CHAPTER XXVIII
CREEPING UP ON THE QUARRY
"ISN'T it a shame that we won't be able to catch up with them beforedark comes?" Sandy began.
"Well, how do we know that yet?" returned Bob.
"Do you really think there's any chance, then?" asked the other,feverishly.
"About one in ten," answered Bob. "Something might cause them to stop,and go into camp. Then, as evening came on we would sight their fire,and be able to steal up close to them. Or it might be one of them couldtwist his ankle in a creeper, and have a tumble that would bruise himso badly he would want to lie over to rest up. There's always a slenderchance of such things happening, you know, Sandy."
"Oh! to be sure, I understand all that," return the other; "but,altogether it's less than one chance in ten of its happening; I thinkyou might have said twenty, while you were about it. But, see, Pathas halted. I hope he hasn't lost the trail. That would finish us, I'mafraid."
Pat turned to the boys, and they could see a quizzical gleam in hisblue eyes. Bob felt sure the genial Irish trapper must have heard thecomplaining words of Sandy, and was in the humor to take them with atleast a grain of allowance. He understood the nature of the lad.
"Sure, they arre thryin' their level best to pull the wool over theeyes av anny wan that undertakes to follow," Pat was saying.
"In what way, Pat?" asked Bob, immediately understanding that thetrapper had been reading the signs closely.
"By some av the oldest thricks a sly fox iver practised. Av ye lookhere ye may say where they jumped on this same fallen tree, and walkedalong the trunk a good ways. Go as ye plaze, I defy yees to diskiverwhere the sarpints lift that same tree trunk. But bliss ye, 'tis asplain as the nose on me face; and nobody'd have the laste throubleabout saing that. Come wid me, now, and be afther lookin' at the waythey jumped from the log into the bush beyant. Notice how the same iscrushed down in the wan spot. 'Tis there they landed, troth; and fromthat point we must now take up the thrail afresh."
It proved to be just as Pat said. Among the bushes they easily detectedthe now well-known tracks of the two French trappers. They hadundoubtedly run along the tree trunk, and, at the most favorable part,made a flying leap so as to land at some little distance away, and inthe midst of a thicket, hoping to thus throw any possible pursuer offthe trail. But the trick was so palpable and so ancient, that it isdoubtful whether even Sandy himself would have long been held in check.
Frontier lads early learned a multitude of things connected withtrailing that had to be known in order to give them equal advantageswith the cunning Indian, or the wise four-footed denizens of the woods.They understood the nature of the animal that made certain tracks,whither he was bound at the time, whether toward home or in search ofhis prey; just how he limped with one of his legs that had likely beeninjured at some time; how he crouched in the snow, perhaps waitinguntil his intended quarry came within reach, and then sprang--tofall short, because the imprint of his paws lay in plain view andthose made by the feet of the escaping creature were just beyond. Inmany ways they could read the story by means of the telltale tracks.An education may not always mean ability to talk in Latin, or readscientific works; both of which would be very poor accomplishments whenout in the great wilderness.
So Pat was able to follow the Frenchmen, no matter how many times theyresorted to tricks of this sort. In the first place he had done similarthings himself on many occasions, and was therefore familiar with themall; and then again, Pat was on the constant lookout for trickery,and the instant he lost sight of the trail, his first act was to lookaround and decide what he would probably have done, had he been seekingto escape under the same circumstances.
"It's already getting a little dim; don't you think, Bob?" asked Sandy,after they had been moving along in this fashion for considerably morethan an hour.
"I'm afraid that's so, Sandy," returned the other.
"And pretty soon Pat will be telling us that he can follow the trail nolonger," pursued the disconsolate one. "Then here we'll have to settledown for the night, and wait for it to get light enough to see, whenwe'll be off in a big hurry. I wish I could do what Joshua did, youknow, Bob."
"Make the sun stand still, you mean, Sandy?"
"Yes, because that would give us more time to keep chasing after theserascally Frenchmen," replied the other, with vehemence.
"Oh! yes, but you forget that, if the daylight remained, and they kepton moving all the time, they would be holding their own against us, andcontinuing to play those tricks that so far have failed to hoodwinkPat."
"But I hope he will never think of giving up the pursuit as long aswe can find a single trace of where they have gone. This is the lastchance we're ever going to have to get back that belt; and somethingtells me that, if we keep after them, just like the wolf does thewounded stag, day and night, without ever quitting, why, we're justbound to catch up with Jacques and Henri--some time or other."
"Wait and see what happens," was all Bob would say; but Sandy knew thathis elder brother had considerable persistency in his nature; and onthis account he hugged a hope that Bob would want to keep on the trackof the thieves until in the end they were overhauled.
But it certainly was growing dusk rapidly. Pat had to bend over moreand more to see what he wanted. At any minute Bob expected to hear thetrapper declare that it would be folly to try to track the Frenchmenany longer, unless they chose to make use of a torch, which would be adangerous proceeding, since they were apt to attract the notice of anyroving Indian who might happen to be in the vicinity.
And sure enough, Pat presently came to a full stop, calmly proceedingto charge his little pipe, at which he puffed with evident relish.
"The game is up for the night, me byes," he said, calmly. "We do behavin' to settle down here, and wait for the day to come, whin I'llagain sthart away. I doubt that the rogues will thry to throw thedust in our eyes again; and so we kin make better time, wance we getstharted. It's harrd, I do be understandin'; but what's the use thryin'to smash your head ag'inst a stone wall? Bitter far, jist take itaisy-like, and belave it's all a-goin' to come out right in the ind."
They went into camp. Bob had been wise enough to bring along a portionof the fresh venison, so there was no need of any one going hungry; andPat took it upon himself to build the cleverest little cooking firethey ever saw, so fashioned that, even in the darkness that came uponthem presently, it could not have been seen twenty feet away.
After partaking of their supper, the three settled down to spend a longand tiresome night under the trees of that forest bordering the bank ofthe Mississippi.
Sandy slept very little, Bob felt sure, because every time the latterwoke up he could see the other sitting there, hugging his knees withhis arms, and with an anxious face turned squarely toward the east,as though desirous of knowing when the first faint peep of daybreakarrived.
And really it was one of the longest nights Bob himself could everremember passing through. It seemed as though dawn would never come.
But finally Pat stirred, and, sitting up, announced that they hadbetter be making a fire, if they hoped to have a bite before startingoff. How he knew what the time was might seem a deep mystery to thoseunacquainted with the ways of a woodsman. The chances were that Pat,who used the heavens for his clock, had decided that a certain starwould be just at a particular point an hour before daylight, and thiswas plenty of time for their needs.
So once more they were on the move, as soon as the light was strongenough for Pat to take up the trail.
The two Frenchmen evidently believed that they had long since baffledany possible pursuer. Indeed, they could hardly dream that they wouldbe followed at all. The little band of English, that had thus boldlyinvaded the territory so long claimed by the French, must be only aweak branch of the rival race; and surely would never dare venture faraway from their base, lest they be overwhelmed by hostile Indians.
Consequently, Pat was enabled to make very good time along the trail,now
that he had the light of day to assist him.
They came upon the ashes of a fire after a while, showing that the menthey were chasing must have camped not a great distance away fromtheir own resting place, certainly no more than three miles.
Pat could tell by placing his hand among the still warm ashes justhow long before the place had been deserted; just as he was able todiscover from the tracks what space of time had elapsed since the menpassed along.
Their caution increased as the morning advanced, for they realized thatthey were rapidly overhauling the two Frenchmen; and, as these worthieshad been spending the better part of their lives among the Indians andwild animals of the frontier, it was to be expected that they were wellversed in all the ways of the borderman.
Noon found them stealing along like shadows. Pat had announced in awhisper that he believed they would come upon their men resting in theheat of the day; and he had hopes that they might thus take them bysurprise.
Ten minutes later he made gestures that told the two pioneer boys thepleasing news of discovery. The Frenchmen had indeed halted to builda small fire, and, having eaten, were now lying flat on their backs,enjoying a noon nap, little dreaming that enemies could be creepingupon them, just as the sly panther crawls, inch by inch, upon his prey.
And when Bob and Sandy presently caught sight of the two recumbentfigures they felt a thrill of eagerness and satisfaction, such asalways accompanies successful attainment.
The Pioneer Boys of the Mississippi; or, The Homestead in the Wilderness Page 31