CHAPTER XLIV.
A OLD ACQUAINTANCE.
The instant the hindmost Indian uttered his exclamation of surprise, theothers paused, and thus, before Elwood Brandon fully realized hisdanger, he found himself confronted by the whole force. Resistance orflight was not to be thought of, so he merely stood still andtremblingly awaited their will regarding him.
They were plainly surprised at finding a boy pressing against the rookswith an appearance of the greatest terror, and they gazed at him amoment as if uncertain what to do about it. However, they didn't seem tobe particularly savage or blood-thirsty, nor frightened, as they kepttheir guns in their hands and their knives in their belts.
He who stood nearest to Elwood reached out his brawny arm, grasped himfirmly and drew him out from his hiding-place. All then scrutinized himas if to make sure whether he was some wild animal or human being.Satisfied on this point, the boy was then shoved forward so as to bebetween the savages, and as they stepped off he was motioned to do thesame. Elwood understood that he was a prisoner, and he philosophicallysubmitted to his fate.
As yet they had not disturbed his weapons; but he had gone a shortdistance only when the Indian directly behind him placed his hand uponthe muzzle of the gun which was protruding over the youngster's shoulderand began drawing it. The latter disliked very much to part with therifle, and held it as tightly as possible; but as the savage only drewit the more powerfully, he finally let go and it instantly went from hispossession.
Elwood could not forbear looking around at the one who had thus deprivedhim of his property. As he gazed into his face he was at a loss tounderstand the expression. The Indian fixed his black eyes upon him, buthis lips were closed and not a feature moved or twitched. The boy couldnot withstand the fierceness of those orbs and was glad to turn his headagain.
They walked quite rapidly up the path, making a turn that gave them avery steep ascent. The thunder was booming louder than ever, and therain by this time was falling furiously. The party hurried forward untilthey reached the camp which Tim O'Rooney and Howard had so recentlydeserted. Here Elwood took the liberty of protecting himself by backingagainst the overhanging rock. This was precisely the position which heoccupied when Howard Lawrence gazed over and missed seeing him by such anarrow chance.
When the descent of the rain became so copious as to scatter thesavages, two of them ran up beside Elwood and imitated his action inprotecting himself from the descending deluge. This was only a partialsuccess, yet much preferable to standing in the open air and receivingthe full pelting of the storm.
It will be remembered that Howard Lawrence waited until he saw theIndians hurry away for shelter, when he returned to Tim O'Rooney and thetwo effected a safe retreat from the dangerous locality. They sawnothing more of the savages, and their conjecture that Elwood was aprisoner among them was merely a conjecture, although absolutelycorrect.
The tiny stream running so quietly at the feet of the two aboriginalAmericans and Elwood Brandon increased so rapidly that it was evident itwould speedily become a torrent that would sweep them off their feet,and that the only safety was to effect as speedy an escape as possible.Taking him between them, they started directly up the path in thedirection of their companions. The falling rain and splashing wateralmost blinded Elwood, but he pressed bravely forward until consciousthat they were beneath some kind of covering, and looking around, sawthat they stood in a sort of cave, and where they had rejoined the threeIndians who had fled some time before.
The shelter proved a secure one, although it was reached rather late tobe of much benefit to Elwood, who was thoroughly wetted to the skin. Hewas, however, rather pleased at the lenient disposition shown by hiscaptors. They had not offered him the least violence, rudeness orinsult, and appeared to maintain a very indifferent watch over him. Hedid not believe they intended him any bodily harm, although he trembledat the consequences when they joined another party or should reach theirown homes. They probably intended to hold him a prisoner so long as hewas no particular trouble to them; but their leniency was more theresult of indifference than of genuine kindness--and indifference thatwould as soon witness death as life, and that would not stretch out thehand to avert the impending doom.
The storm raged with unabated fury for several hours, and the tinystream, whose murmur could scarcely be heard as it coursed its waythrough the hills, was now swelled to the dimensions of a torrent, androared through its course with a clamor almost deafening. A vast amountof water had fallen within the few hours, and it would have been veryperilous had any of the party remained where the fire that cooked theantelope was kindled. A yellow stream some six feet in depth rushedfuriously through the narrow passage, like some river when compressedinto its narrow canyon.
The Indians stood as motionless as the rocks themselves until the stormwas over. Each had his blanket slung over his shoulder, extending downto his knees, and effectually protecting their bodies from the rainwhich had so thoroughly soaked poor Elwood. None of them sported thedefiant scalp-locks so common among the more northern Indians; but theirlong, black, stiff hair, resembling precisely that of a horse's mane,dangled around their shoulders, neck and ears and over their breasts.Mixed in among the hair on the crown were a number of painted feathers,which, having had a touch of rain, drooped down like those of an humbledchanticleer that has been rescued from the river by some kind hand.Their faces being daubed over with green, yellow and red, mixed andmingled with a sublime disregard of proportion, gave their features apeculiarly unnatural appearance, such as we see when we survey ourparticular friends through differently and highly colored pieces ofglass. They were fine specimens of the "noble red man" that areoccasionally met with now-a-days; but they are of that species of sightsof which it may be said "distance lends enchantment to the view."However, they were happy, for as yet they had not come in contact withcivilization, and had had no taste for the white man's "fire-water,"that scourge of the aboriginal race, and which seems destined finally tosweep them from the continent.
Elwood occupied himself in looking from one of these Indians to theother, and speculating regarding their thoughts and opinions abouthimself, of whose presence they seemed so unconscious. Indeed, theyscarcely looked at him except when he sneezed, and then their heads shotround as suddenly as if they were moved by machinery and the spasm hadlet on the steam.
Finally, when the falling of the rain ceased, two of the Indians wentout to look for the remainder of their prisoner's party, which theyknew, if not already there, had been so recently among the hills. Thevast rush of water, of course, had obliterated all signs where they hadmade any, and they could only hope to find them by discovering the trailmade since the storm, or by the sight of themselves.
Not a word did the savages exchange with each other. They appeared tounderstand what each thought, and what duty was required of them, whichduty for the present resembled that of watching and waiting.
As the day wore away the boy began to feel chilly and hungry. His wetclothes were anything but comfortable, and his hollow stomach was a poorprotection against the sinking feeling. As his captors showed nodisposition to leave the place, or even to change their statue-likepositions, he began to grow anxious. He feared an attack of sickness ifhis wants were not supplied; and after debating with himself a fewmoments, he walked up to the tallest Indian and motioned that he neededsomething to eat.
The reply was startling and decisive. The dusky rascal surveyed himsharply a moment, and then drew his knife and raised it in a menacingmanner over his head. And thereupon Elwood retreated to his position,and concluded he wasn't quite as hungry as he first imagined.
It is hard to tell what this singular captivity of Elwood Brandon'swould have eventuated in had not an unexpected diversion occurred in hisfavor. Just as it was getting dark, the two Indiana who had gone out atthe close of the storm returned. They had a companion with them, and weleave our readers to imagine what the boy's feelings were when herecognized in the third his old friend Shasta,
the Pah Utah.
Adrift in the Wilds; Or, The Adventures of Two Shipwrecked Boys Page 44