CHAPTER XXIV.
A HUNT.
When Tim O'Rooney left the island and crossed to the eastern shore ofthe Salinas he had almost forgotten the existence of any such thing ashostile Indians. He was after something to eat, and some how or other itseemed to him that the climate of California had given him a mostravenous appetite, which demanded satisfaction regardless ofconsequences.
Touching land, he pulled his canoe up the bank to prevent its beingcarried away by the current, and then plunged boldly into the forest.The land from the river rose quite rapidly until it reached an elevationof several hundred feet, when it was broken by gorges, ravines andchasms, which made it rattier difficult to travel, and gave it anextremely wild and picturesque appearance.
Fairly among these broken hills, Tim began to look for his game, but fora time saw nothing to draw his fire. Finally he reached a wild-lookinggorge which descended over a hundred feet below him, while upon theopposite side it rose to a greater height than the place upon which hestood.
The Irishman was so struck with the wild scenery that he stood a fewmoments contemplating it in silent admiration, when all at once hebecame conscious that something else beside himself was engaged inlooking. Directly across the gorge, so as to be almost opposite to him,he saw the head of an animal which he recognized at once as belonging toa black-tailed deer.
"Be the powers! but you're jist the gintleman that I'd like to make anacquaintance with, as me mither said when me father axed her hand inmarriage."
Tim drew his rifle carefully and rested it upon a rock beside him. Thedeer gazed at him with that expression of stupid wonder which wildanimals assume when confronted with something, and they seem to bedebating with themselves whether to leap away at high speed or to starea moment longer.
The distance was so slight that Tim was sure of his aim. Nevertheless,he took great care in sighting his piece, and as his finger gentlypressed the trigger, he held his breath. The bullet sped true, enteringjust below and between the eyes, and with such deadly effect that themortally wounded deer sprung several feet in the air and fell deadwithin a rod of the spot where it had stood when struck.
"That is plaisant," muttered the Irishman, as he saw the animal fall,"and yez hav the distinguished honor of baing the first deer that TimO'Rooney brought down; but yez ain't the first he fired at--but whist,Tim, don't be telling your secrets, for somebody else might larn them."
He now began making his way carefully down the gorge in order to ascendupon the opposite side and secure his prize. He had no thought that thereport of his gun could reach the ears of hostile persons, and he didnot heed anything except the place and manner in which he put his feetin going down and up the ravine.
After no little toiling he reached the dead body, and found that he hadshot a rather small black-tailed deer. It was in middling condition, andwas the very prize he was anxious to secure for his hungry self andequally hungry friends.
As he stood admiring it, for the first time the thought of personaldanger crossed his mind, and he glanced hurriedly around him, but sawnothing to occasion alarm. Then he leaned forward and gazed down thegorge, and as he did so he descried three Indians looking up the side ofthe chasm. Slight as was the distance his head projected, it was seen bythem, and he only drew it back to escape the effect of three dischargesof their guns.
"And that is your shtyle of saluting a gintleman is it?" said Tim insome trepidation. "But yez has a forcible way of saying 'how do yez do,'in this counthry, that a stranger would do well to imitate."
The Irishman hastily debated with himself upon the best plan to pursueto escape the serious peril that threatened him, for he was sure thesavages would follow up their shot.
"The best thing I can do is to lave," he concluded. "There is strongraison for belaving that I've given some one slight offinse by walkinginto their house without ringing the bell."
He stooped over and lifted his game. He found its weight somewhat lessthan he had suspected.
"I have no objiction to your going wid me. If I has to have the samedispute about ivery deer I tips over, I may as well hang on to the fustone."
Slinging it over his shoulder, he began his return with the carcass. Itproved beneficial to him in a way that he had little suspected. Notwishing to go any further down the gorge, where there was reason to feara collision with the savages, he clambered still higher, taking greatcare to shield himself from observation from below.
This made his labor excessive, and he was often obliged to pause andrest himself. But at length he reached what might be termed the brow ofthe hill, and began making his way along the edge of a smaller ravine,that led toward the river. While thus engaged, the body of the deerstruck a projecting rock, and before Tim could save himself he rolledover and over for a distance of twenty odd feet, coming down plump uponthe deer without injuring himself in the least.
"I'm obliged to yez," he said, as he rose and stared around with abewildered air. "That was kind in yez, and I'll not forget the favor."
Again raising his carcass to his shoulder, he resumed his journey towardthe river. But as he progressed the weight upon his shoulder seemed togrow heavier, and he was obliged to pause and rest himself quite often.On these occasions he looked around him half-expecting to see the threesavages spring out of the bushes.
If such a thing should occur, Tim had already decided upon his mode ofprocedure. He intended to sink to the ground at once, with the body ofthe deer as a sheltering breastwork, and make as gallant fight aspossible. His success in bringing down his game, when it was fully fiftyyards distant, gave him quite a flattering estimate of his prowess.
The Indians, as the Irishman had anticipated, hastened up the gorge tosecure the daring hunter, who had so audaciously exposed himself totheir anger. It required some time for them to find the exact spot wherethe deer had fallen, and when they did so, they followed him readily bythe blood which had trickled from its drooping head, which as Tim borehis prize away he little dreamed would betray the course he took.
When the point of Tim's fall was reached, all signs of his trail ceased,and they supposed he had checked the flow of blood, and thus concealedhis tracks. The surface over which he traversed being rock and flintyground, left no evidence of his passage; and resigning, therefore, thepursuit in this manner, they made their way leisurely down to the riverand waited until the hunter appeared.
Tim's heart beat high with hope when he found himself close by thestream and saw nothing of his pursuers. The hasty signal given by ElwoodBrandon, as we have shown, caused him some uneasiness, but not beingrepeated, and being very anxious to get back to the island, he placedthe deer in the canoe and paddled away.
Adrift in the Wilds; Or, The Adventures of Two Shipwrecked Boys Page 24