The Thinking Rocks

by Butkus, C. Allan

  Gennos asked her, "How long will it take to get to their clan campsite?"

  “Lomasi said that with so much water coming this way the trip would take as many days as we have fingers on one hand," she replied.

  "Was there anything else said that we should know?" asked Cano.

  "That is about all; they don't think we will be any trouble, except if we try to tip the dugouts over" said Na'pe.

  Gennos leaned forward and said, "It looks to me that tipping the dugouts over should be the last thing we try. If that is what they expect we must try something else"

  Cano added, "We can hope that they keep thinking we aren't going to be a problem. They think we are slow thinkers, let us not prove them right.

  The moon came out that night and a warm breeze blew. They were all tired from sitting in the cold rain all day and night. They slept soundly even though they were still bound.

  Lomasi was up before the sun, shouting instructions. The dugouts had been turned over to prevent them from filling with water. This morning they were turned right side up and then launched. As the sun rose, they were loaded for the trip upstream. Most of the baskets were loaded into the dugout with Na'pe in the front, then Gennos in the middle, and Lork who sat in the rear.

  Early that morning Cano had spoken softly to Dola, "Today may be the day we escape. If you hear me cough, that is the signal to be ready. They will tie us into the dugout; try to loosen the strap if you can. Water will help stretch the strap; get it wet if you can."

  The dugout, which held Cano and Dola, had Morf squatting in the front, and Lomasi in the rear. The prisoners had been tightly tied in place, one at a time, with leather strips cut from the deer hide that Lomasi had recently killed. They carried fewer baskets and they were piled low so that he could see the length of the dugout with ease. He kept his spear thrower close at hand.

  After both dugouts were headed upstream Lomasi's dugout took the lead. The poles were long and difficult to use when squatting down. Cano started to stand so that he could guide the dugout better, but Lomasi hit him with his pole and almost knocked him over the side. He almost lost his pole, but was able retrieve it before the current swept it away. He would have liked to return Lomasi's blow, but the position he was in prevented him from swinging the pole.

  The sun was overhead when they came to a series of small rapids. It was difficult getting past them, but they did and only a small amount of water got into the dugout. The water washing around the bottom of the dugout gave Cano an idea. When they came to the next rapids he pretended that his pole slipped, the dugout turned sidewise and shipped more water. Lomasi screamed at him and struck with his pole. He was quite good at inflicting pain. Cano accepted the punishment without a word; he had done what needed to be done. The water now covered the strap about his ankle. He continued to pole the dugout, but he had a smile that he was glad Lomasi couldn't see.

  As the day continued they kept up their steady progress upstream. They worked in silence except for the sounds of the river. They saw no animals or birds. They didn't stop to eat. Occasionally they could scoop up a handful of water to drink. Lomasi didn't say or do anything when they did.

  Cano noticed that the strap on his leg was not as tight as it had been; it wasn't cutting into his flesh. The water was causing the fresh rawhide to stretch. He kept his eyes down and continued to pole along. He shifted his other foot and splashed water on the rawhide bound. When Lomasi was talking to Lork in the other dugout, Cano had slid his fingers down and was able to slide the strap loose. He was excited, now he had to wait for the right moment to make his move. It came a short time later.

  There was a small point of land sticking out into the river near some rough water. As the dugout approached the rough water Morf called a warning back to Lomasi, who tapped Cano on the back with his pole to remind him not to make any mistakes. Cano reached out with his pole and guided the dugout as best he could. Lomasi didn't strike and Cano tried not to do anything that would arouse suspicion. He kept poling with long strokes as they fought their way through the treacherous waters. Then he coughed. Dola didn't show any sign that he had heard anything. They had broken through the rough water and though the current was still strong, the water was smooth.

  Cano took a deep breath as he reached out with the pole, as if he was going to make another stroke. When his pole was level with the water and pointed upriver, he shifted his grip on it and drove it backward into Lomasi's chest. He couldn't see where he was sitting, but he knew where he had to be. He drove the pole with all the hate he had been saving for this moment. He felt the impact and continued to push with all of his might. He was rewarded with a grunt of pain and the escape of breath. He didn't look back; he called to Dola, "Duck down now!" As he shifted his grip again, Dola dropped instantly, just as Morf turned to see what was happening. Cano's pole grazed Morf's shoulder and struck him in the neck. Cano twisted around in time to see a smear of blood on Lomasi's chest; his face was a mask of rage. He held his pole by the end and swung it at Cano's head with all the hostility he could command. If the blow connected it would surly kill Cano. But Cano was ready, and he was able to parry the blow. He swung with the butt end of his pole and struck Lomasi in the face. There was a satisfying "Splat" as the blow landed. The force of the blow was such that it knocked him unconscious and out of the dugout.

  Cano called to Dola, "Can you get free?"

  Dola stood and said, "I'm free!" He then jumped in the water and was followed by Cano. In a few steps they were ashore and on solid ground. Cano looked to the river to see if they where being pursued. Lomasi was floating down the river and he was face down. Morf was still in the dugout, but he was having difficult time breathing and he had lost his pole. The other dugout was nearing Lomasi's body. Cano could hear Lork shouting. He wondered if they should press the attack and try to overpower Lork and free his brother and Na'pe. His answer came in the form a spear that Lork hurled at them. It grazed Cano's arm and stuck in the ground.

  He called to Dola, "Quick get into the forest. He may not miss next time!" As he followed Dola into the forest he picked up the spear that had nicked him. He was free and armed; it was time to show them that he wasn't as slow as they thought.

  He found Dola standing waiting for him in the deep brush. Cano motioned him to follow and said, "They will be after us in a short time, and we must get as far away as fast as possible."

  The going was difficult, the river had washed branches into the brush and the storm had made trees fall. They clambered over them as best they could. After a time they heard cries coming from the river. They could make out Lomasi's voice and they were sure he was not wishing them well. The brush was so thick they had a difficult time seeing which way to go. Cano paused for a moment and looked at the sky and then at the ground. "This way," he told Dola. "You are doing fine; we must get away from the river. I will find us a way into the hills. Maybe we can make them give up the chase if they can’t find us quickly."

  Dola looked doubtful, "Lomasi won't give up easily, and you made a fool of him and hurt him. I think he won't give up."

  Cano smiled at him, "Then we will have to give him some reasons to give up."

  Dola was pulling himself over a fallen branch when he slipped and cut his leg as he fell to the ground. Cano saw the fall and returned to help him. The ground was still soft from the rain and they left many tracks before they where on their way again. Dola wasn't badly hurt, and his limp did little to slow them. He asked, "Can you hear if they are following?"

  Cano paused and listened for a few moments before answering, "Nothing, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. They know that the sooner they can get to us, the less distance they will have to travel." He stood quietly thinking; finally he said, "I think we need an escape plan, if we wish to stay free. Any ideas?"

  Dola thought for a moment as he caught his breath, "Keep going as fast as we can?"

  Cano said, "That sounds like a plan to me. Let’s see if we can wear them out chasing
us."

  They moved deeper into the brush. Cano knew that they were leaving a trail that would be easy to follow, but they didn't have any choice. Soon the going got easier; they found a game trail that led from the hills to the river. By continuing up into the hills they were able to make better time, but then so could their pursuers. The sun was getting higher in the sky and they were both hungry and thirsty from the climbing. Cano knew that unless they found a way to lose the pursuers, they would be recaptured.

  Cano stopped and said, "Listen, I hear something."

  Dola stopped and wished his heart would stop pounding so that he could listen too. At first he could hear nothing, but then he heard it. The sound of running water.

  Cano had moved off, and he called back, "This way!"

  They were soon at a small stream that tumbled over some rocks on its way to the river. After satisfying their thirst they found some roots that were edible. They were tough and had a strong flavor, but they could be eaten. They knew that they should keep going, but they needed rest. As they munched on the roots they listened for sounds of pursuit. They couldn't hear anything above the bubbling of the small stream. Dola's cut leg was starting to hurt and was sure to slow them even more.

  Cano sat looking at his surroundings and then rose and walked over to a dead sapling. He broke it free and then stripped the branches from it. It wasn't much of a spear and it wouldn't be a match for a spear thrower, but it was better than nothing. He saw Dola watching and smiled. "Come here, I have something for you," he said to him. When Dola had limped over, Cano handed him the short spear that Lork had thrown at them at the river. "What you now hold in your hand is not just a spear; it is the spear of your enemy. When the time is right, I want you to return it to them. Do you understand?" Cano asked.

  Dola hefted the spear in his small hand and then looked up at Cano, "Oh yes, I understand, and will be very glad to return it when the time is right."

  Cano returned the smile; now they were both armed. They moved off as fast as they could, knowing that they had stopped too long. They kept climbing until Cano saw a tall tree that looked as though it would be easy to climb and it would provide a good view of the country below them. He climbed it carefully and then peered through the leaves at the forest below. At first he didn't see any thing except trees, and then he saw a movement. He was soon able to make out the figures of two men, Lomasi and it looked like Morf bringing up the rear.

  Dola called up softly, "Do you see anything?

  Cano climbed down before answering, "They come. Lomasi and Morf are following. They are still far off but they seem to have our trail. I would have thought that they would be much closer. Something must have delayed them. We had better keep moving; maybe we can wear them out. If they are worn out, they may make a mistake, and that will help us." Cano didn't mention that they were tired, and they might be the ones to make the mistake. As they hurried up the trail Cano's mind kept searching for something that could elude Lomasi. They had to do something soon; Dola’s limp was getting worse.

  A short time later they came upon another game trail. This one led to the river by a different path then the one they were on. It seemed to lead downstream, not upstream as their current trail did. Cano stopped and stood thinking for a moment. "I have an idea. If we split up they will have to choose which of us to follow. Lomasi will want to get me. I think he will keep Morf with him. We have to think of some way that we can out think them. There may be a way for you to escape."

  Dola said, "I don't want to escape without you."

  Cano replied, "I understand that, but it may be the best way, your leg is getting worse, and I won't leave you behind. Do you want us both to get caught?"

  Dola fought back tears. A hunter doesn't cry. "No, but I want to be a help. Isn't there another way?"

  Cano answered, "There may be many other ways, but I don't know what they are. This is the best I can do now." He paused for a moment and then smiled, "I have another idea. Lomasi will expect us to split up. We have to fool him. We will split up, but he won't know it. Come with me."

  Dola looked confused, but he followed Cano quietly.

  They continued their ascent as Cano scanned the trail in front of them. As they rounded a corner in the trail on the hillside, they found a cliff with a steep drop off. At the edge of the trail there were deep leaves and knee-high grass. The edge dropped out of sight because of the steepness of the slope. They could not see the base of the cliff from their position. They stayed back from the edge because of the long drop to the forest below. No man could survive such a drop and live. The trail approached the edge of the cliff closely. It gave Cano an idea.

  He looked back down the trail; he didn't see what he wanted. He walked farther up the trail and saw what he was looking for. He called Dola, "Come, help me carry this log."

  They carried the log back to the drop off by the trail. "Be careful not to let the log drag on the ground," Cano grunted as they moved the log. "Now let’s drop it here in the leaves."

  Dola asked, "Are we going to drop this on them when they come up the trail?"

  "No," Cano replied. "We are going to make it look like one of us slipped and fell down the cliff." Cano looked around and then said, "That's only part of my new plan." He moved cautiously forward and then pushed the log over the edge. As soon as its full weight was in the leaves and grass it slid over the edge. There were a few moments when there was silence as the log fell. Cano's voice startled Dola when he screamed, "Help...Ahhh" his voice cut off sharply as the log landed with a crashing sound.

  Dola looked at Cano and asked, "Did one of us just fall to our death?"

  Cano smiled, "Yes, it was you. Now there is only one of us to follow."

  A False False Trail

  Cano then outlined his plan to Dola. What they were going to do was confuse Lomasi. They were going to convince him that one of them had fallen over the cliff and that the remaining person had headed back toward the river. Lomasi would probably see through the trick of dropping the log over the cliff and try to find where they really were headed. Cano would leave tracks heading back toward the river, and some broken branches that Lomasi would find. He would want to believe it, and hopefully follow it. In the meantime, they would carefully retrace their steps to their original path and then travel up the trail into the forest as they had been doing. Then the key part of the plan was for Dola to travel back through the brush and pick up the trail to the river farther down than they had traveled while they set the false trail. Cano would continue up into the hills and lose Lomasi and Morf in the forest after they had realized the false trail led nowhere.

  Dola looked confused, "Let me see if I understand what we are going to do. We are going to pretend that one of us fell over the cliff and was killed. Then we are going to make a false trail for Lomasi to follow toward the river. Then we are going to come back here without leaving a trail, and we will travel up this trail until we separate for real this time, and I cut through the brush and pickup the trail to the river beyond where Lomasi would have tracked us. Then I should actually get on the trail that we pretended we were going to take and go where they thought we were going at first. Is that right?"

  Cano said, "I know that it sounds strange, but I think that it will work. We are going to let him think that he knows what we are doing. After he follows the false trail he will not find any signs that we went that way. He will know that he has been tricked. He will come back up the trail looking for us this way. He will see the marks at the cliffs edge and may believe that one of us has died. It doesn't matter if he really believes it or not. He will want to believe one of us is dead. If one of us is dead, then he only has one more to catch. He has to keep looking like he is in charge. In the meantime you will be safe sneaking back toward the river. He won't go back that way because it was a false trail. Does it make sense to you?"

  Dola nodded, "Maybe I've been around you and Gennos enough to understand what we are trying to do. We will make a false trail, and th
en convince him that it is a false trail. When he gives up on it, we will use it to escape. If that is right, I understand."

  Cano was excited and nodded, glad that Dola understood what they were doing. He said, "When you get to the river, follow it to the last campsite we used before we met Lomasi and his men. I will meet you there when I get away from them. Then we will go find my brother and Na'pe."

  Dola looked doubtful, "I still wish that there was some way that we could stay together. What will I do if you don't make it back to the campsite?"

  "You will do what you must do. But don’t worry, I will be there." Cano replied soberly.

  Dola was reluctant to leave, but he realized it was their best chance at escape. He reached out and grasped Cano's hand and looked into his eyes, "Come to the river soon, we have important things to do." He held up the short spear Cano had given him, "I will wait for you so that we can return this spear." With that said, he faded into the woods with spear in hand, heading down toward the river.

  Cano watched as he had entered the trees for only a moment before he too moved back down the trail, with his makeshift spear in hand. It was time to leave the false trail. He noticed the sky was starting to gather dark clouds; it looked as though it might rain again. There was a single buzzard circling overhead, he hoped it wouldn't follow him. He watched for a few more moments as it continue to circle, but it appeared to be more interested in the base of the cliff where the log had fallen than it was in him. As Cano turned a curve in the trail he noticed another buzzard had arrived and was also circling.

  Dola was deep in the woods near the trail and moving quietly through the brush. He stepped carefully and tried to avoid moving leaves in an unnatural way. He told himself that he must move swiftly like a cloud on a windy day. He had been moving for a long time, but he hadn't come as far as he would have liked. He smiled to himself; maybe he should try to travel like a faster cloud. No, he decided soberly, speed was not something he needed. What he did need was not to be noticed. He moved on steadily.