THE SOLDIERS AGAIN.
Never was Dick Arbuckle more astonished than when the big bear leaped
out from behind the bushes and confronted himself and Nellie Winthrop.
"Oh, Dick! a bear!" screamed the girl, and stood still, too paralyzed
with fright to move.
As we know, Dick had just brought down several birds with his
pistol--indeed it was this very shot which had clipped the bear--and now
the weapon was empty and useless, having had but one chamber loaded.
But as the great beast came forward, Dick knew enough not to stand
still. He retreated in double-quick order, and forced Nellie to
accompany him. Away they went through the woods with the bear in close
pursuit.
At the start of the chase girl and boy were at least forty feet in
advance, but despite his bulk the bear made rapid progress, and slowly
but surely began to lessen the distance between himself and those he
sought to make his victims. Looking over his shoulder, Dick saw him
lumbering along, his mouth wide open and his blood-red tongue hanging
out as though ready to lick him in.
"I--I--can't run any more," gasped Nellie. Her heart was beating as
though ready to break. "Oh, Dick, what shall we do?"
"Here is a tree with low branches--jump for that--I will help you up!"
returned the youth, and in a few seconds they were in the tree, a scrub
oak, with the big bear underneath, eying them angrily, and speculating
upon how he could bring them down within reach of his powerful embrace
and his hungry maw.
"He is going to climb up," came from Nellie's lips a few seconds later.
She was right. Bruin had attacked the tree trunk and now he was coming
up slowly, as though afraid of moving into some trap.
Dick did not answer, for talking would have done no good. He was
re-loading the pistol with all possible speed.
Crack! Dick had leaned down through the branches of the oak and taken
aim at one of those bloodshot eyes. There was a howl and a roar, and the
bear fell down with a crash that shook the forest. As to whether the
bullet had found that eye or not Dick could not tell, but certain it was
that once on the ground the bear picked himself up in short order and
started to run away.
"You hit him!" cried Nellie. "Oh, Dick, if only he don't come back!"
"He's not going away--very far," answered the boy. The shot had
encouraged him and his blood was up. A moment later Nellie was horrified
to behold him drop to the grass and make off after the beast.
"That bear will kill him sure!" she ejaculated. "Oh, Dick, come back!
please do!" she screamed.
A shot answered her, a shot which was quickly followed by another. A
minute of painful silence; then suddenly the bear staggered into view
with Dick at his heels.
"I've nailed him!" shouted the boy, joyfully, and another shot did the
work. With a groan the bear keeled over, gave a jerk or two, and died.
Nellie was in such a tremble she could scarcely descend from the tree.
When she did come down she found Dick hard at work cutting out a juicy
steak from the bear's flank.
"We'll have a breakfast fit for a king now," he said, with a little
laugh, to scatter his former nervousness. "Just wait till I light a
fire. I must gather the driest available sticks, so as to make as little
smoke as possible."
"Yes, we don't want our enemies to locate us," answered the girl, and
saw to it that every twig which went on the blaze which was kindled was
as dry as a bone.
In less than half an hour the steak had been done to a turn, and they
sat down to eat it. It was certainly a most informal meal, without
plates or platter, and only Dick's pocket knife to cut the steak with.
Yet neither had ever enjoyed a repast more. Having finished, they
procured a drink at a flowing stream behind them, and then Dick cut off
a chunk of the bear meat, wrapped it in a bit of skin and slung it over
his shoulder.
"We may want another meal of it before we reach civilization," he
explained, "Nothing like preparing one's self, when we have the chance."
"It's a shame to leave such a beautiful bear skin robe behind," answered
Nellie. "But I suppose it cannot be helped. Oh, if only we were safe
once more."
Again they set off on their weary tramp northward, and thus nearly two
miles were covered. The sun was now coming out strongly, and Dick saw
that his fair companion was beginning to grow tired.
"We will rest a little, Nellie," he said, "I think perhaps we can afford
to take it easy now."
"I am so fearful that Indian is following us!" answered the girl with a
shudder. "If he should find that bear, and--Oh, Dick, look!"
Nellie leaped to her feet from the seat she had just taken, and pointed
behind her. Dick gave one look and his heart sank within him. Yellow Elk
was bearing down upon them as swiftly as his long legs would permit!
In his hand the Indian chief carried a gun, and as Nellie arose he
caught sight of the pair and pointed the weapon at Dick's head.
"White boy throw down pistol!" he called out, when within speaking
distance.
"Let Yellow Elk throw down his gun," answered Dick. His pistol was up
and now he shoved Nellie behind him.
"White boy fool--cannot shoot against Yellow Elk," growled the redskin.
He had been following their trail since sun-up and was somewhat winded.
"Perhaps I can shoot. Did you see that bear I brought down?" rejoined
Dick.
At this the Indian frowned.
"Bear must have been sick--white boy no bring game down like that if
well--too powerful."
"I brought him down and I'll bring you down if you don't stop where you
are," was the steady answer.
"Oh, Dick, he'll shoot you," whispered Nellie. She wanted to get before
him, but he would not allow it.
By this time Yellow Elk had arrived to within a dozen steps of them.
Now he stopped and the frown upon his ugly countenance deepened.
"Did white boy hear what Yellow Elk said?"
"I did."
"Does white boy want to die?"
"Does Yellow Elk want to die? I can shoot as straight as you."
The words had scarcely left Dick's mouth than there came a clear click.
The redskin had fired point-blank at the lad, but the gun had failed to
go off, the weapon being an old one the Indian had found at the fort--a
gun some soldier had discarded as useless.
Following the click Nellie uttered a scream. Then came a crack as Dick
fired, and Yellow Elk uttered a yell of pain, having received a painful
wound in the side.
With clubbed gun the Indian now rushed in and a hand-to-hand struggle
followed. Dick fought valiantly, but was no match for the tall redskin,
and a well-directed blow laid him senseless upon the prairie grass. "You
have killed him!" screamed Nellie. She was about to kneel at Dick's
side, when Yellow Elk hauled her back.
"White dove come with me--boy no killed--be right by-an-by," said the
redskin.
"I will not go with you!" she gasped. "Let me down!" for Yellow Elk had
raised her up to his broad shoulder.
The redskin merely smiled grimly and set off on a swift walk, which
speedily took both Nellie and himself out of sight of poor Dick.
The girl's heart was almost broken by this swift turn of affairs. She
had hoped in a few more hours to be safe among her friends, and here she
was once again the captive of the Indian she so much feared.
On and on kept Yellow Elk until the stream was reached upon which was
located the log cabin where Nellie had been a prisoner. She wondered if
Yellow Elk was going to take her there again, but she asked no
questions.
Presently the Indian chief came to a sudden halt and raised his head as
if to listen. Nellie listened, too, and at a distance heard the tramp of
several men. At once Yellow Elk darted behind a number of bushes.
"White girl make noise Yellow Elk kill!" he hissed into his fair
captive's ear, and drew his hunting knife.
The tramp of feet came closer. A detachment of foot soldiers were moving
through the woods. Soon they came within sight of the pair.
As they came closer Nellie saw they were Government troops. A prisoner
was between them--a man. It was Jack Rasco.
"Uncle Jack!" she moaned, when Yellow Elk clapped his hand over her
mouth and pointed the hunting knife at her throat.
"Hush!" he commanded, but this was unnecessary, for the discovery and
her great fear had caused Nellie to swoon. She fell back, and for a long
while she knew no more.
In the meantime Dick had slowly recovered consciousness. The blow had
been a fearful one, and long after he sat up he was unable to rise to
his feet, so shaky was he in the legs. Slowly the realization of what
had occurred came back to him.
"Gone--poor Nellie!" he gasped, and braced himself as best he could.
Gazing around he saw that neither girl nor redskin was in sight. Without
delay he started to search for Yellow Elk's trail.
He was loping along over the prairies when a shout from his left struck
upon his ears. As he gazed in the direction he beheld a number of
soldiers swooping down upon him. These were the men who had Jack Rasco a
prisoner, the cavalrymen having turned the man of the plains over to
them. In a moment Dick was surrounded.
"Jack!" cried the youth, and rushed up to Rasco. "What does this mean?"
"It means I'm a prisoner," answered Rasco, sadly. "Have you seen
anything of Nellie?"
In a moment Dick had told his story, to which the soldiers as well as
Rasco listened closely. At once several of the guard were sent off to
hunt up the redskin, if it were possible to do so. Rasco wanted to go
along, but his request was refused.
"You'll slip us if you get the chance," said the officer in charge.
"You'll go to the fort. And I fancy the boy will go, too, since he seems
to belong to the boomers."
And against his earnest protestations Dick was made to accompany the
soldiers, being bound hand to hand with the man of the plains.
An hour later the soldiers' camp was reached, and Rasco and Dick were
placed in a temporary guard house. They had been there but a short while
when a visitor entered. It was--Louis Vorlange!
"So they have you safe, I see," began Vorlange, when Rasco sprang at him
and knocked him down.
"Will you make my niece a prisoner," he cried, wrathfully, for Dick had
told him the story. "You dirty spy!"
"Hold up," gasped Vorlange, his face growing white. "Rasco, don't be a
fool. I--I--made her a prisoner because I have orders to arrest anybody
found roaming around----"
"I won't argy the p'int!" roared Rasco. "I know you, Vorlange, and so
does Dick here. You robbed and nearly murdered thet boy's father!"
At these words Vorlange staggered back as though struck a blow.
"Who says I--I did that?" he faltered.
"I say so."
"And so do I," put in Dick, boldly. "We'll have a nice story to tell
when we are brought out for examination, I'll tell you that."
Vorlange breathed hard and glared from one to the other. Then of a
sudden he caught Dick by the arm and turned him to one side.
"Boy, beware how you cross me," he hissed into Dick's ears. "Beware, I
say! I have known your father for years, and I have the knowledge in my
possession which can send your father to the gallows."