SMOKING OUT THE INDIAN
Pat and Alec returned to their captive. Alec acted as spokesman,
speaking the patois of the Canuck or French Canadian fluently, while the
Frenchman spoke English but little, and that very brokenly. Alec
repeated his previously made charges of theft from the traps, and also
of illegal poaching in the deer yard, to all of which Pierre shrugged
his shoulders indifferently. Then speaking slowly, that every word might
sink in, Alec charged him with being an accomplice to attempted murder
and the theft of the black fox.
This roused the Frenchman to vehement denial. He swore by the name of
his patron saint that he knew nothing of the black fox and had had no
part in the theft. He declared that he didn't even know that a black fox
had been seen in the Hollow, and as for the assault on Sparrer, he was
as innocent as a new-born babe. Then Alec told him the story of the
killing of the fox and the murderous attack by the Indian, concluding by
stating his belief that the latter had hidden the skin and intended to
desert his companion at the first opportunity and thus avoid having to
share his ill-gotten gains.
Pierre's face grew black with ill suppressed rage, not, as his captors
well knew, at the dastardly crime, but at the evident intention of his
partner to "double-cross" him. Alec artfully pointed out the serious
situation in which he, Pierre, was; if turned over to the officers of
the law he would undoubtedly have to face the charge of being accessory
to the Indian's crime. He wound up with the suggestion that if Pierre
would endeavor to help them recover the skin they would in return be
content to allow him to get out of the country. If he refused they would
hold him and turn him over to the authorities.
It did not take Pierre long to make up his mind. He saw clearly that he
had nothing to gain by refusing, and everything to lose. Moreover the
spirit of revenge was strong within him. After a few minutes of
hesitation he sullenly agreed to do whatever was required of him.
"Tell him," said Pat, "that he is to go out there and demand of that
skulking redskin that he come out and surrender. Tell him to make it
clear that the camp is surrounded and the jig is up; that we're going to
get him anyway, dead or alive, and we don't much care which. Tell him
that he is not to go nearer than ten yards to the cabin, that we've got
him covered, and if he makes any break it will be his last one."
Alec translated this and Pierre nodded. Then he walked forward through
the thicket into the open, at Alec's command coming to a halt some
thirty feet from the cabin door, where he hailed the Indian in the
latter's own tongue. There was a muffled reply and after some delay the
cabin door was opened a crack and a rifle barrel thrust through. Then
followed a heated parley in the Indian tongue, of which Alec understood
enough to gather the substance.
"He's laying it on thick," he chuckled. "Says that the sheriff and
deputies are here and have got the camp surrounded, and that unless he
comes out they'll shoot him on sight. The Injun has passed him the lie.
He's mockin' Pierre for being caught by a couple of make-believe
trappers--ye ken that's you and me, Pat--and a lot of infants. He says
he hasn't got the black fox and disna know anything about it. Pierre is
giving him a beautiful tongue-lashing and calling him everything bad
this side of purgatory. 'Tis a shame ye dinna understand a little of the
lingo, Pat. Ha! The red says he'll shoot on sight and is warning Pierre
to get back before he takes a pot shot at him, and by the saints I
believe he means it!"
As a matter of fact at this point they saw the rifle barrel raised.
Pierre abruptly turned and without once looking back rejoined the two
men in the thicket. He was in a towering rage and spat out French
invectives at a rate to defy description. He reported the result of his
mission, stating his opinion that the Indian could hold out
indefinitely, as there was a plentiful supply of grub in the cabin and
enough fire-wood to keep him from freezing for longer than his
besiegers would care to stay.
"Will he shoot, do you think, if we rush the cabin?" asked Pat
meditatively.
As if in reply the rifle at the cabin door spat fire and a bullet
whistled through the thicket so close to Pat that instinctively he
ducked. He had carelessly exposed himself to the view of the outlaw.
Almost instantly Alec's rifle replied and a splinter flew from the
door-frame.
"That will teach him that 'tis no make-believe shooter out here!" he
growled.
The door still remained open a crack, evidently to allow the inmate to
observe what was going on in front, the only vulnerable point of attack,
there being no windows in the cabin. Pat worked around to a point where
he could put a bullet through this crack by way of warning and his shot
was followed by the closing of the door.
"Ut remoinds me," said he with a comical grimace as he slipped into the
brogue, "av the first skunk I iver caught. 'Twas in a box trap, and
having got the little baste in the trap I didn't know how in the
mischief to get him out."
Meanwhile the three boys had obediently remained at their posts. They
had witnessed the parley and the shooting, but just what it all meant
and what the results were they could only guess. They were a-shake with
excitement, and fairly ached with curiosity. Shortly after the last shot
Pat joined them and briefly explained what had happened, and the present
situation.
"There's only one thing we can do now," said he, "and that is to smoke
the old fox out. This is where you fellows, or one of you, anyway, will
have a chance to take a hand. The snow is banked clear to the roof here
at the back and it will be no trick at all for one of you to steal down
there to the chimney. He's got a fire there now, but the minute he
suspects what is up he'll put that out. We've got to give him something
he can't put out. I've got on an old sweater that's about worn out. A
couple of you can slip around down where we passed those cedars and
strip off enough bark and that hanging moss to stuff it out so that you
can make a ball of it, and stuff it down the chimney with a pole so that
it will stick half-way. On top of that you can drop some rolls of
lighted birch bark and have ready the thickest fir boughs you can find
to clap on top of the chimney. Walt, you better tend to putting the
stuff down the chimney, and mind you work fast. And don't lean over it.
When he finds what is up he's likely to try a pot shot up the chimney in
the hope of blowing the stuff out. If you have good heavy boughs on top
he can't do it. Alec and I will watch the front to get him when he comes
out. Have plenty of bark and get it going well before you toss the rolls
in. As long as you don't get over the chimney and keep off the roof
there will be no danger. The roof is of bark, and he may take a chance
shot up through it, so work from the drift on this end."
Hal and Sparrer went after the moss, while Upton made a trip over to a
clump of birches and stripped off the bark. Then with his belt axe he
cut a number of fir boughs. By the time the others returned he had the
bark and boughs ready and had prepared a stick with which to push down
the moss-filled sweater. If he should push this too far it would drop
down into the fireplace. On the other hand he wanted to get it far
enough down so that the flames from the bark would not immediately fire
the fir boughs on top. Breaking through the snow-crust he mixed snow
with the moss and also rolled the sweater in snow. The boys had brought
more moss than was needed for stuffing the sweater and this Upton also
mixed with snow and placed in a loose mass at the foot of the chimney.
When all was ready he had Hal and Sparrer each light a couple of the
birch rolls ready to hand to him. As soon as these were going he stuffed
the sweater down the chimney, pushing it down with the stick as far as
he dared. Then seizing the burning bark rolls he tossed them down on
top, crammed the loose moss in, and clapped the fir boughs over all. On
top of the latter he tossed some snow. Meanwhile Pat had created a
diversion in front of the cabin by shouting threats of what they would
do to the redskin if he didn't come out and surrender.
Upton had worked quickly and was through before the outlaw fully sensed
what was up. At first he evidently thought that they had merely covered
the top of the chimney to smoke him out with his own fire, and a
hissing sound which came up to them through the chimney proclaimed the
quenching of this with water. Then discovering that the smoke was
increasing instead of decreasing he did exactly what Pat had
foreseen--attempted to blow the chimney clear by firing his rifle up it.
However he only succeeded in setting fire to the sweater from underneath
and this, because of its nature, merely smouldered. It was now merely a
question of whether the sweater and moss would burn and drop before the
smoke in the cabin became too dense for a human being to live in it.
Birch bark, as every Boy Scout knows, is one of the most inflammable of
materials. It burns like fat, and also like fat it throws off a thick
smoke. This was working up now in little puffs through the fir boughs,
but the great bulk of it must be pouring into the cabin, for Upton had
taken care in stuffing the sweater down not to wholly block the passage.
Now and then a little tongue of flame licked up through the fir boughs
and was promptly extinguished with a handful of snow. The snow-damp moss
shoved down on top of the bark was adding to the smoke, and from the
sounds in the cabin it was clear that the occupant was in difficulties.
Presently Sparrer called attention to smoke pouring up at the front end
of the cabin. The door had been set ajar to let out the smoke. Almost
immediately there was a shot from the thicket where Pat was hiding,
followed by a second shot, and then the bang of the door as it was once
more shut. But it did not remain closed long. No human being could long
survive in such an atmosphere as now prevailed in the little cabin. This
time the door was flung wide open and in the midst of the cloud of smoke
that poured out the Indian staggered forth, gasping and choking.
Pat at once stepped from hiding, covering the outlaw with his rifle. But
for this there was no real need. Until he should get some pure air into
his lungs he was quite helpless. He threw himself down in the snow and
gasped weakly. A sorrier looking spectacle could hardly be imagined. His
eyes were inflamed, blood-red. His face and clothing were smeared with
soot and ashes. One cheek was bleeding from a wound, made, as it
afterward appeared, by a splinter torn off from the door-frame by one of
Pat's bullets. Alec wasted no time in securing the prisoner's hands
behind him and then deftly searched him for hidden weapons, finding
nothing but a knife. That reminded him of the knife Pierre had tossed at
his feet when he was captured at the spring, and he sent Sparrer to get
it.
As soon as the capture was made the three boys had rushed forward,
forgetting that they were under orders to remain at their posts until
signaled. Somewhat sternly but with a twinkle in his eyes that belied
the severity of his voice Pat now reminded them of this and ordered
Upton back to clear the boughs from the top of the chimney. By this time
the sweater had burned through and the whole mass had dropped into the
fireplace, where it continued to burn, the smoke rolling out of the open
door in a dense cloud. With the removal of the boughs from the top of
the chimney a draft was reestablished and the smoke sought its natural
outlet. It was some time, however, before the interior of the cabin
could be examined with any comfort, and Pat took advantage of this to
quiz the Indian.
So far as results were obtained he might as well have talked to a wooden
post. The redskin stolidly refused to answer questions. When confronted
with Sparrer he denied ever having seen him before, much to that young
man's disgust. He steadfastly denied all knowledge of the black fox and
refused to admit that he ever had been in Smugglers' Hollow.
At last Pat gave up in disgust. The cabin had sufficiently cleared of
smoke by this time to permit of a search being made. Leaving Alec to
stand guard over the prisoners Pat and the three boys entered and began
their investigations. Two rifles stood inside the door, and these Pat
emptied of cartridges and stood them outside against the end of the
cabin. Then without ceremony he pulled the bedding from the two low
bunks and tossed it out on the snow. This was followed by everything
else the cabin contained until it was stripped bare. Under the two bunks
they found part of the object of their search, many cased furs. There
were marten, mink, fisher, a couple of otter, three red fox, two lynx
and a number of muskrat, a pile that altogether represented a tidy sum
from a trapper's point of view. But the black fox was not among them.
Pat glowered at the prisoners savagely as he noted that some of the
skins had been carelessly handled and therefore would not bring what
they would had they been properly treated. Then he resumed his search of
the cabin. The only thing further in the way of skins were two tightly
rolled deer-hides freshly taken from the animals, one being that of a
fawn.
"Do you mind what I told you had happened at the deer yard?" growled Pat
as he tossed the skins out of the door.
Convinced at last that the skin of the black fox was not in the camp
they regretfully gave up the search there and emerged from the cabin.
Alec read the disappointment and chagrin in their faces. So, too, did
Big Pierre, who had been awaiting the result of their search with
ill-concealed impatience. He had scarcely looked at his partner since
the latter had been captured. Now he turned and spoke rapidly in French
to Alec.
"He says," explained the latter, "that if the Injun really has got the
skin he has hidden it outside somewhere, and that if we'll agree to let
him go he'll help us hunt for it. He says that it is probably in a
hollow tree somewhere near, but swears that he doesn't know where. He
thinks that the Injun meant to wait until he, Pierre, was away from camp
and then get it and light out."
"I shouldn't wonder if he's right, at that," exclaimed Hal. "What do you
think of the proposition, Pat?"
"He may be right enough about the Injun, but I wouldn't trust him the
length av me nose," Pat growled. "Let me talk a bit more to the Injun."
He strode up in front of the captive and shook a brawny fist beneath his
nose. "We've got you, and we're going to turn you over to the sheriff
unless you come across mighty quick with that skin," he thundered. Then
dropping into simple speech that the Indian could not misunderstand he
continued, "You kill deer out of season; skins prove it." He pointed to
the bundle of fresh hides. "You steal much fur; Big Pierre say so if we
let him go." Alec translated and Pierre nodded. The Indian glanced at
his late partner and saw the nod. A vindictive look swept across his
face and left it as expressionless as before.
"You try to kill white boy. He go to court and swear. Injun go to prison
for long time, years and years. Black fox only thing can save Injun."
The Indian appeared to consider the triple indictment, but no hint of
what was passing in his mind appeared in his face. It was as stolid and
expressionless as ever. At length he spoke.
"You give Injun gun and all his things and let go if he tell something?"
he inquired.
"We'll see about it," Pat growled.
"No promise, Injun no tell," was the prompt response.
It was Pat's turn to consider. Finally he made up his mind. "Listen,
Alec," said he. "You tell Pierre that we'll give them their guns, but no
cartridges; that we'll let them take their personal belongings and as
much grub as they can carry and let them go on condition that they will
admit having stolen those skins from our traps, that they will agree to
get out of these parts and never come back, and that the Indian shows us
where the fox is. Otherwise we'll take them to camp and hold them
prisoners while one of us goes out for the sheriff. Tell him to tell the
Injun."
Alec turned to Pierre and spoke rapidly. The latter interjected a
question now and then and when Alec had finished made a brief reply. "He
says," Alec explained, "that he agrees, though he thinks we ought to let
them have some cartridges. He admits the stealing of the furs, but still
protests that he wasn't in on the fox affair and wants to know if we'll
let him go in case the Injun refuses to come across."
"Tell him yes," replied Pat.
This Alec did, and Pierre at once turned to the Indian and addressed him
in his own tongue. Alec picked up enough to know that Pierre was putting
the case in its strongest light and dwelling on the length of time in
prison likely to follow conviction. When he finished the Indian turned
to Pat.
"You come," he said simply, and turned toward the woods.