Adrift in the Wilds; Or, The Adventures of Two Shipwrecked Boys
Page 29
CHAPTER XXIX.
A NIGHT DISTURBANCE.
Neither the Pah Utah nor the Irishman were disposed to make a move untilthey had finished their "smoke," and both of them whiffed as leisurelyas though they had contracted to spend several hours thus. Howard andElwood passed the time in walking around the woods and along the stream,taking particular care not to go beyond sight of Shasta, whose blackorbs they could see attentively following their movements.
"All aboord!" shouted Tim at the expiration of an hour or so, and theboys hurried down to the "wharf" with as much alacrity as if they hadheard the last bell of the steamer.
The Indian stood upon the shore with a look of inquiry. He pointed upstream and then down.
"He is inquiring which way we wish to go," said Howard.
"That, is strange, after bringing us so many miles from the island."
Elwood pointed down stream, but Shasta was not satisfied; he wished toknow something more. He described several circles, terminating each timeby pointing to the north. All three looked inquiringly at one other'sfaces. They could not comprehend his meaning.
"What does he wish to say?"
"I am sure I cannot tell."
"He wants us to travel the rest of the way by turning summersits."
Seeing that he was not understood, the Pah Utah took the paddle from thecanoe and made in the air as if he were impelling the boat, thenpausing, he again pointed to the north, and took several long strides inthat direction, as though he were going to walk a long distance.
Elwood's eyes sparkled.
"I know what, he means! I know what he means!"
"What is it?"
"He wishes to ask whether we want to _go a good ways_!"
"You are right," replied Howard. "He doesn't know whether we are huntingin these parts, and wish to stay in the neighborhood, or whether we arehurrying home as fast as we can."
Shasta's motions and signs were imitated as nearly as possible, and henodded his head and muttered something doubtless to signify that he wassatisfied. Terror whisked into the canoe and took his position in theprow, while his three masters, if a dog can own that many, arrangedthemselves behind him. The tendon still united the two boats, and onesweep of Pah Utah's paddle sent the two far out into the river, where hebegan his work.
For a time our friends gave themselves up to the enjoyment of thispleasant motion. At each dip of the paddle, or contraction of the ironmuscles of Shasta, they could feel the canoe jump forward as does asteamboat under the throbs of the mighty engine. At the same time themotion was light and airy, as if the boat were skimming over the verysurface. Indeed, by shutting the eyes and feeling the light wind fanningthe temples, it was easy to imagine that they were borne through the airby some great bird whose wings could be felt to pulsate beneath them.
"Look at that machinery!" exclaimed Howard. "Did you ever see anythinglike it? Not an ounce of superfluous flesh upon him. See how the musclesswell and ridge, and yet he doesn't swerve his body a hair's breadth tothe right or left."
"He can 'paddle his own canoe,'" laughed Elwood.
"Look at those shoulders; they are perfect mountains of muscle, andthose sinewy arm! His legs are fully as perfect, and I'll warrant he canrun a dozen miles an hour for a whole day without getting tired. Hewould be a dangerous man to meet as an enemy."
"And a good one as a friend."
"Yes; I can hardly see what chances we would have had of reaching themouth of the river without his help."
"We had no chance unless we could join a party of hunters and inducethem to go with us."
"Boys," said Tim, looking hard at them, "it isn't right--isn't thesame."
"What do you mean?"
"That Mr. Shasta should tow us along in this shtyle, and we sit in theowld boat and permit him. No, it's wrong."
The boys admitted that it looked hardly proper, whereupon Tim took thepaddle and began plying it with all the skill of which he was master.The Pah Utah looked over his shoulder now and then with a strangeexpression, as if he were amused at the white man's furious efforts, buthe did not abate his own labor in the least.
Tim O'Rooney made a great deal of splashing, occasionally flirting ashower of spray over his friends as the paddle took an unexpected twistin his hand; but, as we have said before, he had had considerableexperience in propelling a canoe, and he gave a little assistance totheir dusky friend.
When the sun was overhead, Shasta directed the prow of the boat towardthe western bank, and they landed in a place somewhat resembling that ofthe morning. The boats were drawn upon land in the usual manner, bywhich they were concealed from the observation of any passing up or downstream.
The Indian resorted to the same means by which he had caught the fish inthe morning and with equal success. They were rather smaller, but nonethe less savory, either to man or brute. An hour sufficed to rest themall, and to give Shasta all the pleasure of his pipe that he wished,while Tim continued his after entering the canoe. Howard and Elwood madean essay with the paddle, but the result with the latter was that theinstant he so cautiously thrust it beneath the surface, it was suddenlywrung from his hand, and in an instant left a rod or two astern. Thisnecessitated a delay in order to pick it up, and the boys concluded toawait another time to perfect themselves in the art of managing anIndian canoe.
It was not until it was quite dark that they once more set foot uponland and kindled their fire. There was quite a strong wind blowing, andthe chill of the air appeared to indicate that it came from the snowypeaks of the Coast Range. Fully an hour was taken in gathering wood,sticks, broken limbs and branches, for they had concluded to keep itburning until morning.
The fire was kindled against the trunk of a giant sycamore, and as theflames waved up the shaggy bark the reflection upon the outstretchedlimbs and neighboring trees gave them a weird appearance that made theboys gather close to the somber-hued Pah Utah as though conscious of hisability to stand between them and evil.
Tim and Shasta were leisurely smoking their pipes, and Howard and Elwoodwere conversing together in low tones of their homes and friends, when aquick bark from Terror, as he rose to his feet and looked in thedarkness, drew all eyes in one direction. A score of flashing eyes,gleaming teeth, lank, restless bodies and greedy jaws announced, that anew danger threatened them.