THE CAMP OF THE STRANGERS.
The expedition on which Jack Carleton entered with his two companions
promised to be similar in many respects to those which have been already
described. It looked indeed as if it would be more dull, and, for a
while, such was the fact, but it was not long before matters took a turn
as extraordinary as unexpected, and which quickly led the Kentuckian to
conclude that it was, after all, the most eventful enterprise of his
life.
For nearly three days the westward journey was without incident which
need be given in detail. They swam several streams of water, climbed and
descended elevations and shot such game as they required. The weapon of
Hay-uta proved to be fully as excellent as it looked. Though its
flintlock and single muzzle-loading barrel would have made a sorry show
in the presence of our improved modern weapons, yet it was capable of
splendid execution. Jack Carleton was a fine marksman, but in a friendly
contest in which the three engaged, the Sauk beat him almost every time.
That this was due to the superiority of his gun was proven by the fact
that when they exchanged rifles, the young Kentuckian never failed to
beat the other, and the beauty of the whole proceeding was that when
Deerfoot took the handsome weapon, he vanquished both; in fact he did it
with the gun belonging to Jack Carleton.
Though the young Shawanoe clung to his bow, it was clear to his
companions that he admired the new piece. He turned it over and examined
every part, as though it possessed a special attraction.
"Deerfoot," said Jack, pinching his arm, "you could beat William Tell
himself, if he were living, with the bow, but what's the use of talking?
It can't compare with the rifle and you know it. Just because a gun of
yours once flashed in the pan, you threw it away and took up the bow
again, but it was a mistake, all the same."
"One of these days Deerfoot may use the rifle," he answered, as if
talking to himself, "but not yet--not yet."
Little did he suspect how close he was to the crisis which would lead
him to a decision on that question.
Toward the close of the three days referred to, the trio were in what is
to-day the southwestern corner of Missouri. Had the time been a hundred
years later, they would have had to go but a short distance to cross the
border line into Kansas.
A remarkable feature of their journey to that point, was the fact that,
while making the distance, they had not seen a single person besides
themselves. Not once, when they climbed a tree or elevation and
carefully scanned the country, did they catch sight of the smoke of a
solitary camp-fire creeping upward toward the blue sky. They heard the
crack of no gun beside their own, and the keen eyes which glanced to the
right and left, as they trod the endless wilderness, failed to detect
the figure of the stealthily moving warrior.
This was singular, for there were plenty of Indians at that day west of
the Mississippi, and it would be hard to find a section through which
such a long journey could be made without coming upon red men. But at
the end of the three days, our friends could not complain that there was
any lack of dusky strangers.
It was near the middle of the afternoon, when finding themselves in a
dense portion of the wood, on a considerable elevation, they decided to
"take another observation". To Jack Carleton it looked as if they were
engaged on a hopeless errand, and, but for his unbounded faith in
Deerfoot, he would have turned back long before in despair; it would be
more proper indeed to say, that he never would have entered alone on
such an enterprise.
There was no need for the three to climb a tree, so two stood on the
ground while Deerfoot made his way among the limbs with the nimbleness
of a monkey.
He went to the very top, and balancing himself on the swaying limb
carefully parted the branches before his face. His penetrating glance
was rewarded by a sight which caused an amazed "hooh!" to fall from his
lips.
A little ways to the westward flowed a rapid stream, a hundred yards
wide. The other shore, for a rod or two, was bare of trees and
vegetation, except some stunted grass, and in this open space was
encamped a party of Indians. The sentinel in the tree counted eleven,
and suspected there were others who just then were not in sight. Though
it lacked several hours of darkness and the air was pleasant, they had
started a fire, big enough to warm a large space. Some of them seemed to
have been fishing in the stream, for they had broiled a number of fish
on the coals, and the nostrils of the young Shawanoe detected their
appetizing odor.
Under ordinary circumstances there would have been nothing specially
interesting in the group, but Deerfoot had studied them but a minute or
two when he became convinced that they belonged to the same tribe which
held Otto Relstaub a prisoner. Their dress, looks, and general
appearance answered the description given by Hay-uta.
The heart of the youth beat faster over the thought that probably the
four warriors whom he was seeking to follow were among them, and the
fate of the German lad was about to be solved. He glanced down the trunk
of the tree, and saw Jack Carleton and the Sauk standing on the ground
and looking up at him, as though they suspected from his manner that
some important discovery had been made. Without speaking, Deerfoot
beckoned to the warrior to join him. The next instant the fellow was
climbing among the limbs with such vigor that Deerfoot felt the jar at
the very top.
Their combined weight was too great for such an elevation, and the
younger perched himself somewhat lower, so as to give Hay-uta the
advantage. A few words made known what Deerfoot had seen and that he
wished the elder to answer the questions which the Shawanoe had asked
himself.
Hay-uta was as guarded in his actions as Deerfoot could have been. He
spent several minutes in a study of the group on the other side of the
stream. Had he and the Shawanoe suspected they were so close to a camp
of red men, neither would have climbed the tree, for little, if any
thing, was to be gained by doing so; the strangers could have been
scrutinized from the ground as well as from the elevation. It was a
noteworthy fact that two such skillful woodmen as Hay-uta and Deerfoot
should approach so close to another party without discovering it.
While Hay-uta was inspecting the warriors, Deerfoot quietly awaited him
on a limb some ten feet below, and Jack Carleton, peering aloft from the
ground until his neck ached, wondered what it all meant.
The Sauk softly withdrew the hand extended in front of his face, and the
leaves came together with scarcely a rustle. With several long reaches
of his arms and legs, he placed himself beside his friend below and told
what he had learned. The two of course talked in the Indian tongue and I
give a liberal translation:
"What does my brother know?" asked Deerfoot.
"They belong to the tribe who took the pale-face; Hay-uta knows not
their name, but their looks show it."
"Then their village can not be far away."
"We must learn that of a surety for ourselves; two warriors among them
are the same that gave us the wampum and blankets for the pale-face
boy."
"Does my brother make no error?" asked Deerfoot, surprised to be told
they were so close upon the heels of a couple of the very red men whom
they scarcely hoped to find.
But the suspicion that such was the fact caused the Sauk to keep up his
scrutiny until no doubt was left. He assured Deerfoot of the truth,
adding that the taller was the one who handed over the wampum, and who
showed such a willingness to draw the Sauks into a fight without waiting
for provocation.
This was news of moment and raised several questions which the friends
discussed while perched in the tree. If two of the original warriors
were present, where were the others? Was it not likely they were out of
sight only for the time being? It seemed probable that the four while
journeying toward their own hunting grounds, had joined a company of
friends, with whom they were making the rest of the trip.
Then followed the question, _What of Otto Relstaub?_ Varied as might be
the answers to the question, all the probabilities pointed to his death,
and that, too, in the most painful manner; but it was idle to grope in
the field of conjecture. It was for the friends to decide on the means
of learning the truth.
In the hope of getting more knowledge, Deerfoot again climbed to the
highest point, and studied the group on the other side of the stream;
but was disappointed, and he and Hay-uta made their way to the ground,
where Jack Carleton was told all.
The eyes of the young Kentuckian expanded, and, when the story was
finished, he exclaimed in a guarded voice:
"They've got Otto--of course they have."
The expression of the Shawanoe's face showed he was not sure of the
meaning of his friend, who added:
"The whole four that had charge of him are with those fellows, and, if
Otto isn't there also we may as well give up and go back, for he is no
longer alive."
Deerfoot made no answer, but Jack was sure he shared the fear with him.
A discussion of the situation and the difficulties before them, led the
two warriors to decide on a curious line of action.
It was agreed that one should cross boldly over and mingle with the
strangers, while the other should reconnoiter the camp and learn what he
could, without allowing himself to be seen.
It would be supposed that, inasmuch as Hay-uta was acquainted with two
of the Indians, and had parted from them on friendly terms, he would be
selected to enter camp, while Deerfoot's matchless woodcraft would lead
to his selection to work outside; but these situations were reversed.
Since the strangers had journeyed far to the eastward into the hunting
grounds of the Sauks and Osages (probably to the very shore of the great
Mississippi), it followed that no surprise should be felt by them to
find that some equally inquiring red man had traveled toward the Rocky
Mountains, with a view of seeing the strange land and its people. It was
the intention of the young Shawanoe to assume such a part. Should any
mishap befall Hay-uta, he would give out that he was engaged on a
similar mission, and not knowing he was near friends, he was
reconnoitring the party from a safer distance.
There were several reasons for this reversal of duties, as they may be
called, but it is necessary to give only one or two. The appearance of
Hay-uta among them most likely would raise suspicion that it bore some
relation to the captive Otto. The red men, therefore, would be put upon
their guard and the difficulty of securing him--if alive--greatly
increased.
But the strongest reason was that Deerfoot would be sure to do better
when brought in contact with the Indians. He was greatly the superior of
the Sauk in mental gifts, and, with his remarkable power of reading sign
language, would be sure to extract knowledge that was beyond the reach
of Hay-uta.
Having decided on the course they were to follow, no time was lost in
talking over the plan agreed upon. Jack Carleton was informed of the
particulars by Deerfoot.
"I suppose it's the best thing to be done, though my opinion don't
amount to much in _this_ crowd. What am _I_ to do?"
"My brother may sleep," said the Shawanoe, with that slight approach to
humor which he sometimes showed.
"Yes; I would do a great deal of sleeping; but go ahead and I'll be on
the lookout for you. I don't suppose you can tell when you are likely to
get back?"
Deerfoot shook his head, but intimated that he hoped to learn all that
he sought to know before the coming night should end.
A few minutes previous to this, Hay-uta had walked down the stream,
keeping so far back that he could not be seen by any one on the other
side. The Shawanoe took the opposite direction, the purpose of each
being to act independently, and, in case circumstances brought them
together in the presence of the aliens, the agreement was that Sauk and
Shawanoe should comport themselves as though they had never met before.
When the time should come for the scouts, as they may be called, to
return to the shore from which they started, they would have no trouble
in finding Jack Carleton, with whom it was easy to communicate by means
of signals. The most trying task was that of the young Kentuckian
himself, who was left without any employment for mind or body.
Deerfoot walked several hundred yards up stream until he had passed a
bend, where he swam across. He kept his bow so far above surface that
the string was not wetted.
When he had surveyed himself, as best he could, he walked in the
direction of the camp of the hostiles, as he more than suspected they
should be classed. Had any one noticed him just then, he would have
observed that the Shawanoe walked with a limp, as though suffering from
some injury.
The readers of "Ned in the Block House," will recall that Deerfoot once
saved his life by feigning lameness, and the youth saw nothing to lose
and possibly much to gain by such strategy in the enterprise on which he
was engaged.