AN ALARMING DISCOVERY.
When the war party grew weary of the furious dance, they stopped, formed
themselves in Indian file, and with the leader at the head, marched to
the tepee, where they had left their rifles. They reappeared a moment
later, each bearing his weapon in hand, and quickly reformed as before.
Then all uttered several loud whoops, to which the enthusiastic
supporters responded with equal vim, and they marched in the same file
and with the same steady step toward the forest on the other side the
clearing. Right soon they vanished from view among the trees. They had
gone in quest of scalps, but in the hunt more than one proud spirited
brave was to lose his own natural head-gear, and of those who went
forth, the majority never came back again.
Now that the main cause of the hullabaloo was removed, the Sauks gained
more time to view their immediate surroundings. When Jack tottered to
one side to obtain the needed rest, he separated himself from Ogallah,
who showed no signs of wearying of the terrific exercise.
"I guess it will be as well for me to hunt him up," was the decision of
the youth, "for he may need my care."
But when the boy rose to his feet and looked around he saw nothing of
the sachem, though all the rest of the village appeared to be in the
immediate neighborhood. None of them had offered to molest Jack, but he
felt great misgiving. Fortunately the lodge of the chieftain was not
distant.
While the dance was going on, an experience befell young Carleton which
has not been told, but which should be given. In the bright glare of the
morning sun, the countenance of every one was distinctly visible, and
Jack was impressed by the fact that one heavy, squat redskin was viewing
him with peculiar interest. He passed in front of the boy several times,
and on each occasion cast a piercing glance at him.
This of itself might not have been so noticeable but for the impression
which deepened on Jack that he and the warrior had met at some other
time and in some other place.
He was impatient with himself because he could not recall the
circumstances. Had it been on the other side of the Mississippi, it
would have been no wonder, for, from his earliest boyhood he had been
accustomed to seeing red men, and it would be impossible to remember
them all; but he was convinced he had met the Indian since he and Otto
had immigrated to Louisiana.
Possibly Jack might have answered the question had he been given time to
think over it without disturbance; but he had scarcely begun to look
around for Ogallah, when he was alarmed by the demonstrations of the
crowd around him. They began pushing forward, and the squaws and
children showed an unpleasant disposition to lay hands on him.
There was no use of standing on dignity. In a few minutes he would be
hemmed in so he could not move, and the lodge of the chieftain was not
far away. Shoving a little screeching girl from his path, Jack bounded
away like a deer, straight for the shelter. The act was so sudden that
it threw him in advance of the rest, but there were plenty of runners as
fleet as he, and despite the start he gained, several were at his heels,
and one of them came very near tripping him. Jack pressed on, and,
within a rod of the entrance to the kingly wigwam, the Indian who made
the attempt to trip him appeared at his side, and then threw himself
directly in front.
One glance showed the fugitive that it was the youth whom he had
overthrown in the wrestling bout.
"Oh, it's you, is it?" exclaimed Jack; "you haven't had enough yet!"
And, quick as a flash, he drove his fist straight into the grinning
visage with all the force he could concentrate in his good right arm.
The amazed youth described a back somerset, his moccasins up in the air,
and his ugly nose flattened to the shape of a crimson turnip. Then
leaping over the prostrate figure, Jack made several bounds, and dove
into the lodge just in time to avoid colliding with Ogallah, who had
approached the door from the inside to learn the cause of the new
tumult.
The chief went far enough to obtain a good view of the audacious youth
who was in the act of climbing to his feet, and groping for his nose and
principal features in a blind way, as though doubtful whether any of
them were left. The clamoring rioters were scattered once more, Ogallah
adding a few words, probably meant as a warning against their
persecuting his ward, for it may as well be stated that from that time
forward the demonstrations against Jack were of a much less serious
nature.
"I suppose I've got to fight every time I go out of the lodge," said
young Carleton, with a dogged shake of the head; "they mean to kill me
whenever they gain the chance, and more than likely I'll have to go, but
I'll make it cost them more than they count on. When I can't use my
fists I'll use my knife."
The mistress of the establishment, seating herself at the other end of
the lodge, lit her pipe with as much indifference as though nothing
unusual had taken place. Her mongrel pup came trotting along the space
in his sidelong fashion and lay down with his nose against her slouchy
moccasins, thereby proving his bravery, so far as any offense against
his olfactories was concerned. Ogallah having made his speech and
scattered the rabble, turned about and came slowly after the dog,
seating himself near the middle of the lodge, where he also lit his
long-stemmed pipe.
Just then some one pushed the bison skin aside, and stepped within the
residence. Despite his sluggish manner, Ogallah flirted his head like a
flash, probably suspecting that one of Jack's tormentors had dared to
follow him within his shelter. But the individual was a full-grown
warrior, who would not have descended to such business, and the grunt of
the sachem was meant as a cordial welcome to him who grunted in return.
Jack Carleton also glanced at him, and was astonished not a little to
observe that he was the same warrior who had scrutinized him so closely
while the war feast was going on, and whom, the youth was well
convinced, he had met elsewhere.
There could be no mistake as to the interest which the visitor felt in
the captive, for his black, penetrating eyes were not removed from him
during the several minutes which followed his entry into the lodge. Not
only that, but halting in front of the lad, he began talking and
gesticulating with useless vigor, inasmuch as Jack could not gain an
inkling of what was meant. Indeed, had the youth attempted afterward to
describe the gestures, he would have referred to them all as pointless,
excepting the series which consisted of a violent sweep of both arms to
the westward, after pointing his finger at the wondering Jack Carleton.
Altogether at a loss as to their significance, it was fortunate (as will
appear hereafter), that the lad was able to recall and describe the
motions to another, who had a hundred fold more woodcraft and mental
acumen than he.
Poor Jack could only shake his head and smile sadly by way of reply to
this performance, and, after Ogallah had added something, the warrior
ceased, took his seat beside the chief and employed himself in smoking
and talking.
"Who _can_ he be? He knows me and I--ah! I remember!"
Sure enough, and why had he not thought of it before? He was one of the
five Indians who had left the other five and gone off with Otto
Relstaub, on the day that he and Jack Carleton were captured by the band
so near their own home. More than that, Jack had seen the others that
same morning in the village at the war feast, though the recollection of
them was so shadowy that it had not caused him the perplexity produced
by the appearance of the warrior before him.
With the truth came the startling question--Where was Otto? While his
captors were in the village, he certainly was elsewhere. What had become
of him?
The question fairly took away the breath of Jack and made him faint at
heart.
"He can't be at home, for Otto never could have made his escape from
them; _he must be dead!_"
The first declaration of the youth my reader knows was true, for the
visit of Deerfoot, several days later to Martinsville, as has been
described, proved it. As to the second theory, that will be investigated
in due time.
One of the most trying features of this occurrence was the certainty
Jack felt that the Indian visitor was trying to tell him something about
Otto. Those swinging arms, swaying head and apoplectic grunting carried
a message within themselves, which, if translated would be found of
great importance; but alas! the interpreter had not come.
While the lad sat on the bison robe, reflecting over the matter, he
became aware of the peculiar sensations that alarmed him some time
before. His head was dizzy, a curious lightness took possession of his
limbs, and he felt that if he should undertake to cross the lodge, he
would stagger and fall like a drunken man.
"I'm going to be ill," he said, pressing his hand to his forehead;
"something is wrong with me."
The shock which came with the conviction was deepened by the belief that
he was about to go through the experience that had befallen poor Otto
Relstaub.
"He fell sick while tramping through the woods with the Indians, and
they have either tomahawked or left him to die. These people with all
their Medicine Men and Women know nothing about curing sick folks, and
if I _do_ become ill that will be the end of me."
The boy was in anything but a cheerful frame of mind, but he faced the
position like a hero. He did not lose heart, though he was sure that his
situation was worse than ever before, and he did not forget any of the
incidents of the journey from Kentucky to Louisiana, when many a time
there seemed not the slightest ground for hope.
After smoking awhile Ogallah and his visitor got up and went out doors.
The chief was gone but a short time when he came back, and, as he
resumed his seat, grunted out something to his squaw, who immediately
laid down her pipe, tenderly shoved the nose of her dog aside and left
the place.
While Jack was wondering what the meaning of these movements could be,
the attack of weakness which had alarmed him passed off, like the
fleeing shadow of a cloud. It was followed by a natural rebound of
spirits, and he too rose to his feet and walked toward the door.
The sachem looked inquiringly at him, but showed no objection to his
departure. The boy placed his hand at his waist to make sure his hunting
knife was there, and at the entrance paused a moment in doubt.
"I wonder whether they will set on me again," he said to himself; "if
they do I will use my weapon--that's certain, and then there will be a
bigger rumpus than before."
The knowledge that the chief who had served so many times as friend was
near at hand added much to Jack's courage, when he finally let the
bison-skin door drop behind him.
The explanation of the squaw's departure was manifest at once. She had a
long sharpened stick in her hands, with which she was stirring the earth
around some hills of corn growing on a small plot near their lodge.
Extending his gaze, Jack saw many other squaws engaged in the same
manner, but among them all was not a single man. They were lolling in
their wigwams, smoking or dozing, or hunting in the woods for game or
scalps.
The younger members of the community seemed to be the happiest of all. A
number were playing by the river, and some were plunging into the
stream, swimming, diving, and disporting themselves like porpoises;
others were deep in some kind of game, on the clearing near the woods,
and all were as shouting and demonstrative as so many civilized
youngsters engaged in a game of ball.
Anxious to learn whether his last affray with his persecutors was likely
to lessen or increase their hostility, Jack Carleton gradually advanced
from the lodge until he was close to the group playing on the large
cleared space, while those by the river were much nearer his refuge than
he.
This was assuming considerable risk, as all must admit, but the boy took
it with much caution and with his eyes wide open, meaning to make the
most hurried kind of retreat the instant it might become necessary.