LONE BEAR'S REVELATION.
Without hesitating a moment, the Pawnee made answer:
"Lone Bear speaks with a single tongue; he can not tell where the
pale-faced warrior is."
It might have been supposed that the Indian was trying to mislead
Deerfoot, but the latter saw his meaning and understood that it was his
anxiety to tell the truth which caused him to make answer as he did.
"How many suns ago did the Pawnee part with the pale-face?"
Lone Bear showed he was thinking. His brow wrinkled and he seemed to be
looking at something a mile behind the Shawanoe. Then he began counting
on his fingers, like a child solving some problem in addition. Seeing
that Deerfoot was watching him, he held up his left hand, with his
fingers spread apart, and touched them one after the other with the
forefinger of the right, until he had checked off four, thereby
indicating that four days or suns had elapsed since he had seen Otto
Relstaub.
"What tribe bought him from the Pawnees?"
"The pale-face went with no warriors."
"With whom did he go?"
"The pale-face was in the woods alone."
This was astonishing information, for it implied that Otto, like Jack,
had managed to escape from his captors; such, however, was not the case.
Deerfoot repressed all sign of deep interest as he plied Lone Bear with
questions.
"Did the pale-face run away when the skies were dark, or was it when the
sun was in the sky?"
"The sun was so high that when Lone Bear walked in the clearing it cast
no shadow," replied the Pawnee, thereby signifying that Otto Relstaub
disappeared at high noon. As it was clear that even the acute Deerfoot
did not grasp the full story, Lone Bear attested his sincerity by
adding:
"The youth whose face was pale became ill; he could not walk; the
Pawnees lingered hours, hunting and fishing; but his face was white like
the snow; he tried to rise, but fell down like a pappoose when its eyes
first look on the day. Red Wolf raised his tomahawk to slay him, but
Lone Bear stayed his arm. The Pawnees marched on and the pale-face lay
on the leaves, white and ready to die."
There at last was the practical solution of the mystery. The Pawnees had
not bartered off Otto with any other tribe, but were journeying homeward
with him when he fell ill. His captors had tarried near him for a time,
but instead of recovering he had grown weaker, until one of the Indians
proposed to end the trouble by sinking his tomahawk in his brain. He had
been prevented from doing so, and then the warriors had quietly moved
on, leaving the poor youth to die alone unattended in the wilderness.
But had he in reality perished? That was the question which was to be
answered, but in order to do so, it was necessary for Deerfoot to gain
all the information he could from Lone Bear, who, in fact, was the only
one that could give it. He therefore plied him with questions, until
nothing more was left to tell. His revelation was pitiful indeed.
Without any sense of the pathetic side of the narrative, Lone Bear
repeated his account of how, while they were moving at a leisurely pace,
Otto fell ill. It happened to be late in the afternoon, and as the spot
was favorable, the company went into camp. The poor fellow lay ill all
night, and on the morrow was so pale and weak, that his captors believed
he could not live many hours. Still they stayed in the neighborhood
until noon, when they abandoned him to his fate. Believing he would not
survive more than a few hours, Lone Bear and another warrior placed his
gun beside him, covered most of his body with leaves, laid his hat over
his face, and composed his limbs, as if for the grave. Otto seemed about
to die, and showed no interest in the last sad rites, his eyes being
closed when they departed.
Having obtained these particulars, Deerfoot learned another surprising
fact--the point where Otto was abandoned to die, instead of being a long
distance to the east, was full three days' journey in the opposite
direction. That is to say, the Pawnees, after parting with the lad, had
doubled on their own trail and were now the distance named from where it
was supposed he had died.
The cause for this retrogression was the love of migratory life which is
characteristic of the American race. The Pawnee villages, as I have
stated, lay a long ways to the north-west, but among the party that had
been on the long tramp, was a strong minority in favor of moving their
town to the neighborhood of the river across which we have seen friends
and foes pass so frequently. It abounded with game, had plenty of water,
numerous fish, and its surface was undulating enough to suit their
fancy. All this, no doubt, could be found in other places nearer home,
but the stretch of open land which followed one side of the stream for a
considerable distance, it may be said, was the deciding inducement. It
was the ideal of a site for an aboriginal metropolis, for there was just
enough land to put under cultivation to meet their simple wants.
The attractions of the locality formed the principal theme of
discussion, until, when three days' journey from the river, the minority
had become the majority, and it was decided to return and make a more
thorough examination of the neighborhood. They were thus engaged, in
their lazy fashion, when Deerfoot, Hay-uta and Jack Carleton overtook
them, and the incidents already told followed.
By the time all this became known, the young Shawanoe felt that Lone
Bear had nothing more to tell him. Otto Relstaub, if alive, was to be
searched for many miles further toward the Rocky Mountains, though, if
he was as ill as was represented, he must have succumbed long before.
While Deerfoot had no thought of breaking his pledge to the Pawnee, he
was too prudent to trust him. Should he hand him back his weapons he
might not attempt to injure the youth, but he would tell his comrades
enough to lead them to do their utmost to thwart the purpose of Deerfoot
and his friends.
"Let my brother listen," said the Shawanoe, stepping closer to him, as
if to make his words more impressive. "When the sun is yonder," pointing
to the horizon, "Lone Bear will come to this tree; he will look on the
ground, and will draw the leaves aside; when he does so he will find his
rifle, his knife and his tomahawk; his brothers shall never know they
have been touched by Deerfoot!"
There was a certain chivalry in this proceeding, for it gave to Lone
Bear the means of rejoining his friends without the humiliating
confession he would be obliged to make if he appeared unarmed; for he
could invent no fiction that would wholly conceal the truth. All that
remained to do was to keep out of sight until sunset, when he could make
his way to the spot, recover his weapons and go back with a story of the
long reconnoissance that had held him away much longer than was
anticipated.
Lone Bear thanked his conqueror for the regard shown him, and the
Shawanoe strode off toward the main body of hostiles. He made no change
in the route, until beyond sight of the Pawnee. Then he turned to the
left, his course being part of the circumference of a large circle,
until it brought him to the westward, or, as may be expressed, to the
rear of the single enemy. He now approached the large tree which had
served him so well. As he expected, Lone Bear was not in sight.
Deerfoot smiled as he stepped to the spot, and, bending over, laid the
captured weapons on the ground and covered them with leaves, so as not
to attract the notice of any one passing near. That done, he withdrew,
the faint smile still playing around his mouth.
Having promised Lone Bear that his weapons should be given back to him
in payment for his story (which the Shawanoe was satisfied was true),
the conscientious young warrior would not allow any thing to prevent the
fulfillment of his pledge; but he expected that when sunset came he
would be many miles away, and it would be a grievous inconvenience to
return. Much, therefore, was to be gained by this course. Again, Lone
Bear, having no thought that his property would be given up by the
Shawanoe before the time he had set, would not be likely to go near the
tree until the close of the day. Then, when he was armed again, it would
be too late for him to work Deerfoot ill. Possibly, however, he might
take it into his head to return earlier; but the Shawanoe cared very
little if he did, for even then he felt there was little, if any, cause
for fear.
That which Deerfoot now wished to do was to proceed westward with all
speed. He had learned from Lone Bear a description of the camp where
Otto was left, so that he was confident he could find it with little
trouble. Although considerable time had passed, yet when such a party
moved through the wilderness they left a trail which could be followed a
long time. Deerfoot was confident he and his friends could reach the
spot in a couple of days, but his plan was that he should press on
alone, leaving Hay-uta and Jack Carleton to follow at a pace more
suitable to them. By putting forth his amazing speed, he knew that the
three days' journey of the Pawnees could be covered between the rising
and setting of a single sun.
Had he been alone, he would have crossed the river at once, and by the
time night was closing in would have been many miles on his way; but the
first step was to rejoin the Sauk and his young friend. A perfect
understanding must exist between him and them, and that could be done
only by an interview.
Furthermore, though a quiet seemed to hang over wood and river, it could
not be doubted that Hay-uta and Jack were in much personal danger. They
were on the same side of the stream with the hostiles who were hunting
for them, and it would be no trifling matter to extricate themselves.
And again, Lone Bear would be sure to give a "pointer" to the rest of
the warriors, by which they would suspect that the purpose of the little
party was to push on and hunt for the boy that had been left alone to
die in the woods. Thus, while Hay-uta and Jack were following their
friend, the Pawnees would be trailing them and another curious
complication of affairs was likely to result.
Deerfoot had seen enough, while along the river, to satisfy him that his
friends were further down the stream than the hostiles whom they were
seeking to avoid. His first step, therefore, was to circle to the left,
so as to pass around the spot where he had seen them gather near their
canoe. On his way, he discovered one of the scouts prowling through the
wood; he easily avoided him and took care that his own presence was not
suspected.
At the proper moment he emitted the signal, which in case the Sauk was
listening, would be understood by him. It required great care, for more
than likely some shrewd Pawnee would catch it up and turn it to account,
as has been done times innumerable under similar circumstances.
There was no response, and Deerfoot did not repeat it until he had gone
some distance further. Then the whistle was emitted in the same guarded
manner, and almost immediately brought its reply. Fearful that the
latter came from a foe, Deerfoot kept his position, and, with all his
senses alert, indulged in some variations which were answered as only
Hay-uta could answer them. All doubt being gone, Deerfoot now advanced
unhesitatingly, and a minute or two later was with his friends.