STILL ON THE ISLAND.
The dull, grey light that now began to overspread the sky, gave token
of the coming day, and the three whites withdrew further into the grove
for consultation.
"This is a bad business," remarked Waring, after he had exchanged
experiences with his friends. "The infernal devils have outwitted us
at last. God knows what will become of Virginia. Her poor father is
already dead!"
"Yes, we have seen him," said Hezekiah, with a shudder at the
remembrance of the awful scene. "He isn't a dozen rods away from us."
"Let us give him a decent burial," added Waring. "We can find some
means to scoop out a grave for him."
The three moved away to the clearing, but, upon reaching it, nothing of
the body was to be seen. The Shawanoes had carried it from the island.
"Perhaps it is as well," said Waring. "He is beyond all pain and
suffering, and the disposal of his body can make no difference to him,
although I would that we could have performed the last sad rites for
him."
"Wall," said Hezekiah, clamping his rifle down upon the ground, as
he came to a halt, and folding his arm over it, "here we is, and the
question afore this assembly is how we're going to get away. What do
you propose to do, my dear Patrick?"
"I advise that we ate breakfast."
"The only objection to that," replied Waring, "is that we have none to
eat; but, badinage aside, we must first go over this island again, and
learn whether there are any of the demons left. If not, we must get on
their track, for, as true as the heaven is above me, I never go to that
settlement without Virginia."
"I am certain--that is, as certain as I can be--that the last of the
Indians left the island a half hour ago. We seen their canoes going
off."
At the extremity of the island the three separated, as had been
proposed, and commenced making their way back again.
In doing this, it was necessary to avoid exposing themselves to any who
might be on either shore of the mainland, and, from the great caution
that was necessary, the work was an extremely difficult and tedious one.
It was not until full two hours had elapsed that the three whites met
on the spot where Virginia Lander had been taken prisoner.
Their search, or examination, as it might be termed, proved that the
savages had, indeed, left the island, not a sign of one having been
discovered. They had probably done this under the belief that the
whites had succeeded in reaching the mainland, so that the latter were
convinced that, if they kept themselves concealed through the day they
would not be disturbed, and could easily get away when night came
again. The ashes of their camp-fire had been discovered, and blood upon
the leaves, and other evidences of their recent visit.
"But, if you have no objection to tell, where's your rifle?" asked
Hezekiah, who had noticed that Waring was unprovided with that weapon.
The latter looked through the trees.
"Yonder it lies this very minute. Strange, that they did not steal that
also. I will go and recover it."
He paused, ere he had passed out from among the trees, for the very
fact that the rifle lay there undisturbed, sent a suspicious pang
through him. It seemed improbable that such an occurrence could be mere
accident. A true Indian rarely, if ever, committed such an oversight.
The rifle was magnificently mounted, and would have been a prize to any
one.
There was another matter which, in Waring's state of mind, excited
suspicion and apprehension. He believed the gun did not lie on the
precise spot where he had thrown it. He recollected that he had flung
it with such force that it must have gone very nearly to the edge of
the beach, whereas it now lay either on the very spot that he had
passed over, or a few feet upon the opposite side.
This circumstance, which, at any other time, would have attracted no
attention at all, caused Waring great uneasiness. He felt that it was
by no means certain that everything was right upon the island, even
though it had been proven that their enemies had just left it. It
looked to him as though a trap had been laid to ensnare him, and this
rifle of his, lying but a few yards distant, was the bait.
Feeling pretty well convinced that there was some design in the
presence of this rifle, he set himself to work to discover the precise
means by which it was intended to entrap him. There being no Indians on
the island, of course he ran no risk of being taken prisoner, in case
he ventured out to recover the weapon. The distance from this point to
either shore was so slight that it would have been the easiest matter
in the world for a concealed savage to pick him off. The gun could not
be recovered without exposing himself to this peril.
Ah! the flat-boat! Waring's heart leapt at the thought. Strange that
it had not occurred to him before. There it lay, just as it had during
the night, save, perhaps, that it had sunk a few inches lower. It was
upon that he had seen the heads of several Indians, and there, in all
probability they still lay in wait, watching for his reappearance.
What reason had these Shawanoes to suppose that Waring could again
return to the island. The best of reasons. He had shown to them a
desire to do so, and as long as he believed that Virginia Lander was
there, the savages well knew he would linger in the vicinity. Once upon
the island, he would not fail to recover his gun, provided he believed
he incurred no additional danger in doing so.
That, then, he concluded, was the solution of the question. Taking
other matters into consideration, Waring came to the conclusion that it
was their desire to take him prisoner instead of shooting him, deeming,
most probably, the latter death far too comfortable a mode for him to
use in getting out of the world. He knew enough of the blood-thirsty
savages to understand what a terrible fate would be his, in case he
fell into their hands. They would take a fearful vengeance for the
Shawanoe he had killed in self-defence. Well, indeed, had it been for
the feeble Mr. Lander that he was so enfeebled and weakened. It brought
him a speedy death, instead of a lingering torture.
These reflections, which we have recorded at some length, occupied
Waring but a few seconds. He saw everything with a hunter's eye, and,
with a shake of his head, stepped back a pace or two, and resumed his
position beside the Irishman and Hezekiah.
"What's the matter?" asked the latter.
"It won't do--it won't do."
"What won't do? Do you mean to go out there and pick your rifle?"
"Yes, that is what I mean."
"What is to hinder?"
"I don't like the looks of that flat-boat."
"Whew!" blew Hezekiah, surveying the object in question as though he
had never seen it. "If you've no objection, might I inquire why you
don't like it?"
"I am afraid there are Indians concealed upon it. I saw them there last
night."
And now arose a dispute in which all three of the whites engaged.
Waring, who most certainly was the best qualified to judge, expressed
it as his firm conviction that a half dozen Shawanoes, at least, were
at that moment glaring out from the flat-boat, and waiting for their
reappearance. Hezekiah dissented, and persistently maintained that
there was but one savage upon the craft, and that he lay in the cabin
sound asleep! He could give no satisfactory reason to the others for
this belief, but he appeared sincerely to believe it himself. Pat
Mulroony, on the contrary, was ready to swear that there wasn't a
redskin on the island, flat-boat, either bank, or within five miles of
them!
"Be jabers! I'll soon find out."
"How?"
"I am going on the owld flat-boat itself."
Pat's companions begged, entreated, and implored, but all to no
purpose. He had resolved to prove what he had argued, and he now
prepared to do it.