The Hunters of the Ozark
Page 15
CHAPTER XV.
"DEERFOOT WILL BE SENTINEL TO-NIGHT."
"We are on our way to the camp in the Ozarks," said Fred Linden; "and amI mistaken in believing that you will go with us all the way?"
"Such is the wish of Deerfoot," replied the Shawanoe, whereat TerryClark gave signs of breaking out again; but at a warning look from Fredhe restrained himself.
"Deerfoot loves the Hunters of the Ozark; he has promised to make them avisit; he will do so with his friends that he has found in the woods,and who forget to keep their guns loaded."
"No use!" exclaimed Terry, bounding in the air, striking his heelstogether, and flinging his hat aloft with a loud whoop; "I must givegintle exprission to me emotions, even though it makes a war withEngland."
The others showed no objection to this harmless ebullition, and hespeedily became quiet again.
Had Fred Linden been intimately acquainted with Deerfoot, he would havenoticed that he was not entirely at ease. Now and then he darted glancesabout him, as though he half expected the appearance of some unwelcomeperson. The glances were so quick and furtive that neither Fred norTerry noticed them.
"Deerfoot," said Fred, the three still standing; "we have concluded thatthere isn't a better place along the trail for a camp."
To the surprise of the boys, he shook his head in dissent.
"Why, this is where father and the rest spent the night when they lastwent this way."
He nodded to signify that he agreed with them.
"There were three of them, and they had their horses, that could not bewell hid; when my brothers go into camp for the night, they should takea place where all who went by would not see them."
It struck the others as curious that the Shawanoe should talk in thatfashion, when they could not see any cause for alarm; but they hadenough faith in him to accept his judgment on such an important matter.He added:
"Come with Deerfoot and he will show his brothers where they may slumberin peace."
Without any more explanation the Shawanoe moved down the bank of thebrook, following a course parallel to the flow of the water, the othertwo keeping at his heels. He did not look around until he had gone morethan a hundred yards. Then it was that the little party found itself ina rocky section, with a rough cavern on their right--that is, thebowlders and rocks were jumbled together in such a fashion that therewas some resemblance to a cave. The chief merit of the place, however,was the privacy that it afforded, rather than the strength as a means ofdefense against an enemy.
"This suits very well," said Fred, taking in all the points at a glance;"here is a rocky bed on which we can start a fire, and the other rocksand bowlders will keep off the wind, if there happens to be any; thewater is handy, if we should need it, and it is certain that we are notas likely to be seen here as where we first selected."
"Deerfut," said Terry, who was nosing about, "I obsarve ashes here, asthough somebody had been ahead of us."
"Deerfoot built a fire but a few moons ago, and staid over night."
"If it was good enough for ye, I can stand it," said Terry, "which isthe remark me uncle made when the Duke of Argyle asked him to stay todinner."
The boys unfastened the bundles from their backs and prepared to spendthe night where they were. The blankets were spread on the flinty floor,and Deerfoot, setting down his gun beside theirs, helped to gather thewood with which to keep a fire burning. The three were so active that ittook but a short time to collect all that was needed. This was throwninto one pile, from which it could be withdrawn as wanted.
I must give you a better idea of the spot where the three decided tospend their first night in the woods together. They had walked northwardfrom the trail, and, so far as they could see, the country was of themost broken nature, though the abundance of trees and undergrowth didnot permit an extended view. Two masses of stone rose to the height of adozen feet, and were separated by about the same distance. These roughwalls extended back to a distance of three or four yards, where theycame against a similar formation. Thus, as may be said, there were threesides to an inclosure, that part facing the brook being entirely open.On top of these supports were tumbled an irregular mass of bowlders androcks which formed the roof. The latter had so many openings that it wasas well ventilated as the roof of the house about which the ArkansasTraveler tells us.
The rear part of the cavern, if it may be allowed that name, was stone,while the front was earth. Near the center, Deerfoot had kindled hisfire when he staid there, the smoke finding ready escape through theopenings above. Such a fire might give some warmth were it needed, butthe blaze was so well hidden by the surrounding walls that it was notlikely to be seen by any one passing no nigher than fifty feet: thereinlay the reason why it was selected by Deerfoot.
After piling up the fuel for the night, the youths threw some brancheson the ground, near the rear of the cavern, and then spread theirblankets over them. The Shawanoe carried no blanket with him, so it wasexpected that he would share the couch of his friends.
While the three were busying themselves in this manner, Fred Linden wasdisturbed by a suspicion that had been growing from the moment Deerfootexpressed dissatisfaction with the spot selected for their camp. Thissuspicion was that the young Indian had a fear of something to which, asyet, he had made no reference.
I have already shown that it was not generally considered a dangerousbusiness in which the hunters of Ozark engaged. The rough, outdoor lifesometimes brought with it hardships, and occasionally sufferings, butchief among the dangers was not that from Indians. It was known thatnow and then the red men fired spiteful shots at the invaders of theirhunting grounds (as was the case with Michael Clark, the father ofTerence), but in this section of the west that particular peril wasdeemed less than that which threatened from wild beasts. There was noinstance of the hunters having been molested on their way to and fromthe trapping regions: why then this special caution of Deerfoot?
Fred Linden, while turning these thoughts over in his mind, gave but theone answer--_the Winnebago_. He was an intruder in that part ofLouisiana, and he had shown by his acts how ready he was to shed theblood of innocent white persons. It was not a supposition merely thatthis fierce warrior had companions. The keen eyes of Deerfoot haddiscovered the proofs that there were a half dozen, at least, with him,and from whom he separated for a short time while he entered into the"side speculation" with Brindle and her bell; so it will be seen thatFred Linden was not only right in his suspicion that the Wolf had to dowith the unrest of Deerfoot, but that the latter possessed good causefor his misgiving.
The Winnebagos, having drifted so far away from their own huntinggrounds into this part of the world, were either going further fromhome, or were on their way back. Had the Wolf behaved himself, the bandwould have gone and come without the knowledge of any of the pioneers,unless there was a chance meeting in the wood, when it is not likelythat any harm would have resulted.
But one of the Winnebagos was struck in the face by a white boy, while ayoung Indian, a friend of the latter, having "got the drop" on the Wolf,had taken his gun from him. In other words, the crime of assault androbbery had been committed.
Would the rest of the Winnebagos pocket the outrage and meekly withdrawfrom the country?
That, it would be seen, was the all important question, upon which greatevents, as affecting the friends in whom we are interested, hinged.
It was in violation of the nature of the American race that any memberthereof should refuse to resent an indignity, when there was a chanceof doing so. The Winnebagos had the best of reasons for believing that,by prowling around the settlement, or along the trail leading thereto,they would soon gain an opportunity to wipe out the disgrace put uponthe Wolf, and, if not able to get back the gun that had been taken fromhim, would be able to procure another.
The fact that this valuable weapon was carried in the hands of a boy,who had started to tramp through the woods to a point a hundred milesoff, and that it was not at all impossible
that the Winnebagos found, orwould find it out, gave emphasis to the cause of Deerfoot's uneasiness.
It is worthy of note that, while Terry Clark never once took this viewof the situation, it occurred to his friend Fred, who waited for theShawanoe to make some reference to it.
"He knows best, and if he doesn't choose to say any thing about it,there is no call for me to do so."
The shadows of night were creeping through the wood when the fire wasstarted, and the smoke began stealing upward through the openings inthe rocky roof.
"Deerfoot," said Fred, when the fire crackled brightly, "the rule is,that a party in camp like this, must have some one on guard while theothers sleep. I don't know as there is any need now, but if you thinkso, let Terry and me do it, for we are not in need of sleep."
The Shawanoe looked at him intently for a moment as though he would readhis thoughts, and then quietly said:
"Deerfoot will be sentinel to-night!"