IN WHICH PHIL TAKES DELIBERATE AIM AT ONE OF THE CAPTORS OF ELLA.
"What is your name, young man?" said Lieutenant Pope to me.
"Phil Farringford, sir."
"Are you acquainted with the country in this vicinity?"
"Yes, sir; I have been over it many times."
"Then you can act as a guide," added the officer, who had collected his
force on the forward deck, in readiness to disembark them.
Presently the steamer reached the point at which the Indians had
landed. The dugouts were hauled up on the shore; but we could see
nothing of the savages, who had disappeared in the forest, half a mile
from the stream, where the land began to rise.
"Can we make a landing here?" asked the captain.
"You can," I replied.
"Do so, captain," added Lieutenant Pope.
"I wouldn't land here," I interposed.
"Why not?"
"This boat can go three miles up the river, sure, and perhaps five. The
Indians must travel up stream in order to escape you. If you go up two
miles farther, you can head them off."
"Keep her a-going, captain," added the officer.
"Two or three miles east of us is Big Fish Creek. The Indians can't get
across below us without swimming."
"Then we shall have them between these two streams."
"Of course it is possible for them to get across the Big Fish, but it
won't be very easy, unless they get rid of their prisoner."
"How far is it across the country to the creek?" asked the lieutenant.
"About three miles here. Crooked River twists round in a half circle."
"You may be gone a week, Lieutenant Pope," interposed the captain. "I
can't wait here a great while."
"You need not wait an hour after you have landed my force," replied the
officer. "But you must take my stores down to the landing at the
wood-yard. I will send a sergeant and ten men to take charge of them."
The campaign, it appeared, was to be commenced at this point, and I was
to guide the soldiers to the Indian village north of our settlement.
Mr. Gracewood soon appeared on the forward deck, and the plan was
explained to him. His wife was a little better, and he was anxious to
join in the pursuit of the savages. I tried to prevail upon him to go
down to the landing with the soldiers; but he was resolute, and
declared that he would follow the Indians till he recovered his
daughter.
"One of us should go down with the soldiers, and take care of Mrs.
Gracewood; for I suppose she no longer thinks of going to Oregon," I
said.
"Why will you not go, Phil Farringford?" he replied.
"I am to act as the guide for the soldiers who pursue the Indians."
"I will guide them," added Mr. Gracewood.
"Either of you," interposed the lieutenant.
I was anxious to go with the soldiers myself, and to have a hand in
capturing the miscreants who had carried off Ella; but her father had a
stronger claim upon this duty, and I yielded. Two miles above the point
where we had passed the dugouts, the steamer made a landing. After I
had explained to Lieutenant Pope the nature of the country, and the
localities of the streams, he decided to take only half his force with
him, and to send the other half to the landing, with instructions to
march up the Little Fish towards the Indian village. The two
detachments would come together on the river before reaching their
final destination.
The soldiers who were to pursue the Indians landed, and the steamer
started again. It was about noon when we reached the landing at the
Castle. The captain, who had been detained so long by the events
narrated that he was impatient to be on his voyage up the river again,
hurried the soldiers on shore. Mrs. Gracewood bade adieu to her brother
and his wife, who proceeded on their long journey. It was hard to leave
without knowing the fate of poor Ella, but the circumstances were
imperative. I conducted Mrs. Gracewood to the shore, and the steamer
departed.
The poor mother was in a state bordering on frenzy. Her anxiety and
suspense were hardly endurable. I went up to the Castle, caught the
horses, harnessed them to the wagon, and conveyed her and her trunks to
the house. In the mean time the soldiers had marched up to the
clearing, and decided to pitch their tents near the block house, for
they were not to start for the upper country till the next morning,
lest the Indians should be alarmed before the other force could reach
the place of meeting.
The troops hauled their tents and provision to the camp ground with my
team; and the scene at the clearing was vastly more lively than I had
ever before seen there. Mrs. Gracewood could not stay in the Castle,
and she joined me in the field. I said all that I could to comfort and
console her. I know not how many times she asked me whether I thought
the savages would kill her daughter. I did not believe they would.
"Why should they, Mrs. Gracewood?" I reasoned. "They know very well
that such a murder would bring a terrible vengeance upon them. Before
this time they have seen that the soldiers are on their track."
"Why should they carry her off, then?" asked the poor mother, wiping
away the tears that so frequently blinded her.
"As a prisoner, alive and well, she may be of great value to her
captors. They may procure a large ransom for her, or they may protect
themselves by having her in their power. To kill her would bring
nothing but disaster to them."
"But they will at least abuse her."
"They may compel her to travel too fast for her strength, for the
soldiers will keep them moving at a rapid rate. Wasn't it very singular
that she was left behind last night?" I asked, wishing to change the
current of her thoughts a little, if possible.
"It seems strange now. I did not think of such a thing as that she was
not on the steamer. I supposed she was in her state-room reading till
evening. Her room was lighted, as usual; and when I retired, as the
light seemed to assure me she was there, I thought I would not disturb
her. The steamer stopped at the fort. She did not appear at breakfast,
and I went to her room. I was frightened when I saw that it had not
been occupied, and I ran to the captain. Inquiry proved that she had
not been seen since we left this landing. I was told that people lived
here, and that she would not suffer. As soon as the freight was
unloaded, the steamer returned."
While I was talking with her, the shrill screaming of a steamboat
whistle assured me I had another customer for wood. Slinging my rifle
over my shoulder,--for in these troublous times it was not safe to go
unarmed,--I rode old Firefly down to the landing. I sold twenty cords
of cotton-wood, and put eighty dollars into my pocket. I told the
captain all the news, while the hands were loading the fuel; and the
steamer went on her winding way up the river. In a short time she
disappeared beyond the bend. I was about to mount my horse, and return
to the Castle, when I discovered a dugout in the distance cautiously
stealing down the great river, under the shadow of the bank. It
contained two Indians; but I was thrilled with excitement when I
discovered a young lady seated between them.
It was Ella Gracewood.
I was in a clump of trees, where I had fastened Firefly, and the
savages could not see me. I unslung my rifle, and satisfied myself that
it was in condition for use. Breathless with interest and anxiety, I
watched the dugout. I realized that the Indians had doubled on the
soldiers in pursuit of them by returning to their boats, and coming
down Crooked River. They evidently intended to ascend the Fish River.
Aware that the troops were in hot pursuit of them, I could understand
that their only solicitude was to escape with their prisoner, whose
presence was a sort of guarantee of their own safety.
I hardly dared to breathe, lest the savages should discover me. I
crouched behind a bush, and watched the progress of the enemy, as they
rounded the point, and paddled up the Fish River. I could not make up
my mind what to do. If I went up to the camp to inform the soldiers of
what I had seen, I should lose sight of the dugout. I expected every
moment to see the other two Indians come round the point in the second
dugout, but they did not appear.
As the savages ascended the stream, I crawled out of my hiding-place.
Mr. Gracewood's barge had been left at the lauding by the steamer, and
I launched it as the dugout disappeared beyond a bend in the creek. I
rowed with the utmost caution up the stream, fearful that the quick ear
of the Indians might detect the sound of the oars. I took the
precaution to muffle the oars, using an old coat I found in the boat
for the purpose. At the bend where I had lost sight of the enemy, I
held the barge by an overhanging branch, until I had satisfied myself
that it was safe to proceed. The dugout was not in sight, and I
continued to pull up the stream, pausing at every turn to take an
observation.
As it was not safe for me to go forward while the dugout could be seen,
I had not obtained another view of it when I reached the junction of
the Big and Little Fish Creeks. As the soldiers were between the former
and Crooked River, I knew the fugitives would not take that branch, and
I confidently pulled up the Little Fish. Two miles above the junction
the rapids commenced, and boats could go no farther in this direction.
Unfortunately the stream was too straight to suit my purpose, and
seeing the dugout half a mile ahead of me, I landed, and determined to
walk in the path on the bank of the creek.
The trees enabled me to keep out of sight, and I quickened my pace, so
as to lessen the distance between myself and the enemy. As they made
but slow progress against the current, I was soon as near them as I
dared to go. In this manner I crept along the path till the dugout
arrived at the rapids. The Indians landed, and compelled Ella to do so.
I could not see her face, but I judged that she had in some degree
become reconciled to her situation.
The place where the fugitives landed was at the mouth of the little
brook up which Mr. Gracewood and I had followed the horse thieves. The
rapids were just above the mouth of this stream, and the locality was
my favorite fishing-ground. I supposed the savages would follow the
path on the bank of the creek, which led to the Indian village; but
instead of doing so, they struck into the woods by the route the horse
thieves had taken. I walked up to the mouth of the brook; but I knew
the Indians could go but a short distance in the direction they had
chosen. It was nearly sundown, and I concluded that they intended to
encamp for the night. I had about decided to return to the Castle, and
procure the assistance of the soldiers, when I heard one of the Indians
approaching. Concealing myself behind a tree, I waited to observe his
movements.
He went to the river, embarked in the dugout, and pushing out into the
middle of the stream, commenced fishing, not fifty yards from me. I
could not resist the temptation to open the battle, and taking
deliberate aim at the Indian with my rifle, I fired.