Blazing Arrow: A Tale of the Frontier
Page 26
CHAPTER XXVI.
FOOTPRINTS.
"He's either the biggest wretch among the Shawanoes," said Wharton,"always excepting Blazing Arrow, or he is working like a major to helpus."
"Look at him!"
The Indian whom they were discussing was standing in the same positionas before, but was excitedly beckoning for them to approach.
Both boys broke into a trot and quickly joined him.
"Dat Blazing Arrow," said Arqu-wao; "he kill white folks."
"How is it that he and the others did not kill my father and mother asthey rode along the trail?"
"No see 'em," was the quick reply.
"But why not? I do not understand."
"Arqu-wao no tell--don't know--not be looking."
This, apparently, was the explanation possible, but it did not satisfythe youths.
"Come wid me," said the Shawanoe, motioning the boys to follow him,which, despite their anxiety, they did.
"See dere--eh--see dat?"
The Indian stooped, and with his forefinger almost on the ground,pointed to the imprint of a shoe. It was not made by a moccasin, but bya regular heavy-soled shoe or boot.
"Who made that?" asked the astonished Wharton.
"White man," replied Arqu-wao, with almost a chuckle. "White man likehim on hoss--he friend--Blazing Arrow don't know dat."
It seemed incredible that this half-demented creature had discoveredsigns which had escaped the eye of the fierce Shawanoe leader and hiscompanions, but such was the fact, as afterwards came to light.
After much labored explanation, the guide made clear to the boys a stateof facts hitherto unsuspected by them, whose existence they still halfdoubted.
A white man from the block-house had passed over the trail after the twohorses. This was readily determined by studying his footprints wherethey interfered with those of the animals. He had walked at a rapidgait, as was evidenced by the length of the stride. In all probabilityhe was an experienced ranger, for even while following the path he madean effort to hide his footprints. It was only at rare intervals that hestepped in the trail itself; he had generally walked at the side, wherethe leaves and harder earth hid the impressions from sight.
Had Blazing Arrow and his companions been searching for this stranger'sfootprints it is not to be supposed that they would have missed them,for their eyes were as keen as those of Arqu-wao, but the presumptionwas that they were not looking for them.
The rapid stride of the strange white man was accepted by the guide as aproof that he was trying to overtake those on horseback. It might bethat, after their departure from the block-house, news had reached thesmall garrison there of the ambush the couple were liable to run into,and this runner had set out to warn them; or it might be that he hadstruck the trail a short distance off, and was seeking to join the twofor the sake of their companionship, or for some reason of his own.
Furthermore, it must be remembered that, though the presumption wasstrongly in favor of the two riders being the father and mother ofWharton, it was not yet absolutely certain that such was the case. Thatcould not be known for some time to come.
It was evident that some curious complication had taken place, since allthree of the party had passed Blazing Arrow and his men without theirdetection. There was nothing remarkable in the single person doing so,since he had given evidence of unusual care in his action. Skilled inthe ways of the woods and Indian subtlety, he knew enough to avoid themost cunning ambush, but the hostiles must have been derelict to allow amounted man and woman to pass unnoticed.
Be that as it may, Wharton and Larry were as resolute as ever infollowing the party. If it should prove that the parents had passed thatpoint on their way to the settlement, there was no call for approachingany nearer to the block-house.
"We will go back," said Wharton, with only a moment's hesitation. "Leadthe way, Arqu-wao, and serve us as well as you have already done."
"Me good Indian," he replied. "Me take care ob you."
"We know that. We shall depend on you. You needn't run, for we don'twant to overtake Blazing Arrow too soon."
The Shawanoe showed a remarkable quickness in comprehending the wishesof the boys. He asked them to stand where they were until he signalledthem to follow. They watched his figure out of sight, when he turned,with the same sidelong attitude as before, and beckoned them to come on.
"We've got to trust him now," said Larry.
"There's no help for it; but we couldn't ask much better proof offriendship than he has given already."
"But we'll keep our eyes on him. It may be he's fixing things so as togather in the whole lot of us."
Wharton thought his companion was unduly suspicious, but at the sametime he recognized the prudence of his words, for he knew that thesepeople sometimes show a boundless patience in waiting for the minutewhen they can make their vengeance the more complete.
The Shawanoe walked so fast that Larry was forced to break into a trotnow and then to keep pace with him and the cleaner-limbed Wharton. Thepresence of the three hostiles at no great distance in front renderednecessary the precaution of Arqu-wao; for, if he ran upon them with theyouths at his heels, a collision would be inevitable, with disastrousconsequences.
The guide was putting forth all the cunning of which he was capable. Itwas necessary to come up with Blazing Arrow and his companions, and atthe same time prevent their knowing it.
The journey was pushed in this manner for nearly a mile, and Whartonrecognized, from familiar sights, that they were drawing near the turnin the dry ravine where he had had his singular encounter with BlazingArrow when he recovered his gun from him.
Somehow or other the conviction had fastened upon him that the spot wasagain to be the scene of stirring events.
"Halloo!" he exclaimed in an undertone. "He has discovered something,and we must wait till he signals us to go on."