AN UNWELCOME VISITOR
Both Jack Carleton and Otto Relstaub were disturbed by the singular
behavior of the squaw and chief.
"They're talking about something outdoors," whispered Jack; "keep
quiet and listen."
The faint rustling of the leaves, the gentle breathing of the
sleeping infant, and the soft purring of the fire (caused by the
sudden flaring up of one of the brands), were the only sounds that
came to their ears. Wish-o-wa-tum held the stem of his pipe between
his lips, without ejecting any smoke, while his eyes were fixed on
the ground in front of his feet, with that absent expression which
showed he was listening intently to something not visible to the
eye. The attitude of the wife was similar, except that she looked
steadily in the face of Jack Carleton, as though seeking to read his
thoughts.
Hark! both the boys caught a stirring of the leaves, precisely as if
made by the foot of an animal prowling around the wigwam.
"Sh!" warned Jack; "it's a man or beast!"
The words had no more than left his lips, when the flapping deerskin
was silently drawn backward and an Indian warrior entered.
He was powerful and well formed in his war paint, and with his long
rifle in his right hand. He had no blanket thrown over his
shoulders, but he was fully dressed in other respects, with knife
and tomahawk thrust in the girdle around his waist.
The first glance showed that he not only belonged to the Shawanoe
tribe, but he was one of the most dreaded members of the same. Both
Otto and Jack had seen him before, his forehead and cheeks being so
curiously marked as to identify him wherever no one else was
similarly ornamented.
When the boys were making their desperate run for the shelter of the
logs on the other side, of the Mississippi, Otto threw back an
affrighted look, which gave him such a vivid picture of that
particular savage that he felt the memory would remain with him
through life. A few minutes after, as my reader will recall, Jack
deliberately held fast to the upper edge of the rude fort and looked
over upon the fierce warriors outside. The one who particularly
impressed him was the Shawanoe with the hideously painted
countenance. It was this same Indian that flung the bear skin about
his shoulders and, creeping up the inclined tree trunk, surveyed the
astonished youths below, and it was he who now entered the lodge of
Wish-o-wa-tum and confronted the inmates.
The truth flashed upon the boys: he was one of a party that had
followed them across the Mississippi, and had traced them to this
lodge. It was natural the youths should believe that others were
not far off.
It will be remembered that Otto had left his gun on the edge of the
clearing some distance away, while the weapon of Jack stood near the
entrance of the lodge. The instant the Shawanoe stepped inside, his
eye rested on it, and, as if divining the truth, he extended his
hand and picked it up. The act gave him two guns, while neither of
the boys possessed a fire-arm.
Having performed this clever exploit, the Shawanoe, still standing
erect, just within the lodge, turned to the chief and addressed him
in what may be termed a mixture of the Shawanoe and Osage tongues.
He paid no attention to the squaw at the other end of the wigwam,
for to an American Indian the native woman is of little account
under any circumstances.
Nor did his face indicate that he was aware of the presence of the
boys, who looked at him with dismay; but it was morally certain that
the conversation which opened immediately related almost solely to
them.
"My gracious!" said Jack, when able to recover himself, "this is bad
for us. I never dreamed of anything of the kind."
He spoke very guardedly, with his head close to his friend's though
both narrowly watched the warriors, while giving expression to their
own fears.
"Vie didn't we start sooner don he comes?" whispered Otto, his jaw
trembling with fear; "I don't see vot we doted does."
An absurd scheme of escape suggested itself to Jack.
"I wonder whether we can't dash through the side of the lodge and
get away."
"Wait till I sees."
Otto carefully leaned back with a view of learning bow much
resistance the deerskins would offer. While they were quite strong,
they were not taut, and yielded so much that the boy tipped over
backwards, with his feet in the air, somewhat after the style of the
baby when frolicking on the blanket.
The two warriors, including the squaw, looked stolidly at him, and
there was not the trace of a smile on any countenance. Agitated as
was Jack, he could not repress a slight laugh when he witnessed the
discomfiture of his companion.
"Mine gracious!" muttered Otto, clambering to the sitting position
again; "I dinks dot some one have pulls de lodge away van I don't
leans against him."
Jack shook his head.
"There's no use of trying that; before we could get through they
could catch us both. If they attack us, we'll have to make the beat
fight we can."
"And dot won't be good for nodding," was the truthful remark of
Otto, who looked toward the two warriors again.
The Shawanoe must have felt he was entire master of the situation.
As if to remove any doubt on that point in the minds of the youths,
he now set down the gun he had picked up, leaned his own against the
side of the lodge, close to it, and then seated himself about half
way between the door and the sleeping baby. This placed him
opposite Wish-o-wa-tum and closer to the entrance where were Otto
and Jack. For the latter to pass out, they must rush by both
warriors, a feat utterly impossible, should the Indians object. It
was equally beyond their power to secure the guns, which would have
proven potent factors in settling the question.
"I believe he has left the rifles there on purpose to tempt us to
make a dash for them," said Jack, half inclined to accept the
challenge, hopeless as it was.
"Dot ish vot they does him for," assented Otto.
Jack was strongly of the belief that other Shawanoes were near. It
was unreasonable to suppose that a single warrior would have crossed
the Mississippi alone, when a dozen of them had proven unable to
bring the boys to terms.
"They have found we are in here," was the thought of the boy, "and
becoming tired of waiting for us, have sent this one to talk with
the Osage and to hurry us out. Ah, why did Deerfoot leave us so
soon? If we ever needed him, now is the time."
The name of the wonderful youth gave a new turn to the thoughts of
the lad. He asked himself whether it was probable that the
Shawanoes and Miamis had sent a party over to pursue the boys alone,
or to revenge themselves upon Deerfoot. Their enmity against the
latter must be tenfold greater than it could be against any one
else.
The most natural decision to which the lad could come was that the
hostiles were numerous enough to divide and follow both trails. At
any rate it was improbable, as has already been said, that the task
of running the youths to earth was entrusted to a single warrior.
While Wish-o-wa-tum and his latest visitor were talking in their
odd, granting fashion, the boys carefully studied their
countenances, in the vain effort to read the meaning of the words
that passed their lips. They occasionally glanced at the squaw, who
manifested more interest than was expected. Sometimes she held the
pipe for a minute or two motionless, her eyes on the warriors, as if
anxious to catch every word. Then she would give a snuff or grunt,
lean forward and stir the fire and smoke with great vigor.
To the amazement of the listening boys, the red men all at once
changed their language to the English--or rather they attempted to
do so, for they made sorry work of it.
"Dog Deerfoot--he dog," was the somewhat obscure remark of the
latest arrival.
"Him so," nodded Man-not-Afraid-of-Thunder, who probably had never
beard of the individual until within the last few minutes.
"Deerfoot dog--coward--shoot Injin no more."
Wish-o-wa-tum started a reply in English, but the difficulty was
such that he slid back into his own lingo. Consequently, the
purport of what he said was lost upon the youths. Jack Carleton,
however, was quick enough to suspect the meaning, of the proceeding
which troubled him so much at first. The words in broken English
were intended for the friends of Deerfoot. It was characteristic of
the Shawanoe visitor that he should attempt to play upon the
feelings of the hapless boys.
"Deerfoot dead," he added, with a sidelong glance toward the latter,
which confirmed the suspicion of the young Kentuckian.
Otto started on hearing the words, but whispered, as he hitched
closer to his friend:
"I don't dinks so."
"Nor do I--hark!"
"How die?" asked Wish-o-wa-tum again struggling with the tongue to
which he was a subject rather than of which he was master.
"Arorara threw him down," replied the visitor, striking his fist
against his breast to signify the name was his own; "jump on
him--take scalp. Deerfoot dog!"
"I know how deceitful the Indians are," said Jack in the same low
tone, "but that fellow don't know bow to lie in English. I should
like to see the warrior that can throw Deerfoot down and take his
scalp."
The Shawanoe seemed to have overheard the expression, or at least
suspected its meaning, guarded though the words were in their
utterance, for he leaped to his feet and again striking his fist
against his chest, exclaimed in hot anger:
"Deerfoot dog--Deerfoot dead! Arorara take scalp."
To the amazement of Jack Carleton, Otto also sprang to his feet, and
struck his chest a resounding thump.
"Arorara ish one pig liar!" he shouted; "he is a liar as never vos!
He says dot Deerfoot is dead, and dere stands Deerfoot now!"
And as the German lad thundered the words, he pointed toward the
deerskin, which had been flung back once more.