PURSUED.
Ned Chadmund's only fear was that the chief would hear the throbbing of
his heart. He dared not draw his head into the tree, fearing that the
action would attract the notice of the Apache; so he remained as
motionless as the trunk of the tree itself, waiting for the danger to
pass. Finally, the Indian was heard moving forward again, and the
cramped and aching fugitive began to breathe more freely. He could
detect that soft rippling through the water, such as is made by an
angler who is hunting some choice place in the brook, and who examines
every foot of the water which he passes. At last it was beyond hearing,
and all was still again; but our young hero, impatient and anxious as he
was to get forward, dared not leave his concealment while so many of his
enemies were in the immediate neighborhood. He was confident that if he
attempted flight and escaped running against some of these dusky
wretches, they would speedily detect his trail and run him to the
ground. He concluded to remain where he was until dark, when he would
make another start, confident that by traveling all night, and taking
advantage of all the means that came in his way, he could place a goodly
distance between himself and the perilous neighborhood.
Nothing more was seen or heard of the Apaches during these long waiting
hours, unless the distant report of a gun could be construed as their
work, and the summer day gradually wore away. By this time the condition
of the boy was truly pitiable. He was thirsty and nearly famished,
feverish from his long abstinence. Yet with water within a few feet of
him he refrained, for the reason that he was fearful of imperiling his
safety.
"I'll wait till it is nearly dark," he said, as he looked down at the
cool water flowing beneath; "for this is the only chance I shall ever
have of giving them the slip."
The time he had fixed upon to venture forth had not yet arrived when he
observed a large tree floating along below him. It had probably become
displaced at some point up the stream, and would drift along until it
should again catch some obstruction, and remain moored for an indefinite
time. Yielding to a sudden inspiration, Ned crept hastily out of his
concealment, and dropped lightly upon the trunk, which was heavy and
buoyant enough to bear his weight without sinking below the surface.
The course of the stream was such that this proceeding carried him back
directly over the ground that he had passed, and, in case the Apaches
were in camp, would take him near it. But there was real woodcraft in
this act, imprudent as it seemed; for nothing could be conceived, which,
if successful, would more effectually throw the Indians off his trail.
Knowing that he had gone northward, what inducement could there be for
looking toward the south for him? The next thing after getting upon his
raft was to stoop over and get a drink from the stream, which, having
its source up among the mountains, was cold, clear, and pure.
Oh! the refreshing draught! None but those whose frames have been
consumed with flaming fever can appreciate the delicious nectar, the
invigorating, permeating life that lay in that wonderful fluid, which is
without smell, taste or color, and to which no other liquid can be
compared.
"Oh dear!" groaned the lad, as he raised his head. "Another drink like
that and there'll be nothing left in the creek."
But thirst satisfied left him with such a tormenting sense of hunger
that the question of something to eat speedily became paramount to all
others. He almost ceased to think of Apaches in his wild desire for
something with which to satisfy the cravings within.
The heavy trunk, covered with a few knotty protuberances, kept very
nearly in the center of the stream and shifted on below the wood, across
the open space and around the curve which has been already referred to,
by which time it was fairly dark. Beyond this he could discern the
outlines of the grove in the encampment of the day before, and where his
own rush for liberty had been made. Were the Apaches still there,
awaiting the conclusion of the hunt for him? This was the question, and,
in his desire to answer it, he carefully steadied himself until he stood
upright upon the log, so as to look across the intervening space to the
wood beyond.
"If they're there, they'd be sure to have a camp fire," was the truthful
conclusion; "but I can't catch sight of anything."
Had a point of light twinkled through the foliage, it is doubtful
whether he could have had the courage to continue on down the stream to
the point where it passed so close to the camp. No doubt he would have
dodged it. But all continued dark and silent, and he was quite confident
that they had gone. He crouched upon the raft again, and drifted with
the current.
As he neared the rapids and narrow places where the water dashed over
its rocky bed, it looked as if he would be unable to keep his seat upon
the raft; but as this was the very section, where, above all others, he
wished to keep his feet off the ground, he grasped the limbs and held
on. He went safely on, although considerable water was splashed over
him, and in a few minutes was in the broad, smooth current below, and so
close to the grove that he trembled with fear.
In the dim moonlight he easily recognized the place, and for a few
seconds he believed he had committed a fatal error in retracing his
route in this fashion; but the silence remained unbroken, and he began
breathing more freely, when all at once one end of the trunk struck the
shore; the other end swung round, but it remained fast, and his journey
for a time was at an end.
Ned was dismayed and at a loss what to do, for the only way of breaking
loose that he could see was to step ashore and shove off. He remained
quiescent a moment or two, in the hope that the raft would loosen
itself; but, as it did not, he sprang ashore for that purpose. As he did
so, he looked around for some sign of his enemies, but there was none,
and the fact gave him assurance that they had really gone.
"They must have had dinner there," was his conclusion, "and maybe they
have left something that I can make use of."
Encouraged by this hope, he moved over the intervening space, and
speedily reached the spot where Lone Wolf and his band had encamped
twenty hours before. As he had taken his departure from the savages
before dinner, he was not really certain that that important meal had
taken place; but he made diligent search, resolved that he would find
out beyond all peradventure. The very best good fortune attended him. He
had hunted but a few minutes, when he trod among the ashes where the
camp fire had been burning. This proved that a meal had been partaken
of, and in this country, so prodigal in the different species of game,
the Indians were not economical in the use of food. Groping around in
the dark, his hands soon came upon a goodly-sized bone, plentifully
covered with meat, which had not been cooked so that it could be called
overdone. A starving wolf could not have devoured this with greater
gusto than did he, nor could a dozen starving wolves have enjoyed it
more than did the poor fellow who had been so long without any
nourishment.
When it was gnawed clean he hunted around for more. There was no lack of
the material, and Ned was thankful beyond expression for this wonderful
piece of good fortune, by which he had escaped from Lone Wolf and his
warriors, and then, when starving, had obtained the food he needed from
them. He ate and ate, and then rested and ate again, until he had
gormandized himself to his utmost capacity, when with a sigh of
happiness, he rose to his feet, and stole back toward the stream where
he had left his craft. It was found there as if waiting expressly for
his return, and, shoving it loose, he made his way to near the middle,
where he crouched down and looked around with a feeling of misgiving and
fear.
"I wonder if it can hold me after such a supper? It is a little lower in
the water, but I guess it can stand it."
Whither the stream was tending was a question for the wanderer to
consider; but as he was without any possible means of determining, he
did not devote much time to the consideration thereof. His purpose was
to get ahead without leaving a trail behind, and that was what he was
doing.