ON THE RIVER
The experience of Otto was somewhat similar to that which befell
Jack Carleton in his search for the Indian canoe. Strong,
self-possessed, and courageous by nature as was the German lad, he
fretted over his forced restraint more than did the other.
He pushed forward with grim recklessness. He caught the signal of
the warrior which caused Jack so much disquiet, but he did not
permit it to interfere with his purpose.
"Let him boot all dot he doesn't vant to," muttered the angry lad;
"he don't drive me away from looking for dot canoe, don't it?"
Several minutes passed, during which he failed to discover the first
sign of the missing boat. Finally, realizing that a considerable
distance must intervene between him and Jack, he came to a pause,
and, sitting on a fallen tree, took off his cap, mopped his
forehead, and heaved a great sigh:
"Dot ish queerer as efer vos; Deerfoot, he tells me dot we find his
boat and we don't finds him; he says we must jump into the boat and
paddles out mitdle Mississippi, but we finds the Mississippi, but
vere ain't dot canoe? Dot ishn't the question. Vere isn't Jack?
He ish looking for de canoe also mit likevise, and I don't bear him
vistle for me--mine gracious!"
Otto spoke slowly, giving utterance only to a few of the thoughts
which stirred his brain. He was on the point of signaling to his
friend to return, and, insisting that they should swim the river
together, when he became aware that the undergrowth in front of him
and close to the water, partially screened some object whose
outlines could be faintly trace from where he sat.
With the exclamation, he straightened up and stared in blank
astonishment. The contour of what he saw was so distinct that there
could be no mistake; he was staring straight at the canoe for which
he had been hunting so long.
Otto softly rose to his feet and looked behind him. He had been
sitting on the very ash which Deerfoot had named as the guide that
would direct them in finding the craft. Otto threw back his head
and laughed, overcome by the reaction from the tense strain to which
his nerves had been subjected.
"Ven somepody axes for de biggest fool dot efer vos, he looks at
Otto Relstaub and says, 'I Dot ish him,' and dot will be him."
But he, shivered at the thought of the minutes that had slipped by,
and, without indulging in any more soliloquy, placed his finger and
thumb in his mouth and emitted the whistle which thrilled Jack
Carleton down the river and brought him hurrying to the spot.
Satisfied that no repetition of the call was required, Otto gave his
attention to the boat. It was a fine Indian canoe, buoyant enough
to carry six or eight warriors, and furnished with three long
paddles which, in skillful hands, could drive it with great speed
through the water. It was made of bark, bow and stern being
similar, curving inward toward the middle of the boat, and painted
with rude designs outside, which showed more taste than did the
ornamentation of the aboriginal countenances.
Deerfoot had displayed no little ingenuity in screening the craft
from sight. Inasmuch as Otto had forgotten himself so far as to sit
down on the very tree for which he was searching without once
suspecting his forgetfulness, it is not to be supposed he would have
discovered the boat at all but for the accident named.
Grasping one end, he began vigorously pushing it into the current.
It was heavy, and he wondered at the strength of the young Shawanoe,
who had drawn it clear of the water, overlooking the fact that
moderate strength, skillfully applied, succeeds more frequently than
does simple physical power.
After much effort, he shoved it clear of the land and held it
floating on the surface.
"I wonder if Jack didn't hear me," he thought, looking around; "I
thinks I calls him agin once more."
He did not utter the signal, however, for just then he heard
approaching footsteps, and, a minute later, the flushed and panting
Jack Carleton was beside him.
"Thank heaven!" he exclaimed; "I was in despair when your signal
reached me; we haven't a second to lose."
"We ishet going to lose him, not at all. Hark!"
They heard just then, not only the faint whoop that had caused them
so much disquiet, but caught sight of the warrior who uttered the
alarming call.
He whisked between the trees with such bewildering quickness of
movement that Jack, who had turned with his rifle half raised, saw
no chance of firing with effect. Fortunately, the necessity for
doing so did not exist, for the boys at the same moment recognized
the red man as their friend Deerfoot, who walked forward smiling and
pleased, carrying his bow and gun.
"My brothers did well," he said in his quiet way; "but they did not
hasten as does the deer when the hounds are on his trail."
"We could not have hurried more than we did," replied Jack Carleton,
taking the hand of the youthful warrior; "a little more haste and
both of us would have broken our necks."
"Dot ish so," added Otto, emphatically; "I sot down on dis log to
dinks if I couldn't run fitstery but I couldn't. What for you keep
whooping all the time like a crazy person?"
"Deerfoot wished to see his brothers run, for the red men are
looking for them."
"I've no doubt of that, and the wonder to me is how you managed to
give them such a scare that they scattered and left us a chance to
dig out."
"The wicked flee when no man pursueth," was the apt quotation of the
extraordinary youth, who was so fond of studying his Bible. "But
their fright will not last long."
"Such being the case we must not tarry."
The Shawanoe acted as though he did not intend to enter the canoe
with them, seemingly having some object in remaining on the Kentucky
side; but he changed his mind, probably concluding that his services
were still needed by his friends.
He motioned to Jack, who stepped into the boat and picked up one of
the paddles, Otto having done the same. Deerfoot leaped lightly
after them, the impulse carrying the craft fully a rod from shore.
He laid down his gun and bow, and, seizing the third paddle, made
such a powerful sweep through the water that the others almost lost
their balance. They essayed to help him, but he asked them with a
smile to cease and leave the management of the boat entirely to him.
"We might as well," said Jack, "for we shall only hinder you."
"Dot ish de same as I doesn't dinks."
A few strokes sent the canoe well out from the land, and the
Shawanoe still plied the paddle with extraordinary skill; but, as he
left the shore, he knew that in one respect the danger of himself
and companions was increased. If their enemies were anywhere along
the Mississippi, with a suspicion of the truth, they could not fail
to detect them.
It proved as he suspected. Several whoops echoed from a point a
short distance below, and the quick eye of the leader caught sight
of the Miamis and Shawanoes on the bank.
"Down! Down!" he said, excitedly; "let my brothers lower their
heads or they will be killed."
Both Jack and Otto extended themselves flat on the bottom of the
boat, but Deerfoot remained upright, plying the paddle with might
and main. He headed out in the stream, and used every effort to get
beyond reach of the rifles of his enemies.
"Why don't you duck your head, too?" demanded the alarmed Jack;
"they can hit you as easily as us."
But Deerfoot had his eyes on the party and did not mean to throw
away his life. He saw there were four red men who stood together on
the very edge of the wood. When two of them raised their guns and
sighted at him, he dropped like the loon, which dodges the bullet of
the hunter by the flash of his gun.
A couple of reports sounded like one, and the three on the bottom of
the canoe heard the bark fly. Both balls had pierced it, entering
one side and passing out on the other. The weight of the occupants
caused the boat to sink sufficiently to protect them, so long as
they remained flat on the bottom. One of the bullets was aimed so
low that it struck the water, ricocheting through the bark and
bounding off in space. The other went within an inch of Deerfoot's
figure, he being slightly higher than either of the others.
The echoes of the guns were ringing through the wood, when the
Shawanoe straightened up and dipped the paddle into the waters
again; but he had time for only one sweeping stroke when down he
went once more, barely in time to escape the third shot.
Before using the paddles, he raised his head just enough to peep
over the gunwale. He saw the three warriors deliberately reloading
their weapons, while the other was waiting for his target to present
itself. There were two others, who had been drawn thither by the
calls of the first party.
"I dinks maybe I can does somedings to help," said Otto, timidly
looking over the side of the craft; "mebbe I sees--mine gracious!"
The gun which was fired just then sent the bullet, as may be said,
directly under the nose of the German, who lowered his face with
such quickness that the whole boat jarred from the bump against the
bottom.
"Deerfoot, won't it be a good thing to send a shot at them?" asked
Jack; "it seems to me they would not be quite so ready with their
guns."
The Shawanoe was evidently of the same mind. He had the choice of
two weapons, and need it be said which was the one selected?
Standing erect in the canoe, he fitted an arrow to the string with
incredible dexterity and launched it with a speed that rendered it
almost invisible. The distance caused him to elevate the missile
slightly, but the aim of Simon Kenton or Daniel Boone, with his
long, trusty rifle, could not have been more unerring.
The red men on shore were well aware of his amazing skill, and they
lost no time in adopting the dodging tactics. The instant the form
of the graceful young warrior was thrown in relief against the sky
and wooded shore, they bounded behind the nearest trees, peering
forth like frightened children.
The movement saved one life at least, for the winged missile which,
a second later, whizzed over the spot where they had been standing,
was driven with a force that would have caused it to plunge clean
through the body of any one in its path.
Deerfoot remained erect in the canoe until the shaft had landed,
when he gave utterance to a defiant shout; sat down, and
deliberately took up the paddle again.
It will be borne in mind that the yellow current of the Mississippi
was swollen by freshets near its headwaters, and the canoe not only
danced about a great deal, but was borne swiftly downward, seeing
which the Indians hastened in a parallel course, with the purpose of
holding it within range. Furthermore, other red men continually
appeared at a lower point. It is within bounds to say that there
was not one who did not understand the stratagem by which the young
Shawanoe had outwitted them, and there was no means within their
reach which they would not have put forth to revenge themselves upon
him.
Within a brief space of time the guns of the warriors began popping
from so many different points that Deerfoot dare not attempt to use
the paddle. The blue puffs of smoke were so near that it would have
been fatal to expose himself to the aim of his enemies, but, unless
the canoe could be propelled still further from them, it was likely
to be riddled by the converging fires.
"Things are in a bad shape," remarked Jack Carleton, afraid to raise
his head a single inch, for the boat rode most uncomfortably high;
"we must do something, and yet what can we do?"
Deerfoot made no answer; his fertile brain had extricated other
parties from more critical situations than the one in which he was
now placed, and he was quick to decide upon an expedient for doing
the same in the present instance.