CHAPTER XXVII
AT THE SALT-LICK
"IT seems as though we were foolish not to have brought our horses withus, Dick," Roger said, when noon had come and gone, and they were stillpressing on at the side of the Mandan brave, mostly through timber.
"Yes," replied his comrade, "I've been sorry more than once that wemade up our minds to let the poor beasts have a rest, while we weregone on this little hunt for Jasper Williams. But as the Wolf expectedto travel afoot, I thought it would be all right."
"But you know he's used to tramping it, day after day. He's a strongman, and his muscles are like iron; while we're only boys, you see,Dick."
"Still, we've gone through more than a little in our time, Roger," theother rejoined.
"That's true; and I'm not played out, let me tell you," Roger asserted;"only we might just as well have had horses, and taken things easy.The Wolf could have run alongside, and we'd have reached the salt-lickquicker than we seem likely to do at this rate."
"I've been trying to get it out of him how much farther we have to go;it's like pounding a hole through a rock; but at last he seemed tounderstand, and held up three fingers. But just what that means is thequestion. It might be that we are three miles away from the salt-lick;and then again perhaps it's still three hours' walk."
"Well, we'll have to grin and bear it, as old Pat O'Mara used to say,"observed Roger, whose spirits refused to remain cast down for anylength of time.
"And we've not had the good luck to get close to any game to fire asingle shot," Dick complained.
"But they told us in the village that we'd be almost sure to get achance at some sort of wild animal at the lick; for they come thereright along. I'm hoping that it'll be antelope. I've never forgottenhow fine that meat tasted to us; and nothing would please me so much asto have more of the same kind."
Roger licked his lips as he said this, as though the very mention ofthat feast made his mouth water.
"One thing, sure," Dick went on, "the summer has gone, and autumn iscoming along now. You can feel the tang of it in the early morning air.Why, before long we'll be having frost, if this keeps on."
"Just think how many weeks it has been since we left home," said Roger,as if at times hardly able to believe the fact himself.
"And what a long distance lies between us and those dear ones," addedDick; "but, if things go well, we can soon be starting back down theriver again."
"There, look, Dick, the Wolf is making gestures again! He wants to tellyou something, I believe. And I hope it is that we're getting close tothe lick at last."
"Don't speak so loud, Roger, he seems to be making a motion with hisarm as if to point ahead; then he puts his finger on his lips, whichmust mean that he wants us to keep as still as a mouse. I reallybelieve we must be close by, or else he's discovered signs of Sioux,and wants us to be on our guard."
"No, he's beckoning to us to come on, now, Dick, and he wouldn't dothat if he believed there were enemies around. It must be the lick,"Roger went on, lowering his voice to a whisper, at which the Mandanbrave smiled, and nodded his head, as though he approved.
They began to exercise more caution as they crept forward. The boys,being hunters themselves, noticed several things that gave them causeto look upon their guide as one who knew his business.
"See how he sneaks along, with never a sound as his feet touch theground," Roger whispered in the ear of his companion. "Did you ever seeanything to beat that? No matter how sharp your hearing might be, you'dnever catch the first sound with the Wolf moving along."
"And another thing, Roger, you can see that the breeze is right in ourfaces. He circled around a little, for I noticed it, and wondered whyat the time. Now I know. It was to come in at the lick so as to notalarm any animal that might happen to be there ahead of us."
"Plenty of timber around," remarked the other, signifying with a nod ofhis head the trees they were passing.
"Yes, lots of it; and now, let's drop all this talk," suggested Dick,after which silence fell upon them.
They tried to imitate the stealthy manner of advance shown by the Wolf,but realized that they would have considerable to learn before theymight equal his noiseless method of placing each foot on the ground,with a quick, accurate movement. Roger believed that a panther couldnever have walked with a more velvety tread than did that agile Mandanwarrior, accustomed to this sort of thing from childhood.
It began to grow a little irksome after a while; but they believed thatit must soon come to an end, and that thought comforted both lads.
If anything, the caution of the Wolf increased. This would seem toindicate that they must be getting very close to the end of theirjourney, and both boys began to imagine they could tell just where thelick must lie.
Yes, their guide was heading straight for a thick clump of bushes underthe trees, and, from the looks of things, they fancied they were at theend of the tramp.
The Wolf turned his head then to make a gesture, and nod, just as ifhe wanted them to understand that they had arrived. Then the threecrept forward, a foot at a time. Roger almost held his breath with thesuspense, although accustomed to hunting in all its branches. Wouldthey discover any kind of wild animal there, licking the salty rock; orwere they fated to be disappointed?
Still, even though there happened to be no game in sight, that was notsaying their chance would not come a little later. All they would haveto do would be to conceal themselves, and wait, when perhaps a deer,or a buffalo, would appear, bent on gratifying the taste for salt thatholds such a strong fascination for most four-footed animals.
Another minute, and they were eagerly peering through the thick bushes.They could see where the lick lay, for it was in the open, and theground all around had been trampled by many hoofs.
Roger heaved a sigh of disappointment, for there was no sign ofantelope, buffalo or any wild animal. On his part Dick felt a keensense of chagrin, but from another cause; he had secretly hoped to seethe form of a white scout lounging in the open, and that would mean,that their long search was at an end, with the much sought JasperWilliams before them. But it was not to be.
The Wolf, if also surprised not to find game there, after alltheir labor in making such a skillful advance, showed no signs ofdisappointment. He had doubtless learned early in life that a warriormust never give way to such feelings. When things do not come his wayit is his business to keep plodding along until the tide changes, foreverything comes to him who waits, even game at a salt-lick.
There was no longer any reason why they should crouch in anuncomfortable attitude. It was just as well to straighten up, relievetheir tired muscles, go forward and examine the lick; and then, whenthe mood seized them, find a new hiding-place, where they could lie inwait.
"Come on, Dick, let's see what the old thing looks like," Rogerremarked, as he stepped out from the screen of bushes.
Both the Mandan brave and Dick followed at his heels, for the latterwas also curious to investigate. He had never seen a salt-lick,although told about such places by his father, as they were moreplentiful away back in Kentucky than along the Mississippi. And itrepaid them for the trouble they had experienced in making thisstealthy advance.
It was easy to see where the salt rock cropped out from the ground.In several places animals had actually worn a hole in it with theirrough tongues. Their hoofs had also made various trails in front ofeach exposed salt rock, and Roger could easily see how a hunter, lyingconcealed in the bushes within a short arrow-flight of the spot, wouldbe able to bring down his game. No doubt many a tragedy had taken placethere, and Roger could picture them in his mind while examining thesurroundings.
Dick was still thinking of Jasper Williams.
"I wonder if he could have been here, and gone again," he remarked.
"Oh! I had about lost track of what we were coming out after--you meanthe scout, Williams. And, sure enough, he isn't here, is he, Dick? Now,that's another disappointment. We might have found him waiting forsome message from the
Mandan chief. Well, there's only one thing wecan do--camp here, and wait for one or the other to show up--game, orJasper."
"The Wolf seems to be examining something on the ground, which, I takeit, must be tracks," announced Dick.
"Then perhaps our man _has_ been here, and gone again?" ventured Roger,in a startled tone.
"No, because he was to leave some sign behind him, a bark message inthe crotch of a stick, perhaps, and there's nothing of the kind around,Roger, you see."
"Well, but the Wolf seems to be bending over more than ever. Do youthink it can be game he scents? Why, there are dozens of tracks here,and I don't see how any particular set could interest him," Rogercontinued.
"Let's go forward and see for ourselves," Dick suggested.
As they came alongside the Mandan brave he pointed to certain marksat his feet. Both lads saw that these were the faint impressions ofmoccasins. But that in itself gave them no cause for uneasiness, and itwas not until the Wolf pointed once more, and uttered a word they tookto be "Sioux," that they understood. Some of the deadly enemies of theMandans had only recently been at the salt-lick; and that might meanthey were contemplating an attack on the great Mandan village, hardlymore than half a day's journey away.
Efforts had plainly been made to erase the footprints, which wouldindicate that the Sioux had some reason for not wanting their enemiesto know of their presence so close by.
Somehow the fact gave both boys an uneasy feeling, and again Dick foundhimself wishing that he had thought to bring the horses; then, incase of trouble, they would have had a means for beating a successfulretreat.
Roger did not look so far ahead as his comrade, as a rule. He was evennow wondering what the Wolf saw in these old tracks to cause him alarm.Why, from time to time no doubt lots of Indians, perhaps belonging tovarious tribes, must visit this spot, since it was the only salt-lickin all the surrounding country, he had been told.
"Now, for my part," he started to say, "I don't see why he shouldbother with a lot of tracks. Perhaps they are days old. What if theSioux did try to hide the marks of their moccasins; they'd know theMandans could tell from the tread that Sioux braves had been here, and,if they were just out on a hunt, it might be they wouldn't want tohave any trouble with their old-time enemies."
"Yes, that might be as you say, Roger; but if you look close you'llsee that it _wasn't_ days ago these tracks were made. No dew has everfallen in this footprint, which would go to show it was not here atdawn this morning."
"Oh!" exclaimed Roger, "then, if these marks have been made sincesun-up, that's a different story; and perhaps the Wolf does well tolook serious. These fierce Sioux are a lot of fighters, they say. Theexpedition has had ever so much trouble with them while on the way.Now, if we have to leave here before we meet Jasper Williams, it willbe too mean for anything."
"That must be as the Wolf says, and perhaps he can make us understandby motions what he thinks about it. There, see him bending down againover yonder, as if he had discovered something else. Those eyes of hisare like a hawk's, and little can escape them."
"I wish he would hurry up then, and let us know the worst," grumbledRoger.
Dick was about to say something more, when the words seemed to cleaveto the roof of his mouth, for something remarkable had happened,something that was so utterly unexpected that he could hardly believehis eyes.
He saw a swift descending object fall directly upon the stooping Mandanbrave, and bear him to the ground with the force of the collision. Hisfirst impression was that the assailant must be a hungry panther; andthen he discovered that it bore more resemblance to a human being,although the two intertwined figures whirled over and over with suchincredible swiftness that he could not make sure.
"Oh!" exclaimed Roger, as here and there dark figures began to drop, asthough the thick branches of the overhanging trees were raining humanfruit; and now it did not require more than one look to tell that thesewere feathered Indians, undoubtedly Sioux braves, who, seeing theirapproach toward the salt-lick, had laid this cunning trap to surprisethem.
Dick started to throw his gun to his shoulder. It was an involuntarymovement, for he could have but little hope of escaping from thatcircle of enemies; but it was only to have the weapon snatched from hishands, while he was borne to the ground.
The Pioneer Boys of the Missouri; or, In the Country of the Sioux Page 30