JOURNEYING EASTWARD.
Jack Carleton reasoned in this wise:
In the morning Ogallah would notice his absence from the lodge and would
make immediate search for him. He would quickly learn that the entire
navy of his nation had vanished as completely as has our own, and the
conclusion would be warranted that it had either run away with the pale
face or the pale face had run away with the navy: at any rate they had
gone off in company and the hunt would begin.
A quarter of a mile down stream, the first installment of the fleet
would be found stranded on the southern shore, as though it was used to
set the fashion followed by our country a century later. The conclusion
would be formed that the audacious fugitive had landed at that point and
plunged into the interior; but a brief examination would show the Sauks
their mistake and they would rush on along the banks until the second
craft was discovered, when the same disappointment would follow.
This would continue until every one of the five canoes had been found
and examined. Inasmuch as the fifth contained Jack himself, it will be
seen that more care was required in his case; but the programme had been
laid out to its minutest details while the enemy was a guest in the
lodge of the king.
After the fourth canoe had been stuck against the bank, the number lying
on alternate sides, Jack removed his clothing and letting himself over
the stern, plunged into the cool, refreshing current, where he dove,
frolicked, sported, and enjoyed himself to the full--his happiness such
that he could hardly refrain from shouting for very joy. He kept this up
as long as prudent, when he clambered into the boat again, donned his
clothing, floated a short distance further, and shot the craft into land
with a force that held it fast.
A brief calculation will show that the boy had gone something more than
a mile from the Indian village, and he had secured what may well be
termed a winning lead; but much still remained to be done. He was now
about to leave the element where even the trained bloodhound would be at
fault, and step upon the land, where the keen eye of the Sauk warrior
would follow his footprints with the surety of fate itself. Hence it
depended on his covering up the tell-tale trail, unless chance, against
which no one can guard, should direct his pursuers to it.
Both shores of the stream were covered with forest which grew to the
edge of the water. In some places there was undergrowth which overhung
the river, but it was not very plentiful. The position of the moon in
the sky was such that most of the time the middle of the stream
reflected its light, while the shores were in shadow. These looked
indescribably gloomy, and but for bounding spirits which set the whole
being of the lad aglow, he would have been oppressed to an unbearable
degree. The course of the river for the first mile was remarkably
straight, but it made a sweeping bend just before Jack ran his canoe
into shore. His aim now was to quit the water without leaving any
tell-tale traces behind. If he stepped ashore and walked away never so
carefully, he would fail to do what was absolutely necessary. He
believed he accomplished his purpose, by running the boat under some
overhanging undergrowth, where he laboriously pulled it up the bank,
until it could not be seen by any one passing up or down stream, and
could be found by no one moving along the shore itself, unless he paused
and made search at the exact spot. The probability of any Indian doing
such a thing, it will be conceded, was as unlikely as it could be.
But, on the other hand, the first step the fugitive took would leave an
impression which would tell the whole story, and it now depended on the
manner in which he overcame that special danger. Carefully sounding the
water, Jack found it was quite shallow close to land. He therefore waded
a full hundred yards from the canoe before leaving the stream, and then,
with his clothing saturated to his knees, he stepped ashore, took a
score of long careful steps straight away, and his flight, it may be
said, was fairly begun.
"I don't know that I have done so much after all," said he, when he had
reached a point a hundred yards from the stream, "for some one of the
Indians may strike my trail before sunrise to-morrow morning; but I have
done all I can at the start, and if I can have a few miles the lead,
it'll be no fun for them to overtake me."
There was no reason why such an advantage should not be secured, for,
although the moon was of no help to him in determining his course, he
had studied the whole thing so carefully while lying in the lodge of the
chieftain Ogallah, that he was as sure of the direction as if he held a
mariner's compass in his hand.
Jack, it will be borne in mind was in the southern portion of the
present State of Missouri, the frontier settlement of Martinsville lying
at no great distance westward from Kentucky, and north of the boundary
line of Arkansas, as it has existed since the formation of that
Territory and State. The Sauk party of Indians who made him captive had
pursued an almost westerly direction, taking him well toward the Ozark
region, if not actually within that mountainous section. It followed,
therefore, that he should pursue the easterly course, for the stream
along which he had been borne, had carried him almost due north, and it
was not necessary for him to diverge in order to leave it well behind.
The fugitive lost no time, but pushed through the wood as fast as he
could. It was hard to restrain his desire to break into a run, but he
did so, for nothing could have been gained and much was likely to be
lost by such a course. Despite the bright moon overhead, few of its rays
found their way through the dense vegetation and foliage. Though he
encountered little undergrowth, yet he was compelled to use his hands as
well as his eyes in order to escape painful accidents.
The hours of darkness were valuable to Jack, yet he longed for daylight.
He wanted to be able to see where he was going, and to use what little
woodcraft he possessed. So long as he was obliged to keep one hand
extended in front in order to save his face and neck, he could adopt no
precautions to hide his footprints from the prying eyes of his enemies.
He knew he was leaving a trail which was as easy for his enemies to
follow, as though he walked in the yielding sand. Much as he regretted
the fact, it could not be helped so long as the darkness lasted, and he
wasted no efforts in the attempt to do so. It would be far otherwise
when he should have daylight to help him.
Fortunately perhaps, he had not long to wait. He had not gone far when
he observed the increasing light which speedily announced the rising of
the sun; but he was shocked to find that despite his care and previous
experience in tramping through the wilderness, he had got much off his
course. Instead of the orb appearing directly in front of him, as he
expected it to do, it rose on his right hand, showing that instead of
pursuing an easterly course he was going north--a direction which took
him very little nearer his home than if he traveled directly opposite.
As may be supposed, Jack had no sooner learned his mistake than he faced
about and corrected it.
"I've got my bearings now," he muttered confidently, "and I know too
much about this business to drift off again. Hurrah!"
He could not deny himself the luxury of one shout and the toss of his
cap in the air. This completed, he strode forward with more dignified
step, and settled down to work, after the manner of a sensible youth who
appreciates the task before him. He calculated that he was two or three
miles from the Indian village, much closer than was comfortable, and he
could not stop to eat or rest until it should be increased. He felt that
this day was to be the decisive one. If he could keep beyond the reach
of his pursuers until the setting of the sun, he would throw them off
his trail so effectively that they could never recover it.
"And why shouldn't I do it?" he asked, confidently: "Deerfoot taught me
how to hide my tracks, and I never can have a better chance than now,
where everything is in my favor."
He alluded to the number of streams, the rocky and diversified surface
and the general rugged character of the country through which his
journey was leading him.
In such a region there must be numerous opportunities for covering his
trail from the penetrating glance of those who had spent their lives in
studying the ways of the woods. The stealthy tread of the shoe or
moccasin over the flinty rock left no impression, but it was hardly
possible to find enough of such surface to prove of value; but when he
caught the gleam of water through the trees, his heart gave a leap of
pleasure.
"_This_ is what I wanted," he exclaimed, coming to a halt on the bank of
a rapidly flowing creek, some fifty feet wide: "here is something that
will wipe out a fellow's trail."
The current was fairly clear and rapid. It was evidently deep, and it
seemed to the lad that it was the compression of a considerably wider
stream into a space that added velocity to its flow. Its general course,
so far as he could learn, was eastwardly, and was therefore favorable to
him.
There was but the one way of utilizing the creek, and that was by
floating over its surface. Jack could have strapped his gun to his back
and swum a considerable distance, but that would have been a useless
exertion attended by many discomforts. His purpose was to build a raft
or float which would allow the current to carry him for a mile or so,
when he could land and continue his journey.
Better fortune than he anticipated awaited him. While moving along the
shore in search of logs and decayed wood from which to construct his
float, he was astonished to run plump upon an Indian canoe, which was
drawn up the bank beyond the probability of discovery.
"Well, now that _is_ lucky!" exclaimed the gratified lad, who quickly
added the saving clause, "that is, I _hope_ it is, though where you
find canoes, it is best to suspect Indians."
He looked for them, but no sign greeted eye or ear. He supposed the boat
belonged to the tribe which he had left the night before, though it was
somewhat singular that it should have been moored such a distance from
home. Possibly this was a much used ferry where something of the kind
was found convenient.
Nothing was to be gained by speculating about the ownership of the
craft, but the part of wisdom was to make use of the means that was so
fortunately placed within his reach. Without any delay, therefore, he
shoved the frail structure into the water, leaping into it as it shot
from shore. No paddle could be found on or about the vessel, and he used
his rifle for the implement, as he had done more than once before.
Holding it by the barrel, he swung the stock through the current and
found it served his purpose well. A slight force is sufficient to propel
an Indian canoe through or over the water, and the task was easy enough
for Jack Carleton.
"It may be this boat belongs to some other Indians who do not live very
far off, and if they should come down and find me sailing away with it,
I don't know what would follow."
However, the opportunity was the very one he was anxious to secure, and
he was too wise to allow any fancy that might cross his mind to frighten
him from turning it to the best account. Guiding the canoe to the middle
of the creek, he faced down current, and used his improvised paddle with
all the skill and strength at his command. The stream, as I have said,
ran rapidly, so that with his exertions he made good progress.
He was struck with the similarity of the shores to those of the larger
stream which ran by the Indian village. The wood was dense, and at
intervals was so exuberant that it looked difficult for a rabbit to
penetrate. Then came long spaces where the forest was so open that he
could look far into its depths. The course of the creek was so winding
that he could see only a short distance ahead, and several times his own
momentum carried him close into land before he could accommodate himself
to the abrupt curve around which he shot with no inconsiderable speed.
There remained the comforting thought that every minute thus occupied
was taking him further from his captors, who were without the means of
following his trail; but at the very moment when Jack was felicitating
himself on the fact, he was startled by a most alarming discovery.