That part of Lone-Elk's band which had been appointed to hide along the
river bank throughout the day and paddle up and down in the densest
shadows of the shores when night had come, did not keep up their search
as long as John had hoped they would, when he silently chuckled over the
thought of their waste of time and effort.
When they passed so close to the lad they sought, not more than one of
them suspecting how very near he was, the Delawares were closing in on
the cabin, together with others on shore. Lone-Elk had given the signal,
by passing the word quietly along the irregular line his braves made
around the clearing, after waiting all day long. He hoped to find the
"witch" in hiding in the little cabin. Even if he did not, he would
impress the Delawares with the seeming truth of the charge he had made
against the young white man by showing that he was away from home,
engaged, presumably, in some of his dreadful witch's work. The Seneca
had, moreover, a plan in mind which made a visit to the home of the
young Palefaces desirable from his point of view, whether the one they
sought should be discovered or not, and now would be as good a time as
any for the carrying out of his purpose.
While the Indians were yet at a distance, Kingdom, watching and
listening in the cabin, heard their approach. He had kept his rifle
close at hand all day, and now he casually picked the weapon up and with
a show of idle carelessness polished its glossy stock with a bit of
buckskin.
The savages came silently on, apparently without effort to keep from
being heard. Kingdom was aware that they kept their line spread out so
as to form a semicircle which, together with the river, would wholly
enclose the little log house. His sharp ears assured him that this was
done, but it was with well acted surprise that he sprang lightly up and
stepped toward the door when Lone-Elk and one other Indian showed
themselves at last within the dim ray of light shining from the
fireplace.
"Come in! It's wet and bad outside! Bring them all in!" he called
pleasantly, meeting the Seneca at the threshold and glancing out as if
he plainly saw the whole line of Indians outside, which in fact he did
not see at all.
"White Fox speaks kindly," answered Lone-Elk, calling Ree by the name
the Delawares had long ago given him.
Only the Seneca and the one other Indian drew near the lighted space
about the door, however, and these two now entered as if they were quite
by themselves.
"Why should I not?" Ree answered to the Seneca's remark, noticing as he
did so, how searchingly both the savages were looking about the cabin's
single room. "We,--my white brother and myself--have had the friendship
of the Delawares always."
"It is as the white brother says," said the second Indian, a powerful
fellow whom Kingdom now recognized as a brave from the Delaware town on
the Muskingum, and whom he had seen a number of times before. As he
spoke, this Indian looked at Lone-Elk inquiringly. Perhaps the Seneca
considered his words a challenge. At any rate he said sharply:
"Where is the other white brother! Does the White Fox wish to hide him
then, if he is the friend of the Delawares? Will the White Fox hide the
witch that breathed poison breath upon Big Buffalo, the witch that with
a hatchet killed a Delaware warrior, yet left no mark?"
"What's this you say? What wild talk is this, Lone-Elk? Has Lone-Elk
drunk of the firewater that he comes speaking so absurdly?"
Kingdom spoke with a show of temper and in a manner distinctly
creditable to the part he was bound to act.
"It is the law that witches must be put to death," the Seneca returned
vigorously. "Lone-Elk has said that Little Paleface with a witch's
hatchet killed a Delaware warrior--killed Big Buffalo. Now must the
witch be given up to the friends of him that was killed."
"Well, I can only tell you that the one you call Little Paleface is not
here. He is far away and may not come back for some days," Kingdom
answered quietly. "Now if Lone-Elk will believe this, and it is the
truth, he will return to the town of the Delawares and I will myself go
there tomorrow to have a talk. Is it a friendly thing for Delaware
braves to remain hidden all about the lodge of their Paleface brothers
as they are doing now? Let them all come into the light. Let them see
that my brother who is accused so falsely--so unfairly and so
unjustly--let them see, I say, that he is not here, and we will plan to
have a talk tomorrow."
Lone-Elk gave a short, fierce whoop. Instantly fifteen or more Indians
rushed into the cabin, crowding-the little room quite uncomfortably.
"The witch is hidden," said Lone-Elk, loudly. "If the Little Paleface is
here let him show himself."
As Kingdom looked quickly from one to another of the Indians he observed
with sorrow that Fishing Bird was among them. Had this good fellow
turned against his white friends, too? But no, that quick friendly look
as their eyes met was proof of his friendship still.
There being no answer to the Seneca's invitation to Little Paleface to
show himself, except the grunted "Ughs!" of some of the Delawares,
Lone-Elk sprang quickly up the ladder of poles and peered into the loft.
Others followed his example, climbing up on stools or by the aid of the
roughness of the wall. Some looked up the chimney. Some searched here,
some there. One party of five or six, lighting hickory bark torches at
the fire, went into the barn. In five minutes the whole cabin was turned
topsy-turvy.
"You see it is just as I told you in the beginning," said Kingdom in a
friendly tone, but somewhat impatiently. "Now will you not consent to a
talk! Let it be in the Council House of the Delawares--let it be any
place you choose. I think I can prove to you that this charge of
witchcraft is placed against one who is as true and honest as ever man
could be."
Ree was sorry to see that the Delawares looked to Lone-Elk to answer. He
had more fear of this one Indian, under the circumstances, than of any
other half dozen warriors in Captain Pipe's town.
"Let it be as the White Fox says," the Seneca answered. "Yet will my
Paleface brother not deceive himself by thinking he deceives Lone-Elk.
The Paleface witch but hides. If it is not so, let the witch come to the
talk."
Not for a second did Kingdom allow this challenge to be unanswered. Like
a flash every eye had turned to him; but instantly he said:
"Will the Seneca go to Fort Pitt and there put Little Paleface on trial
before those whose customs are the customs of the Palefaces? No, of
course he will not. And just so would it not be fair for Lone-Elk to
demand more than he would be willing himself to give."
[Illustration: HE KEPT HIS EYES ON THE SENECA UNCEASINGLY.]
The justice of Kingdom's position was clear to the majority of the
Indians and he could not help but notice it; still Lone-Elk's reply in
curt, surly tones was far from pleasing.
"Yet the White Fox asks for a talk! Like squaws that tell one another of
the worms that harmed the corn does the Paleface want the Delawares to
meet together with him and speak idle words! Words! Words, that mean
nothing and come to nothing."
With a move of his hand to his companions to follow, the Seneca left the
cabin. Rapidly the other Indians marched off in single file after him.
Fishing Bird, somehow, was the last to leave. As he went out of the
door, he cast a glance of friendliness, which was also a look of
warning, to Ree and the peace of mind of that young gentleman was not
increased thereby.
By no means certain that the Indians would not return, Kingdom sat for a
long time on the edge of his bunk, listening and thinking. He had great
satisfaction in knowing that John was comparatively safe for the time,
at least, and thankful, indeed, that his chum's departure had been so
timely. He longed for another and more satisfactory talk with Fishing
Bird. He must have such a talk, he resolved, if it could by any chance
be arranged, before he undertook to show the Delawares that Big Buffalo
had not been killed by witchcraft. Perhaps that friendly fellow would be
able to give him the right clue to the whole situation. Might it not be
he would frankly declare that it was by the hand of Lone-Elk, himself,
that the warrior's life had been snuffed out!
In his own mind Ree had little doubt concerning the true cause of Big
Buffalo's death; but by what means the Seneca had put out of his way the
one member of Captain Pipe's community who openly resented his
leadership there would most probably be a difficult question to answer.
So the lonely lad sat pondering a long time; how long he did not know or
care. The rain was still falling, the wind still sighing dolefully when
he arose at last, closed and barred the door, also barred the opening
which served as a window, and removing only his moccasins lay down to
rest. Repeatedly did he picture to his mind's eye John Jerome tramping
slowly, silently through the wet leaves, among the dripping underbrush
and trees, stopping often to get his bearings from the wind, and so
making his weary and most lonesome way to the protection they had agreed
upon.
Repeatedly his thoughts returned to the "big talk" which he must attend
tomorrow; but sound sleep came to him at last, even while a crouching
figure moved swiftly and stealthily into the clearing and paused as if
in hiding behind a shock of corn--the very one on which the crow had
perched in the afternoon--then stole on again and disappeared.
Even as the first object appeared, another approached the cabin and
moved to the protection of the darker shadows of the stable. For a
minute or two the figure stood quiet in the denser darkness beside the
building, then moved cautiously toward the little cornfield as if
attracted by a faint rustle of corn leaves which seemed to come from
that vicinity.
The rain still fell in a quiet, unbroken drizzle, but the wind had
abated and there was no reason to suppose that it caused the movement of
the corn, which attracted the attention of the crouching creature. Still
listening with utmost care, the crouching figure moved nearer to the
spot from which the noise ensued.
To discern any object that was without motion, at a distance of even a
few feet in the pitch darkness, was an impossibility; but as the
rustling of the corn ceased, the one who had been attracted by the sound
made out a stealthy movement in the vicinity and instantly stood still.
When the darker shadow had passed beyond his vision he dropped to the
ground and listened with his ear against the wet grass and earth. After
a time he rose and ran forward ever so lightly, pausing at the edge of
the woods.
Hour after hour passed. A dull gray light appeared on the clouds to the
east. Rising then, and stretching himself, the silent watcher with
frequent looks toward every point went directly to the barn built up
against the white boys' cabin, opened the door and leaving it slightly
ajar, sat down upon the floor in such a way that he could command a view
of the greater part of the clearing.
The opening of the door of the barn made Return Kingdom move, sound
asleep though he was, and directly he awoke, conscious of having heard
some disturbing sound. What it was he did not know. For a time he
listened, but finding that drowsiness was overcoming him, he roused
himself with a sudden determination to investigate.
Springing up quietly, Kingdom put on his moccasins and opening a
loophole, peeped out. Though still very dark inside the cabin, he could
make out principal objects in the clearing, and noted nothing in the
least unusual. Suppressing a most sleepy yawn, he decided to creep into
his bunk and forget his troubles in restful unconsciousness until broad
daylight came.
Very likely the noise which had wakened him was made by one of the
horses, the lad thought. He peeped into the stable through a chink in
the wall. Discovering immediately that the door of the lean-to was open,
and remembering that he had closed it as usual, he was alarmed at once.
He seized his rifle, unbarred the cabin door and rushed out.
As he swung wide the door of the stable, to learn the cause of it not
being properly closed, a hand was held out to him and its mate was
raised in a sign of silence.
Startled, Kingdom stepped back a pace, but before the other could speak
he had recovered himself.
"Fishing Bird!" he exclaimed. "What in the world are you doing here at
such a time as this, Fishing Bird?"