RED CROW.
The boys kept such a close watch on the Shawanoe that the moment he
signalled them to stop they obeyed. Although he assumed his favorite
attitude while doing so, he instantly faced about so that his back was
toward them. There could be no doubt that he had made some important
discovery.
The youths stood still in the trail, Wharton slightly in advance; but
Larry was near enough to his side to note every movement of the singular
being who had been acting as their guide ever since the rise of the sun.
"I wonder whether he means us to stand right here or to dodge behind the
trees, as we did before?" remarked Larry.
"We shall know, for he will tell us. There it is!"
Arqu-wao at this moment made a peculiar sweep of the hand holding the
bow, which was interpreted as an order for them to screen themselves
from sight. They did so with the cleverness of a short time before.
Nothing to explain the cause for this caution appeared, and the lads
kept their eyes on the Indian in whose hands they had placed their lives
before this critical moment.
The tree trunks which sheltered them were not more rigid and motionless
for the next five minutes than he. Then he was seen to take a single
step forward, when he again paused. A second followed with the same
deliberation as before, and the advance continued, foot by foot, until
the intervening trees and the turn in the trail shut the guide from
sight.
"We're near the clearing where I had my race with Blazing Arrow,"
remarked Wharton, in a guarded voice.
"Ye may have anither one with him."
"It isn't likely, but I believe he isn't far off."
"And the others are with him."
"Of course, and more than likely father and mother are near. Oh, I do
hope that they will find out their danger soon enough to save
themselves; but I fear the worst."
"Do ye hear that?"
The faces of the youths blanched, for at that moment the sharp crack of
a rifle rang out in the stillness. It was near at hand, and was followed
by a wild cry, which, echoing through the forest arches, left the
silence more oppressive than before.
"Somebody is killed!" whispered the frightened Wharton.
"I don't doubt ye; but that yell wasn't a white man's."
"Then the shot must have been."
"I don't know the same; mebbe Blazing Arrow has found out what Arqu-wao
has been doing and shot him."
"I believe that is what has happened; they had a quarrel when they met
in the trail; why didn't Blazing Arrow kill him then?"
"He didn't know as much then as he does now; he has seen the thracks of
oursilves along the path after the two parted, and then the whole thruth
come upon him."
"I wish we could have the chance to save the poor crazy fellow, for he
has given his life for us--that is, if he has been shot by any of his
people."
"We don't know that he is dead yit; mebbe he managed to use his bow and
arrow, and didn't miss, while the other chap as used his gun did, so the
yell was the other fellow's."
"We ought to have given him back his knife and tomahawk; I didn't think
of it, or we would have done so."
"It couldn't have done him any good in this sort of rumpus."
Some tragedy had been enacted so near them that the youths might well
shudder for themselves as well as for their friends.
The sultry summer day was well along. The sun, high in the sky,
penetrated the woods with its warmth, and in the broad open plain the
heat must have been oppressive. Here and there a tiny bird fluttered
among the trees, and suddenly a noble buck came striding along as if he
meant to follow the trail to the falls for a drink, but, catching sight
of the two young men standing beside the trees weapon in hand, he
wheeled and was off in a twinkling, though not before either one of the
lads could have gained the best kind of a shot had he dared to fire.
Minute after minute passed, and still there was no sign of the returning
guide. The young friends would have been glad to believe he had escaped,
but the fleeting minutes caused their hope to sink lower and lower,
until at last it was gone.
"It seems to me," said Wharton, "that we are throwing away time by
standing here; we shall never see Arqu-wao again."
"I agree with ye; the rest of 'em are miles off, and we might stay here
till the sun went down and that's all the good it would do us."
Thump! and the startled boys, turning their heads, saw a stone, weighing
fully a pound, that must have been thrown by some person at them. This
was a curious proceeding by whomsoever done; but the explanation came
the next moment, when a tall, finely formed figure, clad in the costume
of the border ranger, stepped from behind a tree and motioned to them to
make no noise.
The astonished and delighted boys recognized the individual as Simon
Kenton, the most famous scout, not excepting Daniel Boone, known in Ohio
and Kentucky. He had approached them from the rear, and announced his
coming in this characteristic manner.
"Yer needn't be afeared, younkers," he said, as he came up, "provided
yer don't speak too loud. The varmints are powerful plenty yerabouts.
Howdy?"
He shook the hand of each in turn, and Wharton asked:
"Where did you come from, Kenton?"
"The block-house."
"How long ago did you leave?"
"Shortly after sun-up; it isn't very fur, and I've travelled powerful
fast."
Wharton yearned to ask the question that was on the tip of his tongue,
but an awful fear held it back.
"We heard a rifle awhile ago; do you know anything about it?"
"I reckon," replied the ranger with a significant grin, "bein' as I was
the chap that touched her off."
"At whom did you fire?"
"Why don't ye ask who did I hit, for when that piece speaks I reckon
some one is hit. Did you hear him yell?"
"We might have heard the chap a mile off," replied Larry. "Was the same
Blazing Arrow."
"No; I am sorry to say he kept out of the way, and I picked off the one
that was nearest to him."
"Did you see anything of an Indian with a bow and arrow?"
"You mean Arqu-wao, or, as we call him, Red Crow."
"That must be the one. Why does he have such a strange name?"
"Did you ever see a red crow, younkers?"
"No; and I never saw a person that has seen one."
"And you never will; such a thing would be powerful qu'ar, but he
wouldn't be any qu'arer than the varmint that Boone, M'Cleland, the
Wetzel boys and some of the others have given the name to. He's a bit
off, ain't 'zactly right here," added the scout, tapping his forehead.
"Have you had anything to do with him?"
Wharton related in as few words as possible their experience with the
strange creature, and asked:
"Has he always been that way?"
"No; his brother and him had a big fight when they were on the warpath.
His brother was older and stronger, and threw him down among the rocks
in such a way that his head was hurt and he was never right afterwards.
He has lived by himself along that lake over yender for ten or a dozen
years. He won't have anybody with him; you know how the Injuns look on
such a person; they think he's a little different and better than other
folks and none of 'em will harm him. Of course none of the boys would
hurt a hair of his head, though he's quick enough with his bow and arrer
to shoot any one that comes pokin' round his place. It's powerful qu'ar
that he acted the part of a friend toward you, but thar's no sayin' what
crank may come into the head of such a person."
"But he had a quarrel with Blazing Arrow, who seemed on the point of
striking him."
"That's nateral, for you know you hate anyone that you've already done
an injury to."
"Has Blazing Arrow ever injured him?"
"Why, he's the one that throwed him over the rock; him and Blazing Arrow
are full brothers."
This was surprising news to both, and Larry said:
"He once mentioned the name of that chap as his brother, but I didn't
think that was what he meant."
"I don't think the Red Crow loves his brother any more than his brother
loves him. Some time thar'll be the biggest kind of a fight between 'em.
They don't often meet, but when they do they allers strike fire."
"How was it, Kenton, that you came to shoot awhile ago?"
"One of the varmints got in my way, and if you know of any better plan
for heavin' him out, let me hear it."
"But you don't explain; did you see anything of Red Crow?"
"You asked me awhile ago, and I beg pardon for not answerin'. No, I
haven't seen him lately, that is, for the last few weeks; but while I
was out yender, just on t'other side of the ravine, whar the trail makes
a sharp turn, I catched sight of one of the varmints stealin' along as
though he was lookin' for somethin'. He catched sight of me at the same
time. We had not time to dodge behind anything, and it was a question
which could aim and fire the quickest. Wal," added Kenton, with a sigh
of complacency, "mebbe thar's a varmint somewhar that can do that thing
quicker'n me, but I haven't met him yet."
"But you say you saw Blazing Arrow?"
"Yas, and another of the redskins; they war some way ahead, and the
trees war so plenty that we couldn't draw bead. I waited for 'em to come
nigher, but they didn't seem to be lookin' for that sort of thing just
then, and they scooted t'other way. I 'spect I'll meet 'em agin purty
soon, and I'm ready."