DANGER.
Three Indians walked leisurely down to the shore of the river, as though
in quest of nothing particular, and stood gesticulating as they
generally do with their whole arms. They were about two hundred yards
above the point where Tim O'Rooney landed, but their position was such
that the canoe might have rested on the surface of the water without
being seen. Sensible of their danger, the boys at first sight of them
withdrew into cover, from which they cautiously peered out and watched
their movements.
"Those must be the three who fired the guns," whispered Elwood.
"Very probably they are; that looks more encouraging, for I do not see
Tim among them."
"Maybe they have slain him and are talking as to where he came from."
"Heaven! I hope not."
"So do I; but it looks reasonable that they have made away with him and
are now looking for us."
"How did they know he had any friends with him? Then, too, if they had
slain him, would they not have followed his trail straight down to the
water?"
"I didn't think of that. _That_ question makes me more hopeful than
anything else. It does now look somewhat cheering. But what are they
after?"
The Indians were still talking in an excited manner, and more than once
pointed across the river to the island as if there were something there
which claimed their attention. It might be the boys themselves, or they
may have known that one of their race lay there in dire extremity; but
whatever the cause was it boded no good to the two boys, who were
crouching in the bushes and grass and furtively watching their motions.
The latter were still gazing at them when their hearts were thrilled by
the sight of Tim O'Rooney. The eyes of Elwood chanced to be fixed upon a
small open space, a rod or two from where the canoe lay, when he saw the
Irishman come cautiously into view, and then pause and look around him.
He had an animal slung over his shoulders, whose weight was sufficient
to make him stop and travel with some difficulty. They saw him turn his
head and carefully scrutinize every suspicious point that was visible,
and then he walked slowly toward the spot where the canoe was concealed.
Whether his low stoop was caused by the weight of his game, or whether
it was a precautionary measure on his part, was difficult to decide. The
boys at once became painfully excited and alarmed.
"They will see him! they will see him!" said Elwood, "and it will be all
over with us. What a pity! when he has got along so well!"
"Can we not warn him in some manner? The Indians do not know how near he
is, nor does he know how close they are."
"How can we do it?" asked Elwood, who was anxious to give Tim some
warning of his danger. "If we make any sign the Indians will see us."
"Perhaps not; for they are not looking in this direction all the time,
while Tim knows that we are watching him."
"Yes; but he has his hands full to see that the savages do not find
him."
The case looked critical indeed. Tim was nearing the point where it
seemed inevitable that a discovery should take place. He paused at
nearly every step or two, looked behind him and up and down the river in
a manner that showed plainly enough his fear of his enemies. Elwood
Brandon in his eagerness had risen to his feet, and was looking intently
at him, waiting until he should cast his eye toward the island that he
might give him warning. But the Irishman was so occupied with his
enemies that he appeared to forget the existence of his friends.
Elwood did not remove his gaze, and all at once he saw him raise his
head. Quick as a flash the boy sprung up a foot or two from the ground
and waved his hat toward him.
"Did he see me?" he asked, as he sunk down to the earth again.
"He has paused and is looking toward us."
Tim had caught sight of the signal of the boy, but was uncertain as to
its meaning. The waving of the hat might be supposed as an act of
encouragement than otherwise; but there was something in the silent,
hurried manner of his young friend, united with the fact that he had
been, and was still, in great personal peril, that arrested his
attention and set him to thinking.
"Did the Indians see me?" asked Elwood.
"I can't say positively, as I was looking at Tim at the moment you made
your signal, but they do not seem to act as if they had discovered us."
"Tim saw me, didn't he? He doesn't know what to make of it."
The Irishman had laid the animal he was carrying upon the ground, and
stood looking toward the inland as if waiting for some further
manifestation before advancing or retreating. Believing the safety of
the entire party demanded it, Elwood begun cautiously rising to his feet
to repeat his warning, when he was quickly caught by his cousin.
"Down! those Indians are suspicious; they are looking right at us--don't
stir."
The admonition was not a moment too soon; but while it prevented
discovery on the part of the boys, it rendered the signal already given
the Irishman void and of no effect. Tim, seeing nothing more of his
young friend, concluded that all was right, and lifting his game to his
shoulder continued his descent until he reached his canoe. This was
drawn from its hiding place and launched in the water, and the animal
placed in the rear. Seating himself carefully in the front, Tim lifted
his paddle and began making his way toward the inland.
"Too bad! too bad!" muttered Elwood, unable to repress his feelings. "He
is coming right out where they will have a fair chance with their
rifles."
"If he would only turn up stream, they would see nothing of him."
"_Can't_ I warn him?"
"No, Elwood, it will make matters worse. Their eyes are fixed upon us."
Grasping the long oar Tim headed his boat somewhat up stream, so as not
to let it drift by the island, and commenced paddling across. He had
gone twenty rods or thereabouts when he was discovered by the Indians,
and one of them raised his rifle and took aim at him.
"Quick, Tim, drop down, or you'll be shot!" called out Howard, forgetful
of his own danger in the single hope of saving his friend from a violent
death.
At the same instant that this cry was uttered the terrified boy saw a
puff of smoke issue from the Indian rifle, and simultaneous with the
sharp crack Tim O'Rooney was seen to fall flat in the canoe.
"He is shot!" called out Elwood.
"It is time then for us to do some of the same kind of business,"
replied Howard, sighting his own gun at the savage upon the shore. The
distance was too great and his skill too slight to guide the ball with
anything like certainty, but it skipped over the water at their very
feet, and so alarmed them that they immediately dodged back under the
shelter of the rocks and trees.
"What is the use?" asked Elwood gloomily. "Poor Tim is killed and there
is no chance for us."
"Look! he is not dead!" whispered Howard.
The head of the Irishman was seen to rise stealthily from the bottom of
the canoe, and to peer around, and then to dash down again as though
fearful of another shot.
"I don't believe he has been struck!" added Howard. "He dropped down so
as to save himself."
"Oh! I hope so, for we need him bad enough. See! he is fixing the body
of the animal so that it shall be between him and the Indians' guns."
Such was the case. Tim was arranging and placing the carcass so that it
might shield his own body while he managed the paddle. This completed he
turned his face toward his young friends and called across the water:
"Be aisy, me darlings! The owld bullet come close, but not a hair of Tim
O'Rooney's head was touched, and thanks be to heaven for it!"