ALL TOGETHER.
Brigham Edwards stopped short on hearing the signal of Kenton, and he
and his wife held themselves ready to repulse any attack from the
Indians, whom they knew to be in the neighborhood. Red Crow did a little
thing which won the confidence of the couple, who could not help
regarding him at first with suspicion: he placed himself directly in
front, with his bow and arrow ready for use.
The little party was not kept long in suspense. From among the trees
strode the athletic figure of the famous scout, who, at that time, was
in his magnificent prime. Directly behind him walked Wharton Edwards and
Larry Murphy.
At the sight of her son, the mother forgot everything else. Dropping her
rifle to the ground, she ran forward with the exclamation:
"Wharton! my darling boy!"
"Oh, mother, my dearest mother!"
The lad, equally forgetful, flung aside his weapon and met his beloved
parent more than half way, throwing his arms about her neck, while both
wept with joy. The father smilingly advanced, and waited until the youth
was released. Then he clasped the boy to his breast with a happiness and
gratitude as deep and all-pervading, though it was less demonstrative.
Larry stepped blushingly forward, when the way was clear, and was warmly
greeted in turn by the parents, for he held a warm place in their
hearts. He was a dutiful and respectable youth, who appreciated the
unselfish goodness those people had always shown to him.
Even the grim, iron-hearted scout betrayed a suspicious moisture of the
eyes at the affecting scene. He looked on in silence, while Red Crow
gazed off among the trees as though he saw something that interested
him. What strange musings coursed through that warped brain is beyond
the power of fancy to imagine.
"This 'ere looks sorter like a family reunion," remarked Kenton, with a
smile, when the first flurry was over; "I shouldn't wonder now, Brigham,
if you and Margaret thar are summat glad to see the younkers agin."
"Indeed, I shall always thank heaven for its mercies. Wife and I did not
sleep a wink last night after we learned how bad things looked, and
nothing could have kept us from hurrying to them."
"And how about you chaps?" asked the scout, turning toward the two happy
boys.
"Neither of us can express our thankfulness," replied Wharton; "we have
seen a good deal of trouble during the last few days, but our suffering
all the time had been about them."
"Yis," added Larry with a sigh; "it was mesilf that had not only them to
think about, but Whart was on me hands, too, and thare was times whin I
was ready to give up entirely."
"Well, Simon," said the head of the family, "we've had good fortune so
far, but I have had enough experience to know that we are not out of the
woods yet."
"Not by a long shot," was the expressive comment.
"How do things look to you?"
"Yer see that Blazing Arrer and one of his varmints has gone ahead and
across the clearin' out yender. They know that we have started to round
this part of the trail with the idee of comin' back agin beyend whar
they're watchin' for us."
"And they will try to prevent us doing so?"
"That's it, and it's goin' to be a tough job, with the hosses to take
care of."
"I've been thinking lately that the only safe plan is to abandon the
animals and push on ourselves."
"That will give us the best show, thar's no doubt about that; but I hate
powerfully to let the varmints get ahead of us, even as much as that."
"You and I, Simon, have tramped the woods long enough to know that we
must take things as we find them. It's a hundred times better that we
should leave the horses than to imperil our lives by keeping them with
us."
"The man as would deny them sentiments is a fool, but we hain't got to
that p'int yet."
"I notice that the ground is much more difficult to get over than where
we turned out to avoid the swamp. Both the horses fell once or twice
with their loads, and I had almost reached the conclusion that we would
have to turn back or abandon them. They are the only animals I own, and
their loss would be a serious one, but it won't do to stop at that."
While this fragmentary conversation was going on, Arqu-wao, or Red Crow,
held his position as motionless as before, and seemingly occupied with
something among the trees, invisible to the rest. The boys noticed that
he assumed his old attitude, which had caused them so much uneasiness
before. But, inasmuch as there could be no misgiving now as to his
intentions, they were certain that their former suspicions were unjust.
When he surrendered to them in the early light of that breaking
morning, he did so unreservedly, and had done his best to serve them. It
was a great comfort to know this, but how much greater it would have
been had they known it from the first.
He showed a quicker perception than any of his companions suspected, for
he understood the doubt in the mind of the ranger and the settler
concerning the horses. Turning about, he said:
"Arqu-wao show way to settlement."
"But we know the way ourselves," said Mr. Edwards, kindly.
"Show way for hosses."
"You mean by the trail yonder; we have come over that, but the Shawanoes
are on the watch, and we dare not follow it."
"Arqu-wao show way for hosses--Shaw'noe don't know--get dere
quick--Snaw'noe don't see."
The pioneer turned to the scout.
"He means to say that he knows of a route to the settlement different
from the regular trail, over which we can take the animals in safety."
"That's what the varmint is drivin' at."
"What do you think of it, Simon?"
The scout significantly touched his forehead and shook his head.
"I know that, but he has done well so far. He lives by himself in the
woods, and must be more familiar with it than any of his people. I'm
inclined to believe there is something in what he says."
"I haven't much faith in a chap whose brain is twisted hind side afore,
but I don't know as it will do any harm to try it; leastways we've stood
here longer than we oughter."