without leaving any
+tell-tale traces behind. If he stepped ashore and walked away never so
+carefully, he would fail to do what was absolutely necessary. He
+believed he accomplished his purpose, by running the boat under some
+overhanging undergrowth, where he laboriously pulled it up the bank,
+until it could not be seen by any one passing up or down stream, and
+could be found by no one moving along the shore itself, unless he paused
+and made search at the exact spot. The probability of any Indian doing
+such a thing, it will be conceded, was as unlikely as it could be.
+
+But, on the other hand, the first step the fugitive took would leave an
+impression which would tell the whole story, and it now depended on the
+manner in which he overcame that special danger. Carefully sounding the
+water, Jack found it was quite shallow close to land. He therefore waded
+a full hundred yards from the canoe before leaving the stream, and then,
+with his clothing saturated to his knees, he stepped ashore, took a
+score of long careful steps straight away, and his flight, it may be
+said, was fairly begun.
+
+"I don't know that I have done so much after all," said he, when he had
+reached a point a hundred yards from the stream, "for some one of the
+Indians may strike my trail before sunrise to-morrow morning; but I have
+done all I can at the start, and if I can have a few miles the lead,
+it'll be no fun for them to overtake me."
+
+There was no reason why such an advantage should not be secured, for,
+although the moon was of no help to him in determining his course, he
+had studied the whole thing so carefully while lying in the lodge of the
+chieftain Ogallah, that he was as sure of the direction as if he held a
+mariner's compass in his hand.
+
+Jack, it will be borne in mind was in the southern portion of the
+present State of Missouri, the frontier settlement of Martinsville lying
+at no great distance westward from Kentucky, and north of the boundary
+line of Arkansas, as it has existed since the formation of that
+Territory and State. The Sauk party of Indians who made him captive had
+pursued an almost westerly direction, taking him well toward the Ozark
+region, if not actually within that mountainous section. It followed,
+therefore, that he should pursue the easterly course, for the stream
+along which he had been borne, had carried him almost due north, and it
+was not necessary for him to diverge in order to leave it well behind.
+
+The fugitive lost no time, but pushed through the wood as fast as he
+could. It was hard to restrain his desire to break into a run, but he
+did so, for nothing could have been gained and much was likely to be
+lost by such a course. Despite the bright moon overhead, few of its rays
+found their way through the dense vegetation and foliage. Though he
+encountered little undergrowth, yet he was compelled to use his hands as
+well as his eyes in order to escape painful accidents.
+
+The hours of darkness were valuable to Jack, yet he longed for daylight.
+He wanted to be able to see where he was going, and to use what little
+woodcraft he possessed. So long as he was obliged to keep one hand
+extended in front in order to save his face and neck, he could adopt no
+precautions to hide his footprints from the prying eyes of his enemies.
+He knew he was leaving a trail which was as easy for his enemies to
+follow, as though he walked in the yielding sand. Much as he regretted
+the fact, it could not be helped so long as the darkness lasted, and he
+wasted no efforts in the attempt to do so. It would be far otherwise
+when he should have daylight to help him.
+
+Fortunately perhaps, he had not long to wait. He had not gone far when
+he observed the increasing light which speedily announced the rising of
+the sun; but he was shocked to find that despite his care and previous
+experience in tramping through the wilderness, he had got much off his
+course. Instead of the orb appearing directly in front of him, as he
+expected it to do, it rose on his right hand, showing that instead of
+pursuing an easterly course he was going north--a direction which took
+him very little nearer his home than if he traveled directly opposite.
+
+As may be supposed, Jack had no sooner learned his mistake than he faced
+about and corrected it.
+
+"I've got my bearings now," he muttered confidently, "and I know too
+much about this business to drift off again. Hurrah!"
+
+He could not deny himself the luxury of one shout and the toss of his
+cap in the air. This completed, he strode forward with more dignified
+step, and settled down to work, after the manner of a sensible youth who
+appreciates the task before him. He calculated that he was two or three
+miles from the Indian village, much closer than was comfortable, and he
+could not stop to eat or rest until it should be increased. He felt that
+this day was to be the decisive one. If he could keep beyond the reach
+of his pursuers until the setting of the sun, he would throw them off
+his trail so effectively that they could never recover it.
+
+"And why shouldn't I do it?" he asked, confidently: "Deerfoot taught me
+how to hide my tracks, and I never can have a better chance than now,
+where everything is in my favor."
+
+He alluded to the number of streams, the rocky and diversified surface
+and the general rugged character of the country through which his
+journey was leading him.
+
+In such a region there must be numerous opportunities for covering his
+trail from the penetrating glance of those who had spent their lives in
+studying the ways of the woods. The stealthy tread of the shoe or
+moccasin over the flinty rock left no impression, but it was hardly
+possible to find enough of such surface to prove of value; but when he
+caught the gleam of water through the trees, his heart gave a leap of
+pleasure.
+
+"_This_ is what I wanted," he exclaimed, coming to a halt on the bank of
+a rapidly flowing creek, some fifty feet wide: "here is something that
+will wipe out a fellow's trail."
+
+The current was fairly clear and rapid. It was evidently deep, and it
+seemed to the lad that it was the compression of a considerably wider
+stream into a space that added velocity to its flow. Its general course,
+so far as he could learn, was eastwardly, and was therefore favorable to
+him.
+
+There was but the one way of utilizing the creek, and that was by
+floating over its surface. Jack could have strapped his gun to his back
+and swum a considerable distance, but that would have been a useless
+exertion attended by many discomforts. His purpose was to build a raft
+or float which would allow the current to carry him for a mile or so,
+when he could land and continue his journey.
+
+Better fortune than he anticipated awaited him. While moving along the
+shore in search of logs and decayed wood from which to construct his
+float, he was astonished to run plump upon an Indian canoe, which was
+drawn up the bank beyond the probability of discovery.
+
+"Well, now that _is_ lucky!" exclaimed the gratified lad, who quickly
+added the saving clause, "that is, I _hope_ it is, though where you
+find canoes, it is best to suspect Indians."
+
+He looked for them, but no sign greeted eye or ear. He supposed the boat
+belonged to the tribe which he had left the night before, though it was
+somewhat singular that it should have been moored such a distance from
+home. Possibly this was a much used ferry where something of the kind
+was found convenient.
+
+Nothing was to be gained by speculating about the ownership of the
+craft, but the part of wisdom was to make use of the means that was so
+fortunately placed within his reach. Without any delay, therefore, he
+shoved the frail structure into the water, leaping into it as it shot
+from shore. No paddle could be found on or about the vessel, and he used
+his rifle for the implement, as he had done more than once before.
+Holding it by the barrel, he swung the stock through the current and
+found it served his purpose well. A slight force is sufficient to propel
+an Indian canoe through or over the water, and the task was easy enough
+for Jack Carleton.
+
+"It may be this boat belongs to some other Indians who do not live very
+far off, and if they should come down and find me sailing away with it,
+I don't know what would follow."
+
+However, the opportunity was the very one he was anxious to secure, and
+he was too wise to allow any fancy that might cross his mind to frighten
+him from turning it to the best account. Guiding the canoe to the middle
+of the creek, he faced down current, and used his improvised paddle with
+all the skill and strength at his command. The stream, as I have said,
+ran rapidly, so that with his exertions he made good progress.
+
+He was struck with the similarity of the shores to those of the larger
+stream which ran by the Indian village. The wood was dense, and at
+intervals was so exuberant that it looked difficult for a rabbit to
+penetrate. Then came long spaces where the forest was so open that he
+could look far into its depths. The course of the creek was so winding
+that he could see only a short distance ahead, and several times his own
+momentum carried him close into land before he could accommodate himself
+to the abrupt curve around which he shot with no inconsiderable speed.
+
+There remained the comforting thought that every minute thus occupied
+was taking him further from his captors, who were without the means of
+following his trail; but at the very moment when Jack was felicitating
+himself on the fact, he was startled by a most alarming discovery.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXII.
+
+A MISCALCULATION.
+
+
+The youth had stopped paddling for a few minutes' rest, when he observed
+that he was close upon a broad clearing which came close to the water's
+edge. He had scarcely time to notice that much when he saw several large
+conical objects, and before he knew it, he was floating in front of an
+Indian village, numbering some twelve or fifteen wigwams. Squaws,
+children, and even warriors were lolling about very much as in the Sauk
+village, from which he had fled only a short time before.
+
+It fairly took away the breath of Jack. In all his fancies he had not
+once thought of anything like this, or he would have avoided running
+into what promised to prove a fatal trap.
+
+"My gracious!" he gasped, "this is a little too much of a good thing;
+it'll never do at all."
+
+The settlement was on the right hand bank of the stream, which just
+there had a northerly course. It was, therefore, on the shore where the
+fugitive desired to land. Dipping his improvised paddle, he drove the
+boat ahead with all the power he could command, and drew a breath of
+partial relief, when another sweeping curve shut him from sight.
+
+It was apparent that the Indians failed to grasp the situation in its
+entirety. They were accustomed to see white men hunting and trapping in
+that region, and they may have felt no wish to molest one of their
+number, though tempted so to do by his unprotected situation. At any
+rate, they stared at the canoe without offering to disturb its occupant.
+The black-eyed youngsters gaped wonderingly, and Jack saw several point
+in his direction, while they doubtless indulged in observations
+concerning him.
+
+But it need not be said that he was frightened almost out of his wits,
+and filled with self-disgust that he should have gone blindly into a
+peril against which a child ought to have mounted guard. The moment he
+felt he was out of sight of the redmen, who showed far less curiosity
+than he expected, he sprang ashore and shoved the canoe back into the
+current, which speedily carried it out of sight. Having landed, Jack
+hastened among the trees at the fastest gait possible. He was close to
+the village, although beyond sight. Glancing over his shoulder he
+expected every minute to see some of the dusky warriors, and to hear
+their whoops as they broke in pursuit.
+
+It must have been that this particular Indian village felt little if any
+interest in the white youth who paddled in front of their door, for not
+one of the number made a move by way of pursuit.
+
+When Jack had pushed through the wilderness for a couple of miles he
+formed the same conclusion, and dropped to a deliberate walk. The face
+of the country was rocky and broken, and he was confident that in many
+places he had left no trail at all. But, with that conviction came two
+others: he not only was tired but was excessively hungry. He had caught
+sight of game more than once while on the march, as it may be called,
+but refrained from firing through fear that the report of his gun would
+guide others who were hunting for him. At the same time he had twice
+heard the discharge of rifles at widely separated points. Probably they
+were fired by Indians on the hunt, or possibly some of the trappers of
+that section had not yet started on their long journey to St. Louis. At
+any rate when the sun had passed the meridian and the afternoon was well
+advanced, he made up his mind that he would take the first chance to
+secure food, no matter in what shape it presented itself.
+
+He smiled to himself, when within the succeeding ten minutes he caught
+sight of a young deer among the trees less than one hundred feet in
+advance. It bounded off affrighted by the figure of the youth, who,
+however, was so nigh that he brought it to the ground without
+difficulty.
+
+When he ran forward to dress it, he was surprised to find it had fallen
+within a rod of a ravine fifty feet deep.
+
+This ravine, which had evidently been a canyon or ancient bed of some
+mountain stream, was twenty yards or more in width, the rocky walls
+being covered with a mass of luxuriant, creeping vines, through which
+the gray of the rocks could be seen only at widely separated intervals.
+The bottom was piled up with the luxuriant vegetable growth of a soil
+surcharged with richness.
+
+Jack Carleton took only time enough to comprehend these points when he
+set to work kindling a fire against the trunk of a tree which grew close
+to the ravine. When that was fairly going, he cut the choicest slices
+from his game, and it was speedily broiled over the blaze. There was no
+water, so far as he knew, closer than the creek, but he did not
+specially miss it. Seasoned by his keen hunger, the venison was the very
+acme of deliciousness, and he ate until he craved no more.
+
+Then as he sat down on the leaves with his back to the tree opposite the
+blaze, he probably felt as comfortable as one in his situation could
+feel. He had pushed his strength almost to a dangerous verge, when rest
+became a luxury, and as he leaned against the shaggy bark behind him, it
+seemed as though he could sit thus for many hours without wishing to
+stir a limb.
+
+"I suppose," he said to himself in a drowsy tone, "that I ought to keep
+on the tramp until night, when I can crawl in behind some log and sleep
+till morning. It may be that one or two of the warriors from that last
+village are on my trail, but it don't look like it, and a fellow can't
+tramp forever without rest. I'll stop here for an hour or two, and then
+go ahead until dark. There's one thing certain,--I've thrown Ogallah and
+his friends so far off my track that they'll never be able to find it
+again."
+
+If any conclusion could be warranted, it would seem that this was of
+that nature, and yet by an extraordinary chain of circumstances the very
+danger which was supposed to have ended, was the one which came upon the
+fugitive.
+
+As he had anticipated, the method of his flight was discovered very
+early the succeeding morning, and many of the warriors and large boys
+started in pursuit. The hunt was pressed with a promptness and skill
+scarcely conceivable. It was inevitable that they should be puzzled by
+the singular proceeding with the canoes, and the pursuers became
+scattered, each intent on following out his own theory, as is the case
+with a party of detectives in these later days. The last boat was not
+found, but the identical youth who had fared so ill at the hands of
+Jack, came upon his trail where it left the river. His black eyes glowed
+with anticipated revenge, which is one of the most blissful emotions
+that can stir the heart of the American Indian.
+
+The young Sauk might have brought a half dozen older warriors around him
+by uttering a simple signal, but nothing could have induced him to do
+so. He had his gun, knife, and tomahawk,--all the weapons he could carry
+and all that were possibly needed. He had learned long before to trail
+his people through the labyrinthine forest, and in a year more he
+expected to go upon his first war trail. He hated with an
+inextinguishable hatred the pale face who had overthrown him in the
+wrestling bout and then had struck him a blow in the face, which,
+figuratively speaking, compelled him to carry his nose for several days
+in a sling. Ogallah had protected the sick pale face from molestation,
+but now the chief was the most eager for his death.
+
+The fugitive evidently believed he was safe against all pursuit, and it
+would therefore be the easier to surprise him. What greater feat could
+the young Sauk perform than to follow and secretly slay the detested
+lad? What a triumph it would be to return to the village with his scalp
+dangling at his girdle!
+
+Holding his peace (though it was hard to keep down the shout of joy that
+rose to his lips), he bounded away like a bloodhound in pursuit.
+
+Despite the precautions taken by Jack Carleton, the pursuer found
+little trouble in keeping to his trail, until it abruptly terminated on
+the bank of the creek, where advantage had been taken of the canoe.
+There he paused for a time at a loss what to do.
+
+Of course he knew of the Indian village at no great distance down stream
+and on the other side. Familiar as he was with the creek, he kept on
+until he reached a place where it broadened and was so shallow that he
+waded over without trouble. The red men whom he visited were friendly
+with the offshoot of the Sauk tribe, so that no risk was run in going
+among them. When he did so, as a matter of course, he gained the very
+information he was seeking; the canoe with the fugitive in it went by
+the village early in the morning. The pursuer declined the offer of help
+and went on alone. He was hardly outside the village when he struck the
+trail again, and, knowing he was at no great distance from the youth, he
+followed with a vigor and persistency that would not be denied.
+
+But during most of the time he was thus employed, Jack Carleton was
+similarly engaged, and, despite the energy of the young Sauk, the hours
+slipped by without bringing him a sight of the pale face, whose scalp he
+meant to bring back suspended to his girdle. The fugitive had about
+recovered his usual health, and he improved the time while it was his.
+Had he pushed forward until nightfall before halting for food or rest,
+he never would have been overtaken.
+
+But the signs showed the dusky youth that he was close upon the
+unsuspicious pale face, and he strode along with the care and skill of a
+veteran warrior. Finally his trained senses detected the smell of
+burning wood, and a moment later he caught sight of the camp-fire of
+Jack Carleton. The Indian stopped, and after some reconnoitering,
+concluded he could gain a better view from the other side the camp. With
+incredible pains he moved around to that side and was gratified by a
+success which glowed in his swarthy countenance and through his
+well-knit frame.
+
+He saw the pale face sitting on the ground, with his back against a
+tree, his mouth open, and his eyes closed. His gun rested on the ground
+beside him, and the wearied fugitive was asleep, and as helpless as an
+infant.
+
+The Sauk had only to raise his gun, take a quick aim, and shoot him
+dead, before he awoke or learned his danger. He could leap upon and
+finish him with his knife, but that would involve some risk to himself.
+He decided to drive his tomahawk into the skull of his victim, and to
+scalp him immediately after.
+
+As the first step toward doing so, he leaned his rifle against the
+nearest tree, so as to leave his arms free, and then, without any more
+ado, grasped the handle of his tomahawk and poised himself with the
+purpose of hurling it with resistless force and unerring aim. He was not
+twenty feet distant from Jack; but while in the very act of raising the
+missile above his head, his arm was struck a side blow so violent as
+almost to break the bone. The tomahawk flew from his grasp to the earth,
+and in a twinkling some one caught him around the waist, lifted him
+clear of the ground, ran rapidly the few paces necessary, and flung him
+over the rocks into the ravine!
+
+The Sauk struggled desperately to save himself, but he could not check,
+though he retarded his descent. He landed with a force that knocked the
+breath from him, but the abundance of vines and vegetable growth saved
+his life. After a time he slowly gathered himself together, and seeing
+nothing of the enemy who had handled him so ruthlessly, he slowly
+climbed to his feet and began picking his way out of the ravine.
+
+He was compelled to walk a long distance before reaching a place where
+he was able to clamber to the level ground above. When at last he
+managed to do so, he sat down on a fallen tree to rest and indulge in a
+retrospective survey.
+
+His rifle and tomahawk were irrecoverably gone, and nothing would have
+induced him to go back to look for them. If his right arm was not
+broken, it was so injured and lamed that a long time must elapse before
+he could use it, and altogether his enterprise could only be regarded as
+a disastrous failure.
+
+"It was an Indian that struck the tomahawk from my grasp," reflected the
+victimized Sauk; "he was a terrible warrior!"
+
+The youth was right in each respect, for the name of the Indian who made
+such short work with him was Deerfoot the Shawanoe.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXXIII.
+
+CONCLUSION.
+
+
+Jack Carleton was in the middle of a pleasant dream of home and friends,
+when a light touch on his shoulder caused him to open his eyes and look
+up with a quick, inquiring glance.
+
+"Helloa! Deerfoot, is that you?" he exclaimed, springing to his feet and
+grasping the hand of his old friend, on whose handsome features lingered
+the shadowy smile which told of the pleasure he felt in finding his
+beloved friend after such a long search.
+
+"Deerfoot is glad to take the hand of his brother and press it; he has
+hunted a good while for him and his heart was sad that he did not find
+him."
+
+"How, in the name of conscience, did you ever find me at all?" demanded
+Jack, who slapped him on his back, pinched his arm, and treated him
+with a familiarity which few dared show toward him.
+
+"I've had a very curious time, I can tell you, old fellow--helloa! where
+did that gun come from, and that tomahawk?" exclaimed the wondering
+youth, catching sight of the weapons.
+
+"'Twill be well if my brother does not stay here," replied the young
+Shawanoe, who, while he felt no particular fear of the Sauk whom he had
+flung into the ravine, saw the possibility of his procuring friends and
+coming back to revenge himself. Prudence suggested that the two should
+secure themselves against such peril. Deerfoot, therefore, picked up the
+tomahawk, shoved it into the girdle around his waist, grasped the rifle
+in his right hand, and strode forward with his free, easy, swinging
+gait. As there was no call for special caution, he told the story of his
+encounter with the young Sauk who had raised his tomahawk to brain his
+sleeping friend. Deerfoot's first intention was to drive an arrow
+through his body, but he chose the method already described of
+frustrating his purpose.
+
+To make his story complete, it was necessary for the young Shawanoe to
+begin with his visit to Jack's mother, and to describe the mental agony
+of the good parent over the unaccountable absence of her boy. Then he
+told of his meeting with the Sauk warrior, Hay-uta, who made such a
+determined effort to take his life. From him he learned that a white
+youth was a captive in the village, and he concluded, as a matter of
+course, that there were to be found both Jack and Otto, though no
+reference was made to the latter. The sagacious Shawanoe, however,
+discovered an important fact or two which I did not refer to in telling
+the incident. The first was that Hay-uta was one of the five Sauks who
+separated from the other five directly after the capture of the boys.
+With his company was Otto Relstaub, the Dutch youth, while Jack Carleton
+was with the other. Hay-uta and his friends were on their way to the
+village, and were almost within sight of it, when Hay-uta felt such
+dissatisfaction over their failure to bring back any scalps or plunder,
+that he drew off and declared he would not go home until he secured some
+prize of that nature. His encounter with Deerfoot followed. When he left
+the latter he went straight to his village. Deerfoot could have trailed
+him without trouble, but, inasmuch as the Sauk had departed in that
+manner, and the Shawanoe knew where his village lay, he purposely
+avoided his trail, and followed a course that diverged so far to the
+right that he first reached the village passed by Jack in his canoe. His
+arrival, as sometimes happens in this life, was in the very nick of
+time. From the red men, who showed a friendly disposition toward him, he
+learned that not only had a pale face youth passed down the stream in a
+canoe, but a young warrior aflame with passion was close behind him.
+
+The wise Deerfoot was quick to grasp the situation, and he set out
+hot-footed after the aforesaid flaming young warrior, and followed him
+with such celerity that he came in sight of him long before the Sauk
+arrived at the camp-fire. Little did the furious young Sauk dream, while
+panting with anticipated revenge, and aglow with exultation, that one of
+his own race was close upon his heels, ready to launch his deadly arrow
+at any moment, and only waiting to decide in what manner the Sauk should
+be "eliminated" from the whole business.
+
+Seated around the camp fire late that night, the two friends talked over
+the past. Jack gave full particulars of what befell him since his
+capture by the Indians, up to the hour when Deerfoot joined him. The
+young Shawanoe listened with great interest to the story, for it will be
+admitted that in many respects it was an extraordinary narrative. He
+told Jack that the people with whom he had passed more than a week were
+Sauks, under the leadership of the chieftain whose lodge had sheltered
+the prisoner during his captivity. The Sauks were a brave, warlike
+people, and this offshoot, which had located in that portion of Upper
+Louisiana, was among the most daring and vindictive of the tribe. Their
+leniency toward Jack was remarkable, and could only be accounted for on
+the supposition that Ogallah took a fancy to the youth and meant to
+adopt him into his family. It was not at all unlikely that Jack's
+suspicion that they were "training" him to figure in a scene of torture
+was correct. His escape, therefore, could not have been more opportune.
+
+Let not the reader accuse the two of indifference, because so little has
+been recorded in their conversation, concerning Otto Relstaub, the
+companion of both in more than one scene of peril, and held by them in
+strongest friendship. They had talked more of him than of any one else,
+though Jack's heart was oppressed by a great sorrow when he thought of
+his mother and her grief over his continued absence. Jack had asked
+Deerfoot over and over again as to his belief concerning their absent
+friend, but the Shawanoe, for a long time, evaded a direct answer.
+
+"I can tell you what _I_ think," said Jack with a compression of his
+lips and a shake of his head: "Otto is dead."
+
+"How did my brother meet his death?" calmly asked Deerfoot.
+
+"Those five warriors started by another route to the village and they
+meant to take him there as they took me. After Hay-uta, as I believe you
+call your friend, left, they made up their minds that it wasn't of any
+use to bother with poor Otto, and so they tomahawked or shot him."
+
+Having given his theory, Jack Carleton turned toward the young Shawanoe
+for his comment, but he sat looking intently in the fire and remained
+silent. Resolved that he should say something on the painful subject,
+Jack touched his arm.
+
+"Deerfoot, do you think I am right?"
+
+The Indian looked in his face and still mute, nodded his head to signify
+he agreed with him.
+
+"Poor Otto," added Jack with a sigh, "I wonder how his father and mother
+will feel when they learn that their boy will never come back."
+
+"They will mourn because the horse was not found," was the
+characteristic remark of Deerfoot.
+
+"You are right," exclaimed Jack, with a flash of the eye; "if old Jacob
+Relstaub could get his horse, I believe he and his wife would go on and
+smoke their pipes with as much piggish enjoyment as before, caring
+nothing for their only child. How different my mother!" he added in a
+softer voice: "she would give her life to save mine, as I would give
+mine to keep trouble from her. I say, Deerfoot, Otto and I were a couple
+of fools to start out to hunt a horse that had been lost so many days
+before and of which we hadn't the slightest trace--don't you think so?"
+
+The young Shawanoe once more turned and looked in his face with a
+mournful expression, and nodded his head with more emphasis than before.
+
+"I knew you would agree with me," assented Jack, "though, to tell the
+truth, I had very little hope myself that we would ever get sight of
+the animal, but old Jacob Relstaub really drove Otto out of his house
+and compelled him to go off on the wild goose hunt. I couldn't let him
+go alone and, with mother's consent, I kept him company."
+
+"My brother pleased the Great Spirit, and Deerfoot will pray that he
+shall ever act so that the Great Spirit will smile on him."
+
+"I shall most certainly try to do so," said Jack with a resolute shake
+of his head: "He has shown me a hundred-fold more mercies than I deserve
+and I mean to prove that I have some gratitude in me."
+
+The conversation went on in this fashion until the evening was far
+along, when Jack lay down near the fire, intending to sleep for the rest
+of the night. Deerfoot assured him there was no danger and as was his
+custom, the young Shawanoe brought forth his Bible to spend an hour or
+so in studying its pages. Before he had fixed upon the portion, Jack
+Carleton came to the sitting position and, with some excitement in his
+manner, said:
+
+"Deerfoot, I forgot to tell you something: I don't know how it came to
+slip my mind."
+
+The Indian looked in his face and quietly awaited his explanation.
+
+"One of those Sauks that belonged to Otto's party came into the lodge of
+Ogallah when I was there, and I think he tried to tell me something
+about Otto, but I couldn't understand his words or gestures."
+
+"Let my brother show Deerfoot what the movements were," said the other,
+manifesting much interest.
+
+They were so impressed on Jack Carleton that, springing to his feet, he
+placed himself in front of Deerfoot and reproduced most of the gestures,
+the words, of course, being gone. The Shawanoe fixed his eyes on his
+friend, and scrutinized every motion with eager eyes. Suddenly he sprang
+up with more feeling than he had shown in a long time. And well might he
+do so, for he had translated the sign language, as given to him by Jack
+Carleton, and it told a far different story than the one which both had
+adopted some time before.
+
+"Otto is alive," was the startling declaration of Deerfoot.
+
+"He is!" exclaimed the amazed Jack, "I should like to know who told you
+that."
+
+"That was what the Sauk warrior said to my brother; that was what he
+tried to tell him, but my brother did not understand his words."
+
+"Are you really sure Otto is alive?"
+
+"Deerfoot cannot be sure of that which his eyes do not behold; but such
+were the words of Hay-uta the Sauk; they did not kill Otto."
+
+"Then where _is_ he?"
+
+"He is a long ways off; we will hasten to the settlement that the heart
+of the mother of my brother shall be lightened. Then Deerfoot will lead
+his brother on the hunt for him who is so many miles away toward the
+setting sun."
+
+Within the following three days, Jack Carleton arrived home and was
+clasped in the arms of his mother, who rejoiced over his return as
+though it had been a very rising from the dead. Deerfoot had conducted
+him swiftly through the forest and not a hair of the head of either was
+harmed.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+The limits of this work having been reached, it will be impossible in
+these pages to give an account of what befell Otto Relstaub, after his
+capture by the little band of Sauk Indians; but all that, as well as
+the eventful hunt for him by Deerfoot the Shawanoe and young Jack
+Carleton, shall be fully told in "Footprints in the Forest," which will
+form _Number Three of the Log Cabin Series_.
+
+
+
+THE END.
+
+
+
+
+Famous Castlemon Books.
+
+No author of the present day has become a greater favorite with boys
+than "Harry Castlemon," every book by him is sure to meet with hearty
+reception by young readers generally. His naturalness and vivacity leads
+his readers from page to page with breathless interest, and when one
+volume is finished the fascinated reader, like Oliver Twist, asks "for
+more."
+
+
+By Harry Castlemon.
+
+
+GUNBOAT SERIES.
+
+    Frank the Young Naturalist.
+    Frank in the Woods.
+    Frank on the Prairie.
+    Frank on a Gunboat.
+    Frank before Vicksburg.
+    Frank on the Lower Mississippi.
+
+
+GO AHEAD SERIES.
+
+    Go Ahead; or, The Fisher Boy's Motto.
+    No Moss; or, The Career of a Rolling Stone.
+    Tom Newcombe; or, The Boy of Bad Habits.
+
+
+ROCKY MOUNTAIN SERIES.
+
+    Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho.
+    Frank among the Rancheros.
+    Frank in the Mountains.
+
+
+SPORTSMAN'S CLUB SERIES.
+
+    The Sportsman's Club in the Saddle.
+    The Sportsman's Club Afloat.
+    The Sportsman's Club among the Trappers.
+
+
+FRANK NELSON SERIES.
+
+    Snowed up; or, The Sportsman's Club in the Mountains.
+    Frank Nelson in the Forecastle; or, the Sportsman's Club among the
+      Whalers.
+    The Boy Traders; or, The Sportsman's Club among the Boers.
+
+
+BOY TRAPPER SERIES.
+
+    The Buried Treasure; or, Old Jordan's "Haunt"
+    The Boy Trapper; or, How Dave filled the Order.
+    The Mail Carrier.
+
+
+ROUGHING IT SERIES.
+
+    George in Camp; or, Life on the Plains.
+    George at the Wheel; or, Life in a Pilot House.
+    George at the Fort; or, Life Among the Soldiers.
+
+
+ROD AND GUN SERIES.
+
+    Don Gordon's Shooting Box.
+    Rod and Gun.
+    The Young Wild Fowlers.
+
+
+
+
+Alger's Renowned Books.
+
+
+Horatio Alger, Jr., has attained distinction as one of the most popular
+writers of books for boys, and the following list comprises all of his
+best books.
+
+By Horatio Alger, Jr.
+
+
+RAGGED DICK SERIES.
+
+    Ragged Dick; or, Street Life in New York.
+    Fame and Fortune; or, The Progress of Richard Hunter.
+    Mark the Match Boy; or, Richard Hunter's Ward.
+    Rough and Ready; or, Life among the New York Newsboys.
+    Ben the Luggage Boy; or, Among the Wharves.
+    Rufus and Rose; or, The Fortunes of Rough and Ready.
+
+
+TATTERED TOM SERIES. (First Series.)
+
+    Tattered Tom; or, The Story of a Street Arab.
+    Paul the Peddler; or, The Adventures of a Young Street Merchant.
+    Phil the Fiddler; or, The Young Street Musician.
+    Slow and Sure; or, From the Sidewalk to the Shop.
+
+
+TATTERED TOM SERIES. (Second Series.)
+
+    Julius; or, The Street Boy Out West.
+    The Young Outlaw; or, Adrift in the World.
+    Sam's Chance and How He Improved it.
+    The Telegraph Boy.
+
+
+LUCK AND PLUCK SERIES. (First Series.)
+
+    Luck and Pluck; or, John Oakley's Inheritance.
+    Sink or Swim; or, Harry Raymond's Resolve.
+    Strong and Steady; or, Paddle Your Own Canoe.
+    Strive and Succeed; or, The Progress of Walter Conrad.
+
+
+LUCK AND PLUCK SERIES. (Second Series.)
+
+    Try and Trust; or, The Story of a Bound Boy.
+    Bound to Rise; or, How Harry Walton Rose in the World.
+    Risen from the Ranks; or, Harry Walton's Success.
+    Herbert Carter's Legacy; or, The Inventor's Son.
+
+
+BRAVE AND BOLD SERIES.
+
+    Brave and Bold; or, The Story of a Factory Boy.
+    Jack's Ward; or, The Boy Guardian.
+    Shifting for Himself; or, Gilbert Greyson's Fortunes.
+    Wait and Hope; or, Ben Bradford's Motto.
+
+
+CAMPAIGN SERIES.
+
+    Frank's Campaign; or, the Farm and the Camp.
+    Paul Prescott's Charge.
+    Charlie Codman's Cruise.
+
+
+PACIFIC SERIES.
+
+    The Young Adventurer; or, Tom's Trip Across the Plains.
+    The Young Miner; or, Tom Nelson in California.
+    The Young Explorer; or, Among the Sierras.
+    Ben's Nugget; or, A Boy's Search for Fortune. A Story of the Pacific
+      Coast.
+
+
+ATLANTIC SERIES
+
+    The Young Circus Rider; or, The Mystery of Robert Rudd.
+    Do and Dare; or, A Brave Boy's Fight for Fortune.
+    Hector's Inheritance; or, Boys of Smith Institute.
+
+
+
+
+By C. A. Stephens.
+
+
+Rare books for boys--bright, breezy, wholesome and instructive--full of
+adventure and incident, and information upon natural history--they blend
+instruction with amusement--contain much useful and valuable information
+upon the habits of animals, and plenty of adventure, fun and jollity.
+
+
+CAMPING OUT SERIES.
+
+    Camping Out. As recorded by "Kit."
+    Left on Labrador; or, The Cruise of the Schooner Yacht "Curlew."
+      As recorded by "Wash."
+    Off to the Geysers; or, The Young Yachters in Iceland. As recorded
+      by "Wade."
+    Lynx Hunting. From Notes by the Author of "Camping Out."
+    Fox Hunting. As recorded by "Raed."
+    On the Amazon; or, the Cruise of the "Rambler." As recorded by "Wash."
+
+
+
+
+By J. T. Trowbridge.
+
+
+These stories will rank among the best of Mr. Trowbridge's books for the
+young, and he has written some of the best of our juvenile literature.
+
+
+JACK HAZARD SERIES.
+
+    Jack Hazard and his Fortunes.
+    A Chance for Himself; or, Jack Hazard and his Treasure.
+    Doing his Best.
+    Fast Friends.
+    The Young Surveyor; or, Jack on the Prairies.
+    Lawrence's Adventures Among the Ice Cutters, Glass Makers, Coal
+       Miners, Iron Men and Ship Builders.
+
+
+
+
+By Edward S. Ellis.
+
+
+A New Series of Books for Boys, equal in interest to the "Castlemon" and
+"Alger" books. His power of description of Indian life and character is
+equal to the best of Cooper.
+
+
+BOY PIONEER SERIES.
+
+    Ned in the Block House; or, Life on the Frontier.
+    Ned in the Woods.
+    Ned on the River.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Camp-fire and Wigwam, by Edward Sylvester Ellis
+
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