CHAPTER XXI.
DICK'S DISAGREEABLE DISCOVERY.
"Lost!"
Dick murmured the word over and over again, as he peered through thebrush, first in one direction and then in another.
"I ought to have kept track of where I was going," he went on bitterly."Of course, away out here one place is about as good as another forhiding, but how am I going to find the others, or, rather, how are theygoing to find me, when they come back?"
He pushed on for nearly a quarter of an hour; then, coming to a flatrock, threw himself down for reflection.
"Just my luck!" he muttered. "I'll have to have a string tied about myneck like a poodle dog. What a clown I was to go it blind! But Nellie'scry for help made me forget everything else. Poor girl! I do hope she issafe. If that redskin--gosh! what's that?"
The flat rock was backed up by a number of heavy bushes. From thesebushes had come a peculiar noise, half grunt, half yawn! Dick leaped tohis feet, the bushes parted and there appeared the savage face ofYellow Elk!
Dick knew the Indian by that plume of which he had heard so much. Herightfully guessed that Yellow Elk had been taking a nap behind thebushes. He had been shot in the thigh, and this, coupled with the factthat he had had no sleep for two nights, had made him very weary.
As the Indian chief shoved his face into view he caught sight of Dickand uttered a slight huh! Up came the boy's weapon, but on the instantYellow Elk disappeared.
For the moment Dick was too paralyzed to move. Like a flash he realizedthat Yellow Elk had the better of him, for the Indian was behindshelter, while he stood in a clearing.
"White boy stand still!" came in guttural tones from the redskin. "Don'tdare move, or Indian shoot."
"What do you want of me?" asked Dick.
"White boy all alone?"
"What business is that of yours?"
At this Yellow Elk muttered a grunt. Then from out of the bushes Dicksaw thrust the shining barrel of a horse pistol.
"White boy throw down little shooter," commanded the redskin. By littleshooter he meant Dick's pistol.
There was no help for it, and the youth did as requested.
"White boy got udder shooter?"
"No."
"Now say if white boy alone. Speak if want to save life."
"Yes, I am alone, Yellow Elk."
"Ha! you know Yellow Elk?" cried the Indian in surprise.
"I've heard of you."
"What white boy do here?"
"I am lost."
"Lost. Huh!" and a look of disgust crossed the Indian chiefs face. Theidea of a human being losing his way was something he could notunderstand. During his life he had covered thousands of miles of prairieand forest lands and had never yet lost himself. Such is the trainingand instinct of a true American aboriginal.
While speaking Yellow Elk had leaped through the brush, and now he cameup and peered into Dick's face. Instantly his eyes filled with anger.
"I know white boy; he friend to Pawnee Brown. Indian see him at bigmoving."--meaning the camp of the boomers. He had not noticed Dick in thefight at the cave.
"Yes, Pawnee Brown is my friend," answered Dick. "Where is he now?" headded, to throw the Indian off the series of questions he waspropounding.
"Pawnee Brown dead!" muttered Yellow Elk simply. "White boy come withme."
"With you!" ejaculated Dick, a chill creeping up to his heart.
"Yes; come now. No wait, or Yellow Elk shoot!" and again the horsepistol was raised.
The tone was so ugly that Dick felt it would be useless to hang back.Yellow Elk pointed with his arm in the direction he wished the lad toproceed, and away they went, the Indian but a pace behind, and keepinghis pistol where it would be ready for use whenever required.
Dick never forgot that walk in the starlight, taken at about the sametime that Pawnee Brown was floundering in the quicksand. A mile or morewas covered, over prairies, through a wood and across several smallstreams, for the fertile Indian Territory abounds in water courses.Yellow Elk stuck to him like a shadow, and the pistol was continually inevidence. Yellow Elk had likewise appropriated Dick's weapon, the onecast to the ground.
Presently a clearing was gained where stood a cabin built of logs. Allabout the place was deserted. Going up to the cabin the Indian openedthe door and lit a match.
"White boy go inside and we have talk," said Yellow Elk, when there camea noise from the woods beyond. At once Yellow Elk pushed Dick into thecabin and bolted the door from the outside.
"White boy keep quiet or Yellow Elk come in and kill!" he hissed, in alow but distinct tone. "No make a sound till Indian open door again."
The Indian's words were so terrifying that Dick stood still for severalminutes exactly where he had been thrust. All was pitch dark around him.He listened, but not a sound reached his ears.
"Where in the world is this adventure going to end?" was the thoughtwhich coursed through his mind.
He wondered what had alarmed Yellow Elk. Was it the approach of somewhite friend? Fervidly he prayed it might be.
A low, half-suppressed cough from somewhere close at hand caught his earand made him start.
"Who is there?" he asked aloud.
"Oh, Dick Arbuckle, is that you?" came in an eager voice.
"Nellie Winthrop! Is it possible? Where are you?"
"In the next room."
"Can't you come out?"
"No; I'm locked in."
"Gosh, you don't say!" Forgetting his former fear, Dick hurried acrossthe cabin floor to the door of the inner apartment. Feeling around inthe dark he found a hasp and staple and pulled out the plug whichfastened the barrier. In another instant boy and girl plumped into eachother's arms in the darkness. Even in that moment of peril Dick couldnot resist giving Nellie a little squeeze, which she did not resent.
"But how came you here?" asked the youth quickly.
"I was captured by a government spy, who wants to get from me somesecret of the boomers. He is a bad-looking man, and I was awfully afraidof him."
"Yellow Elk brought me here. We are prisoners together. Some noise inthe woods just took Yellow Elk off."
"The man has been gone less than five minutes. Perhaps they are inleague with each other," suggested Nellie.
"Perhaps, or they may be enemies. But never mind how that stands. Wemust get away, Nellie, and that before Yellow Elk comes back."
"Heaven knows, I am willing!" gasped the trembling girl. "I want no moreof Yellow Elk."
"The window is nailed up," went on Dick, after an examination. "And theIndian fastened that door from the outside. I wonder if I can't get outby way of the roof?" He lit a match and gazed upward. "There is anopening. Here goes!"
In another instant he was climbing up beside the fireplace, to where ascuttle led to the sloping roof. He was soon without, and Nellie heardhim drop to the ground. Then the outer door was thrown back.
"Quick! The Indian is coming back, and there is somebody with him!"whispered Dick, and, taking hold of Nellie's hand, he led her away asfast as possible. Their course was from the rear of the cabin and acrossa broad but shallow stream.
"We'll go down the stream a bit before we land," said Dick, as they wereon the point of stepping out of the water. "That may serve to throwYellow Elk off the trail."
"Yes, yes, but do hurry!" answered the girl. "If Yellow Elk gets hold ofme again I'll die!" The fear of getting into the clutches of the red manwas so great she trembled from head to foot and would have gone down hadnot Dick's strong arm supported her.
It was wonderful how strong the youth felt, now that he had somebodybesides himself to protect. It is said that nature fits the back to theburden, and it must have been so in this case. For himself, he mighthave feared to face Yellow Elk single-handed; defending Nellie he would,if called upon, have faced a dozen redskins.
On and on they went, as silently as possible. The trees overhung thebrook from both sides, making it pitch dark beneath.
A distance of fifty yar
ds had been covered, when they heard a loudexclamation of rage, followed by an Indian grunt.
"The white man and the Indian have met and both have discovered ourflight," whispered Dick. "Come, we will leave the stream and take toyonder woods. Surely among those trees we can find some safe hidingplace."
They turned in toward shore. As they were about to step to dry landNellie's foot slipped on a round stone, making a loud splash. At thesame time the girl gave a faint cry.
"My ankle--it's twisted!"
"Quick! let me carry you!" returned Dick, and, seeing the ankle mustpain her not a little, he picked her up in his arms and dove in amongthe trees.
They were not a moment too soon, for the ready ears of Yellow Elk hadheard the splash and the cry, and now he came bounding in the direction,with Louis Vorlange at his heels.
Boy Land Boomer; Or, Dick Arbuckle's Adventures in Oklahoma Page 21