by Kirk Munroe
CHAPTER XX.
COMING OF THE MAN-WOLF.
Once Arsenic went to where Cabot was lying, and, grinning cheerfully,remarked: "Tea, shug. Plenty, yes." Then he laughed immoderately, asdid several other Indians who were listening admiringly to this flightof eloquence in the white man's own tongue.
"Oh, clear out, you grinning baboon," growled Cabot. "I only hope I'lllive to get even with you for this day's work."
The Indians were evidently so pleased at having drawn a retort fromtheir prisoner that he declined to gratify them further, or to speakanother word, though for some time Arsenic continued to beguile himwith his tiresome "Tea, shug," etc. When the latter finally gave it upand started away to get his share of the feast, Cabot's gaze followedhim closely.
All this time our lad was filled with vague terrors concerning White,of whose fate he had not received the slightest intimation, as well asof what might be in store for himself. Would he be carried to thedistant interior to become a slave in some filthy Indian village, orwould he be killed before they took their departure? Perhaps theywould simply leave him there to freeze and starve to death, or theymight amuse themselves by burning him at the stake. Did these farnorthern Indians still do such things? He wondered, but could notremember ever to have heard.
While considering these unpleasant possibilities, Cabot was alsosuffering with cold, from the pain of his bonds, and from lyingmotionless on the bed of rocks to which he had been carelessly flung.But, with all his pain and his mental distress, he still glared at theyoung savage who had so basely betrayed his kindness, and at lengthArsenic seemed to be uneasily aware of the steady gaze. He changed hisposition several times, and his noisy hilarity was gradually succeededby a sullen silence. Suddenly he lifted his head and listenedapprehensively. His quick ear had caught an ominous note in thedistant, long-drawn howl of a wolf. He spoke of it to his comrades,and several of them joined him in listening. It came again, ablood-curdling yell, now so distinct that all heard it. They stoppedtheir feasting to consult in low tones and peer fearfully into thesurrounding blackness.
Cabot had also recognised the sound, but, uncanny as it was, hewondered why the howl of a wolf should disturb a lot of Indians whomust know, even better than he, the cowardly nature of the beast, andthat there was no chance of his coming near a fire.
Even as these thoughts passed through his mind, the terrible cry wasuttered again--this time so close at hand that it was taken up andrepeated by a chorus of echoes from the nearby cliffs. The Indianssprang to their feet in terror, while at the same moment an avalancheof stones, gravel, and small boulders rushed down the face of the cliffclose to where Cabot lay. From it was evolved a monstrous shape that,with unearthly howlings, leaped towards the frightened natives. As itdid so flashes of lightning, that seemed to dart from it, gleamed witha dazzling radiance on their distorted faces. In another moment theywere in full flight up the rugged pathway leading from the basin, hotlypursued by their mysterious enemy.
The latter seemed to pass directly through the fire, scattering itsblazing brands to all sides. At the same time he snatched up a flamingtimber for use as a weapon against such of the panic-stricken savagesas still remained within reach.
The flashes of light that accompanied the apparition, whileilluminating all nearby objects, had left it shrouded in darkness, andonly when it crouched for an instant above the fire did Cabot gain aclear glimpse of the gigantic form. To his dismay it appeared to be agreat beast with a human resemblance. It had the gleaming teeth, thehorrid jaws, the sharp ears, in fact the face and head of a wolf, thetawny mane of a lion, and was covered with thick fur; but it stooderect and used its arms like a man. At the same time, the soundsissuing from its throat seemed a combination of incoherent human criesand wolfish howlings. Cabot only saw it for a moment, and then it wasgone, leaping up the pathway, whirling the blazing timber above itshead, and darting its mysterious lightning flashes after the flyingIndians.
As the clamour of flight and pursuit died away, to be followed by aprofound silence, there came a muffled call:
"Cabot. Cabot Grant."
"Hello!" shouted our lad. "Who is it? Where are you?"
"It is I, White," came the barely heard answer. "I am here in thecabin. Can't you come and let me out?"
"No," replied Cabot. "I am tied hand and foot."
"So am I. Are you wounded?"
"No. Are you?"
"No. What are the Indians doing?"
"Running for dear life from a Labrador devil--half wolf and halfman--armed with soundless thunder-bolts."
During the short silence that followed, White meditated upon thisextraordinary statement, and decided that his comrade's brain must beaffected by his sufferings.
"If I could only twist out of these ropes," he groaned, and then hebegan again a struggle to free his hands from their bonds. At the sametime Cabot, who had long since discovered the futility of such effort,was anxiously listening, and wondering what would happen next.
With all his listening he did not hear the soft approach of furredfootsteps, and when a blinding light was flashed full in his face hewas so startled that he cried out with terror. Instantly the lightvanished, and he shuddered as he realised that the furry monster hadreturned, and, bending over him, was fumbling at his bonds.
In another moment these were severed, he was picked up as though he hadbeen an infant, and carried to the fire, whose scattered embers werespeedily re-assembled. As it blazed up, Cabot gazed eagerly at themysterious figure, which had thus far worked in silence. Curious as hewas to see it, he yet dreaded to look upon its wolfish features.Therefore, as the fire blazed up, he uttered a cry of amazement, for,fully revealed by its light, was a man; clad in furs, it is true, butbare-headed and having a pleasant face lighted by kindly blue eyes.
"You are really human after all!" gasped Cabot.
The stranger smiled but said nothing.
"And can understand English?"
A nod of the head was the only answer.
"Then," continued Cabot, hardly noting that his deliverer had notspoken, "won't you please go aboard the schooner and find my friend?He is in the cabin, where those wretches left him, tied up."
This was the first intimation the stranger had received that any onebesides Cabot needed his assistance, but without a word he did asrequested, swinging himself aboard the "Sea Bee" by her head chains andher bowsprit, which overhung the beach. Directly afterwards a flash oflight streamed from the cabin windows. Then White Baldwin, assisted bythe fur-clad giant, emerged from his prison, walked stiffly along thedeck, and was helped down to the beach, where Cabot eagerly awaited him.
After a joyous greeting of his friend the young American saidanxiously: "But are you sure you are all right, old man--not woundednor hurt in any way?"
"No; I am sound as a nut," replied White. "Only a little stiff, that'sall."
"Same here," declared Cabot, industriously rubbing his legs to restoretheir circulation. "I was rapidly turning into a human icicle, though,when our big friend dropped down from the sky in a chariot of flame andgave those Indian beggars such a scare that I don't suppose they'vestopped running yet. But how did you happen to let 'em aboard, oldman? Couldn't you stand them off with a gun?"
For answer White gave a full account of all that had taken place, sofar as he knew, and in return Cabot described his own excitingexperiences, while the stranger listened attentively, but in silence,to both narratives. When Cabot came to the end of his own story, hesaid:
"Now, sir, won't you please tell us how you happened to find us out andcome to our rescue just in the nick of time? I should also very muchlike to know how you managed to tumble down that precipice unharmed, aswell as how you produced those flashes of light that scared the savagesso badly--me too, for that matter."
For answer the stranger only smiled gravely, pointed to his lips, andshook his head.
"Oh!" exclaimed both Cabot and White, shocked by this intimation, an
dthe former said:
"I beg your pardon, sir. While I noticed that you didn't do muchtalking, it never occurred to me that you were dumb. I am awfullysorry, and it must be a terrible trial. At the same time, I am gladyou can hear me say how very grateful we are to you for getting us outof a nasty fix in the splendid way you did. Now, I move we adjourn tothe cabin of the schooner, where we can make some hot tea and be rathermore comfortable than out here. That is, if you think those Indianswon't come back."
The stranger smiled again, and shook his head so reassuringly that thelads had no longer a doubt as to the expediency of returning to thecabin. There they started a fire in the stove, boiled water, made tea,and prepared a meal, of which the stranger ate so heartily, and withsuch evident appreciation, that it was a pleasure to watch him.
While supper was being made ready, the big man removed his outergarments of wolf fur and stood in a close-fitting suit of tannedbuckskin that clearly revealed the symmetry of his massive proportions.
"If I were as strong as you look, and, as I know from experience, youare," exclaimed Cabot, admiringly, "I don't think I would hesitate toattack a whole tribe of Indians single handed. My! but it must be fineto be so strong."
After supper Cabot, who generally acted as spokesman, again addressedhimself to their guest, saying:
"If you don't mind, sir, we'd like to have you know just what sort of apredicament we've got into, and ask your advice as to how we can getout of it." With this preamble Cabot explained the whole situation,and ended by saying:
"Now you know just how we are fixed, and if you can guide us to thenearest Mission Station or, if you haven't time to go with us, if youwill give us directions how to find it--we shall be under a greaterobligation to you than ever."
For a minute the stranger looked thoughtful but made no sign. Then,dipping his finger in a bowl of water, he wrote on the table the singleword: "To-morrow." Having thus dismissed the subject for the present,he stretched his huge frame on a transom and almost instantly fellasleep.
Our tired lads were not long in following his example, and, thoughseveral times during the alight one or the other of them got up toreplenish the fire, they always found their guest quietly sleeping.But when they both awoke late the following morning and looked for himhe had disappeared.