A NIGHT DISTURBANCE.
Neither the Pah Utah nor the Irishman were disposed to make a move until
they had finished their "smoke," and both of them whiffed as leisurely
as though they had contracted to spend several hours thus. Howard and
Elwood passed the time in walking around the woods and along the stream,
taking particular care not to go beyond sight of Shasta, whose black
orbs they could see attentively following their movements.
"All aboord!" shouted Tim at the expiration of an hour or so, and the
boys hurried down to the "wharf" with as much alacrity as if they had
heard the last bell of the steamer.
The Indian stood upon the shore with a look of inquiry. He pointed up
stream and then down.
"He is inquiring which way we wish to go," said Howard.
"That, is strange, after bringing us so many miles from the island."
Elwood pointed down stream, but Shasta was not satisfied; he wished to
know something more. He described several circles, terminating each time
by pointing to the north. All three looked inquiringly at one other's
faces. They could not comprehend his meaning.
"What does he wish to say?"
"I am sure I cannot tell."
"He wants us to travel the rest of the way by turning summersits."
Seeing that he was not understood, the Pah Utah took the paddle from the
canoe and made in the air as if he were impelling the boat, then
pausing, he again pointed to the north, and took several long strides in
that direction, as though he were going to walk a long distance.
Elwood's eyes sparkled.
"I know what, he means! I know what he means!"
"What is it?"
"He wishes to ask whether we want to _go a good ways_!"
"You are right," replied Howard. "He doesn't know whether we are hunting
in these parts, and wish to stay in the neighborhood, or whether we are
hurrying home as fast as we can."
Shasta's motions and signs were imitated as nearly as possible, and he
nodded his head and muttered something doubtless to signify that he was
satisfied. Terror whisked into the canoe and took his position in the
prow, while his three masters, if a dog can own that many, arranged
themselves behind him. The tendon still united the two boats, and one
sweep of Pah Utah's paddle sent the two far out into the river, where he
began his work.
For a time our friends gave themselves up to the enjoyment of this
pleasant motion. At each dip of the paddle, or contraction of the iron
muscles of Shasta, they could feel the canoe jump forward as does a
steamboat under the throbs of the mighty engine. At the same time the
motion was light and airy, as if the boat were skimming over the very
surface. Indeed, by shutting the eyes and feeling the light wind fanning
the temples, it was easy to imagine that they were borne through the air
by some great bird whose wings could be felt to pulsate beneath them.
"Look at that machinery!" exclaimed Howard. "Did you ever see anything
like it? Not an ounce of superfluous flesh upon him. See how the muscles
swell and ridge, and yet he doesn't swerve his body a hair's breadth to
the right or left."
"He can 'paddle his own canoe,'" laughed Elwood.
"Look at those shoulders; they are perfect mountains of muscle, and
those sinewy arm! His legs are fully as perfect, and I'll warrant he can
run a dozen miles an hour for a whole day without getting tired. He
would be a dangerous man to meet as an enemy."
"And a good one as a friend."
"Yes; I can hardly see what chances we would have had of reaching the
mouth of the river without his help."
"We had no chance unless we could join a party of hunters and induce
them to go with us."
"Boys," said Tim, looking hard at them, "it isn't right--isn't the
same."
"What do you mean?"
"That Mr. Shasta should tow us along in this shtyle, and we sit in the
owld boat and permit him. No, it's wrong."
The boys admitted that it looked hardly proper, whereupon Tim took the
paddle and began plying it with all the skill of which he was master.
The Pah Utah looked over his shoulder now and then with a strange
expression, as if he were amused at the white man's furious efforts, but
he did not abate his own labor in the least.
Tim O'Rooney made a great deal of splashing, occasionally flirting a
shower of spray over his friends as the paddle took an unexpected twist
in his hand; but, as we have said before, he had had considerable
experience in propelling a canoe, and he gave a little assistance to
their dusky friend.
When the sun was overhead, Shasta directed the prow of the boat toward
the western bank, and they landed in a place somewhat resembling that of
the morning. The boats were drawn upon land in the usual manner, by
which they were concealed from the observation of any passing up or down
stream.
The Indian resorted to the same means by which he had caught the fish in
the morning and with equal success. They were rather smaller, but none
the less savory, either to man or brute. An hour sufficed to rest them
all, and to give Shasta all the pleasure of his pipe that he wished,
while Tim continued his after entering the canoe. Howard and Elwood made
an essay with the paddle, but the result with the latter was that the
instant he so cautiously thrust it beneath the surface, it was suddenly
wrung from his hand, and in an instant left a rod or two astern. This
necessitated a delay in order to pick it up, and the boys concluded to
await another time to perfect themselves in the art of managing an
Indian canoe.
It was not until it was quite dark that they once more set foot upon
land and kindled their fire. There was quite a strong wind blowing, and
the chill of the air appeared to indicate that it came from the snowy
peaks of the Coast Range. Fully an hour was taken in gathering wood,
sticks, broken limbs and branches, for they had concluded to keep it
burning until morning.
The fire was kindled against the trunk of a giant sycamore, and as the
flames waved up the shaggy bark the reflection upon the outstretched
limbs and neighboring trees gave them a weird appearance that made the
boys gather close to the somber-hued Pah Utah as though conscious of his
ability to stand between them and evil.
Tim and Shasta were leisurely smoking their pipes, and Howard and Elwood
were conversing together in low tones of their homes and friends, when a
quick bark from Terror, as he rose to his feet and looked in the
darkness, drew all eyes in one direction. A score of flashing eyes,
gleaming teeth, lank, restless bodies and greedy jaws announced, that a
new danger threatened them.