Frank in the Woods Part 3

"Why, the thieves knowed that we would foller 'em, an' they have doubled on their trail, just like a fox."

"The tracks all point the same way," said Frank, stooping down and examining the trail.

"In course they do," said d.i.c.k. "You don't s'pose you can tell by the looks of a red-skin's track which way he is goin', do you? I have knowed 'em to travel backward for more 'n a mile, to throw their enemies off the scent. But we hain't got no time to waste. Come on."

The boys followed the trapper back to the creek, and he immediately started off again at a rapid pace. There was not the least sign of a trail, and they were at a loss how to account for the trapper's reasons for following the creek, when he knew that the trail ran back into the woods. At length he said, by way of explanation:

"This is takin' a short cut on the Injuns. You see, they went back into the woods, an' doubled an' twisted about on their trail, an' when they think they have fooled us nicely, they will come back to the creek again."

The next two miles were pa.s.sed over in silence. The boys could not have talked if they had wished to, for the rapid pace was telling on them severely, and they began to think that they had never known what running was. But the trapper did not seem to mind it in the least. His motions were easy and graceful, and he appeared to move along without making any exertion whatever. They ran until almost noon, without seeing any signs of the Indians, and the boys began to think that the trapper had been mistaken in his calculations. But their doubts were soon removed by the finding of the trail.

"Hurry on now, youngsters," exclaimed d.i.c.k; "but don't make too much noise, for the redskins aint far off."

And so it proved; for the next bend in the creek brought them in sight of the Indians, who were walking leisurely along, with their packs on their backs, thinking, no doubt, that they had effectually eluded pursuit. But they soon became aware of the approach of the hunters, and, without stopping to look back, they commenced running at the top of their speed.

"Bars an' buffalers!" exclaimed the trapper. "This is somethin' like ole times. Now, youngsters, I'll show you some runnin' as is runnin'.

Come, Useless, show us what you're made of."

The dog seemed to understand him perfectly, and was off on the instant, and the trapper followed after him at a rate of speed which the boys had never expected to see accomplished by a human being. The creek, for almost a mile, was perfectly straight, and afforded them a fine view of the race, which was worth going miles to see. The Indians were no inferior runners; and, as they had nearly three hundred yards the start of d.i.c.k, the boys were doubtful as to the manner in which the chase would end. But the trapper had lost none of that lightness of foot which had rendered him so famous, both among friends and foes, and before they had gone half a mile, he was near enough to seize one of the Indians, while Useless pulled down the other as though he had been a deer.

The boys had been doing their best; but, of course, were left far behind; and when they came up they found the Indians standing as motionless as statues, apparently perfectly unconcerned, and the trapper and his dog were keeping guard over them.

"Now, little 'un," said d.i.c.k, addressing himself to Archie, and pointing to the packs which the Indians had thrown down, "look in them ar bundles an' see if you can find your traps."

Archie accordingly handed his gun to his cousin, and, kneeling down in the snow, opened one of the packs, when the first thing he discovered was his missing property. He arose slowly to his feet, and surveying the Indian to whom the pack belonged, with a comical expression on his face, said:

"You're a grand rascal. I've a good notion to take the ramrod out of my gun and give you a good trouncing."

The Indian was a man fully as large as d.i.c.k, very powerfully built, and muscular; while Archie was a little, "spindle-shanked" fellow, very small for his age, and looked as though he were in danger of being carried away by the first gust of wind that pa.s.sed. The former, after regarding the diminutive hunter for a moment, with an expression of contempt, drew himself up to his full hight, and e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed:

"Ugh! me big Injun."

He, no doubt, considered it a gross insult that a person of Archie's proportions should talk of "trouncing" him.

"Wal," said the trapper, "we're done with you, you painted n.i.g.g.e.rs; travel on about your business; but I wouldn't advise you to cross my trail, in these woods, this winter;" and d.i.c.k tapped his rifle in a very significant manner.

The savages raised their packs to their shoulders without making any reply, and walked off as though nothing had happened. As soon as they were out of sight, Archie packed up his traps, and the hunters turned their faces homeward.

CHAPTER IV.

THE "OLE SETTLER".

It was dark before they reached the cabin, but they found a good supper waiting for them. After they had eaten heartily, they drew their chairs up around the fireplace, and Uncle Joe inquired:

"Wal, youngsters, how do you like Injun-huntin'?"

"I don't believe we like it well enough to try it again," said Harry.

"I never was so completely tired out in my life."

"O, that wasn't nothin' at all," said d.i.c.k. "Such Injun-huntin' as that we had to-day is fun. What would you have thought if we had follered them thieves for a week afore we found 'em? But, I must say, that you youngsters done very well. I'll own up, that when we started, I thought I would see what sort o' stuff you wur made of; an'

I thought I'd stretch your legs for you in a way that would make you give in. But you fellers are purty good shakes at runnin', for boys of your age. But this reminds me o' a sc.r.a.pe I onct had near the Colorado River. Do yer see this? If you can ketch as many grizzly bars in your lifetime as this trap has, you are smarter nor I think you are. This is what I call the 'Ole Settler!'"

And, as the trapper spoke, he raised from the floor the object of his admiration, and held it up to the view of the boys. It was an ordinary bear-trap, with double springs, and huge jaws, which were armed with long, sharp teeth. It had received a thorough rubbing and greasing, and shone in the fire-light like silver; but, after all, there was nothing uncommon in its appearance. There were plenty of traps in the cabin that were quite as well made, and could, probably, do quite as much execution. In the trapper's mind, however, the "Ole Settler" was evidently a.s.sociated with some exciting event.

"The reason why I call this trap the 'Ole Settler'" continued d.i.c.k, "is, 'cause it has been in the service so long. My gran'father bought it, when he war only a boy, of a Mexikin trader, an' he give two ten-dollar bar-skins for it. When he got too ole to trap, he give it to my father, an' he give it to me. It has been stole from me a good many times; but I allers made out to get it back agin. Onct a yaller-hided Mexikin Greaser bagged it, an' I didn't set eyes on it for more 'n a year; but I knowed it in a minit when I did see it; an', arter a little brush with the Greaser, I made him give it up. The last time I lost it war while I war trappin' in Utah. It war stole from me by a Blackfoot Injun; and the way it happened war this:

"I allers had the name of bein' able to bring into market jest as many an' jest as fine furs as any trapper in the mountains. But I had a good many good trappers to go agin, and arter awhile my huntin'-grounds begun to give out; so, one summer, I packed my plunder, an' moved to the west side of the mountains. I war right in the heart of the p.a.w.nee region, the wust Injun country in the world; but I kalkerlated to get all my trappin' done arly in the spring, an'

move out; 'cause as soon as the ice breaks up in the spring, the red-skins allers come round on a grand hunt, an' I didn't care to have the rascals near me. I never yet see the Injun that I war afeared of, but it's mighty onpleasant to have them around; they go screechin'

through the woods, shootin' at a feller, when he can't see 'em, an'

steal his traps an' other plunder in a mighty onfriendly way.

"Wal, in less than a week arter I got to my new quarters, I war settled. I had all my traps sot in the best places, an' had mighty good luck. The streams war full of beaver, otter, an' mink, an' I used to have a fight with the grizzlies in the mountains every day. In this way the winter pa.s.sed; an' about the time that spring come, I had well-nigh trapped every thing in the valley. It war gettin' about time for the Injuns to come round on their reg'lar hunts; so one mornin,'

arter a good breakfast on buffaler hump, I started out an' begun to gather up my traps. A'most every one had some kind o' game in it, an'

I soon got as big a load as I could wag under. So I started back for camp. I war goin' along mighty keerless like, an' wasn't thinkin' o'

nothin', when all to onct I seed something that made me p.r.i.c.k up my ears, an' step a little lighter. I see that something had been pa.s.sin' through the bushes. You, in course, wouldn't have noticed it, but I knowed in a minit that an Injun had been along; an', arter lookin' around a little, I found his track. It wasn't a p.a.w.nee; but, arter examinin' the trail, I found that it war a Blackfoot. What one of them should be doin' so far from home I didn't know, but most likely he war layin' around for scalps.

"'Wal,' thinks I, 'd.i.c.k Lewis, you had better be lookin' out for them traps o' yourn;' so I hid my spelter in the bushes, an' started up toward the mountains. I had sot the Ole Settler the day before, to ketch a grizzly that had been botherin' me a good deal, an' I war afeared the Injun would come acrost it an' bag it. I saw plenty of Injun signs all the way, but the tracks had all been made by the same feller. I could see, by the way the rascal had moved, that he knowed I war in the valley; for he took mighty good care to cover up his trail as much as possible. Arter a few minits' walk, I come to the place where I had set the Ole Settler; but, just as I had expected, the trap war gone. The Blackfoot had been there afore me, an' I knowed that if I wanted my trap, I must look for it; an' I made up my mind that I did want it, an' that I would have it, if I had to foller the Injun clar to his home. So I started arter him, an', for a mile or so, the trail was toler'ble plain, an' I got along first-rate. I made up my mind that if the thief got away from me he would have to be smarter nor I thought he war. But, at last, I come to where he had tuk to a swamp, an' two or three times I come mighty nigh losin' the trail. The swamp war full o' logs, an' the Injun had walked on them, an', in course, he didn't leave no trail. I follered him more 'n a mile by the marks on the bushes, an' finally I couldn't see a single sign. There war the print of one of his moccasins in the mud as plain as daylight; an' there the trail ended. I couldn't tell which way the rascal had gone. I looked around, examinin' every bush an' twig, but it war no use. Now, I s'pose you think I war beat at the Injun's own game, don't you? Wal, I wasn't. In course, I couldn't find the trail in the swamp; but I knowed which way the Blackfoot war goin', an' if I crossed the swamp, I knowed that I would find it on the other side. So I started out, an' as it war gettin' late, I wanted to find the trail agin afore dark. I guess I made purty good time. I done my best, an' the way I got through that swamp war a thing to look at. The runnin' you see to-day wasn't a patchin' to the runnin' I done that night. But I tuk mighty good care to keep my ears open, an' to make no more noise than I could help; for, just as like as not, there war Injuns in the swamp, an' one of 'em might take it into his head to send a chunk of lead into me when I couldn't see him.

"About an hour afore dark, I reached the other side of the swamp; an'

in less nor ten minits more I had found the trail, and wur follerin'

it up as fast as my legs could carry me. But afore I had gone a mile it begun to grow dark. In course, I couldn't foller the trail no further; an' the only thing I could do, war to camp down where I war, an' wait for daylight. So, arter makin' my supper out o' parched corn, I picked out a nice place by the side of a log, and settled myself down to sleep.

"The next mornin', bright and arly, I war up, an' on the trail agin. I follered it all day, without onct stoppin' or losin' sight of it, an'

about night it begun to grow fresher; but it came on dark agin, and I had to camp. Long about midnight I heerd a sort of rustlin' like in the bushes. I war wide awake in a minit; for a feller that lives in the woods larns to keep his ears about him. I lifted my head an'

listened. Yes, thar war no mistake--I could hear something steppin'

keerfully over the leaves, an' I thought it war comin' right toward me. At first I thought it war some wild varmint; but, as it come nigher, I found that it war a two-legged critter; so I c.o.c.ked my rifle an' waited for the Injun--for I knowed by the step that it war a red-skin--to come in sight. The steps sounded nigher an' nigher, an'

all to onct the bushes parted without any noise, an' out come the biggest Blackfoot that it ever war my luck to set eyes on. He didn't seem to know that me an' my rifle war around; if he had, I reckon it wouldn't have made him feel very pleasant; but he walked past, within ten foot of me, an' disappeared in the darkness.

"Now, perhaps you would like to know why I didn't up and shoot him.

Wal, I'll tell you. That would have jest knocked the hul thing in the head, an' I should have had all my trouble for nothin'. I knowed that the Injun that stole my trap wasn't a great way off, and I knowed, too, that the feller that jest pa.s.sed war a sort of friend of his'n, an' that they war goin' to meet somewhere in the woods close by. So I thought that perhaps, if I took matters easy, I could rub out both of the rascals.

"As soon as the Injun wur out o' hearin', I picked myself up, an'

started along arter him, purty certain that before long I would come in sight of their camp-fire; an' I wasn't mistaken I hadn't gone half a mile afore I see a light shinin' through the trees; an' droppin' on all-fours, I begun to crawl along through the bushes, until I come to a place where I had a full view of the fire. As I had expected, there war two Injuns settin' by it. One of them--the one that had just pa.s.sed me--war eaten' his supper, an' the other lay stretched out on his blanket, and war showin' his friend the trap he had stole from me; an' they war both laughin' over it, as though they thought it war a mighty good joke. This kinder riled me, an' I knowed that I could soon put an end to their skylarkin'. I might have shot one of them where he sot easy enough, but that wouldn't do, for the other would have escaped, an' I wanted to make sure of both of 'em. I wasn't fool enough to think of walkin' into their camp an' tacklin' both of 'em to onct; they would have made an end of me in the shake of a buck's tail.

The only way I could work it war to get 'em apart, an' take 'em one at a time. So I dropped my rifle an' drawed my knife, an' gave two loud yells, which war a signal to let the Injuns know that one of 'em war wanted. They both sprang to their feet an' listened for a moment, an'

one of 'em--the one that had stole my trap--picked up his rifle and come toward me; an' the other went on eatin' his supper.

"I waited until the Injun had come within ten foot of me, then all to onct I stepped out from behind my tree an' stood before him. Bar an'

buffaler! how the rascal started! He looked at me for a minit, as if to make sure that I war a human critter, an' then, givin' an unarthly yell, he dropped his rifle, an' made at me with his tomahawk. But I met him half way, an' ketchin' hold of the hand that held the tomahawk, I give him a stab with my knife that settled his business for him. He fell to the ground like a log, an' I had hardly time to grab my rifle afore I seed the big Injun comin' toward me. But he hadn't made more'n two steps, afore a chunk of lead brought him to the ground.

"I then walked up to the camp, and stretched myself out on one of the Injuns' blankets; and arter makin' a good supper on a piece of venison I found hung up on a tree close by, I covered myself up, an' in a few minits war fast asleep.

"The next mornin' I war up bright an' arly, an' pickin' up my trap, an' all the Injuns' plunder I wanted, I drew a bee-line for camp. In another day I had gathered up all the rest of my traps, without seein'

any more Injun signs; but I knowed they would soon be around. As I didn't care about bein' in their company, an' as game war gettin'

scarce, I tumbled all my spelter into my canoe, an' started down the river."