The Eyes of the Woods Part 8

"An' so he hez sent that other band south to shut us in," said Shif'less Sol.

"An' we might hev fled south ourselves from the fust," said Long Jim, "but I cal'late we ain't that kind uv people."

"No," said Henry. "We can't lead 'em in this chase back on the settlements. So long as they're trying to spread a net around us we'll draw 'em in the other direction. Now, boys, fall in behind me, and the first one that causes a blade of gra.s.s to rustle will have to make a present of his rifle to the others."

Following the great curve which they were traveling it was a full five miles to the point on the river they wished to reach. The forest, they knew, was full of warriors, some hunting, perhaps, but many thrown out on the great encircling movement intended to enclose the five. Now, the trailers, with deadly peril all about them, gave a superb exhibition of skill. There was no danger of any one losing his rifle, because no blade of gra.s.s rustled, nor did any leaf give back the sound of a brushing body. They were endowed peculiarly by birth and long habit to the life they lived and the dangers they faced. Their hearts beat high, but not with fear. Their muscles were steady, and eye and ear were attuned to the utmost for any strange presence in the forest.

Henry led, Paul followed, Long Jim came next, then Silent Tom, and Shif'less Sol defended the rear. This was usually their order, the greatest trailer at the head of the line, and the next greatest at the end of it. They invariably fell into place with the quickness and precision of trained soldiers.

A panther, not as large and fierce as the one that Henry had driven in fright down the ravine, saw them, looking upon human beings for the first time. It was his first impulse to make off through the woods, but they were soundless and in flight, and curiosity began to get the better of fear. He followed swiftly, somewhat to one side, but where he could see, and the silent line went so fast that the panther himself was compelled to extend his muscles. He saw them come to a brook. The foremost leaped it, the others in turn did the same, landing exactly in his footsteps, and they went on without losing speed. Then the panther turned back, satisfied that he could not solve the problem his curiosity had raised.

Henry caught a yellow gleam through the leaves, and he knew that it was the Ohio. In two or three minutes, they were at the low sh.o.r.e, although the opposite bank was high. Both were wooded densely. The stream itself was here a full mile in width, a vast ma.s.s of water flowing slowly in silent majesty. They thought they saw far up the channel a faint reflection of the Indian fires, but they were not sure. Where they stood the river was as lone and desolate as it had been before man had come.

The moonlight was not good, and their view of the farther sh.o.r.e was dim, leaving them only the certainty that it was lofty and thick with forest.

"Paul, you and Jim and Tom lie here, where this little spit of land runs out into the water," said Henry. "There's good cover for you to wait in, and Sol and I will come down the river in our new canoe, or we won't."

"At any rate come," said Paul.

"You can trust us," replied Henry, and he and the shiftless one started at once along the edge of the river toward the northeast, where the Indian camp lay. Henry reckoned that it was about three miles away, but it would have to be approached with great care. As they advanced they kept a watch on the farther sh.o.r.e also, and rounding a curve in the river they caught their first sight of its reflection.

"It's fur up the stream," said Shif'less Sol, "an' I cal'late it's 'bout opposite the big camp. Thar must be some warriors pa.s.sin' back an' forth from band to band, an' that, I reckon, will give us our chance fur a canoe."

"Yes, if we can make off with it without being seen," said Henry. "A pursuit would spoil everything. We'd have to abandon the canoe and retreat back from the southern sh.o.r.e."

"'Spose we go a leetle further up," said Shif'less Sol. "The bank's low here, but it's high enough to hide us, an' the bushes are mighty thick.

The nearer we come to the Indian camp the greater the danger is, but the greater is our chance, too, to git a canoe."

"That's right, Sol. We'll try it."

They edged along yard by yard and soon could see through the intervening trees and bushes the light of the great camp, from which came a monotonous hum.

"A lot of 'em are dancin' the scalp dance," said the shiftless one.

"Will you 'scuse me, Henry, while I laugh a leetle to myself?"

"Of course, Sol, but why do you want to laugh?"

"'Cause they're dancin' the scalp dance when they ain't goin' to take no scalps. It's ourn they're thinkin' of, but I kin tell you right now, Henry, that a year from today they'll be growin' squa'rly on top o' our heads, right whar they are this minute."

"I hope and believe you're right, Sol. Isn't that a canoe putting out from the far sh.o.r.e?"

"Yes, a big one, with four warriors in it, an' they're comin' straight across to the main camp, paddlin' like the strong men they are."

"Yes, I can see them clearly now, as they come nearer the middle of the stream. That would be a good canoe for us, Sol. It looks big enough."

"But I'm afraid we ain't goin' to hev it, Henry. It's comin' straight on to the main camp, an' it'll be tied to the bank right in the glow o'

thar fires. Hevin' wanted that canoe, ez we both do, we'd better quit wantin' it an' want suthin' else."

[Ill.u.s.tration: "'A lot of 'em are dancin' the scalp dance'"]

Henry laughed softly.

"You're a true philosopher, Sol," he said.

"You hev to be in the woods, Henry. Here we learn to take what we can, an' let alone what we can't. I guess the wilderness jerks all the foolishness out o' a man, an' brings him plum' down to his level. Ain't I right 'bout thar comin' straight to the main camp?"

"Yes, Sol, and they'll land in a few more minutes. Those are big warriors, Miamis as their paint and dress show. Well, they're out of our reckoning, so we'd better move a little farther up."

"We'll be sh.o.r.e to find canoes tied to the bank, an' thar will be our chance. Ef our luck's good we'll git it, an' I find that luck is gen'ally with the bold."

The situation into which they had entered was one of extreme danger, but their surprising skill as trailers helped them greatly. The bank at this point was about eight feet high, with rather a sharp slope, covered with a dense growth of bushes, in which their figures were well hidden, but they were so near now to the main camp that its luminous glow pa.s.sed over their heads, and lay in a broad band of light on the yellow surface of the river. A canoe put out from the southern sh.o.r.e, and was paddled by two warriors to the northern bank. Evidently there was constant communication between the two forces.

From the bank above them came the steady drone of the scalp song, and they heard the measured beat of the dance. Voices, too, came to them as they advanced a little farther, and once Henry distinguished that of Blackstaffe, although he was not able to understand the words. The light from the great fire was steadily growing stronger on the river and it would be a peril, disclosing their movements, if they took a canoe. From the southern forest came the cries of wolves and owls which were the signals of the Indians to one another, and Henry felt sure they were talking of the five. He was thoroughly convinced now that their trail had been discovered, and that the warriors, sure they were in the ring, were seeking to draw in the steel girdle enclosing them. And unless the canoe was secured quickly it was likely they would succeed. The two paused, their minds in a state of painful indecision.

"What do you think, Henry?" whispered the shiftless one.

"Nothing that amounts to anything."

"When you don't know what to do the best thing to do is to do nothin'.

'Spose we jest wait a while. We're well kivered here, an' they'd never think o' lookin' so close by fur us, anyway. Besides, hev you noticed, Henry, that it's growin' a lot darker? 'Tain't goin' to rain, but the moon an' all the stars are goin' away, fur a rest, I s'pose, so they kin shine all the brighter tomorrow night."

"It's so, Sol, and a good heavy blanket of darkness will help us a lot."

They lay perfectly still and waited with all the patience of those who know they must be patient to live. A full hour pa.s.sed, and the welcome darkness increased, the heavens turning into a solid canopy, black and vast. The light from the great campfire sank, and its luminous glow no longer appeared on the river. The stream itself showed but faintly yellow under the darkness. Henry's heart began to beat high. Nature, as it so often did, was coming to their help. The droning song of the scalp dance had ceased and with it the voices of the warriors talking. No sound came from the river, save the soft swish of the flowing waters, and now and then a gurgle and a splash, when some huge catfish raised part of his body above the surface, and then let it fall back again.

Another canoe came presently from the northern sh.o.r.e. Henry and Shif'less Sol, although they could not see it at first, knew it had started, because their keen ears caught the plash of the paddles.

"It's a big one, Henry," whispered Shif'less Sol. "How many paddles do you make out by the sound?"

"Six. Is that your count, too?"

"Yes. Now I kin see it. One, two, three, four, five, six. We wuz right in the number an' it's a big fine canoe, jest the canoe we want, Henry, an' it'll land 'bout twenty yards 'bove us. Somethin' tells me our chance is comin'!"

"I hope the something telling you is telling you right. In any case you're correct about their landing. It will be almost exactly twenty yards away."

The great canoe emerged from the darkness, six powerful Miamis swinging the paddles, and it came in a straight line for the bank, leaving a trailing yellow wake. Henry admired their strength and dexterity. They were splendid canoemen, and he never felt any hatred of the Indians. He knew that they acted according to such guidance as they had, and it was merely circ.u.mstances that placed him and his kind in opposition to them and their kind.

The light but strong craft touched the bank gently, and the six canoemen stepped out, a figure that appeared among the bushes confronting them.

Henry, with a thrill, recognized Blackstaffe, and the canoe must have arrived on an errand of importance or the renegade would not have been there to meet the six warriors.

"You will come into the camp and hear the reports of the scouts," said Blackstaffe, speaking in Miami, which both Henry and the shiftless one understood perfectly. "It will take some time to do this, because not all of them have returned yet. Then two of you had better go back with the canoe, while the others stay here to help us. I think we have these five rovers trapped at last, and we'll make an end of 'em. They've certainly caused us enough trouble, and I'm bound to say they're masters of forest war."

One of the warriors tied the canoe to a bush with a willow withe, and then all six following Blackstaffe disappeared among the trees, going toward the campfire.

"At least Blackstaffe compliments us before sending us to the next world," whispered Henry.

"Ez fur me," Shif'less Sol whispered back, "I ain't goin' to no next world, jest to oblige a villyun renegade. Besides, I like this wilderness o' ours too much to leave it fur anybody. They think they're mighty smart an' that they're plannin' somethin' big right now, but all the same they're givin' us our chance."

"What do you mean, Sol?"