THE SIGNAL FIRES.
The canoe was made of bark, with the ends turned up in the usual
fashion. Two long paddles belonging to it lay within, and were taken by
the warriors, who paddled it down to where the party were in waiting.
All stepped carefully inside, and the same Indians who brought it from
its hiding place turned the prow toward the other shore and began
swinging the paddles with the freedom and vigor peculiar to their
people. Jack was the last to seat himself, and he held fast as best he
could, dreading some of the rude jokes of his captors.
When all were in position, and the craft began moving, great care was
necessary, for it sank to the gunwales, and a slight disturbance would
be enough to overturn the frail boat. Although Jack feared such an
occurrence, yet the Indians themselves were no more desirous it should
take place than was he.
He naturally fixed his eyes on the line of warriors seated in front of
him. All faced the shore they were approaching, and the couple using the
paddles dipped first one end on the right and the other end on the left
of the canoe. They put forth little exertion. Had they chosen to do so,
they could have tripled the speed, though most likely an upset would
have been the consequence.
The middle of the stream was not reached, when a small fish leaped out
of the water in front and fell back again. Ogallah uttered an
exclamation, and, reaching his hand over the side of the boat, held it
several inches under the surface. The two Indians not using the paddles
did the same, just as a party of young people will do when taking a
pleasure sail over some calm lake.
Suddenly Ogallah gave a quick flirt of the submerged hand, flinging the
sparkling water over all. Something flashed in the sunlight, and a plump
fish, weighing fully a pound, dropped into the canoe. Almost immediately
the other two warriors did the same, one of them securing a prize
weighing as much as both the others. The fact was, the boat was passing
through something like a school of fish, and the red men found no
difficulty in capturing a number.
"That looks like dinner," thought Jack with a chuckle, as he also dipped
his hand to grope for the finny delicacies. He had less than a minute to
wait when something cold and smooth touched his fingers. He made a
desperate clutch, sinking his arm to his elbow, but the fish was too
quick, and darted beyond his reach, just as Ogallah landed another
tempting one.
Several more were taken, but Jack could not succeed in closing his
fingers quickly enough to keep the fish from slipping away. By the time
the other side of the stream was reached, a good supply had been
secured, and the boy forgot his sorrow in the pleasure of anticipating
that his hunger would be fully satisfied.
Happily he was not disappointed in this respect, for, while the oarsmen
were drawing the boat out of the water, the others were preparing the
fire with which to cook the fish, that were speedily dressed. They were
the "white" species common in the west, and when browned to a juicy
crisp, formed as luscious a meal as any epicure could ask. Best of all,
there was an abundance, and Jack Carleton ate until he wanted no more.
Having tramped so many miles since the rising of the sun, Ogallah and
his warriors were disposed to enjoy a good rest.
Their pipes were relighted and they lolled about in the same lazy
fashion, paying no special heed to Jack, who knew the unwisdom of making
any effort to get away.
All this convinced the boy that the party had still a considerable
distance to travel. Had they been in the neighborhood of their village,
they would have pushed on without stopping. At any rate, they would not
have paused to kindle the camp-fire and to cook a meal at mid-day.
"It must be," Jack said to himself, with several nods of his head, "that
we are to spend another night on the road: if that is so, I'll make a
break if I have to suffer for it."
These were vaunting words, but he was in earnest. Except for the hope
thus renewed within him, the youth would have given way to the
drowsiness which became quite common with the rest, but a line of
speculation was started which kept his mind occupied during the full
hour the party dawdled about the camp-fire.
At the end of the time named, the ashes were knocked from the pipes,
several stretched their limbs and yawned, and the sullen-faced warrior
who had been taking care of Jack's rifle, passed it back to him with
some surly word, which most likely meant that thereafter the captive
should bear his own burdens. The boy was glad enough to regain his
weapon, but he smiled when he observed that it had no charge in it. His
captors were determined not to put temptation in his way.
It took the company a considerable time to "shake themselves together."
They straggled and kept irregular step, and finally, when they began
ascending a slope, where the ground was much broken and covered with
stones, they gave it up altogether. The ascent continued until they
found themselves on an elevation several hundred feet high, and so
devoid of vegetation that a view was gained which covered an area of
hundreds of square miles in every direction.
Standing on this lookout, as it may be called, the Indians devoted a
number of minutes to such survey. No employment just then could be more
entertaining, and Jack Carleton adopted it.
The scene was too similar to those with which the reader of these pages
has become familiar to need any lengthened reference in this place. It
was green, billowy forest in every direction. Here and there a stream
wound like a silver ribbon through the emerald wilderness, sometimes
gleaming in the sunlight, and then disappearing among the vegetation, to
reappear miles away, and finally to vanish from sight altogether as it
wound its way toward the Gulf. At remote points the trained eye could
detect the thin, wavy column of vapor motionless against the sky, a mute
witness that beings other than those on the hill were stealing through
the vast solitude in their quest for game or prey.
Inasmuch as Jack Carleton readily detected these "signs," as the hunter
terms them, it followed they must have been noted by the Indians
themselves; but they gave no evidence of any excitement on that account.
It was natural that such evidences of the presence of other persons in
the immense territory should present themselves.
But the youth failed to find that for which he specially looked.
Observing the chieftain gazing earnestly toward the west, he did the
same, expecting to catch sight of the Indian village where Ogallah and
his warriors made their home. He descried a wooded ridge stretching
across his field of vision, but not the first resemblance to village or
wigwam could be discovered.
"He is not looking for _that_," thought Jack, "but is expecting some
signal which will appear on the ridge."
One of the other Indians was peering with equal intentness at the same
point, but the minutes passed and nothing presented itself. Jack joined
in the scrutiny, but he could not succeed where they failed.
All at once the sachem seemed to lose patience. He said some vigorous
things, accompanied by equally vigorous gestures, and then the whole
party began hastily gathering wood. In a short while this was kindled
and burning strongly. When the flames were fairly going, one of the
warriors who had collected several handfuls of damp leaves by digging
under the dry ones, dropped them carefully on the blaze. It looked at
first as if the fire would be put out, but it struggled upward, and
by-and-by a column of dense black smoke stained the sky like the smutty
finger of some giant tracing a wavy line across it.
[Illustration: THE SIGNAL]
Then Ogallah and one of his men held his blanket spread out so as almost
to force the thick smoke to the ground, but such was not their purpose.
The blanket was abruptly lifted, then swayed in a peculiar fashion, the
two moving in perfect unison, without speaking, and repeating their
pantomime with the regularity of machinery, for the space of fully ten
minutes.
The results were singular. The inky column of vapor was broken into a
number of sections, as may be said, so that when viewed from a distance
the figure was that of a black broad band of enormous height, separated
by belts of colorless air into a dozen pieces or divisions, the upper
ones gradually melting into nothingness. Besides this, so deftly had the
red men manipulated the fire and blanket, that these divisions showed a
peculiar wavy appearance, which would have excited wondering remark, no
matter by whom seen.
"It is a signal to some one on the ridge yonder," was the conclusion of
Jack, who watched the proceeding with much interest.
Having finished, Ogallah and the warrior threw the blanket on the
ground, and the whole five gazed at the ridge miles away. For a time
perfect silence reigned, and then one of the dusky watchers uttered an
exclamation, to which the chief responded with a grunt.
While scanning the distant ridge, Jack detected a black brush of vapor
climbing slowly above the trees. It broke clean off, and as it went on
upward, was inclosed by clear air on all sides. But it was not long
before a second, third, fourth, and fifth appeared. Parties were
answering the signal of the chief in precisely the same manner that he
made it. The only difference was in the number, of which there were only
the five. Those, however, were sufficient, as the parties making it were
well aware.
This aboriginal system of telegraphy, which has been in use from time
immemorial, is still a favorite means of communication among the Indians
of the West. More than once the news of the signing of some important
treaty, or the war movement of tribes, has been flashed by means of
signal fires from mountain top to mountain top over a distance of
hundreds of miles.
The information given by the answering signal fire was satisfactory to
the chief Ogallah, who resumed the journey at a leisurely pace, making
no effort to walk in the close Indian file that he and his warriors did
when further away from home.
"If we reach the village before going into camp," concluded Jack, "we
must keep moving until after dark. The sun is setting and the ridge is
still a good ways off."
It soon became manifest that the red men had no purpose of tiring
themselves by walking. They were at the base of the ridge when they came
upon a small stream which dashed down the mountain side with a musical
plash, forming currents, eddies, and cascades, while in the depths of
some pebbly pool it was as silent and clear as liquid mountain air.
The afternoon was more sultry than the early portion of the day, and
every member of the company quaffed his fill from the refreshing
element. Jack's heart gave a great bound of hope when he saw that
Ogallah meant to spend the night there. He was strongly convinced that
he would gain an opportunity to steal away during the darkness, which
promised to be denser than on the previous night. Although the day had
been clear and beautiful, yet the clouds gathered after the sun went
down, and there were signs of a storm. Low mutterings of distant thunder
and the fitful flashes of lightning showed the interchange of
electricity between the earth and sky, though it might not develop to
any great extent for many hours to come.
No hunt was made for game, and after the abundant meal earlier in the
day, Jack could not complain if compelled to fast until morning. A fire
was kindled precisely as before, a sturdy oak forming the background,
while the others lolled around it and smoked their long-stemmed pipes.
When Jack Carleton was invited to retire to his couch by the sullen
warrior, he obeyed as though pleased with the prospect of a full night's
rest. Ogallah stretched out with one of his men, while the ill-tempered
member sat down with his back against the tree, as though desirous of
imitating his leader in every respect.