Dick and the Indians
Dick Dare had not gone twenty yards before he became convinced that
there were Indians in the vicinity. At once he realized that he would
have to be very careful, or he would be unable to get through the lines
without being captured. He had been successful, always, in getting
through the lines of British sentinels, but these redskins were a
different proposition. They were perfectly at home in this region, and,
too, they were used to being about at night. They possessed the ability
to know what was going on around them, even in the darkness, they
seemingly having the catlike faculty of seeing in the dark.
But the knowledge that he was going to have a hard time getting past the
Indians only made Dick the more determined to do so. He was eager to
prove that he was a good scout and spy, and if he could get through the
Indians’ lines without being discovered or captured, then he would have
done something to be proud of.
So he settled down and began advancing very slowly and cautiously. He
would advance a few feet and then stop and lie flat on the ground, and
listen intently. Several times, while lying thus, silent and motionless,
he heard sounds in various directions that he knew were not made by wild
animals of the forest, but were made by Indians, without doubt.
He heard the calls of night birds, which, so his keen and well trained
ear told him, were not made by birds, but were simply good imitations,
made by the redskins. Dick could imitate the majority of the birds of
the forest, in their calls to one another, himself, and so was able to
determine that these calls were not genuine.
And this made him exercise the greatest possible care. He could tell, by
the various directions the sounds came from, that the fort was
surrounded, and he did not doubt but what an attack was contemplated. He
would have gone back into the fort and told them what he had learned,
had he deemed it necessary; but he knew that sentinels were posted, and
that the redskins could not spring a surprise on the settlers, so he
felt that it would do no good to take this trouble. It was more
important that he get through the lines and then hasten to reach General
Greene with the news that he was needed down in that part of the
country.
Presently he discovered, by hearing a call close at hand, that at least
one Indian was almost in front of him. He paused and lay silent and
motionless for a few moments, and then he began moving around, in a
semi-circle.
Cautiously he proceeded, and his every nerve was tense and ready for
instant action, in case his presence was discovered and he was attacked.
He had gone perhaps twenty yards, and was about opposite the point where
he had heard the sound that indicated the presence of the Indian, when
he heard a slight rustling, as of a body moving toward him, through the
grass. He listened, and became convinced that an Indian was approaching
him, and he guessed that the redskin had heard him.
Dick lay still, his mind working swiftly. What should he do? Should he
wait and engage the redskin in a combat, or should he leap up and take
refuge in flight?
It was a difficult question to answer, and as he was turning the matter
over in his mind, he heard the rustling coming closer and closer. He
must act quickly, or the Indian would be upon him.
He suddenly decided that the best thing for him to do was to take refuge
in flight. True, he realized he might run right into the arms of the
Indians, but on the other hand, if he remained where he was, and was
attacked by the redskin, the sound of the combat would bring a score of
Indians to the spot quickly, and he would be captured.
Having made up his mind, Dick acted. Leaping to his feet, he dashed away
at the top of his speed, and instantly he heard the sound of pursuit and
knew that the Indian he had heard slipping up on him had given chase.
On the youth ran, and suddenly a peculiar, quavering cry went up from
his pursuer’s lips. It was evidently a signal telling his brother braves
that a man from the fort was among them, and for them to try to capture
him. Realizing this, Dick was on the alert, and expected every moment to
feel himself seized by the hands of the redskins.
He had reached the heavy woods, however, before he became aware of the
near presence of any redskins, and then he thought he heard several
right in front of him.
Whirling, he ran toward the left, at the top of his speed, and then
began such a game of hide and seek as Dick had never engaged in before.
His quick ears would tell him when there were Indians in front of him,
and he would turn in some other direction, with the result that in going
a distance of two or three hundred yards, he must have gone at least a
mile.
Two or three times he had felt hands clutching him, but he had managed
to tear himself loose, and finally he was enabled to continue his flight
straight ahead, not hearing any sounds to indicate the presence of
redskins in front of him.
Behind him he heard the sounds of pattering feet, however, and the
guttural exclamations of the redskins, and knew he was being pursued. He
felt that now that he had succeeded in getting through their lines
without being captured he could escape, however, and did not feel very
much alarmed.
[Illustration: “So ye think ye’re safe, do ye, hey?”]
Dick was an exceedingly swift runner, and it was to this that he owed
his success, so far, and to this fact he finally owed his good fortune
in getting away from his pursuers, for he gradually drew away from the
Indians, and when they had followed him a mile or so, they gave up the
pursuit and turned back. Doubtless they decided that it was of more
importance to be ready to attack the fort when the time came than to
keep on in pursuit of a fugitive that could run like the one they had
been after.
And when he was certain that the redskins had ceased pursuing him, Dick
slackened his speed to a walk, went onward at a moderate pace, and
presently paused and stood listening intently.
He did not hear a sound in the direction from which he had come, and he
drew a breath of relief, and murmured aloud: “They have given up the
chase and gone back. That is good. Now I am safe, and will take it a
little easier.”
“So ye think ye’re safe, do ye, hey?” exclaimed a voice almost in Dick’s
ear, and then he felt a pair of exceedingly strong arms encircle his
body, pinioning his arms to his side. He struggled fiercely, but could
not break the hold of the person who had seized him.
“Oh, thar ain’t no use tryin’ to git loose,” chuckled a gruff voice.
“I’ve got ye, an’ ye kain’t git erway.”